You're the Best Thing About Me - Song Discussion

[Jarvio]

From more listens, I like the song still, but:

1 - The vocal melody in the verses sound far too much like EBTTRT
2 - The chord progression in the chorus is the California and SFS chord progression, again
3 - The 'a boy' lyric is really, really stupid

 

[trevgreg]

From more listens, I like the song still, but:
2 - The chord progression in the chorus is the California and SFS chord progression, again

You're right. It's the I–V–vi–IV chords in a certain order, just a different key. California's verse use them in the key of D, Song for Someone's chorus in the E key, and The Best Thing uses them in the G key for its chorus.

I think part of Last Night on Earth's chorus uses them a half-step above in F# too.

 

[CosmoKramer]

Yourself?

My first impression was in my car listening to the radio and i thought the song was a very meh song. It was all over the place and sounded like several thoughts just mashed together. The "a boy" line irritated me and the seemingly abrupt ending was odd.

After a few more listens on my headphones, I heard the production and the sounds popped for me more. Now....i find my self bobbing my head, air drumming some parts and tapping my foot without realizing it. I actually like the song a lot.

I love the bass
I really like the drumming
I like the lyrics (save for "a boy")
I like Edges solo (it's not "killer" but it sounds cool complemented my the drums)

The transition from pre chorus to chorus and back isn't nearly as jarring for me and I actually like the mix now. I'm not big on Edges singing at the end, too high pitched for my liking.

Started in line with Boots for me at a 5 or 6 out of 10 but at the moment it's a 7 or 8 out of 10.

Can't wait to hear them play it tonight!

 

[cseggleton]

My first impression was in my car listening to the radio and i thought the song was a very meh song. It was all over the place and sounded like several thoughts just mashed together. The "a boy" line irritated me and the seemingly abrupt ending was odd.

After a few more listens on my headphones, I heard the production and the sounds popped for me more. Now....i find my self bobbing my head, air drumming some parts and tapping my foot without realizing it. I actually like the song a lot.

I love the bass
I really like the drumming
I like the lyrics (save for "a boy")
I like Edges solo (it's not "killer" but it sounds cool complemented my the drums)

The transition from pre chorus to chorus and back isn't nearly as jarring for me and I actually like the mix now. I'm not big on Edges singing at the end, too high pitched for my liking.

Started in line with Boots for me at a 5 or 6 out of 10 but at the moment it's a 7 or 8 out of 10.

Can't wait to hear them play it tonight!

The NFL game can not get over soon enough!

 

[mikal]

The NFL game can not get over soon enough!

No shit. I think I have to sit through local news too.

 

[dan_smee]

Any links for us plebs outside the US? I have a VPN through the US, but need accounts to watch on any services I can find

 

[cseggleton]

No shit. I think I have to sit through local news too.

If that's the case I am recording!!

 

[clerks]

It's 1:45 am, they're playing Bullet first -- I don't know why. It seems totally wrong for this happy talk show setting... not a great song to play for me in this setting.

You know football will run late. You do this for the viral clip the next day, but should have gone on Colbert to get a better time slot right? NFL lead doesn't work well when it's 2 hours later than it's supposed to be.

Why am I awake.

 

[TinKnight]

These are definitely some grade A lyrics.

"Shooting off my mouth, that's another great thing about me" might be the cheekiest lyric Bono has ever written.

It's interesting this is a Song of Experience because it, almost magically, captures the juvenile thoughts a boy would have being in love. It's sickly innocent.

 

[TinKnight]

It's 1:45 am, they're playing Bullet first -- I don't know why. It seems totally wrong for this happy talk show setting... not a great song to play for me in this setting.

You know football will run late. You do this for the viral clip the next day, but should have gone on Colbert to get a better time slot right? NFL lead doesn't work well when it's 2 hours later than it's supposed to be.

Why am I awake.

Cause you're having too much fun with the U2-poo-crew

 

[Hallucination]

I will say this. After seeing them on Fallon, YTBTAM sounds much better live however the chorus is still so incredibly cookie cutter and boring it drags the song down so much. It's sad cause there is real energy in the verses and after that little transition that starts at 2:46 and ends at 3:02 the song peters out when it should in fact kick into an awesome guitar solo outro to the song. There is potential in this song but it will forever suffer for it's horrible chorus

Bullet the Blue Sky was great.

 

[redhill]

https://headlineplanet.com/home/201...thursdays-tonight-show-starring-jimmy-fallon/

 

[redhill]

No video yet?

 

[U2387]

Maybe, just maybe, it's because a bunch of out-of-touch rock lovers have little grasp over what makes a pop song in 2017.

Yes!

My thoughts exactly. I know some people don't listen to much current top 40 music. Which is fine- in a lot of ways I don't blame them. I don't particularly care for most of it either.

However, since getting out of a relationship a couple of years ago, I've been going out to a lot of restaurants and bars in Boston at night. I hear and notice a lot of current music there. And while far from being an EDM fan, the more mainstream parts of the genre caught my attention as far back as "without you" by David Guetta with Usher in 2011. That continued with the Chainsmokers, etc. I don't love it, I dabble and enjoy it, I guess you could say.

I definitely notice it all and if you've been listening the last year, the surprises and non U2 sounding parts of TBT sound perfectly at home in the current climate. In fact, I dare say they show some of the other ones how mainstream pop/modern dance sounds can blend. It sounds very fresh and I'm not in the least bit shocked at the trending and the positive reviews.


This is from someone who rates both Blackout and Little Things higher than TBT.

I hear a lot more songs in this vein than I can give you the name of off the top of my head but the most obvious examples to me are "Something just like this" (Coldplay & Chainsmokers) and Lady Gaga's "The Cure"

 

[rennowba]

Still in the top 20 on iTunes here in the uk. Without any promotion really apart from radio interviews and the internet.

Haven't heard it much on the radio apart from when it was released. Has it not been released to radio until next week? The same as the states

 

[rennowba]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/head...sdays-tonight-show-starring-jimmy-fallon/amp/

 

[rennowba]

I can't watch it properly cause I'm at work but from what I've heard best things sounded like a complete mess last night. Like I said i can't give a full opinion because I can't hear it properly. But first impression was it's right up there with get on your boots from the grammys .

 

[KUEFC09U2]

I can't watch it properly cause I'm at work but from what I've heard best things sounded like a complete mess last night. Like I said i can't give a full opinion because I can't hear it properly. But first impression was it's right up there with get on your boots from the grammys .

Nothing and I mean nothing is up there with that Grammy performance. It sounded like it needed to grow a little but certainly not a mess

 

[rennowba]

Nothing and I mean nothing is up there with that Grammy performance. It sounded like it needed to grow a little but certainly not a mess

I'll have a watch properly later and get back to you boots at the grammys though, I still watch it back now, like car crash tv

 

[trainmaniac]

I just saw their performance and it was quite good. Not overwhelming, but decent.
I'm expecting them to play it on tonight's show and we should see a major improvement.

 

[Maassie]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/head...sdays-tonight-show-starring-jimmy-fallon/amp/

Thanks for the link!

 

[redhill]

Best Thing, understandably, needs some more practice to get it where it needs to be. I think the band is also a little unsure of the arrangement themselves (especially the juxtaposition that has repeatedly been referenced after the first chorus.)

It sure didn't look like Adam was thrilled but that's speculative.

Overall, I'm impressed that they played it as well as they did considering the relative complexity. A little painful to watch in that there is more space lyrically but Bono still seems unable to get all the words out naturally...

Edge's vocal bit / the Middle 8 was the most inspired part of the song, I thought.

Another thing that comes across, to make this song even more of an earworm, would be to incorporate the vocal splicings from the Kygo remix right before Edge's vocals in this part.

 

[JoRu]

Edge's vocal bit / the Middle 8 was the most inspired part of the song, I thought.

I agree. The transition from Edge's vocal solo to the last chorus is actually really good, especially live.

 

[Registered Dude]

https://youtu.be/jG2Qf-DIofk

Sounds great.. Far from a mess.. jesus folks, what does you want??

 

[SpaceBoy]

I think having consistency in the mix and tones across the song (especially the drums) really helps it. Sounded much better here. They played it tuned a bit lower, too, if my ears aren't deceiving me.

 

[CMIS]

Ok, so this is my life. I am blessed to have a group of four U2 fan friends who also happen to be my best friends from school. I place myself as second on that list in terms of fandom, behind or level with an Axver (its a compliment dude). I am now almost ashamed to admit before them that I like the best thing.

What is it about this song that evokes a visceral recoil from u2 fans, while every non u2 person I have played it to really liked it? Said it was a happy song, and a mood lifter.

It is actually the reverse of what many u2 fans feel about their recent output. Often you listen to a song and give it more of a chance because its by U2. This one, I think if you can forget that its U2 and just listen to the song for what it is, it's actually hard not to like.

The first day I listened to it too many times, and that never helps. Didnt listen to it much yesterday. Today I turned it on in the car speakers and it sounded awesome. Just awesome. This is more like a single. I listened to the kygo one when it leaked a year ago, and was meh about it. I consciously avoided listening to that in the leadup to this release, and I genuinely feel this is better.

I think the reason this jarred with some fans is because you dont expect U2 to come out with an unabashed, no apologies pop song. But at the end of the day a good tune is a good tune is a good tune is a good tune.

And this, ladies and gentlemen of the United Nations General Assembly, is a good tune.

 

[tommycharles]

I don't buy the Boots/Grammys comparison at all. I was a little worried with Bono facing the wrong way at first, but it worked to give the rest of the song a bit more of a release. They did really well, I thought.

 

[RoKKeR]

They sound pretty good in the performance. Edge is a beast on this song. His backup is amazing.

 

[Sken]

Having just got back from a work trip, fired up the lyric vid for the first time, followed by the Jimmy performance.

Got to say, I am a fan of this song. Its as they say, joyful.

 

[Sweepingsound]

I really like the song. It's probably the most accessible song that they've done in a while.

As for that lyric, this is the image that comes into my head: a book title. It's as if Bono's life, if it had a name like a book, would go "The Best Thing About Me: A novel." So I see it as, "The Best Thing About Me: A Boy."