Dove Cameron's cover of "Genie in a Bottle"

Dove Cameron's cover of "Genie in a Bottle" has great vocals and performance quality, but it sort of lacks when it comes to the way Disney changed the lyrics to be more kid friendly.

The music video sees Dove acting as her "Descendants" character Mal and looking for her genie friend Jordan. Then she wishes aloud that she had Jordan's kind of magic and rubs Jordan's lamp, which causes Mal to shrink down inside the lamp and become a genie as the song plays.

I really enjoyed Dove's performance as she explored the lamp and her singing fit perfectly with the song, which isn't surprising since she's a solid singer and actress. But those kid friendly alternate lyrics threw me off the first several times I listened to the song.

I see the value in cleaning up the lyrics for a child audience, especially with the standards Disney is held to, but some of their replacements didn't quite work from a sensical perspective.

For instance, the original lyric "my body's saying let's go / but my heart is saying no" is replaced with "my mind is saying let's go / but my heart is saying no." It fits the flow, but it doesn't really make sense considering the fact that in mind vs. heart scenarios, the mind is usually making the wise decision.

I also don't know why "needs me" is replaced with "gets me." It doesn't make things more or less kid friendly, and I don't think it addresses another issue. And while I can understand why "you're lickin' your lips" has been replaced, I don't think "thinking of rain" makes a lot of sense as the replacement.

Likewise, while I acknowledge that "rub me the right way" is being used as a seductive double entendre in the original song, rubbing someone the right or wrong way is also a common saying that isn't inherently suggestive.

On the bright side, "ask me the right way" is a good alternative if they really had to change the line. It still fits the non-suggestive meaning and flow, and it reinforces the importance of consent, so I'll give them that one.

I've grown accustomed to the lyrical changes over time, and I never planned to let that stop me from enjoying a good Dove Cameron song anyway. Listen for yourself to see how you feel about it.

'Into the Unknown' captures the essence of adventure

"Into the Unknown" is arguably the equivalent of "Let It Go" for "Frozen II" in terms of its strong vocals and catchy lyrics setting the stage for Elsa (Idina Menzel) to go on her newest adventure.

A mysterious voice calls to Elsa to entice her into an adventure and Elsa spends most of the song trying to fight the call before eventually giving in. Aurora provides the mysterious voice calling to Elsa, which is perhaps even more of an earworm than the chorus and ever-evolving pre-chorus.

"Into the Unknown" really captures the feeling of wanting to explore the unknown. The song makes me want to drop everything and go on an adventure. Then I remember that I'm broke, out of shape, and perpetually anxious. But still, it inspires adventurous feelings.

Likewise, I'm a sucker for anything featuring the voice of Idina Menzel ever since my choir teacher had us sing songs from "Wicked" in sixth grade, and "Into the Unknown" is no exception. I keep trying to think of a part of the song to highlight, but I can't decide because I like the song from start to finish.

Listen to the song and tell me you don't feel at least a small twinge of desire to go on an adventure.

'Let's Have a Kiki/Turkey Lurkey Time' is one of the most chaotic mashups on 'Glee'

"Glee" has featured a number of chaotic song mashups, but arguably the most chaotic mashup of them all is "Let's Have a Kiki/Turkey Lurkey Time" from the season four "Thanksgiving" episode.

"Let's Have a Kiki" has a smooth techno style as it describes throwing a party for gossip and chit-chat, whereas "Turkey Lurkey Time" has a bouncy folk vibe that sounds like it could be used to get elementary schoolers excited about Thanksgiving dinner.

Isabelle's (Sarah Jessica Parker) bewildered face immediately after Rachel (Lea Michelle) suddenly transitions into "Turkey Lurkey Time" is possibly the best and most accurate reaction. The mashup is still fun, mostly because everyone just goes with it, but it's wild and doesn't quite fit.

Watching the "Let's Have a Kiki/Turkey Lurkey Time" mashup in the context of the episode might work, but listening to the song without the video would be a bit jarring. But given some of the initial character reactions, maybe that was intentional.

After all, it wouldn't be the first time that Rachel pulled a weird stunt to draw attention to herself while lacking awareness of just how weird the stunt is—just consider the "Run Joey Run" debacle, Rachel and Finn's (Corey Monteith) "With You I'm Born Again" performance, and when she sent a potential rival to a crack house.

And "Glee" thrives on awkward character interactions anyway. It's practically a staple of the show.

Either way, I always get a good giggle out of watching the "Let's Have a Kiki/Turkey Lurkey Time" mashup performance, so maybe you will too.

4 songs, 1 name: 'Supergirl' songs I enjoy

Supergirl was a popular topic for pop songs during the early 2000s. Among many others that probably exist, I like four particular songs that are all called "Supergirl." All of them are very similar in their themes, but they also bring unique spins in their execution, all of which are enjoyable.

Namely, they all tend to rally around romantic themes either directly or indirectly, which I suppose is fitting since Supergirl was originally treated as merely a female version of Superman and many of her storylines centered around romance, as I understand it.

Likewise, these songs may just be using Supergirl as a symbol of feminine power and meshing that with whatever their definition of feminine power is.

Either way, here's a list of songs I like called "Supergirl," organized alphabetically by artist.

Krystal Harris

Krystal Harris' "Supergirl" is a 2001 pop ballad that's simultaneously empowering while also addressing loneliness. It's probably best remembered for being part of the soundtrack for "The Princess Diaries" movie.

I especially like the first verse and the chorus. Not only do those lyrics most resemble the actual hero Supergirl, but they also have a lot of fun and personality woven into them with descriptions of a "magic piano," for instance. I like the way it rolls off the tongue.

Between the more empowering lyrics about "conquering the world" and the softer lyrics about not wanting to be alone, the song is actually very fitting for the real Supergirl.

Laura Benanti

Laura Benanti's version of "Supergirl" is a bit of an oddity. No matter how much I try, I can't seem to find any reference to the song outside this video, regardless of whether she's the one singing it or not.

Based on what the YouTuber who posted the video has said, it's an unreleased song Benanti wrote that was recorded live in 2004. When I found it, I think I was binging through Benanti's Broadway and off-Broadway content after seeing her in season one of the "Supergirl" TV show.

The lyrics address themes of insecurity and putting up facades. It's beautifully written and sung, and it also has a lovely piano accompaniment. I wish there were a more official release of the song somewhere, but this video will suffice for now.

Reamonn

Reamonn's 2000 version of "Supergirl" is a more romantic number that also highlights both the strong will and the insecurity of the song's subject.

I especially like the chorus, which states: "And then she'd say, 'It's okay' / 'I got lost on the way, but I'm a Supergirl' / And Supergirl don't cry / And then she'd say, 'It's alright' / 'I got home late last night, but I'm a Supergirl' / And Supergirls just fly."

It's not about the literal Supergirl, but it still fits depending on the version you go with. And regardless, it's just a good song between the lyrics, the vocals, and the instrumentation. It's an easy listen.

Saving Jane

Saving Jane's 2008 version of "Supergirl" once again alludes to romance and being the life of the party.

The song feels like it could've been used in the soundtrack of a high school-oriented TV show like "Gossip Girl," though I can't find any evidence that it was used for anything other than being an athletic theme song for Danica Patrick and Nastia Liukin.

Regardless, the beat, vocals, and lyrics are fun and catchy. I especially like the counting theme used in the two pre-choruses.

The first of the two pre-choruses is the best: "(One) One, two, come and see what I can do / (Two) Two, three, everybody's after me / (Three) Three, four, let me tell you what's in store / Let's go, everybody on the floor."

Saving Jane is an underrated band with plenty of great songs like this one.

BTS' popularity knows no bounds

Admittedly, I don't know too much about BTS other than the fact that the group is riding the Korean Wave of popularity, the group's fandom is appropriately called ARMY, and the members are currently taking a break to complete their mandatory military service.

I do know this though: BTS is unbelievably popular even in the wake of its hiatus.

I've seen the ARMY fandom all over the internet hyping BTS up, I've continuously had friends and colleagues recommend both the group and its members' solo endeavors, and I've even heard my dad listening to "My Universe" during his late-night music binges.

Likewise, even after group members started their military service, BTS and its individual members have continued to be nominated for MAMA and Grammy awards, and they've released their concert movie, a soundtrack, and a 10th anniversary single.

Plus, like other international artists, BTS has managed to foster diplomacy through the positive messages they send on the international stage, which has earned them special recognition from both the South Korean government and other international diplomatic organizations.

BTS' ARMY continues to grow strong even in its absence, and I look forward to seeing how much more growth occurs when the group has made its intended return.

JT Music creates fun, catchy music

JT Music is a two-man music group created by childhood friends John and Christian, aka Pat and Skull. They create all kinds of songs, many of which are based on video games. Some of my favorite songs they've made are about the "Five Nights at Freddy's" franchise.

In particular, I really enjoy "Join Us for a Bite," "We Don't Bite," and "Another Five Nights." The songs get better and better as time goes on. The songs for the first two games are sort of middling to me, but JT Music seemed to hit its stride starting with the third game's song and continued from there.

Each song infuses gameplay and lore while going back and forth between raps and electrically autotuned singing that perfectly fits the atmosphere of the games.

"Join Us for a Bite" and some of the other songs from the fifth game onward feature more real singing without electrical autotune since they feature different singers.

When I heard that the "Five Nights at Freddy's" movie was going to include cameos and fan-made content, I hoped to hear one of JT Music's songs, but the group's songs weren't included. Hopefully, there will be an opportunity to use the songs in future installments.

I highly suggest checking out JT Music's work.

Review of Doja Cat's 'Demons'

Doja Cat's music video for her song "Demons" came out Aug. 31, but it has all the vibes of something that came out Oct. 31.

The video takes place in a house with a for-sale sign, flickering lights, levitating kitchen items, and children watching TV static. Basically, all the classic elements of horror movies.

Christina Ricci stars in the video as a woman being tormented by Doja Cat and two other people in demonic form. Ricci sells her performance even when she's stuck in a state of sleep paralysis, and she further cements it when she explores the house in a terrified state.

Ricci finds a less demonic version of Doja Cat while exploring the attic with a large camera and then runs out of the house with her two children, eventually running over the for-sale sign on her way out.

There are plenty of stunning visuals with Doja Cat too, both in her demonic form and in other instances such as when she sits in a tub of black goo or when she's sassily typing the song's lyrics on a typewriter in the attic.

The video is a great slice of the horror genre, and I especially like the design of the demons because it reminds me of a darker version of the demonic design in Panic! at the Disco's "Emperor's New Clothes" video.

Despite my enjoyment of the video, the song itself doesn't immediately capture me. While I respect the effort that went into making the song and addressing haters, something about it just doesn't do it for me.

Maybe it's because she sings in a higher than usual tone that sounds like falsetto. Also, while it is funny, I'm not really feeling the lyrics from the bathtub scene, particularly, "We are enemies, we are foes / Who are you and what are those? / You are gross / Percocet got you playing with your nose."

The lyrics aren't bad, per se, and I'm definitely not much better with that kind of writing, but something about it just feels like when you're trying too hard to rhyme something.

That said, I think the song will grow on me over time. In the handful of times I've replayed "Demons" to accurately review it, I've started to like it more and more. Listen to it and see what you think.

Release the Texas Roadhouse call hold in high streaming quality

Texas Roadhouse logo (Texas Roadhouse).

Updated 11/16/2023: There was originally a YouTube video here that showcased the song, but that video was deleted and no equivalent replacement could be found.

I've never set foot in a Texas Roadhouse, but the theme song that plays when you're on hold, as heard in the video above, has to be one of the best call hold songs I've ever heard.

When I used to work as a captioning agent at a call center, I had to listen to this Texas Roadhouse theme song for 30 minutes once, and it was honestly one of the highlights of my call center existence.

Aside from giving me a paid 30-minute break from my regular captioning duties, the song is also super catchy, and I consider it one of my top two favorite call hold songs. The other one is in the TikTok video below.

@ryzehendricksmusic

That on hold music do be a vibe tho 😆

♬ original sound - RockTheBells

The fact that this Texas Roadhouse theme song isn't available in better quality somewhere on the internet is a crime against humanity. I would literally pay to have this available on iTunes, YouTube, or Spotify.

The chorus in particular is great: "They got killer ribs, hearty steak / Bread just as good as your grandma makes. / There ain't nothin' like it, for miles around. / So come on down (come on down) to Texas Roadhouse."

It also makes me hungry and I'm genuinely considering going to my local location soon just because of this song. If someone from Texas Roadhouse sees this, it would be a big marketing move to make the song available to stream. Please.

Divine: A fabulous singer and the inspiration for Ursula

Harris Glenn Milstead, better known as Divine, was a singer, actor, and drag queen from the mid-1960s until his death in 1988, churning out hits like the above song "You Think You're a Man."

He was also the inspiration for Ursula in the 1989 Disney movie "The Little Mermaid," and his role as Edna Turnblad in "Hairspray" is the reason the character is usually portrayed by male actors.

Divine had a successful career working with filmmaker John Waters, who suggested the name Divine after reading the controversial book "Our Lady of the Flowers," but I think Divine's musical work can stand on its own.

Take for example the song above, "I'm So Beautiful." I'm not one much for dancing, but I wanted to sing and dance along from the moment I first heard the song, which is filled with positive affirmations and attitude.

If the first part of the song doesn't hook you, the chorus will with its repetition of: "I'm so beautiful / You've gotta believe that I am beautiful / I'm so beautiful, can't you see? Look at me! / I said, I'm so beautiful / Well everybody's welcome to this point of view / We're all beautiful, can't you see?"

The quality of Divine's singing makes me wish he had the chance to sing a cover of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" before passing. Who knows? Maybe one of the good things to come out of the rise of AI song covers will be someone simulating what that would sound like.

Either way, Divine's impact on pop culture is fascinating.

Songs with alien metaphors: 'E.T.,' 'Psychofreak,' and 'Who's Laughing Now'

There are a number of great songs with alien metaphors in them, some of which are more direct than others. Let's take a look at a few of my favorites.

E.T. (Teenage Dream version)

The original "Teenage Dream" version of Katy Perry's "E.T." is a mesmerizing melody full of subtly sensual double entendres about alien abduction. A true classic.

The song is both lyrically and sonically sound, and by the time she gets to the bridge, I can completely vibe with the lyrics about how "This is transcendental / On another level."

By contrast, the single version with Kanye West isn't terrible, per se, but I feel like it ruins the effect of the original song. The original is a bit more subtle and metaphorical, whereas Kanye's lyrics are a bit more explicit.

I mean, "I got a dirty mind, I got filthy ways / I'm tryna bathe my ape (Ape) in your Milky Way (Way) / ... They callin' me an alien, a big headed astronaut / Maybe it's because ya boy Yeezy get a** a lot," really? Fine for his usual roster, but not so much when paired with Katy's subtle metaphors.

I'll stick with the original version.

Psychofreak

Camila Cabello and Willow Smith's "Psychofreak" is actually about anxiety and mental health, but it features supernatural elements in the music video, and the end of each chorus is punctuated with, "Sorry, didn't mean to get so dark / Maybe I'm an alien, Earth is hard."

There are a lot of themes of feeling detached and wanting to push past that to connect with others, and this fits quite well with the alien metaphor.

I myself have written a cringy bit of prose about feeling like an alien when I felt detached from people, so I relate to the song pretty hardcore in some aspects.

Likewise, the beat is catchy, and Camila and Willow have an amazing vocal quality both individually and when paired together.

Who's Laughing Now

Jesse J's "Who's Laughing Now" is about how Jessie's living her best life in spite of the bullying she received as a child, but funny enough, there is a reference to aliens in there.

Right in the first verse, there's a set of lines that say, "Hey Jessica, you look like an alien / With green skin, you don't fit in this playpen!" This is apparently in reference to the fact that Jessie's skin looked green due to side effects from her heart medication.

The song is has a punchy beat with cathartic lyrics, and the music video features Jessie playing a variety of adult characters while Adrianna Bertola plays the young version of Jessie who eventually gets her revenge by spraying the mean girls with a fire extinguisher.

It's a fun tune with an equally fun music video.

Songs 'inspired' by poetry: Shrews, Hughes, and Blues

 10 Things I Hate About You

Officially, Leah Kate says that her song "10 Things I Hate About You" wasn't inspired by the 1999 movie of the same name or its corresponding poem, just a loser ex.

But I feel like there has to be some subconscious connection given the nearly identical themes between the song and the movie—which was itself inspired by Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew."

Regardless, the song is a punchy tune that will make you want to watch the movie again, or at least the scene with the poem.

The Dream Keeper

"The Dream Keeper" by Langston Hughes is a lovely little poem that was turned into an equally lovely choral tune.

I learned the song for choir, and it quickly became one of my favorites. Likewise, the song was a big help for when I later had an assignment that required me to memorize a poem.

Killing Me Softly

The 1973 song "Killing Me Softly" by Roberta Flack, also popularly covered by Fugees, was inspired by Lori Lieberman's poem-turned-song of the same name.

Also, the famous line "Killing me softly with his song" was apparently originally "Killing me softly with his blues," something that changed when Lieberman didn't like the effect of the original line.

I think the changed lyric was definitely to the song's advantage with that sweet sense of alliteration.

Name-dropping fashion brands in music

Name-dropping fashion brands has been a staple of rap music ever since English rapper Slick Rick mentioned the fashion brands Gucci, Bally, and Polo in his and Doug E. Fresh's 1985 song "La Di Da Di."

In more recent decades, the trend of name-dropping fashion brands has spread into pretty much all genres of music, often as part of a mutually beneficial advertisement of whichever brands are mentioned.

Here are a few of my recent favorite songs that reference fashion brands.

Victoria's Secret

"Victoria's Secret" by Jax is more of a playful jab at the titular brand's influence on body image than an advertisement, but it's a fun song that does name-drop a popular brand. Spoiler alert: Victoria's secret is that "she was made up by a dude," specifically, "an old man who lives in Ohio."

Unholy

"Unholy" by Sam Smith and Kim Petras manages to drop pretty many of the most popular names in the fashion industry, from Fendi to Balenciaga to Prada and beyond. And the song is just generally very catchy.

Clickbait

The video above is a clip from the song "Clickbait" by Daz Black, The Midnight Beast, and Soheila. The video includes references to Versace, but it mostly seems to be a play on the popularity of name-dropping in rap and not an actual advertisement or endorsement. This shows how popular the trend is.

Fan edits: The musical form of fanfiction

Photos from "Wednesday," "Legacies," and "Codename: Kids Next Door."

If you frequent places like Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, you've most likely seen a fan edit in some form. Long or short, scenes from shows and movies are set to music as a way of highlighting a narrative.

Sometimes, that narrative didn't even happen in the show or movie the clips are from, and scenes might even be taken from multiple shows or movies to make a certain narrative work. That's basically just musical fanfiction.

#wednesdaynetflix enid sinclair wednesday addams wenclair edit fancam fc #wenclair death by a thousand cuts taylor swift wlw sapphic lesbian pic.twitter.com/syv4Duxeq9

— @shaunacore (@maikotaras) November 24, 2022

This fan edit that sets scenes from the popular Netflix series "Wednesday" to the tune of Taylor Swift's "Death by a Thousand Cuts" is a prime example of Wenclair fanfiction. That is, fanfiction that highlights the friendship and potential romance of Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) and her roommate Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers).

Even beyond the caption, the edit features specific scenes that showcase the two characters' chemistry and forms a narrative that isn't directly seen in the context of the show—though the cast does ship it and the showrunners said they're open to exploring the relationship in a future season.

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A post shared by Noelle ♔ TVD | TO | LGC (@thewickerybridge)

Another interesting example is the style of fan edit that frequently tends to be found on Instagram. The way these are edited tends to feel almost like an acid trip with the way the visuals and instrumental are cut together to showcase the feeling the editor wants to invoke.

The video above is an edit of Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) and Lizzie Saltzman (Jenny Boyd) from "The Vampire Diaries" spinoff series "Legacies," set to an unspecified song.

While the scenes are all from "Legacies," some of the context may be skewed, namely the fact that the scene with Lizzie saying she loves Hope might also be interpreted as sisterly for those who have watched the whole series.

Likewise, the line stating, "A vampire only bonds to her sire when she has feelings for her, before she turns. Human feelings! Vampirism only heightens those emotions," is actually an edited version of a quote said in "The Vampire Diaries."

The original quote is, "A vampire only bonds to her sire when she has feelings for her sire before she turns. Vampirism only heightens those emotions."

The quote is said in reference to Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) and Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev). Sire bonds also form automatically with hybrids and heretics regardless of romantic feelings, and Lizzie is a heretic.

Sometimes fans will even make an entire music video on YouTube. For instance, I explicitly remember that when I first started watching YouTube, I stumbled upon heaps of fan made music videos for the Cartoon Network show "Codename: Kids Next Door."

There was one music video set to Lou Bega's "Mambo No. 5" that paired Numbuh 1 (Benjamin Diskin) with every female character under the sun. Another was set to t.A.T.u.'s "Loves Me Not" and paired Numbuh 362 (Rachael MacFarlane) with Numbuh 86 (Jennifer Hale). Unfortunately, I couldn't find either of those.

I did find the above example that makes the odd choice of using Martina McBride's "Concrete Angel" to represent Numbuh 5's (Cree Summer) quote about how "We work hard every year but no matter what we're going to turn into a teenager."

For reference, the show is centered around children's conflict with adults and teenagers, with the Kids Next Door's goal being to fight "adult tyranny."

Regardless, it feels a bit odd to pair that with a song about child abuse, but sometimes the logic of these fan edits centers more around how a song feels than what it's actually about.

International music everyone should check out

While there's an endless variety of great music in the United States, sometimes it's nice to dip a toe in the international pool of talent.

After all, the United States is no stranger to British Invasions and K-pop fandoms, among other international waves. Likewise, I've been expanding my taste in international music over the last several years and there are plenty of international acts that I just don't think get enough recognition.

Let's highlight a small sample of the international music roster I've been diving into. Here's a short list of international music to check out in no particular order.

Shervin Hajipour

Iranian singer-songwriter Shervin Hajipour's "Baraye" received a Grammy for Best Song for Social Change. The category was just added this year, and it was presented by First Lady Jill Biden. Hajipour was briefly arrested for the song in 2022, and he's now on Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people in the world.

The song was inspired by a trend where Iranians posted why they were protesting after the death of Mahsa Amini, specifically with phrases starting with "for," as "Baraye" literally translates to "for" in Farsi. Tweets that inspired the lyrics are included in the music video.

Examples of lyrics translated into English include: "For feeling peace of mind / For the rise of sun after long-lasting nights / ... For man, homeland, prosperity / ... For woman, life, freedom."

Even when you can't understand the lyrics, the passion with which Hajipour sings "Baraye" is palpable, and both the vocals and instrumental are high quality. The song is worth listening to on all accounts.

Little Mix

Little Mix is a British girl group that won the eighth season of the British version of "The X Factor." While they're quite popular across the pond, the group wasn't promoted particularly well in the United States. The group consists of Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jesy Nelson.

Little Mix is on indefinite hiatus at the moment, but the roster of music the group built up spanning its 11-year run is evergreen and showcases a fun evolution of the group's style.

Each of Little Mix's six albums has hit songs, and they've collaborated with plenty of other artists including Nicki Minaj, Jason Derulo, David Guetta, Missy Elliot, Anne-Marie, Machine Gun Kelly, Charlie Puth, and Ty Dolla Sign, among others.

Likewise, two of the girls have released solo singles. Jesy released "Boyz" with Nicki Minaj and "Bad Thing" on her own. More recently, Leigh-Anne released her debut single "Don't Say Love." I'll always recommend listening to both Little Mix and each of its members' solo careers.

Kiki Rockwell

Kiki Rockwell is a singer, songwriter, and producer raised in New Zealand. I've only listened to a handful of her songs, but they all have a unique appeal to them. Based on her Instagram bio and some of the lyrics in her songs, there's an element of German, Swedish, Irish, and Baltic influence involved.

Some of Rockwell's songs seem to be an acquired taste, but if nothing else, I suggest listening to "Burn Your Village (Same Old Energy Pt. II)," which is the video I included above, and "Cup Runneth Over."

Admittedly, "Burn Your Village" is still a bit intense and features explicit lyrics, but it's a well-written earworm with a video that's reminiscent of the witch trials from a more feminist point of view. Fitting since Rockwell identifies herself as a pagan witch.

In contrast, "Cup Runneth Over" is a much softer LGBTQ+ narrative and features a more medieval sort of setting with swords and royalty. Either way, Rockwell's music and creativity aren't something to sleep on. Everything is worth listening to once.

Fifteen years of 'Fifteen' by Taylor Swift

What could be more appropriate for our "Back to School" theme week than a song about freshman year of high school?

"Fifteen" by Taylor Swift is approaching the 15-year anniversary of its debut on Swift's "Fearless" album. The iconic song from Swift's second album details Swift and her best friend Abigail Anderson's respective high school dating experiences, as well as themes of reflection and regret.

In the music video, released 14 years ago this November, Swift and Anderson play themselves, exploring various settings that coincide with the story being told through the lyrics. Interestingly, the video was filmed in the span of two days, with the first day of filming taking place in front of a green screen with sketches as a guide, while the second day was filmed at an actual high school.

Both the song itself and the music video really capture the feeling of being 15, especially with lines like "When all you wanted was to be wanted / Wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now." Even the rhythmic way certain words are stressed or rushed authentically captures the feelings involved.

And then there's the later "Taylor's Version" release of the song.

"Fifteen (Taylor's Version)" was released in 2021 as part of Swift's attempt to reclaim the rights to her songs after the 2019 dispute over ownership of her masters. While a new video wasn't produced, the re-recorded vocals showcase Swift's increased level of skill and maturity. Fitting considering the song's reflective lyrics.

"Fifteen" is an iconic ballad, and even those who dislike Swift have to admit that her earlier albums are staples of pop culture. And this particular staple reaches the 15-year anniversary of its album debut on Nov. 11.

Revamped 'Cool for the Summer' not cool enough to excite the feeling

"Cool for the Summer" by Demi Lovato was originally released in 2015, but a rock version was released on May 25 of this year as a single for Demi's upcoming "Revamped" remix album, as shown above.

The original "Cool for the Summer" is an LGBTQ+ anthem that feels sort of like a modern, lustier version of "Summer Nights" from "Grease," and it gives all kinds of summer vibes with what Billboard describes as its "poppy synths and uptempo instrumentation."

The same article also says that the rock version of "Cool for the Summer" has a "darker sound backed by electric guitars and grittier lyric delivery." But the thing is, I just don't vibe with it as much as the original.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good rock song and Demi definitely has the vocals for it, but I just don't feel like it's different enough from the original, and the parts that are different could've been done better. It feels like diet rock: the taste is there, but not in full force.

The instrumental still sounds synthetic enough that I barely noticed the electric guitars, and even though there was a grittier quality to Demi's vocals, it still felt like she and the instrumental were holding back on their full power.

All in all, I just don't feel like the rock version added anything to "Cool for the Summer." It's not bad, but the original was already considered pop rock, and there's not enough of a difference between the two versions to incite any extra enjoyment for the rock version.

Chase Holfelder's minor key cover of Taylor Swift's "Betty" and Halocene's rock cover of Billie Eilish's "All the Good Girls Go to Hell" are better examples of how to put an interesting new spin on a song.

To be blunt, the rock version of "Cool for the Summer" isn't that cool, not enough to excite the feeling. And I genuinely believe Demi can do better.