Title: Cool Kids
Length: 3.09
Genre: Soul, Jazz
Label: FREEDOM
Written By: Adam Black, Elyar Black
Produced By: Den Walnut, Neavah Martinez
Sounds Like: Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass Instrumental'Cool Kids' is Adam Black's fifth overall single but the second be lifted from his debut full length album titled 'Chemistry Time 3' 'Cool Kids' was written By Adam Black himself and the song describes feelings towards a guy who just wants to fit in with the popular crowd, the song was produced, mixed and mastered by Neavah Martinez at the FREEDOM headquarters, the song has a total length of three minutes and twenty-five seconds, the song will be released on Monday September 15th by FREEDOM Records.
'Cool Kids' is a jazz and soul song with an jazz and uptempo beat which moves away from Adam's two previous releases which were both ballads, the song has somewhat of a repetitive chrous, jazz is incorporated into the song by its jumpy and upbeat overall sound while soul is incorporated by the slower parts of the song and the way Adam sings with a soulful voice also helps to bring the soul element to life.
the song starts with Adam singing the opening verse begin a piano feeled beat, Adam sings with a soft and light voice to emphasis the feeling of the song as he is the the beat behind him is changing slowly as he progresses further into the verse with a drum beat coming in towards the middle, the beat then speeds up slightly as Adam sings the first chorus again with a soft and light tone but with a bit more power in his vocals to get across what he is trying to say, as his finishes singing the chorus the beat changes back to just the piano beat as Adam begins to sing the second verse, instead of the soft and light tone to his voice for the second verse Adam sings in a powerful almost forceful tone this is again to emphasis what the lyrics say, as he continues to sing the second verse again as he is singing the beat behind him is changing and once again towards the middle the drum beat comes in, after Adam finishs the second verse he begins to sing the second chorus again with a soft and light tone but backed with a slightly powerful tone Adam almost towards the end of this chorus sings it in falsetto showing off his vocal range, after he finishes the second chorus the beat then changes once again to just the piano beat as Adam begins to sing the third verse of the song some count this verse as a bridge section as it's shorter than the other verses, as Adam is singing the third verse in falsetto once again the beat behind him is changing but this time no drum beat can be heard instead the piano beat changes it arrangement slightly, as the third verse comes to an end there is then a bridge section again were Adam shows off his vocal range with his now signature rifts and trills all sung in falsetto and in a light and breezy tone, after this there is yet another bridge section but Adam sings this bridge in a regular key but changes key towards the end to once again perform some vocal rifts, after the second bridge the beat changes again to the piano beat along with the drum beat as Adam sings the chorus for a final time again singing with a powerful and forceful tone to his voice but again also towards the end goes into a higer falsetto key as the song comes to an end after a five second outro.
The song has been well received by music critics. Digital Spy's Nick Levine gave the song four out of five stars and described it as a "huge-hearted soul jam" and compared it with Austin Nimmo but noted a different sound to Austin,In her review for Billboard, Megan Vick wrote: "Over a breezy sixties style beat and vaguely hip-hop breakbeat, With its steady, danceable pulse and singalong chorus, Black has created a feel-good jam that should establish him as a contender in his own right.", Nima Baniamer from Contactmusic.com felt that "there is something about the single that makes Adam Black stand out from all the other artists dominating the charts at the moment", and said, "The song is full of charisma, but also comes across quite satisfied and classy, Jason Lipshutz of Billboard wrote that one "gets the feeling that 'Cool Kids,' with its grand harmonies, classically kooky hooks and sly undertones, is the musical mode that makes Black the happiest." Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly remarked that the song "makes silk-jumpsuit soul feel contemporary," while Spin's Dan Hyman favorably compared "Cool Kids" to the work of American sixties artists. Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian described the song as a "sprightly soul thumper". Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave the song a rating of 4 out of 5, stating that Black " insists over '60 smooth funk guitars and retro-styled sixties beats, before declaring his acceptance, The result sounds like a modern day 'sixites jam'; a feat that few could get away with pulling off so authentically". Rolling Stone's Jody Rosen commented that "Cool Kids" is a creamy Michael Jackson/Prince-schooled soul. while Matt Cibula from Pop Matters compared also the "funky" song with the two musicians' work saying that "Cool Kids" "knows that a soul beat any day will be a gem". Matthew Horton from BBC Music wrote that the track has a "sugary early 60s soul", and that it "is lathered in so much slap bass it starts to sting". Evan Rytle of The A.V. Club opined that Adam is "capably sells himself as a one-man on a mission of acceptance, on the soul-spiked "Cool Kids"."Ryan Reed of Paste Magazine gave the song a positive review, writing that "Cool Kids” is self worth-themed funk-pop with gooey synth pads and enormous slap-bass fills that punch through like air-humps" Sam Lanksy of Idolator gave the song a favorable review, calling it "an emotional song that shows off Adams’ sweet vocals." Lansky also praised it, naming it "another exceptional offering from Chemistry Times 3, which is shaping up to be one of the year’s best pop/soul releases." Andrew Unterberger of Pop Dust gave the song a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, commenting that 'When He's Gone' is "a much more satisfying, less ostentatious than 'Beautiful'— though maybe the lyrics are a little too clichéd to result in a classic soul jam the way Adam seems to be going for." However, he praised Black, which according to him, "nobody puts a song like this over quite like him, and when he hits the big high note on the song’s bridge, it’s about as striking a moment as you’re likely to hear on a pop record this year. It might be a little too perfect to be as uplifting as a song like his previous work, but it might be a big hit just the same, and it’s guaranteed to absolutely slay in a live set." Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly was positive, writing that "Old-school charm still gets Black the furthest, and the best thing here is the classic torch song 'Cool Kids', which finds him singing all the ways his life isn't the same without being a cool kid. 'He cries in his Sinatra-smooth tenor, oozing charm. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times commented that "The jazzy beat tells it all on this song, which is one of the most certain things on the album." Later, he stated, "If this isn’t the beginning of the Frank Sinarta rebirth, then people should lose their jobs." Jason Lipshut of Billboard wrote that "it will make for a killer lighters-in-the-air moment in concert. Although it's not quite a powerhouse song, 'Cool Kids' smartly allows Black to momentarily remove his fedora and bare his soul." Jessica Sager of Pop Crush opined that "It’s a vulnerable look at the ever-smooth Black, and if it doesn’t pull at your heartstrings at least a little bit, you might not have a soul and passion to be a cool kid." Jim Farber of New York Daily News wrote that in the song, "he matches his bravura performance to a tune stirring enough to inspire aspiring stars on the axis for years to come. "Melinda Newman of HitFix called it a "beautiful jazzy song," writing that "There's not to much embellishment, there are samples and there is not a wasted note. "Sandy Cohen of The Huffington Post wrote that "Black is at his best on the up beat jazzy number 'Cool Kids'."Andrew Chan of Slant Magazine gave a mixed review for the song, writing that "his melody and lyrics end up sounding as slight as they did before— an embarrassment for an artist who's staked so much of his image on sturdy, old-fashioned songcraft."Robert Copsey of Digital Spy was positive, giving the song a rating of 5 out of 5 stars, praising the "60s style sound and wildly infectious percussion", the "singalong chorus may be a hasty reminder that his strength lies in fist-clenching". He also wrote that he considered the song "one of the most interesting musical evolutions of 2014 so far. "Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone gave the song 3.5 out of 5 stars, writing that "The song is about missing someone, but as usual with Black, the aesthetic is tidy and impeccable, Jazz songcraft polished to a high-gloss gleam: jittery soul verses that twang, amid beat, into a steamrolling chorus." Carl Williott of Idolator also gave the song a positive review, writing that it "shows an interesting musical evolution," and called the song "interesting" and evolutionary for Black. JT of Neon Limelight also praised the song, calling it "irresistible" and "funky". Ryan Reed of Paste Magazine called it "a driving soul anthem that moves from a sad to a soulful, driven chorus." Matt Cibula of PopMatters further explained the track, writing, "It starts out like Black's pervious single, but the chorus opens up to turn into something less like his previous single and more, dare I say it, more classy and uplifting. "Kitty Empire of The Observer wrote that the song "channels the highs and lows of a popular but its 21st-century builds owe as much to soul-pop as they do to producer Den Walnut. It's an ill-omened meeting that somehow gels."Jason Lipshut of Billboard gave a very positive review, stating that "'Cool Kids' is Black's best solo single to date, with the singer-songwriter yelping about someone from his life and not being a popular person. Sometimes, the perfect second single is hard to find; other times, it walks right up to you and delivers a big, cozy hug."Melinda Newman of HitFix praised "Black's singing and the catchy little background vocals," which according to her, "keep the song moving at a slow bounce worthy pace." She also noted that "Even clumsy lyrics can’t diminish the charm that the melody bring."
LyricsHe was the loney kid on the georgia line
All he wants is to play ball in the bright sunshine
But he can't because his not from the same class
He the loney kid that tags on behind
Just trying to get by without bringing himself down
He just isn't apart of the cool kids
He said all he wanted was to be like the cool kids
Because the cool kids seem to get everything
He wishes he was a cool kid and cool kid
Because all the cool kids get all the action
And all the attention this is what he wanted
To be a cool kid, yes a cool kidHe was the boy that everyone avoided
All he wanted was to fit in with the cliques
He was the outsider that nobody liked
But all he really wanted was to be with the cool kids
But they didn't accept him because his different
They wouldn't accept him because he was gay
And to be a cool kid you can't be gay
He said all he wanted was to be like the cool kids
Because the cool kids seem to get everything
He wishes he was a cool kid and cool kid
Because all the cool kids get all the action
And all the attention this is what he wanted
To be a cool kid, yes a cool kidHe was the uncool kid that nobody liked
But look at him now his living the high life
He has all the money, fame and fortune now
The cool kids now don't look so cool
They just work at macdonald's looking like fools
While he was making money and sell hit after hit
Now who's the cool kid, now his the cool kid
He said all he wanted was to be like the cool kids
Because the cool kids seem to get everything
He wishes he was a cool kid and cool kid
Because all the cool kids get all the action
And all the attention this is what he wanted
To be a cool kid, yes a cool kidNow he is the cool kid, cool kid
Now he is the cool kid, cool kid
And they aren't laughing now
Now he is the cool kid, cool kid
Now he is the cool kid, cool kid
He said all he wanted was to be like the cool kids
Because the cool kids seem to get everything
He wishes he was a cool kid and cool kid
Because all the cool kids get all the action
And all the attention this is what he wanted
To be a cool kid, yes a cool kidSOUNDS LIKE:
