The Billy Awards: 2009 Year End Superlatives - Music

Greetings, readers. We've been gone for a while, but when we awoke from our long winter's nap, we heard your anguished cries for more, and now here we are, back from the void to grace your screens and minds with our wisdom and insights. And now, we start off 2010 by looking back at the best (and worst) of 2009 with the Billy Awards for Music:

Best Music Video

Weezer - (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To

2009 wasn't the greatest year for music videos (in fact, it was pretty crappy), but this video is far and away better than all the rest I've seen in the past year. Weezer usually puts out clever music videos, and this one is a good example of their flair for originality. The town populated solely by members of the band is interesting, and the children with adult heads are amusing. What makes this video particularly good, however, aside from the band's signature brand of infectiously catchy pop rock, is the sequence that plays over the final chorus, wherein Rivers Cuomo, in a play on the words of the song, tells the girl to take all her wily charms and get lost after seeing what she's done to his buddies.

This video was directed by Marc Webb (who I consider to be the best in the business, having directed several music videos in my Top 10) and features Odette Yustman, who you may remember from her younger days in Kindergarten Cop, or, more recently, as the main character's love interest in Cloverfield.

Honorable Mention:

Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me

Best Song Lyric

I'll always be just who you want me to be
And keep my tongue in my cheek
A hopeless romantic, you'll never see
Cuz you're not in on the joke

-Cobra Starship - You're Not In on the Joke

This category was a little tougher, because there were many good lyrics to choose from ("21 Guns" by Green Day, "Beautiful" by Eminem, even "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus, just to name a few). This line, however, from a song you most likely haven't heard (it's not and likely won't be a single), resonates with me for the light in which it portrays the way we present ourselves, particularly with regards to romantic relationships. It suggests (rightly so) that we harbor personalities deeper than the ones we present to the world at large, and this particular line is rife with disdain for the games we have to play in order to be successful in our romantic pursuits. The title of the song belies a more serious tone and subject matter, which is in a way representative of the message of the song - we sometimes hide who we really are, not necessarily because it's bad, but because it may not be exactly what you're accustomed to seeing.

Worst Song Lyric

Now super bad chicks givin' me McLovin
You would think I ran the world like Michelle's husband

-Kanye West (as featured in "Forever" by Drake)

This wasn't nearly as hard. You've got an overall good song bookended by good performances by Drake and Eminem, a not-great-but-not-bad third verse from Lil Wayne, and... Kanye West, in typical fashion, babbling like a moron. Listening to the rest of the song, you wonder how this imbecile wandered into this group of reasonably talented rappers. His entire crude verse is mundane rhymery at best, and the Superbad pun is pitiful, but then he follows it up with the piece de resistance. Michelle's husband... what was that guy's name again? Frick, I can't remember. I know he's married to Michelle though, so that's a pretty noteworthy accomplishment, I guess. Way to go, Kanye, now I know why Entertainment Weekly named you Artist of the Decade.

Best Song You Haven't Heard

Manic Bloom - Running From The Scene

Okay, so maybe you have heard it. Maybe you, like me, discovered this incredible song after watching the first Dude Perfect video, and considering how big that video got, that wouldn't surprise me at all. Still, this song didn't get any radio play (that I know of), so I'm willing to bet the vast majority of the public hasn't heard it. The chord progression (particularly in the chorus) is matched beautifully with the vocals, the steady driving beat and main riff give it a good edge without venturing too far into hard rock territory, and the lyrics are potently desperate yet ambiguous enough to be relatable to virtually anyone. If you haven't heard it yet, I think the best way to experience the song for the first time is with the very video I mentioned earlier:




Honorable Mention:
Honor Society - Where Are You Now

Best Cover

Seether - Careless Whisper

In a nutshell: Wham! gave the world this unremarkable song, and Seether turned it awesome. After the wailing guitar hook (which was, in the original, an elevator muzak style saxophone solo) sucks you in, the raw, pained emotion of Shaun Morgan's voice carries this track through to the finish. This heavy song now has an appropriate tone, and this is a darker, grittier update which, rather than marring it, actually improves upon the original.



Honorable Mentions:
My Chemical Romance - Desolation Row
Selena Gomez - Magic

Best Song That Doesn't Get As Much Play As It Should

The Black Eyed Peas - Meet Me Halfway

This boggles my mind. The comparatively melodic "Meet Me Halfway" is easily the BEP's best song ever, yet it doesn't get anywhere near as much radio play as nonsense like "Boom Boom Pow." Sure, the main riff is a Cyndi Lauper rip-off, but it fits the song beautifully, and Fergie's Madonna-inspired vocals are the best she's ever given us. Throw in some lyrics that are actually meaningful for a change (despite Will.I.Am's insistence on repeating words and syllables to fill up beats) and you've got a recipe for a rare gem from this group. Apparently, though, the only thing radio stations deem worthy of playing by the Black Eyed Peas are thumping bass beatfests featuring laughably ludicrous words. Or maybe that's just what America wants to hear. Either way, we don't hear nearly enough of this song.

Best Featured Performance

Eminem in "Forever" by Drake

Did I say earlier that Eminem's performance in this song was good? I'm sorry, what I should have said was "mind-blowingly amazing." Even as a standalone rap sample, it's quite good, but the fact that it's laid down alongside three other rappers really puts it in perspective. The first three verses are good enough (barring Kanye's insipid sexual allusions and horrible choice of similes), but then Eminem not only impressively amps up the speed of his flow, but also drops a lyrical bomb and blows away everything that's already been done. And the best part - he acknowledges that he's doing just that that within the first few lines. Eminem makes Drake, Kanye, and Lil Wayne look like third graders struggling to plod their way through their first poem; they saved the best for last, and the result is nothing short of epic.

Honorable Mentions:
Ludacris in "How Do You Sleep" by Jesse McCartney
Kanye West (ironically) in "Knock You Down" by Keri Hilson

Best Female Vocalist

Demi Lovato

What can I say; she's got some pipes. She can lay down something soft and pretty, and then turn right around and belt out something loud and forceful. If you don't believe me, have a listen to "Don't Forget," the title track off her debut album:





Honorable Mentions:
Lady Gaga
Miley Cyrus

Best Male Vocalist

Brent Smith of Shinedown

Brent Smith does a very good job singing on "Second Chance," and "The Sound of Madness" isn't a bad demonstration of his vocal talents either, but it's his performance on "If You Only Knew" that really stands out. A good demonstration of his range and power (and a great song to boot), this song solidifies his position as Best Male Vocalist:

Honorable Mentions:

Matthew Bellamy of Muse

Shaun Morgan of Seether


And that's all for now, folks. Part two (featuring Artist of the Year, Worst Song, and the Top 3 Songs of the Year) will be posted soon.

-Billy