here they are:
"Diamond Studded Shoes" by Yola: Yola's unique combination of country and R & B gains an even thicker musical gumbo with her latest song, "Diamond Studded Shoes." Coming off almost like a Grateful Dead-style combo of country, blues, jazz, and rock with meandering guitar licks during the solo, "Diamond Studded Shoes" is an upbeat song about downbeat subject matter. The titular phrase, "diamond studded shoes," is mentioned only once in the song during the second verse, referring to the much sought after financial value of such clothing, and how people in the big biz buying those sorts of shoes with their taxes is really just their way of keeping more ordinary folk divided. The theme of divisiveness continues throughout the song, addressing more specifically the issue of poverty and how negatively it affects Yola and others whose monetary rank is middle class or lower. Nothing brings controversial issues to the forefront like a catchy song, eh?!
"Easy Sleazy" by Mick Jagger and Dave Grohl: Essentially, the leading Stone and the leading Foo Fighter are churning out classic rock for a generation that has become increasingly disconnected from the idea of rock music. The news of two rock and roll giants collaborating on a song together might excite parents and grandparents of today, but what about the youth which the music industry has long been obsessed with catering to?! Is it really going to be effective for them?! While this question might remain unanswerable, Mick and Dave seem to at least trying to appeal to the youth here, delivering a gut busting rock and roll number that crams all the issues that defined 2020 into the space of roughly three and a half minutes. A world with no tours and no sports, protective face gear mysteriously becoming trendy, the once virtually unknown service of Zoom becoming an internet giant in less than a year, quarantine weight, vaccination, and global warming all get referenced in this song. Only time will tell if this song makes a truly lasting impact, though.
