#SELFIEby The Chainsmokers

I’ll admit that I’m new to the New York duo the Chainsmokers don’t have a spot on my playlist, but that isn’t because I don’t like them. If my knowledge serves me correct, “Selfie”, is the first Electro Dance Music offering I’ve had the chance to listen to from members Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall. The two have a varied skillset, they produce, DJ and write their own music. And have grown tremendously in popularity with the viral hit “Selfie” which dropped in early 2014 and has been revamped by its many adaptations across the internet, just in time for the summer. “Selfie” is a parodied introduction of the social media term ‘selfie’ which has been hash tagged in just about every single picture on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, selfie is an informal noun, meaning: a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media site (such as the ones I mentioned earlier). Over an electro-synth/bass sounding instrumental layered with FX and the female, spoken word, vocals of Alexis Killacam, the Chainsmokers paint a vivid picture of the struggle to get your selfie just right to make yourself look good for your friends and followers. We struggle to get the lighting, filter (the infamous Valencia and XXPro), pose and we can’t forget to mention the corny hash tags in the description. The song narrates an average girl who goes out to the club with her girls. Ditzy, superficial and plastic are three words that describe her character. The song paints her as the stereotypical blonde “white girl” who is obsessed with capturing every single moment in life with a selfie, in dire need of attention and admiration for her altered photos. The issue with this song is not its commercial success as it reached over 100,000 digital download within weeks and hit number 55 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Its downfall was illustrated in the reviews of news titans like the Chicago Reader that gave it negative reviews saying that it makes the “Harlem Shake” sound like an EDM hit. Chicago Reader critic called the quality of sound basic resembling an audio program preset, in other words, almost anybody with basic understanding of the software could make it. I’m not the biggest fan of the song, but I disagree with critics because the simple EDM instrumental works well with the lyrics. I think the song would have hit the mark better if the Chainsmokers still maintained their parody-like style of commentary, but gave it a little bit more depth and cleverness. It would be cool to hear an artist tackle the selfie in a more creative and insightful manner. The selfie is a social media phenomenon that I have taken part in countless times and I have mixed feelings about it. Most of the time I'd like to say I post them for the sake of updating my profile, but that isn't true. I sometimes go through the filters, posing and etc so that I can make myself look "better" than I do in real life. Maybe one day a rapper like Kendrick Lamar, Drake or J. Cole will spit some dope bars about the topic for the Hip-Hop community to enjoy. Overall the song is decent at best if you’re enjoying in a party atmosphere with friends, but it doesn't have much replay value to be worthy of your iPod or Smartphone. I look forward to more progressive music from the duo in the future and maybe they'll have another trend to discuss by then. Maybe you’ll have a different perspective on the song, nonetheless, enjoy it!

"First, lemme take a Selfie!" is the catchphrase of this iconic summer song. The Chainsmokers employ sizzling beats, while a female voiceover speaks lines that reflect thoughts that a girl might have before taking a #Selfie. Although the female voiceover may be annoying to some people at times, overall it is an enjoyable single, and is a must have for a backyard BBQ or a summer dance party!