How well do you know your music? Let’s find out with a quiz that accompanies this week playlist.
The subjects du jour are : Sam Smith, James Arthur, Shawn Mendes, Tom Walker, Ellie Goulding, Adele, Rudimental, The Weeknd, Zara Larsson, Taylor Swift, JLS, The 1975
They are the performers of twelve love songs that were ranked in various charts, this week (44/52) BUT … in the Tens 2010s.
1. Which acclaimed ballad by Sam Smith shares melodic similarities with Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”?
- A “Stay With Me”
- B “Latch”
- C “Too Good at Goodbyes”
2. Which actor appears in the music video for James Arthur’s “Empty Space”?
- A Emma Watson
- B Daniel Radcliffe
- C Tom Felton
3. On which album does the Shawn Mendes song “Mercy” appear?
- A *Illuminate*
- B *Handwritten*
- C *Wonder*
4. Tom Walker’s fourth single from his debut album reflects on which personal relationship?
- A His friendship with a mentor
- B His relationship with his fiancée
- C His childhood experiences
5. Who collaborates with Ellie Goulding on her track featured in *Brightest Blue*?
- A Calvin Harris
- B Diplo and Swae Lee
- C Major Lazer
6. For which album was Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” produced?
- A *25*
- B *21*
- C *19*
7. Which Rudimental track features Jess Glynne, Dan Caplen, and Macklemore?
- A “Feel the Love”
- B “These Days”
- C “Not Giving In”
8. Characterized by a funky pop sound, which The Weeknd track references numbness with a catchy refrain?
- A “Starboy”
- B “Can’t Feel My Face”
- C “Blinding Lights”
9. Zara Larsson’s “Ruin My Life” peaked at number two in which country?
- A Ireland
- B United Kingdom
- C Sweden
10. What is unique about Taylor Swift’s track “I Knew You Were Trouble” concerning its title?
- A Missing punctuation
- B A period at the end
- C A comma after “Knew”
11. “Hottest Girl in the World” marked a stylistic shift for which English boy band?
- A One Direction
- B The Wanted
- C JLS
12. What notable achievement did The 1975’s single “Love Me” gain in the UK?
- A Platinum certification
- B Gold certification
- C Silver certification
Tracklist
1 . Sam Smith – Stay With Me |
| Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” is a gospel-inspired track, articulating a tale of a one-night stand and the longing for the person to remain. Due to the “accidental” melodic resemblance to Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” Petty and Jeff Lynne have been added to the initial team of writers: Smith, James Napier, and William Phillips. The music video is directed by Jamie Thraves. |
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Featured on the 2014 album “In the Lonely Hour”. Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site |
2 . James Arthur – Empty Space |
”Cause only you could fill this empty space’
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| Co-written with Pablo Bowman, Richard Boardman, and Nick Gates, “Empty Space” by James Arthur digs into the emotional turmoil post-breakup and the struggle of moving on. The music video, directed by Andzej Gavriss stars Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter), portrays a heartbroken ex-boyfriend reflecting on happier times. Spoiler alert: it does not end well for his ex. |
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Featured on the 2019 album “You”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
3 . Shawn Mendes – Mercy |
‘Consuming all the air inside my lungs’
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| In “Mercy,” Shawn Mendes describes his vivid struggle with his music, a love so intense it could break him if it goes awry. Directed by Jay Martin, the music video enhances the emotional narrative: Mendes fervently plays guitar, drums, and piano and vents his frustration on the instruments, while simultaneously, in a parallel scenario, he’s trapped in a sinking car, fighting to escape as water levels rise. |
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Featured on the 2016 album “Illuminate”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
4 . Tom Walker – Better Half Of Me |
| Tom Walker’s “Better Half Of Me” is a love ballad, adorned with a simple guitar arrangement, expresses contentment and a sense of completeness in love, even amidst distance. The music video is directed by Henry Oliver. |
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Featured on the 2019 album “What a Time to Be Alive”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
5 . Ellie Goulding – Close To Me (w/ Diplo & Swae Lee) |
‘You can never come too close for comfort’
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| Ellie Goulding’s “Close to Me,” celebrating wild and unrestrained romance, is a collaboration with producer Diplo and rapper Rae Sremmurd’s Swae Lee. The accompanying music video is directed by Diane Martel, and shot in Budapest, Hungary. |
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6 . Adele – Rolling In The Deep |
‘See how I’ll leave with every piece of you’
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| Co-written with Paul Epworth, “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele tells a gospel-tinged breakup narrative. The music video, directed by Sam Brown, captures a solemn Adele’s emotional turmoil in a desolate house, where she ends up throwing white plates against a white screen. A clever way to start a diet. |
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Featured on the 2011 album “21”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
7 . Rudimental – These Days (w/ Jess Glynne, Macklemore & Dan Caplen) |
‘And laugh with each other about these days, these days’
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| Produced alongside John Ryan, British drum and bass group Rudimental’s song “These Days” emerged from a collaboration with Dan Caplen, later involving Macklemore and Jess Glynne. The accompanying video, directed by Johnny Valencia, filmed in London and Seattle, unfolds a joyful companionship between Macklemore and Glynne until a dispute drives them apart. |
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Featured on the 2019 album “Toast to Our Differences”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
8 . The Weeknd – Can’t Feel My Face |
| With a title echoing a line from the 2001 movie “Blow,” post-cocaine use, The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” veers between alluding to drug use and depicting the havoc of intoxicating love. The accompanying video, directed by Grant Singer, shows The Weeknd performing on stage, fixating on a woman in the crowd, and finally turning into a human torch. |
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Featured on the 2015 album “Beauty Behind the Madness”. |
9 . Zara Larsson – Ruin My Life |
‘Now I’m sleeping alone and I’m starting to freeze’
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| Produced by The Monsters & Strangerz, Zara Larsson’s “Ruin My Life” digs into the theme of toxic love, reflecting a longing for a damaging past relationship. The music video, directed by Charlotte Rutherford, portrays a sensual Larsson reminiscing her past lover in a desolate villa and an empty bed. |
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Featured on the 2021 album “Poster Girl”. |
10 . Taylor Swift – I Knew You Were Trouble. |
| Co-written with and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” comes with a music video, resembling a short film, directed by Anthony Mandler and featuring actor Reeve Carney as a bad boy. They have a tumultuous relationship between affection and discord, she catches him with another girl and she ends up waking up in a (metaphorical) desolate desert. |
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Featured on the 2012 album “Red”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
11 . JLS – Hottest Girl In The World |
‘Think I talked enough So what are you saying, girl?’
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| JLS’ “Hottest Girl In The World” is a Justin Timberlake-inspired track. The music video, directed by James Barber, features members Aston Merrygold, Marvin Humes, Oritse Williams, and JB Gill clad in black and white, executing a well-choreographed routine alongside female dancers and yellow pyrotechnics. |
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Featured on the 2012 album “Evolution”. Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site |
12 . The 1975 – Love Me |
‘Be the man that gets them up on their feet’
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| The 1975’s “Love Me,” channels a funky essence reminiscent of Talking Heads and David Bowie and tackles modern-day narcissism and the digital culture of seeking validation and “Karcrashian panache.” The music video, directed by Diane Martel, complements the song’s playful tone, with vibrant pink visuals and a retro 80s pop ambiance. |
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Featured on the 2016 album “I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It”. Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site |
And the correct answers (in case you missed one or two) are:
1. “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith echoes the melody of Tom Petty’s track. Sam Smith and co-writers later credited Petty and Lynne due to the similarity.
2. Tom Felton is the notable actor in the video for “Empty Space.” His appearance complements the song’s emotional depth.
3. “Mercy” by Shawn Mendes is from the album *Illuminate*. It’s a notable track that showcases Mendes’s vocal range and emotional delivery.
4. Tom Walker wrote “Better Half of Me” about his fiancée. The song captures personal sentiments and is crafted as a wedding tune.
5. “Close to Me” by Ellie Goulding features Diplo and Swae Lee. The collaboration blends international sounds, highlighting Goulding’s versatility.
6. Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” is from the album *21*. It became a significant chart-topper and exhibited Adele’s signature vocal power.
7. “These Days” features Jess Glynne, Dan Caplen, and Macklemore. Achieving international success, it was a defining track for Rudimental.
8. “Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd combines pop, disco, and funk. It’s famous for its catchy refrain and signaled The Weeknd’s broad appeal.
9. “Ruin My Life” by Zara Larsson charted highest in Sweden. It was a major hit that showcased her pop credentials.
10. The title of “I Knew You Were Trouble” has a period at the end. This stylization is retained in its re-recorded versions.
11. “Hottest Girl in the World” is from JLS. The single marked a stylistic evolution towards a mature R&B sound.
12. The 1975’s “Love Me” achieved gold status in the UK. It was certified after selling over 400,000 units.
For THE FULL ‘L’AMOUR TOUJOURS’ COLLECTION click here
NB . You may wonder what are these “Quotes” attached to certain photos above. Well! For a specific song, we take a still from the video on one side and select a lyric from the song on the other. We then merge the two. Et voilà!
Love Quotes • ‘Cause only you could fill this empty space (James Arthur) • Consuming all the air inside my lungs (Shawn Mendes) • You can never come too close for comfort (Ellie Goulding) • See how I’ll leave with every piece of you (Adele) • And laugh with each other about these days, these days (Rudimental) • Now I’m sleeping alone and I’m starting to freeze (Zara Larsson) • Think I talked enough So what are you saying, girl? (JLS) • Be the man that gets them up on their feet (The 1975)
Music-wise : Pop, Dance Pop, Electronic, Alt Rock,Boyband
