POP SONG REVIEW: "Last Night" by Morgan Wallen
Вставка
- Опубліковано 13 бер 2023
- So, did Morgan Wallen survive that scandal? Oh, buddy, did he ever.
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription! nebula.tv/todd-in-the-shadows
What Polyphonic´s Dark Side of the moon project: nebula.tv/videos/polyphonic-t...
Support Todd on Patreon! / toddintheshadows
imagine my disappointment when i found out this was basically Saloon 5 and not a country cover of The Strokes’ “Last Nite”
That would be amazing
Saloon 5 is brilliant
Saloon 5 lmao
I was hoping too!
Saloon 5 is hilarious! Hopefully Todd uses that next time he talks about this guy
that cut from morgan dropping the n word to him singing “looks like i’m learning the hard way again” is perfect editing
More like learning the hard R again amirite?
@@spvrda OOOOOOOHHHHHH S H I T
okay real talk tho, Todd’s editing game doesn’t get enough praise. Understandable, given everything else he does well, but still.
I had to stop for a second, it fucked me up
"boy i really f'ed up yep"
Also the edit from him saying he was all in on Morgan Wallen and then the lyric "that would be dangerous"
I'll give him one thing; "I screwed up, don't support me" is a line I wish more celebrities would take. Too many just thank people for supporting them despite whatever it is they did, missing the point that saying that implies that you didn't actually do anything wrong.
I got the feeling that if he actually learned to be better person it was from seeing who were the ones most supporting him. He looked really uncomfortable in some of those situations.
@@Ruinwyn To quote _Order of the Stick,_ "Your approval fills me with shame."
agreed.
Yes
@@Ruinwyn Yeah. I much prefer him not doing stuff like what Todd said and just keeping quiet, literally any public show that wasn't just "i messed up" would have felt/ seemed very fake. Plus how he didn't lean into the whole complaining about cancel culture thing so many people in his position would do, especially in country I feel. Those little moments do more to make me feel like he's genuinely sorry than what most celebrities do, but I guess time will tell on whether my opinion holds up.
The "DON'T!!! THINK!!! JESUS!!!" is already an all-timer Todd moment imo
I hope someone has already made it into a reaction gif.
agreed.
@@KassFireborn anyone done it yet?
After a controversy for making regrettable drunken remarks, his next big single starts with the lines "Last night, we let the liquor talk...can't remember everything we said, but we said it all..."
You sure did, Morgan. You sure did. :/
His biggest hit before this, "Wasted on You," opened on "Looks like I'm learning the hard way again, yeah I dropped the ball, it's all my fault." Foreshadowing at its finest
@@lydiavalentino I was also amused that he made an album with 36 tracks and almost 2 hours of material trying to hit multiple different lyrical themes, instrumental textures, genre stylings, and moods, that would unite country snobs and curious pop listeners, and set a statement that would return him to the top of the country world and establish himself as the top crossover country artist and then called the album "One Thing At a Time" 🥴
From that line I thought it was going to be a Bieber "Sorry"-style apology track veiled as a song about heartbreak
@@lydiavalentino Or how on his big comeback collab with Lil Durk, he says "if I was smarter I'd have stayed my ass at home." Very telling.
champagnepapi socialist is such a killer name
I find myself questioning how anyone can have 36 "deeply personal" songs...I don't think I've had 36 different emotions since 2019.
I've had MAYBE 36 unique thoughts since 2019
It’s because “we’re hot, drunk, and had, are having, or are going to have sex” counts as deeply personal if you put it to music.
I swear, music is like a cheat code for talking about things. You can make the most childish, pointless, lowest common denominator ideas that would make you sound like an idiot if you said them out loud sound like deep philosophical insight if you put it with the right chord progression. It’s honestly kinda the most powerful force in the universe that way.
It's all clickbait (or whatever the TV equivalent is).
@@culwin sensationalism
Spotify has RUINED the idea of the album
"You want my opinion about Last Night? My opinion is that it sounds like Maroon 5." Oof. For Todd that's like murdering someone.
I gotta admit, I'm kind of proud that he actually apologized and worked to reclaim his previous position, rather than just scream about being canceled on Tucker Carlson or whatever
Speaking of white celebrities that DO need to shut up and disappear forever...
That is a fair point. However, I am just going to be continually disappointed that we apparently live in a country where people are far more impressed with how someone apologizes for doing something wrong, than they are impressed by people that don't do these things in the first place. If I was truly going to establish a baseline for the best way to generally act in society, I would hope the latter, rather than the former, is what would serve as that baseline for most people, but apparently it seems not to be. Or it wouldn't keep happening.
@@the-NightStar I will disagree in that I think it’s incredibly brave to own up to mistakes when one makes them. While the vast majority of people never say the N-word, the vast majority of people will double down and refuse to take responsibility for their actions for whatever flaws they have. It takes courage to publicly admit you are wrong rather than to make excuses. I think a world where people are both punished for their wrongdoing and celebrated for their change in heart is the healthiest outcome for everyone.
...honestly yeah, considering his sales just kept going up, he probably could have and it would've been easier in some ways.
@@the-NightStar Ideally we'd love for everyone to be perfect and moral and not fuck up ever, but humans arent like that. If anything, praising supposed perfectness is how we end up treating everyone whos ever messed up as being somehow morally impure, forever. Obviously what Wallen did was bad (its such a low bar to meet, to just Not Say a Slur) but treating him as if hes now dirty, immoral villain forever despite the growth he's shown is the wrong way to go about it. People need to be allowed to grow and move on from their misdeeds or else theres no reason for them to improve
"I grew up listening to country music. I mostly stopped when I got old enough to realize I could listen to literally anything else." Todd must be my long lost brother because same.
As a kid in the 90s, that's what the radio was on
you and me both man lol
Must be related to my husband too.
I really don’t get why people are so touchy around country music. I feel like every time someone says “I basically listen to anything xD” they have to qualify by adding “except country”. I really don’t get it, I am European so it isn’t really in our culture, but to me it’s just a different type of pop music that has a nice sound sometimes. I like the instruments the melodies and the twang in the singing. It’s not like country is generally somehow worse than generic pop songwriting wise
@@maxsmith8196 Guess its a good thing I don't listen to generic pop either lol
I feel like another thing that needs to be addressed is that having a black celebrity endorse an apology doesn’t automatically mean they’re in the clear. For a hypothetical example, imagine if Lil Nas X gave him a pass vs if Kanye West did.
THANK YOU! Black people are not a monolith. We are not the singularity. One Black person excusing your actions does not encompass every Black person's opinion and if one chooses to never forgive you, it is valid as they have reason because the n word has many different experiences for every Black person.
For real, thank you. It only took one or two of us acting as tokens to pat this guy on the back before everyone was comfortable talking over black people who probably haven't forgiven Wallen (rightfully so, and not because what Wallen did/said was particularly worse than what some of these other white Nashville people have comfortably said behind closed doors. If black people don't want to forgive someone who did or said some fuckshit, they have no obligation to. Tough.)
There's probably something to be said about specifically the black male celebs that cosign these apologies in public, but that's another can of worms.
lkkm😊ool@@bloodprincess800
kbkkk
llll
"we gave you a second chance for this?"
The most succinct review of this song possible
Yeah
Basically the opposite of My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy 1st single Power. 😂
I'm making a bet: this song will be an honorable mention on Todd's worst list but Waller will have a song on Todd's Best list
Good bet
Dude, spoilers! Some of us are still catching up.
Who is Waller?
@@theoneguyoverthere UA-cam 101: Never read comments while watching a video!
The title track really is a banger and it's at #10 this week
God, this reminds me of Todd's old Turn Up the Music by Chris Brown review where he just can't bring himself to talk about the song and just spends the whole review venting out his frustrations about the artist. But instead of pure vitriol about Chris Brown being an asshole, it's one big moral conflict and it's just as fascinating to watch
His review of 6ix9ine’s Trollz is also similar. Todd’s Turn Up The Music video might be my favourite ‘pop review’ of his.
Honestly, those are my favourite episodes of Todd’s. I just love hearing him go off about the state of music. Big Picture Todd is best Todd.
Fascinating isn’t the word I would use. Tedious is more accurate imo
@@friedrichwilhelmvonhohenzo5962 You can leave. It's not like you didn't know exactly what to expect, when you saw the video title. So, why are you here to begin with?
@@Genevieve1023 hey, if you don't like that guys comment, you can also leave. hell, why don't every time we find anything even remotely unpleasant just grab our hats and walk out the door? no need to voice our opinions, let's all leave. lmfao
“I’m your only source of music news.”
Guilty as charged
Laughs in Kurt Loder.
@@whenfatkillsfat803 Does he still do news? “That’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time, long time.”
@@MichaelSmith-fq6hz Last remaining shred of integrity at MTV was before he left.
Never heard of this song but id listen to Todd analyze damn near anything
Todd in the Shadows presents: Baby Shark
Right there with you.
I hear that, into the person talking about baby shark as much as a joke as that is would we not all watch that?
@@BradyPostma onehitwonderland: baby shark :o:o:o
I bet he'd consider it of not for the copyright bullshit of those dicks
🤚 right here
Todd: "Right now, Morgan Wallen is bigger than Jesus."
I've LITERALLY never heard of this dude before 4 minutes ago
I think it has more to do with everyone's music now being personalised and being the type of person to watch Todd in the Shadows meaning you're more likely to have never heard of Wallen compared to the general public.
I've heard of The B Sharps.
Todd saying he is on his way to being Garth Brooks was pretty accurate. Garth Brooks has sold millions of records in North America but is virtually unknown anywhere else. Morgan is carrying on that tradition I guess.
@@TheJayWaycountry music is mostly an American thing, not that many people outside of the US listen to it compared to other genres
he has 5 of the top 10 hits in america right now
i love how Todd sorta anticipated how he became the trusted source for pop music commentary for a distressingly not insignificant number of people (me included) in his Worst Songs of 2011 video: *”We regular internet morons are finding out we have power, and some of us are using that power in horrible ways… I envision some dark days ahead for us.”*
Figures the one time he predicts something accurate is when he made the single bleakest prediction of his life.
Yeah, but he's rarely had ego through most of it. Just anger and sadness in association for what HE prefers to listen to.
Jesus.
Funny enough that I'm the same way. Todd is my source of information when it comes to anything in the music world, outside of like rock and metal news I get from listening to Sirius radio in the car. I don't actually like pop music or most rap artists or popular musicians, so all the modern song reviews are just like a glimpse through the window for me at what I'm missing out on (and why I don't care for it), but I just genuinely enjoy listening to his opinions on music even when it might differ from my feeling. Plus I got into his channel through the One Hit Wonderland videos and stayed for the rest
When you try to avoid your past controversies with safe choices, you risk being so bland that you leave no new impression, so the controversies you're avoiding become the only interesting thing anyone can latch onto.
Honestly sounds like dude was stuck with a damned-if-you-do damned-if-you-don't since going the opposite route would have basically the same effect making a big show of trying to be a better person would just remind people what he did
I do like how, despite most of the video not being about the song itself, the long leadup does help support Todd's eventual opinion about the song and his hypothesis as to why it was made that way. It's similar to what he said about Bieber's "Lonely" back on the 2020 Worst list: a popular artist has a brush with infamy that doesn't hurt their long-term career but does scare them into playing it safe, not just behaviorally but musically, and their future output suffers creatively despite its commercial success.
But more importantly, every time I see a Todd upload this year that isn't a Trainwreckord, I imagine Justin Timberlake exhaling in relief.
How long do you think he'll play it safe? Cause one thing Morgan said about his album is that he experimented a little bit on it.
@@otisedwards8827 There's a bit - "Last Drive Down Main" is a lot more propulsive than his usual fare, and there's a hilariously bad interpolation of Young Thug's "Lifestyle" on "180." Still mostly the standard fare - the main issue is that it's longer than DANGEROUS and doesn't have nearly as many good songs.
Someone has to ask on every video if JT gets brought up so may as well be me: So...MAN OF THE WOODS Trainwreckords when????
@@picahudsoniaunflocked5426 My guess is after JT's next album, whenever that is. We'll see if the damage was irreversible, because 2000s nostalgia and Timbaland's magic can do a lot.
The weirdest thing I’ve learned about Morgan Wallen is that despite growing up in rural Tennessee, he says that he never liked any country music until he heard Zac Brown in 2014. Apparently he only listened to rock until then. To me that makes his ambitions pretty clear. He wants to be a rockstar and can tell that the closest thing to that anymore is a country star.
Wanted to be a rocker, listened to...
Zac Brown? He is basically Kenny Chesneys body double, blandest, edge less music for whites who just need a freaking drink. I think Wallen just wants to sing with guitars and country music is the only one still using them.
His delivery is very much rock too. If you stuck him in a rock song he would fit fine, at most it would get called southern rock for having a drawling delivery.
Morgan Wallen's arc on Todd's channel has been truly fascinating lmao
It's definitely up there with the Katy Perry arc and the Bruno Mars arc
I kinda liked the Taylor Swift arc.
Can't wait for the Todd in the Shadows iceberg explained video going over each arc in this channel's history
But what of the Jason DeRulo arc? The Maroon 5 saga that spanned a decade-plus’ worth of top ten lists? Or the tumultuous tale of good ol’, terrible ol’ Chris Brown?
@MeepsNcheese Would be kinda fun to cut it all together into montages, but finding all the clips would be a bear.
Todd with a timely pop song review. I never thought I'd see the day.
Well. The review spends most of its time on wallens past soooooo.....
And Todd's more up to date to country music than other genres.
He's gotten better with timing than he used to be.
most of it was jus 2 years of rantin built up lol only 5 minutes on da actual song
he even did it *twice* this year
"DON'T!!! THINK!!!! JESUS!!!"
Holy shit I just burst out laughing in the middle of work
For some reason, whenever controversies come up like this, I'm now immediately thinking back to the Janet Jackson Super Bowl controversy since I watched a video about it recently.
I think Morgan Wallen has absolutely improved in not fucking up every week and I think he genuinely means what he says. However, my mind wonders what would happen if Janet were in his shoes knowing how she was basically forced to disappeared from the public eye after the Super Bowl that year while Timberlake went on to be a megastar.
I always find the selective outrage about that moment absolutely hilarious. There were a LOT of people at fault for that one, Janet wasn't one of them. How the hell did they pick a song that essentially summoned that moment and no one realized it was too risque for an even that's somehow classified as "family?" "I'm gonna get you naked by the end of this song." What the hell did they think was going to happen? It's the same reason we forgive certain celebrities for doing things and then thinking others are irredeemable monsters, especially when the latter usually go on hands and knees begging for forgiveness.
I also read that after the Super Bowl, Janet and JT had a meeting with the network executive separately. Janet didn't apologize for her behavior and actions and stated her case in a rational exchange, JT cried and begged in a desperate hysterical apology to avoid the long-term consequences that were all placed on Janet. In other words.... Fuck Justin Timberlake and his cowardly ways.
That was because Les Moonves had a personal vendetta toward Janet because he thought she didn’t seem apologetic enough. He was powerful enough as the president of CBS to personally ruin her career.
@@Uhohlisa Given it was Les Moonves, I'm sure he was also jealous that he wasn't the one to rip off Janet's costume.
@@Uhohlisa Yep. Thankfully he got his comeuppance in time.
The "As far as YOU know" gets me every time
I laughed way too hard when he said "My name's not Brandon!"
All lives matter? I sure hope they do!
I'm trying to figure out if that was an attempt to challenge people saying that, or if he's just that dense about current events
@@moviesquad73 He def knew what they meant, but he played it off. To be honest, from a marketing standpoint, he's handled all of this shit excellently. Didn't go wayyyyy overboard trying to redeem himself like Macklemore, nor did he double down on being a shithead like Eric Clapton. He did the basic stuff that would make him look good to his fans, and kept enough of a low profile that people who were mad didn't have to constantly see him. It's a shame he's making such boring ass music because outside of the incident, he seems really charming from what I've seen of him
intentionally or not, that was the absolute smartest thing he could have said
@@familyguyfreemoviedownload8314 And it came right off the cuff too. I'm starting to get why this guy was able to uncancel himself; he's a one-man positive-PR machine.
the pacing on this video was absolutely spot on.
The setup took its time, but it was the perfect build up to the song itself, which was a hell of a punchline.
Double oof too, Todd hit Morgan + Maroon with the same punch.
Maybe I’m alone on this, but since I prefer using Spotify in my car, I rarely listen to current songs. So in my case, I rely solely on Tods reviews to keep me up to date.
i’m so used to using my playlist on youtube that i’m genuinely surprised whenever i hear anything on the radio anymore
Todd is my only lifeline lmao
I know some modern music, but I'm a rock/pop punk/metal guy. So my current music is all like "Oh yeah, the new Suicide Silence record" or "Dude, you gotta check out Bilmuri". Todd is my peek into the modern pop space.
Fr, Todd keeps talking about how he’s out of touch but I’m gen z and only listen to J metal so this is the first I’ve heard of this guy since Todd mentioned him last
Pretty sure that's most people at this point
Same! As someone who leans more towards showtunes, oldies, and a bit of '80s/'90s indie rock, Todd's the only way I stay remotely up to date on what's new and popular in music, outside of genuine interest for an artist or two xD
I'll give him this, instead of being yet another "controversial" celebrity ranting about "cancel culture" when they're in the wrong, he actually bothered attempting an apology tour. Few seem to have the gumption to admit when they've messed up these days.
The fucked up part is, if he refused to apologize and doubled down and became a professional bigot, he would probably be way MORE popular and successful right now, especially in his genre. So the fact that he chose to apologize and admit he was wrong instead when it could only hurt the popularity he was gaining from country music racists shows that he must at least be sincere about it.
@@RoguSpanish what a stupid take
i like how this is basically a sequel to his "turn up the music" review where he didnt even review the song and just called chris brown a wifebeater for 14 minutes
Technically, it's the sequel to the sequel. The "Trollz" by 6ix9ine review covered similar ground to this review and the Chris Brown one
The return of the "As far as YOU know" Todd personal life gag!
Being a POC Morgan Wallen fan is complicated. You are so right about a certain part of his fan base. If I were to come out to one of his concerts people would think
"She gets it. She's not one of those snowflakes."
In the beginning they definitely bought his album multiple times. They blew up his numbers.
What kept him on the charts though? His music is good. He was irreplaceable. Oh trust me I have tried. Nothing hits quite like "Rednecks Red Letters Red Dirt." Dangerous was a fantastic album. No skips. Spotify doesn't lie. Check people's Spotify wraps across the country.
I'm sure Nashville wish that this happened to a different artist. Someone that they could've come down harder on.
His music is replaceable tho. Cole Swindell has the same annoying pop appeal that made me hate Morgan's music
I hate being the he gets it guy as by white conservatives as a black man. It's annoying and ignorant.
You're my only source of music news, because I don't care about music news, but I love hearing you talk about music.
A good 85% of the artists Todd talks about I've never even listened to
I mainly listen to hip hop (YES many hip hop artists are mainstream but some of my favorites are less known) soul, industrial metal, ambient, and experimental stuff. But damn listening to Todd talk it gives me life lol
@@kiatorrette5631 Same. I don't even listen to modern music really.... or listen to music at all really, but Todd makes everything interesting. Even country music drama.
Todd is not my go-to source for music reviews or analysis. I watch him for the retrospective and current examinations of music culture.
Same here, I only listen to metal so I never have the slightest idea what's going on in popular music, I watch Todd talk about all these people I've never heard of just because he has interesting things to say about them.
Same here. I was raised by fundies and didn't get out until I was an adult, so I never made those critical memories of dancing to popular music at prom or having a teenage first kiss while the radio played. I just don't connect to pop music like most people do, and I probably never will. But I like hearing Todd talking about it (and the education of Trainwreckords and One Hit Wonderland is invaluable).
Hearing he has 36 songs on this album reminds me that carly rae jepsen wanted to put 30 songs on Emotion and they wouldn't let her #justiceforcarly
I feel bad for Carly Rae Jepsen. A great pop artist with lots of talent and good music but none of the mainstream attention or success. Emotion is one of the best albums I've heard though her follow up to Emotion had catchier songs.
"As far as YOU know" might be my favorite Todd running gag.
The moment Todd compared Wallen to Maroon 5, I physically screamed!
EXACTLY! I thought the EXACT same thing when I heard it.
I DO have to disagree with TITS on one thing: it is NOT the worst song on the album. I listened to ALL 36 tracks and I can say there are a few good songs, a LOT of vacuous, bland songs, and a few songs WORSE than Last Night: Man Made Bar is one of them and there are a couple others worse
@@steviebanks8447maybe TITS meant worse single off the album.
@@steviebanks8447 36? Damn
As a country music fan who has been absolutely appalled (but maybe not surprised) at thoroughly Morgan Wallen has been allowed the redemption arc that he has received, I appreciated hearing your perspective on all of this so much, especially coming from someone who actually grew up listening to country music (it was a MUCH longer journey for me, lol).
And you certainly gave me a lot to think about in terms of what he did vs. what other celebrities have done in the past, too.
I will point out one thing that I was kind of surprised you didn''t bring up, though: The (artists formerly known as the Dixie) Chicks and the backlash that THEY got for what Natalie Maines said.
Especially because, for those of you who didn't know, this week marks the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the backlash against them by country radio and the industry at large (this past Friday, March 10th, marked the 20th anniversary of Natalie's actual comments).
To have Morgan Wallen become the first country (not counting "Old Town Road", Carrie Underwood's "Inside Your Heaven", although it was never a country single, or "All Too Well" (Taylor's Version) or WANEGBT by Taylor Swift; the only songs of hers to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 that might qualify as "country", if only for the album they're on and nothing else) to have a country song reach the top of the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 since Lonestar's "Amazed" in 2000, on THIS week of all weeks...is bittersweet, to say the least.
It is truly a testament to how women and men are treated in country music if they cause controversy (even though the Chicks did ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong).
Sigh. -_-
ETA: Because I have to make a long post that much longer for some reason, I should also point out that Morgan Wallen's n-bomb incident also occurred less than two months after the death of Charley Pride, the most famous black artist in the history of country music. So...yeah, there was that, too.
Great Comment!
I think the thing about the chicks is, the retribution was disproportionate. But it was also a different time. Post 9/11 patriotism was INSANE. I remember it very well.
Nowadays the chicks could say the same thing and get cheers from the audience and at home.
Couldn’t agree more! His “redemption” arc makes me roll my eyes so hard
Perfectly said!
I’ve never liked country, and that shows no signs of changing. But even as a teenager who lived in a right-wing household, I could still tell that the backlash to The Chicks was absolutely disproportionate. So I supported them by buying their clapback single “I’m Not Ready to Make Nice”, and actually liked it.
@@SuperHothead14 They could get cheers from someone, all right, but it probably still wouldn't be the kind of people who actually listen to country music.
Two things this review implies (that are really funny to me):
-We are probably gonna get a worst list this year after the existential crisis from last year due to Maroon 5 not having any hits, because Morgan 5 Wallen here is our backup if Levine fails again
-Todd is still Quite Bitter About That.
This has to be the most on time Todd has been for a review, right as it hits number one
Can this guy seriously be considered "bigger than Harry Styles" if nobody outside the US knows who he is?
In a American market lens, yes. In a global lens, no.
Pop music is judged by a global lens, but country music is not. Not saying nobody outside of America listens to country music, but it's not judged by how successful it is outside of America.
This is a Trainwreckords disguised as a Pop Song Review.
And I also think this completes a trilogy for Todd. A Pop Song Review trilogy where he breaks down and studies problematic/controversial artists and almost or completely ignores the song in question. It started Chris Brown years ago, then the video on 6ix9ine, and now this. I've always felt a video on Wallen was a matter of time considering how he gets mentioned in a lot of Todd's more country-focused videos. I've been aware of Wallen and his controversy since it happened, knew about his whole apology tour, and etc. and my feelings towards him and what to make of him have been complicated. It especially becomes complicated when artists like these get to thrive and face no real consequences for the issues/scandals in question. Besides 6ix9ine (maybe), Chris Brown and Morgan Wallen are still guys who are enjoying the limelight and get to have thriving careers. I think Wallen is the easier one to forgive, but that's pretty easy when you compare him to a walking woman beating shit sack like Chris Brown.
Regardless, this was really well done and worth discussing. There will always be people that want to shy away from talking about the problematic because it's complicated or people that want to ignore it just so they don't have to confront any bad feelings when trying to listen to music they find enjoyable. I'm glad that people like Todd and these videos are here to make sure those issues are confronted and talked about in a mature and meaningful way that drives conversation rather than the awful "discourse" one usually finds online. It can be tough to trudge through the mud and talk about scandals and things like this, but they're important things to talk about. This one is a new favorite for me. Thanks, Todd.
I don't think a man breaking the record for the most songs that any artist had ever chartrd simultaneously can be called a "Trainwreckord" in literally any context
@@DiamondAxeStudiosMusic I meant it in the "Clearly marks the end of something in an artist's career" definition of Trainwreckord. Madonna, Katy Perry, and Metallica all still had careers after theirs, but they stopped being trailblazers in the zeitgeist. A controversy that an artist barely survives and then proceeds to make music completely safe out of fear that he may fall into controversy again certainly fits that definition. Man has a thriving career, but it's like Todd said, Wallen is a man that is going to make the safe choice from here on out. We're probably never getting "Dangerous: The Double Album" ever again. There is always going to be "pre-controversy" and "post-controversy" when it comes to talking about Morgan Wallen's career from now on.
Trilogy? Bold of you to assume this isn’t gonna happen again.
@@thatkidwiththehoodie We’ll call this “The Original Trilogy” and when it happens again it can be “The Sequel Trilogy”. It worked for Star Wars! Haha
@@analogskullerosis5056That's not how an apology works! Han Solo said. 😂
I don’t think we’re going to have any more artists who are “bigger than Jesus.” I am definitely in a bubble because idk anyone who is really into country music and I had never heard of this dude until Todd put him on the best list. At the same time, I vaguely knew of other country artists in the 2010s through cultural osmosis.
Just hit #1 on Billboard, but I never listen to the radio any more.
Taylor Swift is well on her way to that status imo.
Todd really waited for the fire to stop for this one
8:00 This first part exactly. You need to leave avenues open for people to apologize and improve. If you don't and continue to punish them regardless, they'll have no reason to want to get better. The way i see it- He did a Bad, he apologized, we say alright... just don't do it again.
That's the way I see it. If there's nothing anyone can do to make up for their mistakes and are essentially marked for life, there's just no reason to even try, because nothing will ever be good enough. If it's actually a recurring pattern, then you can drag him for that (ahem Chris Brown), but if he owns up to it, and acknowledges why what he did was wrong, you gotta just move on, otherwise you don't actually believe people can be better.
Notice that Morgan Wallen didn't whine about "cancel culture" and actually owned that he screwed up which I have to respect... Don't have to listen to his music
It's the car horn tones that country music just can't stop using in every song that sets me off...
I have now spontaneously combusted from hearing them again as I always do.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
When will a country artist be brave enough to use the Battle Bus horns?
"As far as YOU know." is a joke that won't ever get old, even though Todd himself got sick of it once.
Me, having never heard this song before. Todd plays the first few seconds of it and I think, "Huh. that sounds like Maroon 5 with a drawl." Todd not a few seconds later. "IT SOUNDS LIKE MAROON 5 WITH A DRAWL!!" Glad to know my ears are still working.
I swear when I heard those opening lyrics I thought this song was about the incident "last night we let the liquor talk" cause he was drunk in the video "I can't remember everything we said but we said it all" limp excuse for saying horrible things "you told me that you wished I was somebody that you never met" public response to the video "but something's telling me this ain't over yet" that something being a public that asks the bare minimum
That piano arrangement is genuinely beautiful, wow. This also has to be a record for Todd’s punctuality.
Todd's timing on this one was insane. The day this dropped, Morgan had five songs in the Billboard top 10, and the first country #1 (depending on your feelings on Old Town Road) since Carrie Underwood's Inside Your Heaven from 2005.
I personally don’t consider old town road country, neither does billboard coincidentally, but Last Night is however the first country song by a solo male artist to top the hot 100 in over 40 years when Kenny Rogers song Lady did so in 1980. That’s absolutely insane🤯
Some people might find Todd talking about other things besides the song annoying but I love it. That’s when Todd’s cleverness truly shines
I basically only listen to my own playlists on Spotify or albums from my favourite artists and I avoid any news like the plague. So the only way I get any idea of what is going on in modern music is if it's big enough that one of my friends cares enough to talk to me about it or through your channel, Todd. Or if it's Taylor Swift news, my sister will torture me with Taylor info when she wants something from me lol
For me, I love looking at the Spotify charts. It takes like 5 minutes to see what's popular using that.
"...I'm your only source for music news..."
Well, you are for my husband, Todd.
I know nothing about Wallen himself but for me the most unforgivable thing about the situation was how his fans handled it. Like I don't know how older people handled it, but the way younger fans made passive aggressive tik toks defending him and rushing to buy every possible copy of his album that they could is insane to me. It felt very "you're rightfully criticizing someone but i refuse to acknowledge that in a normal manner and will make it about cancel culture instead". I also know country music has a very loyal fanbase (I was also raised on it) but his popularity seems like it was born out of sheer desperation (and maybe pettiness) from country fans because they felt like his messing up was gonna get them all in trouble.
He was already one of the most popular country artists way before he ever had the n word incident. He didn’t get popular from that incident.
i just know when todd builds up to reviewing a song for over half the video, hes gonna do the bit where hes like "at last the review" * plays chorus * "yeah so this sucks"
These vids are increasingly the only place I learn about mainstream performer or songs that exist
Edit: hey, I got a shout out!
Hi, Todd, yes you’re our only source of music news!
At risk of sounding possibly insensitive or one of 'those guys' : Between this whole trainwrech, and the nature of Unholy, it kinda feels like pop music itself (though most of public life media in general) has moved beyond even style over substance to context/metastyle over even just style.
Tbh, this has already happened in visual art, but it feels even weirder for it to be happening to music.
I almost feel there's gonna be a similar divide soon between 'pop' artists and 'indie' artists like there is between gallery art pieces and internet available art pieces.
Speaking of double entendres, the opening lyrics leading into your actual review - especially, "I know that last night we let the liquor talk", and "You told me that you wish I was somebody you never met" - don't just read as the breakup; it's hard not to see it as an extension of the controversy. It doesn't sound like he's very apologetic when you look at it that way. It probably is just a breakup song but god I can't hear anything but "i said a slur last night and you hate me for it".
"Last Night is the first country song to go to number one since Amazed." If Last Night is a country song, than Walkin' on Sunshine is a metal song.
Eh, at least it's got a guitar in it. Very low genre standards standards we're setting today...
@@ArizonanSummer Does that mean.......Walkin' on Sunshine is actually a metal song?
@A Nameless UA-camr no it means that's a bad analogy
@@burgermind802 how
I mean, 90% of country “hits” I’ve heard in the past decade are just twangified 2000s era pop songs. Since the 80s, mainstream country’s whole game has been “put some steel guitar and a drawl on last decade’s hits”
The thing with Morgan Wallen for me is more him as a symbol than as a person. I really wasn't a fan of the effort the industry put into his PR.
I mean, he had Miranda Lambert writing him a song to sing about disappointing his mom and then also has a song about how it would be Christian to forgive him. I know that was mostly (if not all) the label's doing and it just gives me the ick when there are so many rising stars in country that could be invested in.
I hope Zach Bryan gets a huge push. He’s incredible
@@base4yrface He's exactly who I thought of when I commented.
Todd doesn’t get enough credit for choosing the songs he ends his videos with. This one was pitch-perfect!
(For you non-theatre kids, it’s from the musical Avenue Q, which also features the classic “The Internet is for Porn”)
Glad to see Todd pivoting to the more lucrative genre of think pieces.
Todd is my only source of music news (unless the thing gets twitter famous) because I started watching him when he had like 2 videos out. Back then I still cared about pop music.
For me it took him appearing on the old [redacted] site. Since I made a point to watch everything back then, I quickly went thru his back catalog (so much easier at that point). Dunno when I decided he was one of my overall favorites, but it certainly didn't take relatively long.
@@christopherb501 "Back then" meaning 2009?
I said "this sounds like Maroon 5" about ten seconds before you, so I consider that my big win of the day. Also, I'm guilty of being one of the viewers whose only source for music news is you, so yeah.
I love any video Todd makes because he doesn't just cover the song and it's merits, he uses it as a jumping off point for all kinds of other discussions
Look at it this way. If Adam Lavine doesn't release anything this year, you still have something to put in the Reserved For Maroon 5 spot.
I love how honest and self-aware Todd is. Admitting that maybe he resents the guy for making him think about unpleasant things is pretty amazing.
OMG yes Todd thank you so much for reviewing this. Now I get to form an opinion on it without having to listen to it😄
I heard more than enough just in this video. Dude's voice is like nails on a chalkboard.
i’m an afro latina early 20’s cis female. i wanted to LOVE wallen. once he angrily spewed that bull from his mouth… i’ve pretty much given up on country as a whole…. i had to pause this video multiple times to stop my stomach from twisting up, and your pacing was perfect. worried that i would love the new material only for it to sound like maroon 5 with a drawl??? HAHAHAHAHA HOLY SHIT. thank you for being honest and understanding. it’s going to take a long time for me to come back around to this dude, and he certainly isn’t earning my plays with this album.
There's better country music out there than Wallen
yeah, idk how it was before 9/11 (the country I've heard from before then seems pretty progressive) but ever since the fandom and the artists it upholds got even worse. In a coincidence of karma it also got worse at the same time. I'll never forget how The Chicks got destroyed for showing distaste for the war. I'm curious how Tyler Childers is doing now too, since he released a full album and ended it with a song showing his support for black lives matter back in 2020. I remember seeing a whole bunch of pissed off youtube comments lol. Idk much abt him as a person or how good the whole album is but I gotta respect the balls to put yourself in the eyes of country fans and say "hey! maybe don't be racist :)"
Agreed that was a heckuva punchline, delivered with perfect timing.
There’s good country out there, but you’re not gonna find much of it in the main stream scene. I recommend checking out Tyler Childers or Orville Peck. They’re both really cool guys who love what they do, and neither of them have dropped any racial slurs.
@@hotdog9423 I live right in the middle of Alabama. A lot of people I know worship this man, and I don’t get it because he sounds like every single country artist from the past 10 years. I’d say it’s because he’s may be hot, but I’m completely blind. I can’t see the man, I just hear the music, and the music I hear is very generic.
Literally the only UA-cam channel that can talk intellectually about pop music. Came to this channel due to 1 hit Wonders but these videos about songs I've never heard is fascinating. Thank you Todd.
Feels like the only channel that *wants* to talk intellectually about pop music. I hate how so many people act like they're above it
Oh boy you guys have got a whole other world to discover. There's loads of channels that do just what you're saying and are inspired by Todd like Diamond Axe Studios, The Mode, Lyzette G, LUX Reviews, Cicabeot1, Mr 96 to name a few. All of these guys are big fans of pop music and their love for it really shows :)
@@nejdalej and “rap critic” if that is more your style.
@@MeMarcusTheCreatorI still remember Rap Critic and Todd's collaboration Accidentally Racist. Funny how Rap Critic didn't make a cameo in this video.
Weirdest part is that unlike Dangerous or even Broadway Girls, I have heard virtually nothing from this latest album anywhere. I heard You Proof once when I was at a restaurant, and I heard someone blasting Last Night the day after the album dropped (by someone who was also playing a lot of Kanye so take that as you will). I've seen pretty much zero real world hype for this album but it's still huge. I've heard quite a few people bumping stuff like that Flower Shops song from last year and Broadway Girls but neither of those are on the album, they're just collabs with other artists! I still hear stuff from Dangerous places, like Wasted On You for instance which also got a decent bit of pop airplay last year, but OTAAT hasn't had the same impact despite being the biggest thing out right now.
Funny thing about the whole sales increase, I saw a lot of music shops selling Dangerous and they upmarked the prices of all of their copies because the sales were going through the roof, they still sell out of every copy whenever they restock.
Update: I ate at the same restaurant that played You Proof and they played two songs from OTAAT within ten minutes of each other (Last Night and Thinkin’ Bout Me). Last Night gets decent pop radio play but aside from these two things the album still has no impact whatsoever.
Yet another update from 6 months in the future: Morgan Wallen dominated the summer, Last Night is slated to be the biggest hit of the entire year, and as other songs get released as singles I keep encountering more of the stuff off of this record places. It's like a slow burn of reality.
Oh boy, this is the first time since his "Turn Up The Music" review where Todd pretty much doesn't talk about the music. At least, with Morgan, he hasn't done anything to keep making us think he sucks.
Edit: well, most of the video is like that.
Not gonna lie, I have a playlist dedicated to songs that make me feel nothing at all so I can work while I listen to them. This went in as soon as I heard the intro 😂 as someone from the uk, this is fascinating to watch lol
I really want to know what other songs fit on here!
When Todd spends the last five minutes at the end to review the song, that means he hates it
I legit think this might be one of Todd’s best-ever pop song reviews. Fourteen years in and still hitting new peaks… incredible…
Todd is just hitting another gear with his content. I'm very impressed.
@@RenaldyCalixte I… I honestly feel proud?? I basically grew up with the guy, been watching him since I was 11. Warms the heart, man.
Todd proves once again he's our bravest critic by saying the words "Saying the N-Word is great actually" in a single unbroken string in an age of clippers hungry for content and that all elusive *meme potential*.
Firstly, we're *definitely* getting a Worst list this year! Secondly, I wonder how long "Last Night" will last at #1. 🤔
I think just the one week. Maybe two, if there is zero competition.
@@countyfacts6920 I think Billboard predictions show "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus back at #1 already lol
He currently has 21 songs in the Billboard top 50. It's possible he'll bump himself off with a different song of his own.
Crazy reading these comments months later after rewatching the video, Last Night is now credibly threatening to become the longest charting number one ever. I still don't get it.
I’m glad you touched on it, because as soon as you started talking about his apology tour was successful my first thought was “he didn’t need an apology tour, a not insignificant part of his fan base didn’t think he did anything wrong to begin with”
Wrong? Yes. Offensive? To who? It wasn't directed at anyone who had any right to be offended, and if it was some random nobody it wouldn't have even made the local news. Who cares what a bunch of drunk idiots yell at each other?
I hate how much streaming has changed the way albums are made. There’s no reason beside fluffing up the numbers for any album to have more than 18 tracks (not counting intros or skits).
Well, if it's a big, all-in-one compilation, maybe, like those 4-disc sets I used to get all the time from my local library.
@@christopherb501 yeah besides compilations, soundtracks, etc. I mean albums comprised of entirely new music
Honestly, the fact that you are both a great musician and an amazing reviewer fascinates me. You were born to do this, Todd.
NEW TTS HELL YEAH BROTHER
He truly was. And I thank whatever, God, the algorithm; one in the same really, for putting Todd in my life. 💓
The way I thought "this sounds like a Maroon 5 song with a country twang" literally 2 seconds before you said it!!! It's an exact copy of a Maroon 5 song.
you can never bee cancelled in country music, Jerry Lee Lewis went to it and had a second life.
unless you come out as gay or trans, then you are OUT
Counterpoint: the Dixie Chicks / Chicks after having the ABSOLUTE GALL to badmouth a Republican president on stage.
unless you dared to criticize bush during the war in iraq :O
@@timg2727 and people were STILL pissed at them when they sang backup vocals on Taylor Swift's "Lover" album! It had been almost 20 years at that point!!!!
You could get canceled in country music for being gay, trans or Muslim, I'm pretty sure. I don't know if anyone's tried it, but my gut says it'd work.
I don't think there's any better way to put it than hey try picturing Adam Levine singing it
Remember when people didn't know Todd in the shadows was Pat the NES punk....I remember and so does pepperidge farms.
Happy to see the return of the "As far as YOU know" running gag.
I can't wait for Country Music next trend which will probably be using random sound affects in songs.
A country cover of "Sample This" would be awesome
Truth is, Country music has problems. One of them is the inherent problematic people that spend money on it but the other is worse than that, IMHO : Its really condescending to that audience. It's a genre of music that does have it's truly outstanding artists but it just littered with albums where I can see the people dripping with "The rubes will love this."
I really enjoyed how this 20 minute video was filled with 14 minutes of Todd angry about Morgan Wallen’s n-word scandal
Btw one of the songwriters on this song is a frequent songwriter for M5 so that comparison is actually as apt as ever
11:48 Morgan Wallen be like: "Is it too late now to say sorry?"
I do not recognize any songs or musicians on Todd's regular reviews anymore, which is an unsettling thing to realize
I have never recognized any of the charting music in my life. To me it just sounds like a background whine.
The 17 min of leadup was worth the punchline, kudos Todd
great editing in this video, love how Todd uses it to highlight his sense of humor
his weirdly overly autotuned voice is also really adding to the adam levine comparisons
"all the genre signifiers sanded off." That's good writing. Todd's got the sauce.
He’s so PR trained now, it’s kinda sad to see him not be himself in interviews and in public. Maybe this success will give him the confidence to relax and be open. Orrrrrr do the opposite and only reinforce his current behavior and he’ll never be free from the shackles of his own mind
Well, I just remembered that I immediately tweeted at Todd, asking what he thought about the scandal and cringing in shame
This might be the most timely Todd video ever
I dunno; his collaboration with Rap Critic over Accidental Racist was pretty timely.
It is now the final week of June. "Last Night" is likely the biggest hit of 2023, as it has now spent 11 weeks as the top song on the Hot 100. For my money, I cannot think of a worse hit this year. Even some of the more embarrassing songs to get big were at least interesting.
It's my least favorite number one single since I graduated from college in 2016. Only one other song since 2013 I find even more heinous than Last Night.
Last Night is just boring. Unholy was actively cringe.
@@snorter9783 Yeah, and that's exactly why "Unholy" is better. It's awful, but at least it's awful in an interesting way. With "Last Night" there's nothing to latch onto. It's just a beige avalanche of suck, to crib a phrase from Todd himself.
@@hiimemily I understand, but I guess I personally found a lot of the hits this year to be similarly boring so it just blends in with them to me. Unholy was jarring and disappointing because Smith's last major hit was excellent, and on Unholy they abandoned everything that made it good.