Category: music reviews
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…music reviews: “Last Friday Night” Katy Perry
“Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” Katy Perry (#4, Billboard Hot 100, Week of July 2, 2011) Finally. It took five singles, but the Katy Perry I like is back. The “Firework” set has mostly fizzled in my eyes (while, it must be admitted, it has burned up the charts), as Katy has drifted squarely into standard-issue…
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…music reviews: “Dirt Road Anthem” Jason Aldean
“Dirt Road Anthem” Jason Aldean (Billboard Hot 100 #7, Week of July 2, 2011) Either Jason or his handlers have an obvious crossover fetish. Following up a Kelly Clarkson duet with a country/rap record is about as subtle as a “Kick Me” sign. The blatant positioning of Jason Aldean as a pop star (complete with…
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…music reviews: “The Edge of Glory” Lady Gaga
“The Edge of Glory” Lady Gaga (Billboard Hot 100 #6, Week of June 24, 2011) Gaga is an intuitive freak. As awful and opportunistic as it sounds, there is something spooky yet perfect about Lady Gaga drafting Clarence Clemons to play an extended sax outro to close out an exhilarating song which was inspired by…
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…music reviews: “Party Rock Anthem” LMFAO
“Party Rock Anthem” LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock (Billboard Hot 100 #3, Week of June 25, 2011) I think we can safely refer to the Black Eyed Peas “Boom Boom Pow” as the shot heard ’round the world. That single record seems to have inspired its own sub-genre of outrageously successful dance tunes, all…
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…music reviews: Who Run the World? B
“Run the World (Girls)” Beyonce (Billboard Hot 100 #50, Week of June 4, 2011) Today’s review is a skip-ahead for sure. Usually I work my way down from the top of the singles chart, but I have granted myself the latitude to fast-track singles that are true game-changers or otherwise noteworthy. “Run the World” is…
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…music reviews: “Roll Up” Wiz Khalifa
“Roll Up” Wiz Khalifa (#17 Billboard Hot 100, Week of May 28, 2011) Much like Ke$ha, Wiz Khalifa sauntered onto the scene with a funky name, a casual attitude, and a power hit that most probably thought would never be followed by an actual career. Yet again, most (of which I am one) were wrong.…
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…music reviews: “Just a Kiss” Lady Antebellum
“Just a Kiss” Lady Antebellum (Billboard Hot 100 #7, Week of May 21, 2011) Whitney and Mariah and all the hair-metal bands used to maintain a stranglehold on #1 with power ballads left and right during the ’80s and ’90s. The past several years have been very unkind to ballads, however, as they’ve become seemingly…
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…music reviews: “The Show Goes On” Lupe Fiasco
“The Show Goes On” Lupe Fiasco (Billboard Hot 100 #14, Week of May 14, 2010) Dear Lupe, I wasn’t going to mention that this track felt a little too mainstream for your esthetic. It swings with a “Kumbaya”-style positivity that’s a little too straight-faced for your thoughtful brand of hip-hop. The subversive dig at your…
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…music reviews: “Give Me Everything” Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo
“Give Me Everything” Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, AfroJack & Nayer (Billboard Hot 100 #13, Week of May 14, 2011) I think I heard a sneeze in the background on this song, and I’m wondering why that individual didn’t get a featured billing. Put another way, the artist billing on this record should have read “Ne-Yo &…
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…music reviews: “Written in the Stars” Tinie Tempah
I’m back! Did you miss me? Wait, before you answer, see how great this music review is… “Written in the Stars” Tinie Tempah featuring Eric Turner (Billboard Hot 100 #12, Week of May 14, 2011) Hip-hop was already post-modern when it was birthed in the ’70s, but recently it’s become an even more post-modern version…
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