#hitmakers

John Legend (Soul) Decent days of work, demonstrates that the chemistry of this particular group was good. There was also a smidge more focus on production. Cherry: good pop song, if frothy. "DNCE-tier" Heaven on Earth (11:11): slow burn, eh (maybe better for people who pay attention to lyrics). Doesn't feel like a single Rescue You: verse is intriguing but chorus is not interesting Don't Take It Away: eh ballad. Nice production touches. Day by Day: good production touches. Feels like an album track. Strong unified vibes, like Cherry while being less pop Miles and Miles: solid, really like the arrangement. Not a single, but it's the kind of composition that hooks into you over time, may grow into a fan-favorite. Actually, it's already growing on me more and more. Ranking: Miles and Miles, Cherry, Day By Day, Rescue You, Heaven on Earth

Shaboozey (Country) Interesting because lensing through specifically Shaboozey overtly pushes them to do more than "just Country", always aiming for including a non-Country fusion twist. However, the Country genre inherently imposes some cliches on the production (theoretically to balance against more detail in the lyrical content). The arrangements are both more interesting and less interesting than the other modules. More of them feel like potential single hits, but for that exact reason are less to my taste. Nova Wav easily the MVP because they kept pushing the genre, while Ben paradoxically kept putting out the most dated shit. Day 2 had fire chemistry. My Side of Midnight: meh. Florida Georgia Line-ass sound. Say It Ain't So: meh. Again a bro-country vibe Happy Birthday to Me: definitely interesting. Better rhythms than the previous two. Country Country: production stands out. No matter the drama around Stephen, he is undeniably talented at production. A case where the only country element was the lyrical content (and banjo) which therefore has stronger fusion vibe. Home for Dinner: A+ on the strength of the composition and lyrical content. A Little More: Meh. Once again a vibe of just "throw some trap production on a bro-country song", but composition and lyrics both very uninspired. Song is basically living on the tambourine groove. Tarantino: similar musical vibes as above, and so stands apart solely on lyrical content. Instead of "country lyrics on non-country production", this goes for "non-country lyrics on country production". Certainly catchy (does have a radio spark), but it would wear out its welcome fast with me personally. VVS Cowboy: undoubtedly a performance-driven case. If the rapper kills it, it kills. Obviously a very Lil Nas X model. Ironically, both this and Country Country therefore are less tailored to Shaboozey, as most of his single output from Tipsy on have been traditional acoustic Country arrangements and even compositions. Ranking: Home for Dinner, VVS Cowboy, Happy Birthday to Me, Tarantino, Country Country, My Side of Midnight, Say It Ain't So, A Little More

Usher (pop R&B) MEH. Absolutely nothing from day 1 was in my lane of interest, and everyone in-show agreed that the chemistry was bad and the output was sub-par. Then, it felt like they all over-compensated on day 2, everyone submitting frothy summer dance jams. All three day 2 songs seem emblematic to me of "Dua Lipa disco".

Unanimous: might need a stronger vocal performance to really sell it. Location: vibe-wise, Cherry redux. Is it better than Cherry? Could have used a little bit more variation. Cherry by way of Miles and Miles. (That Whitney style, huh.) Comfortable: There was drama around production, but I think it was the most interesting one from this day! Pushing out of R&B into electronic. Unfinished, could definitely get better. Rose Gold: It's fine. Not sure if it could be a single, but I really don't know the R&B market well. It could hit the summer hard with the right timing and industry context. Mile High: Summery vibe again. Strong performance platform, as Harv noted. Can't Relate: Not sure why this was the song that got everyone to get up compared to others. Ranking: Comfortable, Mile High, Unanimous, Rose Gold, Can't Relate, Location

Lisa (Kpop) The most interesting day, arguably. Everyone got really unrestrained in technique, freed from the pressure of Usher's long history. The way Comfortable was pushed into new ground where all of the other songs were safe as hell, apparently was effortless to everyone's inspiration on Kpop day. Purely about sound aesthetic over any context/content concerns, production taking the lead. But, notably, this is Kpop as filtered through American writers, which changes things when no crunchy Korean is shaping the lyrical landscape. As many people have noted, American Kpop does always feel a little defanged compared to the real thing! Eleven: obviously pursuing the maximalist style of Kpop. Definitely feels like a single. Scott Storch mixed with trap. Back in Business: does not feel like Kpop, honestly. Bebe Rexha/Tate McRae vibes. Hot: that country vibe stuck around. Not the kind of Kpop I tend towards, but it feels like a "not the lead single second performance" song. Like, when major groups do a two-song set on the music shows, the one that doesn't get the MV. Example SNSD's Showx3.

Some closing thoughts: No Latin presence in the group, meant that some ideas (rhythms, instrumentation) didn't come up. There was also a shying away from any European vibes (and not just EDM, see how UK R&B hit hard recently with Olivia Dean and Raye). Which was really glaring for Kpop day, as the Lisa targeting meant that we were not going to get the "dreamy" or "fresh" veins of Kpop that I prefer more.

On KPDH, Jenna and Stephen worked on Free and What It Sounds Like, which were my two least favorite songs lol.