And now it's April of 2011. At the end of this month, Prince William would marry Kate Middleton. At the beginning, however, these were the crown jewels of American pop.
40 - "Moment 4 Life," Nicki Minaj featuring Drake
39 -"Back to December," Taylor Swift
38 - "The Lazy Song," Bruno Mars
37 - "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love," Usher featuring Pitbull
36 - "On the Floor," Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull
35 - "Down on Me," Jeremih featuring 50 Cent
34 - "Just the Way You Are," Bruno Mars
33 - "Marry Me," Train
32 - "Stereo Love," Edward Maya
31 - "Price Tag," Jessie J featuring B.o.B.
We begin with women with male rap guest stars. Trinidad-born, New York-raised Onika Maraj tweaked her name when she began her rap career. Her entry here, featuring Canadian rapper Drake, is a celebration of her awesomeness on which she claims she slayed Goliath and "sprinkle(d) holy water on a vampire." I like it, but I could do without that remix they made for that Pepsi commercial. Jennifer Lopez had a brief chart comeback with this dance track that doesn't do much to me. And I just find Pitbull annoying. And Londoner Jessica Cornish scored her first American hit with this song that places the value of music and good times above that of material goods. And B.o.B. says he's going to Mars for some reason. It's okay, I guess.
Four artists are billed as solo acts in this bunch. Taylor Swift maintained her constant presence with this song that some believe is an apology to ex-boyfriend Taylor Lautner. Maybe it's just me, but two Taylors in a relationship just seems wrong, no matter what the gender combination. But that doesn't mean anyone should stop them from getting married if they so desire. And that's my political statement for the week. Oh yeah, the song's her usual boring princess pap. Honolulu's Peter Hernandez got the nickname "Bruno" because when he was 2, his father thought he resembled wrestling star (and about-to-be-WWE Hall of Famer) Bruno Sammartino. I don't know wear the "Mars" came from, but he has two songs in this section. First it's a reggae-tinged number about chilling out and doing nothing except "chillin' in my Snuggie." That's the blanket with sleeves, don'tcha know. Catchy fun. Then there's his biggest hit to date, a song that borrows its title from Billy Joel and its concept from Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight." Before this, all I knew was it's chorus, and thus, I found it kind of annoying. But hearing the whole song, I find it a sweet, solid pop ode to a woman who doesn't realize how wonderful she is. I'm starting to apprecitate this Mars kid. And Romanian Edward Maya effectively combines dance beats, ethereal female vocals, and what sounds like an accordion (but probably isn't) for a sensual little number that claims this week's Uneasy Rider.
What's left are two male "featurers" and a band. Usher is here singing about the romance rekindling powers of nightclub music programmers. And Pitbull's here again. For some reason, he says "Da" all the time, even though he's not Russian. But still, to him, I say "Nyet." Jeremih (pronounced JeremEYE, apparently) Felton had his second Pop Top 5 with this 50-assisted song about a woman who shakes her ass and such. Groundbreaking. I've never heard his other big hit, but I know I like it better than this just for it's title, "Birthday Sex." And Train are here with a song about how Pat Monahan would marry a girl if he could only get up the nerve to actually talk to her. Loser. Not because you're shy, but because you're the singer for Train.
30 - "What's My Name," Rihanna featuring Drake
29 - "Pretty Girl Rock - Keri Hilson featuring Kanye West
28 - "Dynamite," Taio Cruz
27 - "Only Girl (In the World)," Rihanna
26 - "For the First Time," The Script
25 - "Waiting for the End," Linkin Park
24 - "Raise Your Glass," Pink
23 - "Rhythm of Love," Plain White T's
22 - "Just a Dream," Nelly
21 - "Written in the Stars," Tinie Tempah featuring Eric Turner
This section contains a mere three ______ featuring ______ songs. Rihanna teamed up with Drake for an okay song about sex or something. Not one of her best, just something to keep her on the radio. Keri Hilson was joined by Kanye West on the remix of this song about how hot she is. The song ain't much, and Kanye seems to be phoning it in. And British rapper Tinie Tempah was assisted by Swedish-based American singer Eric Turner on his biggest American hit. It's a little slick, but he brings a different flavor to radio hip-hop that's very welcome.
Two solo men in this bunch. Taio Cruz had perhaps his most enduring hit so far with a song about making people dance and the importance of "wearing all my favorite brands." Um, yeah. And Nelly returned to the Top Ten after a three-year absence with a tender, guitar-driven midtempo ballad about missing an ex. It's actually a very good pop song. I think he's one of the more underrated talents in music this century.
Then there's a couple solo women. Rihanna's back, asking you to "love me like I'm a hot ride." So she wants to be driven all over town, then washed, waxed, detailed, filled with gasoline, given an oil change, and then locked in the garage? Probably not. And that was a horrible joke. But it's been made. What am I gonna do, delete it? No sir. And Pink topped the charts with this fun little song about partying with "panty snatcher(s)" and "dirty little freaks." I think I could fit in with that sort of crowd.
We wrap up the first half with groups. The Script sing blandly about being unemployed and in love. I think that's what this is about. They're a little less boring than The Fray, but that's hardly an accomplishment. Linkin Park had another hit with this downbeat soft rock/rap hybrid about, I don't know, how they wish their lives were better. Yeah, you guys have it hard. Well, at least you didn't rip off U2 this time. And Plain White T's, a Chicago pop-punk band who had a #1 smash in 2007 with the annoying acoustic ballad "Hey There Delilah," had their most recent hit to date with this jaunty, reggaeish love song. I like it more than this band has any right to expect. I'm not calling it great or anything, but it's much more than I expected from what little I knew of them before.
In Part Two: three female double-dippers, and a couple of cleaned-up gentlemen.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
March 20, 2010 Part Two
The business end of 2010.
20 - "Rude Boy," Rihanna
19 - "Whatcha Say," Jason Derulo
18 - "All the Right Moves," OneRepublic
17 - "Do You Remember," Jay Sean featuring Sean Paul and Lil Jon
16 - "Whattaya Want from Me," Adam Lambert
The second half begins with Rihanna. In spite of the title, to my ears, she's being the rude one, asking her lover frank questions like "Can you get it up?" and "Is it big enough?" However, given the questions that the male denizens of the pop charts have been asking, I think she's more than entitled to that information.
Miamian Jason Derulo is here with his debut hit with a song about wanting another chance with a girl. It's basic modern R&B with lots of keyboards and AutoTune. Nothing special
Next are OneRepublic, sounding a little more awake than on their previous hits. But unfortunately, that doesn't make them any more interesting. Honestly, Ryan Tedder's better off just writing for other people.
Then it's Jay Sean's second appearance of the week. This time, he teams up with dancehaller Sean Paul and crunk king Lil Jon on a simple "let's get back to the way things used to be" song. It's all right, but I'd probably like it with a less busy background, and with Lil Jon involved, that's not going to happen.
This section is anchored by Adam Lambert, who rose to fame as the flamboyant breakout star of the eighth season of American Idol. The entire season, he seemed like the sure winner, but was beaten in the final voting by the safer, blander Kris Allen. Was this due to the "open secret" that Lambert was gay? I don't know. What I do know is that this, his biggest hit to date, is an attiude-laden pop-rocker co-written by Pink and Max Martin, and is exactly the kind of earwormy pop you'd expect from those two. And I enjoy Lambert's voice, at least as a change of pace from the other male voices on modern radio.
15 - "Baby," Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris
14 - "Replay," Iyaz
13 - "Breakeven," The Script
12 - "Live Like We're Dying," Kris Allen
11 - "Sexy Chick," David Guetta featuring Akon
We lead off with our first encounter with one Justin Drew Bieber. Hailing from Stratford, Ontario, he first gained notice when videos of his versions of R&B hits became popular on YouTube. This attracted the attention of music industry reps, and eventually Usher, who helped launch his recording career. His first U.S. Top Ten was this simple song about the end of a first teenage romance. He sings it well with his pre-cracking voice, and Ludacris' rap is entertaining and age-appropriate. Honestly, I'm not familiar enough with most of his music to really judge him as an artist, but this is a solid bit of teenybop fodder.
Iyaz, a native of the British Virgin Islands born Keidran Jones, had his first and biggest hit with this song that compares his girlfriend to a defective iPod. And yes, that's a compliment. It's more romantic than it sounds, but not much.
Next are Ireland's The Script with their biggest U.S. hit to date, a gentle soft-rocker about how sometimes one party in a breakup takes the separation much harder than the other. It's sorta snappy, but not something that really sticks with me.
Then it's Kris Allen, the clean-cut Arkansan that saved America from having a gay Idol. However, America then turned around and bought twice as many copies of Lambert's album than Allen's. Go figure. Anyway, this was his only hit, a cover version of a song by none other than The Script. It's a meh pop rocker about seizing the moment and such. Nothing great, nothing terrible.
Last in this bunch is French DJ David Guetta with his breakthrough U.S. hit, a catchy bit of technodance featuring Akon singing about a hot woman like he usually does. I have a feeling I'd like this better if it was an instrumental. That's the best way I can describe this song without being disrespectful.
Before the cream sets out too long, you must Top Ten.
10 -"Blah Blah Blah," Ke$ha featuring 3OH!3
Raised in L.A. by her songwriter mom, Kesha Rose Siebert added a dollar sign to the spelling of herr name and became a pop star whose styles of singing and dress can be describelld in many ways, but for now, I'll go with "distinctive." Her second hit, on which she's assisted by electronic group 3OH!3, sees her telling a would-be suitor that she doesn't want to spend any of their time together talking. Or in her words, "Don't be a little bitch with your chit-chat, just show me where your dick's at." She's a classy one, she is.
9 - "Need You Now," Lady Antebellum
This country group (only one member of which is an actual lady) had their biggest pop crossover hit to date with this midtempo ballad about a separated couple who still often feel the need for each other's company when they're alone late at night, A little too polished perhaps, but a classic country topic tackled very well. Maybe not quite George and Tammy, but I have it well above Kid Rock and Sheryl.
8 - "Carry Out," Timbaland featuring Justin Timberlake
This similarly-named duo team up on a song that compares asking for sex to ordering takeout food. And no, this isn't more romantic that it sounds. But still fun in a silly way.
7 - "In My Head," Jason Derulo
Derulo's second hit is a much catchier, more beat-driven track about trying to win a girl by visiualizing her being with him. I'm not sure if this has anything to do with that Law of Attraction/The Secret stuff, but anyway, I like it.
6 -"BedRock," Young Money featuring Lloyd
This teamup of Young Money Entertainment rappers Lil Wayne, Gudda Gudda, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Tyga and Jae Millz is basically a variation of a cheesy old Fred Flinstone-based pickup line, featuring a hook performend by singer Lloyd Polite, Jr. I like this in spite of myself.
5 - "Imma Be," The Black Eyed Peas
These guys at their worst. Annoying track, terrible rapping, horrible lyrics like "Imma be ya bank, I be loanin' out semen." Even a midsong tempo changes can't make this anything less than a hunk of tuneless garbage. An epic fail, as the kids say.
4 - "Bad Romance," Lady Gaga
The Lady continued her run of hits with this dark, snarling track about craving affairs with men who aren't good for her in the long run. As usual, hard to get it out of your head once it's in there. "Rah, rah, ah ah ah," indeed.
3 - "According to You," Orianthi
Greek-Australian guitarist Orianthi Panagaris began attracting attention from major industry players in the mid 2000s, and in 2008 was tapped to play lead guitar for Michael Jackson during his planned 50-show residence in London. Those shows never happened, but Orianthi did attract attention with her appearances in This Is It, the movie compilation of footage from rehearsals for those shows, and she followed it up with a hit of her own, this song about how a new love likes all the things about her that her ex didn't. It's cool, semi-tough chick rock, and she displays her guitar chops on a solid solo. She hasn't done anything on the charts since, but she has landed on her feet as the touring guitarist for Alice Cooper. But I hope she gets some acclaim and success with her own future work as well. She seems like a talent that should be more than just a one-hit wonder.
2 - "Tik Tok," Ke$ha
Her breakthrough hit was noisy techno that features her singing horribly off-key even with the help of AutoTune. It's a weird song, in that it sounds like there's a catchy tune in there, but it almost sounds like the recording is defective., or the tapes were left out in the sun or something. I get how this was a hit, and yet at the same time I don't. And I don't think any dentist would recommend Jack Daniel's as a toothpaste alternative.
And the biggest song in the USA three years ago was...
1 - "Telephone," Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé Her Gaganess got some help from another superdiva on this party-starter about not wanting to be bothered by a suitor while one is out clubbing with the girls. The woman just was just hitting all the pop sweet spots, and was rewarded accordingly.
Next time: 2011. We're almost home.
20 - "Rude Boy," Rihanna
19 - "Whatcha Say," Jason Derulo
18 - "All the Right Moves," OneRepublic
17 - "Do You Remember," Jay Sean featuring Sean Paul and Lil Jon
16 - "Whattaya Want from Me," Adam Lambert
The second half begins with Rihanna. In spite of the title, to my ears, she's being the rude one, asking her lover frank questions like "Can you get it up?" and "Is it big enough?" However, given the questions that the male denizens of the pop charts have been asking, I think she's more than entitled to that information.
Miamian Jason Derulo is here with his debut hit with a song about wanting another chance with a girl. It's basic modern R&B with lots of keyboards and AutoTune. Nothing special
Next are OneRepublic, sounding a little more awake than on their previous hits. But unfortunately, that doesn't make them any more interesting. Honestly, Ryan Tedder's better off just writing for other people.
Then it's Jay Sean's second appearance of the week. This time, he teams up with dancehaller Sean Paul and crunk king Lil Jon on a simple "let's get back to the way things used to be" song. It's all right, but I'd probably like it with a less busy background, and with Lil Jon involved, that's not going to happen.
This section is anchored by Adam Lambert, who rose to fame as the flamboyant breakout star of the eighth season of American Idol. The entire season, he seemed like the sure winner, but was beaten in the final voting by the safer, blander Kris Allen. Was this due to the "open secret" that Lambert was gay? I don't know. What I do know is that this, his biggest hit to date, is an attiude-laden pop-rocker co-written by Pink and Max Martin, and is exactly the kind of earwormy pop you'd expect from those two. And I enjoy Lambert's voice, at least as a change of pace from the other male voices on modern radio.
15 - "Baby," Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris
14 - "Replay," Iyaz
13 - "Breakeven," The Script
12 - "Live Like We're Dying," Kris Allen
11 - "Sexy Chick," David Guetta featuring Akon
We lead off with our first encounter with one Justin Drew Bieber. Hailing from Stratford, Ontario, he first gained notice when videos of his versions of R&B hits became popular on YouTube. This attracted the attention of music industry reps, and eventually Usher, who helped launch his recording career. His first U.S. Top Ten was this simple song about the end of a first teenage romance. He sings it well with his pre-cracking voice, and Ludacris' rap is entertaining and age-appropriate. Honestly, I'm not familiar enough with most of his music to really judge him as an artist, but this is a solid bit of teenybop fodder.
Iyaz, a native of the British Virgin Islands born Keidran Jones, had his first and biggest hit with this song that compares his girlfriend to a defective iPod. And yes, that's a compliment. It's more romantic than it sounds, but not much.
Next are Ireland's The Script with their biggest U.S. hit to date, a gentle soft-rocker about how sometimes one party in a breakup takes the separation much harder than the other. It's sorta snappy, but not something that really sticks with me.
Then it's Kris Allen, the clean-cut Arkansan that saved America from having a gay Idol. However, America then turned around and bought twice as many copies of Lambert's album than Allen's. Go figure. Anyway, this was his only hit, a cover version of a song by none other than The Script. It's a meh pop rocker about seizing the moment and such. Nothing great, nothing terrible.
Last in this bunch is French DJ David Guetta with his breakthrough U.S. hit, a catchy bit of technodance featuring Akon singing about a hot woman like he usually does. I have a feeling I'd like this better if it was an instrumental. That's the best way I can describe this song without being disrespectful.
Before the cream sets out too long, you must Top Ten.
10 -"Blah Blah Blah," Ke$ha featuring 3OH!3
Raised in L.A. by her songwriter mom, Kesha Rose Siebert added a dollar sign to the spelling of herr name and became a pop star whose styles of singing and dress can be describelld in many ways, but for now, I'll go with "distinctive." Her second hit, on which she's assisted by electronic group 3OH!3, sees her telling a would-be suitor that she doesn't want to spend any of their time together talking. Or in her words, "Don't be a little bitch with your chit-chat, just show me where your dick's at." She's a classy one, she is.
9 - "Need You Now," Lady Antebellum
This country group (only one member of which is an actual lady) had their biggest pop crossover hit to date with this midtempo ballad about a separated couple who still often feel the need for each other's company when they're alone late at night, A little too polished perhaps, but a classic country topic tackled very well. Maybe not quite George and Tammy, but I have it well above Kid Rock and Sheryl.
8 - "Carry Out," Timbaland featuring Justin Timberlake
This similarly-named duo team up on a song that compares asking for sex to ordering takeout food. And no, this isn't more romantic that it sounds. But still fun in a silly way.
7 - "In My Head," Jason Derulo
Derulo's second hit is a much catchier, more beat-driven track about trying to win a girl by visiualizing her being with him. I'm not sure if this has anything to do with that Law of Attraction/The Secret stuff, but anyway, I like it.
6 -"BedRock," Young Money featuring Lloyd
This teamup of Young Money Entertainment rappers Lil Wayne, Gudda Gudda, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Tyga and Jae Millz is basically a variation of a cheesy old Fred Flinstone-based pickup line, featuring a hook performend by singer Lloyd Polite, Jr. I like this in spite of myself.
5 - "Imma Be," The Black Eyed Peas
These guys at their worst. Annoying track, terrible rapping, horrible lyrics like "Imma be ya bank, I be loanin' out semen." Even a midsong tempo changes can't make this anything less than a hunk of tuneless garbage. An epic fail, as the kids say.
4 - "Bad Romance," Lady Gaga
The Lady continued her run of hits with this dark, snarling track about craving affairs with men who aren't good for her in the long run. As usual, hard to get it out of your head once it's in there. "Rah, rah, ah ah ah," indeed.
3 - "According to You," Orianthi
Greek-Australian guitarist Orianthi Panagaris began attracting attention from major industry players in the mid 2000s, and in 2008 was tapped to play lead guitar for Michael Jackson during his planned 50-show residence in London. Those shows never happened, but Orianthi did attract attention with her appearances in This Is It, the movie compilation of footage from rehearsals for those shows, and she followed it up with a hit of her own, this song about how a new love likes all the things about her that her ex didn't. It's cool, semi-tough chick rock, and she displays her guitar chops on a solid solo. She hasn't done anything on the charts since, but she has landed on her feet as the touring guitarist for Alice Cooper. But I hope she gets some acclaim and success with her own future work as well. She seems like a talent that should be more than just a one-hit wonder.
2 - "Tik Tok," Ke$ha
Her breakthrough hit was noisy techno that features her singing horribly off-key even with the help of AutoTune. It's a weird song, in that it sounds like there's a catchy tune in there, but it almost sounds like the recording is defective., or the tapes were left out in the sun or something. I get how this was a hit, and yet at the same time I don't. And I don't think any dentist would recommend Jack Daniel's as a toothpaste alternative.
And the biggest song in the USA three years ago was...
1 - "Telephone," Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé Her Gaganess got some help from another superdiva on this party-starter about not wanting to be bothered by a suitor while one is out clubbing with the girls. The woman just was just hitting all the pop sweet spots, and was rewarded accordingly.
Next time: 2011. We're almost home.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
March 20, 2010 Part One
This week we're in 2010. We have arrived in our current decade. At this moment in time, Canada was still basking in the glow of its successes at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Meanwhile, in our neighbour to the south, these songs were competing for a different kind of gold.
40 - "Sweet Dreams," Beyoncé
39 - "Already Gone," Kelly Clarkson
38 - "Evacuate the Dance Floor," Cascada
37 - "3," Britney Spears
36 - "Heartbreak Warfare," John Mayer
35 - "I Gotta Feeling," The Black Eyed Peas
34 - "Use Somebody," Kings of Leon
33 - "Break Your Heart," Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris
32 - "Naturally," Selena Gomez and the Scene
31 - "Fireflies," Owl City
We begin with women. Beyonce continued cranking out the hits, and her latest was this dark dance tune on which she wonders if her relationship is even real, and if it is, whether it might be a "beautiful nightmare." There's no doubt about the song itself being pretty sweet, though. Speaking of Beyonce, there was some controversy about the similarities between her hit "Halo" and Kelly Clarkson's ballad here. Both were written and produced by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder, and both employ backing tracks so similar that Clarkson didn't want "Already Gone" released as a single. But it was, and because the vocal melody is very diffferent than "Halo," the song stands on its own as a lament over a relationship that's doomed to fail in spite of the best efforts of both parties. And Kelly sings hell out of it, as usual. And Britney Spears makes yet another contribution to the pop catalogue with an electropoppy ode to what the French call "menages a trois." "Everybody loves countin'" she sings. I wonder why she wasn't invited to do a version of this for Sesame Street. Maybe with special guests Peter, Paul and Mary. Then again, if they had to pull Katy Perry because of cleavage...
Then we have the groups. German dance combo Cascada had their most recent, and I would argue best, American hit with about being "infected by the sound" of some tasty dance grooves. Brings to mind images of people in hazmat suits storming a nightclub and forcing partiers into decontamination showers. Maybe not what was intended, but I enjoy it. The Black Eyed Peas are here with what has become not only their biggest hit, but one of the most ubiquitous songs of recent vintage. From what I gather, they believe that this evening is going to be a particularly enjoyable one. Yes, it's been played to death on multiple platforms, but it's one of those songs that I just feel was always going to be written by somebody, so I'm just resigned to its existence. It's here, it's everywhere, we just have to accept it. Kings of Leon, a band consisting of the three Oklahoma-raised Followill brothers and a cousin, had been platinum stars in the U.K for half a decade with their gritty Southern sound, but it wasn't until they added a more polished sheen to their recordings that they broke through in their homeland. Their biggest hit to date was this vaguely U2ish power ballad about looking for someone to provide a certain kind of comfort. It's okay, but I prefer their earlier stuff. And Selena Gomez, the Texas-born singer-actress who shot to fame on the Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place, had her first hit with her backing band with this catchy dance number about natural chemistry between lovers. Sadly, it seems the chemistry she had with a certain native of Stratford, Ontario had a shelf life. If those two crazy kids couldn't make it work, what hope is there for the rest of us?
We'll finish off the firs section with men. John Mayer bores me again as he compares romance to armend combat. Pat Benatar did that much better, Johnny. Brit Taio Cruz made his American breakthrough on this danceable confession of unreliability. Okay song, helped by the always welcome Ludacris. And Minnesota electronic musician Adam Young, performing under the name Owl City, had a worldwide #1 with this dreamy, sparse synthpop track featuring Relient K vocalist singing about dancing lightning bugs and other flights of fantasy. It sounds weird, yet still fits perfectly in the modern pop landscape. But the strangeness is enough to earn it an Uneasy Rider.
30 - "Today was a Fairytale," Taylor Swift
29 - "Empire State of Mind," Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys.
28 - "Say Aah," Trey Songz featuring Fabolous
27 - "Nothin' on You," B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars
26 - "How Low," Ludacris
25 - "Life After You," Daughtry
24 - "Down," Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne
23 - "Tie Me Down," New Boyz featuring Ray J
22 - "Two is Better Than One," Boys Like Girls featuring Taylor Swift
21 - "Hey, Soul Sister," Train
We start with true solo acts, of which there are only two in this section. Taylor Swift is here, singing in her Swiftian style about love and feeling like a princess and stuff in a track from the soundtrack of the all-star romantic comedy Valentine's Day. That was a hit, but the follow-up, New Year's Eve, flopped. So does that mean there won't be a film featuring several familiar faces trying to hook up in time to celebrate Flag Day? Aw. And Ludacris is here, rapping about suggestively-dancing women in an entertaining fashion, enhanced by sped-up sample. Whatever you think of it, he does it very well.
We have a whopping six ________ featuring ________ songs here. I'm dividing them up into "rapped" and "sung," even though in a couple cases the line between is blurry. Jay-Z had one oAf his biggest and best hits with an ode to his hometown, the one and only Big Apple, that features a sample from the 1970 Moments hit "Love on a Two-Way Street" and a chorus sung by Alicia Keys that soars despite being grammatically incorrect ("Where dreams are made of" would surely bring out the inner red pen in any English teacher). Is Jay "the new Sinatra?" Perhaps not, but this seems bound to sit side by side with Ol' Blue Eyes' hit on the top of the heap of Gotham anthems. Georgian B.o.B. and Hawaiian Bruno Mars combined for this smash tribute to the perfect lady, who B.o.B. says "got me froze like a Nintendo 64." I'd say "Ouch!" for Nintendo. Anyway, decent song, and B.o.B.'s drawl reminds me of Luda, which is kind of a good thing. And New Boyz had their second of three hits with a song about not wanting to stick to one woman. Not exactly as classy as one would expect a group that a gentleman such as Ray J would associate with. And singing with the assistance of AutoTune is one thing, but rapping? Questionable.
Now to the other three featurers. Virginian Tremaine Neverson had his first pop Top Ten with a song that's basically about getting a woman drunk for undisclosed purposes. Not exactly tasteful, or progressive, or anything good. And definitely not "Fabolous." I'm probably being a little jaded about it right now, but I can only write in the state of mind I'm in. Indo-British singer Jay Sean teamed up with Lil Wayne for his American breakthrough, A standard R&B love song, although I'm not sure why Wayne decided that "I'm down like that economy" was appropriate for this track. And Boys Like Girls had their biggest hit to date with this bland acoustic pop love song. Did the presence of a certain country-pop pixie have anything to do with that? Well, yeah.
Our look at the first half ends with good old-fashioned bands. Chris Daughtry and co. added to their string of hits with this song about a woman he literally can't go on without. It was co-written with Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, and it shows. I figured those two would get together sometime, I just didn't know it had already happened. And Train made their return to relevance with what would become their biggest hit to date with this cloying, cutesy track. The ukulele is probably supposed to be charming, but I'm just annoyed by it. And the lyrics are on the wrong side of the line between stupid and clever. Mr. Monahan, you are neither "so gangsta" nor "so thug." I would much rather here a thousand Mr. Mister songs on my radio before having my ears invaded by this again. The way this became huge ain't fair, you know.
In Part Two: Idol finalists duke it out again, and the early days of two of pop's current titans.
40 - "Sweet Dreams," Beyoncé
39 - "Already Gone," Kelly Clarkson
38 - "Evacuate the Dance Floor," Cascada
37 - "3," Britney Spears
36 - "Heartbreak Warfare," John Mayer
35 - "I Gotta Feeling," The Black Eyed Peas
34 - "Use Somebody," Kings of Leon
33 - "Break Your Heart," Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris
32 - "Naturally," Selena Gomez and the Scene
31 - "Fireflies," Owl City
We begin with women. Beyonce continued cranking out the hits, and her latest was this dark dance tune on which she wonders if her relationship is even real, and if it is, whether it might be a "beautiful nightmare." There's no doubt about the song itself being pretty sweet, though. Speaking of Beyonce, there was some controversy about the similarities between her hit "Halo" and Kelly Clarkson's ballad here. Both were written and produced by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder, and both employ backing tracks so similar that Clarkson didn't want "Already Gone" released as a single. But it was, and because the vocal melody is very diffferent than "Halo," the song stands on its own as a lament over a relationship that's doomed to fail in spite of the best efforts of both parties. And Kelly sings hell out of it, as usual. And Britney Spears makes yet another contribution to the pop catalogue with an electropoppy ode to what the French call "menages a trois." "Everybody loves countin'" she sings. I wonder why she wasn't invited to do a version of this for Sesame Street. Maybe with special guests Peter, Paul and Mary. Then again, if they had to pull Katy Perry because of cleavage...
Then we have the groups. German dance combo Cascada had their most recent, and I would argue best, American hit with about being "infected by the sound" of some tasty dance grooves. Brings to mind images of people in hazmat suits storming a nightclub and forcing partiers into decontamination showers. Maybe not what was intended, but I enjoy it. The Black Eyed Peas are here with what has become not only their biggest hit, but one of the most ubiquitous songs of recent vintage. From what I gather, they believe that this evening is going to be a particularly enjoyable one. Yes, it's been played to death on multiple platforms, but it's one of those songs that I just feel was always going to be written by somebody, so I'm just resigned to its existence. It's here, it's everywhere, we just have to accept it. Kings of Leon, a band consisting of the three Oklahoma-raised Followill brothers and a cousin, had been platinum stars in the U.K for half a decade with their gritty Southern sound, but it wasn't until they added a more polished sheen to their recordings that they broke through in their homeland. Their biggest hit to date was this vaguely U2ish power ballad about looking for someone to provide a certain kind of comfort. It's okay, but I prefer their earlier stuff. And Selena Gomez, the Texas-born singer-actress who shot to fame on the Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place, had her first hit with her backing band with this catchy dance number about natural chemistry between lovers. Sadly, it seems the chemistry she had with a certain native of Stratford, Ontario had a shelf life. If those two crazy kids couldn't make it work, what hope is there for the rest of us?
We'll finish off the firs section with men. John Mayer bores me again as he compares romance to armend combat. Pat Benatar did that much better, Johnny. Brit Taio Cruz made his American breakthrough on this danceable confession of unreliability. Okay song, helped by the always welcome Ludacris. And Minnesota electronic musician Adam Young, performing under the name Owl City, had a worldwide #1 with this dreamy, sparse synthpop track featuring Relient K vocalist singing about dancing lightning bugs and other flights of fantasy. It sounds weird, yet still fits perfectly in the modern pop landscape. But the strangeness is enough to earn it an Uneasy Rider.
30 - "Today was a Fairytale," Taylor Swift
29 - "Empire State of Mind," Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys.
28 - "Say Aah," Trey Songz featuring Fabolous
27 - "Nothin' on You," B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars
26 - "How Low," Ludacris
25 - "Life After You," Daughtry
24 - "Down," Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne
23 - "Tie Me Down," New Boyz featuring Ray J
22 - "Two is Better Than One," Boys Like Girls featuring Taylor Swift
21 - "Hey, Soul Sister," Train
We start with true solo acts, of which there are only two in this section. Taylor Swift is here, singing in her Swiftian style about love and feeling like a princess and stuff in a track from the soundtrack of the all-star romantic comedy Valentine's Day. That was a hit, but the follow-up, New Year's Eve, flopped. So does that mean there won't be a film featuring several familiar faces trying to hook up in time to celebrate Flag Day? Aw. And Ludacris is here, rapping about suggestively-dancing women in an entertaining fashion, enhanced by sped-up sample. Whatever you think of it, he does it very well.
We have a whopping six ________ featuring ________ songs here. I'm dividing them up into "rapped" and "sung," even though in a couple cases the line between is blurry. Jay-Z had one oAf his biggest and best hits with an ode to his hometown, the one and only Big Apple, that features a sample from the 1970 Moments hit "Love on a Two-Way Street" and a chorus sung by Alicia Keys that soars despite being grammatically incorrect ("Where dreams are made of" would surely bring out the inner red pen in any English teacher). Is Jay "the new Sinatra?" Perhaps not, but this seems bound to sit side by side with Ol' Blue Eyes' hit on the top of the heap of Gotham anthems. Georgian B.o.B. and Hawaiian Bruno Mars combined for this smash tribute to the perfect lady, who B.o.B. says "got me froze like a Nintendo 64." I'd say "Ouch!" for Nintendo. Anyway, decent song, and B.o.B.'s drawl reminds me of Luda, which is kind of a good thing. And New Boyz had their second of three hits with a song about not wanting to stick to one woman. Not exactly as classy as one would expect a group that a gentleman such as Ray J would associate with. And singing with the assistance of AutoTune is one thing, but rapping? Questionable.
Now to the other three featurers. Virginian Tremaine Neverson had his first pop Top Ten with a song that's basically about getting a woman drunk for undisclosed purposes. Not exactly tasteful, or progressive, or anything good. And definitely not "Fabolous." I'm probably being a little jaded about it right now, but I can only write in the state of mind I'm in. Indo-British singer Jay Sean teamed up with Lil Wayne for his American breakthrough, A standard R&B love song, although I'm not sure why Wayne decided that "I'm down like that economy" was appropriate for this track. And Boys Like Girls had their biggest hit to date with this bland acoustic pop love song. Did the presence of a certain country-pop pixie have anything to do with that? Well, yeah.
Our look at the first half ends with good old-fashioned bands. Chris Daughtry and co. added to their string of hits with this song about a woman he literally can't go on without. It was co-written with Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, and it shows. I figured those two would get together sometime, I just didn't know it had already happened. And Train made their return to relevance with what would become their biggest hit to date with this cloying, cutesy track. The ukulele is probably supposed to be charming, but I'm just annoyed by it. And the lyrics are on the wrong side of the line between stupid and clever. Mr. Monahan, you are neither "so gangsta" nor "so thug." I would much rather here a thousand Mr. Mister songs on my radio before having my ears invaded by this again. The way this became huge ain't fair, you know.
In Part Two: Idol finalists duke it out again, and the early days of two of pop's current titans.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
March 7, 2009 Part Two
The rest of 2009.
20 - "Green Light," John Legend featuring Andre 3000
19 - "Thinking of You," Katy Perry
18 - "Let it Rock," Kevin Rudolf featuring Lil Wayne.
17 - "Poker Face," Lady Gaga
16 - "Womanizer," Britney Spears
The second half opens with one of the biggest pop hits by the smooth soul singer born John Roger Stephens. It's a funky little plea for a woman to give him the signal to, well, go forward. Andre 3000 provides a welcome presence. Could this song stop traffic? Probably not, but I dig it.
Katy Perry is here again, this time with a power ballad about how she still thinks about her ex even when she's with her new beau. This style doesn't really fit her the way it does, say, Avril Lavigne. Not surprisingly, it's the lowest-charting single she's had since she became a star.
Next is Kevin Rudolf, a rock singer who signed to the hip-hop label Cash Money and scored a big hit with this dance-rocker about, I don't know, rebelling against stuff. Lil Wayne chips in with rhymes about sex. For a while, it was played a lot at sporting events, seemingly in place of the highly annoying Jennifer Lopez song "Let's Get Loud." It wasn't an improvement.
Then it's our first encounter with one Stefani Germanotta, the Akon discovery now known to the world as Lady Gaga. Her second hit was this jittery, hooky synth-dance number that uses gambling as a sexual metaphor. Both the track and her voice were just so otherworldly at the time that you couldn't help but pay attention. And so, Ms. Gaga receives this week's Uneasy Rider.
Rounding out this batch is Britney Spears with antother of her charttoppers. It's a driving dance track about a woman who knows to much to fall for a slick Lothario's act. The song's incredibly catchy, and she cops the required attitude with the greatest of ease. One of her best.
15 - "Live Your Life," T.I. featuring Rihanna
14 - "Mad," Ne-Yo
13 - "Untouched," The Veronicas
12 - "I Hate This Part," The Pussycat Dolls
11 - "Right Round," Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha
This group opens with T.I.'s second appearance of the week, this one an anthem about doing what you do no matter what, assisted by a Rihanna hook. It's catchy pop music that sounds good. That's pretty much it.
Ne-Yo makes his third appearance this week with a ballad based around that perennial bit of couples' advice "Never go to bed angry." We don't find out if Mr. and Mrs. Yo settled their argument before turning in, but somehow, I think they did. But I won't speculate on how this was accomplished.
Next are Austrailian twins Jessica and Lisa Origliasso, who got their band name from one of my favorite films of all time, Heathers. Their biggest American hit was this punky bit of bubblegum about needing someone you can't physically be with. It obviously drew comparisons to some of Avril Lavigne's stuff, but for me, it's just a little above that. It's just got a little extra something that I can't put my finger on. Whether you're a Swatch dog or a Diet Cokehead, give it a listen.
Then it's one of the last hits by those Pussycat Dolls. It's slick breakup pop, fronted by possibly Nicole Scherzinger's best vocal performance. Far from a classic, but a respectable effort.
Anchoring this quintet is Flo Rida's second #1. It's another sex rap, this time featuring a chorus that repurposes Dead or Alive's 80s favorite "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)." Not nearly as fun as "Low," but it did introduce the world to a young lady named Ke$ha. Whether or not this is a good thing, I leave to you.
Can I get a Top Ten, a medium fries, and a large Mountain Dew?
10 - "You Found Me," The Fray
This boredom factory produced its third Top Ten in the form of this song about finding God and asking him about all the bad things that He allows to happen. I'm not sure it was the real God, though, for I don't think He smokes cigarettes. And I imagine He has better taste in music.
9 - "Dead and Gone," T.I. featuring Justin Timberlake
The rapper's third entry here is a rap that recounts the real-life murder of one of his friends. Timberlake sings emotionally on the choruses. Affecting.
8 - "My Life Would Suck Without You," Kelly Clarkson
The original Idol picked up a #1 with this slick, self-explanatory dance-rocker. Another piece of catchy Max Martin fluff. Kelly's better than this material, but after the commercial disappointment of the My December album, she needed to come back with a surefire hit, so I don't begrudge her.
7 - "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Beyoncé
This spacey, sexy number about male fear of commitment has become Ms. Knowles' signature hit. I like it, and if it had fingers, I would put some jewelry on one of them. Put your hands up.
6 - "Heartless," Kanye West
More synths and Auto-Tune from Kanye. Fine, but "Love Lockdown" is much better. And all in all, it's best he came back to rap.
5 - "Sober," Pink
Pink again, this time with a spare rocker about being able to feel happy and euphoric without alcoholic assistance. More attitude and awesomeness. She adds authenticity to female pop, which is a rare commodity these days.
4 - "Just Dance," Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'Donis
Gaga's first hit was this party jam about booty-shaking intoxication. Mr. O'Donis makes his second guest appearance of the week. Wonder why he hasn't done much on his own. Oh wait, no I don't. I'm too busy grooving to this.
3 - "Circus," Britney Spears
Brit declares that people are of two types: "the ones that entertain, and the ones that observe." It's not hard to guess which one she is on this slinky bumper about turning a dance floor into a three-ring spectacular. Another of her best.
2 - "Gives You Hell," The All-American Rejects
The most recent Top Ten for these guys is this poppy tune about being better off than your ex post-relationship. There's a bit of a reggae flavor to this. I can't say I like this, but no song of theirs comes closer to achieving that status.
And four years ago, the top of the charts was occupied by...
1 - "Love Story," Taylor SwiftAccording to Mr. Seacrest, this was the first country song to top AT40 since Kenny Rogers' "Lady" in 1980. And surprisingly, I have to say it's more "country" than that song. It's a fluffy little tune about star-crossed teenage romance, complete with blatant Romeo and Juliet references. But unlike that story, this ends happily. Sugary sweet, but somewhat charming. She hadn't started to grate yet on these ears.
Next time: 2010.
20 - "Green Light," John Legend featuring Andre 3000
19 - "Thinking of You," Katy Perry
18 - "Let it Rock," Kevin Rudolf featuring Lil Wayne.
17 - "Poker Face," Lady Gaga
16 - "Womanizer," Britney Spears
The second half opens with one of the biggest pop hits by the smooth soul singer born John Roger Stephens. It's a funky little plea for a woman to give him the signal to, well, go forward. Andre 3000 provides a welcome presence. Could this song stop traffic? Probably not, but I dig it.
Katy Perry is here again, this time with a power ballad about how she still thinks about her ex even when she's with her new beau. This style doesn't really fit her the way it does, say, Avril Lavigne. Not surprisingly, it's the lowest-charting single she's had since she became a star.
Next is Kevin Rudolf, a rock singer who signed to the hip-hop label Cash Money and scored a big hit with this dance-rocker about, I don't know, rebelling against stuff. Lil Wayne chips in with rhymes about sex. For a while, it was played a lot at sporting events, seemingly in place of the highly annoying Jennifer Lopez song "Let's Get Loud." It wasn't an improvement.
Then it's our first encounter with one Stefani Germanotta, the Akon discovery now known to the world as Lady Gaga. Her second hit was this jittery, hooky synth-dance number that uses gambling as a sexual metaphor. Both the track and her voice were just so otherworldly at the time that you couldn't help but pay attention. And so, Ms. Gaga receives this week's Uneasy Rider.
Rounding out this batch is Britney Spears with antother of her charttoppers. It's a driving dance track about a woman who knows to much to fall for a slick Lothario's act. The song's incredibly catchy, and she cops the required attitude with the greatest of ease. One of her best.
15 - "Live Your Life," T.I. featuring Rihanna
14 - "Mad," Ne-Yo
13 - "Untouched," The Veronicas
12 - "I Hate This Part," The Pussycat Dolls
11 - "Right Round," Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha
This group opens with T.I.'s second appearance of the week, this one an anthem about doing what you do no matter what, assisted by a Rihanna hook. It's catchy pop music that sounds good. That's pretty much it.
Ne-Yo makes his third appearance this week with a ballad based around that perennial bit of couples' advice "Never go to bed angry." We don't find out if Mr. and Mrs. Yo settled their argument before turning in, but somehow, I think they did. But I won't speculate on how this was accomplished.
Next are Austrailian twins Jessica and Lisa Origliasso, who got their band name from one of my favorite films of all time, Heathers. Their biggest American hit was this punky bit of bubblegum about needing someone you can't physically be with. It obviously drew comparisons to some of Avril Lavigne's stuff, but for me, it's just a little above that. It's just got a little extra something that I can't put my finger on. Whether you're a Swatch dog or a Diet Cokehead, give it a listen.
Then it's one of the last hits by those Pussycat Dolls. It's slick breakup pop, fronted by possibly Nicole Scherzinger's best vocal performance. Far from a classic, but a respectable effort.
Anchoring this quintet is Flo Rida's second #1. It's another sex rap, this time featuring a chorus that repurposes Dead or Alive's 80s favorite "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)." Not nearly as fun as "Low," but it did introduce the world to a young lady named Ke$ha. Whether or not this is a good thing, I leave to you.
Can I get a Top Ten, a medium fries, and a large Mountain Dew?
10 - "You Found Me," The Fray
This boredom factory produced its third Top Ten in the form of this song about finding God and asking him about all the bad things that He allows to happen. I'm not sure it was the real God, though, for I don't think He smokes cigarettes. And I imagine He has better taste in music.
9 - "Dead and Gone," T.I. featuring Justin Timberlake
The rapper's third entry here is a rap that recounts the real-life murder of one of his friends. Timberlake sings emotionally on the choruses. Affecting.
8 - "My Life Would Suck Without You," Kelly Clarkson
The original Idol picked up a #1 with this slick, self-explanatory dance-rocker. Another piece of catchy Max Martin fluff. Kelly's better than this material, but after the commercial disappointment of the My December album, she needed to come back with a surefire hit, so I don't begrudge her.
7 - "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Beyoncé
This spacey, sexy number about male fear of commitment has become Ms. Knowles' signature hit. I like it, and if it had fingers, I would put some jewelry on one of them. Put your hands up.
6 - "Heartless," Kanye West
More synths and Auto-Tune from Kanye. Fine, but "Love Lockdown" is much better. And all in all, it's best he came back to rap.
5 - "Sober," Pink
Pink again, this time with a spare rocker about being able to feel happy and euphoric without alcoholic assistance. More attitude and awesomeness. She adds authenticity to female pop, which is a rare commodity these days.
4 - "Just Dance," Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'Donis
Gaga's first hit was this party jam about booty-shaking intoxication. Mr. O'Donis makes his second guest appearance of the week. Wonder why he hasn't done much on his own. Oh wait, no I don't. I'm too busy grooving to this.
3 - "Circus," Britney Spears
Brit declares that people are of two types: "the ones that entertain, and the ones that observe." It's not hard to guess which one she is on this slinky bumper about turning a dance floor into a three-ring spectacular. Another of her best.
2 - "Gives You Hell," The All-American Rejects
The most recent Top Ten for these guys is this poppy tune about being better off than your ex post-relationship. There's a bit of a reggae flavor to this. I can't say I like this, but no song of theirs comes closer to achieving that status.
And four years ago, the top of the charts was occupied by...
1 - "Love Story," Taylor SwiftAccording to Mr. Seacrest, this was the first country song to top AT40 since Kenny Rogers' "Lady" in 1980. And surprisingly, I have to say it's more "country" than that song. It's a fluffy little tune about star-crossed teenage romance, complete with blatant Romeo and Juliet references. But unlike that story, this ends happily. Sugary sweet, but somewhat charming. She hadn't started to grate yet on these ears.
Next time: 2010.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
March 7, 2009 Part One
Welcome to early March 2009. Around this time, NASA launched a mission to search for planets outside our solar system. Meanwhile, here's what the stars of the American pop galaxy were up to:
40 - "Halo," Beyoncé
39 - "Miss Independent," Ne-Yo
38 - "Candle (Sick and Tired)," White Tie Affair
37 - "Love Lockdown," Kanye West
36 - "Kiss Me Thru the Phone," Soulja Boy featuring Sammie
35 - "Closer," Ne-Yo
34 - "Better in Time," Leona Lewis
33 - "Addicted," Saving Abel
32 - "Angels on the Moon," Thriving Ivory
31 - "So What," Pink
We begin with women. Beyoncé is here again with a big dramatic song that projects angelic qualities on a friend or lover. Big voice, big chorus, big hit. That's the way it works these days. Leona Lewis, who won the third season of the British version of Simon Cowell's singing competition The X Factor, had her second American hit with this ballad about how the passage of the days will hopefully help her recover from a breakup. She sings okay, but the song isn't much, and I'm not that surprised that her career is starting to fade. To me, she just doesn't have...what's the term I'm looking for? Oh well. And Pink went to #1 with her entry here, a bouncy, bratty earworm about her celebrating her separation from husband Carey Hart by drinking, fighting, and just showing off her "rock moves." It's fun, it let her get stuff out of her system, and it helped cement her as one of pop's leading lights. And on top of that, her and Hart got back together, and they're still going. Awwwww.
Then there are men. Ne-Yo is here twice. First he sings the praises of a lady who does several different things "like a boss." He's attracted to that in a woman, apparently. That's good. The next is just a basic but effective "let's get it on" number. He's definitely in the upper tier of modern R&B singers. After conquering rap on his first three "education" albums, Kanye West turned to synthesizers and Auto-Tune-aided singing on his next CD, 808s and Heartbreak. But the hits and the sales continued. The first single is this drum-heavy take on romantic doubt and confusion. Another winner from Mr. West. And rapper DeAndre Way, whose debut hit "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" introduced not only a new dance but also the concept of "Supermanning" a woman (if you don't know, you might not want to look it up) teamed up with singer Sammie with a song about using the telephone to communicate with a lover. This was his second Top Five, and last to date. That seems about right. He caught on with a couple of simple, catchy tunes, but I don't think there's a major artist waiting to get out.
What's left of this bunch are bands. Chicago electronic pop outfit White Tie Affair with an emoish track about pining for a girl. Apparently they appeared on an episode of The Hills. The depth and quality of this song makes that seem to me quite logical. Saving Abel were another band who threw themselves on the droney mope-rock pile, and they're biggest hit was this hunk of beige about liking to have sex with a woman but being annoyed by pretty much everything else about her. There are ways to make that lyrical theme entertaining, but these guys didn't find one of them. And San Francisco's Thriving Ivory had their only hit of consequence with this better-than-average rock ballad about, I don't know, loss and mourning and stuff. I'm not really sure, but it's catchy, well-written, and I like the rasp of the singer's voice. I might like it better because of what surrounds it, but whatever.
30 - "Light On," David Cook
29 - "Right Now (Na Na Na)," Akon
28 - "Crack a Bottle," Eminem featuring 50 Cent and Dr. Dre
27 - "I Will Be," Leona Lewis
26 - "Gotta Be Somebody," Nickelback
25 - "Whatever You Like," T.I.
24 - "How Do You Sleep," Jesse McCartney
23 - "Beautiful," Akon featuring Kardinal Offishall and Colby O'Donis
22 - "I'm Yours," Jason Mraz
21 - "Hot N Cold," Katy Perry
Half of this section is made up of male singers. Season seven American Idol champ David Cook had his second major hit with this power ballad about leaving a loved one. I can't tell if he's leaving because he's breaking up with the person, or he's just going somewhere and he'll be back after a while. And I'm not interested enough to care. Talented guy, bland song. The growing pop force that was Akon appears twice in this section. First, he pleads with an ex to reunite with him with the help of a catchy chorus. I wonder if she replied "Na Na Na No." And later, he teams up with a Canadian rapper and an American singer (both of whom were signed to his label at the time) to sing the praises of a good-looking lady. Not bad. Jesse McCartney scored his most recent hit by turning in an R&B direction on this song about regretting a breakup. He's trying to be Timberlake, but I'm not convinced. And Virginian Jason Mraz had his biggest hit to date with this bouncy, jazzy folk-popper about trying to charm a lady with his quirky ways. It's good for what it is, but it's not really my thing. This song positions him as kind of a missing link between John Mayer and Michael Buble, and that's not something I was asking for. Still, I like his first hit from 2003, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)."
Two rap songs are here. Eminem returned after a three-year hiatus with this track that reportedly features Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, but the version Seacrest played just had Em on it. Not one of his better performances, as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I'll track down the other version someday. And Atlantan Clifford Harris, who would knock the "p" of his nickname Tip and add periods, scored his first pop #1 with this song on which he offers ladies unlimited material riches in exchange for providing him with quality sex on demand. Well, I'll give him credit for spelling things out and leaving no room for confusion. But I wonder how this philosophy has worked for him during his multiple incarcerations.
We wrap up the first half with two ladies and Nickelback. Leona Lewis returns with a cover of a song co-written and originally recorded by Avril Lavigne. She sounds less like a second-rate Mariah on this, but still, I don't think much of it. Future Mr. Lavigne Chad Kroeger and his band went in a slightly dance-rockier direction on their entry here, a cry of hope that the love of one's life is out there somewhere. It was another base covered in their quest to appeal to absolutely everyone at some point. They've got a strategy, you can't deny that. And at last we encounter one Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson: daughter of (pastors-turned-Christian teen popper-turned-secular sex bomb. On her second major hit, she sings about a boyfriend's wild mood swings (which she oh-so-delicately describes as him suffering from "PMS like a bitch.") over a wonderful 80s-style synthpop track. Catchy as hell, perfect for dancing, and my favorite of hers by a long, long way.
In Part Two: quite a few of the artists from this half reappear, plus another current pop icon makes her BGC debut.
40 - "Halo," Beyoncé
39 - "Miss Independent," Ne-Yo
38 - "Candle (Sick and Tired)," White Tie Affair
37 - "Love Lockdown," Kanye West
36 - "Kiss Me Thru the Phone," Soulja Boy featuring Sammie
35 - "Closer," Ne-Yo
34 - "Better in Time," Leona Lewis
33 - "Addicted," Saving Abel
32 - "Angels on the Moon," Thriving Ivory
31 - "So What," Pink
We begin with women. Beyoncé is here again with a big dramatic song that projects angelic qualities on a friend or lover. Big voice, big chorus, big hit. That's the way it works these days. Leona Lewis, who won the third season of the British version of Simon Cowell's singing competition The X Factor, had her second American hit with this ballad about how the passage of the days will hopefully help her recover from a breakup. She sings okay, but the song isn't much, and I'm not that surprised that her career is starting to fade. To me, she just doesn't have...what's the term I'm looking for? Oh well. And Pink went to #1 with her entry here, a bouncy, bratty earworm about her celebrating her separation from husband Carey Hart by drinking, fighting, and just showing off her "rock moves." It's fun, it let her get stuff out of her system, and it helped cement her as one of pop's leading lights. And on top of that, her and Hart got back together, and they're still going. Awwwww.
Then there are men. Ne-Yo is here twice. First he sings the praises of a lady who does several different things "like a boss." He's attracted to that in a woman, apparently. That's good. The next is just a basic but effective "let's get it on" number. He's definitely in the upper tier of modern R&B singers. After conquering rap on his first three "education" albums, Kanye West turned to synthesizers and Auto-Tune-aided singing on his next CD, 808s and Heartbreak. But the hits and the sales continued. The first single is this drum-heavy take on romantic doubt and confusion. Another winner from Mr. West. And rapper DeAndre Way, whose debut hit "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" introduced not only a new dance but also the concept of "Supermanning" a woman (if you don't know, you might not want to look it up) teamed up with singer Sammie with a song about using the telephone to communicate with a lover. This was his second Top Five, and last to date. That seems about right. He caught on with a couple of simple, catchy tunes, but I don't think there's a major artist waiting to get out.
What's left of this bunch are bands. Chicago electronic pop outfit White Tie Affair with an emoish track about pining for a girl. Apparently they appeared on an episode of The Hills. The depth and quality of this song makes that seem to me quite logical. Saving Abel were another band who threw themselves on the droney mope-rock pile, and they're biggest hit was this hunk of beige about liking to have sex with a woman but being annoyed by pretty much everything else about her. There are ways to make that lyrical theme entertaining, but these guys didn't find one of them. And San Francisco's Thriving Ivory had their only hit of consequence with this better-than-average rock ballad about, I don't know, loss and mourning and stuff. I'm not really sure, but it's catchy, well-written, and I like the rasp of the singer's voice. I might like it better because of what surrounds it, but whatever.
30 - "Light On," David Cook
29 - "Right Now (Na Na Na)," Akon
28 - "Crack a Bottle," Eminem featuring 50 Cent and Dr. Dre
27 - "I Will Be," Leona Lewis
26 - "Gotta Be Somebody," Nickelback
25 - "Whatever You Like," T.I.
24 - "How Do You Sleep," Jesse McCartney
23 - "Beautiful," Akon featuring Kardinal Offishall and Colby O'Donis
22 - "I'm Yours," Jason Mraz
21 - "Hot N Cold," Katy Perry
Half of this section is made up of male singers. Season seven American Idol champ David Cook had his second major hit with this power ballad about leaving a loved one. I can't tell if he's leaving because he's breaking up with the person, or he's just going somewhere and he'll be back after a while. And I'm not interested enough to care. Talented guy, bland song. The growing pop force that was Akon appears twice in this section. First, he pleads with an ex to reunite with him with the help of a catchy chorus. I wonder if she replied "Na Na Na No." And later, he teams up with a Canadian rapper and an American singer (both of whom were signed to his label at the time) to sing the praises of a good-looking lady. Not bad. Jesse McCartney scored his most recent hit by turning in an R&B direction on this song about regretting a breakup. He's trying to be Timberlake, but I'm not convinced. And Virginian Jason Mraz had his biggest hit to date with this bouncy, jazzy folk-popper about trying to charm a lady with his quirky ways. It's good for what it is, but it's not really my thing. This song positions him as kind of a missing link between John Mayer and Michael Buble, and that's not something I was asking for. Still, I like his first hit from 2003, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)."
Two rap songs are here. Eminem returned after a three-year hiatus with this track that reportedly features Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, but the version Seacrest played just had Em on it. Not one of his better performances, as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I'll track down the other version someday. And Atlantan Clifford Harris, who would knock the "p" of his nickname Tip and add periods, scored his first pop #1 with this song on which he offers ladies unlimited material riches in exchange for providing him with quality sex on demand. Well, I'll give him credit for spelling things out and leaving no room for confusion. But I wonder how this philosophy has worked for him during his multiple incarcerations.
We wrap up the first half with two ladies and Nickelback. Leona Lewis returns with a cover of a song co-written and originally recorded by Avril Lavigne. She sounds less like a second-rate Mariah on this, but still, I don't think much of it. Future Mr. Lavigne Chad Kroeger and his band went in a slightly dance-rockier direction on their entry here, a cry of hope that the love of one's life is out there somewhere. It was another base covered in their quest to appeal to absolutely everyone at some point. They've got a strategy, you can't deny that. And at last we encounter one Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson: daughter of (pastors-turned-Christian teen popper-turned-secular sex bomb. On her second major hit, she sings about a boyfriend's wild mood swings (which she oh-so-delicately describes as him suffering from "PMS like a bitch.") over a wonderful 80s-style synthpop track. Catchy as hell, perfect for dancing, and my favorite of hers by a long, long way.
In Part Two: quite a few of the artists from this half reappear, plus another current pop icon makes her BGC debut.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
March 1, 2008 Part Two
Closing the gate on 2008.
20 - "Sensual Seduction," Snoop Dogg
19 - "Hate That I Love You," Rihanna featuring Ne-Yo
18 - "No Air," Jordin Sparks featuring Chris Brown
17 - "Stop and Stare," OneRepublic
16 - "Kiss, Kiss," Chris Brown featuring T-Pain
The second half opens with Snoop Dogg's most recent Top Ten, a tamed-down version of a song originally called "Sexual Eruption." It's about...I'm not sure really. Kidding. Anyway, it's actually pretty cool, and notable for the fact that for most of it, Snoop actually sings. He's assisted heavily by Auto-Tune, but still, points for trying
Rihanna's back again, teaming up with Ne-Yo on a "can't live with you, can't live without you," duet. It's not really my type of thing, but it's very well done.
Next is Arizona's Jordin Sparks, who was only 17 when she won the sixth season of American Idol. On her second hit, she compares her need for her lover for her need for oxygen. Decent song. Oh, and some other guy sings on it, but he's not worth mentioning.
Then it's OneRepublic, a Colorado group led by Ryan Tedder, a prolific songwriter who's written hits for many other artists. His second hit with his own band was this bland midtempo pop song about not going anywhere. Exciting. Nothing at all appealing to these ears, and they're the only ones I have, so, sorry.
Closing out this section is another song that features T-Pain. All I'll say about the other guy is that I don't know why he thought "they hatin' on me" then, but I sure do now.
15 - "Paralyzer," Finger Eleven
14 - "See You Again," Miley Cyrus
13 - "Sorry," Buckcherry
12 - "Love Song," Sara Bareilles
11 - "Shadow of the Day," Linkin Park
Back in the mid-90s, there was a band in Burlington, Ontario called Rainbow Butt Monkeys who won a radio station contest that allowed them to record their major label debut. It sold well in Canada, but for some reason, they decided that the name "Rainbow Butt Monkeys" might limit their potential for success, so they changed it to Finger Eleven, and they eventually became a very popular group both at home and in the U.S, where they have scored two Top 40 singles. The second, and biggest, of these was this catchy dance-rocker about finding one person worth getting to know in a "pretentious" nightclub. It's a terrific song, and easily the band's best. I still think they should have stuck with Rainbow Butt Monkeys, though.
Destiny Hope Cyrus is the daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, who nicknamed her "Smiley" (later shortened to "Miley") becaused she smiled a lot as a baby. In her early teens, she was hired to costar with Dad in the Disney Channel's "secret pop star" series Hannah Montana. The show was a smash and sold many copies of its soundtrack albums, and eventually she began releasing songs under her own name. Her first major radio hit was this fluffy pop song about crushing on a boy. It's not much, but it's exactly what her fans wanted. I can't confirm or deny whether or not she had a best friend named Leslie at the time, though.
Next is the biggest pop hit by L.A. hard rockers Buckcherry. It's a boring apology power ballad the singer wrote for his wife. For more interesting stuff from these guys, seek out their rock radio smashes "Lit Up" (whose chorus contains the line "I love the cocaine, I love the cocaine") and "Crazy Bitch" ("...but you fuck so good, I'm on top of it").
Then it's the first hit by Californian Sara Bareilles, a clever little number about not writing a love song just because that's what her label wants from her. It hits my "spunky lady piano-pop" sweet spot. Not much more to say.
Closing this bunch are Linkin Park, who apparently decided to cover U2's "With or Without You," then realized that Bono and co. would get the bulk of the royalties, so they changed it just enough. I have no use for this at all.
Math, science, history, unravelling the mystery that all started with the Top Ten (Ten!)
10 - "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)," Wyclef Jean featuring Akon, Lil Wayne and Niia
The ex-Fugee/Haitian political activist had his most recent Top Ten about a high school crush of his who turned to prostitution. Decent song, with nice nods to Tupac and the Wu-Tang Clan. I can take or leave Wyclef, and this time, I'll take him.
9 - "Teardrops on My Guitar," Taylor Swift
And here's our first encounter with the Pennsylvania girl who has become one of the most bankable stars in all of country and pop. On one of her earliest hits, she sings about a boy named Drew who never saw her as more than just a friend, even though she wanted him to. This would not be the lasst time she would turn real life love drama into a song.
8 - "Tattoo," Jordin Sparks
Sparks again, this time with her debut single, a song about a lover who left a permanent impression on her. Certainly one of Idol's better winners.
7 - "Take You There," Sean Kingston
Kingston offers to take his "shorty" to different parts of Jamaica: the one with the beaches and the resorts, or the one with the slums "where killers get hung." Wonder which she chose. I'm not a big fan of this guy, but I think this is probably my favorite of his.
6 - "Clumsy," Fergie
Whaddaya know, a Fergie song I actually like. Can't help it, the boy can't help it. A lot of it is down to the bleepy backing track and the Little Richard sample, but Ms. Ferguson does her part too. She even pulls off the spoken-word part quite nicely.
5 - "Don't Stop the Music," Rihanna
The lady's third #1 was this stomping ode to dance tuneage that features a sample from Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Starting Something." Simple, yet lasting. One of the ones she'll be remembered for.
4 - "Apologize," OneRepublic
These guys again. Their first and biggest hit came when Timbaland remixed it for his Shock Value album. It's a ballad about a relationship that's beyond salvation. Better than "Stop and Stare," but that's damning with very feint praise.
3 - "With You," Chris Brown
No.
2 - "No One," Alicia Keys
Keys' second pop charttopper was this uptempo, slightly gospellish declaration of commitment to someone through good times and bad. Her power and energy grab you and don't let go. Nice.
And at #1 just five years ago was...
1 - "Low," Flo Rida featuring T-Pain
Miami rapper Tramar Dillard took his stage name by putting a space in the middle of the name of his home state. His first hit, whose choruses were sung by the ubiquitous Mr. Pain, is your basic rap song about seeing a hot girl dancing at a club and then taking her home to have sex. But what places this above the multitudes of similar tracks is that undeniable, unforgettable chorus. Sure, if you stop and think about it, you might wonder why a woman would make a mid-evening wardrobe change from "Apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur" to "baggy sweatpants and the Reeboks with the straps." So just don't think about it, and move on to the part where shawty hit the floor and got low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low.
Next time: 2009. The past is gaining on us.
20 - "Sensual Seduction," Snoop Dogg
19 - "Hate That I Love You," Rihanna featuring Ne-Yo
18 - "No Air," Jordin Sparks featuring Chris Brown
17 - "Stop and Stare," OneRepublic
16 - "Kiss, Kiss," Chris Brown featuring T-Pain
The second half opens with Snoop Dogg's most recent Top Ten, a tamed-down version of a song originally called "Sexual Eruption." It's about...I'm not sure really. Kidding. Anyway, it's actually pretty cool, and notable for the fact that for most of it, Snoop actually sings. He's assisted heavily by Auto-Tune, but still, points for trying
Rihanna's back again, teaming up with Ne-Yo on a "can't live with you, can't live without you," duet. It's not really my type of thing, but it's very well done.
Next is Arizona's Jordin Sparks, who was only 17 when she won the sixth season of American Idol. On her second hit, she compares her need for her lover for her need for oxygen. Decent song. Oh, and some other guy sings on it, but he's not worth mentioning.
Then it's OneRepublic, a Colorado group led by Ryan Tedder, a prolific songwriter who's written hits for many other artists. His second hit with his own band was this bland midtempo pop song about not going anywhere. Exciting. Nothing at all appealing to these ears, and they're the only ones I have, so, sorry.
Closing out this section is another song that features T-Pain. All I'll say about the other guy is that I don't know why he thought "they hatin' on me" then, but I sure do now.
15 - "Paralyzer," Finger Eleven
14 - "See You Again," Miley Cyrus
13 - "Sorry," Buckcherry
12 - "Love Song," Sara Bareilles
11 - "Shadow of the Day," Linkin Park
Back in the mid-90s, there was a band in Burlington, Ontario called Rainbow Butt Monkeys who won a radio station contest that allowed them to record their major label debut. It sold well in Canada, but for some reason, they decided that the name "Rainbow Butt Monkeys" might limit their potential for success, so they changed it to Finger Eleven, and they eventually became a very popular group both at home and in the U.S, where they have scored two Top 40 singles. The second, and biggest, of these was this catchy dance-rocker about finding one person worth getting to know in a "pretentious" nightclub. It's a terrific song, and easily the band's best. I still think they should have stuck with Rainbow Butt Monkeys, though.
Destiny Hope Cyrus is the daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, who nicknamed her "Smiley" (later shortened to "Miley") becaused she smiled a lot as a baby. In her early teens, she was hired to costar with Dad in the Disney Channel's "secret pop star" series Hannah Montana. The show was a smash and sold many copies of its soundtrack albums, and eventually she began releasing songs under her own name. Her first major radio hit was this fluffy pop song about crushing on a boy. It's not much, but it's exactly what her fans wanted. I can't confirm or deny whether or not she had a best friend named Leslie at the time, though.
Next is the biggest pop hit by L.A. hard rockers Buckcherry. It's a boring apology power ballad the singer wrote for his wife. For more interesting stuff from these guys, seek out their rock radio smashes "Lit Up" (whose chorus contains the line "I love the cocaine, I love the cocaine") and "Crazy Bitch" ("...but you fuck so good, I'm on top of it").
Then it's the first hit by Californian Sara Bareilles, a clever little number about not writing a love song just because that's what her label wants from her. It hits my "spunky lady piano-pop" sweet spot. Not much more to say.
Closing this bunch are Linkin Park, who apparently decided to cover U2's "With or Without You," then realized that Bono and co. would get the bulk of the royalties, so they changed it just enough. I have no use for this at all.
Math, science, history, unravelling the mystery that all started with the Top Ten (Ten!)
10 - "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)," Wyclef Jean featuring Akon, Lil Wayne and Niia
The ex-Fugee/Haitian political activist had his most recent Top Ten about a high school crush of his who turned to prostitution. Decent song, with nice nods to Tupac and the Wu-Tang Clan. I can take or leave Wyclef, and this time, I'll take him.
9 - "Teardrops on My Guitar," Taylor Swift
And here's our first encounter with the Pennsylvania girl who has become one of the most bankable stars in all of country and pop. On one of her earliest hits, she sings about a boy named Drew who never saw her as more than just a friend, even though she wanted him to. This would not be the lasst time she would turn real life love drama into a song.
8 - "Tattoo," Jordin Sparks
Sparks again, this time with her debut single, a song about a lover who left a permanent impression on her. Certainly one of Idol's better winners.
7 - "Take You There," Sean Kingston
Kingston offers to take his "shorty" to different parts of Jamaica: the one with the beaches and the resorts, or the one with the slums "where killers get hung." Wonder which she chose. I'm not a big fan of this guy, but I think this is probably my favorite of his.
6 - "Clumsy," Fergie
Whaddaya know, a Fergie song I actually like. Can't help it, the boy can't help it. A lot of it is down to the bleepy backing track and the Little Richard sample, but Ms. Ferguson does her part too. She even pulls off the spoken-word part quite nicely.
5 - "Don't Stop the Music," Rihanna
The lady's third #1 was this stomping ode to dance tuneage that features a sample from Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Starting Something." Simple, yet lasting. One of the ones she'll be remembered for.
4 - "Apologize," OneRepublic
These guys again. Their first and biggest hit came when Timbaland remixed it for his Shock Value album. It's a ballad about a relationship that's beyond salvation. Better than "Stop and Stare," but that's damning with very feint praise.
3 - "With You," Chris Brown
No.
2 - "No One," Alicia Keys
Keys' second pop charttopper was this uptempo, slightly gospellish declaration of commitment to someone through good times and bad. Her power and energy grab you and don't let go. Nice.
And at #1 just five years ago was...
1 - "Low," Flo Rida featuring T-Pain
Miami rapper Tramar Dillard took his stage name by putting a space in the middle of the name of his home state. His first hit, whose choruses were sung by the ubiquitous Mr. Pain, is your basic rap song about seeing a hot girl dancing at a club and then taking her home to have sex. But what places this above the multitudes of similar tracks is that undeniable, unforgettable chorus. Sure, if you stop and think about it, you might wonder why a woman would make a mid-evening wardrobe change from "Apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur" to "baggy sweatpants and the Reeboks with the straps." So just don't think about it, and move on to the part where shawty hit the floor and got low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low.
Next time: 2009. The past is gaining on us.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
March 1, 2008 Part One
We have arrived in March of 2008. Raul Castro had just taken over the presidency of Cuba from his brother Fidel. And apparently, he's just been "re-elected." Meanwhile, 90 miles away in the United States, this is what was happening in pop music:
40 - "Feedback," Janet Jackson
39 - "Whatever it Takes," Lifehouse
38 - "Flashing Lights," Kanye West featuring Dwele
37 - "Dance Floor Anthem (I Don't Want to Be in Love)," Good Charlotte
36 - "Superstar," Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos
35 - "Who Knew," Pink
34 - "Calabria 2008," Enur featuring Natasja
33 - "Stronger," Kanye West
32 - "When You Look Me in the Eyes," The Jonas Brothers
31 - "Into the Night," Santana featuring Chad Kroeger
We begin with two ladies. Janet Jackson had her most recent pop hit, and arguably her biggest post-Nipplegate, with this dance track where she boasts about her ability to attract men with "light skin, dark skin, (and) my Asian persuasion" and also asks for someone to "strum me like a guitar, blow out my amplifier." Now who's the nasty one, Miss Jackson. And Pink scored her second straight Top Ten with this rocker about disbelief over losing a loved one. Probably one of her five best hits, and she has remained on solid commercial footing ever since.
Then we have five pop and rock groups and collaborations. (Yeah, sometimes these are almost as convoluted as Grammy categories). Lifehouse had their most recent Top 40 to date with this ballad about relationship repair. Again, it's only when they pick up the tempo that they rise above the post-grunge pack. Good Charlotte also haven't darkened the Top 40's door since their entry here. a bitter rocker about Joel Madden's breakup with Hillary Duff. Honestly, I'm sure she's better off. As for him, I don't care. Danish DJ Rune Kolsch had his biggest American hit with this remix of his 2003 reggae fusion track, this time featuring singer Natasja Saad. I'm not sure about all the technicalities of the genre, but it's an ingratiating dance number. Disney-powered Dallas trio The Jonas Brothers had their third hit with this big teenybopper ballad that helped them win the hearts of tweens everywhere. For me, they're like a less-talented Hanson. Apparently they're going to try and come back with a new album this year, but I suspect their moment has passed. And Santana had the last hit of his comeback run with this Latin-flavored pop-rocker featuring Mr. Nickelback himself. But this time the labels involved were able to come to an agreement, and there was no need for a re-recording with a second-rate Kroeger equivalent. And Alex Band wept.
We'll end our look at this section with the rap tracks. Kanye West's ascencion to pop dominance was complete by now, as evidenced by his two entries in this group. First, he teams up with Detroit singer Dwele on a slick midtempo number on which he says he hates paparazzi photographers "more than the Nazis." Well, we all have are priorities. And then there's "Stronger," his third pop #1 and my favorite of his by a mile. Over a sample from French electonic duo Daft Punk, West testifies to his resiliency while making references to, among others, gosper group Take 6, Klondike ice cream bars, Isotoner gloves, and onetime Prince protege Apollonia Kotero. Just a great song, and one of the ones I go to when I need to get hyped up for something. And the Chicago rapper born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco had his first pop Top Ten about fame and the rush of performing. I think that's it. I do know that the choruses sung by folk-rocker Matthew Santos are quite reminiscent of Coldplay's Chris Martin. And it doesn't sound like that was unintentional.
30 - "Cyclone," Baby Bash featuring T-Pain
29 - "Misery Business," Paramore
28 - "Love Like This," Natasha Bedingfield featuring Sean Kingston
27 - "Over You," Daughtry
26 - "Hero/Heroine," Boys Like Girls
25 - "The Way I Are," Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson and D.O.E.
24 - "Bubbly," Colbie Caillat
23 - "Feels Like Tonight," Daughtry
22- "Hypnotized," Plies featuring Akon
21 - "Never Too Late," Three Days Grace
Let's begin this part with rap. Baby Bash picked up his second Top Ten with this Lil Jon-produced ode to a woman's whirlwindesque bodily gyrations. Not great, but notable for the fact that you can see we are into what I call pop's "featuring T-Pain" era. Rapper-producer Tim "Timbaland" Mosley scored his second major hit as lead credited artist with this grammatically incorrect track about liking someone for them. As for his then-unknown collaborators, Hilson's had a couple hits since, but D.O.E. had remained pretty much where he was before. And Floridian Plies had his second hit with a song that's pretty lascivious in its toned-down version, but it gets pretty graphic in the original. Neither version impresses me all that much. There are so many songs like this, and this is, without, question, one of them.
Another big representation from bands in this section. Franklin, Tennessee emo-popsters Paramore had their breakthrough hit with this punky number about waiting out a crush's bad relationship and gloating about picking him up on the rebound to his ex. Classy. But singer Hayley Williams has a good voice for this sort of thing, and she sells me the song. Daughtry's continued run of success is represented here twice. Both are ballads. One's about recovering from a breakup, the other's about trying to prevent one. I like the former better, but neither are half as good as "It's Not Over." Massachussetts pop-rockers Boys Like Girls had their first hit with this bland little love song. The singer's high voice on the choruses is somewhat impressive, though, I must say. And Norwood, Ontario, Canada's Three Days Grace had their biggest pop hit to date with a song about trying to convince a friend that ending his life is not the answer. It's an okay song with an earnest message, and maybe it actually did help somebody. I think we all sometimes forget that even the music we ourselves don't personally care for can mean a lot to someone else.
We close out the first half with two ladies. Natasha Bedingfield had another hit with this sunny love song with assistance from singer/rapper Sean Kingston. Pleasant background music. And Colbie Caillat (pronounced "Ca-LAY"), the daughter of a veteran producer and engineer who worked on, among many other records, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, kicked off her own pop career with this cutesy folk-popper with lyrics about nose-crinkling and "get(ting) the tingles in a silly place." And the funny things, her voice doesn't sound at all like someone who should be singing those lyrics. It alternates between annoying and just plain weird, which is why it gets this week's Uneasy Rider.
In Part Two: another Idol star, another Disney creation, and a leering rap song that actually does stand out from the rest.
40 - "Feedback," Janet Jackson
39 - "Whatever it Takes," Lifehouse
38 - "Flashing Lights," Kanye West featuring Dwele
37 - "Dance Floor Anthem (I Don't Want to Be in Love)," Good Charlotte
36 - "Superstar," Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos
35 - "Who Knew," Pink
34 - "Calabria 2008," Enur featuring Natasja
33 - "Stronger," Kanye West
32 - "When You Look Me in the Eyes," The Jonas Brothers
31 - "Into the Night," Santana featuring Chad Kroeger
We begin with two ladies. Janet Jackson had her most recent pop hit, and arguably her biggest post-Nipplegate, with this dance track where she boasts about her ability to attract men with "light skin, dark skin, (and) my Asian persuasion" and also asks for someone to "strum me like a guitar, blow out my amplifier." Now who's the nasty one, Miss Jackson. And Pink scored her second straight Top Ten with this rocker about disbelief over losing a loved one. Probably one of her five best hits, and she has remained on solid commercial footing ever since.
Then we have five pop and rock groups and collaborations. (Yeah, sometimes these are almost as convoluted as Grammy categories). Lifehouse had their most recent Top 40 to date with this ballad about relationship repair. Again, it's only when they pick up the tempo that they rise above the post-grunge pack. Good Charlotte also haven't darkened the Top 40's door since their entry here. a bitter rocker about Joel Madden's breakup with Hillary Duff. Honestly, I'm sure she's better off. As for him, I don't care. Danish DJ Rune Kolsch had his biggest American hit with this remix of his 2003 reggae fusion track, this time featuring singer Natasja Saad. I'm not sure about all the technicalities of the genre, but it's an ingratiating dance number. Disney-powered Dallas trio The Jonas Brothers had their third hit with this big teenybopper ballad that helped them win the hearts of tweens everywhere. For me, they're like a less-talented Hanson. Apparently they're going to try and come back with a new album this year, but I suspect their moment has passed. And Santana had the last hit of his comeback run with this Latin-flavored pop-rocker featuring Mr. Nickelback himself. But this time the labels involved were able to come to an agreement, and there was no need for a re-recording with a second-rate Kroeger equivalent. And Alex Band wept.
We'll end our look at this section with the rap tracks. Kanye West's ascencion to pop dominance was complete by now, as evidenced by his two entries in this group. First, he teams up with Detroit singer Dwele on a slick midtempo number on which he says he hates paparazzi photographers "more than the Nazis." Well, we all have are priorities. And then there's "Stronger," his third pop #1 and my favorite of his by a mile. Over a sample from French electonic duo Daft Punk, West testifies to his resiliency while making references to, among others, gosper group Take 6, Klondike ice cream bars, Isotoner gloves, and onetime Prince protege Apollonia Kotero. Just a great song, and one of the ones I go to when I need to get hyped up for something. And the Chicago rapper born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco had his first pop Top Ten about fame and the rush of performing. I think that's it. I do know that the choruses sung by folk-rocker Matthew Santos are quite reminiscent of Coldplay's Chris Martin. And it doesn't sound like that was unintentional.
30 - "Cyclone," Baby Bash featuring T-Pain
29 - "Misery Business," Paramore
28 - "Love Like This," Natasha Bedingfield featuring Sean Kingston
27 - "Over You," Daughtry
26 - "Hero/Heroine," Boys Like Girls
25 - "The Way I Are," Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson and D.O.E.
24 - "Bubbly," Colbie Caillat
23 - "Feels Like Tonight," Daughtry
22- "Hypnotized," Plies featuring Akon
21 - "Never Too Late," Three Days Grace
Let's begin this part with rap. Baby Bash picked up his second Top Ten with this Lil Jon-produced ode to a woman's whirlwindesque bodily gyrations. Not great, but notable for the fact that you can see we are into what I call pop's "featuring T-Pain" era. Rapper-producer Tim "Timbaland" Mosley scored his second major hit as lead credited artist with this grammatically incorrect track about liking someone for them. As for his then-unknown collaborators, Hilson's had a couple hits since, but D.O.E. had remained pretty much where he was before. And Floridian Plies had his second hit with a song that's pretty lascivious in its toned-down version, but it gets pretty graphic in the original. Neither version impresses me all that much. There are so many songs like this, and this is, without, question, one of them.
Another big representation from bands in this section. Franklin, Tennessee emo-popsters Paramore had their breakthrough hit with this punky number about waiting out a crush's bad relationship and gloating about picking him up on the rebound to his ex. Classy. But singer Hayley Williams has a good voice for this sort of thing, and she sells me the song. Daughtry's continued run of success is represented here twice. Both are ballads. One's about recovering from a breakup, the other's about trying to prevent one. I like the former better, but neither are half as good as "It's Not Over." Massachussetts pop-rockers Boys Like Girls had their first hit with this bland little love song. The singer's high voice on the choruses is somewhat impressive, though, I must say. And Norwood, Ontario, Canada's Three Days Grace had their biggest pop hit to date with a song about trying to convince a friend that ending his life is not the answer. It's an okay song with an earnest message, and maybe it actually did help somebody. I think we all sometimes forget that even the music we ourselves don't personally care for can mean a lot to someone else.
We close out the first half with two ladies. Natasha Bedingfield had another hit with this sunny love song with assistance from singer/rapper Sean Kingston. Pleasant background music. And Colbie Caillat (pronounced "Ca-LAY"), the daughter of a veteran producer and engineer who worked on, among many other records, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, kicked off her own pop career with this cutesy folk-popper with lyrics about nose-crinkling and "get(ting) the tingles in a silly place." And the funny things, her voice doesn't sound at all like someone who should be singing those lyrics. It alternates between annoying and just plain weird, which is why it gets this week's Uneasy Rider.
In Part Two: another Idol star, another Disney creation, and a leering rap song that actually does stand out from the rest.
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