Todd In The Shadows

[Lil Miku]

I was fully expecting "Chemical" to be on the list and I'm very surprised it wasn't.

 

[Random Internet Person]

I was fully expecting "Chemical" to be on the list and I'm very surprised it wasn't.

What makes you say that about this song?

In consolation, how about we read Todd's explanation for the Number 1 song on his best list?

Spoiler: Todd talks Olivia Rodrigo's "Bad Idea, Right?"

Todd: [sighs] How do I put this?
Todd: You know in, uh, Wheatus' "Teenage Dirtbag", where the loser finally talks to the super awesome dream girl, and it turns out she likes all the same things he does?

Todd: That's kinda how I feel listening to Olivia Rodrigo.

1. Olivia Rodrigo - "Bad Idea, Right?"[23]

Olivia: Haven't heard from you in a couple months

But I'm out right now and I'm all fucked up

Todd: Like, if I had to name what is Olivia Rodrigo's biggest asset, the thing that made her the biggest new pop star of the 2020s.

Todd: It's that she likes all the music that I, Todd in the Shadows, also like. This is a surefire path to stardom, remember this.

Olivia: My brain goes ahhhh

Todd: Like, it's not just that she has good taste, she has interesting taste. She just likes and emulates different music than the rest of her peers. She likes all the cool chicks of the alt-rock from the 2000s, and the '90s, and maybe the '80s.

Olivia: Fuck it, it's fine

Yes, I know that he's my ex

Todd: And the thing is, a lot of the time...

Todd ...I find those cooler-than-cool alt bands too cool, just offputtingly inaccessible. But Olivia is not that at all. She is not a hipster alt chick, she is a theater kid first and foremost. Just completely heart on her sleeve the entire time. And that means she can make these kick-ass Rock n' Roll songs while still staying completely relatable.

Todd: Even here, for her only song that does not seem to be a look at her, or her emotions, or her angst, or her inner world. Instead, she just lets it fuckin' rip.

Olivia: I told my friends I was asleep

But I never said where, or in who's sheets

Todd : "bad idea right?" is basically Olivia's "Nonsense", it's- it's about making bad, horny decisions. I think it is pure fiction. At least I hope it is. I hope this isn't about the same guy "vampire" is about. But I don't think it is, it's so silly. This is her taking the same approach as, like, Bruno Mars. But instead of for '80s R&B, it's for teen movie soundtrack pop punk. Just taking all the music she likes that hasn't been made in a while, and reminding everyone how good it is and just cramming the thing with hooks.

Todd: And of course, it has the single best two seconds of the year.

Olivia: Tripped and fell into his bed

Now I'm getting in the car, wrecking all my plans

I know I should stop, but I can't

Todd: Beautiful.

Todd (VO): Not only is this the best song of the year.

Todd: It is number 1 on my list...

TOP TEN BEST STOPS ON THE WORD STOP OF 2023

10. "Stop," Chriss Eazy

9. "Roller Coasters Make Me Sad," Em Beihold

8. "One Hit Love," Matchbox Twenty

7. "You're Losing Me," Taylor Swift

6. "God Is Really Real," AJR

5. "How to Stay with You," Troye Sivan

4. "You & Me," Jennie

3. "Standing Next to You (Remix)," Jungkook ft. Usher

2. "Stop (Asking Me 4Shyt)," Victoria Monét

1. "bad idea right?," Olivia Rodrigo

Todd: ...of best stops on the word "stop" of the year. And here's some honorable mentions:

HONORABLE MENTIONS

"Breathe," The Undercover Hippy

"Don't Stop," ATEEZ

"Doombop!," The Toxhards

"Doritos & Fritos," 100 gecs

"Show," Ado

"Such a Miranda," CMAT

"Love You Forever," Joshua Bassett

"Stop Giving Me Advice," Dave and Jack Harlow

Todd (VO): I wasn't entirely convinced by her first album, and I feel bad that the biggest hit from the second album I did not like at all. But this song I think made me a fan for life. And for all the stans that got mad at me for her being on the worst list... [sighs] You know what? Fine, ok. I take it back, Olivia can curse.

Todd: I was wrong, I'm sorry. Fuck it, it's fine!

 

[Lil Miku]

Not sure, actually. I just remember Todd putting "Sunflower" and "Circles" on his best lists before so I was assuming he would with this one.
Personally, I love "bad idea, right?" so I was extremely happy to see something I like being #1. His best lists are ways usually misses for me, mostly being filled with songs I am neutral about or just just downright dislike.

 

[Random Internet Person]

Personally, I love "bad idea, right?" so I was extremely happy to see something I like being #1. His best lists are ways usually misses for me, mostly being filled with songs I am neutral about or just just downright dislike.

Glad you’re happy. I’ve never really gotten into Olivia Rodrigo. Instrumentals are okay and enjoyable, but the lyrics, videos, and overall “I’m bored” attitude she exudes a lot doesn’t really do anything, probably because I’m not a teenage girl who watched the Disney sitcoms of the last decade.

 

[Lil Miku]

Glad you’re happy. I’ve never really gotten into Olivia Rodrigo. Instrumentals are okay and enjoyable, but the lyrics, videos, and overall “I’m bored” attitude she exudes a lot doesn’t really do anything, probably because I’m not a teenage girl who watched the Disney sitcoms of the last decade.

I rarely watched Disney Channel when I was a kid funnily enough. If anything the thing to praise here (if you're not a fan of the music) is that at least they got a better producer. "Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl" actually sounds like a rock song as opposed to "Good 4 U", where the guitars sound so processed and thin that they might as well be non-existent.
Anyway, I was getting off-topic. Are they any albums that you're hoping Todd's gonna cover their year for Trainwreckords? I'm still holding out for Panic! At the Disco's pretty. Odd.

 

[Random Internet Person]

Anyway, I was getting off-topic. Are they any albums that you're hoping Todd's gonna cover their year for Trainwreckords? I'm still holding out for Panic! At the Disco's pretty. Odd.

Honestly, not really. I don’t really pay attention to artists super religiously to say “this is when they fell off” (probably because I’m a simple idiot of a man and will say when I enjoy a song regardless), but if you demand an answer:

-Green Day: Uno, Dos, Tre trilogy. I’ve heard people talk about those a lot, though Todd says that some acts can be disqualified if said act can turn things around sufficiently.

(Also, a little OT, but I find it funny seeing folks in places like the Thunderdome getting angry at a group from Northern California showing left wing views and wearing those views on their sleeve…like they were 20 years ago. I guess what’s old is new again.)

-U2: Songs of Innocence. The album that every iTunes user found in their account one day as a release strategy. Again, not sure of their trajectory, but I remember that getting a lot of heat.

Again, I don’t really follow music acts super hard enough to say “yep, that’s the falloff point”. Sorry if that’s not what you were looking for.

 

[Anonitolia]

Wow, the second that video ended I couldn't remember a single song from the list. Only my eye-rolling at Todd's constant self-flagellation and hardcore "fellow kids"ing
That aside, is this list seriously what current music sounds like? It's so disposable and samey- how on earth is he still making top 10s out of the same 2 songs sung by the same whiny sad girls/whiny douchey guys?

 

[Saddam Hussain Obama]

i hate all insufferable music critic leftist types

 

[TVB]

i hate all insufferable music critic leftist types

Me too. And most of which are musical elitists who happen to get afraid of offensive lyrics

 

[Lil Miku]

Honestly, not really. I don’t really pay attention to artists super religiously to say “this is when they fell off” (probably because I’m a simple idiot of a man and will say when I enjoy a song regardless), but if you demand an answer:

-Green Day: Uno, Dos, Tre trilogy. I’ve heard people talk about those a lot, though Todd says that some acts can be disqualified if said act can turn things around sufficiently.

(Also, a little OT, but I find it funny seeing folks in places like the Thunderdome getting angry at a group from Northern California showing left wing views and wearing those views on their sleeve…like they were 20 years ago. I guess what’s old is new again.)

-U2: Songs of Innocence. The album that every iTunes user found in their account one day as a release strategy. Again, not sure of their trajectory, but I remember that getting a lot of heat.

Again, I don’t really follow music acts super hard enough to say “yep, that’s the falloff point”. Sorry if that’s not what you were looking for.

Those are some good ones, and I agree with your spoilers point lol.
I said Panic! At the Disco specifically because that album split the band in half and they were never the same after that. Sure, Panic! Became even more popular after that, but it also didn't have the band's creative force, Ryan Ross in it. It was like a solo project.
I also really want him to do New Again by Taking Back Sunday but I bet he never will. That album has the band's last-charting single until last year and also has just been pretty vindicated by history. (It was also another case of a major lineup change basically killing the band.)
It would just be fun to have another emo band be covered by Todd. I feel like he should cover a few more, given how popular they were back in the day (but they do tend to have some scary fambases).

 

[Random Internet Person]

Those are some good ones, and I agree with your spoilers point lol.
I said Panic! At the Disco specifically because that album split the band in half and they were never the same after that. Sure, Panic! Became even more popular after that, but it also didn't have the band's creative force, Ryan Ross in it. It was like a solo project.
I also really want him to do New Again by Taking Back Sunday but I bet he never will. That album has the band's last-charting single until last year and also has just been pretty vindicated by history. (It was also another case of a major lineup change basically killing the band.)
It would just be fun to have another emo band be covered by Todd. I feel like he should cover a few more, given how popular they were back in the day (but they do tend to have some scary fambases).

I can think of another one for Trainwreckords: The Black Eyed Peas: The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)/The Beginning. (I forget which one it was, they’re kind of together in my head). But whichever album it was, around that time the group did a Super Bowl halftime show…and then the group just fell off the map.

 

[Lil Miku]

I can think of another one for Trainwreckords: The Black Eyed Peas: The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)/The Beginning. (I forget which one it was, they’re kind of together in my head). But whichever album it was, around that time the group did a Super Bowl halftime show…and then the group just fell off the map.

That's probably one of the few albums he'll cover that had a bonafide hit ("The Time [Dirty Bit]"). The only other one I can think of is that Beach Boys album he covered that had "Kokomo" on it.

 

[TVB]

I can think of another one for Trainwreckords: The Black Eyed Peas: The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)/The Beginning. (I forget which one it was, they’re kind of together in my head). But whichever album it was, around that time the group did a Super Bowl halftime show…and then the group just fell off the map.

You know, I could see Todd covering Last 2 Walk by Three 6 Mafia for Trainwreckords

 

[Arthur Morgan]

That's probably one of the few albums he'll cover that had a bonafide hit ("The Time [Dirty Bit]"). The only other one I can think of is that Beach Boys album he covered that had "Kokomo" on it.

Nah, the Beach Boys album he did was the one after Kokomo, though I can see him doing that Black Eyed Peas album considering he's mentioned how much he hates that song.

I thought he did something else that had a hit but was still a bad album overall. Was it the CCR video?

 

[Spring Durango]

Dumb fuck though Iggy Azalea was going to be this big hot thing, a new trend setter, and she was gone quick

Isn't that how things work though? A new star pops up and the hype machine is started up. We literally have no idea if those people will stick around or not.

 

[TVB]

Isn't that how things work though? A new star pops up and the hype machine is started up. We literally have no idea if those people will stick around or not.

Not just anyone, but anything in general. Trends become huge for a week and then forgotten about afterwards, although sometimes they get huge for longer than a month, while the majority get huge during for a couple days

 

[Random Internet Person]

 

[Syaoran Li]

I thought he did something else that had a hit but was still a bad album overall. Was it the CCR video?

I think it was precisely that.

CCR's Mardi Gras album had two hit singles, Sweet Hitchhiker and Someday Never Comes and they were hits at the time but don't get as much airplay on oldies and classic rock stations today compared to the songs from their earlier albums

 

[TVB]

I think it was precisely that.

CCR's Mardi Gras album had two hit singles, Sweet Hitchhiker and Someday Never Comes and they were hits at the time but don't get as much airplay on oldies and classic rock stations today compared to the songs from their earlier albums

Which was weird, because the two songs are still available on CCR's best of compilation albums

 

[Random Internet Person]

We have a sighting of Todd’s face!