Sean Sharp's Diary

EDM these days is an interesting thing. Lots of it is just repeated ideas with different singers and names. Then there are distinct styles that stand out from the bunch, and a lot of times these are the artists who blow up and gain worldwide fame. Then the fans of these artists are called normies and looked down upon by the "real fans" of EDM. That then alienates people, and the newer popular artists in EDM tend to have a more traditional style. That's fine to have a traditional style, but right now I find most of the popular work in EDM pretty generic and boring. I say this as someone who loved EDM growing up in the 10s. I'm 26 now, and seeing these new names like Summit pop up is fun to see, but when I listen, I don't hear anything that is much different than a lot of stuff from the past. I'm not sure if it's new fans or hardcore fans leading the charge on a lot of these new names, but I find it hard to dive in like I used to. This album is just a continuation of that. Nothing bad, but I've heard a good amount of this all before. I still find EDM and EDM crossover artists that I enjoy, it's just that they don't seem to really have much traction, even though I feel their sound is very unique (Goth Babe). I hope artists like John Summit continue to succeed, but I also welcome some more unique flavors in the genre, as right now, it seems to be a large heap of recycled styles.

Listen 1: Smooth and slow. Maybe a little too slow. Justin's voice sounds beautiful one sec and like "Baby" the next. Nice change up from him but I'm not sure if anything is memorable other than Sexyy Red saying some out of pocket things and Druski trying to get him to hit a black and mild. Listen 2: Started to notice some more stand out moments but overall I don't think anything swayed my opinion of the album. Is this album title like, cheek-n-tongue? I can't tell if he's seriously calling it SWAG or not. I do like this slowed down different style rather than just aiming for billboard topping hits. Really, I like the idea of Justin doing an album like this rather than how it actually sounds. 1 Week Later: Good idea, just not fully there in execution. This felt like the right direction for him to take after Changes and Justice. Biebs will likely never be expected to put out instant classic albums, but if he's able to find some of that fire that made Purpose so good a decade ago, he can at least make an overall "good" record.

Listen 1: Love this dudes music. Never fully understood why he fizzled out of popularity. Probably due to going independent which I respect and understand that decision but this guys voice is too good to not be on more hit songs. My critical opinions of him have always been the lyric matter as they are often questionable if not outright disrespectful towards women or other groups of people (not racist or anything, but just one of lines like on Change My Ways when he references bipolar disorder). Just sometimes in poor taste. This album has some more of that, which was to be expected. Specifically the woman talking throughout the album. You just know Marc or Nic Nac had her say that shit which is just always silly to me. Like it's so constructed and inauthentic it feels kind of gross to have someone say stuff like that. I'm not a prude but it has always seemed off to me how Marc writes about women. Anyways, the album overall has some unique R&B styling to it, thanks to Nic Nac. Good for a little mix up from his usual style but still in the vein that made him popular to begin with. A good portion of the songs on here did miss the mark with the melodies. A bit aimless with no resolution. The latter half of the album is a bit better in that regard. Listen 2: There was a few moments on here where I would say Marc has gotten a bit lazy. The melodies aren't as smooth, his singing can get slightly whiney even though I've heard him hit these note better in the past. I was hoping a collab with a producer might ignite some new inspiration but the only thing new here is the style of production and even that is just a slight change up from Marc's usual style. 1 Week Later: Marc's a man that can put out multiple duds and then drop 2 or 3 bangers back to back so I'm not truly let down by this as my expectations are usually pretty low to begin with. A low floor but a high ceiling. I'm hoping whatever isn't working with this project is just a bump in the road and not a sign of laziness to come as some of the songs on here show a pretty lackluster amount of effort on Marc's part. Specifically in the first half of the album which caught me a bit off guard.

Listen 1: Might as well have been one long song. There is no versatility whatsoever. Really just boils down to if you find it catchy or are really into this genre. I don't think it sounds bad at all but it's really just picking out of a hat. AA in my opinion is a bit catchier but the rest of these are essentially nameless to me. Listen 2: This really just feels like pop from 2019 with some guy that's a little disconcerting to look at because of his style. Did enjoy the second listen more. Really a clone of other stuff that's come before it but it's not bad. Just formulaic. 1 Week Later: Not a whole lot more to say about this. The lack of word to say about this is rather telling on it's own. Not a lot here that hasn't been done before and done better. Nothing has stuck that hard and nothing has sucked that hard. Not sure if it's the overall style mixed with this, but the sexual moments on the track make me feel rather uncomfy.

Listen 1: Has me going "hmmm". I appreciate the experimentation of raw sounds in their music. Nothing almost ever sounds that muted or soft. They tend to go all in with their sound design and production which can often lead to some legitimate bangers or lead to tinnitus. This album embraces this style in full force but more often than not ends up feeling a bit over the top. Leaning into hyperpop territory, it's an acquired taste that I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy. Listen 2: Found a bit more enjoyment in it this time around. Also found some more specific things I wanted to touch on. That hyperpop sound I described in my first listen almost borders on older EDM like Sandstorm. Nostalgic which I appreciate they took that path. The major thing that rubs me wrong is some of the vocal performances. She has a good voice but sometimes more takes could have been taken to find the right one. What's particularly irritating is that some of the catchiest songs, which I would dare say is one of the main draws of this style of music, is right next to some horrendous singing of a different melody. American Bitch, Parking lot, Jackie, JAM !, DJ all have this in common.

They only made 3 songs and they literally sound identical. What was the point? When the third song started and I glanced at Spotify, I thought I somehow skipped one or had shuffle on. How are you going to do a 3 song EP and have no variety.

Dominic Fike has always gave me the vibe that he would be really great at mixtapes given how his sound feels so laidback so a more relaxed, unpressured format for a project would be best. Yet in practice, I really prefer his more fully fleshed out work. Without some of that extra attention that a bigger budget or team, it lacks some of the same flare that gives his albums such a memorable spark. Maybe it's a bit of placebo if his mixtapes aren't really mixtapes and more of a marketing tool somehow.

I get that EDEN has taken a path that a lot of people might like cuz it's a bit edgier than how he used to be. In my eyes, I feel he was one of the biggest fumbles of the Electronic Pop of the 2010's. Dude has a ravenous fan base and followed it up with a decent album after ityttmom but since then he will have an occasional song that slaps but overall, I've lost grip of the vision. He still has a fan base but it's much more niche and there is nothing wrong with that either. I feel isolated I suppose. I wanted to be into his music cuz I loved it so much as a teen now I can't really appreciate his new stuff and that frustrates me!!!