Another thing i really respect with Anthony is his lack of pretentiousness when it comes to Pop, anything popular, played out, or extremely hated. He just seems to come from a place of genuine open mindedness. Everyone should be like that.
I really started to appreciate Anthony when he gave Thank U, Next an 8. I loved that album, but I was basically anticipating him to dunk on it because I'm so used to music nerds just tearing apart Ariana Grande or whoever's popular at the time even when they're outputting very high-quality stuff. Funnily enough, Anthony's openness to pop music is what made me receptive to indie music. Before him, I had assumed that indie music mostly fell into the categories of bland guitar ballads or weird hyper-abstract avant-garde art experiments that I couldn't possibly comprehend. Anthony got me to realise that really, it's not all that different from pop music, it isn't a different art form, good pop music is comparable to good indie music. It was something my brain hadn't really processed until I saw him giving the same type of positive feedback to a pop album, feedback which I _agreed_ with, to other albums which I assumed were out of my reach.
Mr. Moodle I agree, some artists are straight up making pop music but not getting any recognition for it. That’s why I despise the ppl who say “pop sucks, I hate the top 40.”
he's never open-minded about certain genres though, and is more open to others. Like any noisy experimental hip-hop a-la Death Grips is a guaranteed 6/10-and-above usually
@@danieldemaras3099 You think he's just chilling around his house until he decides he wants to review an album and then gets the whole video made in an hour or so? It's clear that a shit load of work is put into his job.
Exactly!! Fantano has an opinion, as does Alfo, as do the rest of us. They’re just opinions! If Fantano gives something a fat goose egg and it’s your favourite album, who gives a shit?
I’ve never liked how everyone boils down his opinions to the score he gives at the end of each video. I truly believe that Fantano gives more extensive and insightful criticism than almost any other music critic on TH-cam, and though I don’t always agree with his thoughts I can respect the guy, he knows his shit. But often I see people upset that he gave two albums the same score and ignore the rest of the commentary, which as you mention is by far his strong suit. Ratings have a purpose of course, but really it’s just a people problem.
Ive found that he's just, recommended so much good music to me, but even when he gives a negative review to an album or song i dont like, it doesnt make me dislike the song, if that makes any sense, it just gives me a different opinion on that thing, like my beautiful dark twisted fantasy is my favorite album ever, and he rated it a 6, i dont really care though, thats just what he things
@Nathan Trujillo Because the scores can't be compared 1 to 1 between artists, especially when the score takes into account what he expects from that particular artist for example.
There are plenty of albums where I disagree with Fantano's opinion, i.e., Lana del Rey's music; however, I cannot say that I have ever watched a review from him and did not understand why he felt the way he did. Whether he likes an album or dislikes it, what is more important than the score is the why, and even if his scores miss the mark sometimes, he never fails to explain himself.
Fantano has singlehandedly expanded my music taste far more than anything else in the past decade. I credit him for my love of so many genres that I hadn't touched before I stumbled onto him and Dead End hip hop. Honestly so many artist's I absolutely love I would never had seen. So I appreciate the hell outta of him for that.
Same. I mean he introduced me to The Money Store which is now one of my favorite albums of all time. That's however the only 10 from him I'd agree on unfortunately
That’s why The Needle Drop is the best music review channel on TH-cam. Where most review/reaction channels would just say “thats fire,” “that’s trash,” and whatever like that, Fantano goes into detail about specific instruments and sounds, subgenres and styles, production choices, and lyrics.
You should check out Spectrum Pulse then. He’s one of those critics where I don’t share the same tastes at all but I will watch his videos because his reviews are just that good. To me, he genuinely takes music critique to an artful level without the pretentiousness that is way too common in the music blogging scene.
Leonardo Peña Critiquing art in general is inherently obnoxious and pandering. I think with Mark and to some degree Fantano, their style makes the review feel separate from the music they’re reviewing. Can’t say the same for ARTV though
Fantano has completely changed my perception of music. In high school, I listened to exclusively rock radio and thought that was the best music made. I discovered theneedledrop and watched a few reviews from bands I know (Metallica, the Foos, Slipknot) and hated Anthony at first bc he was trashing my bands. I was honestly butthurt lol. But I continued to watch him and discovered SO many new artists (Code Orange, Tame Impala, of course Death Grips) and started branching out to the point that I don’t listen to rock radio anymore. His critiques and review are so well thought out and he covers such range of music. Plus he has the funniest comment section on TH-cam 😂😂
At this point, I'm giving the planet Earth a strong 4. Overall, love the animals and mountains, some great human architecture, but overall the planet is has way too many natural disasters for my liking. And then you add human civilizations in there, with the wars and their tendency to destroy everything, and especially with the ridiculous Donald Trump presidency at the end there (laughs) oh my God - I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I'm really hoping that next time Earth has intelligent life, that they go back to a formula that works. Transition. Did you love it? Did you hate it? Did a God create it?
Fantano's popularity is crucial as an alternative to reviews from large publications, like Pitchfork or NME. He's not afraid to give polarizing scores, especially for established artists that publications would slap moderate scores at the least, regardless how good the album is. Case and point: Revival or The Big Day. On the flipside, his few but popular rave reviews for some underground work has helped some artists reach considerae popularity. Great example is Death Grips when he first reviewed The Money Store - they wouldn't be where they are now in today's hip hop/alternative scene without Fantano.
Tbh like legit half of death grips’ fanbase might be from Fantano. It’s hard to assign an actual amount so I guess it may be less or more, but I’m pretty sure it’s substantial
@@martinbogadomartinesi5135 it's a 9/10 for me too. hell of a life, lost in the world, who will survive in america (i know its not a song but it doesn't relate to the album) bring it down for me but i love pretty much every other track
Even if I disagree with him often, Anthony changed the way I listen to and think about music and as someone who makes music as a hobby he’s elevated my own work ethic and individual style. Glad you made this video bro.
100% agree. Fantano really helped me get into music in a more thorough way, and without him I likely would be a much more passive listener. Mad respect for the man.
One of the things I really appreciate about Fantano is the exposure he gives to smaller artists. He always gives an honest review and perfectly balances not trying to please his viewers with positive reviews of their favourite artists and not needlessly tearing artists down. His influence on the music community is quite phenomenal and I think it's a huge plus that anyone can watch his reviews and probably pick up things they've never noticed while being entertained at the same time
idk why but when he gives an 8 or 9 im like ok that's a good album and almost never listen to it but when i see a 2, 1 or a 0 review i try to listen to it as quicly as possible even though i agree with him about whether the album is good or not about 80% of the time. idk maybe i find enjoyment in listening to garbage.
Nah u can have trash taste in music. The thing is even tho its subjective its still up to you if u want to challenge yourself and listen to smth new smth experimental or smth u didnt like before. If someone is listening only to radio pop music that's alright but u cant call it a 'different taste' that's almost not having any taste in music at all
I like Fantano, not because we always agree on albums, but because I know he is sincere with his reviews. He doesn't try to stoke controversy through personal attacks or clickbait. He has a fair amount of power considering his popularity and influence but uses it responsibly. He also comes across as thick skinned and doesn't seem to care if artists or their fans try to slight him for giving them a bad review. He just does his job. And the teeth, of course.
I liked when he was talking about when he talked about how important he realized the yellow flannel was/is and so he started putting it in the thumbnails for videos about artists that he felt weren't getting enough attention.
the point you made about anthony being able to better articulate what a listener could be feeling is exactly what happened for me during his Die Lit review, I never knew why I was so magnetized to that sound before he reviewed it
Appreciate you talking about this. Anthony has turned me onto countless artist and albums that I now listen to everyday. I can't thank him enough for that.
critics can help you from buying music or watching a movie you won't like, what you should do is compare your preference with the critic then decide if you have the same taste
Artists who get bad reviews really should listen to and take his opinion to heart. Rather than writing him off as a racist or a sexist or one of the many things I’ve seen him called. I truly respect Anthony. Few critics are as down to earth and honest and open. I have discovered so much good music through his channel. I probably have 30+ albums that I would not have even known about, or never have listened to without his thoughts on them.
Everyone is surprised that Fantano has so many unpopular opinions on mainstream music but it really doesn’t surprise me at all, considering that his expertise is in indie/experimental music, unlike someone like ARTV (where the majority of his opinions are usually pretty close to the general consensus since that’s what he specializes in unlike Melon), Fantano is an indie/experimental reviewer that inevitably has to cover mainstream music, so he is bound to have some pretty warped opinions on it, like giving Ye and Lil Pump’s Self Titled a higher score than MBDTF, putting a pretty well liked early 2000s staple like Sum 41’s Fat Lip on his Worst Songs Of My Adolescence video, saying that he outright dislikes American Idiot, etc.
Or he just has his own taste? He loves welcome to the black parade. You can't just dismiss his opinions by saying he has a certain "expertise" he likes some popular music, he dislikes others, like literally everyone
The addition of Dunkey in this video shows a deep understanding by Alfo on the topic of criticism as well as a good taste in content in general. Feeling a strong 10 on this video. Edit: Because the internet is such a dog eat dog place and you have to take any chance you get, just wanted to say that I make music too, and if you wanted to check some out that'd be really cool of you. Peace x
That Dunkey video is one of my favorite videos on TH-cam. Videogamedunkey is a master of making incredibly rewatchable videos, no other content creator does that for me.
I dont always agree with him but im guy that loves to hear out other peoples opinions on different thing, its just a number anyway, it wouldnt take away all the listening experience from the album he reviewed. there would never be a better teeth in the game than melon, love him
I question how much people genuinely like music when they say "No one says hey put the new Royce da 5'9 on" or a silimlar phrase with other artists that aren't good for playing at a party. It's so dismissive to think that music that sounds good in a super casual setting is the only music that really matters.
Wow. I needed this video, it literally speaks to me. I'm 17 and a lot of my friends, and people around my age just have those blank opinions, and I'm always the one to ask for the why, and the reasoning. It kind of upsets me when people don't appreciate the art form and just blindly follow popular stuff.
preach. im also 17 and i can't with the laziness our generation displays when it comes to music and honestly, i feel its part of the reason why the quality of music, or pop in specific, is deteriorating.
@@princesseze2148 yeah man. Tik tok is hurting the music industry. Like people just get hits off of the sounds or whatever. It sucks because there is great stuff out there getting released weekly but some of these guys will never blow up unless they get a viral song off of the internet.
I can attest to the idea that critics can help consumers think about and analyze art in deeper, more thought-provoking ways, adding a richness to their experience. Fantano was one of the first TH-camrs I subscribed to, and he has helped me become a “better”, more aware listener. Above all else, he helped me distinguish between when I was listening for pleasure, when I was listening to critique, and when I may have been fan-boying over an artist. I appreciate not only his contributions to TH-cam in general, but also his contributions to the way consumers dissect the content being consumed.
its funny to me how some people make it seem as if being a music reviewer is somehow shameful or embarassing, like that stereotype of how music reviewers are just failed musicians ... the guy makes a good living listening and talking about music like how fucking cool would that be? I think most music fans would rather do that than working in a cubicle from 9 to 5. Also, even if i dont always agree with his reviews, i always watch them because i can tell that hes honest, passionate and genuine about the shit he says
There's a lot of albums that Fantano has covered that i've happened to enjoy, but i know for certain that it was his review in 2015 that turned me on to Clarence Clarity and his album No Now! I also repeatedly watched his TPAB review to help myself understand this record that was apparently amazing to so many people, at a time when i wasn't really clued into Hip-Hop or Jazz.
Love this video. Anthony put me on to a lot of music and was really polite to me 10 years ago when I abused him on twitter for giving Tyler and Kanye low reviews. He recommended I check out Big KRIT and since then I was a fan of his
Regarding your point on people not being as intelligent as others when talking about music, it is so true. I’ve been playing classical and jazz music for years and whenever I find myself in a conversation with another musician, as you said it could go on forever. Whether it be us discussing the key the song is in and in turn how the song makes us feel, how the music is actually written, how not having the song it 4/4 time benefits it as a whole, etc. I notice when talking to someone without to experience of music what you said rings true. They have a hard time formulating why they like/dislike a song and have no idea why they most likely feel sad whenever listening to a song in a minor key. Great video I’ve never seen your content but the analysis and commentary was great you got a sub from me homie
The Needle Drop helped me get back to where I should be with music. For reasons I won’t get into, I had fallen out of a place where I was consuming music fervently. I didn’t know of any new music that excited me. He is at least 50% responsible for me having a turntable and collecting records. And I’m back to that place where I spent most of my childhood, and all of my teenage years; immersed in music.
His review on Swans-to be kind is one of my favourites, he was so pumped and poetic when talkin bout that album it just makes me happy seeing him so happy
i discovered one of my favorite bands (tropical fuckstorm) by going to his list of highest rates of 2018 and looking at that insane album art from a kaughing death in meatspace. and i agree: it's impressive how he can seemingly let go of grudges and biases when reviewing an artist's new stuff
Props to melon for his passionate and knowledgeable takes, but I also wonder if music is too subjective for a review to really matter? All art forms are subjective of course, but I think films for example are easier to quantify why someone thinks it's good or bad. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason to why we like or dislike a song though, so I wonder how useful it actually is to hear a reviewer say what they think about it.
You underestimate yourself because a lot of your videos also give us a new insight on music. I’m definitely more on the active listener side of music but your content helps normalise and grasp concepts in music. Someone needs to make a video ode to people like yourself
The various misconceptions about Fantano have always confused me. Some rap fans think he has a bias toward rock, and some rock fans think he has a bias toward rap. However, if you actually watch his reviews, neither of those are really the case. One major thing I appreciate about Fantano is that he is one of the few music TH-camrs who seems to have love and appreciation for every genre of popular music. A lot of music TH-camrs I've watched focus mainly on one or two genres, but Fantano is not afraid to go all out and talk about some pretty obscure stuff.
Amen sir! It was The Fuckin Nerd who got me into critic videos in the first place, but these days I've followed it up with all kinds of music and rap music critics because that's what my primary interest is based in. Respect for shining the light well man!
I am a general music teacher at a public school and this video is so great. I've been trying to teach my students this concept for years and this video does an excellent job of expressing these ideas in an engaging and concise way.
Okay so I don’t know if this was intentional or not but at 3:25 while discussing dunkey, mans did a dunkey style early cut after a point and that’s so funny to me lol
Fantano truly improved my quality of life. I used to listen to only Radiohead. Yes, only one band. His reviews opened the gates to a whole new world of wonderful soundscapes. Thank you melon!
that was probably the part of the video I disliked the most. it was the most obvious choice one could make to prove that point and really the only reason we disagree with that score it's because it's low. he explains very well why he doesn't like the album in that review; yes, his first review of it was bad, but the redux made me understand why he gave it that score and there's nothing wrong about it
I've been a long time consumer of fantano and his lengthy well thought out reviews and have taken his appreciation for music to heart. His in depth reviewing style has definitely made me pick up habits of listening to music that has ultimately made me find more music that I enjoy because I actively am finding what I like about it and want to find more of.
This was an excellent explanation of the world of the needledrop in the ethos of youtube. Honestly fantano is one of the cornerstones of youtube. He is an excellent example of content creation with skill,knowledge and overall purpose. Hats off to you alfomedia for discussing this in detail and hats on to Fantano. Both of you do amazing work.
The way to go with critics is to find one who's taste partially match yours but extends further out. I know I agree in large parts with Fantano when it comes to the more extreme end of metal, and that makes me more curious about the non-metal music he reviews.
Wish I could like this video twice. I didn't know why I liked critics overall but I love in-depth discussion on many forms of media and Opinions others have.
One day little old me decided to watch an anthony fantano review of sonething not mainstream and stumbled across a guy called aesop rock. Best decision of my life
Fantano has introduced me to so many groups I love that I would have potentially never found otherwise, like Brockhampton. And at the same time he's completely shat all over groups I love dearly, like Dance Gavin Dance. I like to use his reviews and recommendations as almost a curation service for new things I might enjoy, but I also don't take it to heart when our tastes don't line up. Every critic is a human being with their own preferences and should be viewed as such.
Sean Jossy Yeah I think that’s the best service that music critics provide, putting people on to new things they might not have sought out on their own
I also think that (as you briefly mentioned) one of the most imported services a reviewer provides is curation. Nowadays everyone can make music and there is too much to listen, so a reviewer makes sure I don't have to listen to everything to find those few gems.
i really like listening to reviews of albums or shows or anything, mostly becuase it lets me listen to somebody talk about something i wanna discuss, and hearing their perspecitve on it, wether it's "this is great" or "this is terrible," like i'll hear an album that resonates with me and i'll wanna talk to other people about it, but my friends or other people aren't as passionate about music that i am, soi'll look up a review so i can basically have that discussion, wether they agree with me or not. i'll like or hate an album, and hearing somebody else's opinion on it is like, quite refreshing, so, i look at reviews and the like quite often
Great vid. Love the highlighting on the difference b/w people who listen to stuff and can only say "this is trash" or "this is good" and people who get more out of it.
thank you so much! love this video. for some reason, people are always under the impression that because I'm such a big fan of Fantano, that that means I just blindly follow all his opinions and think he's a God or something, which in reality we disagree on a decent bit. but watching him as allowed me to analyze and appreciate music in new ways that I hadn't experienced before. and like you said, even if we don't agree on everything, once he's built my respect and trust, when he DOES like an album a lot, it makes me want to go check it out. doesn't mean I automatically like it or love it, but it's a way to get conversations started about music in ways that I never would've and about music I never would've listened to. like ur channel for a lot of the same reasons.
TH-camrs and podcast reviewers are the present/future of reviewing because it’s easier to connect to someone who you hear their voice and tone rather than just reading a bunch of text.
Really interesting topic - and an important one. The ability to actually take in information (listen) and interpret the message, with all it's nuance, is so critical, and in danger of being lost. Listening from a place of curiosity and openness (rather than digging in an attempt to unearth fictional attacks to fuel a combat you alone are participating in) is the only way to have an intellectual discussion and perhaps come away with something of value in the end.
I think it's interesting to see how one man can change a band's entire trajectory purely through one video and a massive following. The dichotomy between 100 gecs getting recognized after Fantano's review and Black Dresses splitting up after theirs just goes to show the influence these critics' audiences have on an artist's bottom line.
I love Dunkey but I wouldn’t consider him as a “game critic”. His reviews are more of a joke than a criticism because he usually doesn’t give much detail about the game he’s reviewing. But I still love watching him destroy a game.
Great Great great video, I will show this to my friends that say “You hate everything, you think you know more than others” when I just give my opinion, and because I am a music nerd and all I do is listen to every album/project that I can and write about them on the internet, and they don’t unserstand criticism because they only listen to the mainstream. And it’s sad because in my country most of the people don’t know who Fantano is, and when they know they don’t really get the point. Love your videos, and Love your work Man
Dnot a shot at Fantano but I remember reading a quote saying " IF EVERYONE WAS A CRITIC, THERE WOULD BE NOOOO ART!" So true. But being a pro who geeks out on music like a mathematician geeks out on numbers and who knows entire obscure albums like the back of his hand, thats a different stratosphere
Another thing i really respect with Anthony is his lack of pretentiousness when it comes to Pop, anything popular, played out, or extremely hated. He just seems to come from a place of genuine open mindedness. Everyone should be like that.
It takes balls to publicly give Lil pump's project a 7
I really started to appreciate Anthony when he gave Thank U, Next an 8. I loved that album, but I was basically anticipating him to dunk on it because I'm so used to music nerds just tearing apart Ariana Grande or whoever's popular at the time even when they're outputting very high-quality stuff. Funnily enough, Anthony's openness to pop music is what made me receptive to indie music. Before him, I had assumed that indie music mostly fell into the categories of bland guitar ballads or weird hyper-abstract avant-garde art experiments that I couldn't possibly comprehend. Anthony got me to realise that really, it's not all that different from pop music, it isn't a different art form, good pop music is comparable to good indie music. It was something my brain hadn't really processed until I saw him giving the same type of positive feedback to a pop album, feedback which I _agreed_ with, to other albums which I assumed were out of my reach.
@@kanon3335 it is tho
Mr. Moodle I agree, some artists are straight up making pop music but not getting any recognition for it. That’s why I despise the ppl who say “pop sucks, I hate the top 40.”
he's never open-minded about certain genres though, and is more open to others. Like any noisy experimental hip-hop a-la Death Grips is a guaranteed 6/10-and-above usually
I think we tend to take the quality and consistency of his content for granted. That guy's passion and work ethic is hella inspiring.
I mean he is the busiest music nerd and even has the best teeth in the game
trust he been at this consistently for 10 fucking years plus managing separate channels
He reviews like one album every 4 days lmao
@@danieldemaras3099 You think he's just chilling around his house until he decides he wants to review an album and then gets the whole video made in an hour or so? It's clear that a shit load of work is put into his job.
Daniel Demaras bruh be releases a review like everyday
I... AGREE
good for you
It's good you're showing Anthony some love. He looks like he needs it after that Gunna review...
Best video about me I’ve seen, tbh. 🤷🏻♂️
Lol.
@@theneedledrop oh hey guy from hot ones
theneedledrop are you the internets busiest music nerd
@@theneedledrop Oh its Sean Evan's sidekick
> alfo: how anthony is a great critic
> anthony: releases a non-review on the same day
Imagine someone who doesn't know who Fantano is watches this video and goes to check out his latest video. He would be so confused.
Omega
its probably one of his best reviews tho
it was an omega/10 how’s that not a review???
The ending of that video was heartwarming though. Important in times like these.
Fact: Someone who thinks MBDTF is the best album ever created made this video... and that is perfectly fine :)
Exactly!! Fantano has an opinion, as does Alfo, as do the rest of us. They’re just opinions! If Fantano gives something a fat goose egg and it’s your favourite album, who gives a shit?
I spent the whole video thinkin about this...
MBDTF is the best Kanye album !!!!
guys look I said a nice thing on the internet everyone give me likes
THIS!
I’ve never liked how everyone boils down his opinions to the score he gives at the end of each video.
I truly believe that Fantano gives more extensive and insightful criticism than almost any other music critic on TH-cam, and though I don’t always agree with his thoughts I can respect the guy, he knows his shit.
But often I see people upset that he gave two albums the same score and ignore the rest of the commentary, which as you mention is by far his strong suit.
Ratings have a purpose of course, but really it’s just a people problem.
Ive found that he's just, recommended so much good music to me, but even when he gives a negative review to an album or song i dont like, it doesnt make me dislike the song, if that makes any sense, it just gives me a different opinion on that thing, like my beautiful dark twisted fantasy is my favorite album ever, and he rated it a 6, i dont really care though, thats just what he things
@@brandonwhite2401 congratulations, unlike many people you have a healthy and productive reaction to criticism of media.
Nathan Trujillo he rates on a artist by artist bases, scores of one artist shouldn’t be compared to other artists
@Nathan Trujillo Because the scores can't be compared 1 to 1 between artists, especially when the score takes into account what he expects from that particular artist for example.
There are plenty of albums where I disagree with Fantano's opinion, i.e., Lana del Rey's music; however, I cannot say that I have ever watched a review from him and did not understand why he felt the way he did.
Whether he likes an album or dislikes it, what is more important than the score is the why, and even if his scores miss the mark sometimes, he never fails to explain himself.
Fantano has singlehandedly expanded my music taste far more than anything else in the past decade. I credit him for my love of so many genres that I hadn't touched before I stumbled onto him and Dead End hip hop. Honestly so many artist's I absolutely love I would never had seen. So I appreciate the hell outta of him for that.
same.
same.
same.
Same. I mean he introduced me to The Money Store which is now one of my favorite albums of all time. That's however the only 10 from him I'd agree on unfortunately
same.
That’s why The Needle Drop is the best music review channel on TH-cam. Where most review/reaction channels would just say “thats fire,” “that’s trash,” and whatever like that, Fantano goes into detail about specific instruments and sounds, subgenres and styles, production choices, and lyrics.
You should check out Spectrum Pulse then. He’s one of those critics where I don’t share the same tastes at all but I will watch his videos because his reviews are just that good. To me, he genuinely takes music critique to an artful level without the pretentiousness that is way too common in the music blogging scene.
@@drewgadbois I find him very obnoxious. Same with ARTV guy.
Leonardo Peña Critiquing art in general is inherently obnoxious and pandering. I think with Mark and to some degree Fantano, their style makes the review feel separate from the music they’re reviewing. Can’t say the same for ARTV though
bro just watch deep cuts. He is way better than Fantano.
Isaac Davies no he’s not tho he makes nearly entirely different content
Fantano has completely changed my perception of music. In high school, I listened to exclusively rock radio and thought that was the best music made. I discovered theneedledrop and watched a few reviews from bands I know (Metallica, the Foos, Slipknot) and hated Anthony at first bc he was trashing my bands. I was honestly butthurt lol. But I continued to watch him and discovered SO many new artists (Code Orange, Tame Impala, of course Death Grips) and started branching out to the point that I don’t listen to rock radio anymore. His critiques and review are so well thought out and he covers such range of music. Plus he has the funniest comment section on TH-cam 😂😂
Same I got so much music from him
the comment section in my opinion is so unbareable and cringe, that I just completely ignore it. Its repetetive and bad jokes.
his comment section is goated fr
At this point, I'm giving the planet Earth a strong 4. Overall, love the animals and mountains, some great human architecture, but overall the planet is has way too many natural disasters for my liking. And then you add human civilizations in there, with the wars and their tendency to destroy everything, and especially with the ridiculous Donald Trump presidency at the end there (laughs) oh my God - I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I'm really hoping that next time Earth has intelligent life, that they go back to a formula that works. Transition. Did you love it? Did you hate it? Did a God create it?
Underrated comment 😂
You're the best, you're the best
@@eddiekaspbrak4624 where should humans live next?
Planet Earth Forever
I don’t always agree with his takes but I’ve found a L O T of my favorite artists from his reviews
Same bro
I... Agree
@sylvester squeal I have some bad news for you about black dresses...
To be honest, I don’t think I ever would have gotten into Death Grips if it weren’t for him.
Dalton Ringey I heard :’( so fucking shitty
Fantano's popularity is crucial as an alternative to reviews from large publications, like Pitchfork or NME. He's not afraid to give polarizing scores, especially for established artists that publications would slap moderate scores at the least, regardless how good the album is. Case and point: Revival or The Big Day. On the flipside, his few but popular rave reviews for some underground work has helped some artists reach considerae popularity. Great example is Death Grips when he first reviewed The Money Store - they wouldn't be where they are now in today's hip hop/alternative scene without Fantano.
Tbh like legit half of death grips’ fanbase might be from Fantano. It’s hard to assign an actual amount so I guess it may be less or more, but I’m pretty sure it’s substantial
Anthony is fun and nice.
and he's thicc
Ryan Shea he really is
@@whereisforest He really is a very beautiful man.
hey hey hey everyone, alfotony mediatano here...
The internet's busiest music nerd and the BEST TEEF IN THE GAME
"i don't want the impression to be that he is perfect"
*light 6 on mbdtf*
Tbf I agree with that, don't understand why it's so critically acclaimed
@@ethanielclyne5810 it is a good album, for me it tops at a 9/10 but people really be looking it as Best album of all time lmao.
Well for me it's top 5 of all time
Idk that it's a masterpiece or anything but it's one of the most iconic albums of the past decade.
@@martinbogadomartinesi5135 it's a 9/10 for me too. hell of a life, lost in the world, who will survive in america (i know its not a song but it doesn't relate to the album) bring it down for me but i love pretty much every other track
Nice video, but why did you show some white guy when talking about Dunkey?
He had to show a random pic because dunkey hasn't revealed his face yet. But yeah he should have at least chose a pic of a black person.
@@GenericJhare At least you didn't comment before you realized and trigger an r/wooosh reaction.
Ahh it's just mixed up. You see the real dunkey at the bottom left of the critics category.
WHO CAREEEEEES DUDDDE TFFF
are you guys talking about the guy who has the world record on bowser's big bean burrito?
Even if I disagree with him often, Anthony changed the way I listen to and think about music and as someone who makes music as a hobby he’s elevated my own work ethic and individual style. Glad you made this video bro.
100% agree. Fantano really helped me get into music in a more thorough way, and without him I likely would be a much more passive listener. Mad respect for the man.
I knew the infamous 6 would have to come up at some point
Blink and you'll miss it LMAOOOOO
One of the things I really appreciate about Fantano is the exposure he gives to smaller artists. He always gives an honest review and perfectly balances not trying to please his viewers with positive reviews of their favourite artists and not needlessly tearing artists down. His influence on the music community is quite phenomenal and I think it's a huge plus that anyone can watch his reviews and probably pick up things they've never noticed while being entertained at the same time
and they said infinity war was the most ambitious crossover
this isn’t a crossover
It’s a joke. Don’t take it too seriously.
I bet Fantano teared up a little bit watching this, he's weird like that
idk why but when he gives an 8 or 9 im like ok that's a good album and almost never listen to it but when i see a 2, 1 or a 0 review i try to listen to it as quicly as possible even though i agree with him about whether the album is good or not about 80% of the time. idk maybe i find enjoyment in listening to garbage.
Nah u can have trash taste in music. The thing is even tho its subjective its still up to you if u want to challenge yourself and listen to smth new smth experimental or smth u didnt like before. If someone is listening only to radio pop music that's alright but u cant call it a 'different taste' that's almost not having any taste in music at all
you FREAK, how dare you enjoy something the music god said was bad, REEEEEEEEE
This video should’ve been about Cal Cuchesta
Better in every way
Exactly
Except for the glasses. But that's kind of a plus, so yes absolutely BASED and CAL-PILLED take
I like Fantano, not because we always agree on albums, but because I know he is sincere with his reviews. He doesn't try to stoke controversy through personal attacks or clickbait. He has a fair amount of power considering his popularity and influence but uses it responsibly. He also comes across as thick skinned and doesn't seem to care if artists or their fans try to slight him for giving them a bad review. He just does his job. And the teeth, of course.
Fantano has massively imrpoved over the years. He is so much better than most critics today
he still has some terrible
opinions tho
@@lotuscoma4127 as does everyone else
@@lotuscoma4127 because you disagree with him...?
@@xbenci MBDTF= 6 Beerbongs & Bentleys= 7
@@lotuscoma4127 the opinion might "terrible" in your view but he still does a great job explaining why he thinks the way he does
I liked when he was talking about when he talked about how important he realized the yellow flannel was/is and so he started putting it in the thumbnails for videos about artists that he felt weren't getting enough attention.
the point you made about anthony being able to better articulate what a listener could be feeling is exactly what happened for me during his Die Lit review, I never knew why I was so magnetized to that sound before he reviewed it
The lack of redlettermedia disturbs me
True. They influenced some of the “boring” and “worst” movie reviewers in the platform.
Alfo going full english teacher mode on his friends who don’t listen to music that much lol
Appreciate you talking about this. Anthony has turned me onto countless artist and albums that I now listen to everyday. I can't thank him enough for that.
critics can help you from buying music or watching a movie you won't like, what you should do is compare your preference with the critic then decide if you have the same taste
Bingo.
Artists who get bad reviews really should listen to and take his opinion to heart. Rather than writing him off as a racist or a sexist or one of the many things I’ve seen him called. I truly respect Anthony. Few critics are as down to earth and honest and open. I have discovered so much good music through his channel. I probably have 30+ albums that I would not have even known about, or never have listened to without his thoughts on them.
This is kinda like a 12 minute long ad about Fantanos channel
And he deserves it
@@larskerkhof8835 Couldn't agree more
Everyone is surprised that Fantano has so many unpopular opinions on mainstream music but it really doesn’t surprise me at all, considering that his expertise is in indie/experimental music, unlike someone like ARTV (where the majority of his opinions are usually pretty close to the general consensus since that’s what he specializes in unlike Melon), Fantano is an indie/experimental reviewer that inevitably has to cover mainstream music, so he is bound to have some pretty warped opinions on it, like giving Ye and Lil Pump’s Self Titled a higher score than MBDTF, putting a pretty well liked early 2000s staple like Sum 41’s Fat Lip on his Worst Songs Of My Adolescence video, saying that he outright dislikes American Idiot, etc.
Or he just has his own taste? He loves welcome to the black parade. You can't just dismiss his opinions by saying he has a certain "expertise" he likes some popular music, he dislikes others, like literally everyone
@Kian Ontong I wasn’t dismissing any of his opinions, I was just saying that a lot of his opinions on more mainstream music are quite unpopular
The addition of Dunkey in this video shows a deep understanding by Alfo on the topic of criticism as well as a good taste in content in general. Feeling a strong 10 on this video.
Edit: Because the internet is such a dog eat dog place and you have to take any chance you get, just wanted to say that I make music too, and if you wanted to check some out that'd be really cool of you. Peace x
Nope, you are nitpicking and biased, I win bye bye
@@kishenraghavan572 dammit you beat me, but thats only cause i was blindfolded, the mouse was unplugged and my little brother is typing for me
@@sparksk8er DAMN, that comment made me really feel like Batman.
That Dunkey video is one of my favorite videos on TH-cam. Videogamedunkey is a master of making incredibly rewatchable videos, no other content creator does that for me.
That being said, the real best content creator is:
SUPA MARIO BROTHAS 2!!!
I dont always agree with him but im guy that loves to hear out other peoples opinions on different thing, its just a number anyway, it wouldnt take away all the listening experience from the album he reviewed. there would never be a better teeth in the game than melon, love him
I really liked the fact and chuckled a bit when you said that no one is perfect and flashed the frame where melon gives 6 to MBDTF 😂😂😂😂
I question how much people genuinely like music when they say "No one says hey put the new Royce da 5'9 on" or a silimlar phrase with other artists that aren't good for playing at a party.
It's so dismissive to think that music that sounds good in a super casual setting is the only music that really matters.
That’s majority of music consumers for ya right there unfortunately
Anthony Fantano really revolutionized music critics and the way they review music
I CAN STILL FEEL THE LOVE
SKRRRA PA PAPAPAP PA
Your point about him using his power and influence in a good way is spot on. Also let’s not forget he’s hilarious. ThatIsthePlan was amazing.
Fantano's influence is genuinely impressive. How many people would have heard of Death Grips if it wasn't for his love for them?
I really like it when Pitchfork gives an album above 8 and Fantano lambastes the same album. Not vice versa.
Wow. I needed this video, it literally speaks to me. I'm 17 and a lot of my friends, and people around my age just have those blank opinions, and I'm always the one to ask for the why, and the reasoning. It kind of upsets me when people don't appreciate the art form and just blindly follow popular stuff.
preach. im also 17 and i can't with the laziness our generation displays when it comes to music and honestly, i feel its part of the reason why the quality of music, or pop in specific, is deteriorating.
@@princesseze2148 yeah man. Tik tok is hurting the music industry. Like people just get hits off of the sounds or whatever. It sucks because there is great stuff out there getting released weekly but some of these guys will never blow up unless they get a viral song off of the internet.
I love that you included Dunkey in the critic section!
I can attest to the idea that critics can help consumers think about and analyze art in deeper, more thought-provoking ways, adding a richness to their experience. Fantano was one of the first TH-camrs I subscribed to, and he has helped me become a “better”, more aware listener. Above all else, he helped me distinguish between when I was listening for pleasure, when I was listening to critique, and when I may have been fan-boying over an artist. I appreciate not only his contributions to TH-cam in general, but also his contributions to the way consumers dissect the content being consumed.
its funny to me how some people make it seem as if being a music reviewer is somehow shameful or embarassing, like that stereotype of how music reviewers are just failed musicians ... the guy makes a good living listening and talking about music like how fucking cool would that be? I think most music fans would rather do that than working in a cubicle from 9 to 5.
Also, even if i dont always agree with his reviews, i always watch them because i can tell that hes honest, passionate and genuine about the shit he says
I think most music fans would rather do that then working in a cubicle from 9 to 5.
Man... thank you for this.
It made my day.
Thank you.
❤💥
There's a lot of albums that Fantano has covered that i've happened to enjoy, but i know for certain that it was his review in 2015 that turned me on to Clarence Clarity and his album No Now! I also repeatedly watched his TPAB review to help myself understand this record that was apparently amazing to so many people, at a time when i wasn't really clued into Hip-Hop or Jazz.
Love this video. Anthony put me on to a lot of music and was really polite to me 10 years ago when I abused him on twitter for giving Tyler and Kanye low reviews. He recommended I check out Big KRIT and since then I was a fan of his
His videos have helped me to analyze my music alot more and have a higher standard for myslef as an artist
Regarding your point on people not being as intelligent as others when talking about music, it is so true. I’ve been playing classical and jazz music for years and whenever I find myself in a conversation with another musician, as you said it could go on forever. Whether it be us discussing the key the song is in and in turn how the song makes us feel, how the music is actually written, how not having the song it 4/4 time benefits it as a whole, etc. I notice when talking to someone without to experience of music what you said rings true. They have a hard time formulating why they like/dislike a song and have no idea why they most likely feel sad whenever listening to a song in a minor key. Great video I’ve never seen your content but the analysis and commentary was great you got a sub from me homie
The Needle Drop helped me get back to where I should be with music. For reasons I won’t get into, I had fallen out of a place where I was consuming music fervently. I didn’t know of any new music that excited me. He is at least 50% responsible for me having a turntable and collecting records. And I’m back to that place where I spent most of my childhood, and all of my teenage years; immersed in music.
I just want to say that this video is a prime example of the quality content I’ve come to expect from you every video and I’m glad to be subbed.
His review on Swans-to be kind is one of my favourites, he was so pumped and poetic when talkin bout that album it just makes me happy seeing him so happy
'What the melon says is final'-Brad Taste. EDIT: 6:15 very good points.
More like CHAD taste
i discovered one of my favorite bands (tropical fuckstorm) by going to his list of highest rates of 2018 and looking at that insane album art from a kaughing death in meatspace. and i agree: it's impressive how he can seemingly let go of grudges and biases when reviewing an artist's new stuff
“I don’t want the impression to think he’s perfect” *cuts to light 6* very well said
Well thought out video Alfo, enjoyed it. Thanks for putting out great content to watch during quarantine! :)
Props to melon for his passionate and knowledgeable takes, but I also wonder if music is too subjective for a review to really matter? All art forms are subjective of course, but I think films for example are easier to quantify why someone thinks it's good or bad. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason to why we like or dislike a song though, so I wonder how useful it actually is to hear a reviewer say what they think about it.
You underestimate yourself because a lot of your videos also give us a new insight on music. I’m definitely more on the active listener side of music but your content helps normalise and grasp concepts in music. Someone needs to make a video ode to people like yourself
The various misconceptions about Fantano have always confused me. Some rap fans think he has a bias toward rock, and some rock fans think he has a bias toward rap. However, if you actually watch his reviews, neither of those are really the case. One major thing I appreciate about Fantano is that he is one of the few music TH-camrs who seems to have love and appreciation for every genre of popular music. A lot of music TH-camrs I've watched focus mainly on one or two genres, but Fantano is not afraid to go all out and talk about some pretty obscure stuff.
Indeed, i think Anthony Fantano is very important for Anthony Fantano
I just wished someone would love me as much as Harrison loves Fantano
Amen sir! It was The Fuckin Nerd who got me into critic videos in the first place, but these days I've followed it up with all kinds of music and rap music critics because that's what my primary interest is based in. Respect for shining the light well man!
I am a general music teacher at a public school and this video is so great. I've been trying to teach my students this concept for years and this video does an excellent job of expressing these ideas in an engaging and concise way.
Okay so I don’t know if this was intentional or not but at 3:25 while discussing dunkey, mans did a dunkey style early cut after a point and that’s so funny to me lol
Fantano truly improved my quality of life. I used to listen to only Radiohead. Yes, only one band. His reviews opened the gates to a whole new world of wonderful soundscapes. Thank you melon!
Great video. Now please do "The Importance of Cal Chuchesta (and Roomates in general)"
Man, i love Anthony so much
"I don't think he's perfect, nobody is." when Fantanos 6 of MBDTF was on screen, haha!
that was probably the part of the video I disliked the most. it was the most obvious choice one could make to prove that point and really the only reason we disagree with that score it's because it's low. he explains very well why he doesn't like the album in that review; yes, his first review of it was bad, but the redux made me understand why he gave it that score and there's nothing wrong about it
Benci I mean it’s alfo’s favorite album of all time so it kinda makes sense
5:43 Man I feel you, but, I only have friends that don’t care about music
I've been a long time consumer of fantano and his lengthy well thought out reviews and have taken his appreciation for music to heart. His in depth reviewing style has definitely made me pick up habits of listening to music that has ultimately made me find more music that I enjoy because I actively am finding what I like about it and want to find more of.
This was an excellent explanation of the world of the needledrop in the ethos of youtube. Honestly fantano is one of the cornerstones of youtube. He is an excellent example of content creation with skill,knowledge and overall purpose. Hats off to you alfomedia for discussing this in detail and hats on to Fantano. Both of you do amazing work.
Really Sir Alfonso Media? I would expect this kind of racism from Fantano but not from you! Subscribed
That's so funny let's bring the lame joke that ruins the Fantano comment section over to the Alfo comment section
You couldn’t have depicted it and Fantanos work any better. Great video!
I didn’t know you were this good. Good job friend.👍
The way to go with critics is to find one who's taste partially match yours but extends further out. I know I agree in large parts with Fantano when it comes to the more extreme end of metal, and that makes me more curious about the non-metal music he reviews.
Wish I could like this video twice. I didn't know why I liked critics overall but I love in-depth discussion on many forms of media and Opinions others have.
i found my favorite band because of Fantano, and now my tastes and favorite genres have expanded so much!
One day little old me decided to watch an anthony fantano review of sonething not mainstream and stumbled across a guy called aesop rock. Best decision of my life
i feel like jenny nicholson is sooooo underrated, she pairs great criticism with a subtle yet constant humor of hers. she deserves more recognition
Fantano has introduced me to so many groups I love that I would have potentially never found otherwise, like Brockhampton. And at the same time he's completely shat all over groups I love dearly, like Dance Gavin Dance. I like to use his reviews and recommendations as almost a curation service for new things I might enjoy, but I also don't take it to heart when our tastes don't line up. Every critic is a human being with their own preferences and should be viewed as such.
Sean Jossy Yeah I think that’s the best service that music critics provide, putting people on to new things they might not have sought out on their own
I also think that (as you briefly mentioned) one of the most imported services a reviewer provides is curation. Nowadays everyone can make music and there is too much to listen, so a reviewer makes sure I don't have to listen to everything to find those few gems.
Anthony got me into many different rappers and Artist my music taste is way better now and I really love him for that.
Wow. You didn’t need to talk about how Anthony’s head looks like a melon for 12 minutes Alfo. Otherwise a good video
Wow hilarious AND original!!!
I laughed so hard when you mentioned MBDTF.
Next, can you do a video essay on this great TH-cam channel called Alfo Media?
i really like listening to reviews of albums or shows or anything, mostly becuase it lets me listen to somebody talk about something i wanna discuss, and hearing their perspecitve on it, wether it's "this is great" or "this is terrible,"
like i'll hear an album that resonates with me and i'll wanna talk to other people about it, but my friends or other people aren't as passionate about music that i am, soi'll look up a review so i can basically have that discussion, wether they agree with me or not. i'll like or hate an album, and hearing somebody else's opinion on it is like, quite refreshing, so, i look at reviews and the like quite often
Great vid. Love the highlighting on the difference b/w people who listen to stuff and can only say "this is trash" or "this is good" and people who get more out of it.
thank you so much! love this video. for some reason, people are always under the impression that because I'm such a big fan of Fantano, that that means I just blindly follow all his opinions and think he's a God or something, which in reality we disagree on a decent bit. but watching him as allowed me to analyze and appreciate music in new ways that I hadn't experienced before. and like you said, even if we don't agree on everything, once he's built my respect and trust, when he DOES like an album a lot, it makes me want to go check it out. doesn't mean I automatically like it or love it, but it's a way to get conversations started about music in ways that I never would've and about music I never would've listened to. like ur channel for a lot of the same reasons.
TH-camrs and podcast reviewers are the present/future of reviewing because it’s easier to connect to someone who you hear their voice and tone rather than just reading a bunch of text.
Really interesting topic - and an important one. The ability to actually take in information (listen) and interpret the message, with all it's nuance, is so critical, and in danger of being lost. Listening from a place of curiosity and openness (rather than digging in an attempt to unearth fictional attacks to fuel a combat you alone are participating in) is the only way to have an intellectual discussion and perhaps come away with something of value in the end.
I think it's interesting to see how one man can change a band's entire trajectory purely through one video and a massive following. The dichotomy between 100 gecs getting recognized after Fantano's review and Black Dresses splitting up after theirs just goes to show the influence these critics' audiences have on an artist's bottom line.
I love Dunkey but I wouldn’t consider him as a “game critic”. His reviews are more of a joke than a criticism because he usually doesn’t give much detail about the game he’s reviewing. But I still love watching him destroy a game.
Great Great great video, I will show this to my friends that say “You hate everything, you think you know more than others” when I just give my opinion, and because I am a music nerd and all I do is listen to every album/project that I can and write about them on the internet, and they don’t unserstand criticism because they only listen to the mainstream. And it’s sad because in my country most of the people don’t know who Fantano is, and when they know they don’t really get the point. Love your videos, and Love your work Man
A video on my favourite music critic by my actual favourite music critic
Dnot a shot at Fantano but I remember reading a quote saying
" IF EVERYONE WAS A CRITIC, THERE WOULD BE NOOOO ART!"
So true. But being a pro who geeks out on music like a mathematician geeks out on numbers and who knows entire obscure albums like the back of his hand, thats a different stratosphere
One of your best videos to date. Keep going man, you are in my top 5 youtubers!