I’m not entirely sure when my full-on obsession with the Chainsmokers began. Maybe it was last winter when I heard ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ for the first time, or this past fall when all me and my abroad friends would listen to was ‘Closer’ on repeat for four months straight. Either way, my love for their music has continued to grow and has recently reached an all-time high when I learned that they were releasing an entire album.
Their new album, ‘Memories…Do Not Open’ was released a couple of weeks ago and is a mashup of their usual, electronic dance music (EDM) style songs as well as some more pop-y songs in which one of them, Drew Taggart, sings. The record consists of 12 songs, three of which were released as singles throughout the past few months.
After listening to the album on repeat upwards of 20 times, I have come up with a definitive ranking of all songs from least to most favorite:
12. Break Up Every Night
This song seems to be one of the more popular ones on the radio right now but honestly, I’m not the biggest fan. This song is unlike most of their other stuff in that it has a “boy-band” vibe to it. I honestly can’t differentiate this song from a One Direction song – not that I have any issues with 1D —but it seems very out of character for the EDM duo.
11. Honest
Is there a new trend of artists starting songs with talking? Am I the only one who doesn’t really get it? Can we just get to the song? Other than the intro, I’m pretty sure the song is about the narrator being into more than one girl if he’s “being honest.” I guess you could say I have a hard time feeling a lot of sympathy for the guy.
10. Don’t Say (feat. Emily Warren)
While there is nothing wrong with ‘Don’t Say’ it doesn’t stand apart from the other female-collabs they have on the album. As I continue to listen, I enjoy the other songs more and more and this one seems to fall to the back of my mind.
9. Young
Although it wasn’t one of my top picks of the album, I like the general message of ‘Young;’ it’s about the hardships of falling in love when you’re young. The song “narrator” is an adolescent, restless rebel who’s deeply in love with his partner but is unable to express it in the right way. This song is very relatable to us college kids, which is something that I really appreciate.
8. My Type (feat. Emily Warren)
I would argue that almost all of us have experienced something similar to the narrator of ‘My Type.’ Who hasn’t fallen for someone that they know is no good for them? This song is an upbeat and danceable example of a relationship that is bound to end badly, but in the moment, it’s too good to care about the consequences.
7. Last Day Alive (feat. Florida Georgia Line)
What really drew me in to ‘Last Day Alive’ was the choir-like start to the song. It opens with several voices singing in unison, creating a quiet and beautiful introduction to the song. This style was unlike anything I’ve heard from the Chainsmokers before and I was very pleasantly surprised.
6. Bloodstream
Unlike their usual hits, ‘Bloodstream,’ is on the somber side, starting with the lyric, “I’ve been drunk three times this week.” While the song continues this depressing theme, the realness of the lyrics adds something beautiful to the album as the whole. And of course, as always, there’s a killer beat that comes with the chorus.
5. It Won’t Kill Ya (Louane)
I really love the girl power vibes throughout this album. In ‘I Won’t Kill Ya,’ Louane takes the vocals and just smashes it. I’ve never heard anything from her before but now I am thoroughly intrigued. Her unique voice is accompanied by some more forceful beats, creating a serious pump-up song.
4. Paris
Unlike most of their usual songs, ‘Paris’ has more of a Pop song style to it. When I first listened, I wasn’t sure if I liked how different it was but as I continued to hear it, (every single time I was in the car and the radio was inevitably playing it) I realized I liked it more and more. It is now one of my regular jams.
3. The One
‘The One’ is probably the slowest of the twelve songs. The compliment between Drew Taggart and the uncredited woman on the record is very similar to their song “All We Know” (another personal favorite). Would highly recommend a listen.
2. Wake Up Alone (feat. Jhene Aiko)
‘Wake Up Alone’ reminds me of some of the Chainsmokers first songs. This song is one of the more beat-heavy ones on the album but is complimented with Jhene Aiko’s beautiful voice creating a one of my favorite songs on the album.
1. Something Just Like This (feat. Coldplay)
Is there anything better than a Coldplay collab? I honestly don’t think so. This song has everything that I love in a Chainsmokers song, a strong vocal and a beat that makes your neck hurt from all the head moving.
So once again, the Chainsmokers killed it with their release. Thank you, beautiful humans, for creating an album that changes from song to song but also, is a cohesive mix of 12 awesome songs that I can blast in the car all summer long.
Source: http://www.livetracklist.com/the-chainsmokers-lollapalooza-argentina-2017/