POP SONG REVIEW: "Fancy Like" by Walker Hayes

That Applebee's commercial jingle is an actual hit song. Seriously.
(Support Todd on Patreon! / toddintheshadows )

[@fredygalindo9495]

As an Applebee’s server I AM SO SICK OF THIS SONG they played it every 20 minutes in our store and every time you could just see the soul leave every worker’s body

[@wompwomp9946]

i'm sorry, dude lol that sounds like a nightmare

[@JesusKrispies]

Oh jesus that's horrific. Thank you for your service

[@alexandermutsaers2693]

I seriously thought this was commissioned by the restaurant. This reeks of the Pitbull Kodak song

[@BradyPostma]

I kinda relate. I worked at a movie rental place the same Christmas season when Elf came out on home video. That played on repeat every shift for _months._ It's been more than a decade since then, and I still can't watch that damn movie.

[@InugamiTheHound]

I hope you can survive your shift.

[@lodovicamancini-pori7672]

Walker Hayes' meticulously groomed look and the TikToks of people in all the nice houses makes me feel like this song is laughing at poor people rather than celebrating them.

[@profaneangel2556]

Yeah. Walker and wife went to a ritzy private school. Jeff sessions son was in her class. They aren't country people from out on the farm or even a trailer. They were beach houses and tennis at the country club. I still can't believe his country music career.

[@deirdre108]

@@profaneangel2556 In the old days this was called “slumming”-rich/privileged people cosplaying as the poor or working class. A famous example is Marie Antoinnette having a shepherd’s cottage built on the grounds of her castle, which she would use to pretend to be a shepherdess. This also is Hayes’ schtick.

[@davidnissim589]

“I write songs for people who do jobs in the towns that I’d never move to.” - Bo Burnham

[@GobotWars]

The bass sounds in the background and vocal delivery make it very clear "new country music is just hip hop for people who are scared of black people" is a quite true statement

[@CatLives9]

Exactly.

[@Sexiraina1993]

No truer words have been spoken.

[@CaptainCJ97]

Damn

[@Piratejackyar]

Country music has always been black music for white people.

[@Redralphred]

That's why, after my whole life, I stopped listening to it. It's a damn accurate statement.

[@LilDeuceDeuce]

I'm shocked that this started out as an actual song and then got picked up by Applebees. I assumed this was a tie-in from the start, like how Jeep hired X-Ambassadors to do Renegades to promote the Jeep Renegade. But I guess it makes sense because a commissioned song would probably only focus on Applebees and not namedrop Wendy's and Natty Light

[@hiimemily]

I'm actually kinda shocked that a song that was literally commissioned for a car commercial sounds a thousand times more like a real song than "Fancy Like". Also, ironically enough, X Ambassadors have never made a song better than their car ad jingle, either before or since.

[@Mentally_Will]

I don't know why it surprised me so much to find out just now that Renegades was indeed a song written just to sell a product.

[@jacobbelyea7945]

@@hiimemily I honestly thought X Ambassadors' new album was surprisingly really good. Like, if it was your first exposure to the band you'd assume they've released music that was at least okay in the past, but no the quality just came completely out of nowhere. Am I alone thinking that?

[@StudioScarecrow]

I hate Renegade so much. "Here's to all these genuine artists, whose footsteps we are pretending to follow, in order to sell cars"

[@Mentally_Will]

@@StudioScarecrow It takes the idea of "soulless art" to its logical conclusion honestly.

[@stevencoffin328]

"Walker Hayes" is a name you hear and instantly know which genre of music he makes.

[@smashfanwii]

Hyperpop?

[@bmlooh193-z4o]

Well there was another pretty successful country singer named Hayes in the early 2010s. Hunter Hayes I think

[@hiimemily]

@@bmlooh193-z4o Yep, he even got a spot on Todd's worst list in 2012.

[@Yamamanama]

Didn't he play baseball with Rey McSriff and Bobson Dugnutt?

[@jeansapplebottom9291]

I mean, he could be a Bryson Tiller

[@Owesomasaurus]

I'm always amazed at how expressive Todd's physical acting is despite only being filmed in silhouette

[@PolyverseCube]

silhouette AND in profile, no less

[@grrrom991]

it’s his moments of sitting still in shocked silence that get me

[@fusionspace175]

It's even more impressive once you realize he's just a finely crafted marionette. Todd is, in reality, a master puppeteer in addition to his other talents.

[@Noxshus]

Someone should pay him for this

[@Dave-hp4vh]

Funny how many times I feel like I have seen his eyes roll and his jaws hit the floor in exasperation, when you can't even see his face.

[@DiamondAxeStudiosMusic]

"It would be easy for me to just sit here and make horrified faces" You literally don't have a face Todd

[@teamkockroach4080]

love your new content sean

[@Marysajama]

as far as we know

[@pkmnherofan22]

I don’t know he managed to pull a pretty horrified face at the Penius Colada line in Liz Phaire’s Funstyle

[@RenaldyCalixte]

So Todd is secretly the DC Comics superhero The Question who also doesn't have a face.

[@gogreen2496]

It's not a song about actually being lower class and poking fun at how they can't afford "real" fancy things. It's rich people cosplaying that concept. Applebee's might not be "fancy" but if you don't live near a big city, it's still probably one of the places you go to have date night. My family is wealthy and from the south. I garuntee you my cousins are singing this.

[@dandelionwino]

Yeeeeep. And since this comes out at a time when there is a massive wealth gap, it feels like a rich person saying "look how fun it is to be poor. I don't get why you keep whining about 'student debt' and 'tax the rich', you have Applebee's."

[@jacobcrowley1675]

That was my exact thought

[@jacobcrowley1675]

That was my exact thought

[@emilyb5762]

@@dandelionwino this is true, but step 2 is “and then insecure people on the other side of the wealth gap adopt it as part of their spiteful identity.”

[@jlbeeen]

In Canada, Applebee's is seen as overpriced American food. At least that's how I saw it growing up. It was never that popular and we wondered why they're still around where there are similarly priced places you can go that are better. Like Boston Pizza, where I frequently go on dates which at least has a nicer environment to it and some nice drinks (including mocktails).

[@RanterInShades]

This song wants to be "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore so badly.

[@possiblyblittz6273]

This song gives the same energy as “Depop reseller”

[@judgesaturn507]

With a bit of Weird Al's parody of Whatever You Like thrown in.

[@joshbanner7398]

I was thinking it wanted to be a country “Carry Out”

[@alexandermutsaers2693]

Except replace “Carry” with “Sell”

[@brendanb2982]

" Hey Walker, can we be fancy like- " " No. "

[@boringcactus]

dropping that many restaurant names in one song has to have been a deliberate attempt to get picked up as a jingle by one of em. i'd sell out too if i couldn't get my career off the ground for ten years straight

[@JerzeyJimmy]

hey, speaking of: OHW on "Sell Out" by Reel Big Fish

[@thwiftlythwept7023]

My take was the same. Get that bag, son! I don't like the song but who cares. And Sell Out is an awesome track.

[@jojoversus1100]

@@JerzeyJimmy idk if Reel Big Fish fit into a OHW format. Kind of like saying Wynonas Big Brown Beaver - Primus. Yeah it's technically one of their only "hits", but it doesnt really fit.

[@paisleepunk]

​@@jojoversus1100todd did the butthole surfers, so it'll be fine

[@dudewuttheheck]

"vaguely trap bass, just enough to let you know that we're aware of hip hop, but not enough to be good at it" . Lines like these are why I love this channel.

[@barleysixseventwo6665]

Little did we know this was all just a pilot for his new show: “Todds Restaurant Reviews” “Yep, that’s a steak alright” “That is indeed a Lobster and it is in fact Red” “This sandwich definitely tastes like it was made with meat, vegetables, and _some_ bread”

[@jamesrichie7844]

His own version of "It's Food."

[@tjhunter9787]

"Truly the restaurant of all time"

[@afterdinnercreations936]

""Yep... these are fries... wait, what are you doing with that Frosty???"

[@succumbtoviolets]

There's an old dirty blues song from the 1930s called "Please Warm My Weiner" by Bo Carter, so in the last 90 years we've gone from "please warm my weiner" to "please put my weiner in ice cream," that's the effect that climate change is having on us. Also I don't know much about sex and I don't judge what people are into but I can't imagine "stick it in something frigid until it goes numb" is among the more dam-bursting bits of poetry that the human race has ever discovered.

[@countyfacts6920]

You sound like Erik from Internet Comment Ettiquette

[@matthewlee8667]

This comment is hilarious in such a dry way it's amazing. 😆😆😆

[@F_I_J_I_W_A_T_E_R]

If you haven't seen it, look up the Nardwuar interview where he presents a record of Please Warm My Weiner to Tyler the Creator.

[@nikibronson133]

Lol

[@GiulianaBruna]

This comment is perfect

[@leonardpollard5722]

The Vespa thing is because, in some states primarily in the south, if you get too many DUIs and have you drivers license revoked you can still drive a Vespa

[@pacificostudios]

Uh yeah, but don't the losers with the DUIs and suspended licenses get cheap Chinese scooters instead? Some of those two wheelers are so cheap you might not care if the cops confiscated it.

[@angelapotochich5421]

@@pacificostudios Vespa is an example of a proprietary eponym, like Velcro, chapstick, or bubbler (in Wisconsin).

[@pacificostudios]

@@angelapotochich5421 No, Vespa is the name of a company. Just as "Toyota" is not a common term for all "automobiles."

[@ross5425]

@@pacificostudios proprietary eponym means something that is the name of a business but is used to describe all items/products similar to it. Like how Band-Aid is the company but everyone calls bandage adhesives Band-Aids.

[@bluchismoon]

@@ross5425 Kleenex is another example. But do people in the south seriously call all scooters Vespas?

[@anonameis7818]

It's kinda ironic that the band Florida Georgia Line was nearly pulled apart by supporting opposing candidates.

[@TenApplesforTime]

Considering how Georgia flipped blue while Florida remained red? It's hilarious.

[@Lycaon1765]

@@TenApplesforTime lollll

[@jinxed7915]

On the plus side, if Florida Georgia Line breaks up, it would at least be a benefit to music and humanity.

[@vwestlife]

@@jinxed7915 Now it's no longer an "if". They broke up in September 2022.

[@jinxed7915]

@@vwestlife maybe there truly is some God looking over is.

[@MatteoTomatto]

Country music in the past felt like it was just about real people going through the peaks and valleys in their lives; it felt genuine. Modern country feels like people internalizing stereotypes about the south and playing up to them for attention.

[@schris3]

That's quite the recap of what's happening.

[@maxillebastille9079]

but hip hop did the same and now its more popular than ever

[@Thedjbj2]

Older country music was geared towards people who genuinely lived the country lifestyle, with all the messiness that entails. But as the US becomes more urbanized, that market has shrunk. Modern country music is instead geared in large part to people who live in the suburbs/exurbs and small cities who have embraced the most superficial aspects of the "country" lifestyle, maybe because it gives them and the place they live some sort of identity.

[@Genevieve1023]

@@maxillebastille9079 10 or 15 years ago maybe, but that's not what hip-hop is doing now.

[@BillPeschel]

We went through this in the '70s when it was called "countrypolitan." There were some crossover artists like Johnny Cash, who kept it real while still appealing to a wider audience, while you had Dolly Parton who went both ways ("Jolene" and "9 to 5"). Then you had a lot of country artists who strived for mainstream appeal by putting rock tropes into their songs. Now, they're doing hip-hop and rap (because it's popular), which opens them up to idiots calling them racists and appropriators. And Todd wonders why they feel defensive.

[@qty1315]

"There's nothing special about me. That's what makes me special. Those rich people in the city don't understand how happy and not insecure I am."

[@stephaniewozny3852]

It's sour grapes.

[@qty1315]

@@stephaniewozny3852 Thinking about it, it is kinda funny that his song about being happy not being rich and famous made him rich and famous.

[@mortified0]

"Fuuuucking TikTok..." is a very specific feeling that Todd delivered perfectly.

[@couldntmixapotnoodle]

I think I'm going to get that printed ona t shirt.

[@Dahnlor]

You can tell it comes from the heart

[@Chudhole]

I want to hate Tiktok but I love it. I like the dude that asks people what they are listening to. I’ve snagged some cool jams. I’m saying I’m starting to watch it more than KZbin.

[@Chudhole]

@@jacksonteller3973 it’s ok not to like it but let’s not bring crazy into the mix. Everyone is spying on you. The iPhone that you’re reading this on is basically a tracker. Both for your physical location and your browsing history. You should be just as worried about American companies. They don’t give af about you and your aversion to tiktok because racism.

[@Dahnlor]

@@Chudhole Not me! I'm posting this from my encrypted XP machine through multiple VPNs from my underground bunker in Colo--I mean HA! You wish you knew!

[@amityislandchum]

I first heard this song when I turned on the radio in my car and it was right at the part about ordering food at Wendy's. Naturally, I assumed it was a Wendy's commercial. But then it went right into an Applebee's order, and for a moment, I wondered if Wendy's and Applebee's were part of the same corporation and would be making combo restaurants, like the famed Pizza Hut/Taco Bell/KFC. But then... it kept going... and it slowly dawned on me that *this was an actual song.* I died inside that day.

[@deirdre108]

Applebees and IHOP are part of the same parent company.

[@uglyaniimals]

@@deirdre108 "yeah we fancy like ihop, get some pancakes she eat some bacon, then she make her ass shake"

[@travirushellton6843]

I’m surprised Todd didn’t point out how this guy was clearly trying to rhyme “bangin’” with “maintenance”. Put all the southern twang on it you want dude, those words do not rhyme.

[@FirefulXD]

I can believe in anything now after hearing fergie rhyme "milkshake" with "factory"

[@juhaniaho6698]

NOT A RHYME

[@aakashbasu3219]

I thought he was saying "solo maining" which is what I do in fighting games

[@realemmcee]

like when Young Thug tried to rhyme "titan" with "card"

[@demonicbunny3po]

As a scooter person, Vespa is the Lamborghini/Ferrari of the scooter world. It is, indeed, the fancy brand of the scooter world. And a more expensive brand. A lot of this has to do with build quality. They use the heavier, more expensive steel for the body whereas other scooters use plastic. Buddy would be the Applebee’s of the scooter world and the no name Chinese brands are the Wendy’s.

[@possiblyblittz6273]

The only brand I’ve ever seen in the local shops around here is Bintelli. I’m curious what the perception of that is

[@caspermcgoangle975]

I know so much more about scooters now thank you

[@constancestrawn1303]

I'm a scooter person too. I still have a Piaggio on my wish list. Those cheap vintage Hondas sure are a money suck.... 😅

[@ghostofabulletproducciones5748]

So Walker Hayes isn't even able to pretend thinking like a poor person?

[@Painocus]

Literally the single thing I know about scooters is that Vesbas are the fancy ones.

[@timtaylor1a]

“Not a good use of your Kesha” Todd, I was a fan before, but after that quote, to me, you’re the only critic that matters.

[@gequitz]

"This isn't about being poor it's about being basic" Right on the money

[@Ren_NCTzen]

"Fancy Like" sits at the same table as "Body Like a Back-road"

[@jooree7696]

At least Body Like A Back Road can be so-bad-its-good, plus the already bad melody is still 20 times better than the one from Fancy Like

[@vwestlife]

"Body Like a Back Road" was co-written by an openly gay man -- Shane McAnally, one of Nashville's most prolific songwriters. Shane didn't write "Fancy Like", but he did co-produce it. But I wonder what that co-production involved, other than sitting in the corner and trying not to laugh.

[@aegisScale]

@@jooree7696 I can laugh at Body Like a Back Road. In fact, if you were to hear me laughing at Fancy Like, that's actually the sound of my soul leaving my body.

[@CustardCream515]

Every non-american when Todd does a country song: Hmmm, yes, I agree, do continue. I do indeed know all of these people you're naming.

[@digamejh]

Hell, I'm an American and I think I'm just as clueless as you.

[@anyalovegood]

Me, watching this video and having no idea what an Applebees is:

[@bastiaan4129]

Truth be told, that's what I think during pretty much every modern song he does.

[@thegermangal9120]

I'm Irish and I hear this song in every store I go to, were not free from it

[@SomeDumbKid1]

I'm American and I've never heard of any of these people.

[@brockenglish7602]

I've been getting back into Cyberpunk lately and nothing strikes me as more Cyberpunk then turning on the radio and hearing a song that sounds like it was constructed by an algorithm about the dining options at a massively huge chain restaurant. In Demolition Man a future where all the radio played was brand jingles that people seemed to love was supposed to be a joke.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

I too enjoyed the Action Button season finale.

[@brockenglish7602]

@@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick Which parts did you watch?

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

@@brockenglish7602 The opening and the closure, naturally. But I believe I watched parts 4 and 6 myself. Those were “What I didn’t like” and the part about analyzing cyberpunk as a genre. How about you?

[@brockenglish7602]

@@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick Truthfully I watched all of them but the highlights were Parts 3 and 6. 6 was the best for sure.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

@@brockenglish7602 Aww. You didn’t do the thing he said to do.

[@TheAlps36]

When Kesha mentioned Waffle House I became convinced this was a commercial for a new mall that was opening outside of Nashville

[@NegaLomie]

Imagine a Waffle House with mall hours. WaHo is for 3 am post-bar crawl munchies.

[@brendanb2982]

The only song that should be used for promoting Waffle House is " Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting ".

[@Patrick_Bateman92]

From a British perspective, I couldn't imagine anyone making a song about going to Nandos or Weatherspoons, I assume Applebee's is the equivalent of these.

[@itzlucaaa6789]

As an American I assume it is too 🤣

[@Speccy94]

I'm imagining Jedward singing about going to Greggs normally and Pret for special occasions.

[@drifter402]

I can imagine grime MCs doing that.

[@durnsidh6483]

In the US, Nandos is fancier than Applebee's, though that's mostly because they're considered "ethnic" and there are fewer Nando's restaurants than Applebee's.

[@SuperJNG18]

Nah, not quite Nando's. Pizza Express?

[@8nicopink868]

If I wanted a cool song about not having expensive tastes, I'd listen to Thrift Shop. Hell, this video inspired me to go and listen to it now!

[@stevethepocket]

The line about Vespas made me want to pull up "Downtown".

[@matthewkoch6937]

Exactly. If I want a song about enjoying simple country life, I'll listen to John Denver's timeless "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" or "Poor Folks." Those make the simple life sound welcoming, or at least just as good as anyone else's. This song sounds tacky and low-class in the worst way-the obnoxious, smug, defensive way that makes poor people like me afraid we'll be seen as.

[@8nicopink868]

@@matthewkoch6937 Ooh, thanks for the song recommendations!! And yeah, ngl I feel embarrassed listening to Fancy Like too smh. I think it does the opposite of encouraging pride in having no taste, I can't agree more with you.

[@amityislandchum]

"Thrift Shop" truly gets it in a way these bro country songs don't. While the country songs love to play up the tired tropes of "we're just such small-town folk who don't even know what Morton's Steakhouse is! I swear!" Thrift Shop gets right to the point and says, "Hey, everyone else in my genre is fucking stupid for bragging about their $50 t-shirts." I can *believe* that Macklemore shops at thrift stores before I can believe this Walker Hayes guy takes his wife to Applebee's for date night, regardless of what's true.

[@mysteriiis]

Hell yeah! See also 'Trashy Women' by Confederate Railroad for how to do this song right.

[@roshango125ab]

The first time i heard this song was in the ad for Applebee's and i assumed it was a jingle for the ad. It blew my god damn mind when I found out this was an actual song that someone genuinely wrote.

[@SeanStrife]

Same, although... I didn't realize it was an actual song until TODD MADE THE FUCKING VIDEO!

[@trtx84]

With all the brands being name dropped it feels like a song written specifically to beg for an ad deal

[@brad3042]

It sounded like something a marketing committee came up with.

[@frailvoid5844]

Ikr life was once so simple. I never listen to the radio so it’s often jarring watching these videos lol

[@JeremyLeal1695]

Being from Texas, i can safely say that even rural country boys can do better than Applebees.

[@raggedyanne9631]

definitely

[@jojoversus1100]

Texas Roadhouse my dude.

[@jinxed7915]

Seriously. You don't have to go to a proper fancy restaurant to have a nice date night, but you can also do infinitely better than Applebee's. Even just a nice local joint would be more respectable.

[@magicrainbowkitties1023]

90% of people I know would rather go to Taco Bell for a date night than Applebees.

[@JBoy62497]

"one of the guys from Florida-Georgia Line wrote a song about how we all need to come together, and he sang it at Biden's inauguration, and the other guy *refused to join him*." lmao if you tried to put this in a comedy movie script the other writers would say it was too on the nose.

[@Thomasmemoryscentral]

I don't even get why Jason Aldean having anti Biden shirts is considered controversial' isn't Biden a moron that's embarrassing himself?

[@cangrejopendejo4909]

@@Thomasmemoryscentral Right? It was way more socially acceptable (and cringe) to hate on Trump, but Biden's an idiot too 🤷🏻.

[@MrBonethugs4lyfe]

@@Thomasmemoryscentral Biden's doing fine. Right wing hates him cuz he's a leftie, left wing hates him cuz he's not extreme enough. Sounds about right tbh

[@caitlinrobinson6812]

@@Thomasmemoryscentral meh? Most people don't like biden, but can I really say he's that bad of a president? Not really. He's about what I expected. I will still tske him over trump and I don't regret my vote. So no, I wouldn't say that it's a universal opinion.

[@MegaLakona]

@@MrBonethugs4lyfe the Overton window is just really fucked in the US. Any other country Biden would be center right.

[@IsaacMayerCreativeWorks]

I really appreciate the fact that this video is very careful to criticize this garbage song while avoiding classist rhetoric. It was interesting watching this right after Dan Olson’s Jamie Oliver video

[@meowtherainbowx4163]

I appreciate how he distinguishes between different kinds of tackiness or trashiness, especially what works best in a song like this. Instead of making fun of country people for the country lifestyles they promote, he pointed out how they promoted them so aggressively that it came off as insecure. He shows nuance and respect without softening the blow of his actual opinions.

[@MrTonypace]

But that video was so weird in how it avoided talking about Oliver's actual background... This kind of faces the issue at least.

[@samueltitone5683]

Since classicism is arguably how country music became so defensive and bad, I’d argue that was the right call.

[@Frosting1000]

@@MrTonypace ig? Oliver’s true background aside the argument he made was still classist, doesn’t matter what’s actually in his heart or whatever

[@MrTonypace]

@@samueltitone5683 I think Todd made the right judgement for the exact reason you point out. I think Olson kind of avoided the issue, especially since he's more political.

[@lalolindu]

i love how literally no one outside US knows this song, we truly dodged a bullet 🥴

[@yanstein8464]

that's mostly because country isn't very popular outside the us

[@patricklauer4452]

Actually this song crossed over to the aria charts, some of my online friends have said it’s gotten played to shit on the radio I haven’t had to hear it in the wild but fucking hell I don’t want this to be a thing!

[@BabysitterSky]

I'm in Iowa and I've never heard this song besides in commercials.

[@jbwarner8626]

@@yanstein8464 I misread that as "our country isn't very popular outside the US" and it still seemed plausible.

[@scottlarson1548]

@@BabysitterSky All the "country" songs I hear in bars sound like standard rock songs with the lead singer singing in a Southern accent.

[@exhaustedbaking]

To my Texan friend and her family: thanks for taking me to Chillis instead of Applebees for my first US dining experience

[@petsch6787]

"It's about massive insecurity" -Todd, accidentally stumbling on why so many people HATE country music

[@MelMelodyWerner]

*correction: "why so many dipshits who only hear bro country think it's still cool to shit on country music, as if The Highwomen and Yola don't exist."

[@maxillebastille9079]

@@MelMelodyWerner seriously, its like only listening to mainstream rap

[@zab416]

Yeah that is pretty insightful. I haven't listened to bluegrass in a long time, but when I went through a phase, it seemed like a lot about "creeks and dogs and mountains are cool" but without much at all of the "suck it, city slickers" in mainstream country.

[@stephenwilliams163]

That country insecurity is one of the ways that people with more wealth and privelage than a feudal lord justify their own victim mentality and persecution complex.

[@d3rrick10493]

@@MelMelodyWerner maybe some people just hate the music itself. I don't like the instrumentals, I don't like their accents, and I don't relate to the music because I was born and raised in a city on the upper east coast. I hate country because it makes me feel nothing because I can't relate to it. Doesn't make it bad, I don't hate people who enjoy it, just isn't for me, because it wasn't made for me. 🤷‍♂️

[@JadeCryptOfWonders]

As someone overseas from America, it's always interesting to have Todd decode the references to dining options available to him but not to me.

[@quinnnewman9538]

given your view of the video, what is your country's version of applebee's?

[@MichaelSmith-fq6hz]

Applebee's is basically what poor white people in the US think of as "fine dining."

[@vonhaig]

@@quinnnewman9538 I think sit-down restaurant chains are generally much less of a thing in Europe. Generally chain restaurants would just be for fast food, though you do have places like Nando's or Wagamama's. I guess something like Pizza Express might be the closest equivalent?

[@MichaelSmith-fq6hz]

​@@vonhaig Sit-down restaurant chains are generally considered a step above fast food here. From a quick glance on Wiipedia, it looks like you have Tony Roma's? Applebee's is probably a step below that. Think of a kind of halfway point between fast food and a real restaurant. That's about what Applebee's is.

[@rayelgatubelo]

This is probably how most Americans feel when some Brit mentions Cheeky Nando's.

[@ktownshutdown21]

This song just sounds really...cynical. I don't get the vibe that this is a fun laid back guy enjoying the little things, it more comes across as someone being CONDESCENDING about it. Very strong "How Do You Do, Fellow Country Artists?" energy coming off of this one. For as buttmad as people were about Old Town Road, this comes across as much more of an insincere goof than Lil Nas X ever did. [Edit] Oh Kesha, baby what is you doing 😶, why are you lending your cred to this nobody?

[@gracecarpinter8623]

I don't think Kesha hopped on the remix for reasons of credibility. I think she did it for two reasons: because her early career was about being ironically trashy, and to get some cash because that sentient pile of garbage Dr. Luke has been withholding royalties from her songs, leaving her with no income.

[@thatlemonadeguy6742]

That was my first thought. It doesn't feel like "oh look, we just enjoy the little things" but more like a "hahaha look how cheap and tacky I am I go to Applebee's like it's fancy". Almost as if it was making fun of people who really are like that.

[@BabysitterSky]

Lmfao KESHA HAS CRED????

[@ktownshutdown21]

@@BabysitterSky Tons more than this generic nobody, yes. Something wrong with your caps lock there, fam?

[@BabysitterSky]

@@ktownshutdown21 No, caps lock is just fine. And considering Kesha hasn't had a song anyone's cared about in like.... over a decade? It looks too me like she's just leaching into some one hit wonder for some quick relevance.

[@naomiwashburn358]

From age 5 to age 14, I lived in a shithole small town in Wyoming, and I can tell you you are absolutely correct about the insecurity of small town people. It was even worse in some of the small towns I visited in Texas. I think a lot of them are aware that their communities suck (I sure knew mine did, lol), but they, for whatever reason, want to stay, so they have to somehow justify that to others, but also to themselves. It's also a tactic to try and keep young people from leaving, by trying to convince them that that dumb old big city life isn't all it's cracked up to be. I fucking hated it, lol.

[@louschwick7301]

"for whatever reason" money Also, it's just ... hard to move

[@phastinemoon]

Do they WANT to stay? Or do they HAVE TO stay, because they’re too poor to move?

[@typacsk]

Which town? I'm up by Lovell XD

[@moonlily1]

I seem to recall George Carlin having some commentary about the supposed superiority of small towns and their residents and their love of shit talking people from the city, something along the lines of how they stay in their puny towns because they'd never make it the city because they're too weak, so they say the cities and their people suck in order to overcompensate. Different lifestyles suit different people and that's okay, big cities, suburbs, rural areas all have their merits. Live wherever you feel you thrive and that's cool, but don't be self righteous about it. Small town dwellers aren't kinder or more moral or more "real" than people who live in larger towns. Urbanites can be patronizing towards those they perceive as less cultured because their town doesn't have an art gallery, but small town people have their own version of snobbery.

[@benl8070]

Gonna be honest, I thought the Applebees marketing people hired someone to write that as a jingle. It never once crossed my mind that this was supposedly a song someone would put on the radio.

[@Thedjbj2]

I just realized that "Sqeak-squeakin' in the truck bed all the way home" is him enjoying the sound of beer bottles rubbing up against Styrofoam, and that makes cringe so hard. The sound of things rubbing up against styrofome is my brown note, it's like nails on a chalkboard to me. I just find styrofome to be a viscerally unpleasant substance and I will actively avoid restaurants that put their takeout in a styrofome container. And that's not even getting into the environmental issues with styrofome, I just wish we could ban it for aesthetic reasons alone.

[@devlinburgess2463]

Styrofoam is the Devil's drink container. The sound it makes is like mice being tortured.

[@CynnamonSpyder]

Oh really? I thought it was the squeaking of the truck's shitty shocks

[@terriersturf4734]

oh i thought it was them fucking in the backseat of the truck while someone was driving and them moving was like a squeak but yeah that’s probably more accurate

[@gregorywiederecht]

Well, that certainly makes more sense than my original thought: I was trying to figure out how they drove back home *and* fucked in the truck bed at the same time

[@ambern6069]

SAME. People have always made fun of me for this, I’ve hated it my entire life. I have to have other people pull things packed in styrofoam out of boxes because it’s physically painful for me. I HATE it so much. Along with dry cornstarch.

[@TuesdaysArt]

When I first heard this on the radio and saw the song title on the car dashboard, I thought the title was "Fancy Like Walker Hayes" and I was like "Who the hell is Walker Hayes?"

[@fofalooza]

It sounds like an upscale store clothing brand from Sears. The Walker Hayes collection features many tasteful long sleeve t-shirts paired with a muted vest. Immaculately trimmed yet noncommittal facial hair style not included.

[@TuesdaysArt]

@@fofalooza lmao

[@JoshuaFagan]

Not the worst thing about the song, but how is a Vespa not fancy? When I think of stylish, even European, luxury, a Vespa is one of the first things that comes to mind. Even Luca got this right.

[@jeevithrai7994]

My dad used to have a Vespa back in the day and he didn't have much then, so I never thought of Vespa as particularly luxurious.

[@billyweed835]

In lots of states in the South, if you get caught for a DUI, you can still drive scooters, Vespa included.

[@o8thmsmunchieman]

Another insightful review from THE MAN! One thing to note; as a man from the south, the "Vespa" lyric refers to any scooter at all. In Alabama, we refer to many things by a colloquial term that is used by a major brand name. ERGO, Vespa are scooters, Cokes are soda and Jeeps are any 4wd vehicle. He's insufferable, but he's on brand.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

The idea of a person calling any type of soda a “coke” fills me with a very peculiar dread.

[@wompwomp9946]

as someone tacky from the deep south who grew up poor (even used to actually think Applebees was fancy lol) i can't make myself like this song. something about it rubs me the wrong way and idk what it is

[@SavageGreywolf]

speaking as small town folk from Small Town, TX who begrudgingly attended Confederate General High School and never actually expected to go to college (and finally am as I approach 40), it feels like a slightly mean-spirited parody of country music. Like it's meant to be at the expense of the people it's describing. But like, it also wants them to buy the single. The bro country tier snap beat doesn't help.

[@GamesFromSpace]

It's because he sold out before he even got big. He made an ad disguised as entertainment, and that's sleazy as fuck.

[@CGFillertext]

Same, we used to only go to Applebee’s for “special occasions” like birthdays (partly because for a long time it WAS the closest thing we had to a fancy restaurant), and I love dipping fries in frostys (or dipping fries in dq blizzards). but this song always felt like it was very ingenuine pandering and I don’t like it for that

[@seraxx1973]

It feels like it was made to be picked up by an ad. It’s very hollow and artificial. He doesn’t sound sincere at all. It’s also kind of like “hey look, I have money but isn’t it fun being a poverty tourist. Isn’t the stuff that the poors do so fun and quaint..” Same vibe as the Greek girl in ‘Common People’ by Pulp.

[@pjhaze]

It almost seems like he wanted it to be a commercial jingle to get paid and played

[@BlithelyBlue]

no idea if this is worth mentioning, but your point about Wendy’s and Applebee’s and such being a sort of “basic” experience and less about being poor - I’d like to say that having grown up in a very rural area, it’s actually because those restaurants are really popular that they’re accessible way out in the “middle of nowhere” so to speak. Big towns next to the boonies really only have places to eat that are “the most popular in America” because those chains can afford to set up kind of remote franchises. there’s really not a lot of restaurants I can think of that kinda even existed in the area I grew up, but I do remember Applebee’s being the fancy place, and Wendy’s being a place to get easy and cheap ice cream. I guess there was also McDonald’s but that’s arguably even more basic than Wendy’s. And those existed there because slightly less expansive chains like ruby tuesdays or sonic couldn’t quite manage to stay open.

[@MrGetownedLP]

Very interesting!!

[@nickrustyson8124]

@@takemyhand1988 But he moved to NYC later in life and now he lives in LA

[@sacrecharlemagne2262]

While you raise a good point about food deserts, I do think that there are far better ways to convey the theme of "romance on a budget" than Applebee's. Making some venison steaks or grilling some trout for your girl would not only be something that millions of people already do but would be far less basic than taking her out to a Michelin star restaurant you booked a month in advance. The thing in my opinion that makes the song feel tacky and basic is not the quality of the corporate plugs but the fact that they're there in the first place. A song about how his wife likes going mudding with him would unironically be a far better song because at least then it wouldn't sound like a commercial. (As an aside: I don't care that much about Applebee's. Growing up my family thought Olive Garden was fancy so I get it. What do find inexcusable however is the Natty Lite name drop. I don't care how remote a gas station is: if it sells alcohol, it has to sell better beer than Natty Lite. If you really favor cost over taste that much you might as well just get Steel Reserve. It's far more cost-effective at least.)

[@qty1315]

@@sacrecharlemagne2262 I think I'm a little more forgiving towards product placement in music because I grew up during the MySpace indie scene. Everyone was trying to be relatable, and part of relatability is brand loyalty, apparently. So, you'd have all cool kids listening to a song about how cute the singer's girlfriend looks when she has a bit of ketchup on her lip from a McDonald's cheeseburger. Or, you'd have a random brand namedrop like "All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi," or a verse dedicated to how much they love Captain America movies. I guess being really specific about a brand is the quickest way for an indie artist to be more relatable to a teenager figuring out their identity. Oh yeah, and indie movies were filled with product placement. One of the characters from Juno was literally defined by how much he liked a specific brand of candy.

[@BlithelyBlue]

@@sacrecharlemagne2262 that’s a completely fair point about natty lite haha. I was actually unfamiliar with that brand before hearing this song as it’s not even commonly sold around where I grew up (there were more popular beers.) I had to web search the lyric to figure out what the singer meant.

[@zaxxya7883]

Walker Hayes has the same singing cadence and tone as the Imagine Dragons guy. That's why Todd hates it Thank you for coming to my ToddTalk

[@melanieg.9092]

oh my god thats exactly it...

[@davidshinn766]

Not even close

[@zimpenfish]

It's basically "Thunder" with twangy music and different lyrics.

[@matthewbrotman2907]

At least Reynolds projects. This guy is sleepwalking.

[@jinxed7915]

The same irritating way they place unnecessary emphasis on every 3rd or 4th syllable. Great, I'm never going to unhear that

[@vietimports]

true old school country music, from musicians who lived through actual struggles like the great depression, was not defensive about being country. modern country is SUPER defensive because 99% of the country singers have never stepped foot on a farm

[@rescatooor]

"You're not being cheap, you are being basic!" This. Any place that sells steak cannot be considered cheap. Try the Chinese place around the corner and their $5 fried rice with frozen vegetables.

[@Jaspertine]

AKA Lunch break at the mall.

[@kingoftropes922]

Yeah, try concocting whatever is in your kitchen cabinet for a meal because you're broke and discovering a new favorite food before you brag about being cheap because you spent less that $20 on a steak at a restaurant chain.

[@SideQuest8]

That why it call fancy

[@RedstoneMalfunction]

I think country music is so defensive about being “country” because its core demographic of listeners is really from the suburbs.

[@johnindigo5477]

Driving through east Texas I notice the country stations near the cities are very vocal about being country and lay the commentary on thick. While the more rural you get the stations just play the music. Suburban people tend to have more time and disposable income that the music industry caters too.

[@sprite-lite]

I've noticed that much of the country listener base is made up of "new money." Like, families that live in those really far-out gated subdivisions with a new car every two years because the father got some decent-paying white collar job in the city. I get the vibe that the people who listen to this music do so to feel down-to-earth, when they're actually not. People really from rural America do not listen to this type of country much, if at all. What is a lot more prevalent is CCM, but I can tolerate that over this terrible faux-country anyday.

[@Nakia11798]

Yeah, as someone from the actual "country", we do not listen to this bs. Some people do, but most don't. It's more classic country or folk music that gets played.

[@thwiftlythwept7023]

Its the difference between the "I like country music" people and the "I like country music, not the shit they often call country these days" people. Its a reflection of a weird, long-standing musical war in North America and its not really a suburbs vs rural thing and never was (people move around the periphery and metropolis). This fact makes a lot of this stuff really funny, like the Van Halen debate. I hope this Walker Levis dude makes bank.

[@PineappleLiar]

I'd slightly modify this to include that it's also people who happen to have vacation homes in rural places, or in actual cities that just happen to be tourist traps centered around purveying the 'southern' aesthetic (The two I know off the top of my head are Myrtle Beach and Pigeon Forge, the selling point is that they are trashy but in a 'treat yourself' way). Those are people who feel inclined to affirm that the lifestyle they essentially bought is, in fact, valid, and will play this music to reinforce that idea. At least where I'm from, the tourist circuit is absolutely stifling on the few people who actually live in a rural locale full time. 2020 was fun for that, too, seeing a bunch of rich people flood into these gated communities, thinking they could just not do covid if they just stayed at the vacation house for the year instead. Not like anyone lives out there, anyways.

[@gentlemandemon]

It's so odd how little confidence country has in itself that it's gotta steal hip hop's delivery and cadence. And that's no even counting the songs that have drum machines in them

[@alexanderguerrero347]

I mean music genres steals from each other all the time. It’s sort of how music works

[@gentlemandemon]

@@alexanderguerrero347 sure, but it's odd for a genre to just pretend to be another genre

[@PhantomKing88]

Is anyone gonna mention the fact that the melody is "The Hokey Pokey"?

[@daishoryujin95]

You dip your French fries in, you dip your French fries out…

[@ozivass1773]

Yeh it does to, i heard that song and i was like “………………….. that has the same tone as the hokey pokey 🤨 it’s really swingy aswell like was he singing that song while swinging at the swing or something”

[@shoxy-the-pinecone6113]

Todd seems more perplexed by this song then he was in his last video when he reviewed a Scientologist sci-fi concept album

[@jojoversus1100]

For good reason. HOW is this a hit?! WHO is this for?!

[@BenthiccBiomancer]

When I first heard this, I was mostly just assuming he wrote it with the sole intention of getting it picked up as an Applebees' ad (or maybe a Wendy's as the backup). Like, it's precision crafted to fit into a 10 second ad and the blowing up as an actual song was genuinely accidental...

[@artbk]

After 10 years trying to get a career going, I'd say this was a last ditch effort.

[@GolumTR]

I think that the I’m From The ‘Country’ As It Were trend in country music is part of country’s not very successful attempts to bring on hip hop ideas. The same way Outkast represents Atlanta or Wu Tang represents Shaolin Land, country music will represent The ‘Country’. The obvious problem is that - despite its rhetoric - country music is for atomized suburban consumers with no meaningful local pride. Even this guy can’t drop the name of a mid-tier local restaurant because anything local would break the illusion that he is at the abstract locationless The ‘Country’.

[@Nanthecowdog]

I think there’s local pride. Just not in the mainstream. You ask an indie or a Red Dirt country fan who you think reps Oklahoma best and they’re gonna tell you Turnpike Troubadors.

[@GolumTR]

@@Nanthecowdog Only homan I know is Jabee from OKC. He’s a good guy.

[@pacificostudios]

You put your finger on it. Like yeah, the best part about living in "The Country" for real is knowing where all the NON-brand places are. Like that restaurant in Sandstone, MN where everything on the menu is a "Burger" -- from Hamburger to Fish Burger to Pizza Burger to Turkey Burger -- they got it all, between two halves of a bun.

[@leftofthedial1378]

The spiritual successor to Todd’s “Carry Out” review. The real ones remember.

[@mysteriiis]

Ba ba ba ba ba....I'm humpin it!

[@armoredguardian6145]

@@mysteriiis "...........Mayonnaise, everywhere."

[@eggmug562]

Mmmmmm burger

[@wafflesthewookiee4716]

This song has been the bane of every college football fan this season. Every games, someone scores, and there’s a commercial and suddenly it “YEAH WE FANCY LIKE APPLEBEES ON A DATE NIGHT”. I hope all my friends at r/cfb find this video.

[@RaptureRocker]

Every time this god forsaken song comes on the air during a game, the r/cfb game threads rightfully tear it to shreds.

[@redactedname247]

Same here for NASCAR fans.

[@KouRien]

As a CFB fan, I genuinely thought it was a jingle written for Applebee’s first and became a “hit” later. Was shocked to find out i got it backwards

[@aaronman4772]

I miss Summertime Lover, why do we have to be tormented by this stupid Applebee’s commercial every single break

[@amesstarline5482]

I'm starting to think High Hopes wasn't so bad..

[@RJ_Productions316]

This song feels like the unironic version of "Pandering" by Bo Burnham Walker Hayes' net worth is 1.5 million dollars BTW

[@fightingfitz214]

How is his net worth that high??

[@mitzo4526]

Maybe I should be a country star. That’s a lotta money

[@MelMelodyWerner]

net worth is not how much money you have, it's how much value your assets are worth - debts. so yeah, if he for no reason sold everything he owns (including his house, which is probably where a lot of that net worth comes from if he owns it and isn't currently paying off the mortgage of it, which'd obviously be debts) and paid off every cent of his debts, he would have 1.5 million dollars in liquid cash. for comparison, someone like Kacey Musgraves has an estimated $10 million in net worth, Miranda Lambert has around $60 million, Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line has a net worth of approximately $25 million. contrast these household names with Luke Bryan, whose net worth is evaluated at around $160 million. 1.5 million in net worth (not liquid cash) is nowhere near the A-list of country musicians, and there are complete nobodies I know who could save $1.5 million in liquid cash (boomers of course, who had years of cushy jobs that afforded them that privilege). I'm not saying this to defend Walker per se, but net worth is a crock of shit that doesn't really tell you as much as people pretend it does. very tired of people bringing it up like it means this random dude is well off, when he likely is not--seeing how the music industry writ large is so much more likely to chew him up and spit him out like so many others.

[@bdadams13]

That's really not that much, especially since it's net worth and not real liquid money, so a big paid-off house could be half of it. If you want to retire at 65, you'll need about that amount in your 401K.

[@Glassandcandy]

This isn’t a country song. This is hip hop for an audience that’s scared of black people. A way to capitalize on trendy and innovative genre conventions from black musicians, repackage and sanitize them for the “all live matter” crowd. You know it- I know it- there’s no reason to tip toe around it. That is exactly what this is

[@countof3everybodyOD]

I mostly agree. Country has been dead for years. It’s had a few death rattles over the past couple decades but it’s over Johnny

[@ambriaashley3383]

Yup!

[@jirky015]

"This is hip hop for an audience that’s scared of black people." I think thats an unbelievably cynical and shallow thought while being completely untrue. There are lots of valid criticisms of this song, but that is not one.

[@thatkidwiththehoodie]

@@jirky015 it’s hip hop by people who don’t know a damn thing about hip hop but figure ‘that weird new-fangled black people music can’t be that hard to make, right?’

[@jirky015]

@@thatkidwiththehoodie Ok, sure. It's one reason the song is lame as fuck. But this isn't a racial thing; it's a class thing. This is not white people rapping about black culture. This white people rapping about white people culture. As someone pointed out very intuitively, what this really is, is upper class people larping as middle and lower class people.

[@morganqorishchi8181]

This is not a country song. This is an ad. This was designed to be picked up and used in ads. That's why it's about things that aren't particularly country - ads don't zero in on narrow demographics. It may not have been an ad Applebee's commissioned, but it still is what it is.

[@brendanb2982]

Let it be known that the two biggest songs in country right now are: A washed up has been nu-metal singer screaming at his TV about liberals and A tribute to Applebee's. What a fucking depressing year for country music.

[@donovanlocust1106]

Yeah...

[@beachwind7274]

What’s the first one?

[@judgesaturn507]

@@beachwind7274 Am I The Only One. Todd did a video about it.

[@4snekwolfire813]

The third biggest included Nelly calling himself the black Tom Brady, unless that's holdover from hellyear.

[@Empyre18]

All the evidence you need that there really IS a mental health crisis in Rural America.

[@kcjc]

I remember being amazed when I found out this was a legit song and not some dumb song made up for an Applebee’s commercial

[@ShearGenius88]

Same!!

[@falconJB]

I just found that out by watching this video.

[@paullaing5921]

Hey, Cobie Smulders broke my heart with her song, "Sandcastles In The Sand", I won't have a bad word said about her music.

[@amberhernandez]

Maria Hill from SHIELD has a music career?

[@munjee2]

@@amberhernandez I feel like this os a joke but just to be clear, she does not have a music career

[@amberhernandez]

@@munjee2 I know; it's just a near-identical name lmao

[@mista414]

Todd should release an album of piano covers of his favorite (or least favorite but improved by a new arrangement perhaps) tracks he's reviewed. They always sound so good. Plus in the streaming era, it could totally be 25 tracks, each like 2 minutes long and it'd be fine.

[@yserareborn]

Vespa is a tell. This isn’t a song about enjoying simple things; it’s about poverty tourism. Think “Common People” without the bitter edge.

[@kenzood5290]

honestly the best part of this review is confirmation telepatia is gonna be on the best list because GOD THAT SONG IS SO GOOD

[@isabellerogers7678]

"Sin miedo" overall was the shit! I was never into Kali Uchis before but it's an amazing album.

[@ktownshutdown21]

I just looked up that song once this review was done, and with one listen I'm already humming the melody in my head. I already forget how Fancy Like goes. Yeah, I think it's safe to reserve two spots on the respective Year End lists, LOL.

[@Natibe_]

Ty for sending a song to get this thing outta my head!

[@quinnnewman9538]

I mean I am also thinking about Keli Uchis as well, though for a different yet related reason....(pauses music video while she is on the bike for long time)

[@rashotcake6945]

It’s by the same singer who was featured on Tyler the Creator’s See You Again. And Tyler himself was featured in her well-received 2018 album, Isolation

[@deirdresheridan7775]

Nothing makes me more grateful to be an American living in Europe than when Todd checks in on country music

[@wadekemmsies7180]

Country music deserves this. It deserves every little bit of this. It's been so far up it's ass for the longest time and I'm so happy country fans have to hear this all the time

[@sweetsnejinka9411]

I really like this perspective

[@kylanfedje3358]

I can't get past how much the cadence of the lyrics in this song reminds me of Thunder by Imagine Dragons

[@RidleyJones]

Thunder, from my pickup / All diesel baby no hiccup

[@aurifulgore]

Oh god not another annoying earworm with so little rhythmic variety it just repeats over and over and over 😭😭

[@BLINDrOBOTFILMS]

No wonder I hate it so much. I've never been big on country, but the last thing it needed was to be more like Imagine Dragons.

[@cashkromsupernerd1193]

Thank you for this cursed knowledge

[@RectPropagation]

Holy crap, I can’t unhear it!

[@justme0910]

I can't believe Todd made it through this whole review without mentioning Weird Al's parody of "Whatever You Like" (a song that takes the same premise and makes it actually funny and tbh kinda cathartic to listen to as a poor person) even once.

[@ellaser93]

Heck, he kept on using the word "Tacky," and I was expecting a "Weird Al" reference there as well.

[@thatkidwiththehoodie]

It comes up in the Whatever You Like episode of Song vs Song!

[@orenbernstein4050]

Thank you, I was sure that was where he was going when he said “if this sounds familiar to you…”

[@caesarorzell600]

As someone who works at a Wendy's, whenever someone just orders fries and Frosties, I immediately get concerned.

[@justacouplapaninis4986]

Have you never tried it yourself?

[@cookiemocher388]

You're no fun

[@demilung]

I love that steak review. "That's a steak alright"

[@lalaunascope]

This is definitely a misuse of Kesha...but I genuinely enjoyed the bit of her verse that Todd played more than any other snippet.

[@abbyfromwiisportsbeefbosss9259]

“There are even rumors that this song is gonna hit number 1” Adele and her new album: **Laught in easy on me**

[@alexddragame]

All hail Adele the Queen

[@lalolindu]

once again Adele saving us all, what an icon 😭

[@rescatooor]

Wait, you consider Adele country?

[@nate567987]

thank Adele

[@lilrqlovesanime650]

Once again, Adele keeps saving the day and saving us all 😭💗

[@xxsosbrigadexx12]

Heard this song by chance on the radio and once the lyrics became clear to me, I knew instantly: Todd's going to review this someday. Thanks for proving me right ayyy

[@rct3isepic]

I never realized how much this song sounds like the Hokey Pokey on piano

[@TheLitterboxCritic]

The Wendy's fries freakout is easily one of the best Todd jokes in a long time.

[@possiblyblittz6273]

I was like “why is todd uploading at 1am?” Then remembered he is in LA now. Welp, “fuck sleep; watch Todd”, as they say.

[@HowardLeaderman]

Tbf, he's always done this stuff.

[@possiblyblittz6273]

@@HowardLeaderman entirely true. Especially on those 1HW episodes where copyright fucks him

[@ZbJeeBies]

kesha's look w the dark lip liner gives me goosebumps in the uneasy kind of way :/

[@sammanthaneys1444]

"Country Stuff" sounds like a song that Peter Griffin would make. 😂

[@sarahshandie8412]

The part of the song that really gets under my skin is that it feels like he's laughing at poor people? I know the lyrics indicate the opposite, but like. We all know that this guy has money. And the dorkiness of the music, the weird lyrics that don't seem to understand the actual beauty in a working class life, all of it combined really feels like he made a joke at someone for being poor "haha you probably go to Wendy's for your dates, and then to upgrade you go to applebees! hahaha" but then put himself in the joke and tried to play it off sincerely. All with this undercurrent of "I COULD go somewhere more expensive if I wanted to, but I live modestly, for fun! :)"

[@OpalPhoenix]

This! I was trying to put into words what bothers me about this song, and it’s this! This song feels like a mean-spirited joke, and I just can’t like it because of that.

[@ktownshutdown21]

Yeah, I felt the same way; there's something about the production and his delivery that makes it seem like he's taking the piss out of the more sincere type of working class music that's normally made in this genre. I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but even AARON LEWIS came across as more genuine as this guy. Genuinely pathetic and sad, but genuine nonetheless. This guy, though, comes across as a total poser.

[@sarahshandie8412]

@@OpalPhoenix Yeah! I mean, maybe he's really trying to be sincere, but the vibes are totally off.

[@sarahshandie8412]

@@ktownshutdown21 Right? Aaron Lewis was actually drawing upon some kind of emotion, this is just smug. You might be onto something with the production... you know those jokes about la croix being flavored things like "whispers of lime"? The production is kinda like that except the lime is hip hop.

[@Aleph3575]

Welcome to most modern country lol. Singing about being backwater hicks in our multi-million dollar estates.

[@Benjamin-lq1sf]

This song is gonna give every college football fan PTSD in like 5-10 years

[@arirought531]

It already gives me it

[@ryanahrens7416]

Please...no more

[@clowkey1747]

I miss Summertime Lover

[@Justin9700]

Dipping Wendy’s fries in your Frosty is so common that I can’t believe Todd was shocked by it. It’s just a salty and sweet combo. It’s really good.

[@charliethasnail]

I can’t imagine this song getting big anywhere outside of America

[@TheTlminton]

"A Country Boy Can Survive" was my first exposure to this unironically bitter and defensive country music trend. Sure, there were songs like "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" which celebrated the simple life in a more wholesome and less confrontational way, or "Okie From Muskogee" which was supposedly intended as parody, but that's the earliest example of a song that made me think "man, he's got a chip on his shoulder about being from the country. Why's that? I don't feel bad about living here and visiting the city." Of course that song would probably take a pretty dim view on both Wendy's *and* Applebee's (which don't tend to be located in rural communities, especially the latter), so clearly *something* about country music's knee-jerk defensiveness has changed over the decades.

[@Thedjbj2]

I think a major reason why country music has gotten so defense is that over the past few decades the US has gotten a lot more urbanized, and the centers of economic growth have become concentrated in a handful of major metropolitan areas. Tons of young people move to the big city to get jobs out of college, and I think that makes their friends and relatives back home feel more resentful and defensive. And this divide is not just between urban and rural areas but between big cities and small cities, the kind of places that would actually have an Applebee's. Here in Georgia cities like Columbus, Macon, Augusta, and Savannah are definitely not rural but they are still way overshadowed by Atlanta, and plenty of people from those cities move to Atlanta for jobs (including my mom). I think the disparities between big and small cities has led a lot of small city types to think of themselves as "country".

[@keenobrown919]

@@zandithshloper2005 whoa, anoher Michander. Yeah, it's pretty weird. An ex considered herself country even though she was from a pretty urban area. The identity thing is spot-on especially in SE Michigan. People either consider themselves from "Detroit" even if they're nowhere near the place or consider themselves "country" even if they're from the city.

[@skinWalkman]

@@Thedjbj2 the strange thing about it is that metal and punk is born from the same roots. Just different mentality. Instead of vigorously defending their small town or rural life, they lash out against the boredom without the embrace of the material. It’s amazing how one genre gets popular and the other gets forced under despite coming from similar situations

[@Thedjbj2]

@@skinWalkman I think punk and metal were more of a specific product of the post-industrial urban decay of the 1970s (like how Tony Iommi's origin story is losing fingertips in an industrial accident) while the older genre of country music acts more as a defense of the "country" lifestyle in the face of long-term urbanization trends. I heard an episode of the show Radiolab that explained that "country music" as a genre came about in the late 1920s right at the time the US population become more urban than rural. Country music is more about lifestyle and culture than about economics or material conditions (as shown by the number of bougie suburbanites that like to think they're "country"), I was just showing how economic and cultural trends are interrelated (that's something of an interest of mine).

[@skinWalkman]

@@Thedjbj2 well put. I hadn’t considered that. I was more referring to the modern state of the genres from about 1990 to the present, but you make excellent points. I’m gonna look more into it. Thanks

[@charleselmore4707]

I think it’s kind of like what you said in your video, Todd: “Fancy Like” wants you to criticize it because it only makes it stronger. Case in point: seven hours ago I was unaware that the song existed, and now I’m stuck with it running through my head like a damn jingle.

[@hardcoremagicalgirl]

I wanna hear Todd's thoughts on Kacey Musgraves. She's very much an outlier in country music but beautiful breath of fresh air to a genre.

[@Nakia11798]

I like the few songs I've heard by her. She's almost like a breath of fresh air in a genre full of insecure obnoxious men and a sprinkle of women.

[@tomuchcamoflauge]

I would love an episode on breadwinner.

[@captainayaaya28]

Just listen to Golden Hour two days ago and I absolutely love it! Country Pop/Chill Pop perfection! Anyway as for Todd he put High Horse as an honorable mention for his 2018(?) best list so it’s safe to say he likes her, or at least that song.

[@artemiswolf4508]

I wanna clarify that this song didn’t just come from tiktok… it came from straight tiktok, a curse land of horrors nobody should dare enter, and it fits right in.

[@WilliamMaranciMashups]

never dipped my fries in a frosty at wendy's. however, as someone who puts ranch dressing on spaghetti, maybe i should.

[@ddjsoyenby]

i have not.......

[@paulcarter1197]

It works better than it seems like it should

[@kingrobotnik6950]

Hey I’m still trying to figure out Mayo and fries. I just got the cheddar cheese on apple pie and peanut butter on a burger(don’t ask lol)

[@GP423]

just because you make good song mashups does not mean you can also make food mashups that are affronts to nature

[@sam3851]

I've never put ranch dressing on spaghetti but I do dip my fries in the frosty at wendy's so maybe I should

[@caitlinerickson7355]

Nashville self-parodying its own weird list format is…an interesting direction. I think this song would work a lot better with less irony and, like Todd says, insecurity. (Also fries are good dipped in shakes)

[@nejdalej]

This song is like a very well constructed McMansion, except it's made to look like a shack. A McShack, if you will.

[@matthewdhewlett]

I used to work for a Vespa dealer. Yeah, they're the high-end scoots. Brand new Vespa with all the options can reach $7k. A year-old Moto Guzzi was the same price.

[@LukeLeonettiYouTube]

I first heard it on TikTok and I thought it was… slightly amusing? Until I found out it was a real song and it began playing in real commercials and I couldn’t escape it

[@jasonguarnieri4127]

7:02 I literally did that exact experiment with interchangeable country names with my mom once, even dropping Bryson Tiller's name in the middle, and she didn't bat an eye until I said he was a rapper.

[@douglasjgallup]

I love how if you’re a country musician you have to go to Nashville - a cosmopolitan city with a metro population of two million - to further your career. Nashville is, itself, pretty “bougie” nowadays.

[@maxhydekyle2425]

Cobi Smulders had the greatest song of all time! I'm not even kidding btw. Let's Go to the Mall was a bop.

[@donvid8969]

This song reminds me so much of Weird Al's "Whatever You Like", and it's the only way I can stomach it.

[@LorneGrimmer]

I said the same

[@fugithegreat]

The difference is that Weird Al knew how to play this concept as a well-developed satire.

[@coolfiend2616]

Reminds me how me and my friends realized that most Kesha songs could easily sound just like a country song with a different backtrack. Can't unhear it.

[@michaeladkins6]

Timber and all. The worst famous singer on a remix is and will always be the Biebs on Bad Guy.

[@naomiwashburn358]

Kesha loves country. I think she might have even grown up in Nashville. She did a song with Dolly Parton on Rainbow. It makes total sense that her music would work in a country setting.

[@carolyns4519]

@@naomiwashburn358 her mom was actually Dolly's songwriter! Her country influences go way back.

[@andrewollmann304]

“My girl is bangin’/She’s so low-maintenance (pronounced “MAYN-iss)” .....where is the “Not a Rhyme” button, Todd?! This one was served up for you on a silver platter.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

Or at least a paper one.

[@taylorgabbey2371]

Holy shit, this song is so much worse than I thought it was. I never get past "My girl is bangin'" before changing the station. I just always assumed it was regular bad