(Photo Credit - Shervin Lainez)
TikTok has been a huge influence since the beginning of the pandemic. Whether you wanted to learn a dance, weird animal facts, or new trends, it was the place to be. It was also where so many artists began to get discovered and found.
One of those bands is AJR, and yes, I know, we knew about them for a while, but their songs are catchy, fun, and most importantly for these blogs, relatable.
I almost just entitled this "AJR", but I knew it would help if we just looked at one song. Here's "Bang!":
I get up, I get down and I'm jumping around And the rumpus and ruckus are comfortable now Been a hell of a ride but I'm thinking it's time to grow Bang! Bang! Bang! So I got an apartment across from the park Put quinoa in my fridge, still I'm not feeling grown Been a hell of a ride but I'm thinking it's time to go Bang! Bang! Bang! (Here we go) So put your best face on everybody Pretend you know this song Everybody come hang (come hang) Let's go out with a bang Bang! Bang! Bang! I'm way too young to lie here forever I'm way too old to try so whatever come hang (come hang) Let's go out with a bang Bang! Bang! Bang! Feel like I'm gonna puke 'cause my taxes are due Do my password begin with a one or a two? Been a hell of a ride but I'm thinking it's time to grow Bang! Bang! Bang! (Metronome) Man, I'm up to something (up to something) Ooh de la de do, thank you all for coming (all for coming) I hope you like the show 'Cause it's on a budget (on a budget) So ooh de la de do Yeah, come on, here we go Yeah, come on (Here we go) So put your best face on everybody Pretend you know this song Everybody come hang (come hang) Let's go out with a bang Bang! Bang! Bang! I'm way too young to lie here forever I'm way too old to try so whatever come hang (come hang) Let's go out with a bang Bang! Bang! Bang! (Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!) Bang! Bang! Bang! (Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!) Been a hell of a ride but I'm thinking it's time to go So put your best face on everybody Pretend you know this song Everybody come hang Let's go out with a bang Bang! Bang! Bang! (Here we go) So put your best face on everybody Pretend you know this song Everybody come hang (come hang) Let's go out with a bang Bang! Bang! Bang! (Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!) I'm way too young to lie here forever I'm way too old to try so whatever come hang (come hang) Let's go out with a bang Bang! Bang! Bang! (Here we go) Bang! Bang!
I think songwriters try to rhyme so hard that they forget that what resonates with other humans so much is how they connect to a song. Millennials, which I confess is the generation I am from, have been handed a shit show. AJR takes all of that information and presents it in fun ways such as, "Put quinoa in my fridge, still I'm not feeling grown". Is it the most annoying thing about the world falling apart? No, but it is just one silly thing on the list of many. Our generation has been fed lies that if you really work hard or if you really try to save or if you really give up on your dreams, then, you will be a well-adjusted adult. We know this to be false.
So, if your vibe is pop and fun, AJR is a great role model for you. They know how to poke fun at the mundane like this great line - "Feel like I'm gonna puke 'cause my taxes are due". It is just one more thing we HAVE to do.
The genius behind this song-writing is the following: they could be angry. They could be a very loud, very angry, very rough band. However, they know that isn't their personality as a band. Instead, they take things that are real to them and many others and make it fun, an anthem, an outlet.
So, next time you are in a funk - think - how can I put a spin on this to make it relatable to others, and by doing so, you really are doing a public service by adding that much joy to the rest of the world. Until next time.