NewYearsDayProject | a song a day blog

In today’s pop scene, there are more Taylor Swift s and fewer Adele s, at least in terms of output. Yes, both artists release music in the form of full-length albums, but Swift is constantly releasing music. Adele on the other hand waits years between albums to release new music. But the modern pop artist is continually generating music for their fans. The “post-album” single is now the thing, which may or may not lead to a deluxe edition of the album you paid good money for if you still music, but probably just streamed. Two years ago, Olivia Rodrigo shook up the pop chart, bringing pop-punk to the forefront again, and then after SOUR ’s album cycle, the singer kept a low profile.  FAME FUCKER. Olivia Rodrigo returned in June with “ vampire ,” her first single after SOUR with the first single from her album GUTS , released two weeks ago. The song drew immediate comparisons to the lead single from SOUR, “ driver’s license ,” for its mellow, piano-driven tone, which was only partially

Composed by  Kenzie , the professional name for  SM Entertainment 's songwriter Kim Yeon-jeong, the debut single " Into the New World " by what would become one of the biggest K-pop groups,  Girls' Generation , set the tone for a ten-year career of fun, bubble-gummy, uplifting songs. Composed of nine young women all born between 1989 and 1991,   Girls' Generation   has been been called "the Nation's Girl Group," in South Korea due to their popularity between 2007-2017. Beginning with a sample of   Don Henley 's 1984 classic " The Boys of Summer, " (covered last August by   The Ataris ), "Into the New World" builds on the nostalgic piano and synth sample. Rather than calling back with longing for the past, this song propels listeners forward into the future. I LEAVE BEHIND THIS WORLD'S UNENDING SADNESS.  I've been pretty critical of K-pop in the past for being a-political. I used to think that music in America was too p

" My my, hey hey / Rock 'n' Roll is here to stay" declares  Neil Young  in his 1978 song.  Rock music has had lasting presence in pop culture since the age of  Chuck Berry  and   Little Richard . Some points in the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, and '00s the genre took the primary spots on radio charts outside of the genre. However, around the end of the '00s, Hip Hop decimated the genre. The rock bands left standing, mostly traded their axes for acoustic guitar, keyboards, EDM beats, or Trap rhythms. Much of the rock music was indistinguishable from other genres, and that trend continues into the 2020s. However, just as rock bands cross over to the pop charts, the late 2010s to 2021 is seeing pop singers experiment with rock music. From  Miley Cyrus   performing   with  Metallica  to rappers like  Post Malone  and  Machine Gun Kelly  flirting with emo, some may argue that Rock is seeing a mainstream resurgence. Enter  Olivia Rodrigo 's " goo

Next Friday, we'll see the return of Paramore after a five-year hiatus. Following the release of 2017's After Laughter and the promotional tours, the band decided to take an indefinite break. Next week the band will release This Is Why , which seems like a return to form for the band that got their start in pop-punk and emo. In the the six years between After Laughter and This Is Why, pop-punk made a comeback; Paramore's former guitarist Josh Farro and lead singer received writing credits on Olivia Rodrigo ’s mega-hit “ good 4 u ” in 2021 for a controversial interpolation.  I'M OFF CAFFEINE ON DOCTOR'S ORDERS. On   Paramore's 2017 After Laughter  lead singer Haley Williams begins to process her divorce from New Found Glory 's guitarist Chad Gilbert . After touring and promoting After Laughter, Paramore took an indefinite hiatus. Williams started writing music which eventually became 2020's Petals for Armor , an album in which she analyzes her divorc

" My my, hey hey / Rock 'n' Roll is here to stay" declares  Neil Young  in his 1978 song.  Rock music has had lasting presence in pop culture since the age of  Chuck Berry  and   Little Richard . Some points in the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, and '00s the genre took the primary spots on radio charts outside of the genre. However, around the end of the '00s, Hip Hop decimated the genre. The rock bands left standing, mostly traded their axes for acoustic guitar, keyboards, EDM beats, or Trap rhythms. Much of the rock music was indistinguishable from other genres, and that trend continues into the 2020s. However, just as rock bands cross over to the pop charts, the late 2010s to 2021 is seeing pop singers experiment with rock music. From Miley Cyrus performing with Metallica to rappers like  Post Malone  and  Machine Gun Kelly  flirting with emo, some may argue that Rock is seeing a mainstream resurgence. Enter  Olivia Rodrigo 's " good 4

Composed by  Kenzie , the professional name for  SM Entertainment 's songwriter Kim Yeon-jeong, the debut single " Into the New World " by what would become one of the biggest K-pop groups, Girls' Generation , set the tone for a ten-year career of fun, bubble-gummy, uplifting songs. Composed of nine young women all born between 1989 and 1991,  Girls' Generation   has been been called "the Nation's Girl Group," in South Korea due to their popularity between 2007-2017. Beginning with a sample of   Don Henley 's 1984 classic " The Boys of Summer, " (covered last August by   The Ataris ), "Into the New World" builds on the nostalgic piano and synth sample. Rather than calling back with longing for the past, this song propels listeners forward into the future. I LEAVE BEHIND THIS WORLD'S UNENDING SADNESS.  I've been pretty critical of K-pop in the past for being a-political. I used to think that music in America was too pol

Released as a single in May of 2020, the second track on Harry Styles ' Fine Line , " Watermelon Sugar " was bound to be a hit. The song was saved as the fourth single from Fine Line after the more wintery singles, " Lights Up ," " Adore You ," and " Falling ." Fine Line was already massive before "Watermelon Sugar." It currently holds the record for the biggest sales week of a solo male British singer. And while Styles'  rock-influenced eponymous first solo record also topped Billboard 's album sales , Fine Line  packs a more memorable punch. And it's that sugary, sweet sound that landed the album in  Rolling Stone' s " 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ." TASTES LIKE STRAWBERRIES. If the world had been normal in 2020, "Watermelon Sugar" would have simply been a tasty treat. The pop charts would still have its TikTokers and Doja Cats . He'd still contend with Olivia Rodrigo , and maybe Sam Smi

Linkin Park 's fourth studio album, A Thousand Suns underperformed compared to the band's massive first three albums. The album produced two singles, " The Catalyst " and today's song, " Waiting for the End ," but ultimately listeners didn't like the album as most of the songs were not catchy. I always want to dig deeper into this album and its themes, but today, I wanted to introduce my AAPI Heritage Playlist, so I chose the most pop-oriented song on A Thousand Suns. If you want more information on the music theory behind this album, I'll link to The Discographers ,  an excellent podcast that explores the discography of Linkin Park in one of their seasons.  MY MOUTH KEPT MOVING AND MY MIND WENT DEAD.   May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the United States, and I wanted to make a playlist that recognized some of the amazing talent by AAPI musicians. As with my other lists, I realize that making lists like this can be pr

Damn you Covid-19! Sir Elton John simply wanted to tour the world and retire. The 75-year-old legend has been making music and touring since 1962. After saying goodbye to touring, he planned to settle down with his husband David Furnish and their two children and lead a quiet, un- Elton John life—out of the spotlight. But instead of stadiums full of fans across generations singing along to John's most famous hits from the '70s to '90s, we got an album of collaborations called The Lockdown Sessions , seventeen tracks featuring a few fellow legacy acts like Stevie Wonder , Stevie Nicks, and Eddie Vader . But mostly the album contained tracks with newer artists--pop, rock, hip-hop, and country acts. IT'S A HUMAN SIGN. In some ways, I feel that this month's playlist is an April Fool's joke on my younger self. I've included mostly catchy pop songs, and my younger self would have refused to see the talent of the pop artists like Joe Jonas , Olivia Rodrigo , or E