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 |    My primary Writing.com blog. |
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Logocentric (adj). Regarding words and language as a fundamental expression of an external reality (especially applied as a negative term to traditional Western thought by postmodernist critics). Sometimes I just write whatever I feel like. Other times I respond to prompts, many taken from the following places:  "The Soundtrackers Group"  "Blogging Circle of Friends " "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" "JAFBG" "Take up Your Cross" Thanks for stopping by!  |
"Barrel of Monkeys" | Day 2"Body Like A Back Road" by Sam Hunt from Southside (2020, single released in 2017) I picked this song because the "bro-country" sub-genre of country music fascinates me. On the one hand, songs like this those from artists such as Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan, and Jason Aldean. On the one hand, bro-country has been extensively criticized for its repetitive subject matter (frequent themes are partying on Friday nights, drinking, trucks, and the objectification of women), and the lack of representation for female artists. On the other hand, the sub-genre is immensely popular with fans, regardless of what music critics, radio programmers, and established, old-school country stars may think of it. This song, for example, broke a record by being the first song in history to spend more than 24 weeks on the Hot Country Songs list, a record which had until then been held by "Cruise" from Florida Georgia Lina, another "bro-country" song. Those two tracks also have the distinction of reaching the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 as well. And yet many critics labeled this as one of the worst songs of 2017. I'm torn about this sub-genre of music. They are definitely popular songs, and in a lot of cases that remind me of pop country where it's often upbeat, catchy, and easy to listen to on repeat. But I have noticed how many of the songs tend to glorify drinking, partying, and treating women as little more than sex objects... so I don't disagree that the songs can be somewhat problematic. One of my favorite things about this genre, though, are the childish responses of bro-country singers to those who criticize their music. Blake Shelton was quoted as saying he doesn't care what "old farts" think, and went further to say, "[The reason you don't like it] is because you don't buy records anymore, jackass. The kids do, and they don't want to buy the music you were buying." When Zac Brown criticized a Luke Bryan song as being one of the worst songs he'd ever heard, Jason Aldean replied, "nobody gives a shit what u think." Based on its popularity with fans, it seems like whether you love it or hate it, bro-country is here to stay for a while. |
"Barrel of Monkeys" | Day 1"All The Stars" by Kenrdick Lamar feat. SZA from Black Panther The Album (2018) Even though choosing this song forces me to only take this challenge in one direction (you know, since I don't know what songs are going to be available to use in 2021 through 2028  ), it was important for me to start with this song for a couple of reasons, most notably because of the importance this movie has played in my professional life, and the unexpected effect that the recent passing of Chadwick Boseman has had on me.Black Panther was a transformative movie for me to work on, professionally speaking. I've enjoyed all of the Marvel Studios projects I've worked on in some form or another, but this is the first one (well, second after Captain America: Civil War, but that was back when I was just learning the ropes of my job) where it felt like we were working on something truly special. A feeling that would ultimately be repeated in short order during Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, incidentally. There was just an air of excitement around this project that I think was hard for people to explain at the time, but once we started seeing the audience and critics' reactions, if of course made sense in retrospect. This was one of those movies that profoundly impacted a whole lot of people, and empowered a whole generation of fans. A lot of people tend to be dismissive of super hero movies as mindless entertainment and not actual cinema (thanks for that, Marty ), but when these movies work, when they aspire to be something greater than a popcorn flick, they can be really profound.More recently, though, I found myself revisiting this album in the wake of Chadwick Boseman's untimely death. For those of you who don't follow celebrity news, the star of Black Panther died about a week ago from colon cancer. It caught everyone by surprise; not only was he so young, but virtually no one knew that he was even sick. He had been diagnosed four years earlier and had essentially done a number of his most iconic roles (Black Panther in four Marvel movies, Thurgood Marshall in Marshall, and Levee in the forthcoming Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) while simultaneously going through surgeries and chemotherapy to fight stage-four colon cancer. This news hit me hard for a number of reasons:  Even though I didn't ever get the chance to meet him personally, from my time working at Marvel I've had peripheral conversations about him with people who have and, by all accounts, he was one of the kindest, most generous, kindest, most authentic, most talented actors we've worked with (and Marvel has worked with quite a few over the years!). It's always a tragedy to see someone die in their prime. By the age of 43, Chadwick Boseman had already played a number of important roles that had impressed both audiences and critics. By all accounts, while already at the top of his game in his early 40s, he was someone that just about everyone who knew him predicted was destined for a number of other prominent roles, awards, and commercial success. It's so sad to me that we'll never get a chance to see him continue to mature and grow as an actor, and to see what (further) heights he would have been able to attain. Dying at 43 after a four-year battle with cancer means he was 39 when he was diagnosed. Nobody should have to be diagnosed with what's effectively terminal cancer in their thirties. But what's particularly significant to me about that age is that I'll be turning 39 in December. It was a sobering reminder that no time on this Earth is guaranteed, and that any of us could, at any time, have a change in health, finances, etc. that could dramatically reshape, or even end our lives. Knowing that, Chadwick Boseman chose to keep his diagnosis private and continue the work he felt called to do as long as he could do it. He worked grueling production schedules (can you imagine doing the 12-16+ hours a day of working out, acting, stunt work, etc. required to be a super hero?) and continued to work, even while being in what must have been intense pain and discomfort from his surgeries and chemotherapy. He didn't ask for special treatment, he didn't try to cultivate favor or sympathy, and he didn't complain (or even speak out to set the record straight) toward the end of his life when the media started making fun of his appearance for all of his weight loss, assuming he had an eating disorder or something  . The truth is that all of the "he was a great guy" accolades in the world from his coworkers are nothing compared to the statement this last point makes about what kind of a person he was.Ultimately, what this song, this album, this movie, and this actor's passing signify to me is that every moment we have on this planet is a gift. It's easy to take things for granted, to take the easy road, and to procrastinate and tell yourself that you'll do things later. But later isn't promised, and I think I'll forever now associate this album (especially this track and a few others like "Pray For Me") with the much-needed reminder to make the absolute most out of every single day. Rest in Power, King. |
Written in connection with "Note: 48-HOUR CHALLENGE : Media Prompt Deadl..." | 411 words (excl. lyrics) Oh man, this song really takes me back. For some reason, I thought it was released way earlier than 2009. I thought it was popular while I was in college, but it turns out it was actually a full five years after I graduated. This was the point in my life where I was working my first executive job in the entertainment industry and I must have played this track on repeat for half the day sometimes. It's such an energetic song, it's hard to be in a bad mood when you're listening to it, even if you're stuck at a desk doing paperwork. One of the things I didn't know about this song was that it was produced by French DJ David Guetta and was only released a couple months before Guetta burst onto the American music scene with his first hit, "Sexy Bitch." This song was incredibly popular, having been nominated for Song of the Year at the World Music Awards, Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards. It was the first song to sell 7 million digital copies in the United States, and currently holds the record for being the most downloaded song of all time on iTunes. It spent fourteen consecutive weeks as the top song on the Billboard Hot 100 and, along with the Black Eyed Peas' previous song "Boom Boom Pow," made them one of only eleven bands in history to occupy the top two positions on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time with two different songs. I'm a bit more partial to the albums Elephunk and Monkey Business, but this album unquestionably had the bigger hit in this song, as well as some other memorable tracks. Listening to this song tonight actually made me think of the Black Eyed Peas for the first time in a really long time; I don't think I've listened to them in earnest since Fergie left the group in 2016. I suppose I should give them a try and listen to the tracks they produced with J. Rey Soul, their current lead vocalist. I haven't listened to either of those two albums yet. I can't think of a better song to get all of us in a party mood and excited about Writing.com's 20th birthday. This is a song that still gets people pumped up and excited when you play it at a party. It definitely got me tapping along to the beat again! |
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