Ian Taylor (Deep Dive)
I wrote this post little by little in a bit over 2 month's time, and decided to include dates of when I listened to the songs. I tried not to edit much afterwards, mainly fixing grammar and spelling mistakes, so I might repeat myself at times, or my opinions on things might change (back and forth).
Date: June 10th & 12th
According to Spotify, he has 7 albums and quite a lot of singles, most of which are probably on the albums. I'm going to start from his oldest works and move on chronologically. And this time I'm not including the music videos, or this will take forever, like the Chinchilla Deep Dive...
Side note: On a live stream, he played some of his old songs he had entered in competitions (and won, over 1600 other songs or sth), and some unreleased ones. I really liked the winning songs, called Bread and Butter. I hope they exist somewhere online or that he releases them one day on Spotify.
Another side note: I ended up going through the albums first and then the stand-alone singles. Both categories in chronological order, separately.
Dusk to Dawn (2018)
The album literally goes from Dusk to Dawn. The first song is Dusk (Introduction) and the last is Dawn (Conclusion). There are also interludes called Midnight Pt. 1 and Midnight Pt. 2.
Dusk (Introduction) is a song introducing us to Ian (and the night ahead). There's a simple beat and "pencil on paper" kinda sound. Later there's piano. He's talking about writing, and how it helps him cope and let out feelings. 10/10.
Warning Shot is a warning shot to haters, and boasting. Very catchy and fun to listen. I have mixed feelings about boasting songs. Some I do not get at all and especially to a Finnish person, who are taught to be humble, they often seem very self-centered. But some of them have started to work for me. 1) It helps if I like the person. 2) They have to be a good rapper. 3) The song has to be good. Innovative lyrics, lots of rhyming, lots of cadence and flow changes, good hook. Those kinds of boasting songs, instead of making me roll my eyes and say "yeah right, man, you're all talk", make me hyped up. I'm rooting for the rapper, like "Yes you are! You go, dude/girl!". Some even make me feel more confident about myself. Warning Shot is a good boasting / fuck you haters song, IMO. 10/10.
Unnecessary. 8.5/10. I didn't get much out of this one. But it sounds good.
Sodomy. Love the aggressive style and beat and the flows... Don't cross Ian. ;D 10/10, I love this.
Better Off Alone. I should look at the lyrics again when I'm feeling better. After this first listen, it gets 8,5/10.
Hours. Self-reflective, relatable. I like the lyrics, I like his delivery, his flows, the chorus, the beat... 10/10, no doubt about it.
Crazy. The lyrics are "a bit" crazy, yes, but I dig this song nonetheless. Would never play this as a first song from him, though. You need to know how sweet and kind and introspective he can be before seeing this other side of him.
Midnight, Pt. 1 (Interlude). The interlude announced us that "Maniacal Michael" is now taking over and the following songs will be a little more edgy/raunchy/etc. Some kind of Slim Shady -esque character I presume. Or some thoughts Ian has had but doesn't actually stand behind on a good day (I have those, too). Good to know.
House of Horrors. Goth points for Ian. Lots of gore. Lots and lots of gore. Even less a song I'd play anyone as their first Ian Taylor song.
Shoutout. More gore, gore, gore. Very much not for the faint of heart. I'm not sure I could handle this on a bad day...
Bad Guy. Gory, I'm liking this one again. If it weren't for the burp sound, I'd click like. The internal rhymes are just... insane.
Psycho Shit. Gory goth points again. I like this. The context of Michael is important, but still.
Get Go. Hook is not his best, but I like the verses. Context matters again. Beat is great.
Midnight Pt 2 (Interlude). As expected, Maniacal Michael has left the chat and we get Ian again.
The Arsonists. LOVE THIS <3 10/10
Revenge. Huh. Featuring Black Pegasus. I knew they were friends, though. But I haven't checked out his stuff, because I don't vibe with his sense of humor. And I prefer the gentle Ian to this angry Ian. Second verse is better, though. I liked BP's verse, too. He may have some good songs, after all...
Tight Rope. Not the best hook, but I like it anyway. Verses are great.
Letter To Myself. Love it. 10/10.
Broken. A hard listen. Beautiful, in a melancholical way. Instantly one of my favourites.
Time Flies. Not a fan of the constant adlibs, but otherwise it's ok. Real.
Waste Time With Me. Very different. A dance-y, party song. Lyrics remind me of Bruno Mars' Lazy Song and System of a Down's Lonely Day. All have a different vibe though. This is ok, but not my favourite.
Problem. Aah, the rapping sounds so good <3 A slow and steady eargasm. 9.5/10, but only if you compare it to as impressive songs that have deeper lyrics. Otherwise it'd be a 10.
Off the Wall. Some kinda boasty / diss song. Hilarious, had to hold back to not laugh out loud at the back of the bus where I was sitting. I need to see the lyrics. I want to break down the lyrics. 10/10, absolutely zero flaws.
Invincible. 10/10, love it.
Thanks for Coming Out. Nice, vibe-y song. When she started sing-rapping, I was like 😳 love her delivery. Need to check out more Affliction.
Dawn. Yup, it's good. A bit short. I wish Dusk and Dawn were about the same lenght.
Date: June 19th
Heard Dawn again yesterday (from my Rap & Hiphop playlist, on shuffle) and the lyrics dawned on me this time ;D I love the lyrics <3
Adventure Rhymes (2019)
I'm guessing the album title is an Adventure Times reference? I haven't watched it, but have heard good things about it.
Adventure Rhymes. Funk-y and funny intro. I like the vibe.
The I.T. Guy. Heard before. This is funny. Also, geek points for Ian. Lol. Solid 9/10.
On the Road. The first verse is a slow-burning eargasm for sure. I like the lyrics. Hook was ok, but not his best. 8/10.
Outcast. Immediatelly like this more. And as an introvert, relate to the lyrics. This slaps! Nothing I'd change = 10/10.
Not the Place. OOF THIS BEAT IS GOOD <3 I love the hook (and of course the verses), and I pretty much never LOVE hooks. Another 10/10!
Beast. Heard before. A proper EARGASM, MY GOD!!! 10/10!!! "God I'm so happy right now." (he says at the end of the song) Me, too, Ian. Me too.
Drank Down. Hook is like a 7.3/10, but verses are a 10/10 again (like 99% of his verses). Overall, I'd say this is a 8.4/10 song for me. Burp made him lose 0.1 points. But it fits the song, though.
God. 7/10. Beat is a bit boring, not a fan of the hook (as usual, not a fan of hooks), lyrics are ok, rapping is 9.5/10. Geek points for the Frodo bar, though.
Say. Beat 8/10, rapping 10/10, hook 6.5/10. Laughter at the end was nice :3 Overall... 7.6/10.
Colorado Ganja. I like reggae. Not a fan of marijuana, but not judging. His voice suits reggae so well! I don't know why I never thought about that before! 9.3/10.
Out of Colorado. 10/10. I've noticed my favourite songs by him are the deeply personal ones, and second favourite are the ones where he's flexing his rapping skills.
Shiver Mi Timbers 2. Speaking of flexing the skills... Another eargasm. Even the hook is good, like 9/10. Or hooks? Bonus points for pirates. Excluding the raping, they're cool. xD
Epilogue. 10/10. Perfect ending to a great album.
Date: July 21st
The Process (2019)
Love how we have the album called The Process and then the album called The Product. I was involved in this theater project once, where the first half was going to be about a theater production (like, meta fiction) where everything goes wrong that you can possibly imagine, and then the second half would have been the finished play, and it would have been flawless... We were all first time writers and people dropped out of the production one by one, until we decided to call it quits...
The Process. "This music is my diary, welcome to the process"... so he's the process. That's a good attitude to have. I like everything about this song - lyrics, beat, flow... even the hook. It's missing a WOW effect, though... 9.8/10.
Getta Clue. So fast <3 Very pleasing to the ears. 9/10.
Old Ways. So relatable. Also, he was only 22 when he wrote this? Wow. He's an old soul, isn't he? No wonder most of his fans are older than him.
Other. This got very personal. I mean, that's nothing new for an Ian song, but... This hit me on a personal level. So personal I don't want to write it in this blog, for it's 0 viewers to see. I don't know how he managed to put it into words. I've tried a few times and failed.
Dad. 10/10. Nuff said.
I Don't Need Nobody. 8.8/10. I think I relate, but it somehow didn't hit me right away...
Floatin'. Kinda boring, at least the hook. Verses have great flows, though. 7.5/10.
Toaster. The internal rhymes make me grin like an idiot... and I'm in the bus, listening to this. Rapping 10/10. Lyrics go a bit far for my personal taste. I don't like angry Ian.
Understand. No comments. I won't touch this.
Snow Flurry. His voice sounds so good in this! Very nice flows as well.
Independence Day. Ooh, the movie! I realized from the references... There's sounds of him crying </3 :,( The music's mindblowingly beautiful, though. This song is SO sad, omg... This hits HARD. Anyone reading this, remember that you are loved <3 Usually songs about depression are my favourites from artists, because they make me feel understood on those days when I feel depressed. This one was so hopeless it had the opposite effect. There are a few songs like that in the world. Songs that make my mind go to a very dark place, no matter how good of a day I'm having. I had to process this one for a few minutes before I could switch my brain on autopilot and carry on my day... I can't like this song on Spotify, though. I can't stumble upon this on any given day...
Date: June 26th
The Product (2020)
The Product. 10/10. Beautiful.
Runnin'. The hook is "repetitive", but not really, because the word 'running' has so many meanings within it. It's very catchy. And the verses are a full 10, I love the beat... A very good song, like 9.6/10.
Untitled. Eargasmed so hard I forgot to breathe xD I LOVE IT!
Clean. Love the beat! The internal rhyming by both of them is soooo good <3
In My Cup. Similar beat to Clean. Hook is not a full 10, lyrics are a bit raunchy but not too bad... (I'm getting used to men talking about sex in songs, which doesn't really happen in metal.) 9/10
Colosseum. Weakest hook so far, not a fan. Boasty lyrics. Also a thing I'm getting used to. Because of the hook, this is an 8.5/10.
Alien. I love these beats! They remind me of Ashnikko's beats and I stan her, so... (Well, she doesn't make them, but anyway.) Again, not a fan of the hook. 8.5/10.
Alpha. (Guys who say they're an alpha, are never the alpha... That being said...) Verses are great again, hook is not... Least favourite song from the album so far.
Hung n' Hungry. Boasting again. The hook is... unexpected... in a good way. Lyrics are funny, and earned him goth points from me, for the gory imagery. 9/10.
Good Day. The beat makes the hook better. 8.5/10.
Debacle. Hook 7/10, verses 9/10, beat 8.5/10 = 8.25/10? It grew on me, though, as it went on.
Feels Good. Interesting, different. Nikki's voice is great, Ian's ok. 9.5/10. Music style just isn't my thing, there's nothing wrong with the song.
Date: ??? (Forgot to write it down.)
Social Awareness. I appreciate the sentiment but the song wasn't that exciting. 7.5/10.
All I Need. All I need is to come back to this song at a better time... I'm tired and scatter-brained, just got off from work.
Trash Can. Intro was great. I need to see these lyrics! Sounds great, no stupid hooks, and very inspiring to use random bars that "didn't" turn into songs. 10/10.
Squad. Why does the hook go harder than it should??? 9.6/10!!
Split. Way too much of the hook. Average level among all Ian songs. So... 8.5?
Raw. I like the title, promises me a good raw rap song. No effects or hooks. ... Ok, there's a hook, but it's ok. Ian's opening line 🤣I knew he'd go there. This is great, 10/10!! But Warning Shot is still a bit better.
Not the Same. The beat!! <3 Also, goth points for the lyrics. Blitz's pronunciation is not as clear as Ian's, but otherwise he's good as well. Hook is ok. 9.4/10.
Whatchu Gon Do. Ian's first verse gave me such an eargasm <3 Hook's not my thing (as usual).
Won't Go Back. Like this a lot! Enkay 47 has such a pleasant voice, omg!! I need to look him up and add him to the Three Song Listen list!
Money Box. Meh. Effects and hooks. I prefer the raw style. It's a 6/10. Just above average.
Me. I need to see the lyrics again. I actually like this hook. It paints a picture instead of just being there to make a song stuck to your head.
Date: August 15th
That's Taylor (2021)
Only 7 songs? Ok, sure.
That's Taylor. It's alright. Not a huge banger, but sure, I could listen to that pretty much any day, it's a good song.
Energy. Interesting beat, flip flopping between EDM and hiphop, but it works (EDM in chorus, hiphop in verses). Verses 10/10, chorus 9/10, hook... yeah, no. 90-99% of hooks are boring to me and this is one of them. I don't understand hooks. Are people really so... ignorant and... simple... that they don't remember a song unless you repeat the title a million times? Hooks are very common in hiphop, I know, but... that's just gives a... not "bad" but... confusing and simplistic rep to hiphop and hiphop heads. It makes them look stupid, basically. Which they're not, these underground rappers are, like, lyrical and rhythmical masterminds. If your rap game's that good, your beats are good, you can make proper choruses to sum up what the song is about (which I don't need, either, but am used to, understand and like)... what the heck do you need hooks for? Why? Why ruin a perfectly good song like that?
Record Breaker. Heard before, I think was the first song I heard from him. 9.9/10. The -0.1 comes from repeating the word "ho" dozens of times in the end, like... whyyyyyy 😩 I'm sure you know more words than that, Ian. I just heard you break Em's speed record, that verse had A LOT of words. But it's not like a huge deal, I know he doesn't mean it like that (I mean: it isn't directed to all women, or even women exclusively, so he isn't being sexist or misogynistic when he says that)... I'm just not used to people using the words "bitch" and "ho" so casually, or men talking about sex (another thing Ian does quite a lot in his music), those are quite rare things in metal music, and so, someone like Knox has been much easier for me to get into, lyrically, where as Ian's lyrics have been giving me mixed feelings in the past. It's my blog and my opinion, I can take 0,1 points away from a song for repeating a word I don't like. I can take all the points away from a song if I want to (drunk with power much? :D). But these things aren't a deal breaker for me anymore. They used to be. Now, it's enough for me to know they're a good person irl and that if they say something sexual in their songs, it's either not sexist or it's made clear it's a character saying it, not the rapper. That's what's different between rap and metal as well: metal is mostly either abstract poetry or songs about violence you thought about but didn't commit, or storytelling. Rarely written about personal topics. Hiphop is more personal and direct, but then there's storytelling and alter egos and pretty much anything seems to be fair game there, you can say anything and get away with it... But then again, metal's roots are in blues (music made by African Americans) and yet we still have subgenres like National Socialist Black Metal (which is basically Neo-Nazi music), and that's somehow "normal" and "ok". They're somewhat within the same realm, but not quite. Alter ego is a fictional character, sort of, and their opinions might not be your opinions, where as in NSBM lyricists typically do mean what they say.
Ferris Wheel. Interesting flow. Overall, with the hook and everything... an average Ian song. Not his worst, not his best.
Doper. Beat is promising, I like it a lot. Very pleasing sounds and sounds like one where a rapper like Ian can find a lot of different flow pockets on. And he didn't disappoint. Somehow, the hook is good, too. It somehow reminds me of some of the more mainstream hiphop I listen to. But verses are the quality Ian's verses usually are, which is better than mainstream. If we look at verses, lyrics and technical rapping skills only, Ian is in my top 5 rappers of all time, for sure.
Doin' Me. I like the flow and rhyming. Another mind-numbing hook, though. I like the beat and mixing (minimalistic solutions, and the "echo").
Happy. Hard-hitting lyrics. Wow.
About the Record Breaker music video, again... My finalized thoughts about it. On a surface level, without knowing what kind of a person Ian is, it does come off as misogynistic, sexist, etc. Something a lot of people, including myself, would find off-putting. There are plenty of great musicians out there and I'm sorry for any artist who reads this, but you are replacable. If we as consumers don't vibe with the type of person you present yourself to be, we move on and find someone else whom we do vibe with. And that video can very easily give the wrong impression of the type of person that Ian is. Pushing out people who might like him and draw in sexist a-holes. And that's why for a long time, I was not a fan of the video. Then it happened to come up in the chat on a livestream and Ian explained it and now I get it.. It's the stereotypical rap music video from 2000s, but done ironically. We've sort of come full circle and sexualizing women on a video is ok again, as long as you're ironic about it. And I agree with this, at least 99% if not 100%. If they're consenting adults and down for the joke, playful mocking of the past is funny. Lowkey, I'm the one who was backward on this. I feel embarrassed for being to harsh towards it at first, but I don't want to censor myself on this blog. That defeats the whole point of this being my outlet. The video is fine. It's very similar to Stig Dogg's Rakkauden Bermudan Kolmio, actually. But that one is a sexual comedy song as well, so it's more clear that that one's a joke.
Dovahkiin (2021)
Static G x Ian Taylor
Let It Burn. EARGASM 10/10!! omfg...
Dovahkiin. Can't hear them under the beat, but otherwise a very good song.
Smoke. Third person in the song, called Lingo. 8/10
Mary. Meh. Ian's voice suits the song and I like the rhyming of them both, but the song's a bit boring imo. I might feel different, if I was a smoker (it's about marijuana).
Idc. 6/10
What's the Point. 7/10.
Fxck'd Up. Not a fan of the hook, again, but I like the lyrics on the verses... 7/10.
Chop Shop. Name sounds promising (I'm picturing chopper style rapping and maybe horror-themed lyrics). Can't make out lyrics, hook is something I can stand, verses are perfect. I especially liked Static G's verse here, very nice flow/pockets/whatever it's called. What I mean are the internal rhyme schemes and how he highlighted those with his timing of the syllables (going faster/slower). Whatever that's called, I liked it.
Radical. A BANGER. 9.5/10.
Betty White. I like the beat, it's different. Hook is actually ok. Overall, 8/10.
It Gets Better. 7/10. Nice lyrics, but otherwise, not my favourite.
Rhymesick. Last song of the album, I'm expecting a banger. And got a banger. And an eargasm. Screaming makes even hooks a bit better, lol. 10/10.
Date: July 16th
Oceans (2022)
I like how all the song titles on the album are centered around a nautical theme.
Ocean. I like the lyrics a lot. They're deep and poetic, and the consistent internal rhymes are just so satisfying...
Kraken. 😍💜 THE EARGASM! It takes my breath away. Thank god I'm sitting at the very back of the bus, 'cause if people saw me silently laughing and grinning like this, they'd think I've gone crazy xD
Sky. I love this song. I've heard it dozens of times before. Well, at least 10. My favourite Ian Taylor song. Songs like these are exactly what I need to hear when I feel very depressed. I need to know someone knows how I feel. Makes me feel less alone.11/10, this is so important to me.
Sailboat. The sequel to Sky. At first I thought this was ok, but after hearing it in the end of almost every Ian Taylor livestream and seeing him vibe to it, genuinely loving his own song... (Not in a cocky way, but in a way that the lyrics are truly important to him, he's proud of himself, etc. Healthy self-confidence.) ...Now I love it. I've formed an emotional connection to the song, I think. And it does sound better to me now than it did before, it grew on me.
Breathe. What is this chorus/hook? So chaotic... Even on the second listen my brain was like "??????" There's the distortion, the vocals, and the video game sounds......
The Tide. Very minimalistic. I like it, especially Ian's voice. Usually he has quite a strong rasp, here his sound is cleaner.
Water. Yeeeey, fast rapping <3 So pleasurable to listen <3 Chorus is quite nice, too.
Blue. Featuring LoVe. Her voice is nice, but I dislike hooks. I like the verses, good lyrics and intense delivery.
Fog. Lyric-heavy song, but beautiful instrumentals in the end as well. I love it.10/10.
8Bit (EP, 2021)
MASSIVE GEEK POINTS FOR IAN FOR THIS EP, we appreciate proud geekdom in this blog. Yes indeed. I LOVE THIS 💜🖤
8Bit. I like his flow, it's different from his usual flows. Impressive. 9.8/10.
Tetris. Was hoping for a Korobeiniki sample, but this beat's fine, too. Verses are great, hook is... yeah, no. Wtf. The verses make up for it, though. Eargasm speed.
Gameboy. 💜! Verses are amazing! 10.5/10. Beat 9.7/10. Hook is... 7/10, it's fine.
God Mode. Hook is fine. In verses he's kinda angry, but I think I'm getting used to that as well. It's a good song. 9/10.
Controller. Boasty lyrics, funny. OH FUCK THIS HOOK IS GOOD, WTF?!! One of his best hooks, hands down! 10/10!!! One of my favourite Ian songs.
Non-album singles
Everybody (2018). A party song. I like it, the hook/chorus isn't too repetitive.
Move (2018). I like how he varies his flow. And I like the lyrics of the verses. Hook is meh, one sentence over and over again. Annoying.
Vocal Shapeshift (2021). Feat Doc Suess and AlpHaMatic. Love the beat <3 The rapper on the 1st verse is a bit slow, but otherwise I like him. Ian's great on his verse. Boasting and making dirty jokes again, but just makes me laugh at this point. Last rapper sounds like the first... maybe it is? Maybe one of those guys is, like, a producer or something? Idk.
Flight (2022). Fast, yey <3 The combination of rapping and singing.... wooow, mindblown. Didn't know he could do that. Big M@k sounds pretty good, I don't like the part where they double his voice with the adlibs, I can't hear what he's saying. Not that I could keep up anyway 😅 Hook is fine. Overall, it's a 9/10 from me.
Rains (2023). Heard this before. Emotional, love it. 10/10, absolutely nothing wrong with the song. It's objectively perfect. Flawless.
Good Morning (2023). Heard before. 8/10.
Closing statements
He's consistent. Apart from a few misses, his music is really good throughout the years. So many 10/10 songs I'd have to make a separate post if I wanted to find out what songs are actually my favourites, etc. I might, someday. Maybe rank all his songs while I'm at it. But I'd need the lyrics to form a coherent opinion on those. His pronunciation is very clear, but it just goes so fast it usually takes me a few listens to catch them, AND to not get caught up in the 'metal pitfall' of just listening how the vocals sound like and not what the person is saying. Good metal screams or fast rapping / crazy internal rhymes / amazing flow - and my mind just goes blank, I don't speak any languages anymore. Just music. And Ian's VERY good at rapping, so that happens a lot.
I don't have a favourite album. Except maybe concept-wise, 8Bit. I like how he has a concept or a theme on (almost) every album, but almost all the songs work individually as well. Only exception IMO is Maniacal Michael. Ian did release House of Horrors as a single and I don't know how that went, releasing it without Midnight, Pt. 1... I would probably suspect it's a horror themed song and not an actual murderer, because the lyrics are so out there, but I wouldn't be 100% sure and might leave it at that (getting to know his music, that is). Better be safe than sorry, you know. Rap lyrics are confusing. You can never know when someone is being serious and when they're not. And what are alter egos? I thought they're a version of you, but am I wrong? I feel lost. Knox was there to "guide me" (he didn't do it for me, I just used his videos like a guide to the world of hiphop) but even he trolls sometimes or assumes his viewers know what he's talking about, and is also releasing a bit less reaction videos now, focusing on his music career. Side tangent over, I know Ian's a good person. But the fact that I knew 12 songs from him when I started this, indicates that at some point, before getting to know him, I have gone to his Spotify and listened to his songs on shuffle... and am SO glad I didn't run into Michael, you know?
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