“On the Floor” Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull (#8 Hot 100, Week of April 30, 2011)

This languid ready-made dancefloor anthem reminds me of a hot summer day.  Its bright, tribal club beat and sparkly synths (courtesy of RedOne) mimic the sunny July heat, while the drag generated by Jennifer’s laid-back vocal delivery and the slow groove snaking around underneath the main beat bring the humidity.  I want to dance full-speed, but keep getting lulled into the pockets of stillness.

It’s easy to write off this record as a derivative throwaway dance tune, but I find it quite seductive.  Except for Pitbull, who apparently achieved his moniker through an utter lack of subtlety.  The textural contrast of his goofy rapping is welcome, but he lost me at “back it up like a Tonka truck.”  If you’re not Ludacris, you usually end up sounding ludicrous saying something like that.

References to toy vehicles aside, this is an ideal return to form for Ms. Lopez.  It’s the perfect mix of three-quarters old Jenny and one-quarter new-and-improved-cross-promotional-media-juggernaut Jenny.

Absolutely not in my bottom three this week.