Dynamite | 5ive Songs

On the 3^rd edition of 5ive Songs (2022), we select five songs that are associated with DYNAMITE in some form or fashion.

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elcome to 5ive Songs, where we keep things short and sweet – no extra calories or needless fluff! There’s a theme/topic, five songs, and a short blurb.  Yes, it’s a playlist, but it’s a miniature playlist that shouldn’t take much time to consume.  On the 3^rd edition of 5ive Songs (2022), we select five songs that are associated with DYNAMITE in some form or fashion.  Okay, let’s get into it!

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1. BTS, “Dynamite”

💿 Be • 🏷 BigHit Entertainment • 🗓 2020

🎙 BTS have carved out ample success in the United States. Quite prolific, the boys returned in 2020 with a single performed exclusively in English, 🎵 “Dynamite”. “Dynamite” is hella likable, thanks to being carefree, positive and sunny to the nth degree.  The vocals are incredibly potent, particularly the falsetto.  The lyrics are fun, with tongue-n-cheek and some gimmickry with repetition. The crowning achievement, unsurprisingly, is the catchy, infectious chorus; it instantly gets stuck in your head (“Shining through the city with a little funk and soul / So I’ma light it up like dynamite, woah-oh-oh.”)!

Also, worth praising regarding this explosive gem is the sleek production, something we’ve come to expect from BTS and K-Pop music in general.  This contemporary disco-pop single is a nice blend of retro, modern pop and contemporary R&B – sweet! Furthermore, I must say, I appreciate the key change that comes at the end of the record; we only rarely get modulations in pop music these days. A surefire winner in my book which appeared in my top ten best songs of 2020!

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: August 2020
🔗 🎧 13 D Songs Selected with No Rhyme or Reason
🔗 🎧 100 BEST SONGS OF 2020

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2. Lorde, “Homemade Dynamite”

💿 Melodrama • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2017

🎵 “Homemade Dynamite” marks another slickly produced joint from the 2017 masterpiece, 💿 Melodrama. 🏆 Grammy-winning Kiwi artist 🎙 Lorde was at her best throughout Melodrama, NO CAP.  Here on “Homemade Dynamite,” she meets someone who she likes (ooh la-la), but doesn’t know, and from there, things get crazy. Yeah, that’s that surefire melodrama!

The chorus of “Homemade Dynamite” exceptionally illustrates how it goes down. You might say, this is where that big explosion comes in – WOO!

“Our rules, our dreams, we’re blind

Blowing shit up with homemade d-d-d-dynamite

Our friends, our drinks, we get inspired.”

 

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3. AWOLNATION, “Seven Sticks of Dynamite”

💿 Here Come the Runts • 🏷 Red Bull • 📅 2018

“Lipstick like dynamite, seven sticks of dynamite / Lipstick like dynamite /…ooh…” 🎙 AWOLNATION delivers a gem with 🎵 “Seven Sticks of Dynamite”, a song from the ‘collective’s’ 2018 album, 💿 Here Come the Runts. “Seven Sticks of Dynamites” commences with relatively simple guitar accompaniment.  Once brainchild 🎙 Aaron Bruno begins singing, he drops a ‘bomb’ on us – falsetto.  This approach keeps the record intriguing from the jump.

On the chorus, he blends chest voice alongside falsetto with intriguing results.  There is naturally a bit more production during this section.  Also, it’s worth noting how memorable and catchy (if simple) the chorus is. Following the second chorus, the song gets punchier, signaled by Bruno grittily singing, “COME ON!” Albeit delayed, the rock finally comes into full fruition.  Chilling choral backing vocals, drum runs, electric guitar, and more aggressive vocals replace the sweeter falsetto.

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4. AC/DC, “T.N.T.”

💿 High Voltage • 🏷 Australian Music Corporation Pty Ltd. • 📅 1976 

“So, lock up your daughter / Lock up your wife / Lock up your back door / Run for your life.” Wow – that sounds dangerous! “The man is back in town / So, don’t you mess me ‘round!” Mercy!!! Among the most dynamic, DYNAMITE songs of them all hails from a classic rock band, 🎙 AC/DC.  No, dynamite doesn’t grace the title of the famous 🎵 “T.N.T.,” but hey, there are similarities! Ask yourself, when did you first hear this 1976 💿 High Voltage gem?  I can’t say I heard in 1976 – I wasn’t even born then 😜 – but I give ample credit to the 🎮 Tony Hawk Pro Skater series for introducing me.

The crowning achievement of “T.N.T.” is the chorus, period.  That memorable refrain is further amplified by the high-pitched, assertive vocals of 🎙 Bon Scott.

“‘Cause I’m T.N.T., I’m dynamite

T.N.T., and I’ll win the fight

T.N.T., I’m a power load

T.N.T., watch me explode.”

Even beyond the chorus, however, the lyrics on the verses pack a mean punch as well.  You might say that they too are dynamite.

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5. Taio Cruz, “Dynamite”

💿 Rokstarr • 🏷 Universal Island • 📅 2009 

“I throw my hands up in the air sometimes / Sayin’ ‘Ayo, gotta let go’ / I wanna celebrate and live my life / Sayin’ ‘Ayo, baby, let’s go’.” WOO! British musician 🎙 Taio Cruz had a run in the United States.  Cruz had two big hits including the ‘dynamite’ hit at hand, 🎵 “Dynamite.” 

 

What made “Dynamite” a success? It’s da-yum catchy, y’all! The chorus is the biggest selling point – infectious to the nth degree.  Besides that, Taio Cruz delivers memorable vocals, and the production is sleek by late aughts standards.  Basically, this explosive cut checked off all boxes.  Strong singing, catchy lyrics, and ear-catching production.  To tell you how memorable this tune is, I can hear it in my head without hearing it regularly recently. Ultimately, “Dynamite” is a hella fun, timeless pop gem we can’t forget!

“‘Cause we gon’ rock this club

We gon’ go all night

We gon’ light it up

Like it’s dynamite

‘Cause I told you once

Now I told you twice

We gon’ light it up

Like it’s dynamite.”

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Dynamite: 5ive Songs No. 3 (2022) [📷: Atlantic, Brent Faulkner, BigHit Entertainment, Clovis Cheminot, The Musical Hype, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pixabay, Red Bull, Republic, Universal Island]

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