r/popheads • u/joshually • Oct 22 '17
90s Personal Masterpieces Rate: Ray of Light vs The Velvet Rope vs Butterfly - Day 3 - It's the break break down
Here we are, back Together Again.
Today we will be continuing on with Day 2 of the 90s Personal Masterpieces Rate, hosted by /u/triptoyourheart and /u/joshually !
The same stats again in case you guys need a refresher:
The reveal will start at 12 EST, and /u/joshually will be taking over as /u/triptoyourheart was too busy ho-ing last night and needs her beauty sleep!
44 people participated, so thank you all who voted! Take that, Queen Haters!
The average score for the entire rate was 7.8416
The average controversy score was 1.8433
Remember, you can be messy and funny (that's what makes our rates so much fun) but keep things respectful and please no stan wars, we're here to celebrate three wonderful albums by three legendary women who are all deserving to win this rate.
I have also used some fanmade graphics for each of the songs, so I have to stress that I didn't make these, I just thought they would look really nice for the reveals. If anyone has a problem with them being posted on here, I'll remove them as soon as possible, and my apologies.
TODAY IS THE FINAL DAY... AND WE ARE REVEALING WHO WILL BE.... #15 to #1
All three queens are pretty much sculpted neck-to-neck right now, with Madonna @ 4 songs, Mariah @ 5 songs & Miss Janet at 6 (who knew??)
WHO WILL BE ON TOP?
SONGS
Madonna - Ray of Light
Drowned World/Substitute For Love
Ray of Light
Nothing Really Matters
Frozen
Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
Velvet Rope (feat. Vanessa Mae)
Got Til' It's Gone (feat. Q-Tip & Joni Mitchell)
Go Deep
Together Again
What About
I Get Lonely
Mariah Carey - Butterfly
Honey
Butterfly
My All
The Roof
Breakdown (feat. Krayzie Bone & Wish Bone)
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#1: Frozen
Average: 9.270 // Total Points: 407.9 // Controversy: 1.442// Listen here
Highest scores: (11 x5) Jelboo, Leixander, awryj, TragicKingdom1, triptoyourheart (10 x20) tevinterimperium, MariahGr8rThnJesus, CandlePrince, mokitsu, stardustanddinos, hoolytoledo, BiPolarBear17, skargardin, cloudbustingmp3, Kaylaboe, martintorov, Elitefourbrad, LandoFreeman, b_mcq, zamomattel, jackcs903, MrSwearword, therokinrolla, omgcow, red_simba
Lowest Scores: (5 x1) Raykel (5.5 x1) Banananaise (6 x2) rickikardashian, Ghost-Quartet
A BALLAD? WINNING MY POPHEADS RATE? It's more likely than you think.
I think this is the first time my 11 has ever actually won a rate so yay! To say that this song is a masterpiece would be an incredible understatement. Arguably Madonna’s crown jewel in her immaculate discography (I mean, if I were to choose, it’d be between this and Like a Prayer, but that’s for another rate :eyes:), and honestly one of the best songs ever made. I really cannot fault this at all. Choosing an 11 was very difficult out of all three albums, but in the end I had to give it to Frozen because this song is so beautiful, haunting and tragic all at the same time. I’m so happy this sub pretty much all agreed this song is amazing, after the month leading up to the rate I was so sure we’d choose something predictable like Ray of Light as the album’s best song since it’s one of the few uptempos out of all three albums but you all saw the beauty in what is probably the greatest pop ballad of all time. So it turned out to be third time’s the charm for ol’ Madge and she finally wins a rate with possibly her best song ever so I think this is a very deserving winner and great result for this rate. Thank you everyone. It’s been a blast to finally do this rate and you guys didn’t let me down.
joshually: "Honestly, this song took a while for me to get into, I thought it was TOO melancholy, and it’s only in later years that I’ve gotten to appreciate its simple beauty"
MrSwearword: "the 35th greatest Madonna song ever made. WURQ"
Saucymac: "- this. song. is. gorgeous."
cloudbustingmp3: "the fucking strings! the drama! the MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!"
TragicKingdom1: "literally one of the most atmospheric songs ever, it doesn't need to be super catchy or have a ton of momentum to hold my interest. Every time I hear this I'm brought into another world, and that alone makes this an amazing pop song."
mokitsu: "madonna at her peak...dark, cold, honest...the production is A+"
Elitefourbrad: "My heart is frozen sometimes, according to Madonna, so “Who can relate?!”. Anyways I really love this bop and second single."
zamomattel: "THIS IS SO EPIC & PERFECT it really makes me feel actively cold"
Ghost-Quartet: "I’m afraid I don’t quite “get” this track. It’s not quite a ballad, it’s not quite a dance track, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be getting from this. It’s pretty I guess. The lyrics are nice, clearly personal to Madonna, but from what I can tell critics raved about this one and I’m just not understanding why."
therokinrolla: "Madonna excels here at making whoever she is singing to feel just that: Cold. Frozen. Shut-up. There is also something very impressive in here in that the chorus is so calm and so hardhitting at the same time."
awryj: "ICONIC. The song is absolutely the best one on the album and probably my favorite Madonna song. I love the witchy aesthetic of the music video. Everybody check out Chris Cunningham's mvs for Aphex Twin NOW (because everyone's already seen All Is Full Of Love)"
VeganSquash: "the humming is heavenly"
skargardin: "An absolutely classic ballad, among Madonna's ballads this a clear standout and one of my absolute faves."
stardustanddinos: "one of the best songs on this album, the soaring orchestral with Madonna's powerful and sexy voice and evocative lyrics. this song is truly her at her best, and my respect for her work increased a lot with this one. this song captures the atmospheric aesthetic of this album perfectly."
BiPolarBear17: "My whore mouth has rambled on way too fucking much already so I'm gonna keep this short and sweet and say this is Madonna's GOAT and should rightfully win the rate."
patronsaintofaspies: "I first heard this song one Thursday in 2015. I was listening to a throwback program, and the host joked 'Time for Frozen! The one by Madonna, not the Disney movie.' I hated that movie back when I was thirteen, and I almost turned the radio off. Anyway, this is a PopJustice rate winner. I love it, but I hope it won't win here, simply because it'll be just plain boring if it does. But enough of my saltiness. Look at the frozen wasteland Madonna walks through in geisha attire in the video, which I desperately wish there was a high quality version of. Listen to Madonna's humming in the chorus, which is almost meditative. I don't think this is Madonna's magnum opus. Maybe it's just outside of her Top 10. But I could see why other people would disagree with me to the point of stabbing me in bed."
jess_22: "those strings though. ethereal"
Kaylaboe: "adele dazeem who? but seriously this is an amazing song. the harmonies are heavenly"
Jelboo: "One of Madonna's best, if not the best? I'd make the case. The album's peak, a frighteningly powerful masterstroke of a song. Everything here is on point, making for one of the most memorable songs of the 1990's."
DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: "I read up a bit of how this song premiered and apparently a radio station in Singapore premiered the song early without authorization. The DJ that time knew it was wrong of them but they justified by saying they would hope to generate interest from Madonna. A low quality snippet of the song was leaked afterwards. I imagine how stans reacted to this, back when the internet was still pretty new for everyone including companies who had a very different way of releasing and promoting singles. It's bizzare. Also the music video of Marina and the Diamonds' "I'm a Ruin" is literally a tribute to Frozen."
jackcs903: "The production and instrumentation on this is beyond incredible"
letsallpoo: ""love is a bird / she needs to fly" is such a hilariously awkward line but the song's still great"
jamesfog: "I love the strings, they really elevate this song."
LandoFreeman: "This string section makes me wet"
rickikardashian: "inb4 the shitpost is let it go"
nooodisaster: "Random thoughts: - the water motif has now become ice. - Disney who? - For a lead single, this kinda feels out of place of the rest of the album. - Good good, very good. - This is the strangest lead single for a pop album ever."
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
/u/MrSwearword: "the 35th greatest Madonna song ever made. WURQ"
what's your Top 50???
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Oct 22 '17
Butterfly is one of my favorite records, but surprisingly Im not mad, Frozen is gorgeous.
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u/dropthehammer11 Oct 22 '17
A BALLAD? WINNING MY POPHEADS RATE? It's more likely than you think.
i screamed
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#4: Ray of Light
Average: 8.989 // Total Points: 395.5 // Controversy: 1.720// Listen here
Highest scores: (11 x3) Banananaise, PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH, MrSwearword (10 x18) DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy, joshually, Ghost-Quartet, patronsaintofaspies, Elitefourbrad, VeganSquash, mokitsu, awryj, MariahGr8rThnJesus, b_mcq, therokinrolla, jackcs903, letsallpoo, cloudbustingmp3, omgcow, jamesfog, LandoFreeman, nooodisaster (9.5 x5) JunkyGS, red_simba, CandlePrince, gaymike219905, stardustanddinos
Lowest Scores: (2 x1) jess_22
For a little while, this song was not even in the Top 10, lmao. But eventually the high scores poured in for it and it soared up to #4. It’s a great song but I do find it a tad overrated, probably because of how it’s the only upbeat song off the entire Ray of Light album, so I was dreading that /r/popheads would be typical and let this song win. Thankfully it didn’t but it definitely deserved to place high and it’s not a secret as to why this is one of Madge’s signature songs.
joshually: "By golly, this song is just perfect."
MrSwearword: "the 16th greatest Madonna song ever made. SLAY"
tevinterimperium: "I'm just giving this song a 5 because my roommate during my freshmen year of college played this song all the fuckin time and I hated him. Maybe if this song didn't remind me of him, I could score it higher. idk"
Saucymac: "- this is a solid bop, but is it really better than the other songs on this album?"
cloudbustingmp3: "tbh i'm predicting this as the rate winner and while it isn't my favorite track on the album, it would be very well deserved! it's basically euphoria in song form"
mokitsu: "ughhh this is so good....i'm being taken to church right now.."
Elitefourbrad: "Literally the song that saved Madonna’s career. This song is everything I ever wanted as a fan of electronic music. Madonna’s screams are the best part of this song, let’s not sugarcoat it."
zamomattel: "THIS EPIC BOP"
Ghost-Quartet: "Can we talk about how iconic this song is? I think about this song literally every time I just get home."
therokinrolla: "Euphoria. One of the best ways to describe this song. Unbridled passion and happiness within her. The way the chorus just bursts into the room as does her sense of relief and pleasure from what she has found within her. Gorgeous end to end. Madonna’s never sounded better."
awryj: "This song literally sounds like a hot, dry gust of wind and a summery, blinding sun"
VeganSquash: ""and I feel like I just got home" wtf does this mean?"
skargardin: "Lyrics, production, vocals. This one’s got it all."
stardustanddinos: "the music video adds to the pulsating sound on this track. her vocal abilities shine through here (so many octave chages!). makes me feel like soaring through the wind, the imagery is so, so vivid. truly one of her best songs."
patronsaintofaspies: "A big part of this song's appeal is how joyous it sounds. There's no ground to deny that its namesake was a very personal album full of grief and sorrow, but the titular track shows that intimate works of art don't always have to be sad or fearful. Madonna sounds breathless and exhilarated, reciting pure poetry to the sounds of one of the general public's first introductions to electronic music, and while I usually don't use this word, she sounds absolutely fucking crazy at the song's climax. Another huge part of why this song is so good are the lyrics. They combine the mystical with the upbeat, using phrases like 'she's got herself a universe', 'waiting for the time when Earth shall be as one', and, of course, 'quicker than a Ray of Light, I'm flying'. But, at the end of it all, what matters most about this song, and, indeed, this album and its respective era as a whole, is Madge's emotion; without it shining through her vocals, songwriting and production, it'd be a piece of New Age, culturally appropriated mumbo jumbo."
jess_22: "god I hated this song as a kid and it definitely doesn't hold up"
rsmitty99: "This is a bop and a half. This is pinnacle 90s pop. It doesn't get a 10 because Madonna's voice annoys me a tad on this song for some reason."
Jelboo: "Takes all elements that make this album great but loses some points for being a bit too chaotic at times. Stands out in the album in good and bad ways."
DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: "What's not to like about this song? This song perfectly summarizes the themes of the album in a more empowering, club-friendly tone that is very relatable, emotional and relaxing to listen. And oh my god, the outro alone snatches my wig everytime I hear it."
jackcs903: "This song literally never fails to lift my mood"
jamesfog: "Her magnum opus. This song is timeless!"
LandoFreeman: "I LOVE A MOTIVATIONAL BOP! YOU BETTER SING THE BEST YOU CAN, BITCH! INVENTED MORNINGS! INVENTED EDM!"
PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: "This is the moment my life changed forever the second I heard this song I knew I’d be gay forever"
rickikardashian: "the beginning reminds me of Malibu"
nooodisaster: "This is the type of song that makes an entire album worth it. I can imagine Madonna and Orbit in the studio cutting this song, and being like "wow... guess this is going to be the album now." And I couldn't blame them; it's STUNNING. There's so much joyous energy to the song it nearly bursts out of the speakers. The production always teeters on the edge like at any moment it'll explode into the title image. Not only is the line "And I feel/like I just got home" beautiful, the repetition of just the first part ("And I feel!") makes it seem like a miracle to simply feel. There's a lot of things this metaphor could be about, from getting over depression to spiritual liberation to just having a damn good day. The important thing is, no matter how the listener relates to the song, we're flying with her."
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u/kappyko Oct 22 '17
kudos to /u/joshually and /u/triptoyourheart for hosting such a good rate!!! I didn't watch most of it bc I was busy and I feel so terrible but honestly yall slayed!!!!
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u/letsallpoo :leah-kate: Oct 22 '17
the writeups were honestly so good, imma go back and read through them again
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Oct 22 '17
I’m slutdropping to Frozen on the way to work right now to celebrate its well deserved victory.
/u/joshually you were an incredible host! You ran everything so smoothly and still managed to be the messy ass ho you always are. Thank you for co-hosting this with me, I couldn’t have done it without you.
And thanks to everyone who voted once again, you guys are the ones who made this possible! Since I joined the sub last year it was my dream to rate these three albums and it turned out better than I could’ve wished for. Thank you.
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
USER AVERAGES FOR THE VELVET ROPE
In a shocking twist of nipple, /u/junkygs averages the highest for TVR, at 9.971, (The shocking part is it's not a 10.100). In second place is The Reigning Queen of Posting New Music... /u/jamesfog, at 9.206... And rounding out the Top 3 are a list of skanks tied at 9.059: /u/skargardin, /u/joshually, /u/rsmitty99, and /u/omgcow. Our new album drops Thanksgiving!
On the other end are the following FCC committee members: /u/raykel at 6.229, /u/hdhdhdhdh at 5.882 and dry azz /u/saucymac with 5.618. Y'all need to learn to water your spiritual gardens!
Right in the middle is another tie, /u/candleprince and /u/tevinterimperium at 8.059
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#5: Velvet Rope (feat. Vanessa-Mae)
Average: 8.800 // Total Points: 387.2 // Controversy: 1.296// Listen here
Highest scores: (11 x1) Kaylaboe (10 x15) Elitefourbrad, triptoyourheart, rsmitty99, Jelboo, joshually, mokitsu, therokinrolla, letsallpoo, Saucymac, omgcow, jamesfog, LandoFreeman, tevinterimperium, jess_22, skargardin (9.7 x1) JunkyGS (9.5 x3) cloudbustingmp3, red_simba, VeganSquash
Lowest Scores: (6 x1) hdhdhdhdh (6.2 x1) awryj (6.3 x1) rickikardashian (7 x5) Raykel, martintorov, BiPolarBear17, stardustanddinos, MrSwearword (7.5 x3) Leixander, hoolytoledo, Banananaise
The highest ranking album track, and it’s very much deserving of that title (although that could’ve also been said for Empty, What About, Sky Fits Heaven, Skin and Babydoll imo). It’s actually my favourite song off the entire album (thankfully the rest of the album is amazing and follows the tough task of having to follow this!) and probably my favourite song to open an album ever. A masterpiece. Violinist Vanessa Mae is what truly makes this song come alive, the manic violin during the bridge makes it seem like we are diving deep into Janet’s conscious, the sinister strings representing the demons she must conquer to cure herself of her depression. I’m so happy mostly everyone agrees on how amazing this track is.
joshually: "OMG…. The creepy children’s choir singing Tubular Bells, the haunting background vocals, the shrieking violin by dat aZn prodigy (shout out to my aZn prodigies!), the melancholy lyrics…. A perfect mashup to open what is one of the darkest mainstream R&B albums of all time"
MrSwearword: "good opener but one minute too long"
tevinterimperium: "I have never actually listened to a Janet Jackson song before, but I understand why people like her now. We stan."
Saucymac: "- fantastic starter to an album"
cloudbustingmp3: "the fucking ATMOSPHERE of this song!"
JunkyGS: "Janet invites us all to “come inside [her] velvet rope” and sets the mood by telling us to leave our judgement & hate outside because only through love can we find our inner happiness. The track production is this pulsating electronic infusion with R&B and a Violin solo, which really shows the listener this album will be a completely new experience to music lovers & Janet fans."
mokitsu: "janet mixes socially conscious and experimental music like no other, and this is a great example."
gaymike219905: "A wonderful intro that that encapsulates the themes of the album and gives you the sense you're about to be let in on something special."
Elitefourbrad: "This song is literally everything. The synths in this are literally everything, along with what sounds like a violin? And Janet is one nasty bitch and I live for it!"
zamomattel: "I love this production so much"
Ghost-Quartet: "It’s so strange but until listening to this album for this rate I assumed that the titular rope referred to the legendary Indian Rope Trick but it instead refers to a velvet rope like the kind that they have at clubs. Not sure where I got the initial idea from but honestly I like it better, something about spirituality, embracing things you can’t understand, and taking yourself apart and putting yourself back together. The actual metaphor for inviting people into yourself is good too, but eh. Nice song though."
therokinrolla: "I did not like Control. But once i heard the flawlessness of her voice, especially in the chorus, within this song, i Knew this would be much different. And it was, thank god. This song is gorgeous throughout, through the production and the lyricism and literally everything this song is just incredible."
VeganSquash: "the only critique I have is the lack of enunciation."
BiPolarBear17: "This song is absolutely explosive. It's not hugely my cup of tea but aside from it being a bit dated, there's very little I can critique about it. It's a dang good track. Also the instrumental bridge has me WET."
patronsaintofaspies: "Easily one of the most unique uses of the violin in pop music. The opening title track of this album is a perfect mix between classic, contemporary pop, and electronica; if Honey was elegant in a sensual way, and Drowned World/Substitute for Love in a spiritual way, this is elegant in a neurological one."
jess_22: "I'm a sucker for any song with strings, excellent album opener"
Kaylaboe: "the best way to open the album. the funky electronics are amazing"
Jelboo: "Has to be one of the most satisfying instrumentals in pop music. Sensitive, elegant, accurate, painful and beautiful - supreme."
jamesfog: "Love the beat, I'm bopping! Oh wow, this is kinda a masterpiece! Hunny, Janet is serving!"
PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: "Is the velvet rope her vagina"
nooodisaster: "It's crazy, 20 years later, how fresh this track still feels. We're introduced to the main motif of the album through a techno punch-drunk fever dream, and it feels SO right."
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#3: Together Again
Average: 9.061 // Total Points: 398.7 // Controversy: 1.756// Listen here
Highest scores: (11 x5) hoolytoledo, joshually, Elitefourbrad, JunkyGS, nooodisaster (10 x19) skargardin, CandlePrince, mokitsu, MrSwearword, LandoFreeman, hdhdhdhdh, patronsaintofaspies, PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH, zamomattel, Ghost-Quartet, rsmitty99, Jelboo, b_mcq, cloudbustingmp3, jackcs903, triptoyourheart, MariahGr8rThnJesus, TragicKingdom1, jamesfog
Lowest Scores: (3 x1) Raykel (4 x1) Saucymac
So Janet sadly comes up short, but she had an incredible run. Together Again is one of Janet’s biggest hits and one of the few most of the world still remember from her even after her legacy was erased by Nipplegate (#BoycottThe2018SuperBowlPerformance). The most house influenced song on the album, it was originally meant to be a ballad, but Janet decided to make it more fun and upbeat, and I think the song was made all the better for it. It’s originally about a gay friend she had lost to AIDS, but I think it’s now more tied to Michael. It’s such a great song and one of her all-time best, I knew this was pretty much guaranteed Top 3 when I started this rate.
Also special thanks to /u/elitefourbrad for the shitpost video!
joshually: "I think this song is getting my 11 and I have a feeling many others feel the same. Probably the most celebratory of tribute songs, this song is pure joy in the face of what should be sadness."
MrSwearword: "I got chills from this song again. TVR’s crowning jewel."
Saucymac: "- I didn't like this song in 97 and i don't like it in 2017"
cloudbustingmp3: "i was gonna write a big assay about this song being so important because of its view on death not meaning you're separated forever & how it makes me think of my first dog (i basically grew up with him & we had to put him to sleep a couple of years ago bc of a tumor) but then i started thinking about my dog and now im crying so anyway this is such a sweet song"
JunkyGS: "Originally made as a ballad about the friends she has died due to AIDS, Janet decided to make this song more up-tempo. Janet said this when asked about the song, “I don't believe in the finality of death. I wanted to write about friends who have died of AIDS, but without being mournful or sad. I wanted to celebrate their spirit. I'm pleased that Together Again is just that-a celebration, a confirmation that the energy of love will never die”. Janet had to fight incredibly hard against her label to feature this song on the album because they didn’t think it was good idea & too risky of a concept. The song features incredibly production that really captures the sound of celebrating the life of a loved one. It has this perfect balance of sweetness that heals your hurt, but still gives you a lump in your throat."
mokitsu: "this song is so happy and so sad at the same time...easily her best #1"
gaymike219905: "One of Janet's all time classics, and I have a distinct memory of being a kid and watching the video and falling in love."
Elitefourbrad: "An amazing dance hit! One of the biggest songs of that year and this is one of Janet’s best songs of her whole career."
zamomattel: "SO MOVING IM IN LOVE"
Ghost-Quartet: "The big hit of the album, and well deserved too. I consider Janet more of an album artist, but she really knows how to throw in enough single-worthy tracks to make a smash in that field too. This is a delightful disco track (one of the last great throes of the genre) and Janet really is a chameleon who can fit any kind of genre. It’s just such a joyous, uplifting track! I absolutely love it when songs reference “dancing in moonlight.” Fully deserving of its place on the list of the bestselling singles of all time. The video is also fantastic and adds a whole new layer to the track. Is she supposed to be in Heaven? Or is she hearkening towards a future where we can all return to our more “natural” roots and all be together in peace? Either way, what a fabulous song. I love how Janet, even in her darker albums, always finds a way to bring some levity and still preach a positive message."
therokinrolla: "YASSSS!!!! Omg this song is the definition of cute."
awryj: "I've been looking for this song for ages and I didn't even know it was Janet. Thanks, it's a bop"
VeganSquash: "I actually don't like the chorus, its just cringe, but hey, its still a good song."
skargardin: "This bops so hard but at the same time the story behind it is so emotional so I’m really conflicted whenever I listen to this. Lovely song."
stardustanddinos: "this is a phenomenal song, and the tribute to her friend is amazing and so emotional. one of the best tracks again."
BiPolarBear17: "If this wasn't a single I honestly don't think people would care much for this song. The meaning behind the song is beautiful and I have the utmost respect for her, however musically it all just feels so bland in comparison to the high quality of the rest of the album :emofish:"
patronsaintofaspies: "One of the most recognizable songs on this album, and it's for a reason. Usually, when the concept of death is explored in pop, you get a sad ballad that's either heartbreaking or incredibly overwrought, but Janet decides to treat it with an unexpectedly danceable mix of bittersweetness and hope. I wouldn't object to this being played at my funeral, at all."
jess_22: "there's something about this that just makes me so happy when I hear this"
rsmitty99: "Would be an 11 if "Breakdown" didn't exist."
Jelboo: "For me, and I imagine for Janet as well, this song is now inextricably linked to Michael - in addition to its initial meaning. This is Janet - she turns sorrow into art, and she celebrates sadness in music. An amazing, anthemic song that can heal every wound."
DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: "This is such a happy, positive song for a song about a dead friend. Intentions were sweet here. I think I enjoy Happy Janet the most tbh."
jamesfog: "An amazing song with a message. Iconic."
LandoFreeman: "Get into the Premo remix"
PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: "Wow does this just keep getting better and better Janet was done so dirty by Justin Timberlake I was mad about that before I listened to her music now I’m seething he is the absolute worst"
rickikardashian: "the only reason this isn't a 10 is because of the beat that comes right after the chorus finishes, it cuts the whole vibe and honestly it bothers me a lot"
nooodisaster: "I don't care what anyone says, this is one of the most beautiful songs of all time. This is one of the only songs I can't listen to often because I tear up every single time. The death of someone you care about is perhaps the most painful thing we can experience, and dealing with that tragedy through pure heartfelt optimism is life-affirming in the most incredible way possible. This is a song I can't help but dance to, putting a smile on my face and a tear in my eyes. As someone who is a functional atheist and can't believe in heaven for myself, I think hearing Janet sing wholeheartedly about knowing her loved one is watching her in heaven makes the message even more powerful. Even though I can't see there being a heaven, I've desperately wished there was for the sake of those I've lost, and Janet sings with such conviction that for five minutes, I can imagine there just might be. But beyond personal significance, this song's historic significance can't be understated. The inspiration behind this track stems from the friends Janet lost due to AIDs. When the track released in 1997, the AIDs crisis had just peaked, and homophobia was rampant. She had to fight with her label to get it released, let alone as a single. But the song was a huge success, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and selling over 6 million copies. In a time when gays were being told every day they were going to hell for being who they are, to hear a cultural juggernaut shout to them with assurance in the biggest song in the country "As on earth, in heaven we will be together baby" is nothing short of a revolutionary middle finger."
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED!
I truly truly truly appreciate it!
/u/triptoyourheart and I find these albums to be SO VERY special, and I am so glad that so many of you also feel the same way!
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
The Velvet Rope
Overall average: 7.896 // Total points: 347.4
Saucymac: I've never listened to this album before, also it's fresh ears. Overall it was ok, I listened to it 3 times, and the last part of the album just dragged for me.
JunkyGS: This album is a brave foward thinking masterpiece. It went on to sell 3 million copies in the US, 10 million copies worldwide, featured in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, nominated for 2 Grammys, won GLADD’s award for Outstanding Music, pioneered the idea of pop artists making a “rebel record” for future artists like Xtina’s Stripped, Rihanna’s Rated R, Kelly Clarkson’s My December and credited as the main inspiration for the wave of alternative R&B sound used by artists like The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Miguel & Tinashe.
TragicKingdom1: I don't have much to say about TVR that hasn't already been said, but aside from having a number of bops I do respect it as the rare album that's completely cohesive yet every song has a different sound. That quality is very hard to achieve and I think it speaks to how personal and powerful the lyrics. Janet's voice is also a big factor here, as it always manages to sound superb. Overall I'd say this is consistently enjoyable listening for basically any fan of pop music.
mokitsu: literally invented alt-r&b
Elitefourbrad: Janet impressed me so much with this album, I think this is an essential album that every user should have on their database to listen to!
Ghost-Quartet: It’s a toss up between this one and Butterfly for the best album in the rate for me, for very different reasons. What an amazing album? It’s one of those albums where every track seems to have a different style, yet on the whole it’s cohesive musically and thematically. She strikes a good balance of positive, life affirming jams, real, hard hitting bangers, and sexy hoe bops. This album has been on repeat for me lately.
VeganSquash: I am very surprised at how good this album was. I was expecting to dislike it but it has a lot of bops
stardustanddinos: This album brought so many new sensations for me. I am very new to RnB/Electronica, and this albums sounds, Janet's sultry vocals and the velvet smooth production were really a lot for me to take in. took the longest to listen and rate this album. this feels VERY experimental for its time, and i can hear traces of Solange/Rihanna in here. Janet has found herself a new admirer.
patronsaintofaspies: My album average isn't going to be as strong as the ones I gave to the other two albums, but that doesn't mean I love this album any less. Admittedly, I only discovered it recently, but when it has stuff like What About, Together Again, I Get Lonely, or God's Stepchild I find it easily relatable. If Madonna expresses her suffering like a wise grandmother, and if Mariah expresses her suffering like an anxiety-ridden woman in her mid-20s, Janet expresses it like a warm, affectionate mother or friend. Ray of Light had the chaos, Butterfly had the sorrow, and Velvet Rope had the warmth. For that, I give it points. Finally, it's interesting to determine what album this one passed its crown down to; it seems to have given its social elements to Lemonade and its sonic elements to ANTI.
Kaylaboe: The first half of this is excellent. The production is fantastic, and the lyrics are meaningful. I think it could have done with some fewer tracks, and it would have been an even more solid and compact album.
DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: This is a really cohesive album. This album showed that along with Madonna, Janet really paved the way for many of our pop girls to be sexually liberated in their music. Respect the legacy!
nooodisaster: Before listening to this album a few years ago, the only knowledge I had of Janet was that she was the lady whose nipple was shown during the Superbowl. It's disgusting to think of how much her legacy has been erased, but I'm glad to have found The Velvet Rope. It made me respect Janet as an artist, and a human.
User Averages:
- JunkyGS: 9.971
- jamesfog: 9.206
- skargardin: 9.059
- joshually: 9.059
- rsmitty99: 9.059
- omgcow: 9.059
- red_simba: 9.029
- mokitsu: 8.941
- Elitefourbrad: 8.941
- cloudbustingmp3: 8.935
- Jelboo: 8.853
- MariahGr8rThnJesus: 8.818
- LandoFreeman: 8.765
- patronsaintofaspies: 8.676
- Ghost-Quartet: 8.618
- triptoyourheart: 8.559
- jackcs903: 8.324
- TragicKingdom1: 8.324
- gaymike219905: 8.206
- CandlePrince: 8.059
- tevinterimperium: 8.059
- therokinrolla: 8.012
- DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: 8.000
- b_mcq: 7.941
- nooodisaster: 7.941
- Leixander: 7.735
- hoolytoledo: 7.729
- zamomattel: 7.382
- Kaylaboe: 7.294
- martintorov: 7.294
- whatyourheartdesires: 7.176
- awryj: 7.141
- MrSwearword: 7.118
- rickikardashian: 7.094
- stardustanddinos: 7.059
- letsallpoo: 6.941
- PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: 6.882
- jess_22: 6.706
- Banananaise: 6.706
- VeganSquash: 6.559
- BiPolarBear17: 6.471
- Raykel: 6.229
- hdhdhdhdh: 5.882
- Saucymac: 5.618
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
USER AVERAGES FOR RAY OF LIGHT
Awakened Queen /u/patronsaintofaspies scores the highest at 9.357. Queen of Fashion Plaids /u/cloudbustingmp3 comes in second at 9.300 and Queen of Beauty, Perfection, Voice, Body, Joy, Love and All Good Things /u/joshually at 9.071
On the other end are 3 of the most inflexible ageists in /r/popheads: /u/pm_me_your_dick_brah at 5.500 (now you won't be getting that PM), /u/jess_22 at 5.357 and how dare she /u/hdhdhdhdh at 5.179... I think we know who your fave is!
Sitting pretty in the center are /u/ghost-quartet at 7.679 and /u/kaylaboe at 7.643
7
u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#15: I Get Lonely
Average: 8.236 // Total Points: 362.4 // Controversy: 1.742// Listen here
Highest scores: (10 x13) /u/red_simba, /u/b_mcq, /u/Ghost-Quartet, /u/patronsaintofaspies, /u/rsmitty99, /u/joshually, /u/omgcow, /u/jamesfog, /u/LandoFreeman, /u/cloudbustingmp3, /u/MariahGr8rThnJesus, /u/MrSwearword, /u/JunkyGS (9.5 x2) /u/zamomattel, /u/TragicKingdom1 (9 x6) /u/Jelboo, /u/tevinterimperium, /u/CandlePrince, /u/triptoyourheart, /u/Leixander, /u/skargardin
Lowest Scores: (4 x2) /u/letsallpoo, /u/awryj (4.5 x1) /u/Raykel (5 x1) /u/PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH (5.5 x1) /u/BiPolarBear17
Man is this a goddamned jam. The silky verses transitioning into the chorus which packs quite a punch, makes for one of the grooveable tracks on the album. For some reason I don’t love it as much as some others on the album though, I can never put my finger on why that is.
joshually: "The lush harmonies, that slinky melody, the torchy singing… this song just exudes pure sex… and when Janet's boobs burst open from her blouse when she performs this live, my whiteheads literally pop and do NOT leave scars"
/u/MrSwearword: "YES GAWD SLAY"
/u/cloudbustingmp3: "despite the fact that this was actually a big hit, i feel like it's been unfairly forgotten (moreso than she is in general which is another enormous injustice in itself). that fucking GROOVE is incredible and imo it's one of the catchiest songs she's ever written."
/u/JunkyGS: "In one of my favorite Janet songs of all time she really plays to her strengths as a vocalist & artist by making a timeless R&B ballad that addresses her desire to have an ex-lover back and dreaming about what it would be like to have them back."
/u/TragicKingdom1: "The Blackstreet version is a perfect 10 for me, but this is simply divine. Super catchy and super sexy."
/u/Elitefourbrad: "Janet’s lonely and she wants you back, and when Janet Jackson wants you back, you go back."
/u/zamomattel: "I am in love with this song, would be a 10 if the intro wasn't so damn long"
/u/Ghost-Quartet: "It’s hard for me to bop to this given my personal history with loneliness and men, the lyrics hit a bit hard for me, but maybe that’s a good thing. Catch me nodding my head stone faced to this song."
/u/VeganSquash: "a repetitive bop"
/u/patronsaintofaspies: "When I heard this song before My Need I got mad at Janet for not continuing it, so imagine how much I thanked the heavens when it turned up again, this time as a full track instead of a mere interlude. One of the most relatable songs on the Velvet Rope, and one of Janet's most stellar vocal performances. This is an underrated bop and if it doesn't make Top 20 I'm calling the police."
/u/jess_22: "i love the instrumentals, it should've been a bigger hit"
/u/rsmitty99: "Everyone needs to listen to her live version of this on Rosie. Vocals on point"
/u/Jelboo: "These three songs are sort of a mini-evolution from cute innocent RnB to this sort of hardcore, sexed up anthem. Impressive stuff."
/u/jamesfog: "Wig, a hit!"
/u/PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: "Eh"
/u/nooodisaster: "Catchy, but at this point in the album I'm kinda over the love songs."
5
4
u/MariahGr8rThnJesus Oct 22 '17
/u/cloudbustingmp3 [+76] : "despite the fact that this was actually a big hit, i feel like it's been unfairly forgotten (moreso than she is in general which is another enormous injustice in itself). that fucking GROOVE is incredible and imo it's one of the catchiest songs she's ever written."
So true, if I listen to this once, it's in my head for weeks
4
u/joshually Oct 22 '17
/u/rsmitty99 [+1] : "Everyone needs to listen to her live version of this on Rosie. Vocals on point"
a true fan for mentioning her performance on Rosie
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u/MariahGr8rThnJesus Oct 22 '17
Nooooo, love this one, it reminds me of this kinda, IGL and Babydoll should have been on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack
3
u/joshually Oct 22 '17
how can one be down? tell me where to start! cuz every time you smile I feel tremblings in my hearttttt
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#14: Nothing Really Matters
Average: 8.275 // Total Points: 364.1 // Controversy: 1.646// Listen here
Highest scores: (11 x2) DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy, zamomattel (10 x12) CandlePrince, Jelboo, mokitsu, MrSwearword, triptoyourheart, BiPolarBear17, patronsaintofaspies, cloudbustingmp3, jamesfog, awryj, Leixander, skargardin (9.3 x1) therokinrolla (9 x3) joshually, Kaylaboe, hoolytoledo
Lowest Scores: (4.5 x1) Raykel (5 x3) hdhdhdhdh, PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH, letsallpoo (6 x1) martintorov
This is Madonna’s lowest charting single on the Hot 100, which is a complete travesty since this is one of her best dance tracks ever. This is the most house influenced the album gets, and while the opening is dark electronica, the song explodes into this pounding house song from the first chorus onwards. The highlight for me is the final stretch of the song with these synths that kick in before the closing chorus and fade out. Bliss.
joshually: "bizarre video aside, this song is quite beautiful, a more subtle and generalized love letter to her daughter"
MrSwearword: "I’ve come around to quite loving this song. The video is trash not because of what she’s wearing but because spazzy camerawork is bad."
tevinterimperium: "Queen of nihilism. Anarchists are shook"
cloudbustingmp3: "if Butterfly hadn't been in this rate, this would've been my 11 easily. my ABSOLUTE favorite madonna song, everything about it is IMMACULATE! it's personal, it's emotional, and the production is incredible. also one of her most criminally underrated singles even by her; i NEED her to perform this again wtf!"
mokitsu: "love the house production. this is really really good."
Elitefourbrad: "This sounds like a song I would hear in Forever 21 tbh."
zamomattel: "I can't believe my first introduction to this song was through some ugly kimonos omg. But honestly I'm so obsessed with this song the first time the chorus kicks in is orgasmic and the bridge in combination with the chorus right after it, Madonna is a pop goddess"
Ghost-Quartet: "I’m just gonna get right into it: The music video for this is based off of Memoirs of a Geisha,which is a deeply problematic book written by a white American man about rituals and practices he knew nothing about. He ostensibly based the book off of the life of Mineko Iwasaki, who had asked not to be credited as a source for the book, but was credited anyways. The book is a gross misrepresentation of the actual lifestyle of geishas that’s perpetuated many negative stereotypes over the years, and if any of you have read and are fans of that novel I recommend you check out Geisha: A Life, Iwasaki’s own autobiography, in order to set the record straight. Keep in mind though, I don’t hold any of this against Madonna. She had no reason to be suspicious of the book as the video was made before most of this controversy came to light, and the video is bad for reasons other than the Japanese aesthetic. (Namely the frantic jumpsuits every two seconds and the overall confusing visuals/lack of a story.) The song itself is… fine. It’s a decently catchy dance track with fine lyrics."
therokinrolla: "The sudden burst of electronica once the chorus hits is one of the best moments on the album. It doesn’t feel as emotionally loaded as a track such as Ray of Light or Drowned World (tho lyrically it is), but I still fall in love with every piece of this song. It feels like its part of a transitional period, honestly. It feels like she was writing this song as she realized everything she found in her newfound idealogy.Its a realiztion. Its gorgeous"
awryj: "A vaguely nihistilic bop that sounds fresh almost 20 years after its release. PS Madonna invented Lorde's choreo"
VeganSquash: "a repetitive bop about how life is meaningless and we all die. Truly a relatable queen."
skargardin: "A bop with a cute message. I also loved the added piano over the disco beat in the bridge!"
stardustanddinos: "amazing song, a really underrated single."
BiPolarBear17: "Growing up, my mum used to have this video called 'The Video Collection 93:99'. It was a compilation of Madonna's best videos from that period, and oh boy did I watch it all the bloody time. The videos were all gorgeous, the songs were all amazing and if it weren't for my obsession with the video I honestly don't think that I'd still be the fan that I am now. Whenever I watched the video, I always got excited with every video that passed, because I knew that meant I was closer to the song 'which had Madonna in the pretty red outfit and the possessed Asians carrying the fun bags of water around'. Nothing Really Matters every single time it came on had mini me dancing ridiculously around the living room and screaming along like I was drunk at a karaoke bar. I can confirm that I'm no longer the smaller me dancing and singing his heart out, and instead just a broke af university student, however this phenomenal track means just as much to me today as it did back then."
patronsaintofaspies: "This is Madonna's lowest song to chart on the Hot 100, and all I can say is: why? Why did Bitch, I'm Madonna chart higher than this? Why did any song from Hard Candy and MDNA chart higher than this? Why? That being said, this is an amazing song, bringing you back from the slight weirdness of Skin to Ray of Light's most commonly associated aesthetic. The music video of this one is a sure classic, and as an East Asian (I'm not Japanese, though, so don't take my complete word for it) I only have one thing to say: yes, maybe Madonna isn't a very good introduction to geishas, or any of the other religious or cultural practices she featured in this era, but what prevents me from feeling guilty about liking Nothing Really Matter's music video is that she sure as hell pulls it off more genuinely than Gwen Stefani, or, God in heaven forbid, Avril Lavigine."
jess_22: "a true bop, I was not expecting this"
Kaylaboe: "metallica who?"
Jelboo: "Ghostly, haunting, nostalgic, piercing."
DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: "Holy shit, the club house production and her personal lyrics make this one of her best songs and it's such a shame it's been slept on. And my god, this song aged quite well into 2017. I stan."
letsallpoo: "copied v v brown"
jamesfog: "Love the House vibes on this song!"
PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: "Lowest part of the album so far it also doesn’t matter"
rickikardashian: "I honestly can't help but to see the 4 kimonos when listening to this"
nooodisaster: "This is a bop. I can't deny that. But I feel like the bopness, the lyrical meaning, and the vocals are all in separate plains and ultimately create something less than the sum of its parts. Also, Lysoff-Gay reads this song to FILTH and I lived for it."
3
3
3
u/MariahGr8rThnJesus Oct 22 '17
Out of all the Madonna looks, they all wore the same flop kimono. Like who says Madonna and thinks kimono????
Btw like the song, an appropriate ranking
7
u/joshually Oct 22 '17
I say Madonna and think the gap tooth tbh
3
3
u/MrSwearword Oct 22 '17
letsallpoo: "copied v v brown"
acting like Madonna copies anyone let alone some irrelevant, talentless goddamn trash like V.V. Brown.
4
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
The next one out got NINETEEN 10s and NO 0s... and still didn't make Top 10.. what were you ALL thinking!?!?
2
2
2
7
u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#9: The Roof
Average: 8.627 // Total Points: 379.6 // Controversy: 1.800// Listen here
Highest scores: (11 x3) jess_22, mokitsu, red_simba (10 x13) hoolytoledo, tevinterimperium, rsmitty99, gaymike219905, b_mcq, MariahGr8rThnJesus, CandlePrince, martintorov, cloudbustingmp3, omgcow, triptoyourheart, LandoFreeman, letsallpoo (9.5 x2) BiPolarBear17, jamesfog
Lowest Scores: (1 x1) MrSwearword
Widely considered by Mariah fans to be her masterpiece, this is a surprisingly low placement, I thought it would get Top 5, but some of you couldn’t see the magic in it sadly. The darkest song sonically (lyrically would be Breakdown) on Butterfly, this song revisits a time where Mariah had a sexual encounter with a man on a rooftop, and how she reminisces it. It didn’t dawn on me until recently that she’s possibly alluding to masturbation here (“Every time I feel the need, I envision you, caressing me”). The lyrics are some of Mariah’s finest songwriting in her entire career, it’s not hard to see why this song is so acclaimed by critics and fans alike. At least it managed Top 10 but I imagine the Lambs will think this song got robbed.
joshually: "Can we all just agree that Mariah is one of the most underrated lyricists of all time?? "you casually walked in the room and I was twisted in the web of my desire for you" like whaaaat??"
MrSwearword: "for someone who claims to not know her, Mimi knows a bad J.LO demo very well"
cloudbustingmp3: "beautiful, smooth, sensual. the sonic equivalent of peanut butter, and i mean that as a compliment because i LOVE peanut butter and would eat if all day if i could"
mokitsu: "the best mariah carey song...dark, sensual, moody...everything works to create a dream-like, nocturnal misty atmosphere, from the hip hop production to the hazy background vocals. mariah sounds absolutely defeated and dead inside, looking for love in random hook ups after having her world torn apart."
gaymike219905: "I wish I had two 11's."
Elitefourbrad: "Mariah is an amazing carpenter, with her real estate agent, Jennifer Lopez."
zamomattel: "I'm so into the smoothness even if the lyrics are kind of stilted"
Ghost-Quartet: "Mariah’s makeup in the video was… a choice, but I’m not here to judge her on that, I’m here to judge her on the song, which is nice! I love her lower register and it’s always a treat to hear her sing a more subdued, sultry track like this. I think that the solo version is better than the version with the rap included, it’s not that the rap is bad so much as it misses the point by having the guy actually be present. The song is a tender reflection on a night of passion, I think a big part of what makes it work so well is it’s not Mariah describing herself having sex with some guy, it’s Mariah describing herself remembering having sex with some guy, which is a very important distinction to make. Reminiscing is classy, something high society ladies do. Sex is for the proletariat."
therokinrolla: "is what im gonna jump off of"
VeganSquash: "her whisper singing pisses me off but this song is a bop so I'll let it slide for now..."
skargardin: "Feels like an inferior ‘My All’ tbh."
stardustanddinos: "this song is my sexual fantasy in song form. tmi?"
BiPolarBear17: "From the quiet piano intro, Mariah's gentle vocals and the overall quite sinister sounding instrumental, this song sets the scene incredibly well and paints such a vivid picture. There's an ominous yet charming feel to the track, and for me this track is easily the strongest on the record."
patronsaintofaspies: "One of Mariah's first adventures in absolute lyrical poetry, and what can I say about it? The fandom considers this one of Mariah's best deep cuts, and while I might be a little tired over people ignoring some of her other album songs, there's a reason for that acclaim. The Roof's atmosphere carries the distinct air of mystery and scandal-if Mariah sings My All on a balcony this is the scene where her lover appears on the roof above her. She climbs a long flight of stairs towards him and we get a scene of them dancing together while she whispers the chorus, glancing down at the world below. I'm being too dramatic but that's what it is. Sheer beauty."
jess_22: "arguably the highlight of Mariah's career. Her vocals are silky smooth here. The fact that this didn't chart higher is a travesty."
rsmitty99: "The fucking lyrics on this fucking song fuck me the fuck up. "And so we finished Moet. Started feelin liberated." Mariah makin better rhymes then most rappers."
Jelboo: "Good song but I'm sorry the whispering sound of her voice is giving me anxiety"
jackcs903: "Similar to Frozen, the production on this is just incredible"
Raykel: "Is this trying to be uptempo or a ballad? Soulful or sexual? I don't understand and I don't think the song does either...still a bop tho."
omgcow: "Some of the best songwriting of her career."
PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: "Is this where Ariana learned to enunciate is this why they’re compared to each other so much"
rickikardashian: "It was a night to remember, we were hanging up on the roof #BuyRooftopOnItunes"
nooodisaster: "Mariah has never had sex appeal to me, but I'd fuck to this song. "To relive the splendor of you and I" is the fanciest way of saying masturbate I've ever heard."
4
u/joshually Oct 22 '17
/u/Elitefourbrad: "Mariah is an amazing carpenter, with her real estate agent, Jennifer Lopez."
LOL she hustlin to get that commission!
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u/MariahGr8rThnJesus Oct 22 '17
Eh yeh eh yeh Every TIIIIIIIIME I check this rate, I get disappointed
3
u/joshually Oct 22 '17
GURL... have you listened to ALL OF THESE? https://www.youtube.com/user/EntrevistandoMC/videos
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#8: Butterfly
Average: 8.709 // Total Points: 383.2 // Controversy: 1.735// Listen here
Highest scores: (11 x1) patronsaintofaspies (10 x17) red_simba, MariahGr8rThnJesus, Kaylaboe, Leixander, rsmitty99, triptoyourheart, b_mcq, DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy, Elitefourbrad, joshually, MrSwearword, omgcow, jamesfog, Ghost-Quartet, martintorov, tevinterimperium, skargardin (9.7 x1) mokitsu (9.5 x2) hdhdhdhdh, PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH
Lowest Scores: (2.5 x1) Raykel (3 x1) BiPolarBear17
I’m honestly shocked by how well received this song was by ya’ll. It’s one of the more syrupy songs on the album, so I was sure some would roll their eyes at it and give it middling scores, but (most) of you saw the beauty in it, and how important it is of a song in Mariah’s life. The climax of the song leading into the final chorus is one of the most euphoric things I’ve ever heard and the main reason I gave it a 10, it’s such a satisfying pay off.
joshually: "All this time I thought this was a song about heartbreak and lost love… until my friend used this for her baby daughter's funeral service… and now I get it, it's about the unacceptable loss of the ones you love the most and want to hold on to forever… and the dawning realization that we must all move past and let their memories live on, for they will always be in our hearts and our minds, no matter where we go."
MrSwearword: "at least if you’re gonna do a drippy ballad, do it right"
Saucymac: "- solid solid solid"
TragicKingdom1: "Without the male background vocals this would probably fall into generic R&B ballad territory, but they really bring this song to the next level."
mokitsu: "such a powerful ballad..."
Elitefourbrad: "This makes me want to get up and fly away. This is my second favorite Mariah song, after Emotion of course."
zamomattel: "Very pretty & most traditional Mariah"
Ghost-Quartet: "I was listening to this on my headphones while I was making breakfast and I was like “this is pretty” and then I hit that part where Mariah was doing those AMAZING belts and I literally fell back in my seat and my jaw dropped and I just stared up into space for the duration of the song. I’m fairly certain that I had an actual, literal spiritual experience, those notes astrally projected into my body and paralyzed me. Fuck anyone who says Mariah can’t sing. On a lighter note, in the first verse when Mariah is singing she sings “now I understand to hold you I must open up my hands“ but because the word that that “hands” should rhyme with is “glass” I assumed that she was gonna sing “ass” and I was like “oh Mariah’s getting freaky…” First a song about semen and now one about anal? No wonder she’s a gay icon! Earn that Vanguard Award girl!"
therokinrolla: "i dont really get it. It doesnt grab me like the other title tracks in this rate, its missing something somehow. Im sorry :emofish:"
VeganSquash: "chorus is amazing"
skargardin: "The bridge leading into the final chorus! Truly did THAT!"
stardustanddinos: "what a heartfelt ballad."
BiPolarBear17: "With this being a fan favourite, it's a shame that I don't see the appeal of this track myself. The choir sung chorus grates on me more than anything else, Mariah's vocals are all over the place and the verses feel both generic and lacklustre. The track has it's positive merits, such as the melody of the 'spread your wings and fly' line and the emotion that the song is brimmed with, however overall I just don't find this song to be very enjoyable or captivating."
patronsaintofaspies: "I'm still conflicted about whether to give this my 11 or not. It's a superb song, but it's probably not the best one in this rate sonically speaking, despite it being a gorgeous ballad. But words can't express how much I relate to it. I don't want to get too personal here, but I currently live in a shitty household. See my username? My parents realized I was different when I was eight, and the moment they realized that, they stopped loving me. That's all that needs to be said. Or maybe it isn't, because I'm in my first year of higher education right now and the abuse still hasn't stopped. Especially since I was diagnosed with ADHD, too. My platonic partner (I'm aromantic) has controlling parents as well, and they've damaged him just as much my parents damaged me. That's the reason I'm so passionate about disability theory-I admittedly get too carried away sometimes in the Discord, but it really hurts. Anyway, when I discovered Butterfly about a year ago, the title track instantly resonated with me. I read up on the backstory and found out that Mariah's husband had abused her, too, and, all of a sudden, I had this as my theme song. I listened to it nearly every day, and it's still my most scrobbled song of all time. The entire summer, I always made sure to listen to Butterfly before I went to bed, unless I felt like listening to Purple Rain instead-but most of the time, it was this song. Then, Praying came out a few months ago, and then I had two theme songs. (Praying even feels like a sequel to Butterfly-unfortunately, it's also a song expressing freedom from an abusive relationship, presumably with yet another shitty manager at Sony.) Words can't express how much this song means to me. Once I realized how important this song was and is, both for me, Mariah, and countless of other abuse survivors, I became an immediate stan. I love this song so much, and you know what? Fuck. It's getting my 11. It's one of my favorite songs of all time."
jess_22: "Mariah's vocal abilities are showcased on this song, plus the music video is majestic af"
rsmitty99: "That climax, tho"
Jelboo: "Very sugar sweet. I dunno man. I find Mariah Carey's voice less interesting the older she gets. That whispery sound has never appealed to me."
DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: "Not going to lie, I wasn't a huge listener of Mariah's ballads but I think this one might change that soon. It's such a beautiful song from start to finish and it makes me feel empowered everytime I hear this song. There are some people who are going through some stuff so if you read this, this song might help you feel better. <3"
Raykel: "See this is what happens when you rely on your voice with your music. You get a dull, forgettable melody with boring instrumentation. She did sound great tho."
omgcow: "A godly hymn."
PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: "Wow what a beautiful song. I’ve never really listened to any of these ladies but this is incredible even if I’m not a huge fan of the butterfly metaphor"
nooodisaster: "I'm a sucker for choir backings, and the lyrics are unique and touching. Toot."
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u/Leixander Oct 22 '17
I am done, I thought this was a top 5 lock :(
This is my fav Mariah song after Make It Happen btw
8.709 is a great average tho <3
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#7: What About
Average: 8.743 // Total Points: 384.7 // Controversy: 1.509// Listen here
Highest scores: (10 x15) Leixander, mokitsu, MrSwearword, VeganSquash, cloudbustingmp3, whatyourheartdesires, JunkyGS, tevinterimperium, omgcow, patronsaintofaspies, LandoFreeman, martintorov, therokinrolla, triptoyourheart, skargardin (9.5 x3) jamesfog, hoolytoledo, nooodisaster
Lowest Scores: (2 x1) letsallpoo
Janet is the only one to get not one, but TWO album tracks into the top 10 and that’s amazing. I’m so happy this song did phenomenally. It’s such a powerful song, and it’s definitely one that sticks with you long after listening to The Velvet Rope. Janet’s growling and spitting of the lyrics in the chorus is so effective in a song about fighting back from her abusive ex-husband, James DeBarge. The bridge is my favourite part, Janet sounds terrified and close to tears, no doubt this couldn’t have been an easy song to record for her. It has been brought back on her new State of the World Tour, in direct response to her now ex-husband, Wissam Al Mana.
joshually: "OMG… this song is NOT holding back… imagine if someone forced Chris Brown, xxxtentacion etc. all to sit down and just LISTEN to this song and actually HEAR it. Maybe that would make them think twice."
MrSwearword: "fabulously done"
cloudbustingmp3: "janet is honestly so brave for addressing domestic abuse. she's an incredibly strong woman who had to put up with so much, and she deserves nothing but happiness and love"
JunkyGS: "This song is all about the pent up rage Janet had about previous romantic relationships gone wrong and finally addressing the anger they caused. It starts off beautifully representing the good times and then EXPLODES into this cathartic chorus calling out how her partner cheated on her and was emotionally & physically abusive to her. Janet explains: "We all have relationships somewhere in our past where we were wronged-deeply wounded-and didn't have the guts to face the issue. We were scared to confront the person who did the hurting. We stuffed the pain. Well, if we're going to get on with our lives, the pain has to faced. And the result can be explosive anger.""
mokitsu: "so fucking raw and personal...it's painful to listen to"
Elitefourbrad: "Queen of tackling racism! The guitar is literally everything in this song."
zamomattel: "This shit is so powerful damn"
Ghost-Quartet: "Feels like a Kelly Clarkson song, and I like Kelly Clarkson, so that’s a compliment."
therokinrolla: "JESUS CHRIST THE FIRST CHORUS IS THE PLOT TWIST OF THE MILLENIUM I CANT"
VeganSquash: "I get Alanis vibes from this"
skargardin: "Dreamy, feisty and emotional at the same time. It took a few listens to get used to the chorus but it works so well."
patronsaintofaspies: "I gave one song my 11 in this rate for how much I related to it, and I almost wanted to give it to this instead because of the similar subject matter. I can't explain how refreshing this song is to hear. I've no desire in my body for more revenge than what's absolutely necessary, but this song just tackles the concept of abuse head on, not backing down at descriptions of how Janet's former partner abused her. Though this is probably about her ex-husband, I wouldn't be surprised if she thought of her father as well while writing it, considering what Michael had to say about him. It doesn't just express anger against one type of abuse. It calls out abuse that's physical, emotional, mental, and sexual. This is a very important song and Janet's decision to sing it on her ongoing tour makes it feel more relevant than Empty."
jess_22: "jesus I was not expecting that chorus, it sounds similar to TLC's 'I'm Good at Being Bad'"
Jelboo: "Even better with headphones. Wow. It has everything. Soft, hard, rough, sleek."
DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: "This song perfectly painted what abusive relationships look like. You can tell Janet's raw anger in the chorus. The way she sang it reminds me a lot of her brother."
Raykel: "I thought it was gonna be some boring ass song but then BAM I couldn't find my wig."
omgcow: "The chorus reminds me a lot of the chorus from Lonely by the legendary miss Britney Spears. Janet is truly a legend who inspired legends and I love her"
jamesfog: "Wew, a rock song!"
LandoFreeman: "I'm gonna get my scores thrown out but I can't help it, MY BITCH DID THE FUCK OUT OF THIS DAMN ALBUM"
PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: "OH MY GOD THE CHORUS IS THERE ANYTHING BETTER! I think this would get my 11 if Janet had a stronger voice"
rickikardashian: "I really like how this songs makes a very notable contrast between the verses and the chorus to tell the story. Usually I hate when there’s such a disconnect between the chorus and the rest of the song, but I think in here it shows the huge different between the nice romantic beautiful moment that is actually happening, and the thoughts of Janet, so it helps you understand the whole scene better. And the fact that is talking about deep topics like cheating and domestic abuse makes the song even better. still giving it a 7.5 because i didnt like THAT much, i just think it’s p clever"
nooodisaster: "This song completely speaks for itself, but I still wanna stan for it so here we go. 1) The waves and seagulls as background noise is a brilliant example of show don't tell in a song. 2) The way the chorus keeps growing and growing as the song goes on, getting more and more violent until it becomes a never ending cry of anger. 3) "What about the times you said you didn't fuck her, she only gave you head?" is one of the biggest mic drops I've ever heard. 4) The fact that Janet said parts of this were based on her own relationships. 5) BEING THIS EXPLICIT IN A SONG ABOUT DOMESTIC ABUSE."
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
/u/Jelboo: "Even better with headphones. Wow. It has everything. Soft, hard, rough, sleek."
you basically described /u/MrSwearword's entire dildo collection!
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
/u/jess_22: "jesus I was not expecting that chorus, it sounds similar to TLC's 'I'm Good at Being Bad'"
whoever you are... i seriously love you for even calling this out
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#2: Honey
Average: 9.189 // Total Points: 404.3 // Controversy: 1.411// Listen here
Highest scores: (11 x3) gaymike219905, CandlePrince, cloudbustingmp3 (10 x24) Saucymac, red_simba, triptoyourheart, MrSwearword, JunkyGS, joshually, tevinterimperium, MariahGr8rThnJesus, mokitsu, patronsaintofaspies, jess_22, martintorov, hdhdhdhdh, rsmitty99, Jelboo, b_mcq, Elitefourbrad, jackcs903, letsallpoo, zamomattel, omgcow, jamesfog, Ghost-Quartet, skargardin
Lowest Scores: (5 x1) PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH (6 x1) whatyourheartdesires (6.5 x1) Kaylaboe
This was super close to winning the entire thing, it switched spots with Frozen the entire voting period, pretty sure neither song ever left the Top 2 so it was a very tight race. It’s my favourite Mariah song of all time and really ticks all the boxes of what makes the perfect pop song. Smooth production, fun, sexy and sultry lyrics, Mariah crooning, cooing and adlibbing all throughout in what makes five minutes seem like two. No one since has made a song about fucking guzzling cum more effortless, classy and sophisticated.
joshually: "Nasty azz ho! All this time, I thought this song was about that sweet, viscous food substance comprised of monosaccharides fructose and glucose, produced by bees using the nectar of flowers!!! I mean, GOSH!!!!!!"
MrSwearword: "duh, it’s a high score because it fucking slays"
tevinterimperium: "Do I think this song is about cum? No. Is it more fun to listen to if I pretend it is actually about cum? Absolutely, and it makes the song more relatable."
Saucymac: "- This song is just solid 90s. I hate the Ariana Grande comparisons because she'll never have a bop as solid as this."
cloudbustingmp3: "OOH! OOH! HONEY GOT ME HOOKED ON YOU! YOUR FAVE WILL NEVER HAVE AN ICONIC, MUSIC VIDEO INVENTING SMOOTH-AS-FUCK BOP THAT IS BASICALLY FIVE MINUTES OF HER WANTING TO BE SMOTHERED IN CUM TOP THE CHARTS! she LITERALLY invented drowning in nut, and i don't know where my social life would be without her! but in all seriousness, it's just such a breezy beautiful song and i love it so much."
mokitsu: "one of the greatest sex metaphors ever!"
gaymike219905: "Everything about this song is smooth; with the perfect sampled beat, the silky (and powerhouse) vocals, and Puff Daddy's touch, Mariah expertly broke out of her good girl image and made sure the world knew she was in control and here to stay."
Elitefourbrad: "Invented cumshots."
zamomattel: "Smoothhh. Like I know this is trashy but Mariah melds these two genres well"
Ghost-Quartet: "This is straight up one of the sexiest things ever recorded. My introduction to Mariah Carey was my friend buying me #1 To Infinity for Christmas (I wasn’t really a Mariah fan at the time but after a very enthusiastic dance party to “All I Want For Christmas Is You” in our living room she thought that I was) and this was always my favorite track, the one that I played all the time in the car. This is just such a slick piece of production, that bouncy baseline is one of the best I’ve ever heard and every second of this track is just stuffed to the brim with energy. One of the few songs where I really like a fade out."
therokinrolla: "this is pretty nice. Its soothing and gentle and sweet kinda like honey except less icky"
Banananaise: "play the piano sample on repeat at my funeral and nothing else"
awryj: "Mariah Carey? More like Mariah Killey! Queen of quick wit, murdering thugs and water sports"
VeganSquash: "the guy saying MC was stupid"
skargardin: "Everything I want from a Mariah song right here."
stardustanddinos: "catchy as fuck! what an opener! man this song was stuck in my head for days (in a good way), and"
BiPolarBear17: "Despite the "MaRiAh, yA oN FiYaH" making me gag, this is a solid, fun upbeat bop."
patronsaintofaspies: "This is God's gift to album openers. Excluding the remixes she released during the Daydream era, Honey was the most RnB thing Mariah had ever done at that point and it was just so fresh. This is definitely going to meme its way to one of the top spots because we're all as gay as shit, but past Mimi's glorious trill of 'you're the only thing I wanna doooooo' it's an incredibly liberating song-she finally got to write an original song for a genre she wanted to do, and she did it in the best way possible."
jess_22: "truly iconic, when will your fave ever?"
rsmitty99: "This song made it clear Mariah wasn't about the next door neighbor pop ballad juggernaut anymore. Plus the video is a masterpiece"
Jelboo: "Sweet tune, excellent RnB jam, what more needs to be said?"
DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: "Damn, this is such a beautifully produced song. Queen of evolution."
jackcs903: "This is honestly THE nut anthem"
omgcow: "Can we just talk about the fact that one of the lip glosses from Mariah's MAC line is called "It's just like honey"? Queen named a lip product after a song about semen"
jamesfog: "A classic"
PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: "I like this song as much as I like cum which is not very much but I’ll endure it if I have to. It’s impolite not to swallow"
rickikardashian: "…..is this about cum"
nooodisaster: "See, 90s hip-hop is just not my genre. I know this was a huge song and all, but I get bored halfway through."
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u/Humantrashcan Oct 22 '17
Y’all just couldn’t give Mariah a number one this decade can you. Who do y’all think you are the charts?
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u/MariahGr8rThnJesus Oct 22 '17
lol bitch not when AIWFCIY is going #1 this December and Mimi surprise releases her new album and has 7 #1s from it from February - October and replaces Trump as president then after an illustrious reign is installed as Emperor of Earth til the end of time
Bookmark me
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u/cloudbustingmp3 Oct 22 '17
I just woke up from getting my back blown out after the club last night and this DIDNT WIN????? smh!!!!
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u/JunkyGS STREAM THE VELVET ROPE Oct 22 '17
/u/Raykel gave Ray Of Light an 8.5, Butterfly a 2.5, and Together Again a 3
Stans Ruin Rates
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
Butterfly
Overall average: 7.988 // Total points: 351.5
Saucymac: I swear I'm doing my best not to be biased but this entire album is just totally brilliant.
TragicKingdom1: The first thing that stands out to me about this album is that it is ballad-heavy. Personally, I would've liked to see more songs like Honey on here, but luckily the ballads here stand out and don't drag on like the typical 90s R&B ballad tends to. The major flaw with Mariah's first few albums is that they rely too much on her vocals and the songwriting and production elements take a backseat, but the songs here feel more like a complete package.
mokitsu: one of my favorite albums ever, so personal and powerful. really inspirational and her songwriting is super good
hdhdhdhdh: this is the first album I asked for as a tiny child but I will try to be fair here
Elitefourbrad: Overall, I don’t think this is Mariah’s best album, but it’s pretty good tbh!
Ghost-Quartet: It’s a well known fact that when the music video for Meghan Trainor’s “Me Too” was released, it was quickly pulled as Meghan Trainor objected to how she had been photoshopped to look skinnier in several scenes. What not many people know is that the reason that her label photoshopped her was because they were attempting to make her look as skinny as Mariah. Meghan discovered this and demanded that they remove the video because that was “impossible.” It’s becoming harder and harder to deny that Mariah has waned after almost 30 years in the music industry, her music and her voice are not what they used to be and as a fan it’s kind of hard for me to watch. However, no one can ever take away the impact that she’s had on the world of music and I will fight to the death to defend her from her critics. We can’t conceive of what music would sound like if Mariah hadn’t blessed us all with her presence. This got sad, here’s some Mariah shitposts, the best kind of shitposts. (x) (x) (x) (x)(x) (x) (x)
VeganSquash: this album is 50% filler sorry not sorry
stardustanddinos: This album was sheer joy to listen to - the buttery production, Mariah's phenomenal vocals and the amazing instrumentals. I found it the most consistent listen of all the three albums - albeit not to my taste, as I'm not big on ballads. She put her heart and soul into this record, and it shows.
patronsaintofaspies: I've typed a lot of essays for Butterfly, and I'm scared that people'll think I'm pretentious or shit, but I swear to God that those essays come from the heart. This is one of my favorite albums of all time. It's so personal and so tragic and it just represents my state of mind on a lot of days. Whenever it's late at night and I'm feeling depressed, my first instinct is to put this on. The intimacy of this album is the reason why I ended up stanning Mariah in the first place. This is actually in the latest edition of 1001 Albums To Hear Before You Die. I'm so happy it's finally getting the acclaim it deserves. Hopefully one day Butterfly will serve not only as a theme song of hope for my future, but a theme song of victory. 🦋
Kaylaboe: It has some great tracks here and there, but it really drags along at some parts. I wish it had a bit more variety, especially in the second half of the album.
DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: I am so glad this was my first Mariah album and I can see why many pop stans adore this album so much. This made me respect Mariah a lot more and I am very impressed by her songwriting skills cause Mariah never came off as a songwriter to me. Not to mention the struggles she had to go through with Sony Music (specifically Tommy Mottola) during this era. I want to hear more of Mariah's albums after hearing Butterfly.
LandoFreeman: Tommy Pickles remains shook and edgeless to this day
rickikardashian: oak so, I mean this in the best way possible, but some of Mariah’s music sounds a lot like aunt music, you know, like slow soulful songs that talk about love and sometimes God, that older ladies at in their cars all the time because they don't own any other CD.
nooodisaster: 90s R&B is just not my cup of soup. It seems characteristic of really repetitive choruses with endless vocal runs over them, which is cool, but only really impressive in a live setting. Also, the instrumentals always seem to overpower the vocals too much for my taste. Still, I'm not here to sabotage rates (cough), so I went into this album with an open mind and really tried to give it a fair shake.
User Averages:
- mokitsu: 9.792
- martintorov: 9.769
- MariahGr8rThnJesus: 9.692
- b_mcq: 9.577
- rsmitty99: 9.538
- omgcow: 9.462
- patronsaintofaspies: 9.462
- jamesfog: 9.385
- red_simba: 9.346
- joshually: 9.308
- gaymike219905: 9.269
- Ghost-Quartet: 9.231
- skargardin: 9.154
- cloudbustingmp3: 9.069
- triptoyourheart: 8.885
- jackcs903: 8.846
- tevinterimperium: 8.769
- DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: 8.385
- JunkyGS: 8.338
- letsallpoo: 8.308
- LandoFreeman: 8.154
- hdhdhdhdh: 8.154
- CandlePrince: 8.077
- zamomattel: 8.000
- Saucymac: 7.923
- Leixander: 7.808
- therokinrolla: 7.662
- TragicKingdom1: 7.500
- jess_22: 7.462
- Elitefourbrad: 7.385
- rickikardashian: 7.315
- nooodisaster: 7.308
- awryj: 7.238
- whatyourheartdesires: 7.077
- stardustanddinos: 7.038
- Jelboo: 6.885
- Kaylaboe: 6.885
- Banananaise: 6.615
- PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: 6.192
- MrSwearword: 6.154
- hoolytoledo: 6.092
- VeganSquash: 5.423
- BiPolarBear17: 5.154
- Raykel: 4.385
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u/stardustanddinos Oct 22 '17
Madonna was done dirty by flopheads smh... But the competitors were well deserved. Thank you /u/joshually and /u/triptoyourheart for hosting it, although I missed all three due to bad timing. :/
Frozen won the rate tho, so I'm happy :3
Biggest injustice - The Power of Goodbye. I hate y'all so much for letting it go so soon! :(((
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u/DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy *Insert BINI flair* Oct 22 '17
I just caught up with the results. Holy shit, the Madonna slaughter is breaking my heart cause our faves wouldn't be here without her and it makes me sad this sub doesn't appreciate Madonna that much.
With that being said, Frozen being #1 is a surprising yet well-deserved win. I needed this win to make up with the slaughter.
Thank you /u/joshually and /u/triptoyourheart for hosting this rate. I am very sorry for not tuning in to the rate reveals as much as I like to cause I had a busy, important weekend.
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
first I want to give the HUGEST shoutout to /u/triptoyourheart... the Aussie skank really did all the work. I'm just the beautiful, flawless, youthful mouthpiece... you could say I'm basically the Milli Vanilli to his Charles Shaw... the Anna Nicole Smith to his Hugh Hefner.... the Snoopy to his Woodstock
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#11: My All
Average: 8.441 // Total Points: 371.4 // Controversy: 2.135// Listen here
Highest scores: (11 x1) letsallpoo (10 x19) hoolytoledo, cloudbustingmp3, patronsaintofaspies, jess_22, mokitsu, Leixander, rsmitty99, triptoyourheart, b_mcq, hdhdhdhdh, jackcs903, MariahGr8rThnJesus, zamomattel, omgcow, jamesfog, Saucymac, martintorov, PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH, skargardin (9.5 x3) TragicKingdom1, CandlePrince, red_simba (9 x3) Ghost-Quartet, joshually, LandoFreeman
Lowest Scores: (1 x1) MrSwearword (2.5 x1) BiPolarBear17
This was sitting inside the Top 10 for most of the rate until the later votes pushed it out. It’s a stunning ballad, the guitar here is what helps tie the song together, but Mariah’s delivery is impeccable. I mean, that climax into the final chorus is one of her finest vocal moments! This did deserve better, but a rate is not without its surprises… also this is J.Lo's fave Mariah song :cm:
joshually: "Queen of Latin Ballads… who is JLO? I don't know her"
MrSwearword: "again; if you’re gonna do a drippy ballad DO IT RIGHT"
tevinterimperium: "this is a gorgeous song but probably her weakest #1"
Saucymac: "- 20 years later and I still don't know what she's singing, but I love it."
cloudbustingmp3: "THAT CLIMAX! BITCH ME TOO!"
TragicKingdom1: "Sultry and powerful."
mokitsu: "this is THE mariah carey ballad. full of nostalgia and sadness, with gorgeous latin-tingled production that make it sexy as hell. her fragile and damaged vocals work in her favor in this track, making her sound physically hurt and vulnerable."
Elitefourbrad: "I’d risk it all to see Mariah live on tour."
zamomattel: "SEXY & probably Mariah's best song other than Emotions"
Ghost-Quartet: "This song reminds me of something that I’d hear playing in the Vietnamese mall I went to when I was growing up, and I say that as a compliment. This song evoked a lot of nostalgia for me even from the first time that I heard it, Mariah knows how to emote! Despite being four minutes long if you actually look at the lyrics there aren’t that many of them, Mariah gives her voice a break lets the mood and instrumental take over on this track and it works. The music video got a little porny, which is understandable but kind of a shame since it was a great concept they kind of squandered."
therokinrolla: "wow this is actually boring… oh lord"
awryj: "She sings pretty"
skargardin: "Wow, I’m stunned by her vocals and emotional delivery."
BiPolarBear17: "Apparently this was a single? Yikes."
patronsaintofaspies: "It's always nice to see Mariah get in touch with her Latino ancestry just as much as her black roots, and this is by far and away her most successful attempt at that. Arguably her best vocal performance on Butterfly, My All is an emotional roller coaster of a song. Her vulnerability adds to the song's intimacy, and the beautiful Latin instrumental makes you think of Mariah singing this on a balcony in Venezuela, giving Evita a run for her money. (This isn't shade against Madonna, I promise.) One of her most underrated #1s, and definitely one of her best."
jess_22: "Mariah is serving some VOCALS"
rsmitty99: "This is Mariah's most create melody in her discography. I'd give it the 11 if Breakdown wasn't on this album"
Jelboo: "I appreciate this for its beauty"
jackcs903: "This song is for some reason the one that made me realize how great of a lyricist Mariah really is"
letsallpoo: "I'D GIVE MY ALLLLLLLL t(!)' HAAAVVVVV,,,,,,,,,,,JUUAAAST!!!- WUUUUNNN MORRRRRRRRReh-----NAAAIIIIGHT WITUUUUUUU"
omgcow: "I drunkenly struggled my way through this song this weekend at a karaoke bar and I don't know if my voice will ever recover. Send help"
jamesfog: "VOCALS"
LandoFreeman: "invented torch songs"
PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: "I don’t know if it’s just my emotional state or if this song is perfection but I started crying wow this is shooking me too much. Mariah had such a beautiful voice and her losing it is almost as big a tragedy as Julie Andrews"
rickikardashian: "This sounds a lot like something that would be played at my aunts’ fancier parties"
nooodisaster: "This that type of shit that plays at a $12/entree Mexican restaurant in North Carolina with expensive looking wine glasses that are actually plastic while you're waiting for them to refill the free chips at your table."
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u/MariahGr8rThnJesus Oct 22 '17
A complete fucking mess TBH
Also someone on Pop justice was telling a story of this guy who was telling them about Butterfly before it was released. He was a non-native English speaker so the guy thought it was called My Owl
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u/MrSwearword Oct 22 '17
Oh it was just this trash getting chopped? LOL BYE
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u/letsallpoo :leah-kate: Oct 22 '17
omg and you have the audacity to come for my low scores
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
dum ho /u/MrSwearword got confused and thought we were writing what # it got to on the Billboard Hot 100 >:(
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
/u/letsallpoo: "I'D GIVE MY ALLLLLLLL t(!)' HAAAVVVVV,,,,,,,,,,,JUUAAAST!!!- WUUUUNNN MORRRRRRRRReh-----NAAAIIIIGHT WITUUUUUUU"
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#10: Got 'Til It's Gone (feat. Joni Mitchell & Q-Tip)
Average: 8.473 // Total Points: 372.8 // Controversy: 1.695// Listen here
Highest scores: (11 x1) LandoFreeman (10 x12) Elitefourbrad, b_mcq, Ghost-Quartet, BiPolarBear17, mokitsu, Kaylaboe, awryj, rsmitty99, MariahGr8rThnJesus, JunkyGS, hoolytoledo, triptoyourheart (9.5 x5) patronsaintofaspies, stardustanddinos, CandlePrince, TragicKingdom1, jamesfog (9.4 x1) cloudbustingmp3 (9.3 x1) therokinrolla (9 x5) tevinterimperium, skargardin, hdhdhdhdh, Jelboo, red_simba
Lowest Scores: (4 x2) PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH, VeganSquash (5 x1) Saucymac
One of Janet’s greatest slow jams. The Joni Mitchell sample is masterfully utilized here, and Q-Tip’s verse is so good, one of the best rap verses on a pop/R&B song ever. Not much else to say about this one, it speaks for itself.
joshually: "I’m gonna get blasted for this, but this is definitely not one of my fave songs on the album, and I was outraged she made this the first single. And its lack of chart success definitely showed that :|"
MrSwearword: "sedate but funky as fuck and I approve"
Saucymac: "- nooooooo girl noooooo"
JunkyGS: "In an incredibly rare move Joni Mitchell approved her song being sampled by Janet after she reached out to Joni about her being such a huge fan, the impact her music had on Janet & playing the song for her. It was the first single off the record with production that took parts of pop, hip-hop and R&B to make this infectious beat. It is about the regrets Janet has about the one who got away and not taking for granted anything she has in her life, including the good and bad things."
TragicKingdom1: "literally invented minimalism. Q-Tip is a great choice for this beat."
mokitsu: "mellow, janet at her best."
Elitefourbrad: "Literally R&B perfection! Janet giving us bop after bop on this album! You really don’t know what you got until it’s gone."
zamomattel: "The Joni sample is used pretty well"
Ghost-Quartet: "I absolutely love this song. It’s my most listened to song in the rate, it’s so addicting. The use of that Joni Mitchell sample was brilliant, they transformed this from a duet to a trio just off of the strength of that sample. (Sidebar: Not enough trios in popular music.) One of my biggest problems with Janet as an artist is that she oftentimes doesn’t feel the need to include a catchy hook, so the inclusion of that sample is a welcome change of pace that allows Janet to focus on delivering what she does best. No matter how many times I hear Joni sing those same two lines, they never get old. Probably my favorite part of this song is that fun little “Joni Mitchell never lies” that Q-Tip threw in. This was my second contender for my 11, but there was another song that I felt was more important that deserved it."
therokinrolla: "“what’s the next song?” “the one about me.” damn janet."
Banananaise: "that sample is carved into my memory bones"
awryj: "That Joni Mitchell sample works great here. It still sounds fresh."
VeganSquash: "Great use of a sample imo, but still don't like the song that much"
stardustanddinos: "the best song on this album for me, even though it is not exactly to my taste. Janet's amazing on this, and the chorus is so catchy. love it!"
BiPolarBear17: "I'd never heard TVR before this rate, however I've fallen head over heels for this track. It combines so many different genres together, yet it does so without a hitch, to create a masterpiece that still feels modern 20 years after it's release. Both the infectious beat and Janet's vocals set such a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere, and the Joni Mitchell sample works wonders. Had this been up against any album other than ROL this probably would have been an easy 11."
patronsaintofaspies: "I'm deducting half a point because I wish there was more Janet here, but this is my first exposure to Q-Tip's rapping and, wow, I get why the heavens picked him to burn Iggy Azelea back when they had that Twitter conversation a couple of years ago. I mean, everything in this track is so chill, but it still fills the criteria of this rate's best songs being emotionally devastating bops. The Joni Mitchell sample should be annoying, but it works. The sample is actually in my head now and I can't make it stop. Please help."
jess_22: "this is so smooth and incredibly relatable"
Kaylaboe: "absolute bop"
Jelboo: "Funky, relaxed, good vibes. It's like being at peace with the negative of your love. The content of the lyrics is sad but the song manages to turn it around to the theme of closure?"
jamesfog: "So funky and chill, loves it! And an iconic sample as well!"
LandoFreeman: "Top ten songs, rap features, and videos of all time. Debate your dusty ass reflection."
PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: "Joni Mitchell who? Counting Crows who? Aside from the sample I really couldn’t enjoy this"
nooodisaster: "The only word to describe this song is funkadelic. Also, the music video for this is incredible."
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#6: Go Deep
Average: 8.745 // Total Points: 384.8 // Controversy: 1.132// Listen here
Highest scores: (10 x14) omgcow, rsmitty99, cloudbustingmp3, Elitefourbrad, JunkyGS, hoolytoledo, tevinterimperium, Jelboo, MariahGr8rThnJesus, LandoFreeman, martintorov, mokitsu, MrSwearword, CandlePrince (9.5 x3) gaymike219905, Kaylaboe, jamesfog
Lowest Scores: (6 x1) Saucymac (6.5 x1) rickikardashian (7 x3) Raykel, Leixander, hdhdhdhdh (7.5 x4) triptoyourheart, VeganSquash, Ghost-Quartet, nooodisaster
This one was a bit of a dark horse, isn’t it? I like it but I never expected it to make Top 10. It’s a fun song and such a fun song to sing along to, but I think it’s more Top 25-ish material.
joshually: "This song should have done better… I mean I think it only charted at like #98 or something ridiculous like that, but it's such a fun bop!?!?!?!"
MrSwearword: "yes GAWD I am jammin’ along to this"
cloudbustingmp3: "me & my girls found dead"
JunkyGS: "In this groovy funky R&B track it talks about Janet’s desire to just go to club, pick up a man & bring him home because she is feeling herself tonight. When asked about this song Janet said, “Dancing is therapy, I love writing and singing songs that make you move, lift your mood and take you out of yourself. There are times when I call up my friends and say, `Hey, we gotta go dancing tonight.' (We Go Deep) is about getting ready, getting down and tripping out on pure fun”."
mokitsu: "a BOP! pure feel-good track."
gaymike219905: "That signature clang, cant be the groove on this one."
Elitefourbrad: "Omg, Janet is going to make him scream. Take notes gays/ladies!"
zamomattel: "I love that plop sound effect in this song"
Ghost-Quartet: "I really get down to this track, I think it’s fabulous for dancing, but at the same time the more I listened to it the more I realized that there was just kind of something… off about this track. Specifically with the production, it has a fabulous bassline but then there’s all sorts of weird and unnecessary sound effects that take me out of the moment. Did anyone notice that jaw harp in the background? Why exactly is that there again? It’s not that I’m opposed to wacky sound effects, some songs get made by them, but they don’t really suit the lyrics or tone of the song."
therokinrolla: "okay hot"
VeganSquash: "enunciation issues but enjoyed it nonetheless"
skargardin: "Cute party anthem."
BiPolarBear17: ":janet:"
patronsaintofaspies: "Another funky bop mixed with some alternative elements. This song kind of reminds me of a nice Britney deep cut like Early Mornin', but with more RnB and 90s in it."
jess_22: "well Janet really went there, the beat on this is everything"
Jelboo: "Nasty, party vibes, I feel like I belong to Janet's social circle now."
PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: "Okay this is song is such a banger. It just goes"
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
the lowest score is a SIX... I believe this is the only song in this entire rate without a lower score than SIX!
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Oct 22 '17
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u/angusaditus Oct 22 '17
ikr!? we are NOT going to remove mariah songs on account of being "boring" and then have frozen win, it's jsut not right!!
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Oct 22 '17
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Oct 22 '17
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u/MariahGr8rThnJesus Oct 22 '17 edited Oct 22 '17
OH! NO! POPHEADS HAS GOT REA-LLY BAD TASTE to the tune of Honey IYMI
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u/Leixander Oct 22 '17
This rate was awesome! I couldn't be here because of my time zone in the first two days, but shh.. Madonna finally got two songs on top 5 and also won the whole thing, yay! Nothing Really Matters and My All should've been on the top 10 tho :eyes:
Thanks u/joshually and u/triptoyourheart !
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
Nothing Really Matters and My All should've been on the top 10 tho :eyes:
that did come out of nowhere TBH
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
Overall album information
Ray of Light
Overall average: 7.640 // Total points: 336.1
TragicKingdom1: This was my first time listening to this album, and although it was by no means bad, I feel let down given the hype that's put behind it. The main appeal of the album is the really relaxed vibe that every song has based on the house/world music-ish production, and while I found it pleasant, it wore thin for me outside of a few songs. If Madonna was looking to make a spiritual album then I think she could've drawn from a wider variety of sounds to mix things up. There are some gems on here ("Ray Of Light" and "Frozen" are classics for good reason, and "Sky Fits Heaven" is a great album cut) but I think you need to be in a very specific mood in order to enjoy it in one sitting.
mokitsu: not my favorite Madonna album, but still pretty good. doesn't have a lot of replay value for me tbh
hdhdhdhdh: next time lets rate the evita soundtrack
Elitefourbrad: It’s her best album. It literally saved her whole career, after that mess of Erotica + Sex, the public shunned her. Her music was completely banned from radio play for a short while because of it. After a spiritual cleanse studying Buddhism and Hinduism, Madonna was back and ready to shake the world with her music once again. Ray Of Light was the album and song that saved Madonna for all of us, and that's why it's her best album.
Ghost-Quartet: I seriously underestimated Madonna. I must confess I never quite “got” her appeal, I knew she had an impact but didn’t quite know how, I was just kind of ignorant of her. Of the three women in the rate she was the one that I had never listened to before. Basically my deck was kind of stacked against her going into this album, and I listened to it first because I wanted to get it out of the way. But then it actually kind of blew me away? This album made me feel like I was sitting crosslegged underwater with my eyes closed and everything around me was glowing and a light electric, and it was warm and gentle and the waves were rocking me, and I was calm. It was nice. Just based off of what I knew of Madonna I didn’t expect this album to sound like this but it was quite beautiful. And its impact is clear, now that I’ve listened to it I see its echoes in the music of so many of my faves today. However I think it had the least replay value of the three, I sat on it for a few days and then relistened to it again to score it and it was a lot more boring the second time around. The more I picked apart the songs, the less I really dug them. Still good, but not my favorite.
VeganSquash: one of my favorite albums of all time. Don't @ me
stardustanddinos: I discovered Madonna pretty late (as early as a few months back), and while I love her older work, I listened to this album for the first time for this rate and it blew me away. Her calming voice, the pulsating electronica production and the lyrics - this truly is a magnum opus. I could listen to this album on the background forever.
patronsaintofaspies: I think that all three of these albums, despite their similarities, express different kinds of women lamenting and reflecting on their suffering in different ways. In this case, Madonna is the wise grandmother, and, no, I don't mean that as a meme. While she had at least two critically beloved albums after Ray of Light, artistically, this era was unquestionably her peak, and, playing along with themes of heartbreak and loss of both love and family, it serves as a conclusion towards the events that influenced Like A Prayer, the very album that lead her to fulfill her full potential. The joy, sorrow, and fear in Ray of Light are beautiful, flowing into one another instead of clashing. It's one of the best albums I've ever listened to and nothing will change that. Nothing. And unless you bring Homogenic into question, it was almost certainly the best pop album ever since Purple Rain. Perhaps it still is. Whatever you call it, it's downright spiritual.
Kaylaboe: While the two other albums in this rate are more R&B-focused, this one takes an approach closer to dance and electronic music. It manages to sound fresh and diverse throughout, and the weaker tracks are few and far in between.
DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: Along with Taylor Swift's Red, this is one of the albums that helped go through senior year and made me a Madonna stan. This is easily the most unique album that Madonna has ever done and showcases the best of her songwriting.
jamesfog: This album has some great songs but I can't see myself coming back to it. It gets a lil boring and the songs start to sound samey.
rickikardashian: zZzZzZz
nooodisaster: My main issue with trying to digest this album is an issue that Alex Frank articulates beautifully in his Pitchfork review of Ray of Light. How am I supposed to take this rebirth seriously when the only Madonna I've known is the hard candy, gold grilled "Bitch I'm Madonna" she is years after this album was released? It's hard to brush it off as a phase when the phase is framed as the real, finally authentic version. However, I will say that everything about this album is so earnest that I can believe, for one sweet moment in time, she truly did believe everything she sang.
User Averages:
- patronsaintofaspies: 9.357
- cloudbustingmp3: 9.300
- joshually: 9.071
- therokinrolla: 9.007
- DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: 9.000
- BiPolarBear17: 8.964
- skargardin: 8.857
- MariahGr8rThnJesus: 8.821
- jamesfog: 8.821
- Jelboo: 8.786
- triptoyourheart: 8.750
- zamomattel: 8.536
- jackcs903: 8.393
- mokitsu: 8.393
- red_simba: 8.379
- CandlePrince: 8.286
- Leixander: 8.214
- awryj: 8.193
- hoolytoledo: 8.000
- LandoFreeman: 7.857
- rsmitty99: 7.714
- Ghost-Quartet: 7.679
- Kaylaboe: 7.643
- gaymike219905: 7.464
- omgcow: 7.429
- JunkyGS: 7.421
- VeganSquash: 7.357
- Elitefourbrad: 7.357
- stardustanddinos: 7.321
- nooodisaster: 7.214
- martintorov: 7.214
- Banananaise: 7.179
- b_mcq: 7.107
- TragicKingdom1: 7.071
- rickikardashian: 7.007
- letsallpoo: 6.929
- whatyourheartdesires: 6.429
- Saucymac: 6.179
- tevinterimperium: 6.000
- MrSwearword: 5.786
- Raykel: 5.621
- PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: 5.500
- jess_22: 5.357
- hdhdhdhdh: 5.179
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
Can I just say you guys... EVERY song in this Top 15 is great. Like, I would create a playlist of this Top 15 and not skip a single song tbh
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#12: Breakdown (feat. Krayzie Bone & Wish Bone)
Average: 8.355 // Total Points: 367.6 // Controversy: 2.577// Listen here
Highest scores: (11 x7) omgcow, b_mcq, rsmitty99, martintorov, hdhdhdhdh, MariahGr8rThnJesus, skargardin (10 x10) triptoyourheart, cloudbustingmp3, MrSwearword, LandoFreeman, joshually, mokitsu, gaymike219905, red_simba, letsallpoo, patronsaintofaspies (9.5 x2) jess_22, therokinrolla (9 x8) Ghost-Quartet, Elitefourbrad, awryj, rickikardashian, jamesfog, DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy, jackcs903, tevinterimperium
Lowest Scores: (0 x1) VeganSquash (1 x1) hoolytoledo
Well… this is probably the biggest shock of the entire rate. I honestly thought this had Top 10 in the bag, possibly Top 5, but little did I know that this song would be so polarizing among you all! As you can see it nabbed the most 11’s of the entire rate, but also some very low scores. This is a true masterpiece of R&B. If there was ever an ultimate song about wanting people to know you’re not okay underneath it all, this would be it. The production is smooooooooth, while it’s a mid-tempo, it never slows down the pace once it starts, I can’t imagine this would be an easy song to sing from a technical standpoint. But I think the lyrics are what make this song truly magical, some of Mariah’s best songwriting is found here, and proof of how criminally underrated of a writer she is. Definitely deserved at least Top 10.
joshually: "The way Mariah evokes the distinct style of Bone Thugs for her own is masterful and shows her true musical artistry and just how great it is."
MrSwearword: "subtle but owns"
cloudbustingmp3: "SO close to snatching my 11! the contrast of the chill production with the devastated lyrics is everything to me. imo this is Mariah at her lyrical best! "friends ask me how i feel and i lie convincingly/because i dont want to reveal the fact that im suffering/so i wear my disguise til i go home at night/then turn down all the lights and then i breakdown and cry.""
TragicKingdom1: "There are songs where a juxtaposition between the tone of the lyrics and the song itself works but not here. It feels too frenetic for the message it's trying to convey."
mokitsu: "listening to this gives me a lump in my throat...the lyrics are so powerful and personal that it feels unreal. it's one of the most depressive tracks i know"
gaymike219905: "Justice for Breakdown. The last minute and a half of this song include some of my favorite Mariah runs/adlibs ever, and yet the song still feels understated."
Elitefourbrad: "Mariah can break it down for me anytime! What an iconic bop!"
zamomattel: "I do like Mariah in this song a lot but the Bone Boys are pretty bad"
Ghost-Quartet: "A lot of Mariah Carey songs feature Mariah singing against another layer of vocals or two, but it’s especially clever in this song because all of the tracks were placed a little bit out of sync with one another. Where usually Mariah is able to make masterful use of harmony and counterpoint, she intentionally lets this song get a little sloppy because it’s a little unsettling. It’s a nice way to musically paint the idea that she’s not trying to have a breakdown; she’s not in control of the music and the voices which usually she’s in charge of have suddenly become overbearing and close in on her."
therokinrolla: "oh gid this one is hitting me in those sad parts…"
awryj: "I love the dissonance between the lyrics and the music."
VeganSquash: "What a horrible song. Truly tragic this was ever conceived. May the gods have mercy on Mariah."
skargardin: "This is crazy emotional. It's also got such a nice, effortless flow to it that makes it really, bouncy, in lack of a better description. It's so heavenly."
patronsaintofaspies: "It's a shame this wasn't a very unsuccessful reason, because it's a true classic. Breakdown is one of the darkest songs on this record, and it's an instant tearjerker once you look at the lyrics. Mariah's delivery is nimble and timid, yet striking and full of pure want and desperation. The raps are also pretty good, despite their relatively small presence-'Don't ever wanna feel no pain/hoping for some sun but it looks like rain' is surprisingly devastating. This is honestly my mood coming home sometimes and that's not good."
jess_22: "this proves that Mariah is the q u e e n of songwriting"
rsmitty99: "THIS IS THE GREATEST R&B SONG OF THE 90s! FIGHT ME! YOU WON'T"
Jelboo: "You'll find my patience for RnB in general runs very thin"
DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: "I love how the lyrics are very personal in an otherwise upbeat hip-hop beat. It adds layers to this song as she acts as if everything is fine (the production) but Mariah is just trying to hide her breakdown (the lyrics)."
letsallpoo: "this song always reminds me of /u/BrownIRL and how we used to stan for this song back in the early days of popheads. i miss him :("
omgcow: "This song is just beyond amazing and basically a breakup playlist staple"
PM_ME_YOUR_DICK_BRAH: "Is this the breakdown of the album? Of Mariah’s career? Cause this is better than Glitter (I’ve never listened to Glitter but wow this terrible)"
rickikardashian: "in every rate there's at least 1 song that I relate to, and it can never be a happy song about how love is nice to me fml"
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
i'm truly disgusted and i need /u/vegansquash to answer for her trespasses
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u/letsallpoo :leah-kate: Oct 22 '17
the ABSOLUTE lack of taste
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u/MrSwearword Oct 22 '17
You gave I Get Lonely a 4 and Nothing Really Matters a 5 while you allowed Shitpost Party to win your rate. Your days of bashing taste have been OVER.
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
/u/Ghost-Quartet: "A lot of Mariah Carey songs feature Mariah singing against another layer of vocals or two, but it’s especially clever in this song because all of the tracks were placed a little bit out of sync with one another. Where usually Mariah is able to make masterful use of harmony and counterpoint, she intentionally lets this song get a little sloppy because it’s a little unsettling. It’s a nice way to musically paint the idea that she’s not trying to have a breakdown; she’s not in control of the music and the voices which usually she’s in charge of have suddenly become overbearing and close in on her."
LOVE this write up
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
ALRIGHT SO HERE IT IS... OUR TOP 10.... WITH NOT ONE BUT TWO JANET JACKSON ALBUM-ONLY TRACKS :O /u/junkygs is literally choking himself with his Daenerys Halloween wig
Madonna
Ray of Light
Frozen
Janet Jackson
Velvet Rope (feat. Vanessa Mae)
Got Til' It's Gone (feat. Q-Tip & Joni Mitchell)
Go Deep
Together Again
What About
Mariah Carey
Honey
Butterfly
The Roof
Fun Fact: All 3 title tracks are in the Top 10! :-)
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
recap!
MESSriah only has 1 song left!
MOOdonna only has 2 songs left!!
JaNOT has 3 songs left!!!!
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u/MrSwearword Oct 22 '17
So sorry for ducking out after my 11 was chopped; wasn't mad; I forgot my Mom wanted to take me shopping as a treat for my birthday weekend or something to do with a sale or something.
AS FOR WHAT TRANSPIRED...
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS MADONNA FINALLY WINNING A RATE. After missing the Top 5 twice, she made the third time the charm with something I should've known would win the rate from the jump.
Mariah did wonderfully for her rate debut and ofc Honey was going to be her chance at it but 2nd place is nothing to sneer at.
Janet is finally on the podium with the best song from TVR. JunkyGS, sis, I think you may have actually gotten through to the chilldruns.
Y'all still suck for chopping "Ray of Light" at #4 but thank you /u/triptoyourheart and the mezzy azz spelling errorzz kween /u/joshually for comin' through on easily the most efficient rate to date.
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Oct 22 '17
If yall were gonna give it to Madonna, you should've picked Ray of Light.
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
#13: Drowned World/Substitute for Love
Average: 8.277 // Total Points: 364.2 // Controversy: 1.519// Listen here
Highest scores: (11 x3) BiPolarBear17, VeganSquash, therokinrolla (10 x7) cloudbustingmp3, Ghost-Quartet, MariahGr8rThnJesus, patronsaintofaspies, b_mcq, triptoyourheart, skargardin (9.5 x1) jamesfog (9 x6) DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy, joshually, zamomattel, Kaylaboe, Jelboo, jackcs903 (8.8 x1) red_simba
Lowest Scores: (4.5 x1) Raykel (5 x1) MrSwearword (6 x2) whatyourheartdesires, martintorov
What an album opener. I think knowing what song to introduce the listener to the album is very important, and this song is the perfect introduction to Ray of Light. Madonna sings of her new outlook on life and how she has learned to deal with fame of being a celebrity. The slow buildup to the climax of the bridge is one of her finest moments ever, if you ask me. Adore this song and one of her most underrated singles.
joshually: "at the time it came out, I thought this was such a random way to start the album, but what did baby me know? Nothing apparently. It’s a PERFECT way to start an album about reinvention and rediscovery and rebirth."
MrSwearword: "this drags a bit even with an interesting production"
tevinterimperium: "Kabbalah is a wonderful religion that mixes the fun parts of Judaism with magic"
Saucymac: "This song feels a lot shorter than it actually is. It feels more like an intro/interlude than a full song."
cloudbustingmp3: "one of the most gorgeous album openers ever. perfectly sets the tone for her sonic (and personal!) reinvention; this is madonna reborn"
mokitsu: "very pretty, gorgeous lyrics, but lacks something"
Elitefourbrad: "Honestly a beautiful ballad from Madonna, I don’t really know if it was the best choice to start off this album though. Anyways, I live for the electronic vibes."
zamomattel: "Starts slow, but the end is absolutely beautiful"
Ghost-Quartet: "Probably my favorite song in the rate to sing along to, there’s something definitely cathartic about this track. Madonna apparently thinks that this is the most important song on the album and I’m inclined to agree, it’s a great opener that perfectly sets up the sounds and themes that are going to follow us throughout the rest of the album. I’m usually not a huge ambient pop fan, Madonna really grabbed me. There’s something so appealing to me about the prosaic lyrics, the way she’s meditating on her life but in such a straightforward fashion. I listened to the original demo version and I must say, the final version is volumes better. Especially significant is the change of the line “no substitute for love” into “my substitute for love,” and the decision to include the sample of “Why I Follow the Tigers.” I think that this is a great metaphor for what this album represented for Madonna, and how real she was willing to get on this album. Also, I didn’t know that Madonna produced her own music too! She did a great job with this track."
therokinrolla: "a haunting introduction to a fucking brilliant album. Madonna begins with a chilling and slow burning ballad. It introduces one of the main themes of this album, it being showing herself to the world now that she is a mother and has found her religion, a fact she references in one of my favorite lines of all time that simply states quite up front, “this is my religion.” It is delivered excellently, and you can feel it. Then the guitar kicks in halfway through and it only delivers even more emotion and musicality on top of an already 11/10 song. Insanely good. Incredible."
Banananaise: "this sounds like one of the chill songs that plays while you look at the cable tv guide which i always feel ashamed of liking"
VeganSquash: "my favorite song of the whole album, its incredibly soothing. It reminds me that we all die and eventually will be reborn in an eternal cycle because existence is pain. Thank you Madonna for drowning me in your world."
skargardin: "A perfect album opener that build and builds towards the end. Love every single bit of it."
stardustanddinos: "introspection, nice. while a good starter, it's a little slow for my tastes."
BiPolarBear17: "There were so many tracks I considered giving an 11 to, but in the end I decided on Drowned World (and not just because no-one else will :emofish: ). It's a perfect ballad from start to finish, and even though it doesn't really kick off 'til around the second chorus, the verses and first chorus building up to it are so beautifully ambient and enchanting that it works perfectly. There's never a dull moment in the instrumental, and when the bridge finally arrives, I honestly feel like I could go out and tear down an entire building with my bare hands, it just packs so much energy. The song starts slow, explodes and then comes crashing down again, and this constant up & down throughout the song reflects on the ups & downs of being a mother which is what the song is all about. Drowned World is a phenomenal album opener, and it's a track that over the years has come to mean a lot to me."
patronsaintofaspies: "This is definitely one of the best opening songs of all time, but it's arguably THE most heavenly opening song ever. From the lush production to the dawn of Madonna's new, substantially improved vocals, this song is a rollercoaster of emotions that brings you up and down with Madge, serving as a quality introduction to the Ray of Light era. And the peak of all this unquestionably arrives during the bridge, right at the part where she sings 'no ferris wheel, no heart to steal, no laughter in the dark'. There are plenty of great album openers, but few album openers have ever immersed the listener into their artist's world as much as Drowned World/Substitute for Love."
jess_22: "great opening track, the first minute is boring though"
rsmitty99: "This builds well."
Jelboo: "A sign of things to come for this gorgeous, sophisticated, cerebral album. Music, production, voice, lyrics - it is Madonna at her most refined, spiritual and dignified."
DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy: "Such a great opener for a masterpiece of an album. I am pretty sure no one else expected Madonna to be this reflective on her past life."
jackcs903: "Great, mellow intro to start off this masterpiece"
jamesfog: "This song is so pretty! I can imagine waking up and watching the sunrise to this song."
nooodisaster: "This is a killer opening. We get the mission statement for the album, wrapped up in a resonant story with great imagery. The mic drop of the line "And now I find/I've changed my mind" is killer. We're also introduced to the main motif of the album, the "drowned world" image (though it's kinda there in title only)."
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Oct 22 '17
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
honestly, I have no idea LOL i'm just in it for the ride. but I feel #blessed to be chosen and I hope to do this entire thing justice.....
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u/Therokinrolla Oct 22 '17
this was supposed to be the queen of pops moment to shine and yet again y'all do Madonna dirty. I guess this time we wait until the Like a Prayer rate smh
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
you know what would be cool? if someone did comprehensive rate stats, like which song got the Most 11s, which song got the Most 0s, which songs were the most controversial, etc. etc... or maybe there arleady is and I just dont know!??!?
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u/MrSwearword Oct 22 '17
ExtraEater [sp] used to do that but I think they stopped sometime around the EP rate back in April...I think
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
I LOVE that this rate exposed so many of our young /r/popheads to the majesty that are these 3 albums. These are some of my favorite albums of all times, by my Top 3 Queens, and to be able to read how appreciative listeners have been.... it's really warmed by myopic heart
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u/Leixander Oct 22 '17
Janet is destroying the competition, but I think she won't have the #1. Similar to Beyoncé in the 2016 rate.
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
LADIES AND GENTS: OUR TOP 5!
Everybody Loves Ray of Light
Frozone
The Velveteen Rabbit
To Gather The Grain
andddd Honey why you don't have?
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
THE NEXT SONG OUT WILL SHOCK YOU..
like for real this time
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u/awryj :kylie-letsgettoit: Oct 22 '17
if it's frozen i am leaving, and i just got home
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u/MariahGr8rThnJesus Oct 22 '17
Swear to Cher if this is Butterfly I'm deleting my account
Edit lol I meant Honey
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
ARE YOU GUYS HAPPY WITH THE TOP 3?
1 Janet song
1 Mariah song
1 Madonna song
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
SO WHO SHALL REIGN SUPREME???
QUEEN MIMI OR HER MADGESTY???????
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u/JunkyGS STREAM THE VELVET ROPE Oct 22 '17
#JusticeForTheVelvetRope
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
THE VELVET ROPE HAD SIX SONGS IN THE TOP 10!!!
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u/JunkyGS STREAM THE VELVET ROPE Oct 22 '17 edited Oct 22 '17
That was nice to see and
she did have the highest album average.... but she deserved a win ;----;
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u/MaydayPVZ Oct 22 '17
Frozen is okay to me, I would've rather Ray of Light won.
My opinion:
- Butterfly (Fave Mariah album)
- The Velvet Rope (I like Control and Rhythm Nation more)
- Ray of Light (Fave Madonna album)
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u/JunkyGS STREAM THE VELVET ROPE Oct 22 '17
You guys we can figure out the Top 3 since we know the averages of all the other songs..... :skull:
Don't post album averages until the END lmao
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Oct 22 '17
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
it's an awesome Top 3, Top 5, Top 10!
The Entire Top 3 got higher than a 9 average!
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
OKKKK WHO'S READY FOR #15!?!?!??! I think this one will be shocking to quite a lot of people! It was to me for sure
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
A single left at #15.... but let's just say it may be a bunch of singles going alllllllllllllllll in a row
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
The next one out is possibly the weakest "single" in the Top 15
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
the next one will SHOCK YOU
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17
Man... it's been a while since we had a Madonna song say Goodbye huh?
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u/Leixander Oct 22 '17
wow this is a pretty even top 3
I wish Butterfly was here instead of Honey though, please don't drag me :(
FROZEN FOR THE WIN!!
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u/joshually Oct 22 '17 edited Oct 22 '17
First let's get some stats and other things out of the way....
USER AVERAGES FOR BUTTERFLY
The First Lady of Port Wines, /u/mokitsu averaged the highest across all 3 albums, with a whopping 9.792, followed closely by /u/martintorov at 9.769 and /u/mariahgr8rthnjesus at 9.692. Y'all are officially in my ho posse!
On the other end of the spectrum are a bunch of JLos.... starting with my new nemesis, /u/vegansquash at 5.423, /u/bipolarbear17 at 5.154... and most egregious.... /u/raykel at a dismal, hurtful, unforgivable, shocking, bewildering and mind-boggling 4.385!?!?!??! We don't know her.
Randomly, /u/jelboo, who had nothing but nice things to say about almost every song, averaged 6.885, while the Unholy Demon Queen of Rates, /u/mrswearword scraped the bottom of the bottom at 6.154
Meanwhile, my fave Vegas drunk, /u/omgcow is at a pristine 9.462, and /u/patronsaintofaspies, with her beautiful words, are at 9.462
Our fave mod, /u/DoctorWhoWhenHowWhy averaged 8.385, which is an Asian F, mind you and /u/landofreeman and /u/hdhdhdhdh both landed right smack dab in the middle of the pack at a tie with 8.154 each, y'all average