Man, these sad moments sure do exist, don't they?
- Sean's reasoning on why "1-800-273-8255" is his least favorite song of all time. When the song was initially popular in 2017, he was in a very badly depressed state to the point that he admitted to calling the hotline the song was named after. At the same time after Logic's performance of the song at the VMAs, it got enough airplay for it to peak at #3 on the Hot 100. As a result, Sean ended up hearing the song anywhere that had a radio playing, reminding him to his own depression.Sean: This song essentially turned the entire world into an echo chamber of the darkest and scariest thoughts that I have ever had. Ever time that I've heard that chorus, I was brought back to that terrible, terrible place that I was desperately trying to forget. That, above anything else, was what solidified this song as my least favorite song not just of 2017, but of all time.
- In the "Top Ten Worst Songs of 2018" list, Sean reveals that there's a reason why he finds his number two pick, "Sad!" by XXXTentacion, so despicable: he was once in a relationship with a girl who used many of the same tactics X describes doing in the song on him (namely, she threatened suicide if Sean tried to leave her). Because of the relationship, Sean struggles with anxiety and trust issues to this day.
- The segment of his number one pick, "GUMMO" by 6ix9ine, isn't much better. Sean expresses his disappointment that the American public not only popularized an artist who has been charged for the "use of a child in a sexual performance", but also through a song that contains a lyric where he alludes to the charges.
Sean: And the reason he's proud of it is because he knows that those accusations are the only reason anybody knows about him in the first place. As far as he's concerned, this is what made him famous, so he keeps going down that road, it should keep paying off.
[...]
He's not shying away from what he did, he's playing into it and using it to strengthen his image. As far as 6ix9ine is concerned, being outed as a child molester was nothing but a great branding opportunity for him. And the worst part of all of this is that not only does he think of it that way, but so does the music industry. This guy now has 4 Top 40 hits to his name, he's collaborated with big names such as Kanye West, Young Thug and Nicki Minaj and he's just released a proper studio album. And this isn't a R. Kelly situation where he's been involved in the music industry for years before the accusations went public, this is a guy who screwed around with a 13-year-old, who makes references to the fact he screwed around with a 13-year-old, who is accepted into the music industry because he's popular because he made songs where he references the fact that he screwed around with a 13-year-old. And when you've gotten to the point where you're defending a documented pedophile who wears that label as a badge of honor, you've really got to take a good hard look in the mirror and seriously question what it is you stand for. - Anytime Sean mentions the passing of an artist he's covering on Grab Bag Reviews, such is the case with Mac Miller, Stefán Karl Stefánsson, SOPHIE and Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne.
- In his "Top 10 Worst Hit Songs of 2013" lists, Sean reveals that before "1-800-273-8255" became his least favorite song of all time, it was "We Can't Stop" by Miley Cyrus, his #1 pick for this list. Without going into too many details, Sean admits that he also wasn't in a good place mentally in 2013, and similar to "1-800," constantly hearing "We Can't Stop" did not help him feel better, as he describes the song as sounding like a woman who is losing the battle with her inner demons, as well as comparing it to the episode of Breaking Bad where Jesse throws a never-ending house party to cope with the horrible actions he's been forced to commit.Sean: "We can't stop, and we won't stop." We are in a hellscape surrounded by misery, and we're just accepting it. No trying to make our lives better, no trying to improve ourselves; let's just plug our ears, tune it out, and keep partying, barreling further and further downwards towards self-destruction without a care in the world.
