Pop Perspective: The Chainsmokers’ “Paris” Rated & Reviewed

Mike Wass | January 13, 2017 3:52 pm

At Idolator, the editors share a passion for high-quality pop. Occasionally, our tastes align. Other times, not so much. So, in the spirit of debate (and online drama), we’ve developed a recurring feature called Pop Perspective. In a nutshell, our editors dissect a particularly noteworthy pop-event, and give it a rating out of 10.

That way you’re getting a full spectrum of views and we can all vent. (It’s cheaper than therapy!) The latest track to be dragged under the Idolator microscope belongs to The Chainsmokers. Have the hitmakers crafted another “Closer”-sized smash or does “Paris” slightly missed the mark? Read our thoughts on the duo’s new single below.

Robbie Daw — 1/10

How is it humanly possible for these two to get more and more basic with each single release? Sad realization: This is music made by people who came of age in the George W./Kardashian era. Just flush it, already.

Carl Williott — 2/10

I’m convinced this is the song that caused Trent Reznor to slam social media’s toxic effect on music. The insipid lyrics sound like they were put together the way a fifth grader conjures a poem, the rhymes (“cigarette/internet,” “together/clever”) driving the narrative and anything not rhyming just being an inconvenient speed bump on the way to the next rhyme. Everything about this song irks me, but perhaps nothing annoys me more than its EDM DRUM #3 percussion. “Closer” sounds like a complex piece of Phil Spector pop compared to “Paris.”

Mike Wass — 7.5/10

I don’t understand the hostility towards The Chainsmokers. Sure, “Closer” was so unavoidable at radio that it started to grate by the 739th spin, but “Roses” and “Don’t Let Me Down” are perfect dance-pop songs. “Paris” doesn’t quite reach those heights for me (where’s the drop?) but it is obscenely catchy and has thematic depth. Unless I’m completely misinterpreting it, the song has less to do with France and more to do with wanting to escape your current reality. Which is a pretty universal feeling. Oh, and there’s even a cameo from “Capsize” queen Emily Warren. So yeah, I’m more than happy to spend $1.29 on this.

AVERAGE SCORE: 3.5/10

What would you rate the song out of 10? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!