Saturday Flashback: Alex Ross feat. Dakota, T-Pain – Dreams

“Oh, it’s that Dreams!”

Tim: Funny how coincidences happen: yesterday we discussed Jonas Blue kickstarting the tropical-covers-of-classic-pop trend, and yesterday afternoon I heard this for the first time in bloody ages.

Tom: Oh, it’s that Dreams! I thought it was going to be a Fleetwood Mac cover. Or a Cranberries cover.

Tim: In fact, probably the first time since it was a first released last March, actually, since who the hell jumps on a bandwagon six months after everyone else has stopped, launches a summer track in the middle of flipping March and then expects it to get played? Well, Alex Ross, apparently.

And credit where it’s due it’s not a terrible rendition of the song, at least given the questionable target it’s aiming for.

Tom: Interesting choice adding T-Pain in there, too; this didn’t need his middle eight, but I’ve got admit it actually improves what was originally a fairly dull song to cover. You’re right: this hits the target.

Tim: We may not approve of that target (nor, indeed, may anyone else in their right mind), but since FastCar came along it’s right there and ready to be hit. In fact, if I’m perfectly honest, if I were to remove my ‘tropical covers are unnecessary and frequently awful’ blinkers, I might even approve of it as a remix.

Tom: I think I’m with you there. I think I might actually like this?

Tim: Because it does sound nice and summery; it’s a listenable enough version of the track; it’s entirely inoffensive; and occasionally if it comes on in the background you’ll think “huh, this is quite nice”. At least, that’s what I did yesterday.

T-Pain feat. Chris Brown – Best Love Song

They just trade ‘ehh’ sounds back at each other for eight bars.

Tom: T-Pain: master of autotune whose best work is probably with the Lonely Island singing I’m On A Boat; and Chris Brown, noted domestic abuser?

Brace yourself, Tim. This isn’t going to be fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbYHmlto21M

Tom: I don’t know what’s more laughable about this.

Tim: Ooh, well let’s list things and see what comes out on top.

Tom: The parts where they just trade ‘ehh’ sounds back at each other for eight bars?

Tim: The fact that it starts with two rounds of ‘nappyboy’?

Tom: The ‘cowabunga’?

Tim: The autotune that’s so thick it’s possible they’re just saying stuff monotonously and letting the computer do all the work?

Tom: The key change, after which they trade ‘ehh’ sounds again before a bizarre guitar breakdown and drum solo finishes the whole thing off?

Tim: Oh, good lord – yeah, actually, that wins.

Tom: I just… I’m not sure I have words for this one.

Tim: In that case I propose just one: tripe. Although part of me is tempted to suggest a variant of Poe’s Law.