Haven't been following the conversation around this record too much. Has Frank Ocean really been invoked that often?
― Evan R, Thursday, July 9, 2015 5:51 PM (27 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
in Miguel reviews? it was finally starting to become less of a ubiquitous theme (save for the Pitchfork review) before Miguel's little interview this week made FO a permanent part of his narrative.
― some dude, Thursday, 9 July 2015 22:19 (nine years ago) link
Ha. I do think three or four years ago the comparisons were fair game—two extremely talented R&B singers, each carving their own path, and it was interesting to compare and contrast their visions. And there is some truth to the narrative that Miguel saw R&B changing, opening up to different styles and approaches, and really ran with it. But all that is pretty old news by now.
― Evan R, Thursday, 9 July 2015 22:40 (nine years ago) link
I've read many essays and reviews alleging that 808 & Heartbreak and Drake and whatnot changed it. How was it changing? Serious question.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 9 July 2015 22:48 (nine years ago) link
yeah it felt pretty forced to me in 2012 but a little inevitable, and they were both L.A.-based guys. but in 2015, seeing "alt R&B" in every Miguel review, and "PBR&B" in the first sentence of The Weeknd's wiki entry, just shows how much those hacky angles stuck with people and continue to shape how they see these artists. (xp)
― some dude, Thursday, 9 July 2015 22:53 (nine years ago) link
Here's how Tom Breihan wrote about Kaleidoscope Dream around its release:
A few years ago, Miguel seemed like the sort of fabulously talented R&B singer who routinely gets lost in the major-label shuffle. His “All I Want Is You” was a great single, but ask Jazmine Sullivan what a great single or two have done for her. But then the whole hipster-soul wave of the Weeknd and Frank Ocean happened last year, and you could almost see the figurative lightbulb clicking on over Miguel’s head all the way on the other side of the country. Around the same time Drake was releasing Take Care, his own excellently fleshed-out take on that sound, Miguel was starting to toss out his series of Art Dealer Chic EPs for free online.
Where that narrative falls apart for me, of course, (beyond the "hipster soul" tag and how "PBR&B" was tagged as a more fringe, indie-driven movement than it really was, just because R&B trends happened to start overlapping with indie tastes) is Miguel had been doing outsider-y, avant R&B since at least 2008, with his Mischief tape
― Evan R, Thursday, 9 July 2015 23:21 (nine years ago) link
Worth noting that a lot of what ended up on AIWIY was originally written with the intent of being given to other artists, so if it's not as representative of his ~singular vision~ as KD/Wildheart, that's probably a part of it.
― The Reverend, Friday, 10 July 2015 02:46 (nine years ago) link
yeah i don't fault anyone for hearing "All I Want Is You" and figuring that was Miguel's deal for a while, i certainly didn't dig any further until i fell in love with "Sure Thing"
― some dude, Friday, 10 July 2015 02:56 (nine years ago) link
just the way he sings in the first verse of the first song + the effects my reaction was :D:D:D yes yes yes yes
― Van Horn Street, Friday, 10 July 2015 04:02 (nine years ago) link
first six tracks completely sold me on miguel's first album. Also, My Piece. never clicked with the rest.
― like a giraffe of nah (forksclovetofu), Friday, 10 July 2015 04:34 (nine years ago) link
"Teach Me" still makes me melt
― Evan R, Friday, 10 July 2015 14:43 (nine years ago) link
yeah "teach me" might still be my favorite song of his
― wisdom be leakin out my louche douche truths (k3vin k.), Friday, 10 July 2015 15:10 (nine years ago) link
do not rate it all, playing now
― like a giraffe of nah (forksclovetofu), Friday, 10 July 2015 16:18 (nine years ago) link
Most of AIWIY works for Miguel despite the tracks apparently being earmarked for other singers. The only one I feel doesn't work is Pay Me.
― vmajestic, Friday, 10 July 2015 16:23 (nine years ago) link
i think i like miguel's dirtbag style in a way that does not jibe with ilxhivemind because i love "the valley" and "pay me"
― like a giraffe of nah (forksclovetofu), Friday, 10 July 2015 16:44 (nine years ago) link
I love The Valley, too. There's something about Pay Me that just sounds like it was written for a different voice on top of using then-trendy production choices. Feels forced, unlike the rest of the tracks on that first album.
― vmajestic, Friday, 10 July 2015 17:20 (nine years ago) link
yeah, it's not so much that it's a bad song it just doesn't work as a miguel song at all
― The Reverend, Saturday, 11 July 2015 00:38 (nine years ago) link
i like "The Valley" but it's like Exhibit A in the album's poor sequencing, would sound so much better if it showed up in the second half after you're totally immersed in his world
― some dude, Saturday, 11 July 2015 00:43 (nine years ago) link
The Valley would stick out like a sore thumb wherever it sat on the tracklisting, not sure that straightforward sleaze is a particularly good look for Miguel, he's at his best when he's playing with perspectives and that one just feels forced.
― Matt DC, Saturday, 11 July 2015 09:10 (nine years ago) link
god, I really love Hollywood dreams
― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 14 July 2015 12:39 (nine years ago) link
I'm still not completely sold on this record, but as of yesterday I have gone from only loving "Coffee" to digging the whole "Coffee" through "Hollywood Dreams" stretch. Progress!
― The New Gay Sadness (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 14 July 2015 14:16 (nine years ago) link
NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA NWA
― The Reverend, Wednesday, 15 July 2015 07:09 (nine years ago) link
I still have to listen to it a little more to have a clearer idea but so far I really like the album. especially "coffee" and "wave". there's an over the top/romantic approach that could be a bit annoying and ridiculous but it kinda works.
― AlXTC from Paris, Wednesday, 15 July 2015 11:32 (nine years ago) link
http://www.factmag.com/2015/07/15/miguel-leaves-riff-1979-smashing-pumpkins-billy-corgan-credit/
Lol oh dear.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 15 July 2015 13:54 (nine years ago) link
I'm imagine a furious Miguel binning an entire session's worth of recordings upon realising he's accidentally remade Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 15 July 2015 13:58 (nine years ago) link
ah. that said, I did think it sounded like the smashing pumpkins !actually this album sounds more like a 90s indie album than a rnb one to me...
― AlXTC from Paris, Wednesday, 15 July 2015 13:59 (nine years ago) link
yeah that riff is Corgan-ish
― Evan R, Wednesday, 15 July 2015 14:14 (nine years ago) link
Emptiness is lonelinessand loneliness is cleanlinessand cleanliness is godlinessand god... turns into coffee in the morning
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 15 July 2015 14:24 (nine years ago) link
yeah that riff is Corgan-ish― Evan R, mercredi 15 juillet 2015 16:14 (21 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Evan R, mercredi 15 juillet 2015 16:14 (21 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
and indeed, as said in the article, the drum kit on that song also REALLY sounds like 1979.he would have been sued his sexy ass !
― AlXTC from Paris, Wednesday, 15 July 2015 14:37 (nine years ago) link
DON'T FUCKING GIVE THAT ASSHOLE ME
― The Reverend, Wednesday, 15 July 2015 22:30 (nine years ago) link
errrr
DON'T FUCKING GIVE THAT ASSHOLE MONEY
too angry about Billy getting paid to type correctly
― The Reverend, Wednesday, 15 July 2015 22:31 (nine years ago) link
― Matt DC, Wednesday, July 15, 2015 7:24 AM (10 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
omfg lol
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Thursday, 16 July 2015 00:31 (nine years ago) link
LOL
― flopson, Thursday, 16 July 2015 01:01 (nine years ago) link
uhhttp://i.imgur.com/7eubvyy.jpg
― Your Ribs are My Ladder, Friday, 17 July 2015 00:39 (nine years ago) link
that's genuinely at worst the 3rd or 4th most head-shaking thing he's said or tweeted in the past month
― some dude, Friday, 17 July 2015 01:06 (nine years ago) link
i would like to see the top two plz.
― you are extreme, Patti LuPone. (forksclovetofu), Friday, 17 July 2015 03:12 (nine years ago) link
https://twitter.com/Miguel/status/618996710518329344
― The Reverend, Friday, 17 July 2015 10:32 (nine years ago) link
Does "thot" just mean, like, "hoe"? Is it pronounced like "thought"?
― Your Ribs are My Ladder, Monday, 20 July 2015 10:35 (nine years ago) link
A) p much; B) a bit more abruptly
― The Reverend, Monday, 20 July 2015 11:07 (nine years ago) link
i keep trying but this album still sounds humorous to me
― soyrev, Monday, 20 July 2015 11:36 (nine years ago) link
that's a good thing!
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 20 July 2015 12:35 (nine years ago) link
ohhh :D
― soyrev, Monday, 20 July 2015 12:59 (nine years ago) link
"coffee" is soooooooooo good
― marcos, Monday, 20 July 2015 14:35 (nine years ago) link
"Leaves" is too:
http://www.directlyrics.com/miguel-leaves-lyrics.html
― curmudgeon, Monday, 20 July 2015 14:39 (nine years ago) link
pretty sure "THOT" stands for "those hos over there" which makes me even more unreasonably annoyed when it's used in the plural
― you are extreme, Patti LuPone. (forksclovetofu), Monday, 20 July 2015 15:28 (nine years ago) link
eternally ;_; @ lyric websites getting it wrong
― lex pretend, Monday, 20 July 2015 15:31 (nine years ago) link
"leaves" stops me in my tracks every time
something about how his voice is suddenly there, right in your ear and unadorned after spending 10 tracks muffled and deep in the mix and switching itself up
― lex pretend, Monday, 20 July 2015 15:33 (nine years ago) link
― you are extreme, Patti LuPone. (forksclovetofu), Monday, July 20, 2015 8:28 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
folk etymology
― The Reverend, Monday, 20 July 2015 15:47 (nine years ago) link