Song Reviews: Timbaland ft. Justin Timberlake - Carry Out, and a bit about Timbaland ft. Nelly Furtado & SoShy - Morning After Dark

[Post published by Liviu, on Liviu's [Personal] Blog]


Timbaland has recently (i.e. 2 days ago) published on his YouTube channel the song Carry Out, featuring Justin Timberlake. In December, he has published Morning After Dark, featuring Nelly Furtado & SoShy, which has proven its success by the 5.4+ million views. I will mostly analyze/criticize the first one.


First, the teaser of Carry Out.

Let me quote Justin Timberlake: You're crazy, this song will never work!
:) I kind of agree, this does not seem mainstream.


Second, song and video of Carry Out.


Third, my comments:

Bad: In my opinion, it does not raise to Timbaland's previous hits done in collaboration with Justin Timberlake (Cry me a river, Lovestonned, Sexyback, My Love) or with Nelly Furtado (Promiscuous Girl, Say it right), or, even better, featuring both in Give It to Me.

Bad: The video looks too simple - mmm, can we call this a video or is it just an excuse to upload the song on YouTube?

Good: Indeed, it establishes a new sound - funny enough, all the previous successes (which I've indexed above) have done it.

Good: The beat, the rhythm.

Bad: The lyrics seem too simple.

Good: The lyrics are not that simple and straightforward, in fact there are more sexual implications than I noticed after 3 times listening it.

Good: Did you get the irony?
The sign says Drive In, while the lyrics raise the bar by saying (shortly after start) drive through. Oh, and did you really get the chorus part? (check out the lyrics!)

[Side note: Apparently, Timbaland likes inserting such ironies, e.g. in The Way I Are he uses love as a verb: I'm the one that loves you best.]

Bad: On short term, Morning After Dark (Featuring Nelly Furtado & SoShy) can impress more people - it's more catchy, sounds better etc. Although I expect Carry Out to register more views in any same time frame (due to Justin's brand and performance which attracts viewers), I don't expect it to make into mainstream (radio, clubs etc.) in the next 2 months - by having it launched now, i.e. at the end of February, I think they expect to reach the highest positions in mainstream at the end of April or beginning of May, therefore rule the summer.

Good: I can't say it's bad - it's different, that's for sure - I think it suits dancing better than listening, just like Lovestonned or My Love did.
It's good there's a lot of rhythm inside. I know, it does not seem to be, but there is. Technically, it allows one to move freely on the beat - providing such freedom may turn it into a star in clubs and/or parties.



Conclusion on Morning After Dark: catchy, sounds good, another Timbaland hit - not a great hit, just a regular Timbaland hit/success.


Conclusions on Carry Out:

I can't say it's bad - it's different, that's for sure. I'm curious how it shall perform overall. It could prove itself as a hit or a failure with equal chances, therefore I'm not making any predictions.

Carry Out's main feature? The freedom it offers to one dancing. That's [only] it! It may be too much or not enough. Let the public decide.

The story...

[Post publicat de Liviu, pe Liviu's [Personal] Blog]

It has always been about the story and the attitude.
Seth Godin used to talk a lot about this on the old times, but now he talks about it just from now and then.

Main idea to remember, as I see it:
Most things (besides profit-driven commercial products) need a story. By things I mean: people, attitudes, philosophies, politics/wars, competitions etc.

For example:

1. People - Think of all great businessmen you know: you know them because you know their story and/or the story of their products/campaigns.
2. Competitions - You probably know lots of parts of the story of the rivalry between Apple and Microsoft.
3. Philosophy also means religion and you probably know big parts of your religion's story, don't you?
4. If you're fond of politics you most likely know a lot of the story regarding WW 1 and 2, and the foundation of the EU and/or US.

Bottom line: you need a story for you, for your products, for your business and so on. Make it true, let it come by itself, do your best to make it interesting and challenging.

Partii de schi nou deschise: Sureanu si Gura Humorului

[Post publicat de Liviu, pe Liviu's [Personal] Blog]
[Last update: 2010-02-10 3:07]

Am citit din presa ca in ultimul timp s-au inaugurat 2 noi locatii de schi in Romania: Sureanu si Gura Humorului. Duminica, 7 Feb, dupa ce am citit despre inaugurarea partiei Gura Humorului, am decis sa le indexez aici, ca sa nu uit de ele.

Disclaimer: Nu am vizitat nici una dintre ele, iar parerile exprimate sunt numai pe baza informatiilor citite si a pozelor/filmelor vazute pe Internet (presa, site-uri oficiale, bloguri etc.). Deci e posibil ca realitatea sa difere de ce comentez eu aici...



Domeniul schiabil Sureanu

Mi se pare o idee/initiativa buna. Imi place ca a fost o initiativa privata si nu am avut o deschidere fenomenala cu enshpe politicieni.

Imi place site-ul oficial, cu harta partiilor, descrierea partiilor si informatia despre starea lor (functionala sau nu). Cred ca e prima statiune din Romania care are site oficial concis si coerent. Bravo!
Preturile mi se par foarte bune.

Ar mai trebui pe site pus: grosimea stratului de zapada.

Mi se pare putin cam greu de ajuns, i.e. 82 km de la Sebes pana la statiunea de schi.

Despre viitor: (1) sunt curios cum vor arata spatiile de cazare (numar, calitate, preturi etc.); (2) mi se pare putin incomod sa existe numai teleschi, de aceea ar fi o idee buna daca ar construi si o gondola - really, la teleschi discul acela pe care il tii intre picioare (suna dubios, nu?) sau batul care te trage de fund iti obosesc muschii, (3) astept sa vad extinderea partiilor de schi, pana la totalul de 12 km.


Concluzie - Sureanu:

Daca merge in stilul in care au inceput, Sureanu ar putea sa bata lejer Poiana Brasov la (1) cantitatea si calitatea partiilor de schi, (2) preturi, (3) cazare, (4) prezentarea globala a statiunii.

Singurele incoveniente ar fi (1) usurinta de a ajunge acolo, si (2) transportul pe cablu doar de tip teleschi - daca ar face o gondola sau telescaun (pe sistem gondola) deja ar fi ultra tare!



Gura Humorului - Partia Soimul

Elena Udrea a deschis (in persoana, evident!) partia de schi de la Gura Humorului. Bravo!
[Update: se numeste Partia Soimul.]

In articolul din Gandul nu apare nimic (evident) de tipul: poze, harta cu partia, site oficial. Am cautat pe net pe site-urile de stiri pana m-am saturat si n-am gasit nimic despre acestea. Nici cu Google nu am gasit nimic oficial.

In final (yupi!) am gasit un blog care referea alt blog unde era prezentata partia si mai departe apareau poze si un film din 5 Feb.

Partia mi se pare ok, dar coborarea filmata de 2 minute mi se pare foatre scurta.
Imi place ca au telescaun. Foarte bine!

Desigur, o singura partie inseamna foarte putin, deci sper ca in viitor sa mai adauge niste km de partie la Gura Humorului.


Concluzie - Gura humorului:

Sa vedem cum va evolua partia de la Gura Humorului si criticam/laudam cand vom avea mai multe informatii. Pana acum pare bine. Daca am avea si un site oficial, ar deveni chiar promitator tot proiectul si as laud-o pe Elena Udrea pentru ca a inaugurat ceva care pare bun si pe care nu-l pot critica momentan.

Hai Elena Udrea, hai ca poti sa faci un proiect perfect: vrem site oficial si mai multi km de partie ca sa te laudam!


Update 10 Februarie - Gura humorului:

[Din cauze obiective (e.g. site-urile ro de media nu-si fac treaba ca lumea, search-ul facut de mine nu a produs cele mai bune rezultate, deoarece nu se "asezase"/rank-uise informatia ca lumea) si subiective (e.g. mi-a fost lene sa fac un search calculatoristic puternic, shame on me!) am omis niste link-uri importante.]

Gura Humorului, in calitate de oras respectabil, are site oficial: http://www.primariagh.ro. 

Gura Humorului, in calitate de statiune respectabila, are site oficial: http://www.gurahumorului.info.

Si, da! Partia Soimul are descriere oficiala! Yupi! Bravo!
Imi plac detaliile tehnice ale partiei; imi place ca au noctura si parcare la baza. Imi plac pozele pe care le-au afisat. - Din spatele compului treaba pare bine facuta. Bravo!
Nu inteleg fraza: un sistem electronic de bileterie - cuvantul bileterie nu exista pe DEXonline, dar ar fi interesant daca ar cauta cineva in DEX-ul pe hartie (momentan nu am acces la el) - bileterie suna foarte funny!

Concluzie - Update: Lucrurile merg mai bine decat ma asteptam. Foarte bine! Acum sa mai traga niste km de partie in continuare, i.e. sa dezvolte mai departe ce au inceput, ca au inceput bine!

Rachete, rachete! Noi acum avem rachete, tra-la-la...

[Post publicat de Liviu, pe Liviu's [Personal] Blog]

Un prieten, Alexandru Badea, a creat candva un cantecel foarte funny: Noi nu mai avem rachete, iar versurile-ancora erau: Noi nu mai avem rachete... Noi nu mai avem nici macar rachete. Foarte-foarte funny! Am ras mult, atat atunci, cat si acum.

Eh, timpul a trecut si acum avem rachete...
Really.
Stirea e in media mondiala: NY Times (1, 2) The Telegraph (1, 2), BBC, Financial Times (1, 2).

Wow, we made it into world news mainstream with something positive! Great. That's really good news.