Okay, we've landed in the present day. We've been through quite a bit of the popular music of the forty-two years before this, and at last, we take a look at what's happening on the old American Top 40 this year, this week, this day.
40 - "#thatPOWER," will.i.am featuring Justin Bieber
39 - "Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)," Ne-Yo
38 - "Wings," Little Mix
37 - "I Cry," Flo Rida
36 - "With Ur Love," Cher Lloyd featuring Juicy J
35 - "Try," Pink
34 - "As Your Friend," Afrojack featuring Chris Brown
33 - "Some Nights," fun.
32 - "One More Night," Maroon 5
31 - "Next to Me," Emeli Sandé
We start with what we've come to know as "the featurers" First of all, we are immediately reminded that we are in the year 2013 because we are confronted with a song whose title is a Twitter hashtag. That such a thing would come from the human gimmick that is will.i.am and the tweeting machine that is The Bieb is hardly surprising. That it's yet more generic dance-pop is even less so. Brit Cher Lloyd, a grad of the U.K. X Factor, is here with more of that on her song about how good her boyfriend makes her feel. Juicy J of Three 6 Mafia shows up to rap about how "your girl look like Miss Piggy." That was necessary. And Dutchman Afrojack demonstrates terrible taste in collaborators.
Two solo men in this bunch. Ne-Yo made his return to the Top Ten after a mini-drought with this song about trying to help a lover see that she is more worthy than she thing she is. He's one of the better purveyors of this sort of thing. And Flo Rida is here with a dance track on which he raps about champagne, Rihanna, the 2011 Japanese earthquake, and a terrorist attack in Norway that same year. How these things are linked, I'm not sure. He's just putting stuff of varying levels of import in a blender and coming up who the hell knows? It's bizarre, it's off-putting, and just plain disconcerting. I'd rather just hear "Low" again.
Then we have groups. Little Mix is made up of four women who were brought together during yet another of the seasons of the British X Factor, and their first American hit is this jaunty, fluffy bit of "believe in yourself" inspiro-pop. Catchily inconsequential. Fun. followed up their huge breakthrough with another biggie, a pop-rocker with a bit of an African beat about not being sure about one's direction but keeping going anyway. More singalong goodness from these guys. And Maroon 5 show up again with some dance pop with a slight reggae feel. It's about how Adam Levine can't stay away from a woman he wants to leave. If I were her, I'd lock the doors so I'd never have to hear is nasal whine-singing again. But that's just me.
Wrapping up this first section are solo ladies. Pink continues her run of hits with this 80s-flavored rock ballad about taking chances in life in spite of the potential for heartbreak. Reminds me of Gwen Stefani's song from a few years ago, "Cool," except this is better. And Scotswoman Emeli Sandé scores her first American hit with this piano-driven, gospel-flavored soul number about an extremely loyal man. Or could it be God? Who knows? And who cares? This song is terrific no matter what, and Sandé instantly becomes one of the best voices on American pop radio.
30 - "Die Young," Ke$ha
29 - "Mirrors," Justin Timberlake
28 - "Catch My Breath," Kelly Clarkson
27 - "Can't Hold Us," Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton
26 - "Madness," Muse
25 - "Beauty and a Beat," Justin Bieber featuring Nicki Minaj
24 - "All Around the World," Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris
23 - "My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light 'Em Up)," Fall Out Boy
22 - "I Love It," Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX
21 - "Ho Hey," The Lumineers
The first three spots in this section are all occupied by solo singers. Ke$ha keeps her career going with a song that has sonic similarities to Flo Rida's "Good Feeling" and lyrical similarities to every other Ke$ha song. That said, it's probably the best I've heard of her so far, though that rapping(?) style of hers is still fingernails on a chalkboard to me. And I'm guessing the power of the chorus is at least partially attributable to one of the co-writers, fun.'s Nate Ruess. Justin Timberlake is here with the second single from his third album, a midtempo synth-soul track about realizing one has found the love of ones life. A typically big production, with his usual solid vocals. I don't think it's in my top five of his, but still, good to have him back on the radio singing his own songs. And Kelly Clarkson enters her second decade of hitmaking with this sprightly pop song about being content and confident about her place in life. And she ceratinly should be.
Three more "featurers" in this batch. Washington state natives Ben "Macklemore" Haggerty and Ryan Lewis teamed up with singer Ray Dalton on their second major hit, a frenetic rap track about being confident and free. The use of horns and the Bob Barker reference are both reference, and Dalton's chorus performance makes me want to hear more of him. Justin Bieber gets assistance on back-to-back tracks. First he teams up with Nicki Minaj on a song on which he claims all he needs in life are an attractive woman and music he can dance to. These are apparently the requirements for him to "party like it's 3012." Really. Also, Minaj says, and I quote, "Buns out, wiener, but I gotta keep an eye out for Seleener." I'm not sure what that means, but I don't think she needs to worry about that anymore. But the track isn't that bad, actually. Later, he sings about another girl he likes. Ludacris raps, but not very memorably. This one, not so good. And Swedish dance duo Icona Pop got assistance from British singer Charli XCX on this dumb-fun floor-filler about carelessly crashing cars after breaking up. It also contains the chronologically intriguing diss "You're from the 70s, but I'm a 90s chick." I guess if you're talking about birth dates, that makes sense. I guess.
The first half finishes with groups. British rockers Muse are here with what could be their biggest American hit to date (replacing that "WE...WILL...BE...VIC...TOOOOOOOORIOOOOOOUS!" song). This one is a stuttery, spacey synth-rocker comparing love to insanity. I like this one quite a bit, and in addition, I'm making it an Uneasy Rider. Fall Out Boy return after a four-year break with this typically lengthily-titled song with lyrics that might be deep, or might be just nonsense. Musically, it's beat-heavy, and kind of catchy. But unlike the claim they make in the title of their new album, I don't think they're going to Save Rock and Roll. And Denver folk-rockers The Lumineers made their breakthrough with this song about trying to convince someone that they belong with you, and you with that person. That thought is pretty much drilled into your head. I like having this kind of music sneak in alongside all the dance-pop, but this particular song just annoys me.
Next time: the rest of now. Is this the end? You'll see.
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