Snow ❄️ | 3BOPS

1. The Weeknd, “Snowchild” ❄️

💿 After Hours • 🏷 Republic • 📅 2020

With a title like 🎵 “Snowchild,” it should come as no surprise that 🎙 The Weeknd references drug use on the stand out from 💿 After Hours.  “I was singing notes while my niggas played with six keys / Walking in the snow before I ever made my wrist freeze,” he sings on the reflective first verse.

As evidenced by those lyrics, “Snowchild” is more than drugs, though the Dizzy Gillespie line is pretty rad (“I was blowing smoke, had me ‘Dizzy’ like Gillespie”). He explores his childhood, coming up and becoming famous, and of course drip and sex. It’s another winning moment by all means. 

2. Run the Jewels, “walking in the snow” ❄️

💿 RTJ4 • 🏷 Jewel Runners LLC / BMG Rights Management • 📅 2020

“Just got done walkin’ in the snow / Goddamn, that motherfucker cold,” 🎙 Gangsta Boo spits on the memorable, incredibly potent and powerful chorus on 🎵 “Walking in the Snow.”  “Walking on the Snow” ranks among the crème de la crème of 💿 RTJ4, the fourth studio album by 🎙 Run the Jewels. 🎙 El-P and 🎙 Killer Mike get socially conscious, specifically focusing on racial inequality.

El-P calls out hypocrisy on the first verse: “Pseudo-Christians, y’all indifferent, kids in prison ain’t a sin? Shit / If even one scrap of what Jesus taught connected, you’d feel different.” Killer Mike really goes in on the second verse, sporting contrasting production, spitting, “And you so numb, you watch the cops choke out a man like me / Until my voice goes from a shriek to a whisper, ‘I can’t breathe.’” A collaborative verse between the two rappers is nothing short of awesome.

3. AFI, “Snow Cats” ❄️ 🐈

AFI (The Blood Album) • 🏷 Concord • 📅 2017

“I am not scared enough / Prepared enough / You wanted me in distress / I’ve nothing left to fear / I am, I am here.” Well, that is definitely declaratory 🎙 Davey Havok!  The lyrics appear from 🎵 “Snow Cats”, one of the advance singles from AFI (The Blood Album), the 2017 album by goth-rock vets, 🎙 AFI.

“Snow Cat” commences with a respectable opening with arpeggiated guitar. It features clear vocals by the front man, who sounds as compelling as ever.  AFI as a band do a great job of establishing the theatric element of “Snow Cats” early on. Throughout the song, the use of backing vocals adds a nice touch, particularly on the chorus. The first half of the verses are a bit too spare in production. The second half-of the verses are fuller, with the chorus providing atonement. The bridge is heavier as well, distinguishing itself from verses and chorus. All in all, “Snow Cats” is quite enjoyable.

“I’ll wait for you another night
(As you like)
Dressed in Himalayan white
I’ll wait for you some other night
(Dressed as you like)
Dressed in Himalayan white.”