Army | 3 or 4 BOPS

On the 6^th edition of 3 or 4 BOPS (2022), we select awesome songs that are associated with an ARMY in some form or fashion.

A

h, sometimes it’s better to keep things lite on the fat and calories ! That’s the goal of the miniature playlists gracing The Musical Hype.  On 3 or 4 BOPS, we select a topic or theme, choose three or four relevant songs, and provide a lit , electrifying blurb.  3 or 4 BOPS shouldn’t take too much time to consume – typically 5 minutes or less! On the 6^th  edition of 3 or 4 BOPS, we select awesome songs that are associated with an ARMY in some form or fashion.  Without further ado, let the BOPS begin!

---

1. Pig Destroyer, “Army of Cops”

Head Cage • Relapse • 2018

Virginia grindcore/death metal/thrash metal band Pig Destroyer has been in action since 1997. The band dropped “Army of Cops” in 2018, the promo single for their album, Head Cage. It should come as no surprise that Pig Destroyer opens the record with a bang.  From the jump, “Army of Cops” comes right at you – ‘in your face.’  How so? Those vocals by Jr. Hayes man!

Hayes’ vocals are screamed, hella aggressive, and turned-all-the-way-up to the n^th degree, NO CAP! Listening to “Army of Cops” it’s clear that NOBODY is stopping him – NOBODY. Besides those hella aggressive vocals, the rest of Pig Destroyer does a fantastic job of providing fitting accompaniment.  The guitars are angular and jagged, the drums pummel, and there’s a clear sense of cacophony. At about the halfway mark, there’s a fantastic change of pace. ‘Heavy and intense’ doesn’t sufficiently describe the happenings .

---

2. Christina Aguilera, “Army of Me”

Bionic • RCA • 2012

Following her double-platinum certified, 2006 album, Back to Basics, Grammy-winning pop superstar Christina Aguilera never seemed to achieve the same degree of success. Her 2010 album Bionic merely went gold.  The same can be said of her 2012, Lotus where the platinum-certified days seemed to be behind Xtina. Nonetheless, Lotus yields some fine moments for the pop star, led by the second track, “Army of Me.”

The empowering record was penned by Aguilera, Jamie Hartman, David Glass, and Phil Bentley.  Furthermore, “Army of Me” was produced by Tracklacers (Harman co-produces).  “Army” features a thudding pop beat – the perfect fuel for the fire. Also, shout out the harmonic progression – to all my music theory nerds out there! Aguilera begins singing in her lower register, which helps give the track somewhere to build as she eventually ascends.  Her bread is buttered on the chorus where she shows off her most potent, powerful pipes.  Fittingly, the chorus is memorable – the centerpiece of this thoughtfully written song:

“One of me is wiser

One of me is stronger

One of me’s a fighter

And there’s a thousand faces of me

And we’re gonna rise up

Yeah, we’re gonna rise up

For every time you wronged me

Well, you’re gonna face an army, face an army of me…”

Woo! In addition to the chorus, shout out the powerful, energetic bridge. Ultimately, “Army of Me” is a solid opening number on Lotus. Too bad the song and album didn’t receive more love.

---

3. The White Stripes, “Seven Nation Army”

Elephant • Third Man • 2003

“I’m gonna fight ‘em off / A seven nation army couldn’t hold me back.” Woo – I know that’s right! If you could only listen to one The White Stripes song, which would you choose? Well, I’d hope it’s a no-brainer: “Seven Nation Army”!!!  “Seven Nation Army” is by far the most popular song by the former, minimalist rock duo comprised of Jack White and his ex-wife, Meg White.  Worth noting, they’d been divorced about three years by the time Elephant was released!  As is the case with many The White Stripe songs, White serves as the writer and producer.

The Grammy-nominated song is almost 20 years old, if you can believe it (Elephant was awarded the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album).  It is the prime example of a song where “Age ain’t nothin’ but a number.” This record is still a fixture at sporting events – a favorite for good reason.  That bass line, played on guitar, is one of the greatest riffs you’ll ever hear.  Furthermore, Jack’s vocal performance is commanding, while the lyrics are expressive and memorable:

“And I’m bleeding, and I’m bleeding, and I’m bleeding

Right before the Lord

All the words are gonna bleed from me

And I will sing no more.”

Sigh, this is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime song!

Appears in :

• 13 Songs Where 7 is the Magic Number

---

Army: 3 or 4 BOPS No. 6 (2022) [: Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, RCA, Relapse, Sammy Williams on Unsplash, Third Man, Wilson Blanco from Pixabay]

---