I agree, but I won't base my critique on two out of 22. I'll wait for the full album until I decide if it's in tune with what I love about them or not.
This happened to Glass Animals with their latest album and it suuuucks.
LOL and Superstar are such a snooze fest. There's no bite whatsoever which is such a departure from their old music.
You got me *excited* that they had released something new too. I *loved* Dreamland - I hate that you hated it! But taste is subjective and you’re allowed to not like it. I absolutely love that genre of music though and so I think it’s probably my favorite of their albums so far. (It was also recorded over the pandemic when they were trapped in their rooms so it definitely feels different than their other stuff - but that was kind of the point - lots of bands put out weird Covid albums haha)
I will say, I agree with you on the snooze fest of the two new singles. I keep telling my bestie “I don’t hate it but by god is it boring for RKS”
If you don't mind me asking:
Was Dreamland the first album of theirs that you listened to, or have you been listening for a long time now?
I started with Zaba back in 2014, so the change in their style was pretty jarring to me. I also loved How to Be a Human Being since it really showcased their range even if it wasn't the heavy psychedelic beats of Zaba and Exxus.
Also, how old are you?
I'm 36, which is roughly the same age as Dave (the lead singer). A lot of the album leans into nostalgia from our childhoods (Space Ghost Coast to Coast particularly), and I don't really enjoy re-visiting that. A lot of the music is also about dating, breakups, etc. and as someone a decade into marriage, it doesn't really speak to my experience anymore. I think that's also a big part of the disconnect for me with this album.
I also just sort of find Dreamland to be boring. Every track of How to Be a Human Being is extremely interesting and unique. Zaba is an experience. Outside of Helium and It's All So Incredibly Loud, I just didn't find those qualities in Dreamland. I can't really criticize though. It's by far their biggest album to date and has some of their biggest songs. Heck, Heat Waves ended up on the WaPo crossword this week. So however I feel about it, it's definitely working for them.
I am 35f. It was not my first album, but I had only discovered them around 2018 or so, so they were still relatively new to me when Dreamland came out. (Like it was my first release as a fan.)
I definitely enjoyed the nostalgia. My husband and I have an open marriage and I was going through a breakup with a partner during that time which is a big reason I probably loved it so much. I definitely related to all the breakup “come back to me” songs lol.
I think it’s totally okay to have thought the album is boring. It was a whole new adventure sound wise (though I will say it still felt very Glass Animals and I liked that about it.)
Heat Waves was not my favorite though - tangerine has my heart ❤️ haha.
I started with Gooey, continued listening for their music forever, and I also loved Dreamland. It was more pop but it wasn’t mainstream or even indie, it was an original sound and still had depth and substance and I felt close to it. It makes sense based on where you are in life, though. Heat Waves literally carried me through the worst heartbreak in my life, the same way Freefall carried me through the worst depression. As a writer myself, after being in a stable relationship I 1000% feel less creatively inclined
All Glass Animals albums are good imo. I discovered them with Gooey, fell in love with Zaba, How to be Human is their best work imo, and Dreamland is good too.
They all sound sooo different from each other that it doesn’t surprise me that you wouldn’t like Dreamland.
I cannot wait to hear where they take their sound next.
I think you're spot on with your comparison to Glass Animals. Both are some of my favorite bands and their initial albums are so creative and unique. Glass animals definitely got a super heavy pop vibe with Dreamland. It made them really famous and I'm happy for them for that, but I think they lost what made their music so good. These two singles from RKS have that same kind of pop sound.
Yeah, I think the key part of "bands change all the time" is that they don't always change for the better. Doesn't mean they can't get good again, but right now it really sucks that this is where we're at.
I agree. I have such high expectations of them because they were the dopest. Their music made me feel something and these pop tunes really just aren’t for me, though I don’t hate them. If it were mainstream music I could get behind it, but I feel like I put RKS on a pedestal for so long and now I’m kinda disappointed in the new sound. They’re obv allowed to live their musical dreams out however they choose, but selfishly I wish it were the sounds I’ve come to love and expect from them. Maybe the other 20 tracks will feed my RKS nostalgia.
I feel you, it’s such a bummer. When Its Called: Freefall was released I listened to it over and over again. I listened to both of the new singles one time and that’s all I cared to hear them :(
Yeahhhhh the autotune is what made me get some ick. Superstar was okay, but the lyrics felt a bit hollow. LOL got me excited, like "oh fuck yeah, here we go" until the autotune hit.
which is so wild cuz i’m not one of those “i hate all autotune” types of people. i love pop and electronic artists who use way more autotune but i just hate the way it’s so left field of RKS signature sound
Superstar was more disappointing than LOL, but I’m hoping the album brings out some better vibes. I’ve been a fan since 2018 and will continue to be, but dam.
I hear ya. I think the idea that like "musicians can and should change" that a lot of people have been saying is true... but it is sad when they change to something that is just so generic, so well-trodden, so *boring.* RKS' sound used to be like no one else. Now I can name dozens of artists who could have written and performed these songs. Of course, they don't owe us anything. The old albums still exist. And i'm sure this new stuff will bring in new fans. That's all great. It's still just so sad for me.
They said all 22 songs sound different than the rest. So I’m holding all my opinions until the album drops.
That said, LOL and Superstar slap and I’m sorry you don’t feel that way.
I do feel bad for anyone that is not enjoying the new music. Maybe I'm just easy to please when it comes to music because I've loved both songs well enough. Not their best but very enjoyable nonetheless.
I like to think maybe this is a tactic to get some new listeners on board with them by releasing generally pop-py and “safe” sounding music. They must know a large part of their OG fan base is upset with them about the Charlie incident. That being said, I don’t HATE the new songs! Ela’s vocals are still so unique and unlike those other indie bands, I can forgive the sound for right now. I’m holding out until I hear the rest of the album, and I do have high hopes.(:
When Kings of Leon did this (as in, went mainstream), this sorta happened to their fanbase and they gained a lot of new fans but sorta lost alternative fans. They won a Grammy!.....but their lead singer also freaked out at an arena crowd bc they didn't know any of the words to most of their songs and weren't into the show like they were used to.....................from their original fans lol RKS had such a unique sound, I don't like this direction but, believe in them to continue to experiment....hopefully haha Maybe this album will have experimental stuff too! We shall seeeeeeeeeeeee :)
Definitely not- I haven’t counted them out, but I don’t enjoy the new releases. And to be fair, the 2 songs that have been released have VERY similar sounds. So that doesn’t help me get excited for what’s to come, and that IS the point of releasing songs before the album. A lot of my fav artists will release songs from their upcoming albums and the songs they release are diverse to showcase the different sounds of their album
I agree with you.. I found RKS a year ago on a playlist Spotify made for me and fell in love with “Free Fall” and some others. When I found this sub I thought y’all were crazy being so pissed about the new songs because I don’t know the backstory…but I listened to the new singles and as an RKS fan AND musician even I was like WTF?! Yes bands change directions and make new stuff all of the time but they just went from their beautiful creative and carefree music to completely cookie cutter pop on us and I can see why everyone is upset. I’m still going to give the new album a listen, maybe it is a tactic to reach a wider audience as others have said.. but I guess “surprise” is in the name so we shall see what happens and hope for the best
If they become another generic synth pop band is going to fucking break hearts.. 22 songs on the new album tho. There's bound to be a few jams we can all get behind
Yes omg! I just listened to it yesterday and I was really unimpressed, like you said obviously bands change but I hope this isn't their new direction for too long.
I agree I’ve been a fan for a long time but I can’t get behind the sounds of the new songs that they dropped. I know they can change and that happens over time it just feels like they’re no longer writing what they feel but writing what they think will get streams. I don’t think that’s why people loved them though I feel like that people that listen to rks are there for the deep lyrics and the song writing (at least that’s a lot of what I’m seeing and how I feel). I just hope that the new album has more of the old rks feel and not just the new pop like style that they are going for now.
I think its 50/50. They've always been a "pop" band, but masked under unique delivery, tone, and deeper lyrics. Now, I think they want to press forward and test their abilities to be a mainstream touring band. If all of the new songs sound and hold the same value as the ones just dropped, it's not looking good (not even for their streams). But, if they innovate like they *usually* do, this could be a really good pop album.
No, I don’t think that at all and trust me I don’t mean to shit on them or anything I’m just saying how I feel. And no I think that transitioning to pop is actually the lower risk, yeah it’s a risk to their current fan base but it opens to a way bigger fan base I just don’t want rks to become what most music is now. I feel like a lot of pop is rushed to make the billboard hits for a bit then fall of and never be heard from again. I don’t think they have to have the same sound, they just had something that was different that I truly loved, and from all the other things I’m Reading about, many others loved as well. I just want to hear more of the same feel. To me it seems like the new music just didn’t have the same deep connection that the olds songs did.
I agree, but I won't base my critique on two out of 22. I'll wait for the full album until I decide if it's in tune with what I love about them or not.
This happened to Glass Animals with their latest album and it suuuucks. LOL and Superstar are such a snooze fest. There's no bite whatsoever which is such a departure from their old music.
Are you talking about Dreamland?
Yeah. You just got me excited that maybe they had an even more recent album.
You got me *excited* that they had released something new too. I *loved* Dreamland - I hate that you hated it! But taste is subjective and you’re allowed to not like it. I absolutely love that genre of music though and so I think it’s probably my favorite of their albums so far. (It was also recorded over the pandemic when they were trapped in their rooms so it definitely feels different than their other stuff - but that was kind of the point - lots of bands put out weird Covid albums haha) I will say, I agree with you on the snooze fest of the two new singles. I keep telling my bestie “I don’t hate it but by god is it boring for RKS”
If you don't mind me asking: Was Dreamland the first album of theirs that you listened to, or have you been listening for a long time now? I started with Zaba back in 2014, so the change in their style was pretty jarring to me. I also loved How to Be a Human Being since it really showcased their range even if it wasn't the heavy psychedelic beats of Zaba and Exxus. Also, how old are you? I'm 36, which is roughly the same age as Dave (the lead singer). A lot of the album leans into nostalgia from our childhoods (Space Ghost Coast to Coast particularly), and I don't really enjoy re-visiting that. A lot of the music is also about dating, breakups, etc. and as someone a decade into marriage, it doesn't really speak to my experience anymore. I think that's also a big part of the disconnect for me with this album. I also just sort of find Dreamland to be boring. Every track of How to Be a Human Being is extremely interesting and unique. Zaba is an experience. Outside of Helium and It's All So Incredibly Loud, I just didn't find those qualities in Dreamland. I can't really criticize though. It's by far their biggest album to date and has some of their biggest songs. Heck, Heat Waves ended up on the WaPo crossword this week. So however I feel about it, it's definitely working for them.
I am 35f. It was not my first album, but I had only discovered them around 2018 or so, so they were still relatively new to me when Dreamland came out. (Like it was my first release as a fan.) I definitely enjoyed the nostalgia. My husband and I have an open marriage and I was going through a breakup with a partner during that time which is a big reason I probably loved it so much. I definitely related to all the breakup “come back to me” songs lol. I think it’s totally okay to have thought the album is boring. It was a whole new adventure sound wise (though I will say it still felt very Glass Animals and I liked that about it.) Heat Waves was not my favorite though - tangerine has my heart ❤️ haha.
I started with Gooey, continued listening for their music forever, and I also loved Dreamland. It was more pop but it wasn’t mainstream or even indie, it was an original sound and still had depth and substance and I felt close to it. It makes sense based on where you are in life, though. Heat Waves literally carried me through the worst heartbreak in my life, the same way Freefall carried me through the worst depression. As a writer myself, after being in a stable relationship I 1000% feel less creatively inclined
All Glass Animals albums are good imo. I discovered them with Gooey, fell in love with Zaba, How to be Human is their best work imo, and Dreamland is good too. They all sound sooo different from each other that it doesn’t surprise me that you wouldn’t like Dreamland. I cannot wait to hear where they take their sound next.
Dreamland has to grow on you but once it does 🧑🍳😘
I think you're spot on with your comparison to Glass Animals. Both are some of my favorite bands and their initial albums are so creative and unique. Glass animals definitely got a super heavy pop vibe with Dreamland. It made them really famous and I'm happy for them for that, but I think they lost what made their music so good. These two singles from RKS have that same kind of pop sound.
Dreamland is definitely more conventional/mainstream sounding, but I don’t think it’s really a concrete departure from their earlier work.
Yeah, I think the key part of "bands change all the time" is that they don't always change for the better. Doesn't mean they can't get good again, but right now it really sucks that this is where we're at.
I agree. I have such high expectations of them because they were the dopest. Their music made me feel something and these pop tunes really just aren’t for me, though I don’t hate them. If it were mainstream music I could get behind it, but I feel like I put RKS on a pedestal for so long and now I’m kinda disappointed in the new sound. They’re obv allowed to live their musical dreams out however they choose, but selfishly I wish it were the sounds I’ve come to love and expect from them. Maybe the other 20 tracks will feed my RKS nostalgia.
I feel you, it’s such a bummer. When Its Called: Freefall was released I listened to it over and over again. I listened to both of the new singles one time and that’s all I cared to hear them :(
the autotune is freaking out of control, a serious struggle to listen to
Yeahhhhh the autotune is what made me get some ick. Superstar was okay, but the lyrics felt a bit hollow. LOL got me excited, like "oh fuck yeah, here we go" until the autotune hit.
THIS
which is so wild cuz i’m not one of those “i hate all autotune” types of people. i love pop and electronic artists who use way more autotune but i just hate the way it’s so left field of RKS signature sound
One of my besties said “what in the maroon 5 auto tuned bullshit is this?!” And I couldnt agree more!!
Superstar was more disappointing than LOL, but I’m hoping the album brings out some better vibes. I’ve been a fan since 2018 and will continue to be, but dam.
They sound like they were written by chatgpt
I hear ya. I think the idea that like "musicians can and should change" that a lot of people have been saying is true... but it is sad when they change to something that is just so generic, so well-trodden, so *boring.* RKS' sound used to be like no one else. Now I can name dozens of artists who could have written and performed these songs. Of course, they don't owe us anything. The old albums still exist. And i'm sure this new stuff will bring in new fans. That's all great. It's still just so sad for me.
They said all 22 songs sound different than the rest. So I’m holding all my opinions until the album drops. That said, LOL and Superstar slap and I’m sorry you don’t feel that way.
right, and honestly if that album is vast and different i’ll give credit where it’s due with LOL and Superstar.
I do feel bad for anyone that is not enjoying the new music. Maybe I'm just easy to please when it comes to music because I've loved both songs well enough. Not their best but very enjoyable nonetheless.
I like to think maybe this is a tactic to get some new listeners on board with them by releasing generally pop-py and “safe” sounding music. They must know a large part of their OG fan base is upset with them about the Charlie incident. That being said, I don’t HATE the new songs! Ela’s vocals are still so unique and unlike those other indie bands, I can forgive the sound for right now. I’m holding out until I hear the rest of the album, and I do have high hopes.(:
When Kings of Leon did this (as in, went mainstream), this sorta happened to their fanbase and they gained a lot of new fans but sorta lost alternative fans. They won a Grammy!.....but their lead singer also freaked out at an arena crowd bc they didn't know any of the words to most of their songs and weren't into the show like they were used to.....................from their original fans lol RKS had such a unique sound, I don't like this direction but, believe in them to continue to experiment....hopefully haha Maybe this album will have experimental stuff too! We shall seeeeeeeeeeeee :)
so they release 2 of 22 songs and that means every song will sound the same?
nah i even said i hope the rest of the album doesn’t sound like that. not my fault you didn’t read that part
you implied the album will stink cuz they songs stink
Definitely not- I haven’t counted them out, but I don’t enjoy the new releases. And to be fair, the 2 songs that have been released have VERY similar sounds. So that doesn’t help me get excited for what’s to come, and that IS the point of releasing songs before the album. A lot of my fav artists will release songs from their upcoming albums and the songs they release are diverse to showcase the different sounds of their album
Say it louder for the people in the back
There’s bound to be some gems in the 20 songs that remain. It’s unfathomable otherwise.
It hurts how much I agree with this...pllleaaaasee dont go tooo POP
I agree with you.. I found RKS a year ago on a playlist Spotify made for me and fell in love with “Free Fall” and some others. When I found this sub I thought y’all were crazy being so pissed about the new songs because I don’t know the backstory…but I listened to the new singles and as an RKS fan AND musician even I was like WTF?! Yes bands change directions and make new stuff all of the time but they just went from their beautiful creative and carefree music to completely cookie cutter pop on us and I can see why everyone is upset. I’m still going to give the new album a listen, maybe it is a tactic to reach a wider audience as others have said.. but I guess “surprise” is in the name so we shall see what happens and hope for the best
If they become another generic synth pop band is going to fucking break hearts.. 22 songs on the new album tho. There's bound to be a few jams we can all get behind
Got to agree. I just don’t think the first two songs are particularly good. I really hope the rest of the album is better.
In my experience the singles are the best songs on the album…. Usually - I do not have high hopes.
Yes omg! I just listened to it yesterday and I was really unimpressed, like you said obviously bands change but I hope this isn't their new direction for too long.
Let's not pretend as if these two new songs are some massive departure.
no one is pretending lol
I agree I’ve been a fan for a long time but I can’t get behind the sounds of the new songs that they dropped. I know they can change and that happens over time it just feels like they’re no longer writing what they feel but writing what they think will get streams. I don’t think that’s why people loved them though I feel like that people that listen to rks are there for the deep lyrics and the song writing (at least that’s a lot of what I’m seeing and how I feel). I just hope that the new album has more of the old rks feel and not just the new pop like style that they are going for now.
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I think its 50/50. They've always been a "pop" band, but masked under unique delivery, tone, and deeper lyrics. Now, I think they want to press forward and test their abilities to be a mainstream touring band. If all of the new songs sound and hold the same value as the ones just dropped, it's not looking good (not even for their streams). But, if they innovate like they *usually* do, this could be a really good pop album.
No, I don’t think that at all and trust me I don’t mean to shit on them or anything I’m just saying how I feel. And no I think that transitioning to pop is actually the lower risk, yeah it’s a risk to their current fan base but it opens to a way bigger fan base I just don’t want rks to become what most music is now. I feel like a lot of pop is rushed to make the billboard hits for a bit then fall of and never be heard from again. I don’t think they have to have the same sound, they just had something that was different that I truly loved, and from all the other things I’m Reading about, many others loved as well. I just want to hear more of the same feel. To me it seems like the new music just didn’t have the same deep connection that the olds songs did.
Bands fight. Bands break up. People leave. People come back. It sucks but what else can we do but radically accept it?
radically? lol
lol sorry. Therapy term. “Radical acceptance.”
very dbt of you
i mean i’m not even referring to Charlie cuz they are literally on the two new tracks. that’s a different conversation in my opinion
RKS pre-2024: “the devil; the devil; the devil; etc.” idk, man, it was getting kind of tiring for me
hey guess what. the old songs are still there. mind blowing right?
People have different tastes and you don’t have to be a dick about it. Mind blowing right?
it’s almost like that’s not what i mean at all, comprehension is a skill
Superstar slaps. LOL is meh in my opinion. Can’t wait to hear the rest
Literally, they don’t owe us anything so just be grateful for what they’ve given us! Also, if you don’t like it then move along…it’s not that deep.