Bonnie McKee - Hot City (aka Epic Album)

[konnichiwalski]

The new Everything But You is incredible what are y'all talking about 

[glamleska 2.0]

2 minutes ago, konnichiwalski said:

The new Everything But You is incredible what are y'all talking about 

I was just about to say this... ofc the old one is nostalgic but this new one is not as terrible as this forum is making it sound. The production matches the vibe.

Now Snatched... where did she come from? LMAO I like it but sonically we could have left this for the next project! Without it this is a 10/10 for me. SHOW YOU MINE SUPREMECY!

[Guest]

Electric Heaven is pure pop gold! ⭐️

[izzzyyy]

5 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).

just a kiss demo did not leak

[izzzyyy]

1 hour ago, BraveNewSeth said:

Did she confirm this anywhere?

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.

[izzzyyy]

3 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.

oh my god clock it

[izzzyyy]

1 hour ago, thetaco said:

there’s no way three tracks are rerecorded that bad she literally has the original masters on her computer as a reference sheet. is there anywhere to listen early?

some critiques are valid, but some are begging her to go back in time and release them in 2014 atp. the first slay demo is extremely dated, and i still saw people complaining. the released outsell the originals (of the SINGLES, i’m waiting till midnight to hear the album) by miles.

Edited May 30, 2024 by izzzyyy

[BonnieMcChicken]

EVERYTHING SOUNDS SO GOOD. i can't wait to listen fully. i wanna fucking call you SOUNDS AMAZING. so does everything but you.

[RedBloodedWoman]

Listening to the lossless master & the quality/production sound so much better. The mastering is still iffy in spots, but it’s not as jarring as I initially thought. Grateful she invested so much time/energy into this + it’s finally on streaming. Hopefully physicals are announced soon. 
 

Edit: It’s so interesting hearing this mix of Sleepwalker in hi-res! Just a Kiss is THAT girl, if anyone has the demo DM me

Edited May 30, 2024 by RedBloodedWoman

[Cornelia]

less than two hours until it's out for me! I'm so excited! It's about to be THEE day! 

Spoiler

not taking the EBY or IWCY discussions thaaat seriously, since some people here liked the Jenny Demo more than the released one 💀

 

[lewisbennett1]

I'll 100% be supporting this release with streams and purchases.

It always throws me off when she changes lyrics though. It happened with SLAY. And now EBY - "My big leopard coat". "I'll be alright.. I know the STARS are on my side" 🫤 Does it make sense? Not feeling it. It just doesn't pack the same punch as the demo, in terms of the lyrics. I feel like the "coz I know time is on my side" line just makes more sense too - I know she changed the SLAY lyrics because she thought that 'gold isn't bright' and didn't make sense. The production feels oversaturated in "pop" too... I kinda liked how her live shows brought that rock edge. (I need the original EBY in WAV)

These are only my initial critiques. I'll be listening multiple times and my opinion may change. So happy for her to finally be releasing albums again though.

I actually liked her revival of DGMGF - I think it's such a funky opener and the collab just kicked it up a notch. Think I'm gonna knock Worst in Me and Snatched off my version as they feel a bit "off" stylistically. I'd have taken Snatched as a Bonus Track tbh.

Edited June 1, 2024 by lewisbennett1

[cmiley]

1 hour ago, izzzyyy said:

just a kiss demo did not leak

Damn. Does anyone have that available though?

[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