ALBUM COVER - The Lion King: The Gift, Beyoncé
Despite all the hate the new Lion King movie has had aimed its way, something we can salvage from all the wreckage is a new Beyoncé album. At first, I just chose this album cover because it looks really imposing, elegant and classy - all words synonymous with Queen Bey herself. But the more I look at it, the more I realise that it’s actually the perfect image for the Lion King, because on one level it conveys the power struggle between Mufasa and Scar, and later Simba and Scar. But also it points to the ‘circle of life’ (try saying that without breaking into song), and of all the animals playing their part in the merry-go-round of life and death. Maybe it’s just because I’ve been reading so much about Buddhism for my thesis this summer, and the image reminds me a bit of samsara, the wheel of rebirth, and also a little of Taoism’s Yin and Yang. Either way, it’s a super cool image, and one I definitely gravitate towards. 
SONG LYRIC - “She’s giving me ultimatums, I told her I like tomatoes”, Chance the Rapper
Um…ok, Chance. You go ahead and tell her that *insert confused emoji*. After the heavy meanings of the lyrics in my last post on anxiety (which you can read here), for this month’s Best Song Lyric I simply went for something that is fun and made me smile. Chance the Rapper is a soundbite maestro, with ‘Don’t Forget the Happy Thoughts’ now emblazoned across T-Shirts and Hoodies galore. What I love about this lyric is it is completely nonsensical, but it’s this ridiculousness that makes it utterly hilarious. At least next time your partner gives you any ultimatums, you know what to say… Although on second thought, maybe don’t try this one at home, folks. 
SONG TITLE - Post Malone - Sam Feldt ft. RANI
It’s not particularly inventive, but I always feel it’s kind of meta when an artist uses another artist for the name of their song. The Chainsmokers did it on their early track, ‘Kanye’, and it’s a good way of enticing the listener in, because regardless of whether you’re a fan of the name-checked artist or not, it makes you wonder how they fit into the song’s story and lyrics. It’s also a clever marketing tool, because Post Malone currently has a song in the charts. Maybe it’s just the equivalent of when bloggers look up which keywords are being googled the most and use it as the title for their next post! 
MUSIC VIDEO - Beautiful People, Ed Sheeran ft. Khalid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj0XInqZMHY There were lots of contenders for this one. Chris Brown and Drake’s ‘No Guidance’ is hilarious, and worth a watch solely for Drake’s self-deprecating dance moves. Equally, another of Ed’s visuals, his collaboration with Travis Scott for ‘Antisocial’, is wonderfully off-the-wall and wacky. Having said that, after having watched it a good 5 times I still have no clue what it’s about. ‘Beautiful People’ is a poignant rejection of the star-studded, luxurious lifestyle that celebrities often pursue. It follows a middle-aged, down-to-earth couple as they are forced to look on in bemusement at the glitz and glamour of the house parties and fashion shows that engulf them. What’s sweet is they continue to live exactly as they would if they were on a cul-de-sac in Stoke, as opposed to the mock L.A. in the music video. While everyone else is partying, the wife makes the husband a cuppa, and before long they are tucked up in bed with sleeping masks as the music and drinking continues around them. It sums up the message of the song - ‘Droptop, designer clothes/Front row at fashion shows’, before Ed emphatically protests, ‘That’s not who we are’. It’s grounding, and refreshing. And the couple in the video are just too darn adorable for me not to pick this as video of the month. Read my review of Ed's new album here Yours sincerely, but not too seriously, Max.i'm
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 Lyric of the Week - Florida Georgia Line, People Are Different "Slip on a pair of another man's shoes You'll see by the time you get back This old world would be a whole lot better place If we'd all just embrace the fact That people are different" The country duo speak the truth. If anything, it's sad they even have to say it, but in this odd world where we still seem to struggle to accept one another, you can't blame them for re-iterating. A similar theme was covered in my Self Help Songs post on 6lack's Switch - check it out here. Album Cover of the Week - Dave, Psychodrama  An album cover of a guy with his head set on fire? Yawn, seen it all before. But an album cover of a guy with his head set on blue fire? THAT. IS. AWESOME. For those of you wanting depth, you'd better move swiftly onto Song Title of the Week, because I chose Dave's Psychodrama on the basis of one criterion: it looks pretty darn cool. It's quite sparse and basic, but in a minimalist, artsy, electro-future-fire-mutant kind of way. And I like the colour blue. Song Title of the Week - Drake, Lust for Life An homage to the great Van Gogh's biography, this title on Drake's recently re-released So Far Gone mixtape is succinct, meaningful and evocative. The fact that this was the career-defining mixtape, one that dropped as Drake stood on the brink of his destiny to become the biggest rapper in the world, only serves to add to the poignance. Drake eventually got the life he so publicly lusted after - just maybe not the woman (but what was there not to love, Nicki?). Music Video of the Week - James Blake- Mile High (feat. Travis Scott and Metro Boomin) Trippy and, perhaps a little guilty of self-indulgence, but nonetheless it's fun to watch, and matches the mood of the track perfectly. The video starts with Travis Scott's confused face disappearing into a tunnel of blackness as he tries to wake Blake up, before we become immersed in the UK artist's mind, which, spoiler alert, exclusively features himself and Travis Scott swirling around aimlessly. Hey, I'm not judging, 'aimless thoughts' sounds a lot like the inside of my mind. Like I said, the video's a tad over-the-top, but maybe that's what makes it so entertaining. So these are my Aesthetics of the Week! Feel free to let me know of any good lyrics, titles, covers or videos I may have missed... Yours sincerely, but not too seriously, Max.i'm P.S. If you're looking to buy the Aesthetics of the Week:  Album Art - The 1975, A Brief Enquiry Into Online Relationships You might have gathered from previous posts that I’m not a fan of modern rock. But for the past two ‘Album Arts of the Week’ I’ve chosen cover art from rock bands - perhaps this means they should all quit their day jobs and become artists instead of singers? I speak in jest, for rock music obviously has a lot to offer in the today’s times, especially, it seems, The 1975. Which is ironic, considering their group’s name is over 40 years old. The title of their upcoming album, A Brief Enquiry Into Online Relationships, draws intrigue, and pokes fun at the pervasiveness of technology in the 21st Century, a subject that will undoubtedly provide numerous points of interest when the album is ultimately released (See, at Maximoco Review HQ we’re so ahead of the charts, we review albums that haven’t even come out yet. That way, no-one can tell if our review is way off the mark or not). But you may be staring at this random arrangement of coloured dots, and wondering why it’s sitting under the ‘Album Art of the Week’ heading. I confess that I’m not artistically learned enough to be able to explain to you the subtle machinations and hidden messages behind this picture. As much of a cop-out as it may be, I simply chose it because I find it aesthetically pleasing, and it definitely gives off a minimalist, AI-fax-machine (is that a thing?) kind of feel, which ties it in perfectly with the album title. It looks like the sort of thing you’d find at a modernist art exhibition, where everyone stands around it nodding and hmm-ing pensively, when really no-one has the slightest clue as to what they are looking at. And that’s why I like it. Song Title - 'Look Up Child', Lauren Daigle I think this is the vocalised thought of every parent and grandparent in the world right now. Children and teenagers are glued to their phones, living their lives through the eyes of social media, which inevitably entails living life through the eyes of someone else. As Drake wisely raps on ‘Emotionless’, “I always hear people complain about the place that they live…Cause they been staring at somebody else’s version of s***”. It seems Daigle is offering a similarly poignant message for our society. There is a wonderful world to see out there, but we miss most of it because we’re too busy looking down at our phones. If you’re reading this on your phone - look up! (But of course, don’t forget to return to us later. Sorry, page-views over scenic-views). Still, see the sky, see the birds, see the trees. It’ll inspire you. Also, on a less practical note, it’ll mean you’re less likely to walk straight into a telegraph pole. Music Video - 2 Chainz ft. Quavo, Drake: 'Bigger Than You' Watch as child-lookalikes of three of the biggest names in rap strut around in a school and cause anarchy for the teachers. Ah, reminds me of my days of young rebellion at High School, only reading four out of the five books on the reading lists, and some days, if I was feeling really naughty, not even doing any extra work during lunch time. I know, pretty scary stuff, but don’t fret, my life is firmly back on the rails now. Anyway, it’s a fun video - check it out here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r26bNe0MTzs Yours sincerely, but not too seriously, Max.i'm Featuring: LOGIC, BILLIE EILISH, ALICE IN CHAINS AND KENNY CHESNEY
Lyric of the Week - Kenny Chesney, ‘Get Along
He said all your really given is the sunshine and your name Chesney’s knack for storytelling is once again highlighted, as he recounts a tale of a religious man giving him some rather deep advice. The song is of course all about the mantra of getting on with those around you (spoiler alert in the title), with a very unsubtly cloaked reference to the Christian principle of ‘Love thy neighbour’. While I appreciate the message, it is easy for songs like this to come across as overly preachy and self-righteous. But that is why I love these two lines, because they add a touch of self-deprecating humour, as Chesney recalls the profound teaching that fundamentally all we have is ‘the sunshine and our name’, but then as the singer is pondering this it ironically starts to rain. Key lesson to be learnt? Apparently you do need to take an umbrella on that summer Nashville trip you’ve been planning after all. Seriously though, as you well know, over at Maximoco HQ we hate too much seriousness, but we are suckers for a good, loving message - so that’s why these lyrics were bound to be a hit with us. Album Art of the Week - Alice in Chains, Rainier Fog 
Now, I’m a big fan of bright colours, and I’m not a big fan of rock music. So as I’m staring at this entirely black-and-white, murky album cover from a rock band, part of me wonders what I was thinking choosing this for Album Art of the Week. But for some reason, the image just looks awesome to me - I love the office-style cut-and-paste juxtaposition with the scenes of nature, and the man walking into the ‘eye’ of the storm (quite literally) creates a very ominous vibe. The writing in the bottom left-hand corner adds to the overall mystery, making this look like a poster for an upcoming horror movie, and certainly has a voyage into the unknown feel about it. Just lost out to ‘Performance’ by White Denim. 
Title of the Week - ‘you should see me in a crown’, Billie Eilish
Inspired by the famous Moriaty line from BBC’s Sherlock, “In a world of locked rooms, the man with the key is king. And honey, you should see me in a crown.” This song screams confidence compacted into a sassy, pithy punchline. Also poignant because the original quote is about ‘the man’, while Billie switches this to be about herself in an empowering move. And if you’re wondering whether the standard of this blog’s spellchecking is slacking, Billie brands all her song titles without any capitals. Travis Scott did it first. Just saying. Music Video of the Week - ‘One Day’, Logic ft. Ryan Tedder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIZhyifo6Q4 
To be honest, I started watching this with a sceptical eye. Logic already played the humanitarian card last year with his National Suicide Prevention hit single ‘1-800-273-8255'. ‘One Day’ dropped out of the blue, following a very thuggish Bobby Tarantino mixtape, and handily just in time for the VMAs. Logic performed, of course, and while it was moving it was also in danger of coming across as an attempt to jump on the anti-Trump bandwagon, and using the well-publicised border crisis to fuel another surge up the charts. But whatever your feelings about the actual track, or his VMA’s performance, the music video is undoubtedly poignant and well-constructed. It begins as expected, with a dramatisation of the separation of a family trying to cross into the USA, and then we fast forward to follow the lives of one of the children who has been separated and given a new home, as well as a boy who grows up to become a neo-Nazi. The plot line is a little convoluted at times, but the conclusion more than makes up for this. The message is one that is very relevant to our times, and you can be as mistrusting of Logic’s motives as you like, and I don’t even really like the song, but viewed as an isolated piece of art, this music video is incredibly inspiring and captures what it is trying to communicate perfectly.
Yours sincerely, but not too seriously, Max.i'm 
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 LYRIC OF THE WEEK Paranoid, Post Malone - “Killing myself just to make me a life” If you had to sum up the modern Western mentality, this is it. We work ourselves into the ground, ruining our health by getting so stressed about deadlines and being productive, and then we use the money we make from our job to try and get our health back. It is an illogical cycle, but one that is hard not to succumb to. So take Malone’s word of warning - yes, plan for the future, and yes, be dedicated to whatever you pursue. But remember that money isn’t everything - family, health and love is. SONGTITLE OF THE WEEK Love is still the answer, Jason Mraz Ok, so clearly this week we’re all about that ‘peace and love, man’. However, I like this title not only because it’s advocating love being the most important thing in life, which it undoubtedly is, and that it is the best way to fight negativity. This is an awesome message, but not that original in today’s music - what I found most interesting is the ‘still’. It touches on how, in this world that everyone keeps telling us is the worst the human race has ever lived in, it is easy to start reciprocating the hate around us with more hate. We naturally feed off the energy other people emanate, but what Mraz is suggesting is that we still meet hate with love - even though in this day and age the temptation to do otherwise will be stronger than ever. Create your own energy. And if you’re starting to fear that the Maximoco Review is becoming too deep, find reassurance in the fact that I nearly chose Travis Scott’s ‘ASTROTHUNDER’ instead of ‘Love is still the answer’ - for no other reason than I think ‘Astrothunder’ is a really cool word. ALBUM COVER OF THE WEEK  Side Effects, The Chainsmokers ft. Emily Warren I’ll be honest with you, I’m not quite sure what this polycephalic tiger is supposed to symbolise. Maybe it’s the head and heart battling against each other, maybe it’s the two lovers being one but fighting against the feeling. I don’t know, but what I do know is I love this drawing. It reminds me of those old-fashioned picture books my grandparents had passed down to my parents, where the art was all very detailed and ornate. Relevant or not, this album cover gave me a Madeleine Moment for my childhood, so this is why it’s tops my list this week. MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK In My Feelings, Drake - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRS_PpOrUZ4 Hold on, hold on, before you criticise my choice, I know it’s not that good a song. And I know it’s only famous because of Shiggy’s dance, and Drake is exploiting this by having him in the video. BUT! As manufactured as it might be, it is still very funny. I know it can be corny at times, but I don’t think Drake’s a terrible actor, and I love that he doesn’t take himself too seriously when he tries to make a cheesy meme-fuelled song into a Romeo and Juliet style love story. Any choices that we missed out? Which would you have gone for? Yours sincerely, but not too seriously, Max.i'm |
AuthorHello! I'm currently studying Philosophy & Theology at Oxford University, UK. Having always loved writing and music in equal measure, and having always hated decision-making, I figured hey, why do I need to choose between the two? Archives
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