Talk:Sledgehammer (Fifth Harmony song)/GA3

GA Review

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Reviewer: Diplomat's Son (talk · contribs) 05:51, 30 October 2018 (UTC)[reply]

"Sledgehammer" is admittedly one of the few songs I enjoy by them; slight bias aside, the article seems like a standard candidate at first glance. Maybe third time's the charm? This is my first GA review, so I'm using "Can't Get You Out of My Head" as a reference.

Lead

"Musically, "Sledgehammer" is an EDM song with synthpop, new wave and 1980s pop music style influences." → "Musically, "Sledgehammer" is a synthpop song with influences of EDM, new wave and 1980s pop music."

I'm more inclined to categorize it as synthpop with EDM leanings. The former is mentioned more frequently (1, 2).

"Its lyrics use a sledgehammer as a metaphor to express the physical effects caused by excessive love." → "Its lyrics utilize a sledgehammer metaphor to describe the effects of being infatuated"

Narrative suggests an intense crush rather than something more deeply romantic; PopCrush, Singles Jukebox and Idolator make reference to this. Rewording is more general.

"The visual portrays each member as a silhouette and they sing in a swing set, among other scenes. Critics noted the video's simple aesthetics as part of a growth in the group's visuals." → "It features silhouette visuals and the members swinging on a scaffold, among other scenes. Critics noted the video's simple aesthetics as a growth in the group's visuals."

Background and composition

I know that it's a simple pop song, but this section could use some insight from the writers or even the band members themselves. On a quick cursory Google search, there's this and this that you could pull quotes from. Songfacts is not a reputable source, obviously, but original references are easily found.

"The group's vocals were produced and recorded by Heberg, Mason, Jr. and Andrew Hey at Windmark Recording Studios in Santa Monica, California." → "The group's vocals were produced and recorded by the latter pair along with Andrew Hey at Windmark Recording Studios in Santa Monica, California."

Just minimizing redundancy.

"Sledgehammer"'s synthpop production contains an uptempo EDM beat with new wave and 1980s music influences, along with heavy synths" → ""Sledgehammer" is a heavy synthpop production backed by an EDM beat, taking influence from new wave and 1980s music."

No mention of "uptempo" in the sources. The Hyndman article from MTV News is an unneeded reference in this sentence, only mentions the song having a "fun pop vibe".

"Lyrically, the song uses a sledgehammer as a metaphor to express physical effects caused by excessive love. This can be noted specially during the chorus: "If you take my pulse right now, it would feel just like a sledgehammer." → "Lyrically, the song expresses the physical sensations of being infatuated, comparing it to a sledgehammer motif: "If you take my pulse right now, it would feel just like a sledgehammer.""

Change "the kind of love" to "a kind of love".

Critical

Missing quotation mark after (2013).

"that lacked in the group's previous single "Boss"." → "that was lacking in the group's previous single, "Boss"."

"perfectly" to "perfect"

"In a 2017 article published on Idolator, Mike Neid placed the song in his "should have been bigger" category, stating that the track was one of the group's most "underrated"." → "In a 2017 article published on Idolator, Mike Neid covered the song in the website's "Should Have Been Gigger" feature, stating that the track was one of the group's most "underrated".

There are other contributors to that section.

Change "although one of their lyrics" to "though one of the lines", remove comma after "stated that".

Commercial performance

"chart at number 28 and peaked at number 21 in December 2014, becoming their highest position on the chart and surpassing their debut single "Miss Movin' On" (2013)." → "chart at number 28, and peaked at number 21 in December 2014, becoming their highest position–surpassing their debut single "Miss Movin' On" (2013) at the time."

The next two sentences after "Miss Movin' On" need sources.

"It eventually rose to a peak of 40 on its fifth week on the chart with sales of 85,000, aided by a price reduction on digital download sites, which reported a 277 percent spike in sales." → "It eventually rose to a peak of 40 in its fifth week on the chart, with sales of 85,000–aided by a price reduction on digital download services, which reported a 277 percent spike in sales."

Next sentences over, change it to "it has since been surpassed by "Worth It" (2015) and "Work from Home" (2016)."

Canadian and Swedish certifications need sources.

Music video

"onto" → "to"
Omit the "Scenes in the visual..." sentence but incorporate the citation in the video summary.

The next two sections are... highly repetitive and excessive. I quickly reviewed the music video and mentions of one-second scenes aren't necessary. It's a non-linear video. I quickly rewrote it down here, but feel free to condense as you wish.

"The music video makes extensive use of Fifth Harmony as backlit silhouettes; these scenes alternate between a simple backdrop and pyramid steps. The group is seen swinging on a scaffold as individual close-ups of the members are interspersed, some featuring a unicorn sculpture prop. Choreographed dance moves include the members pounding their chest to the lyric, "If you could take my pulse right now, it would feel like a sledgehammer". The visual is intercut with a shirtless man wielding a sledgehammer, and a member facing a large fan machine, both scenes silhouetted. Writing for Billboard, Lipshutz said the video's monochromatic setting allows the group to "demonstrate their maturity". He also states that the video is "more of a relax fest" and called the "giddiness radiation" of the girls "pretty infectious"."

Live performances

Prose just needs rewording, I made a quick copy edit but again feel free to make your own changes; include specific dates; Today Show and The Talk need citations. I suggest adding a comma before mid-sentence citations, or moving them to the end. Jingleball references needed as well (besides New York).

"Fifth Harmony premiered "Sledgehammer" at the 2014 MTV Europe Music Awards pre-show on November 9, 2014. The following week, the group performed the song on Good Morning America, with an acoustic rendition on Access Hollywood Live thereafter. Nearly a month later, a stripped down jazz version was performed on VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live, and they closed the year out with "Pitbull's New Year's Revolution" that aired on Fox. Upon the release of Reflection in January 2015, the group made performances of "Sledgehammer" on The Today Show and The Talk. While promoting the album in Australia, the group presented the song on Sunrise and subsequently on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "Sledgehammer" also appeared on the setlist for Fifth Harmony's performances at the 2015 New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and Sunrise, Florida Jingle Ball concerts. It was included on the setlist for the group's international headlining tours, the Reflection Tour and the 7/27 Tour."

Conclusion

Rest of the article is good. Altogether, a standard pop article. Fixes are pretty easy, and I will pass the article after they are made. 05:51, 30 October 2018 (UTC)

I'm going to edit the article tomorrow, I'm sorry for the lateness - @Diplomat's Son: - UrbanJE (talk) 12:32, 04 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Hi @Diplomat's Son:, I'm so so so sorry for this late response. I've been very busy lately, so I couldn't sit and check everything. I had take a pause of 30 minutes to fix the article, I'm really grateful for you review, I've been waiting for months for this moment. Thank you so much. Can you check it now, please?- UrbanJE (talk) 12:32, 04 November 2018 (UTC)[reply]