Chapter 673 in the long-running saga of Skinny's young and alive and ever-so-slightly dangerous rap nominations getting knocked out of BEA tournaments by perfectly competent but otherwise pretty forgettable entries by white people with guitars, usually in the matchups that attract the least votes and/or the least comments.
Don't get me wrong, I like Marling and think that her career arc has been admirable - watching her gently push her sound in subtle new directions with each album cycle, it's clear that she's wildly talented, not to mention stubborn in her refusal to stand still as an artist. That said, it's all just a little... bland? Respectable? Dinner party friendly? Her spacious prog-folk categorically does not bump in the whip.
Of course, she will end up with a far more listenable and impressive discography than YNW Melly, a post-Young Thug, post-Kodak, Floridian, 21 year old sing-rapper who may or may not have killed two of his supposed best friends, and whose releases already give a distinct sense of diminishing returns. He is not a horse worth backing, in the short-, medium-, and especially the long-term. He has a total of like 8 or 9 good songs, and there is a very strong chance he will never add to those numbers. But, with 'Murder On My Mind', he caught lightning in a bottle.
Over a contemplative, spare, immediately familiar piano line, Melly offers the world not only one of the all-time great storytelling rap lyrics, but also one of the all-time great rap hooks, somehow melding the horror-realism of the Geto Boys with the most salvageable elements of the pop-punk inspired, heavily melodic, emo-trap movement, particularly the likes of the late Juice WRLD and the mercurial Lil Uzi Vert (whose 'XO Tour Llif3' I also very strongly considered nominating). His nasally, nursery rhyme flow has an inherent intelligence which belies its simplicity, and its 'clipped line, clipped line, long line' pattern provides both memorability and clarity. The slight switch-up for the chorus is necessary for textural variety, and it's this command of these elements that had me convinced, after a while, that Melly was a genius, albeit instinctive pop songwriter. There is no shame in not hitting these heights since. His narrative is visceral, believable, traumatic; his performance tender and quivering. It is, in short, a masterpiece.
This song was inescapable, playing constantly out of the phone speakers of the teenagers who attend the school I teach at, throughout the spring of 2019, and they all knew every word. Soon enough, so did I. I was aware of the song previously, but sometimes it takes a bunch of tone-deaf 14 year olds rattling off a list of guns in a nasally, nursery rhyme flow to really make you realise how special something is. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
I do love Laura Marling and I think she's really hit her stride in the past couple of albums, but this is the safest and most radio-friendly tracks she's done recently, sounds good as part of a larger whole but somewhat bland (if admittedly very well-crafted) on it's own. The other def grabbed my attention more, still will give some more time with each song though.
Lil Uzi Vert (whose 'XO Tour Llif3' I also very strongly considered nominating)
I was really hoping this one would get nominated, if someone else had taken "Run Away With Me" I might have done it.
I've never been able to get into Laura Marling, though I can't really explain why as her music isn't all that different from the other folk / singer-songwriter artists of the late 10's that I love. This song is pretty pleasant, but "Murder on my Mind" is more than pleasant and gets my vote. This rap scene is one I've largely failed to be wowed by, but the storytelling here separates this one from a lot of the songs from the scene that I've heard. _________________ And it's hard to be a human being. And it's harder as anything else.
It has really good production, a catchy hook, and good flows, but set that aside for a moment. Murder On My Mind might be the most disturbing rap hit of all time. It definitely wasn't when it came out. Sure, lyrically he plays the character of a depraved, amoral killer, but that's not exactly groundbreaking territory. Neither is the accompanying video, with its psychopathic and satanic imagery. Many rap lyrics, especially in horrorcore, have involved rappers playing significantly more disturbing characters. That's the thing though; these are characters, by and large.
Almost two years after this song was released, Melly was charged with a double murder in which both victims have been described as his friends (like in the song). He's also a suspect in an additional murder that took place the month before the song was released. Murder On My Mind then became a worldwide hit *after* he was charged with the two murders. While the trial has yet to happen, there is a very real possibility that this character sketch is autobiographical. I don't even know what's more unnerving, that or its rise to multi-platinum on the strength of a widely-shared dark voyeuristic impulse.
Murder On My Mind has a great story, ok-ish storytelling/lyricism and ever so slightly irritating and repetitive hook. After hearing it like 3 times, I was already bored by the chorus. The psychedelic trap production is again decent, but nothing more. It's definitely disturbing and one of the better trap hits.
Soothing is similarly decent but not great cut which utilises its minimalistic instrumental well, but still leaves a lot to be desired. It's not one of my favourite Laura Marling tracks, but her vocals are damn good.
"A decent Marling track" is better than "a decent track" so Soothing gets my vote. _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
I was really hoping this one would get nominated, if someone else had taken "Run Away With Me" I might have done it.
Ah should have nominated it instead of this . I simply forgot about Lil Uzi Vert, it would probably be on my list, it's not a genre/style I like at all, but that track hits deep
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. I simply forgot about Lil Uzi Vert, it would probably be on my list, it's not a genre/style I like at all, but that track hits deep
