Lighters ReviewAlbum: Hell: The Sequel
Artist: Bad Meets Evil
Year: 2011
Sound: 3/5
Lyrics: 2/5
Instrumental: 2/5
Idea: 2/5
Flow/Energy: 1/5
Music Video: 3/5
Other: 1/5
Today Eminem’s Berzerk dropped, and I have heard a LOT of mixed reactions, both of which are understandable. But I was in an Eminem mood, and looked at my site. I noticed one thing about my Eminem reviews. I hadn’t yet reviewed a song I disliked. And trust me, I’m going to have a rant about fanboyism soon, and I don’t think we should ever like every track an artist puts out, it‘s unhealthy, you know unless the artist is perfect, which God they never are close to in music. But Eminem has a dick riding fan base higher than anyone else, so I try to stay positive. So when deciding which song I didn’t like to review, I had to think. Most of them I just don’t care for, and didn’t really have much to say. I know some like We Made You or Just Lose It or Crack a Bottle are hated by a lot of people, but I like those somewhat, but I’d have to listen to them more before a review. But then I remembered Lighters, the lead single off of the collaboration EP from Royce Da 5’9 and Slim Shady. And I don’t like this song, I hated it. Then I did what I do whenever I review a song. Listen to it a shitload, read the lyrics, and try and get feedback from other people, and also try to keep an open mind. And usually what follows is my opinion. And I’ll be honest it started as a 1, lifted to a high 2 for awhile, but now I’m at where I want. But let’s begin with the problems. Bruno Mars. I’m not a fan of Bruno Mars, but then again a featured artists helping a chorus hasn’t held back Eminem’s past songs. I liked the ones on Recovery despite fans hating an ounce of change in their world. But those songs were good, whereas Bruno being on this song feels completely forced and pushing radio play. Love the Way You Lie and Never Back Down both sounded natural, and the guest pop singers were just there to sing, help the song with their voice, and get out. But that’s not how this one hit. Bruno Mars seems to be singing a completely different song, and in the music video he isn’t even interacting with the other two… then again I sort of don’t want him to. But yeah, his voice got a soothing radio friendly noise. But the rest of the song is nothing like that. Let’s get into the verses. First Eminem’s. I remember a lot of the lines I hated at first, but after studying them it kind of helped. But he’s still so pissed off for some reason. At least Not Afraid his somewhat forced anger made sense, and it turned to a great song. With Lighters, who is he talking to? The haters? Critics? I remember in my last Lil Wayne review I said if you keep yelling how you don’t care about haters you in fact look like you care, and I feel that here. He feels like he’s just trying to not be judged, and trying to play it safe. I know in a little way the fans will never be satisfied, with him someone is always going to be pissed, but he really feels like it’s actually getting to him. Not to mention there is some just straight bad lines. And it’s like a dick joke followed by a dick joke and it’s like a threat. Like, HA DICK JOKE, FEAR ME! It’s not even a joke, he’s just making a long line about dicks, and it’s… why? And Royce, he’s actually the best one on the track. Unlike Eminem he seems to get that this is a subtle and soothing song, if not triumphant in a way. His lyrics sync better, but they’re not enough to save the song. And being the only non mainstream guy in a song on radios doesn’t help. He’s just there to a lot of people, and he does what he can. He can’t really offer much besides some good lines, and he gets it. But the finish is… he wants Bruno to show his ass? I get the joke but… come on, no. That’s not how you end your verse! And why, why is this the lead single? Fast Lane, I love the shit out of that song, but no, Bruno Mars and his random thrown in hook about lighters is more important. And let’s talk how this fits on the album. And I love diverse albums, I don’t think albums should just be one big collage of the same thing, I like songs that are really separate. But I want them to fit in some kind of theme. And the theme I was getting from Hell: the Sequel was it was a raw dirty EP with some old school sounding Eminem with Royce feeding off of each other. But unless maybe being side by side with Take From Me, this song doesn’t fit at all. Not to mention the song is boring, adds little light. I’m going to sleep, not feeling uplifted. I had to listen to this a couple times in a row, and it’s only making it worse. I wanted to hate the song and call it bad, and I guess it pulled itself from a hellish pit, but it didn’t pull itself from the ditch. Bruno’s verse is just thrown on, adding a dumb corny lighters theme, and the piano beat is very slow and boring and… I need to listen to Fast Lane to get me away from here. I’m getting the fuck out… later!
Lighters gets a 2/5
(Received No Badges)
