4X4: Black Beatles vs. Starboy vs. I Don't Wanna Live Forever vs. Scars to Your Beautiful

Spark_Of_Life I must confess something: I've waited too long to make another 4X4. I missed the amazing "Side to Side", the horrendous "Treat You Better" and the puke-inducing "I Hate U I Love U". But no matter. Let's jump right in.

No one his going to pretend that they like Rae Sremmurd. After releasing such horrendous pieces of garbage such as "No Type" and "Throw Sum Mo" (which somehow managed to make Nicki Minaj sound boring), I really didn't expect to see them back. But, much to my surprise, they released "Look Alive" (which I actually didn't mind all that much) and then...This. Putting the cringeworthy subject (calling themselves the "Beatles" of rapping) aside, the only thing this is guilty of is being boring. I can't imagine anyone listening to this while the jog, as it's too lifeless. There really isn't any emotion or energy put into this, and the Gucci Mane (blech) verse seems out of place. But the song is too non-threatening to hate. So I'm going to give it a 5/10. It's boring, but completely harmless.

After a much deserved week at #1 on Billboard (blocked for too long by the overplayed, bloated "Closer"), I looked back on "Starboy" by the Weeknd and found myself even more impressed by this modern masterpiece than I was the first 1000 times I played it. From the oddly fitting lyrics about his fake fans, to the amazing production by Daft Punk, and the air of coolness and shade that hangs around it, all of it comes together into a slick, stylish piece of throwback hit that equals, obviously, a strong 10/10. I couldn't love this any more than I already do.

After hearing ZAYN's two (noteable) singles ("Pillowtalk" and "Like I Would"), I was almost ready to take him seriously as an artist. But then...He released this. With Taylor Swift, no less, who is the absolute last person I expected to hear on a 50 Shades of Gray soundtrack. There's nothing noteable or memorable about this track, other than the air or boredom that hangs around it and ZAYN'S hideously high vocals. I seriously forgot Taylor was even in the song while I was listening to it...And she doesn't sound one bit convincing. I'll give it a 5/10 for TRYING to push the envelope, but it really doesn't deserve anything more.

Alessia Cara, a rather recent star in the music business, deserves every last drop of praise that she has received. I really admire her for subverting usual pop tropes and trying to create new boundaries. Heck, she somehow managed to make a song about being bored at a party not only amazing, but a HIT as well! After being ever so slightly let down by "Wild Things", I expected nothing but awe from listening to "Scars". And boy, did I. Unlike other songs from the "inspirational" genere of pop ("Firework" and "Roar") that are hollow and meaningless, Alessia's poetic lyrics and charisma really sell the idea that she knows what she's talking about. The production is great to boot, too. This is a strong 10/10, and just another great single to add to Alessia's great track record.

Until next time.

Comments

Black Beatles: 1/10
Starboy: 8/10 (It might grow on me)
I Don't Want to Live Forever: 4/10
Scars to Your Beautiful: 7/10 (On an unrelated note, does anyone else think this kind of sounds like Girl on Fire? ) - visitor

Black Beatles: 7/10
Starboy: 10/10
I Don't Wanna Live Forever: 2.5/10
Scars To Your Beautiful: 9.5/10 (don't you dare even make that comparison NikTheWiz) - WonkeyDude98

Black Beatles: 10/10
Starboy: 10/10
IDWLF: 2/10
Scars To Your Beautiful: 8.5/10 - SwagFlicks

Black Beatles: 10/10 lol
Starboy: 11/10
IDWLF: 2
STYB: 7 - ProPanda

BB: 6/10
Starboy: Infinity/10
IDWLF: 4 - Hotheart123

Black Beatles: 7/10 (It's garbage, but fun garbage at least.)
Starboy: 5/10 (I guess it's objectively "good" but there is absolutely nothing about it that interests me.)
IDWLF: 3/10 (what Taylor, what even is this mindless, boring, awkward schlock? You're way better than this trash.)
STYB: 2/10 (More of this SJW pandering "Everyone is beautiful no matter what" nonsense. No, not everyone is hot. Deal with it. Also, I'm getting really tired of these garbage beats with nothing but synth and percussion through the whole song that barely change. Please, add SONETHING else into the mix. ANYTHING FFS. The lyrics have weaker rhetoric than even the atrocity that is "Roar". If Alessia weren't such a good vocalist this would be completely irredeemable to me. Geesh, and to think that I thought "Here" was bad. To quote Todd in The Shadows about this song "Awful, just awful.") - visitor

To sum it up; "Girl is unattractive and overweight, girl is jealous of skinny and attractive, Alessia steps in and says "no, continue to pig out and clog your arteries whilst pretending you don't look like a sea donkey and men who do take care of themselves and are good looking and are way out of your league just need to accept you that way and date people they aren't attracted to"" - visitor

Also, if anyone tells you that being obese is unhealthy, they need to just change their hearts because you're already perfect and don't have to try to better yourself in any way. Also, skinny cover girls are evil because they have willpower! #Hillary2K16 - visitor

Black Beatles: 8/10
Starboy: 8.5/10
IDWLF: 4/10
STYB: 4.5/10 - djpenquin999

BB- 1
SB- 1
IDWLF- 1
STYB- 1 - visitor

Why am I the only one on here who despises Black Beatles? - visitor

Black Beatles: 10/10
Starboy: 12/10
IDWLF: 3/10
Scars to Your Beautiful: 9/10 - AlphaQ

Edit: Black Beatles is 9/10. It's a bit boring but great. - 51im_Ro55_2002

Black Beatels: 6/10 not the biggest fan but it's ok.
Srarboy: 7.5/10 too many "ah", the rest is good.
IDWLF: 5/10 Zayn was onobixious.
STYB: 6/10 It didn't grown on me a lot but it pass. - DaisyandRosalina

Black beatles 6/10 not amazing but fun

starboy 9/10 amazing

IDWLF 3/10 so annoying hated it zayn voice is annoying and it's so corny

STYB 8/10 great message and really catchy - Killerdrummer

Black beatles 6/10 very catchy
Star boy 9/10 so great hahaaha hahaa
IDWLF 2/10 that song makes me cringe so hard its corny and bland sorry
scars to your beautiful 9/10 great message alessia has good songs like here and 1800 with logic - Killerdrummer