My first time hearing this reminded me of my reaction to my first time hearing Meghan Trainor years ago: production mimicking a decades-old style doesn't make a good song. Most styles of music throughout history require good melodies; skillful production isn't enough. I don't like the present song's melody. I especially noticed how it stalls on the fa over the I chord, after the descent (do ti la sol fa...), which betrays the I chord's identity more than any other note in the major scale. Also the droning "as it was, as it was,..." : "sol re re" wasn't impressive. I don't remember why else I didn't like the melody. But if I don't like a melody, I can scarcely like the song, besides in a few select styles. The mix and orchestration and beat can't save it. I'm especially bitter, perhaps biased, by the principle of robbing another decade's style without serving it good honest songwriting. As mentioned with Meghan Trainor, and many others, I-iv-IV-V doowop (or maybe more accurately, blue-eyed soul) had a renaissance lately, more likely in popularity than quality. It irritated me a little. I just thought it was lazy -- the songwriting wasn't actually good, and seemed to assume one could trick listeners with old-fashioned style and none of the principles of good songwriting. I could ignore this, but it threatens to devalue the actually-good songs of yore. I don't mind pop culture circling back to roots, but let's respect the roots enough to acquaint deeply with them, not just appropriate their cheapest qualities. If the trend turned out good songs, I wouldn't complain moralistically -- but in my opinion the trend hasn't even been effective.
"As It Was" feels like another grasp back at old styles to try and feel new, without putting in the effort of genuine songwriting.
Did I mention the Weeknd?
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