Do you like candyfloss?

“Yeah, it’s alright.”

YouTube music is concentrated awesome. It’s so awesome you actually have to dilute it with the occasional mainstream song. The majority of my playlist is made up of songs written and sung by YouTubers and I have a number of their actual CDs. I think the great thing about these YouTube musicians is that they’re not very well known so they’ve not got too big for their boots. They’re still essentially “normal” people. Also, they write pretty good songs!

YouTube music also means that I don’t have to put up with what the radio stations are trying to call “music”. Most of what they play (when it’s not classical music or old stuff) is absolutely appalling. GCSE art lessons were (besides art time) mock-the-radio sessions. Occasionally a good song would come on but mostly we were mocking lyrics and deciding that so called famous singers had ruined a perfectly good song. As you may have gathered from this, I actually rarely listen to the radio. I just end up getting annoyed at the appalling nature of the songs in the charts: either the crude lyrics or the fact that it just isn’t good enough to be called “music”.

To prove my point, I’m going to go look up what the current UK number one is.

*Types “current number one” into Google...*

Ok, this shows how out of touch I am. I have never heard of this song or group. Yet, according to Radio 1 it has been at number 1 for three weeks. Right, let’s have a listen...

Yup, this weird, electro-rap stuff, just as I expected. Good Times by Roll Deep. It’s not that I don’t think they can sing, I mean, they’re probably really good but I have issues with both the video and the lyrics.

First, the video: I’m barely 10 seconds in and the screen is full of scantily clad women and drink. What is this meant to say to young teens just immerging into the world of music? Ooh! In amongst the inappropriate clothing, some of the male band members have cup cakes on their t-shirts! Now that’s pretty cool!

Now to dissect the lyrics:

I’m gonna leave the day behind,
don’t you worry cause I’m a have a real good time (right, don’t you get me started on the grammar!)
We’re gonna have a real good time
I’m gonna leave the world outside,
spend my money, oh it’s gonna be a real good night
Were gonna have a real good night
Go late night shoppin,
high street bobbling,
let’s go west end clubbin,
champagne poppin,
let’s keep it rockin,
party ain’t stoppin,
let’s keep it keep it rockin,
party ain’t stopping

(So far, nothing absolutely terrible. I may not always agree with the whole clubbing scene and all that goes on but at least there’s nothing crude yet.)

No clear good times are here,
when I come round the good times appear,
the good times are near,
I like to live life like where they all gone, good times are here
where, late nights hoppin on the Thursday and I pull out more than a birthday, (now I’m starting to wonder whether this is really appropriate.)
I’m always flying abroad,
when I wake tomorrow I’m gonna be in the 1st place
9 to 5, when it’s over I can come alive,
I’m in the mood to live a higher life,
now when the DJ drops a song of mine, I’ll be satisfied

I’m gonna leave the day behind,
don’t you worry cause I’m a have a real good time
Were gonna have a real good night
I’m gonna leave the world outside,
spend my money, oh it’s gonna be a real good night
Were gonna have a real good night
Go late night shoppin,
high street bobbling,
let’s go west end clubbin,
champagne poppin,
let’s keep it rockin, party ain’t stoppin,
let’s keep it keep it rockin, party ain’t stoppin
I want everybody on the atlas, to feel this fantastic thing,
if you see a good, grab it, have a laugh,
don’t let it pass, you only get 1 life and it goes quite rapid,
bad times can’t match it, it’s the best way to live,
non stop party, all round the clock with no negatives,
have a good time and stay positive.
9 to 5, when it’s over I can come alive,
I’m in the mood to live a higher life,
now when the DJ drops a song of mine, I’ll be satisfied

Ok, so this song isn’t as bad as some of them. It’s not so overtly crude. However, it’s still not got amazing lyrics. It’s not got much point to it and it suggests that all there is to life is partying. I much prefer songs with lyrics that tell a story; lyrics that properly convey emotions and could stand their own as a poem. So you might like the songs in the charts but they’re just not my cuppa tea. Maybe the charts will one day thrill me again but if Lady GaGa and other such singers continue to thrive then that day will not be any time soon.