DETROIT – Happy Friday!
5 songs we have on repeat this week:
Recommended Videos
Never There -- Sum 41
Sum 41 slowed things down for their upcoming album, “Order in Decline."
“Never There” is touching, solemn and frankly, really sad. The track is a personal one for vocalist Deryck Whibley, who said he didn’t want to write the song but he couldn’t stop himself from writing it.
“It just kind of poured out of me,” he said “I could tell I was writing about my dad, who I’ve never met. It’s a subject that I don’t really think about or care about.”
The song talks about a broken home and missing out on lives, while moving on from a parent leaving.
“I don't need you by my side / I think by now I'm doing fine / Myself, on my own / And I feel you time to time.”
“Order in Decline” is due out July 19. Sum 41 will perform July 10 at the Rockstar Energy Disrupt Festival at DTE Energy Music Theatre.
If you like "Never There" here are some other songs by Sum 41 worth checking out:
A Death in the Family | Pieces | In Too Deep | Still Waiting | Slipping Away |
You Need To Calm Down -- Taylor Swift
LGBT ally Taylor Swift released "You Need To Calm Down" during Pride month. The single is off her upcoming new album "Lover," which is expected to be released Aug. 23.
The music video features many openly gay celebrities ranging from Ellen DeGeneres to the stars of "Queer Eye." RuPaul appears in the video to crown a pageant winner, but tosses the tiara in the air to show -- as Swift points out -- "we all got crowns."
The song also gives a shout out to GLAAD, an organization founded by LGBT people in the media, which aims to promote equality. The release of the song led to a spike in donations to GLAAD.
"You just need to take several seats and then try to restore the peace / And control your urges to scream about all the people you hate / 'Cause shade never made anybody less gay"
The song itself is catchy, albeit repetitive. Overall, it stays in line with her other hits and will probably get overplayed quickly. Could it become a gay anthem this summer? That will probably vary from person-to-person and depend on the listener's opinion.
If you like "You Need To Calm Down" here are some other songs by Taylor Swift worth checking out:
Blank Space | Bad Blood | Look What You Made Me Do | Style | We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together |
Better Luck Next Time -- Kelsea Ballerini
“Better Luck Next Time” was chosen as the track to be performed by country singer Kelsea Ballerini on the show “Songland.”
The track is a pop song that strays from a country sound.
It starts out with lines that make it seem like it may be a sad song about a breakup: “Two years too many, we tried to get it right / Hit like a shot of tequila without the lime.”
It IS a breakup song, but it changes tones to become about moving on after a relationship ends: “I got myself together, got a new attitude / Hope that I see you never, I'm so over you / Got myself together, you're out of my mind.”
If you like "Better Luck Next Time" here are some other songs by Kelsea Ballerini worth checking out:
Dibs | Miss Me More | Roses | The First Time | Underage |
Rich, White, Straight Men -- Kesha
On her latest release, Kesha gets political -- and asks the questions: "What if Life as we knew it was over? Guess what God is a woman, I know her. What if rich, white, straight men didn't rule the world anymore?"
The single was dropped unexpectedly on the singer's YouTube page and later released to streaming platforms. The song itself is catchy and expertly mixes her strong wit with her sense of humor skilfully.
"Twinkle, twinkle little star / How I wish the world was different / Where who you love and who you are / Was nobody's f*****g business"
If you like "Rich, White, Straight Men" here are some other songs by Kesha worth checking out:
Praying | Rainbow | Hymn | We R Who We R | Learn To Let Go |
Days Like This -- GoldLink feat. Khalid
“Days Like This,” off GoldLink’s recently released "Diaspora,” dives into his mental state while looking at the past.
“Days like this / Man, I gotta vent / I don't have no friends / Guess that depends on the mood that I’m in, yeah.”
GoldLink teamed up with Khalid, a perfect pair for the track. While the song has chill vibes, the lyrics are far from it, with GoldLink referring to crime when he was a teen.
The verse about the past is a tad faster than the rest of the song, which is overall balanced and well thought out.
GoldLink will perform in Detroit on Sept. 7 at the Masonic Temple.
If you like "Days Like This" here are some other songs by GoldLink worth checking out:
Crew | Late Night | More | Meditation | Maniac |
Other songs to check out:
- Chase the Money -- E-40, Quavo, Roddy Ricch, A$AP Ferg, ScHoolboy Q
- Man That Hung the Moon -- Brantley Gilbert
- Shoulda Known Better -- MKTO
- In This Storm -- Thrice
- Blackout -- 4B, Flosstradamus
Upcoming shows:
- Lovelythebad at The Majestic in Detroit on June 21 (Friday)
- The Lonely Island at the Fox Theatre in Detroit on June 26 (Wednesday)
- August Burns Red at The Fillmore in Detroit on June 26 (Wednesday)
- Dierks Bentley at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston on June 29 (Saturday)
- Young the Giant at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights on June 29 (Saturday)
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Friday Finds: June 14, 2019 -- June 28, 2019
Email us with local music suggestions and events at aainsworth@wdiv.com or kclarke@wdiv.com