Bonnie McKee - Hot City (aka Epic Album)

[Crystal <3]

5 hours ago, RedBloodedWoman said:

This is the tracklist I’m using, it flows perfectly:

1. American Girl

2: Slay (2020 Version)

3: Forever 21 (Original)

4. Hot City

5. Electric Heaven

6. Sleepwalker (the remastered version she released a few years ago)

7. Show You Mine

8. Just a Kiss

9. Jenny

10. Last Call Lover

11. Somebody’s Gonna Get Hurt

12. I Wanna Call You (Original)

13. Rewind (Original)

14. Everything But You (Original)

15. Stars In Your Heart

 

loveeee!!

 

4 hours ago, Jennys Girlfriend said:

The album isn't even out in the US yet and I am absolutely floored how negative some of you have no qualms about being. Why do you have to have such negative HOT TAKES that you bring here to influence other people to not like a song before they have a chance to hear it? Why not sit with the album for awhile? I feel like since this forum is LITERALLY why this album exists (and considering the we know Bonnie is reading), we could focus on what we actually DO like from the album for literally one day omfg.

I can't wait to listen.

honestly I agree bc I feel like bonnie is gonna read this for our thoughts and opinions and its gonna be a bit weird when u release ur album and u get shit for it if that makes sense... there's only 2 songs im a bit eh with but they will grow on me and that aside the album itself is pop brilliance. so bonnie if u are reading this. congratulations for finally getting this record out! we love u!!

[T2P]

DGMGF - love the new production and background vocals. 2nd verse eats! fits really well. sounds like Bonnie wrote the bridge? a perfect opener.

Hot City - a perfect banger. the final chorus goes so hard. i know some people don’t love hot city but i think it was an amazing choice to theme the era around. it makes me feel like im in a sexy music video with a fan blowing my hair. it’s sexy, gritty and hot. this is her best re-recording, i still can’t believe how well she brought this song to life both vocally and production. i think it will age well too since it’s intentionally dated.

Jenny- another amazing reproduction. im so glad that she made this a single. with other singers and writers, this off kilter beat would never work, but Bonnie’s sheer skill brings it together. the new strings and percussion arrangement are also so much fun! Jenny is an underdog, it’s nice to see it get the spotlight. 3 songs in and i love how high energy this album is.

SYM- EBY sibling? omg an electro thump chorus! it sounds like another Carly Rae Kiss writing session, i LOVE this sound!! straight out of 2012. it’s crazy that Max or Shellback etc aren’t on this! did she copy that one vocal and put it in Jenny too? another 10/10 banger holy fuck im gonna play this everyday!!

IWCY- new beat and vocal approach. sounds like indie rock band kinda? the beat sounds a bit… muddy. it doesn’t have that immaculate electronic touch… it’s more like a live band or stadium show. 

AG- it slots in so perfectly. i don’t know if it’s just a mental thing but had this been my fan album, i would have been conflicted having it here. but now, knowing that it’s supposed to be here, it sounds right! thank you to Epic for letting this happen, for letting AG make its way home! this feels really powerful, it’s a reclamation of Bonnie’s career. it’s also a testament to how well her voice has lasted in 11 years, it’s incredible how she still sings the same.

F21- i have to admit, having already heard this one, it doesn’t do it for me. the vocals and instrumental feel disconnected. still a banger.

Slay- feels funny having it so far into the album and not at the start. i’m still not fully into the instrumental and firebird lyric. but i think it was the right choice to start this era. Hot City is the tone of the album but Slay was the first brave foot forward! that bridge/post chorus is still one of the best things i’ve ever heard. plus the belting, that final ascending riff at the end!

EH- a good start. sounds nearly identical! if you played me this instead of the OG i don’t think i would notice! the chorus is SLIGHTLY different, mostly the levels- BGV and the bass lower. i have to play these back to back… it seems to be mostly the original track???

WIM- this one is definitely new lol, in a good way. no longer sounds like im on someone’s MySpace profile. the chorus vocal is much fuller and belted, no longer in head voice. that makes it much closer to the Epic tracks, but it’s still a bit different. it’s a bop, but i wonder why she likes it so much? the new production is fun and detailed, but the whole thing sounds foggy instead of crystal clear. similar to IWCY.

Snatched- an immaculate transition to this track! definitely sounds more modern, could even fit in Renaissance possibly. omg the chorus. im dancing in my chair! this needs a video! Priyanka’s verse is excellent, Bonnie’s choice of features show her strong musical ear. im gonna be singing this chorus everyday! so catchy.

Sleepwalker- this song was always LOUD compared to her others. im glad it’s been fixed lol. another perfect song, im curious as to how it fits into the epic era, my understanding is it’s older than the others and it has different co-writers. i love that little bass lick that shows up in the last chorus near the end. the lyrics of this one are so personal and hit hard. i love a sad banger.

JAK- a seductive mid tempo! a nice change of pace. really nice and ambient. bonnie conveys that yearning and passion in her voice so well. i could never understand that criticism that she sounds too plain or american! (some people used that as a reason of why AG didn’t smash)

RYH- the vocal sounds quite different in this first verse. honestly… i don’t like what they did to the chorus. that violin thing is too sharp. it makes it sound like a Clean Bandit or Galantis track. it’s too busy and oversung, Demi teas.

EBY- this sounds very different. new lyrics, new vocal arrangement. gonna take some time to process this one! a bit of the muddy band effect like IWCY.

Stars- and just like that, the album comes to an end. this is the right choice of closer. definitely better than Lovespell. im really glad that Stars found a home too. the vocal arrangement sounds more like the new tracks… i must be imagining it? i don’t listen to this song that often, so im not super familiar. but i will be now! the way she sings ‘collect all the stars’ near the end is so funny, the way her mouth is shaped and the vowels are modulated. it’s very endearing.

 

thank you Bonnie, for listening to us and giving us your whole heart, your whole career and money… the fact that we have such a big part in this album’s story is so special! i never expected this to happen and will stay eternally grateful. i played a part in this album, i made it happen! it’s a moment to look back on forever!

[BraveNewSeth]

2 hours ago, izzzyyy said:

she doesn’t need to, we have sources. the first demo of everything but you is from a jocko source, and it’s completely devoid of max martin.

…right

[BraveNewSeth]

Some of these reviews are getting me so hype 😭 I’ve listened to a few snippets but I’m waiting until it’s officially out in the US to listen to the full thing. 

[Ice Prince]

Jesus, the album is incredible! 2010s bops in all their glory, I couldn't ask for more honestly.

I would prefer a different order for the album but that's like completely insignificant. The only song I'm not vibing to is Snatched, but everything else on it I really enjoy.

Thanks for this bop collection, Bonnie. Now THAT is a comeback. AOTY for sure.

Idk what were some people on, Everything but You and I Wanna Fucking Call You are not bad at all. Yes they're different from the leaked versions but they're not bad in any way lol. Enjoy the music, we don't have shiny fun pop bops like these anymore on the radio.

Edited May 30 by Ice Prince

[Crystal <3]

5 minutes ago, Ice Prince said:

Jesus, the album is incredible! 2010s bops in all their glory, I couldn't ask for more honestly.

I would prefer a different order for the album but that's like completely insignificant. The only song I'm not vibing to is Snatched, but everything else on it I really enjoy.

Thanks for this bop collection, Bonnie. Now THAT is a comeback. AOTY for sure.

Idk what were some people on, Everything but You and I Wanna Fucking Call You are not bad at all. Yes they're different from the leaked versions but they're not bad in any way lol. Enjoy the music, we don't have shiny fun pop bops like these anymore on the radio.

!!!

[thetaco]

maybe we should try to make one of these songs go viral on tiktok. is that still a thing? tiktok virality making a smash hit?

Edited May 30 by thetaco

[Crystal <3]

3 minutes ago, thetaco said:

maybe we should try to make one of these songs go viral on tiktok. is that still a thing? tiktok virality making a smash hit?

someone last year said we should edit the notification in I wanna call you into a Grindr notification. that's an idea. I don't like the idea of tiktok music bc to me it devalues music as an art but my personal beliefs aside we need to give her everything we got

[Popsicle Orange]

I'm listening now for the first time and currently onto "Forever 21" omg it's so good!!!!!!! Bonnie I am SCREAMING!!!!!!!!! YOU DID THIS BITCH!!!!!!!!! What a fucking legend to pay THIS MUCH JUSTICE and service to this legendary album that STUPID Epic records dared to question!!! It doesn't even matter if it would have or should have or could be a mega #1 smash, that's so not the god damn point. The point is - this is excellent pop music! These are amazing songs! They are timeless in the way that music and pop music will always be - the great pop songs "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" "Like a Virgin" "Dance with Somebody" don't age or ever become over because they have a soul. This whole album has a soul and has lived on for ten years now - which is god knows a lot more than some singles released by artists last month with a hiss and a roar, already forgotten.

Congratulations Bonnie - you've worked so hard and I for one am incredibly grateful! 

[Popsicle Orange]

2 minutes ago, Crystal &lt;3 said:

someone last year said we should edit the notification in I wanna call you into a Grindr notification. that's an idea. I don't like the idea of tiktok music bc to me it devalues music as an art but my personal beliefs aside we need to give her everything we got

I will create a tiktok to support Bonnie if I have to - and god knows I don't want to create one but sacrifices must be made for pop excellence.

[Cornelia]

WOW! Just finished listening to this masterpiece. What a great conceptual Album. If you're willing to immerse yourself into Hot City, with its themes and 80s soundscape - you will absolutely not be disappointed. This Album is a beautiful love letter sonically to the 80s, with IWCY + EBY showcasing the more Rock, less produced side of that. I do not think they're as different especially if you loved the Yahoo Performance and the one she did at that weird showcase along with Hot City. I even prefer it for IWCY, since it is a lot more dynamic than the demos.

Ramblings aside. What a great GREAT Album. There is not a single filler, skip or boring moment. 

Spoiler

I really love Snatched and how Bonnies and Priyankas voices blend together. The gay club in Hot City must be lit! 

 

[TakeYouToHell]

8 minutes ago, Cornelia said:

 

  Hide contents

I really love Snatched and how Bonnies and Priyankas voices blend together. The gay club in Hot City must be lit! 

 

Finally someone loves Snatched 

the whole album was a 10/10 experience, she better annouce the vinyl and CD quick!

[izzzyyy]

1 hour ago, BraveNewSeth said:

…right

what are you so salty for? was it something i said?

Edited May 30 by izzzyyy

[cmiley]

9 hours ago, cmiley said:

With dbree making the old downloads unavailable, I need some of the demos from this album including:

Jenny’s Got A Boyfriend
Slay
Electric Heaven
Worst In Me (2008 and 2012 versions)
Just A Kiss

Also need Calling All Cars

 

P.S. why include songs like American Girl, Sleepwalker & Stars In Your Heart when they weren’t even reworked for the album and were released prior? Hasta La Vista, Hit Me Up, Outlaw, Wild Card, Waking Up Diagonal, What’s It Gonna Take & Last Call Lover would’ve been better choices. Maybe a deluxe? Also hoping for physical releases soon (CD & Vinyl).

Still looking for a re-up on the demos of these songs (the 2012-2013 versions)

[Crystal <3]

9 minutes ago, TakeYouToHell said:

Finally someone loves Snatched 

the whole album was a 10/10 experience, she better annouce the vinyl and CD quick!

uhm... i also love snatched?!? I was defending it earlier lmao 😭