CEREMONY | L.A.M.B - Gwen Stefani

[PETTY]

BPE while not perfect and very loud, did not deserve last place 

[Franch Toast PronounsShe/her/hers]

Just now, blankpaper said:

@Franch Toast this sent me 

I feel like Gavin wasn't putting out when she was writing this album. 

[Blown Away]

The way the worst song lost. A victory for taste!

[Lorde Von Kok PronounsHe/Him]

Noise left the megarate.

[blankpaper Pronounsshe/her]

Next out - 

11 - Harajuku Girls

Average rate: 6.17
Highest rate: 10 @BabyMario44 @kaelergrey
Lowest rate: 1.4 @Blown Away

 

Comments:

@Elvira - She's cute. Not that memorable or necessary, probably my pick as filler but it's still cute, I like it.

@PETTY - skipped it then, skip it now

@Blown Away  - I don't like the song. It is the dull and dry version of Hollaback Girl.

@Franch Toast  - The fake “Japanese/oriental” music at the beginning rubs me the wrong way, as does the sprinkling of Japanese words throughout. Yes, we get it Gwen—you think Harajuku girls have “wicked style.” She should’ve had some actual Japanese people help with the song and not just relegated them to being silent props and back-up dancers. I almost prefer her appropriation of cowboy culture over this. Also, the song is just okay. 

@kaelergrey - Underrated. This song is amazing and very unique. I love it. 

@GitHub - I don't follow Gwen so I don't get the Harajuku thing? it's like the 3rd mention already

@NYNJ Nights - it's okay but I wonder how this song is viewed today?

[Blown Away]

I love how this megarate is going so far. Keep killing the duds!

[PETTY]

Harajuku Girls deserved first out, it’s borderline unlistenable 

[Franch Toast PronounsShe/her/hers]

1 minute ago, blankpaper said:

Next out - 

11 - Harajuku Girls

Average rate: 6.17
Highest rate: 10 @BabyMario44 @kaelergrey
Lowest rate: 1.4 @Blown Away

 

Comments:

@Elvira - She's cute. Not that memorable or necessary, probably my pick as filler but it's still cute, I like it.

@PETTY - skipped it then, skip it now

@Blown Away  - I don't like the song. It is the dull and dry version of Hollaback Girl.

@Franch Toast  - The fake “Japanese/oriental” music at the beginning rubs me the wrong way, as does the sprinkling of Japanese words throughout. Yes, we get it Gwen—you think Harajuku girls have “wicked style.” She should’ve had some actual Japanese people help with the song and not just relegated them to being silent props and back-up dancers. I almost prefer her appropriation of cowboy culture over this. Also, the song is just okay. 

@kaelergrey - Underrated. This song is amazing and very unique. I love it. 

@GitHub - I don't follow Gwen so I don't get the Harajuku thing? it's like the 3rd mention already

@NYNJ Nights - it's okay but I wonder how this song is viewed today?

I'm not horribly sad that this song is out. The beat is catchy, but using Asian women as silent props (especially in the wake of Atlanta) is a giant no, and she never owned up to how this was problematic. 

I still love Gwen, but she needs to come to terms with this. 

[nynj nights Pronounsshe/her]

1 minute ago, blankpaper said:

@GitHub - I don't follow Gwen so I don't get the Harajuku thing? it's like the 3rd mention already

 

tbh I needed to refresh my memory as well 

[Mario Spears PronounsHe/Him, 22 ☆🪩 Britney/Beyonce/GaGa/CBreezy/Shakira/Doja savior 🤠COWBOY CARTER🤠]

1 minute ago, PETTY said:

Harajuku Girls deserved first out, it’s borderline unlistenable 

 

2 minutes ago, blankpaper said:

Next out - 

11 - Harajuku Girls

Average rate: 6.17
Highest rate: 10 @BabyMario44 @kaelergrey
Lowest rate: 1.4 @Blown Away

 

Comments:

@Elvira - She's cute. Not that memorable or necessary, probably my pick as filler but it's still cute, I like it.

@PETTY - skipped it then, skip it now

@Blown Away  - I don't like the song. It is the dull and dry version of Hollaback Girl.

@Franch Toast  - The fake “Japanese/oriental” music at the beginning rubs me the wrong way, as does the sprinkling of Japanese words throughout. Yes, we get it Gwen—you think Harajuku girls have “wicked style.” She should’ve had some actual Japanese people help with the song and not just relegated them to being silent props and back-up dancers. I almost prefer her appropriation of cowboy culture over this. Also, the song is just okay. 

@kaelergrey - Underrated. This song is amazing and very unique. I love it. 

@GitHub - I don't follow Gwen so I don't get the Harajuku thing? it's like the 3rd mention already

@NYNJ Nights - it's okay but I wonder how this song is viewed today?

WHAT????? Harajuku girls deserved top 5 🙄🙄🙄🙄

[blankpaper Pronounsshe/her]

1 minute ago, blankpaper said:

@GitHub - I don't follow Gwen so I don't get the Harajuku thing? it's like the 3rd mention already

@GitHub she had a ~phase~ where she was obsessed with japanese street fashion and had four japanese girls follow her around everywhere (the harajuku girls) and named them love, angel, music, and baby. it seemed so cool in 2004 but super cringe looking back haha

[Franch Toast PronounsShe/her/hers]

3 minutes ago, NYNJ Nights said:

tbh I needed to refresh my memory as well 

There's an article about this here (one of many; Margaret Cho called her out on it at the time, and she ignored it):

https://popcrush.com/gwen-stefani-kuu-kuu-harajuku-japanese-fashion-appropriation/

There are better articles and even a video out there too. 

Edited to add, this is a video I found very helpful: 

 

Edited March 28, 2021 by Franch Toast

[nynj nights Pronounsshe/her]

The line "In a pedestrian paradise" sent me after CC 

[GitHub Pronounsshe/her]

2 minutes ago, blankpaper said:

@GitHub she had a ~phase~ where she was obsessed with japanese street fashion and had four japanese girls follow her around everywhere (the harajuku girls) and named them love, angel, music, and baby. it seemed so cool in 2004 but super cringe looking back haha

yeah I wiki'ed this after I made the comments and it was all very wtf to me

[Lorde Von Kok PronounsHe/Him]

Anyway ...  

 

 

[Franch Toast PronounsShe/her/hers]

Just now, GitHub said:

yeah I wiki'ed this after I made the comments and it was all very wtf to me

The worst part is they weren't allowed to talk, or at least, they couldn't speak English, only Japanese, and they were all basically Japanese Americans fluent in English  (I think a couple were born in Japan but immigrated to the US as kids), and at her concerts, instead of introducing them by their names like she did the rest of her band and dancers, she continued calling them Love, Angel, Music, and Baby. 

[blankpaper Pronounsshe/her]

as bad as gwen is about appropriation, i really don't think she meant any of it in a negative way and really did just love the culture. it was just done in a poor way, but this was almost 20 years ago and it was a different time

[nynj nights Pronounsshe/her]

6 minutes ago, Franch Toast said:

There's an article about this here (one of many; Margaret Cho called her out on it at the time, and she ignored it):

https://popcrush.com/gwen-stefani-kuu-kuu-harajuku-japanese-fashion-appropriation/

There are better articles and even a video out there too. 

Edited to add, this is a video I found very helpful: 

 

yeah I also found an article from 2019 I think about how Gwen defended her decision to go with the Harajuku girls theme, but I wonder if she'll come out with an apology or a reconsideration after the recent events in Atlanta and the rise in Asian hate

https://www.thecut.com/2019/11/gwen-stefani-doesnt-regret-harajuku-girls.html

 

Edited March 28, 2021 by NYNJ Nights
added article link

[blankpaper Pronounsshe/her]

Next out - 

10 - Crash

Average rate: 7.25
Highest rate: 10 @kaelergrey
Lowest rate: 3 @Blown Away

 

Comments:

@Elvira - Another underrated, Crash is so good and catchy, I love the melody and the whole vibe from the song. It deserved a smash video.

@PETTY - Love the 80's vibe, this was always one of my favorite songs on the album. 

@Blown Away - This is easily the worst single off the album. The verses are very weak and the chorus is obnoxious as hell. I can't believe Gwen chose Crash as the last single instead of Serious of Danger Zone.

@Lorde Von Kok - Beep beep!

@Franch Toast - This is a forgettable song for me. It reminds me of limp pasta, which isn’t good for an Italian girl like Gwen. Tony, were you trying to sabotage Gwen’s solo career as revenge for trashing you throughout Tragic Kingdom and murdering you in the “It’s My Life” video?  (“Bubble Pop Electric” is the better car sex song. Also, how much car sex was she having during this era?)

@kaelergrey - This song is an amazing pop masterpiece. Its is underrated but once you listen to it. It wont leave your psyche. Its a standout just like the whole album itself. 

@GitHub - I was set up to be really into it, but it got a bit repetitive for me

@NYNJ Nights - simple yet catchy and fun

[blankpaper Pronounsshe/her]

i'm mad at you guys for knocking crash out so soon