Not sure if you can tell from the title of this piece but I have a personal vendetta against songs under 2 minutes! I would keep my rant short but it would defeat the whole point of this article. Short and sweet is not welcome here.
I speak with clear conviction when I say songs under two minutes are borderline torture. HOWEVER I say this simply because 99.9% of the time, these songs leave you wanting more – sort of what Eastender’s did to many of us back in the earlier 2000’s. Had us up way past our bedtime, putting together unfinished pieces of story and using our imaginations to guess what was going to happen next?
The easy thing for these artists to do, is to mask their songs as ‘interludes’ but ain’t nobody falling for that excuse anymore. I never asked for a break, it’s an unfinished song, plain and simple. Remi Kabaka Jr, musical instrumentalist and producer for one of our greatest treasures; the Gorillaz said in an interview for Reprezent Radio that ”..no song is ever finished” (2019). I couldn’t agree more with my name sake. And I’m pretty sure he was referring to the time of an average song.
Fun fact in reference to the Billboard Hot 100 charts: the last 5 years has seen the average song time fall by 20 seconds. The average song is now 3:30 seconds long. As a serial music lover I’ve interpreted this as… We are DOOMED!
I actually don’t think I am overreacting, hear me out. I’ve done some ‘calculations’ (p.s I was definitely one of those kids who believed I wouldn’t need to maths after GCSE’s, pshhhh what a moist thought). If we continue going down this 20 second cut every 5 years? In 30 years, by 2050 the average songs will be 1:50 secs… Should I start distancing myself from music now? because I honestly won’t be able to cope.
To add to the insult to this injury, they will give us songs that are 120 seconds (or less) then try and squeeze three, four, five man on a track! If you really want to p*** off a hood veteran, invade his/her personal space! I ain’t hood but whatever happened to personal space ayyy?? Let the track breathe PLEASE. Why should it feel like we are illegally packing seven people into the back of a Ford KA…
Which brings me to my main argument, are these short songs a power trip?
I’ve listed below FIVE of my favourite bitter-sweet joints!
PartyNextDoor – Break From Toronto
Summer Walker – Session 32
D Block Europe & Yxng Bane – ILY (Interlude)
GuiltyBeats feat. Joeboy – No Love
Tyler The Creator feat. Lil Wayne – Droppin’ Seeds
Anyway… The truth is I forgive them all because in such a short space of time, they have contributed to some of the finest music to grace through the ear wax in my ears.
I know these 5 are just the tip of iceberg, what are your greatest songs under two minutes?
Be informed. Be Entertained. Be You. 