The media hyped it as the best halftime show ever. That perhaps is the biggest problem I had with the Super Bowl XVI which was played on February 13.
If you know me, I am not a fan of the hip hop genre in spite of its current domination of popular music in the past ten years or so. And yes, it's been around for over 40 years. So, to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to this year's halftime show which, for the first time, featured an all-hip hop theme (well, except for one cool R&B singer). And I pretty much half-heartedly watched part of the show. And as expected my friends both live and on social media pretty much dissed it.
But, if you think about it, this was a show that was long overdue and if you also look at the performers, it made a lot of sense.
 |
| Classic Hip-Hop performers took the stage for the halftime show during Super Bowl LVI. |
Rappers have, of course, made Super Bowl halftime appearances before. In fact, Nelly and P. Diddy performed at 2004's edition. If you don't remember that, it's probably because they were overshadowed by "nipplegate", aka, the "wardrobe malfunction" from Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. In recent years, the likes of Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliot, M.I.A., Big Boi, Bad Bunny, Travis Scott and others have been a staple of halftime shows.
But perhaps what makes this one stand out was that these were significant performers who made their mark in the 1990's when hip hop pretty much came into its own: Dr. Dre, formerly of seminal group N.W.A, his proteges Snoop Dogg and Eminem, along with newer rapper Kendrick Lamarr and R&B singer Mary J. Blige, with help from Anderson.Paak and 50 Cent provided the entertainment.
I'm not going to comment on the performances, as I mentioned before, because I half-heartedly listened and watched, but I will defend the reason, at least partially, why this was an important show.
Halftimes in the past have had a mixture of many genres, often in the same show, but many featured just pop artists. Hip Hop on this year's edition pretty much had the stage to itself, especially since it featured the rappers who pretty much were responsible to laying the groundwork for the genre's current success. One friend noted the age of the performers: "Did they hit the geriatric home for rappers for this show?". Eminem is 49, Snoop 50, and Dre, 57. But it wasn't that long ago that, between 2005 and 2011, the show featured classic rockers from the 60's to 80's. Paul McCartney was 62 when he performed in 2005, Jagger and Richards of the Rolling Stones about the same age in 2006, and Bruce Springsteen 59 when he performed with the E-Street Band in 2009, so they were all older than those that performed this year.
I do have a question, however. Is the reason for this show to display classic hip-hop, or is it a statement on race, one which the NFL has wrestled with for several years following the Colin Kaepernick controversy of kneeling during the National Anthem? At the end zone, written was "end racism" which aside from Kaepernick, surfaced in recent years, in particular the George Floyd killing and Black Lives Matter. But, the NFL since day one, has always included African American performers, going back to the very beginning, when it featured traditionally black Grambling University Marching Band, and also had tributes to legends like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, and as mentioned above, has showcased many performers of color. such as Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, over the past several decades.
So, I understand that this was a show that needed to be done. We've had some halftime shows showcasing particular genres. Aside from the classic rock years of 2005-2011, jazz, Motown, Swing, Dixieland, Country, Soul, R&B, and the many eras of popular music in general were the focus of many a halftime show, thus this hip-hop extravaganza was perhaps well overdue. Many millennials grew up with this music. And to be honest, the genre was far better then, than it is now. At least then, rappers were more articulate and rapped to the beat rather than jamming multiple words in a measure bar set to a very sparse beat, something which has also plagued popular music for the past twenty-five years. I was glad to see that backing musicians playing actual instruments were there to accompany the artists. While I am not sure about all the hype about this being the best ever (hard to do when you have had 56 such shows), but it was, if you're a fan of the genre, one that you will remember.
LAVIGNE INTERVENTION: So far on my SNS 100 playlist for 2022, Scottish singer-songwriter Anna Lavigne remains the big story. Her "This Time" lands a second week at the top, following "Dance the Last Goodbye", which led for the four prior weeks. As a result, Ms. Lavigne has had the #1 song for six straight weeks. In addition, her "Mindblown" jumps 16-5 to land her three simultaneous top five songs, becoming only the second artist to do so in the eleven and a half years of this blog, following ScreenAge, which accomplished the feat just last year. While "This Time" still has a comfortable lead, and "Mindblown" might be headed to the top, it appears that Tim Izzard's "Empty My Head", with a 15-3 jump could land at the summit in a couple weeks, if not next week. Regardless, it should be interesting next two weeks to watch.
After a few stagnant weeks to begin 2022, it seems that some great newly released music is finally coming out and making leaps up my chart. Aside from "Mindblown" and "Empty My Head", the latest from Babeheaven (23-13, Impact award), Einstein's Dad, SadGirl and Hegazy, make impressive moves into the top 20. Red Hot Chili Peppers grab the Mover award in a 51-25 leap. While "Black Summer" is in the "Under the Bridge" style, it seems to be a bit more flavorful than the usual RHCP fare. Anthony Kiedis, despite being from the Midwest, seems to have a sort of an Irish accent here, which adds a bit of spice to the song. I am also liking action from LP, Middle Kids, Winnetka Bowling League and Demi Lovato, Papercuts and Bob Moses.
BACK TO PORTUGAL, MAN: The Top Debut this week is the latest from Portugal. The Man, "What, Me Worry?". Last time out, if you remember, P.TM was the alternative "flavor of the month" when "Feel It Still" hit #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, something that Glass Animals currently enjoy. The new one is very awesome, has some pop hooks and very melodic, the way pop-rock should be. It has a bit of soul and rhythm to go along with some great, alternative rock. As such, it'll probably be rejected by the pop snobs, which is fine; we have the song to ourselves in the alt-rock world. Well done. Both "Feel it Still" and "Live in the Moment" hit #1 on the blog, and this one is a good candidate to repeat that.
Nane is a band from Austin Texas and debuts here with "Seventeen", a good driving rock song that should do well here. New Jersey-based Bleachers returns with "How Dare You Want More" should top recent output.
BACK TO THE BEACH: With Elton John & Dua Lipa, and Zac Brown Band on the beach music charts this month, it's time to add some from that genre. Currently #1 on that chart is "Got to be You" by Dr. Victor, which has that disco/beach hybrid sound from the 1970's (Think Lou Rawls' "You Never Find a Love Like Mine"). The Cat 5 Band, from North Carolina, taking their name from the term for a major hurricane, enter with "Ain't Nothing Better". Finally, Deb Browning's "Stop Messin' with My Man", which led my beach music releases last summer and which hit #7 then, re-enters at #80. There are a few reasons for that resurgence. I had the pleasure of friending Ms. Browning on Facebook after posting that her song landed on my Top 100 of 2021 (at #24), and in addition, the song is still strong on the beach music charts, currently #4 on the Smokin' list and in the top 20 on The Surf (94.1, Myrtle Beach) radio station. She is very personable and friendly with her fans on social media, and she has some active projects going on. I will talk more about this talented singer in future blogs.
Rounding out the debuts are British duo Wet Leg, with "Chaise Lounge". Led by Rhina Teasdale, the song reminds me a lot of Romeo Void's 80's classic "Never Say Never". Cool stuff.
SECOND LOOK: Aside from "Stop Messin' with My Man", I am giving three other songs a second look. Brandi Carlile's "Right on Time" has been sticking around the bottom half of my list for 18 weeks, but finally moves 75-61. This vocal and piano ballad is something that perhaps Adele would have done a few years back. This is a tender, emotional ballad and the only reason it hasn't moved up is that the song rarely came up in my random playlist. Last week it finally did, and it's time to finally give this a chance. Powerful. The catchy "Making a Fire" by Foo Fighters also reenters as the song is stuck in my head.
The final song is "Mittens" by Train. This week, all but two holiday songs finally move off the list, with the Kristin Chenowith on its way out at #97. However, the Train song reverses course and advances 98-72. While the song is from the Hallmark holiday movie Christmas in Tahoe, the song doesn't really reference the holiday as much as it does winter in general. Since the last time I checked, it's still mid-February, it is still winter. Given that many "holiday" classics like "Baby It's Cold Outside" and "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" were originally released after the holiday season, there's good reason to keep this around. But the real reason for the resurgence is that the song has that early Fitz and the Tantrums neo-soul vibe, especially during the chorus. Pat Monahan (who appears in the movie) has done several styles with his band, and thus deserves several more listens with this song.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
February 13, 2022
|
This Week |
Last
Week |
ARTIST-Title |
Weeks
on List |
|
1 |
1 |
NUMBER ONE:  Album: Roses for the Ride (2 weeks at #1) |
12 |
|
2 |
2 |
15 |
|
|
3 |
15 |
4 |
|
|
4 |
5 |
12 |
|
|
5 |
16 |
4 |
|
|
6 |
8 |
11 |
|
|
7 |
9 |
9 |
|
|
8 |
6 |
10 |
|
|
9 |
3 |
11 |
|
|
10 |
4 |
12 |
|
|
11 |
7 |
17 |
|
|
12 |
12 |
11 |
|
|
13 |
18 |
11 |
|
|
14 |
23 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:  Album: Sink Into Me |
4 |
|
15 |
25 |
5 |
|
|
16 |
11 |
20 |
|
|
17 |
17 |
11 |
|
|
18 |
10 |
13 |
|
|
19 |
26 |
5 |
|
|
20 |
34 |
3 |
|
|
21 |
13 |
13 |
|
|
22 |
14 |
9 |
|
|
23 |
21 |
Courtney Barnett - Write A Listing of Things to Look Forward To |
9 |
|
24 |
19 |
17 |
|
|
25 |
51 |
MOVER OF THE WEEK:  Album: Unlimited Love |
2 |
|
26 |
22 |
12 |
|
|
27 |
29 |
7 |
|
|
28 |
32 |
5 |
|
|
29 |
44 |
5 |
|
|
30 |
27 |
19 |
|
|
31 |
28 |
20 |
|
|
32 |
24 |
12 |
|
|
33 |
20 |
13 |
|
|
34 |
49 |
5 |
|
|
35 |
48 |
3 |
|
|
36 |
41 |
7 |
|
|
37 |
45 |
4 |
|
|
38 |
37 |
9 |
|
|
39 |
50 |
3 |
|
|
40 |
55 |
2 |
|
|
41 |
30 |
18 |
|
|
42 |
39 |
6 |
|
|
43 |
--- |
TOP DEBUT:  "What, We Worry?" (Single Only) |
1 |
|
44 |
40 |
10 |
|
|
45 |
33 |
28 |
|
|
46 |
53 |
3 |
|
|
47 |
31 |
15 |
|
|
48 |
42 |
37 |
|
|
49 |
38 |
27 |
|
|
50 |
43 |
9 |
|
|
51 |
35 |
15 |
|
|
52 |
47 |
5 |
|
|
53 |
36 |
18 |
|
|
54 |
46 |
26 |
|
|
55 |
54 |
4 |
|
|
56 |
56 |
3 |
|
|
57 |
64 |
2 |
|
|
58 |
52 |
28 |
|
|
59 |
63 |
3 |
|
|
60 |
70 |
2 |
|
|
61 |
75 |
19 |
|
|
62 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
63 |
67 |
3 |
|
|
64 |
78 |
2 |
|
|
65 |
73 |
2 |
|
|
66 |
62 |
4 |
|
|
67 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
68 |
71 |
8 |
|
|
69 |
76 |
3 |
|
|
70 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
71 |
80 |
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats - Face Down in the Moment |
8 |
|
72 |
98 |
7 |
|
|
73 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
74 |
58 |
33 |
|
|
75 |
81 |
2 |
|
|
76 |
74 |
13 |
|
|
77 |
57 |
11 |
|
|
78 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
79 |
69 |
30 |
|
|
80 |
RE ENTRY |
25 |
|
|
81 |
83 |
2 |
|
|
82 |
59 |
15 |
|
|
83 |
68 |
10 |
|
|
84 |
60 |
16 |
|
|
85 |
61 |
15 |
|
|
86 |
66 |
5 |
|
|
87 |
65 |
14 |
|
|
88 |
72 |
14 |
|
|
89 |
RE ENTRY |
12 |
|
|
90 |
77 |
8 |
|
|
91 |
88 |
32 |
|
|
92 |
91 |
35 |
|
|
93 |
79 |
16 |
|
|
94 |
82 |
17 |
|
|
95 |
84 |
5 |
|
|
96 |
85 |
22 |
|
|
97 |
86 |
9 |
|
|
98 |
87 |
21 |
|
|
99 |
89 |
33 |
|
|
100 |
90 |
7 |
|
|
Songs with the greatest increase in
favorite points over the prior week. ●
Songs with
25 or more plays on iTunes/iPods ▲ Songs with 50 or more plays.
|
|
Holiday Songs
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