One Direction's "Drag Me Down" review

Hey guys, LokoReviews here and I just realized that I haven't made a review in 3 months now. Sorry that I haven't a made a review for that long, I just wanted to take a break from reviewing and focus on my life. Also since I'm in college now, I don't really have the time to make any new review. But since I'm not busy right now, I want to give my quick thoughts on One Direction's new track "Drag Me Down". Now I already talked about One Direction before, one was my awkward review for their song "Story Of My Life" and I also mentioned their other track "Best Song Ever" on my top 10 best songs of 2013 video. I would have put a link for you guys to see those 2 videos, but I made them private on my old YouTube channel. But you can watch my awkward review for "Story Of My Life" on Vimeo to see how bad of an reviewer I was back then (Here's the link: https://vimeo.com/86403564). But I'm getting off topic, let's talk about One Direction's new song "Drag Me Down".

Now when I first heard that One Direction released a new track without Zayn Malik (the former member of One Direction), I was a little bit curious of how it will turn out and how the rest of the members will evolve as band without Zayn. When I was about to listen to it, I had 2 predictions of how this whole thing will turn out. They could either evolve as a band and make really good & interesting pop music or they could just stick with what they do best; make the same old love songs so that all their fan girls can go crazy for it. Well....... after I listened to their new track 3 times, they didn't just make a typical love song for all their fan girls to insane for (Well...... Some of it). They actually took their time and made a fairly decent song.

 Now most people think that this song is a love song about how One Direction loves that their girlfriends have stuck around and supported them when everybody else tried bringing them down. I do kind of agree with those people who think this song is actually about that, but I feel like they went a little bit deeper than that. In my opinion, I feel like this song is about how One Direction appreciate their fans who supported them throughout their whole music career and stuck around them during their darkest times. Heck, this song could even be about each member of One Direction's families supporting & helping them out so that no one can bring them down or let fame get the best of them. This song could literally be about anyone (Well, except for Zayn maybe) and you know what...... Even if this song is about them appreciating their girlfriends, at least they care enough that their girlfriends are supporting them. Overall, I like the message of this song; it's nice and sweet (even though that the lyrics are vague). 

The performances in this track is not that bad either. Yeah, it's not anything amazing but at least they don't sound annoying like they did in "Steal My Girl". The music is also not that bad as well and do enjoy that beat drop, even if it's typical. Overall, I don't really have that much to complain about this track. I feel like One Direction actually made a decent track. Yeah, the song isn't really anything new or groundbreaking but I feel like people are not giving this song too much credit. I could definitely understand why people would hate/dislike this song because this track is not perfect. But I feel like most people are hating this track because they think it's a typical love song made by a boy band and I think this song is more than that. But hey, if you don't like it for any reason than go ahead and hate or dislike this song as much as you want. But for me, I'm going to keep on listening to this song until I get tired of hearing it. This song gets an 3.5/5 for me!

So that's my review for One Direction's "Drag Me Down". If you agree or disagree with what I said, then just let me know. Thank you guys for checking this out and I'll see you guys later, peace!

Top 20 review: July 25, 2015

Hey guys, LokoReviews here and welcome to my Billboard's Top 20 review. Now last time, I just did a top 10 review and that's because I had some personal stuff that I had to deal with and I didn't have enough time to a top 20 review. But this time I'm back with another top 20 review and let's get it started.

20. Maroon 5's "Sugar": B

19. Fetty Wap's "679" ft. Montana Bucks 

After hearing Fetty Wap's debut single "Trap Queen", I wasn't really too impressed or fond by it. So when I heard that Fetty Wap had a new single out, I didn't even want to bother listening to any other track from him because I'll just dislike it. But since his single touch the top 20 and I'm doing a top 20 review right now, I had no choice but to listen to it. So after I gave that song a couple listens, I immediately disliked it and you know what....... It's even worse than "Trap Queen". At least with "Trap Queen", the message was kind of unique and I definitely liked the production. But with this track, there's nothing to praise about it. The production is the same old forgettable DJ Mustard type beat, Fetty Wap still sounds awkward & annoying as ever, the other guy who rapped on this track was forgettable and didn't contribute much, and as for the message.............. Well, it's just another "Thugs Need Love" anthem. But just like usual, the 2 rappers talk about how rich, famous, and bad ass they are to make the girl in question have sex with them. Nothing new, nothing special, just the same old crap. This song easily gets an F!




18. The Weeknd's "Earned It": B+





17. Major Lazer's "Lean On" ft. DJ Snake & MO

Each year, we always get at least 1 DJ or producer ruling the Billboard's hot 100 charts. In 2004 through 2006, it was Scott Storch. In 2008 through 2011, it was Bangladesh. In 2012 & 2013, it was Mike Will Made It. In 2014, it was DJ Mustard. Now in 2015, DJ Snake is ruling the charts with 3 songs he produced that all made the hot 100; "You Know You Like It" which touched the top 20, "Get Low" which sadly didn't even touch the top 40, and "Lean On" which also touch the top 20 and it became the most successful one out of the other 2 tracks that touched the charts. So how is "Lean On"? Well......... It's pretty damn good. The song tells a story about meeting up with an old significant other and reminiscing about the good times that they had before and trying to make it up by creating more great times and helping each other in need. Yeah, that message is pretty vague but it's relatable. MO gave a pretty good performance in this track and her voice doesn't bother me in the slightest like other people calm. But the best part of this track have got to be the production. I really like Middle-Eastern vibe that it have throughout the whole track, the beat drop that DJ Snake provided is enjoyable and fits the vibe of this track, and that horn break down at the end of the track really sold it for me. Overall, I really like this track. It's not as great as "You Know You Like It", but it's still good and highly enjoyable. This track gets an A.






16. Jason Derulo's "Want To Want Me": D






15. Selena Gomez's "Good For You" ft. A$AP Rocky

Before I had the chance to listen to this track, I was kind of worried that I wouldn't like this song at all. Like Selena Gomez haven't really released a song that I actually liked from her, most of her songs were just either average, bland, or just straight up boring. As for A$AP Rocky...... Well, he does have a few songs that I actually like and enjoy from him but a lot of his stuff are just not that great. So when I saw that Selena Gomez was teaming up with A$AP Rocky, my exceptions for this track were pretty low. But in my surprise, this track is actually pretty damn good and almost near to great. Now the song is basically about Selena Gomez trying to look her absolute best for this guy or in that case, A$AP Rocky, so that he can be amazed by her beauty and love her in a good way (if you know what I mean) and not leave her side. Yeah....... The lyrics are pretty standard, but the production and the performances from both Selena Gomez & A$AP Rocky make this song as good as it is. I really like the how atmospheric this track is and Selena Gomez's soft vocals added in really makes this song feel sexy. A$AP Rocky did a fine job in this track as well and I really like how in his part, he treats Selena Gomez's character with respect and also making her feel good inside (no pun intended). Now there some parts in this song that I felt like it didn't work for me as much as I needed to. For example, I felt like Selena Gomez was trying a little bit too hard to sound all sexy and seductive. Also some lyrics from A$AP Rocky's verse felt a little bit forced, for example: "But the way you touchin' on me in the club, Rubbin' on my miniture. John Hancock, the signature".

Overall, this song is not as great as I wanted it to be, but it's still pretty good and it's definitely Selena Gomez's best song she released and I hope she keeps up the good work. A.

14. Fifth Harmony's "Worth It" ft. Kid Ink

I already did a blog review on this track, so if you want to see it then check it out here: http://lokoreviews.blogspot.com/2015/05/fifth-harmony-it-ft-kid-ink-review.html?m=1 Also this song gets a D-

13. Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk" ft. Bruno Mars: A+

12. The Weeknd's "The Hills"

Now the first time I heard this track, I didn't really like it because I thought this track was just another "I can steal your girlfriend" type of songs just like with "Post To Be" and etc. and I wasn't really used to this dark, horrific, and very atmospheric sound it had. But I thought to myself that I was being a little bit too hard on this track and I decided to give it a couple listens to see if I actually dislike this song. So after I gave it a couple listens, the song actually started to grew on me slowly each time I listened to it and I always find something new & interesting about this track. Mainly the message being The Weeknd having an affair with this girl and he tells her straight that this isn't a relationship & that they both know the exact reason why they're together, which by the way is to have sex. Then The Weeknd reminds the girl in question, that she's an equally guilty party of this relationship. Yeah, the message is pleasant but it does fit the mood of the really dark and atmospheric production. Now I don't really have a full opinion on this track yet because the song is still slowly growing on me, but I will say that this song is definitely interesting in a dark and twisted way. So as for now, I will give this track a B.

11. Andy Grammer's "Honey, I'm Good": C

10. David Guetta's "Hey Mama" ft. Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha, & Afrojack: B

9. Skrillex & Diplo's "Where Are U Now" ft. Justin Bieber

When I first saw this song on the charts, I was shocked to see both Skrillex & Justin Bieber on a song together because they both haven't been relevant in the music scene since 2012 and they're both are in 2 different genres that don't really work too well with each other sometimes. So I thought that this song wasn't going to be good at all and when I heard it the first time, I didn't like it because I thought the track was just underwhelming to me. But just like with any other song, I gave it a couple and the song grew on me pretty quickly. The production is the main reason why this track grew on me and it's definitely the best part of this whole track. The production have a simple but nice piano ballad during the 2 verses and during the beat drop, it have this mixture of trap and edm elements with some nice texture & flavor to it. Justin Bieber also does a good job sounding decent in this track and also adding some emotion to his vocals. The message is basicially about how Justin Bieber was there for this girl in question but yet she left him in his time of need.  Now the message have got to be the weakest part of this whole track and that's because Justin Bieber doesn't really explain why this girl left him or what exactly he did for this girl, but no complaints from me because this song is awesome and it's definitely the best performance I heard from both Bieber & Skrillex. So I have to give this song a B+

8. Rachel Platten's "Fight Song"

You know, I don't really have that much to say about this track because the song itself is just uninteresting. It's the same old, "I went through a bad break up or I struggled in something in my life, but don't you worry, I'm here to fight and I'll never give up because I am a strong and independent woman" type of songs. Now usually I don't mind those type of tracks, but this song just lacks any originality and Rachel Platten doesn't really have enough personality to make me like her or this track, also the hook is really annoying in my opinon. Rachel Platten does have an alright voice and she looks like a really nice person, but this song is not a very good first impression. Sorry that this one was quick, but what can say about a song that doesn't have nothing interesting about it. So I'll just give this track a D.  

7. Walk The Moon's "Shut Up And Dance": A

6. Fetty Wap's "Trap Queen": D-

5. Silento's "Watch Me"

I HATE ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why do we let this asinine, insufferable, and annoying piece of shit song become a top 5 hit? Just Why? 

  

Alright, let me calm down and explain why this song is terrible. First off, Silento's singing or whatever he was doing was just awful and was just a pain to go through especially when he repeats the same words & phrases over and over again. 2nd of all, it fails as a dance track because not only that the beat is weak and lack any energy; but it rely on a bunch of dances crazes, most of them being really outdated like "The Soulja Boy dance" and "Stanky Leg". Last of all, this song is just annoying..... Oh wait, I already said that. Whatever, the song is annoying and don't be surprised if you see this on a certain list coming soon. This track easily gets an F!

4. Taylor Swift & Kendrick Lamar's "Bad Blood (Remix)": D+

3. The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face"

Wow, The Weeknd is really having a great year because he have 4 songs now that touched the top 20. 3 being his own singles and 1 which he was featured in with another talented artist. The Weeknd must be feeling great and enjoying his life right now, but I'm getting off topic. Let's talk about his new single "Can't Feel My Face". Now just like with "The Hills", I was underwhelmed by it and my main problem was that he sounded way too much like Michael Jackson and you can really tell because he even imitates the sounds that he usually makes in his songs. But I didn't want that to bother me too much, so I gave it another chance and I actually like this song now. Now The Weeknd does sound great in this song and the production is also atmospheric and funky, but the lyrics really sold for me. Now the song is about The Weeknd's love for weed and how he knows that it makes him numb and act a certain way, but he doesn't care because he loves it very much. Now some people can say that the song is about some girl that he loves and I can understand that, but he's definitely talking about weed. Now the lyrics reminds me a lot of Classified's "Higher" which also have the same message and any song that reminds me of that great song is definitely a song I like. Overall, I give this song an A!

2. Wiz Khalifa's "See You Again" ft. Charlie Puth: A

1. OMI's "Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)": A

Well, this week top 20 was decent. It had some good songs and it had some really bad songs, but overall, it was okay in my opinion. Thank you guys for checking out another top 20 review and I'll see you guys next time, peace!!!

Top 10 review: June 27, 2015

Hey Guys, LokoReviews here and welcome my top 10 review. Usually I do a top 20 review, but since I'm busy doing other important things in my life, I decided to just do a top 10 review to make it short and easy. But the same rules from my top 20 reviews apply here: I give my full thought on the songs I haven't talked about yet and just skip the songs I already talked about before in previous top 20 reviews or personal reviews. But don't worry, I'll rate each song by using the A-F rating. So without wasting time, here's my top 10 review!

10. Andy Grammer's "Honey, I'm Good"

 

I got to be honest here, I wasn't expecting this song or any Andy Grammer song to be in the top 10. The last time I saw an Andy Grammer track on the charts was all the way back in 2011 with "Keep Your Head Up" (which by the way, I like that song) and that song didn't even touch the top 40 or 50. But now in 2015, Andy Grammer managed to have a top 10 hit, funny how time changes. But enough of that, what do I think of this song? Well, I don't really have that much to say about this song because it didn't really leave an impression on me other than being catchy. Andy's performance in this track  is alright, but nothing really special. That country ho-down inspired production was a nice idea, but it felt a little bit weak for me and it's pretty forgettable. As for the lyrics.................. Well, I will say this, at least Andy Grammer is staying faithful with his wife and not hooking up with other women. But I got to ask, why is Andy Grammer even paying attention to those other women that he doesn't even know? I understand that in the song he describes the women to be highly attractive, but just don't look at them and focus on what you're trying to accomplish. Overall, I'm not feeling this track. I understand what Andy Grammer was trying to go for, but it didn't really interest me. Not a bad song, but nothing I would go back and listen to. This song gets a C. 

9. David Guetta's "Hey Mama" ft. Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha, & Afrojack

You know, David Guetta haven't really interested me as an EDM producer. I mean, he's not a bad EDM producer but a lot of his songs haven't really caught my interest. Heck, the only song from him that I actually like is "Titanium" (which by the way is an awesome song). Other than that, most of his songs are either okay, bland, or just down right insufferable. But I think David Guetta improved a lot with his new single "Hey Mama". Now I don't know which EDM Producer; David Guetta & Afrojack worked on what in this song, but the production is definitely the best part of this entire track. I really love the build up on the chorus and how there's so much crescendo during Bebe Rexha's part and the sample that they used. Even though there's no actual beat drop during the chorus, the beat that Nicki rapped over really goes hard and the energy keeps on going throughout the whole track. The lyrics in this track is basically like Meghan Trainor's "Dear Future Husband", but the only difference between the two is that the former is less bratty, demanding and it's 10 times better than the latter (No seriously, screw "Dear Future Husband"). Overall, I'm digging this track. It's not as great as "Titanium", but it's definitely an improvement from his other tracks. I give this track a B.    

8. The Weeknd's "Earned It": B

7. OMI's "Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)"

I already made a full review on this track, if you want to check it out then watch it here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=YQ_MUbbAtW0 Also this song gets an A.

6. Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk" ft. Bruno Mars: A+

5. Jason Derulo's "Want To Want Me"

Just like with "Honey, I'm Good", this is another song that I don't have too much to say about it. I find that weird coming from a Jason Derulo song because usually when I listen to music, I always get some type of reaction or emotion to it. But with this track, I literally got nothing from it other than Jason making me feel but bored and annoyed by his performance. The music is average and the lyrics are generic. The song basically about sex and how Jason can't stop thinking about this girl, like we haven't had so many songs about that topic. Overall, this song is just uninteresting from beginning to end. It's just a standard pop song that will get successful for like a month or two and then it will be forgotten by the masses. I give this song a D. 

4. WALK THE MOON's "Shut Up And Dance"

Another song on the top 10 that I already made an review on, check it out: https://youtube.com/watch?v=wv--nDe91_U This song gets an A.

3. Fetty Wap's "Trap Queen"

When I first saw this track debut on the hot 100, I never in my right mind thought that this song would become successful at all. But a few months later, it already became the 2nd biggest rap song of this year so far peaking at #2 on the freaking charts. I'm just mind-boggled on how huge this song got because this track right here in my opinion is just straight up bad. Fetty Wap's performance on this track is really awkward and annoying as hell. He tries his best to imatite both Future & Migos style, but when he does, it sounds like he's almost dying. The lyrics are about Fetty Wap making & selling drugs with his girlfriend and I give him some credit for being unique with that concept. But when I hear this song, all I hear is just Fetty Wap bragging about his success when this is just his song he released. Usually I don't mind brag raps if done right, but hearing Fetty Wap bragging is just uninteresting and insufferable. Also was it necessary to add that random guy at the end of the track? He sounded like he smoked too much special grass (if you know what I mean).  The only alright thing about this track is the production, but hearing Fetty Wap rap & sing over with just kills it for me. I give this track a D- 

2. Taylor Swift & Kendrick Lamar's "Bad Blood"

After hearing the amazing track "Style", I had high hopes that this track would be just as great. Like come on, it have freaking Kendrick Lamar in it. You can't tell me that this track would be a total let down. Well.............. At first listen, I actually thought that this song was really good. But after listened to it again, the song kind of worn off of me a little and I just thought it was okay. But the 3rd or 4th time I listened to it, I lost total interest in this track. Kendrick's performance in this track isn't all that bad because he does sound like he's enjoying himself, but his verses were pretty forgettable. Taylor's performance ain't that bad either, but the hook that she's provide is pretty standard. I don't really care too much about the production because mostly bass and a uninteresting melody. Now the lyrics were suppose to be a diss about Katy Perry for some reason that I don't really care for. But you won't know it was a diss to Katy or anyone else, because it sounds more like Taylor dealing with a bad breakup and I wouldn't be surprised if the song was actually about that. I don't really have that much to say for this track because it's just an average pop song. But I will say that I prefer the original version of "Bad Blood" than this, because at least the production flows better and that guitar riff really brings something special to the track. As for the Bad Blood remix, it gets a C. 

1. Wiz Khalifa's "See You Again" ft. Charlie Puth

Before I start talking about this song, let me just say that Furious 7 was an awesome movie and it's definitely one of the best from the Fast & Furious series. After watching that movie, I remembered the part where the late Paul Walker and Vin Diesel were in their own car looking at each other for the very last time and after that they drove off into different roads. That part was one of the most emotional scene from the whole movie because not only that Paul Walker left his best friend, but he actually left this world by a tragic event he was in. Also putting this song during that special scene really helped make things perfect, because the track itself is really good. The song is basically a tribute for Paul Walker and his tragic death. But seeing how the lyrics doesn't specifically mention Paul Walker, the song can easily be related to anyone  who lost that special someone in their life. Not only that the song is relatable, but both Wiz & Charlie give an excellent performance. Even though that Wiz Khalifa barely even tries to rhyme words with each other, he still provide a lot of energy and emotion to this track. Charlie Puth does his thing to by singing wonderfully in this track and his soft voice definitely match with the sad production. Speaking of the production, I absolutely love it. The each notes played on that piano really gives out a lot of emotion and when that beat drops, it really hits you hard with that great bass. Now even though I said a lot of positive things about this track, it's not the best song I heard so far this year. But it's definitely one of the many great tracks that charted this year. This song definitely gets an A

Here's my ranking of the top 10: 

Thank you guys for checking this out and let me know what you think! So this is James Kaloko and everybody in this world, just stay loco. Peace!!! 

Fifth Harmony's "Worth It" ft. Kid Ink review

Hey guys, LokoReviews here and I got something to say about girl groups: 

When it comes to Girl groups, I always get a negative reaction to them. I'm not saying that I hate girl groups or think their the worst thing ever, I'm just saying that they don't stick around for a very long time and most of them have been forgotten. The only girl groups that I can think of that are still being talked today are Spice Girls and Destiny Child. As for the other girl groups, they been wiped out of the mainstream and haven't been heard since. So all this brings us to our new girl group, Fifth Harmony. And let me say, that Fifth Harmony is a pretty bland and mediocre group. Their music are just basic and generic pop slock that anybody can make. The only song I actually like from is "Boss" and that's because Fifth Harmony showed at least some personality and the song is pretty fun to listen to. But as for their other songs, it's just standard pop tracks. A perfect example of how generic their music is, here is their new single; Worth It ft. Kid Ink. 

The song starts off with this 1950's inspired saxophone driven riff and right there begins my many main problems I have with this song. Now usually, I don't mind if a song have a saxophone part in it. Heck, some of my all time favorite songs have a saxophone included in. Now my problem I have with that is not because it have a saxophone including in, but how blantley obvious it's trying to be just like Jason Derulo's "Talk Dirty". Heck, this whole song is basically like "Talk Dirty" but with a kind of slowed down saxophone riff and no douchy lyrics added in. Also I don't know what's going on, but why are most artist now-a-days adding in saxophone & horns into their tracks? I know "Talk Dirty" got successful and helped bring those instruments back into the mainstream, but trying to ride off that song success aren't going to help these artist out. This song is not the only one who is riding this train fest, Flo Rida's "GDFR" is another song that uses the same formula. Even if "Worth It" didn't have that Saxophone part added in at all, the rest of the production is also not anything good. When the verses come, this 2 notes bouncy synth added in with  clappy percussion start playing and they don't really add any contribute to this song other than the producers trying to find way to make the song sound interesting. Another thing I have a problem with the production is the build up to the drop. This build up is equivalent to SpongeBob trying to pick up an Anchor, because you know; it's weak as hell. Not only that the build up is weak, but the drop is also weak as well. The beat is drowned out by the saxophone riff, which by the is loud and up front. Also the beat doesn't have enough energy to get me at least pumped up. Overall, the production in this song really frustrates me the most about this song because Fifth Harmony knew what they were trying to do with it but the execution and timing were just off. As for the other the parts of this song, they are just non-existent or even interesting enough for me to talk about. The lyrics are basically about sex and how Fifth Harmony wants these guys to give it to them because they think they're worth all of that. Kid Ink is barely even noticeable in this track, all he does is just give out the bridge 2 times in this track and he's gone. He doesn't have no rap verse or do anything interesting, that is literally all he does. Fifth Harmony could have added in any rapper they wanted to and they would have gotten the same results. So adding in Kid Ink into this song was pretty pointless for them to do. As for Fifth Harmony and performance wise, this has to got to be their worst I heard from them. Only 2 singers got to do the verses and they were both atrocitious. They both did that unnecessary awkward pause every time they end a line, which is very annoying and makes them sound out of breath. As for the hook, I only heard 3 people sing and there are like 5 members in the group. Were the other 2 members too tired to sing or were they too embarrassed to even be a part of this mess of song, I'm going for the latter on that one. 

Overall, this song sucks. Fifth Harmony tried to make this song interesting as possible by adding in a saxophone and including a guest rapper. But the outcome just fell flat down on its face. Nothing about that song is interesting, other than being a "Talk Dirty" ripoff. I know most you guys think I chose an easy song to destroy, but I'm just tired of hearing these saxophone driven tracks being used in the mainstream and I'm also tired of hearing this awful excuse of a song. This song is not the worst song I heard this year so far, but it's close of making it onto a special list that is coming in December. So overall, this song is just trash and it's sad that this is Fifth Harmony's only song that will ever touched the top 20. What A Shame! :(

Well, that's it for my review of "Worth It". Tell me what do you think about this song and let me know if you enjoyed this review. Thanks for checking this out and I'll see you guys later. So this is James Kaloko and everybody in the world, just stay loco. Peace!!!

Omarion's "Post To Be" review

Top 20 review: February 2015

Hey guys, LokoReviews here and welcome to the 2nd edition of my Top 20 review! Last time, I gave my thoughts on the songs that charted in January (and if you want to see that then click here: Top 20 review). So this time I'm going to give you my thoughts on the new songs that made it in the top 20 of this month. So any song that I talked about in the last top 20 review, I'm just going to skip those. But don't worry, I will give each song on here an A through F rating so that you guys can know how I feel about them. Alright, enough wasting time. Let's get this thing started!












20. Sam Smith's "Stay With Me"

Now last time in my top 20 review, I gave my quick thoughts on this song and I said that this song was okay. I also said that I wasn't feeling this song all that much because Sam Smith was trying way too hard to impress me. So by a month later, my opinion still haven't changed a bit on this song. I will admit that Sam Smith does give an excellent performance in this song, providing a sweet but emotional song. Let's not forget about the amazing choir in the backing him up in the chorus, which by the way was a nice touch to this song. But even with the positives that this song have, I'm still not feeling it. Sam Smith still is trying way too hard to impress me and I found the music to be pretty boring & lifeless. But like said early on, this song is okay to me. I don't hate it or like it, it's just an okay song and I give it a C.







19. Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass": D






18. Nick Jonas's "Jealous": F






17. Nicki Minaj's "Truffle Butter" ft. Drake & Lil Wayne

After the embarrassment that was both "Anaconda" and "Only", I wasn't too interested on listening to this track. But since this song was getting some recognition by other music critics, I decided to listen to it. By my surprise, it was actually pretty decent. Nicki sounds like she is more focused in this song and she doesn't deliver any bad lines imo. Drake gave an alright verse in this song, it wasn't great but I enjoyed it. As for Lil
Wayne, he was the weakest part of this whole entire song. Now don't get me wrong, I didn't mind his verse but I just wasn't really feeling it. The music in this song is a mix bag for me because on one hand, I found this music to be enjoyable and dance-able enough for me. On the other hand, I find the music to be simplistic, weird, and pretty bland after repeated listens. Let's not forget that the music sounds like the slow and distorted version of Cassie's "Me & U". Even with all the flaws that this song have, I still find it decent and the song grew on me a lot. So Nicki, you get a C+ for this track and I hope you keep on making decent and good songs like this!







16. Nicki Minaj's "Only" ft. Drake, Chris Brown, & Lil Wayne: F







15. Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off": B






14. Fall Out Boy's "Centuries": A





13. Usher's "I Don't Mind" ft. Juicy J: D-





12. Sam Smith's "I'm Not The Only One": A




11. Pitbull's "Time Of Our Lives" ft. Ne-Yo

I know a whole lot of people will call me crazy for this, but I'm not really feeling this song.

Okay, calm down everybody! It's just my opinion and you don't have to use violence to attack me. Back to what I was saying, I'm just not feeling this song. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I hate this song or think it's bad because in all honesty, it's a pretty good and fun track. But for me personal, I'm just not enjoying this as much like other people are doing. Let me get to positives first! Pitbull and Ne-Yo gave a good and fun performance (especially Ne-yo; He just kills it in this track). Also I really like the message on how to forget about all the pain, stress, and struggles going on in your life right now and just kick back & have a fun time at a party, I don't mind that message at all. Now let's get into the negatives! Some of the lyrics in this song bother me a little bit. Like this line that Ne-Yo said for example: "I knew my rent was gon' be late about a week ago. I work my ass off, but I still can't pay it though. Alright, I understand that Ne-Yo is trying to relate to the people who is in that situation as well and I get it. But I just don't believe that Ne-Yo of all people can't pay off his own rent. Say what you want about him, but the guy is pretty rich and he sold over a million records. But he still can't pay his rent; Maybe, his album sales aren't doing too good for him. Also I hate to nitpick but, when he said "About a week ago", I always feel like he's referencing to Bobby Shmurda's "Hot Nigga".

Ahhhhh........ Get out of my head!!!!!

Pitbull also drop some stupid and cheesy lines in this song. For example: "You know me, I'm off in the cut. Always like a Squirrel, looking for a nut".

Before I forget, this song reminds me a lot of Pitbull's other hit single he had with Ne-Yo "Give Me Everything". I know that both songs are structured differently but lyrically, they're the same. "Give Me Everything" is about partying and trying to have a one night stand. While this song is about not worrying about your problems so that you could go to a party and try to get a one night stand. But even with all the negatives I said about this song, I think the song is okay and fun. Maybe if I listen to it more, it might grow on me. But as for now, I give this song a B.







10. Meghan Trainor's "Lips Are Movin": C





9. The Weeknd's "Earned It"

Alright, I'm not going to mention anything about either the book and the movie of "50 Shades of Grey" because 1, I haven't read the book or seen the movie for it and 2, I wasn't really too interested on reading or seeing the movie of it in the first place. Also I saw many reviews for both the book and movie and it mostly got negative reviews, so that proves that "50 Shades of Grey" is a big waste of a time and you should avoid it of all time. But enough about "50 Shades of Grey", let's talk about the song that is associated with the movie. Now the last time, I talked about The Weeknd was when I gave my thoughts on his performance on Ariana Grande's "Love Me Harder" and I said that he did a pretty good job in this song. So I decided to listen to this song to see if did a good job as well and he definitely did an excellence in this song. The Weeknd gave some pretty great vocals in this song, the music is so dark, suave and relaxed, and the song plus video is really sexy (Heck, this song sexier than the actual movie that it's in). I don't really have that many problems with this song other than The Weeknd's vocals can be annoying to me at some parts.But other than that, it's just a really good song and I hope it stays in the top 10 for a while. I give this song an B+






8. Taylor Swift's "Style"

This is Taylor Swift's 3rd single she released from her "1989" album and I got to say, it's her better single that she released. Don't get wrong, I like "Shake It Off" and I thoroughly enjoy "Blank Space". But with this song, I liked it the first time I heard it. I like the chill vibe that this song have; the nice guitar work and good electropop, makes this song stand out for me. I also like Taylor's vocals in this song and it definitely mix well with the instrumentation. Not only that. but I like how mature she gotten over the years and this is definitely one of her mature songs. I don't really have any problems with this song at all, I think it's great and I hope Taylor can keep up the good work. I give this song an A.






7. Taylor Swift's "Blank Space": B






6. Rihanna's "FourFiveSeconds" ft. Kanye West & Paul McCartney

You know, I'm in a mix bag with Rihanna's new single; Part of me likes it and part of me can't stand it. Let's go through the positives first! Both Rihanna and Kanye gave an excellent performance in this song, providing good vocals and a lot of emotion in their singing. The instrumentation provided by the great Paul McCartney did a good job as well. Even though he used an acoustic guitar in this song, he still did a good job with the music. Also this song have the 2nd catchiest hook I heard this year so far (the first is Olympic Ayres's "Magic". Also check that song out, it's really great). Now time to deal with the negative! I know that everybody already noticed this, but Rihanna's opening notes are not that great (heck, it sacred me the first time I heard this song). During Kanye's verse, there is this weird background vocals playing. I don't know if Paul McCartney added that or some extra woman just barged in the studio booth and decided to sing over Kanye, but either way, it was just weird. Now my main problem I have with the song is the message. Now this song is about both Rihanna and Kanye having a struggling relationship and they keep on arguing with each other. So they decide to party and fun on the weekends, so that they can't arguing with each other. But when both of them get drunk, all their emotions build up and they start going ape shit on each other. Can you guys see the main problem with this song now? If not, then I'll just say that this song is about a abusive relationship and we all know that Rihanna was already in a real life abusive relationship with Chris Brown. Not only that I hate that this song is about an abusive relationship, but I hate how both of them act with each other. Now I understand if a couple get into arguments and all that stuff, but there comes to a time where both of them have to solve the situation. But with this song, both Rihanna & Kanye don't really handle the situation in a good way. They just keep on arguing with each other and causing each other pain, that they can't even have a good time at a party. Also I hate how their drinking so that they could cause more aggressive with each other. I understand if people drink or take drugs to relieve their stress and pain. But doing it to hurt others is not acceptable at all. Man, I spend long time talking about this song. Overall, this song is alright for me. Even though that I hate the message, I don't really hate the song. I give this song a C.





5. Hozier's "Take Me To Church": A




4. Maroon 5's "Sugar": C-




3. Ellie Goulding's "Love Me Like You Do"

Here's another song from the 50 Shades of Shit I mean Grey movie and guess what, it comes from one of the least interesting artist out there, Ellie Goulding. I never really got the appeal of her. I mean, she does have a great voice but her music is so bland and uninteresting to me. The only time I enjoyed an Ellie Goulding song is when she worked with Calvin Harris the 2nd time with their song "Outside", which by the way is a good song. But with songs like "Burn" and "Lights", those songs just put me to sleep every time I try to listen to them. So overall, Ellie Goulding's music is not for me and when I heard that she got a new single out, I was definitely wasn't interested (especially that it was part of the "50 Shades of Grey" soundtrack). So after listening to it, I was definitely interested in it but I wasn't really feeling it all that much. Excluding the fact that Ellie Goulding sounds great as usually, the production is the best part in this whole song. It's starts off slow with this atmospheric vibe to it, then it builds up with this epic and satisfying beat drop. But do you want to know what's not satisfying, the message and writing in this song. Now in this song Ellie is telling her boyfriend or whatever to not change and keep on loving her like he already does. I understand that she's basically him, "Don't fix, what's not broken" and I respect her for loving his good sex tactics and not complaining one bit about it. But the phrase "Love me like you do" just feel weird and make yourself question her on why she needs to tell that to him. Also when she said "Touch me like you do", it just makes the song really un-sexy for me. But overall, I'm pretty ambivalent with this song. I want to like it more than I already do, but the message and that one other lyric just makes me want to not listen to the song. But hey, at least it's better than her other songs she released. So I give this song a C.




2. Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud": A






1. Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk" ft. Bruno Mars: A+






Now that I got that over with here is my thoughts on the worst to best songs in the top 20 of February!

Thank you guys for checking this out and I'll see you in March 6 with my new review. So this is James Kaloko and everybody in this world, just stay loco. Peace!!!!

Update!!!!

Since my schedule have been crazy for the past days, I decided to change up it. So here is what's happening:

•February 17- Top 20 review: January 2015 part 3

•February 28- Top 20 review: February 2015 (Blog Version)

•March 1 or 2- Omarion's "Post To Be" review 

•March 25- Top 20 review: March 2015 (Video Version)

Alright, that is my official schedule. If I don't release any of these on their specific date, that means I'm either busy or the process is taking too long to make. But I'll do my best to release these on time, so just stay in tune!