#875-#871

#875. Tones And I - Never Seen the Rain (#15, 2019)

84th of 2019

I mentioned in the last Tones And I entry "Fly Away" (#938) how that song made her technically not a one hit wonder in the UK. Generally speaking, I feel like that's a mostly outdated term. If you're going by strict definition on chart position, then we do still get a lot of them, but so often that time in the spotlight can become an afterthought in the grand scheme. Future Hottest 100 entrant Mitski is technically a one hit wonder on most charts, but the rest of her catalogue so vastly succeeds beyond the grounded bar that the tag suggests, so it just feels like a moot point.

This song that was only a major hit in about 2 or 3 countries has over 400 million streams on Spotify. In Australia it actually is one of the biggest local hits of all time spending 5 months in the top 20 and several more just outside of it. That's such a remarkable run for a song that still spent its entire life trapped behind the shadow of another song which I will ominously write about eventually.

Hiding behind the spotlight has done this song a favour though. I scarcely ever saw it get a whole lot of backlash despite the fact that it sounds like one of the most proto-typical Tones And I songs out there. Landing as high as it did in the Hottest 100 is pretty incredible considering that it sounds so incongruous with the voting crowd. It feels more at home with the big hit song by the inaugural Australian Idol winner (who will eventually appear on this list) from the same year. I don't know if I'd necessarily call this an unobjectionable song because if you're not a fan of those classic Tones And I vocal runs, you'll get no respite here. I've just never felt particularly strongly about it either way.

#874. Jack Harlow - First Class (#12, 2022)

91st of 2022

Nothing will age you out of music faster than holding a grudge. You'll have a song you don't like pop up and have its moment. You won't even necessarily be alone in your feelings. But then a generation will pass, and that song will find its way back into the popular consciousness in a way that implies a welcome consensus. You'll look increasingly silly for holding onto that grudge.

This is a dramatic way of saying I never particularly liked "Glamorous" by Fergie. It came out at a time when I was less favourable to music in general, and seemed to represent the kind of opulent bragging that didn't want me to be involved. This song was basically the poster child for that whole ideal, propped up by the fact that the music charts were still decided by people who had the financial flexibility to purchase CD singles.

I don't especially dislike the song now; I think the production goes a long way in giving it a strong selling point. On the other hand, I do remember the time when Fergie felt like exactly the kind of artist who was never going to get played on triple j. I end up finding it kind of funny then that a very high placing song in the Hottest 100 heavily samples the song and it's not even especially novel. Not that it should be novel though, history is littered with this sort of thing. I'm not convinced that '80s listeners would be thrilled about hearing the Bee Gees, but "Stayin' Alive" would crop up eventually in the 1995 Hottest 100 via N-Trance.

Jack Harlow is a strange case. In just a few short years he's had multiple instances of seeming like his career is on the decline, only to pop out of nowhere with an instant #1 smash, all while not feeling like fan retention is a regular process. It's like he's just been unofficially ordained as the king of pop rap and we're left to marvel at his reign before slowly questioning why these are the songs to do it.

The companion piece to this song is naturally his 2023 single "Lovin On Me". I think that one fares a bit better as it's got more energy and the sample feels a bit more inspired. The recognition factor means that I have a slightly easier time understanding why this was a hit of some stature. It does make me wonder sometimes how many artists will intentionally fumble their lyrics for the purpose of getting attention. The same sort of engagement bait that's all over social media. If I deliberately leave a typo or say something plausible but clearly incorrect, I'm more likely to hear back than if everything I say is correct and agreeable. Jack has succeeded in making me acknowledge that he wrote the words 'sweet, sweet, sweet semen', but the joke is on him because I always was going to write something about this song. He knows what they like though, so he just keeps cheesin', and so he'll be back in this list eventually.

#873. Dave (feat Stormzy) - Clash (#79, 2021)

89th of 2021

Dave is unquestionably one of the most popular UK rappers ever. Multiple #1 hits and several other multi-platinum hits that may as well have gone to #1. Even in Australia, he's one of only a small handful to have a top 10 album. Even big names like Dizzee Rascal and well, Stormzy, have never done that.

As a consequence of unlucky voting results, Dave seems to only arrive in the Hottest 100 on someone else's coattails. This is actually the only song of his that will appear here, as 2022's "Starlight" finished in the unlucky #101 slot. All he has left then is this song where he's partly coasting on Stormzy's lingering popularity, and then in 2023 where he's partly coasting on another UK rapper (who will eventually appear on this list) and their soaring popularity. Truth be told, I really don't know how big a new Dave release could do nowadays, as it gets harder and harder to thrive without the US market. Then again, Stormzy had another UK #1 (and his best Hottest 100 finish) last year so you just can't count anyone out. I do wish there were more interesting avenues to bring him up here. He's put out a lot of songs over the years that are engaging and interesting in a way that this isn't.

Look, in 2021 if you're looking for guaranteed hits then this is one. Is it a good one? I find it hard to get especially into this one. There's something about the beat; it's an indistinctive one. But if we're talking about problems in this song, then rhyming cadence is the one. It wears itself out by the middle of verse one. Some people think internal rhyming is lazy and I'm not one, but using a number to rhyme is just such a lacklustre one. It just doesn't feel like Dave deserves this one. It's like in that Swedish House Mafia & Tinie Tempah song that peaked at #31. It might sound catchy when he starts rhyming acronyms until you realise that most letters of the alphabet rhyme with almost every other one. Almost better to put in no effort than the faint impression of one.

#872. Lime Cordiale - Screw Loose (#16, 2020)

85th of 2020

The people have spoken, "Apple Crumble" (#983) landed at #14, but this song that compares your life to a Violet Crumble could only manage #16. Anyhow, the real thing this song is doing is filling that Sticky Fingers shaped reggae fusion hole in triple j's programming circa the 2020s. It's reductive to say that's all the song is doing. There's a peculiar synthesizer running in the chorus, dorky horns and a peculiar sort of bridge that's on the cusp of something special.

Generally speaking it's not a Lime Cordiale song I ever have much to say about it. I once made a dumb tweet about the way the title sort of rhymes with Toulouse, which I still think about whenever I hear it. I shouldn't have to do all the work though. Just like with "Tangerine" (#997), I'm just astounded at how high this placed, even among Lime Cordiale songs.

#871. Amy Shark - Adore (#2, 2016)

90th of 2016

When discussion arises about industry plants & nepo babies, it's largely fairly frivolous ways to discredit artists through objective statements. It doesn't actually mean that they're worse for it, but it represents a betrayal of the parasocial paradigm. There's a delicate balance where so many of our favourite artists have gotten where they are through industry connections tipping the scales, but without drawing attention to it so they can maintain their underdog status. Fans of pop, rock or hip-hop music can all lay claim to underdog status against each other, despite their standing against all the other genres of music that are lucky to even get a slight look-in. Imagine an Arsenal fan wanting an Everton fan to feel sorry for them because they haven't had their birthright of winning the Premier League in 20 years (as a Brisbane Lions supporter I am aware of the parallel).

In many ways, Amy Shark is a real underdog story. She'd been making music for many, many years before hitting it big. She's managed to sustain success in the music industry as a woman in her 30s. For a comparison and a career with several similarities, Missy Higgins was 28 when triple j started to move her off the playlist, Amy Shark was 30 when she released this song. Aside from the backing vocal hook on the chorus, there isn't much of this song that fits in with the popular trends of 2016. It feels like it's just an unknown artist hitting it big because they just had that song that was good enough to defy the rules.

The issue for me is that all around the song is all manner of cogs in the machine that spoil the fairytale. Arguably this song was the exact point that she stopped being an underdog. She went through several rebrands before finally catching some proper attention with her single "Golden Fleece" (with the exception of "Spits On Girls", all her music prior to this has been taken down, I never like when artists do this). M-Phazes co-produced this song so she got her connections, and after several months she managed to land a Like A Version gig and a major label signing. In all fairness, not everyone would be able to pull this off even with a head start, I'm not about to start judging her for getting signed to Sony.

The problem that came up for me was when voting got underway for the Hottest 100. Alongside the obvious world conquering hits and perennially favoured artists, it's always interesting to see what less obvious songs appear to make an impression. With thanks to social media, we tend to know this well before the countdown actually happens. I can't remember exactly how long it spent leading the count, but a big surprise was the success of this song, finding its way into nearly one in five vote submissions posted online. Amy Shark was well positioned to debut on the Hottest 100 with a win, something that technically hadn't happened since Denis Leary in 1993. Ironically, this would end up happening in 2016 with a different singer.

I bore no ill will towards this potential result as I first saw it coming, but I found myself eventually frustrated by the campaign that followed. I started seeing promoted posts on Facebook from Amy Shark, writing words to the effect of wanting to see her little song possibly land on the Hottest 100. This is where she betrayed the parasocial paradigm for me. I'd seen her responding to every Instagram post that included a vote for her, hundreds upon hundreds. There's no way she doesn't know she's a contender for the top spot, but in response, she frames it as a disingenuous underdog story. She can't say she wants the win because drawing attention to her real position breaks the illusion. She has to pretend that she's on the cusp of landing at #100 and your vote could make the difference, all the while having a major label paying money so more people can see this begging. It's like the Season 15 episode of The Simpsons when Homer starts panhandling to help with his financial struggles, but keeps doing it afterwards and muscling out the real derelicts so he can indulge in luxuries. At the time I was very glad that Flume won instead because I never saw him engage in any such behaviour.

The entire Hottest 100 campaign was just the start of things though, it gave Amy Shark the necessary push to really take her to the mainstream. If not for a monumental double up of Ed Sheeran singles including the biggest song of the decade peaking at the same time, "Adore" could possibly have become a #1 single. Aside from the aforementioned fumble on "Weekends" (#948), it set her up for a fruitful career. She's been a judge on Australian Idol, and had a flawless streak of three #1 albums.

Again, I'm not going to begrudge her for most of this, but the end result is that I built a rocky relationship with this song, a song that already wasn't clicking much with me in the first place. I've come around a little bit to it. I like the detail-oriented songwriting. Maybe there's an Alanis Morissette level of updates on the arm situation but it fits the mood of the song. The song's known as a mite bit sluggish though, and that previously mentioned backing vocal loop can start to sound really distracting once you pay attention to it. There's a je ne sais quoi here though, I get the appeal even if it can't get there for me. I promise I will eventually have better things to say about Amy Shark, she's still got a few more entries to come.