Tag: Pharrell

Oscar Predictions: Despicable Me 4

The Despicable Me/Minions has been a financial force over the past decade and a half, but not so much with awards voters. Despicable Me 4 is out this Wednesday from director Chris Renaud. Vocal work is provided by Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Miranda Cosgrove, Stephen Colbert, Steve Coogan, Sofia Vergara, Chloe Fineman, and Will Ferrell.

The three direct predecessors and the two spinoff Minions titles have eaxg grossed $250 million or higher domestically since 2010. Only Despicable Me 2 generated any Oscar nods. Those were in Animated Feature and Original Song (the Pharrell smash “Happy”) and Frozen beat it out in both races (the latter with its signature tune “Let It Go”).

Part 4 of the franchise has a 63% RT rating. That’s lower than part 1 (80%) and 2 (75%) and Minions: The Rise of Gru (70%) while slightly above part 3 (58%) and Minions (56%). In short, this does appear primed to enter the series back in the Oscar mix. Lucky for it, the dollars should continue to flow. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions – Minions: The Rise of Gru

Illumination Entertainment will rule the Fourth of July weekend at the box office when Minions: The Rise of Gru hits theaters on July 1st. This is the fifth entry in the franchise that began a dozen summers back with Despicable Me and the first in five years.

Some early reviews are out and they’re mostly indicating it’s a decent if unspectacular chapter of the series. With 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, that’s higher than the two previous pics – 2015’s Minions (55%) and 2017’s Despicable Me 3 (59%). Of course, Gru‘s number will soon rise or fall as more critics weigh in.

2010’s Despicable Me (81%) and its 2013 sequel (75%) fared better, but only part two received awards attention. It was nominated for Best Animated Feature and Original Song with Pharrell’s inescapable “Happy”. Due to Disney’s Frozen and the equally omnipresent “Let It Go”, it lost both.

Based on early buzz, I see no path for Gru to find its way to the Animated Feature derby. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Top Ten Summer Music Hits of 2005: A Look Back

We’ve arrived at day three of my look back at the top 10 Billboard Summer Songs from the past 30 years, 20 years and tonight – from 10 years ago. If you missed my first two posts, they should be linked at the bottom of this here post. As with the previous entries, I’ll offer my thoughts on each track on a scale of 1 (summertime blues) to 10 (summertime classic). And I’ll reveal the all important answer as to whether said song is on my iTunes.

Let’s get to it with the ten most listened to songs of summer 2005:

10. “You and Me” by Lifehouse

OK, the list isn’t starting out so well. I’ve never been a fan of this band and “You and Me” (which I had completely forgotten about) didn’t change that. Listless and dull pop rock.

My Rating: 3

Is It On My iTunes? No

9. “Let Me Hold You” by Bow Wow featuring Omarion

The Columbus based rapper dropped the Lil from his name and entered grown folks territory with this R&B flavored ditty that samples Luther Vandross. It’s a perfectly passable radio diversion that is easily forgotten.

My Rating: 6

Is It On My iTunes? No

8. “Just a Lil Bit” by 50 Cent

Two years prior, 50 had a hip hop classic with “In Da Club”. This one isn’t close to that classic but it’s a pretty good effort from Mr. Cent.

My Rating: 6 and a half

Is It On My iTunes? No

7. “Lose Control” by Missy Elliot featuring Ciara and Fat Man Scoop

Now we’re getting somewhere! This is a genuine club banger from Missy and her brilliant producer Timbaland. Sounds as fresh today as it did a decade ago.

My Rating: 9 and a half

Is It On My iTunes? Yes

6. “Pon De Replay” by Rihanna

This is how it all started for superstar Rihanna and her debut single is a reggae influenced dancehall jam. Even better work would follow, but this was a nice start.

My Rating: 7 and a half

Is It On My iTunes? Yes

5. “Don’t Phunk With My Heart” by The Black Eyed Peas

The first single off their album Monkey Business, “Phunk” employs the sound we’ve come to expect from BEP. It’s goes down well and is easy to dance to, but this is not among their very best work.

My Rating: 7

Is It On My iTunes? No

4. “Behind These Hazel Eyes” by Kelly Clarkson

The inaugural American Idol champion followed up the massive “Since U Been Gone” with another tailor made hit to belt out alone in the car and only feel slightly guilty about it.

My Rating: 7 and a half

Is It On My iTunes? No

3. “Don’t Cha” by The Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes

The group may have been manufactured but this single is a pop gem with a rap assist by Busta Rhymes that came from producer Cee-Lo Green.

My Rating: 8

Is It On My iTunes? No, but it should be

2. “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani

You might have grown sick of it, but this Pharrell produced infectious groove was a monster hit for a reason. It’s impossible to forget, especially that addictive chorus from No Doubt’s lead singer.

My Rating: 9 and a half

Is It On My iTunes? Yes

1. “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey

It was a juggernaut of a song and a major comeback for Miss Mariah. It’s a slow tempo and simply produced track and there’s nothing really wrong with it, but it’s far from one of my favorite tunes from her.

My Rating: 6 and a half

Is It On My iTunes? No

And there you have it! The summer songs of 2005. I hope you enjoyed reading my throwback look back at the seasonal hits of 1985, 1995 and 2005.

 

Top 90 Hip Hop Songs of the 1990s: Nos. 80-71

This evening we continue on with part two of my personal 90 favorite hip hop hits of the 1990s. If you missed part 1 covering numbers 90-81, you may find it here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2014/10/23/top-90-hip-hop-songs-of-the-1990s-nos-90-81/

Let’s get right to it! 80. “Slam” by Onyx (1993) Undoubtedly one of the greatest rap songs where the rappers are basically yelling at you for the duration of the cut. It makes you want to break stuff.

79. “Bout It Bout It II” by Master P (1995) Mr. P started a 90s empire with No Limit Records with hit singles and albums by himself, his family members and others that included Mystikal and even Snoop Dogg. This is one of the most memorable tracks.
78. “Can I Get A…” by Jay-Z featuring Amil and Ja Rule (1998) Jay had his first crossover hit with this single from the Rush Hour soundtrack that also featured Ja Rule’s first intro to mainstream listeners.
77. “Playaz Club” by Rappin 4 Tay (1994) If I ever go to a Player’s Ball Convention (which is unlikely), I want this smooth track by Mr. Tay as my entrance soundtrack.
76. “Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)” by Craig Mack (1994) A discovery of Puff Daddy, Mack had a giant hit with this jam and it’s terrific remix which featured Biggie, LL Cool J, and Busta Rhymes.
75. “Hit ‘Em Up” by 2Pac (1996) Quite possibly the greatest diss rap song ever recorded, Shakur spits his venom at Puff Daddy and Biggie in unforgettable fashion.
74. “Doggy Dogg World” by Snoop Doggy Dogg featuring Tha Dogg Pound and the Dramatics (1994) With help from his cohorts Daz and Kurupt and soul group the Dramatics, this throwback to 70s funk is a highlight from Snoop’s glorious debut album Doggystyle.
73. “Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)” by Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz (1998) This duo had a top ten hit with this late 90s gem that provided them their only significant success.
72. “Crush on You” by Lil Kim (1996) The Queen B had one of her finest songs with assists from Lil Cease and Biggie on the chorus.
71. “Got Your Money” by Ol Dirty Bastard featuring Kelis (1999) The Neptunes produced banger is impossibly groovy with the late ODB at his very best and funniest. Kelis contributes the catchy chorus.
And that’ll do it for part two, folks! Part three coming your way tomorrow…

My Top 25 Michael Jackson Songs of All Time: Nos. 25-21

I’m taking a rare break from movie talk for a blog series about the King of Pop himself Michael Jackson. Today marks the release of MJ’s well reviewed posthumous album Xscape, which I’ve dutifully already downloaded on iTunes. However, I’ve yet to have the opportunity to get into it, but plan to shortly. We’re also approaching the five year anniversary of the superstar’s death in June.

This has led me to creating my personal Top 25 MJ songs of all time. A couple of caveats: this list does not include any Jackson 5 tunes and covers just Michael’s solo work. So if you’re looking for “I Want You Back” or “The Love You Save” or “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” or “I’ll Be There”, perhaps a Jackson 5 top ten list will come in the future. Also, being that I haven’t listened to the new album hardly at all, no tracks will be included from that one. However, I will say the current single “Love Never Felt So Good” featuring Justin Timberlake is fantastic.

Simply put,  I grew up on MJ and he is extraordinarily high on my favorite musical artists of all time. When you listen to pop music, his influence is omnipresent. Listen to “Rock Your Body” by Justin Timberlake. Or “Let the Groove Get In” by JT. Or “Treasure” by Bruno Mars. Or Pharrell music or Chris Brown. It goes on and on.

Let’s get to it, shall we? This will be a five-part series and feel free to comment when all is said and done with your own MJ personal faves.

25. “Baby Be Mine” (from Thriller – 1982)

It’s from the best selling album of all time and yet it’s probably the least talked about track on the record. It’s still great though and is highly reminiscent of his Off the Wall dance tracks that came three years earlier (and will show up on this here list).

24. “Will You Be There?” (from Dangerous – 1991)

Sort of cheesy? Yes. Best remembered for its video and inclusion in the film Free Willy? Yep. Call this a guilty pleasure MJ track if you will, but I love Michael’s vocals on here and the choir that closes it out.

23. “You Are Not Alone” (from HIStory – 1995)

My second MJ slow jam was written and produced by R. Kelly and is the first single in U.S. history to debut at #1.  It’s got a pretty memorable video featuring then wife Lisa Marie Presley, too.

22. “In the Closet” (from Dangerous – 1991)

The third single from 1991’s Dangerous album is a Teddy Riley produced New Jack Swing banger. Once again – the B&W music video featuring Naomi Campbell and directed by famed photographer Herb Ritts is a classic.

21. “Earth Song” (from HIStory – 1995)

This environmentally conscious and operatic tour de force served as MJ’s third single off 1995’s History and is my favorite among his socially conscious anthems (you won’t find “Heal the World” on this list). It’s the artist’s largest selling single ever in the United Kingdom.

And that’s all for now, folks! I’ll be back tomorrow with part two and numbers 20-16.