Well, 2013 is upon us and it's once again time to see the top forty songs that really made the biggest impact on me. As usual, I must remind you that this list does not represent which songs I thought were the best, but which ones I enjoyed listening to the most. There were a lot of songs that didn't quite make the cut but overall I think it's a very deserving list. So, without further ado, here it is.
40) Love U Betta - Neon Hitch
39) Let Me Love You - Ne-Yo
38) LaserLight - Jessie J and David Guetta
37) Back In Time - Pitbull
36) She Wolf - David Guetta and Sia
35) Closer - Tegan and Sara
34) This Kiss - Carly Rae Jepsen
33) Whistle - Flo Rida
32) Wide Awake - Katy Perry
31) One Thing - OneDirection
30) Payphone - Maroon 5
29) Part of Me - Katy Perry
28) Pound The Alarm - Nicki Minaj
27) Both Of Us - B.o.B. and Taylor Swift
26) Spirit Indestructible - Nelly Furtado
25) Helena Beat - Foster The People
24) Lemonade - Alexandra Stan
23) Va Va Voom - Nicki Minaj
22) Big Hoops - Nelly Furtado
21) Wild Ones - Flo Rida and David Guetta
20) Feel So Close - Calvin Harris
19) Good Girl - Carrie Underwood
18) Drive By - Train
17) Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye and Kimbra/Walk Off The Earth
16) Some Nights - fun.
15) Good Feeling - Flo Rida
14) Crash Your Party - Karmin
13) Summer Paradise - Simple Plan and Sean Paul
12) Turning Tables - Adele
11) Take Care - Drake and Rihanna
10) Fine - Darrelle London
9) Next To Me - Emeli Sande
8) Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat
7) Turn Me On - David Guetta and Nicki Minaj
6) Prima Donna- Marina and the Diamonds
5) Starships - Nicki Minaj
4) Give Your Heart A Break - Demi Lovato
3) Let It Go - Dragonette
2) Is Anybody Out There - K'naan and Nelly Furtado
1) Guardian - Alanis Morissette
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Owl City - Shooting Star
I apologize for taking a bit of a hiatus with this for the last couple of months, but I'm back. Now, let's take a look at Owl City's new song "Shooting Star." Owl City is just coming off of a huge success with "Good Time," but one of my major complaints with that song was that it sounded way too generic for Owl City. Unfortunately, "Shooting Star" follows the same pattern.
The song is a basic pop dance song. We've got Owl City singing in typical beat that grows into a bouncy, powerful chorus followed by the usual "whoa whoa whoa" while the beat plays. There's nothing wrong with this, but we've heard it all before. And this is Owl City we're talking about, the guy who's known for his unique sound, not for following commercial trends.
Then we get to the lyrics. They're not as plain as "Good Time" but they are still very predictable. It's the same old message about letting yourself shine through. We've been hearing this for so long now it really doesn't carry any meaning, and I'm certainly not hearing any new meaning from this song. In fact, this song could easily be mistaken for Katy Perry's "Firework" if you reworked some of the lyrics slightly.
The song manages to present a small fraction of Owl City's quirkiness. The background beat gives a cute feel and the lyrics bring back the cosmic theme that's been in a few previous songs. But it's really not enough. It feels like Owl City has taken what's made him special and transformed it so it conforms to what's commercial right now. It's really unfair because Owl City had some amazing songs, and "Fireflies" was even a massive hit. But apparently it wasn't enough.
The question now is how will this song do? It's formulaic style is sure to attract some popularity, but will it be enough to turn the song into a hit like "Good Time"? I doubt it, but it's possible.
In other news, both The Voice and The X-Factor will be coming to an end soon. I watched both of them and can easily say that X-Factor was much more entertaining. Even though she's gone I will forever be a fan of CeCe Frey!
The song is a basic pop dance song. We've got Owl City singing in typical beat that grows into a bouncy, powerful chorus followed by the usual "whoa whoa whoa" while the beat plays. There's nothing wrong with this, but we've heard it all before. And this is Owl City we're talking about, the guy who's known for his unique sound, not for following commercial trends.
Then we get to the lyrics. They're not as plain as "Good Time" but they are still very predictable. It's the same old message about letting yourself shine through. We've been hearing this for so long now it really doesn't carry any meaning, and I'm certainly not hearing any new meaning from this song. In fact, this song could easily be mistaken for Katy Perry's "Firework" if you reworked some of the lyrics slightly.
The song manages to present a small fraction of Owl City's quirkiness. The background beat gives a cute feel and the lyrics bring back the cosmic theme that's been in a few previous songs. But it's really not enough. It feels like Owl City has taken what's made him special and transformed it so it conforms to what's commercial right now. It's really unfair because Owl City had some amazing songs, and "Fireflies" was even a massive hit. But apparently it wasn't enough.
The question now is how will this song do? It's formulaic style is sure to attract some popularity, but will it be enough to turn the song into a hit like "Good Time"? I doubt it, but it's possible.
In other news, both The Voice and The X-Factor will be coming to an end soon. I watched both of them and can easily say that X-Factor was much more entertaining. Even though she's gone I will forever be a fan of CeCe Frey!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Justin Bieber - Beauty and a Beat
I first heard this a while ago, actually, and my first thought was, this isn't the kind of song that I'd expect as a single. Yet, turns out I was wrong, and after listening to the song a couple more times, I relaxed that it actually will work pretty well on the radio.
Justin's more dancy than ever now with this song. Not that there's anything wrong with that, this album has offered a surprising amount of diversity for Bieber, and he might as well try the style that everyone is loving right now. For the most part the song sounds like a lot of the dance stuff we've heard before, but Justin's voice still manages to sound tender and sweet. Something that is always welcome when pretty much all the major stars are female, or rougher style bands. I feel that the song really breaks out thanks to it's dubstep style beat that interludes between the verses. It's something unique and a lot of fun compared to the more generic eletro-beats out there.
The song doesn't shine too much in the lyric department. It's about two things we've heard before plenty of times, a beautiful girl and dancing. Justin isn't really trying to sound romantic with his voice this time, but it's not like he can really sell emotion in his voice anyways. Might as well just focus on sounding catchy.
We also get a verse from Nicki Minaj, which I feel isn't exactly at her. best. She's spilling out rhymes that make little sense, and doesn't really add anything to the song. I feel that they could have done without her, or at least done it a little better. It just feels like a last minute tack-on to give the song more attention.
There's no reason why this song won't be a hit. Justin Bieber has always had success with his songs, and this one fits in exactly with the market today. It probably won't be a huge smash, but since when has anything Justin Bieber's done been a huge smash? It'll be a fun song to listen to, and that's good enough.
Justin's more dancy than ever now with this song. Not that there's anything wrong with that, this album has offered a surprising amount of diversity for Bieber, and he might as well try the style that everyone is loving right now. For the most part the song sounds like a lot of the dance stuff we've heard before, but Justin's voice still manages to sound tender and sweet. Something that is always welcome when pretty much all the major stars are female, or rougher style bands. I feel that the song really breaks out thanks to it's dubstep style beat that interludes between the verses. It's something unique and a lot of fun compared to the more generic eletro-beats out there.
The song doesn't shine too much in the lyric department. It's about two things we've heard before plenty of times, a beautiful girl and dancing. Justin isn't really trying to sound romantic with his voice this time, but it's not like he can really sell emotion in his voice anyways. Might as well just focus on sounding catchy.
We also get a verse from Nicki Minaj, which I feel isn't exactly at her. best. She's spilling out rhymes that make little sense, and doesn't really add anything to the song. I feel that they could have done without her, or at least done it a little better. It just feels like a last minute tack-on to give the song more attention.
There's no reason why this song won't be a hit. Justin Bieber has always had success with his songs, and this one fits in exactly with the market today. It probably won't be a huge smash, but since when has anything Justin Bieber's done been a huge smash? It'll be a fun song to listen to, and that's good enough.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
P!nk - Try
P!nk's got a couple of signature sounds. There's her rough side, and there's her party side, both which were somewhat present in "Blow Me One Last Kiss," but she's also got her incredibly vulnerable side which is what "Try" is all about.
The song has a lot of similarities to her previous hit, "Perfect." It's a reflective piece that is meant to boost one's spirit. Unlike "Perfect" though, P!nk isn't speaking to anyone but herself. This is her song, showing all of her insecurities, but telling herself that she's still going to try. It shows a lot of inner tenderness that makes the song really beautiful. It doesn't quite have the same raw power that was present in "Perfect," but that is a hard feat to top. The song is no less beautiful, though, the feeling is clearly still there. It took me a few listens to really connect with it, but once I did, I felt a beautiful emotion within the words.
The lyrics are perfectly done. It's a simple song, while delivering a strong story. P!nk says exactly what she means, "Where there is desire, there's bound to be a flame. Where there is a flame, someone's bound to get burned. But just because it burns doesn't mean I'm gonna die. You gotta get up and try." It really emphasizes the album's title, "The Truth About Love." This is a universal truth about love, and she's saying that you can work through it. Much of the song is just a repetition of the phrase, "And try, and try, and try. Gotta get up and try." Yet this only reinforces the strength. The repetition shows her determination, she's not going to back down, she's just going to keep trying.
The song is beautiful, and is bound to be another one P!nk's hits. She's got a lot of competition right now, but no one can really match her sound, her fragile emotion, and her strength. I would be surprised if this song does not go to number one.
The song has a lot of similarities to her previous hit, "Perfect." It's a reflective piece that is meant to boost one's spirit. Unlike "Perfect" though, P!nk isn't speaking to anyone but herself. This is her song, showing all of her insecurities, but telling herself that she's still going to try. It shows a lot of inner tenderness that makes the song really beautiful. It doesn't quite have the same raw power that was present in "Perfect," but that is a hard feat to top. The song is no less beautiful, though, the feeling is clearly still there. It took me a few listens to really connect with it, but once I did, I felt a beautiful emotion within the words.
The lyrics are perfectly done. It's a simple song, while delivering a strong story. P!nk says exactly what she means, "Where there is desire, there's bound to be a flame. Where there is a flame, someone's bound to get burned. But just because it burns doesn't mean I'm gonna die. You gotta get up and try." It really emphasizes the album's title, "The Truth About Love." This is a universal truth about love, and she's saying that you can work through it. Much of the song is just a repetition of the phrase, "And try, and try, and try. Gotta get up and try." Yet this only reinforces the strength. The repetition shows her determination, she's not going to back down, she's just going to keep trying.
The song is beautiful, and is bound to be another one P!nk's hits. She's got a lot of competition right now, but no one can really match her sound, her fragile emotion, and her strength. I would be surprised if this song does not go to number one.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Bruno Mars - Locked Out of Heaven
This month has proven to be a major turning point for 2012 in music. We already had Christina Aguilera, Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Ke$ha making big moves. And just this week we've got new Adele and of course, Bruno Mars.
Bruno is taking a step in the right direction with "Locked Out of Heaven." He's picking up the pace with his song and turning it into something that could be really easy to dance around to. Yet he's still keeping it true to himself; he's still got signs of his signature style that makes it unique. In the end it's the best of the best; we've got Bruno's smooth and bouncy vocals, put into a tracks that builds into something intense, all backed by a recurring, "Ah yeah, yeah, yeah!"
Lyrically the song uses biblical allusions in reference to sex. I suppose I wouldn't be against that, but the problem I find is that it seems indecisive of whether the song is subtle or explicit. On the one hand, lyrics like "Open up your gates," could be taken innocently or with a sexual reference in mind. On the other hand, "Your sex takes me to paradise," doesn't really leave a lot to the imagination. If you're going to fill a song with metaphors, I find that it's better to keep at least some ambiguity just to keep the effect alive.
All in all, I'm finding the song to be pretty enjoyable. It's catchy, it's fresh, and it proves that Bruno Mars has what it takes to survive right now. I think it's going to be another hit, but he seriously has a lot of competition, so who knows how well he'll fare against them.
In other news, I've been watching season 2 of X Factor. Last season I was very devoted to it and spent a lot of time talking about my favorite moments. With X Factor it's really easy to pick a favorite and cling onto them; you bite your nails when they could leave, and you cheer when they survive. This season, my favorite girl is CeCe Frey. I just love her obnoxious confidence, it's a really refreshing break from all the sob stories and under-confident contestants. And she's got a really strong voice too, so she proves that just because you're cocky, doesn't automatically mean you're a terrible singer. It also doesn't hurt that her leopard facepaint looks very sexy. She survived the first episode of Boot Camp, now I'll be praying that she keeps on surviving.
Bruno is taking a step in the right direction with "Locked Out of Heaven." He's picking up the pace with his song and turning it into something that could be really easy to dance around to. Yet he's still keeping it true to himself; he's still got signs of his signature style that makes it unique. In the end it's the best of the best; we've got Bruno's smooth and bouncy vocals, put into a tracks that builds into something intense, all backed by a recurring, "Ah yeah, yeah, yeah!"
Lyrically the song uses biblical allusions in reference to sex. I suppose I wouldn't be against that, but the problem I find is that it seems indecisive of whether the song is subtle or explicit. On the one hand, lyrics like "Open up your gates," could be taken innocently or with a sexual reference in mind. On the other hand, "Your sex takes me to paradise," doesn't really leave a lot to the imagination. If you're going to fill a song with metaphors, I find that it's better to keep at least some ambiguity just to keep the effect alive.
All in all, I'm finding the song to be pretty enjoyable. It's catchy, it's fresh, and it proves that Bruno Mars has what it takes to survive right now. I think it's going to be another hit, but he seriously has a lot of competition, so who knows how well he'll fare against them.
In other news, I've been watching season 2 of X Factor. Last season I was very devoted to it and spent a lot of time talking about my favorite moments. With X Factor it's really easy to pick a favorite and cling onto them; you bite your nails when they could leave, and you cheer when they survive. This season, my favorite girl is CeCe Frey. I just love her obnoxious confidence, it's a really refreshing break from all the sob stories and under-confident contestants. And she's got a really strong voice too, so she proves that just because you're cocky, doesn't automatically mean you're a terrible singer. It also doesn't hurt that her leopard facepaint looks very sexy. She survived the first episode of Boot Camp, now I'll be praying that she keeps on surviving.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Carly Rae Jepsen - This Kiss
No question about it, 2012 has been the year for Carly Rae Jepsen. Of course, Canadians like myself have been listening to her for years now; perhaps you'll recall that I posted about "Call Me Maybe" months before it hit America...eh, eh. It's Carly Rae's cute, bubbly sound that people love and she manages to keep that sound while she takes on a new sound as well for "This Kiss."
Right off the bat, that puts Miss Jepsen ahead in my books; she's not afraid to experiment with something a little different. "This Kiss" stays true to the dance sound that's popular right now, while mixing in some 80s style synth-beats. The song is designed really well, so the electric style beats mix right in with Carly Rae's voice and gives a pounding effect to the words she sings. It's definitely something that'll catch your attention.
If you're a loyal Carly Rae fan that perhaps you'll remember when "Tug of War" was her big hit. Well "This Kiss" puts her the opposite shoe on her foot lyrically. This time she's the one out screwing other guys, while she leaves her guy oblivious. It's not really a dirty song, though, it still keeps that cute innocence. Carly Rae reminds us that she knows what she's doing is wrong, yet she just can't resist. "I wish it didn't have to feel like this," she laments while still keeping the song fun and upbeat. These lyrics have meaning and a story to tell. You can tell that there really is thought behind these words. How else you explain the fact that she rhymes 'sentimental' with 'detrimental?'
"This Kiss" really is an awesome song that is sure to keep on boosting Carly Rae Jepsen's unstoppable rise. Like "Call Me Maybe" it's giving something people are sure to like, while offering something that you haven't heard a billion times already. It's cute, it's fun, it's the kind of song that just so easy to love. I think this is sure sign that Carly Rae isn't going anywhere.
It's so nice to know that Canadian (or other countries) artists aren't always confined to their country. I always thought Carly Rae was one of those gems that the rest of the world would never find, yet here we are. Now if only someone would bring Dragonette over to America, I'd be set.
Right off the bat, that puts Miss Jepsen ahead in my books; she's not afraid to experiment with something a little different. "This Kiss" stays true to the dance sound that's popular right now, while mixing in some 80s style synth-beats. The song is designed really well, so the electric style beats mix right in with Carly Rae's voice and gives a pounding effect to the words she sings. It's definitely something that'll catch your attention.
If you're a loyal Carly Rae fan that perhaps you'll remember when "Tug of War" was her big hit. Well "This Kiss" puts her the opposite shoe on her foot lyrically. This time she's the one out screwing other guys, while she leaves her guy oblivious. It's not really a dirty song, though, it still keeps that cute innocence. Carly Rae reminds us that she knows what she's doing is wrong, yet she just can't resist. "I wish it didn't have to feel like this," she laments while still keeping the song fun and upbeat. These lyrics have meaning and a story to tell. You can tell that there really is thought behind these words. How else you explain the fact that she rhymes 'sentimental' with 'detrimental?'
"This Kiss" really is an awesome song that is sure to keep on boosting Carly Rae Jepsen's unstoppable rise. Like "Call Me Maybe" it's giving something people are sure to like, while offering something that you haven't heard a billion times already. It's cute, it's fun, it's the kind of song that just so easy to love. I think this is sure sign that Carly Rae isn't going anywhere.
It's so nice to know that Canadian (or other countries) artists aren't always confined to their country. I always thought Carly Rae was one of those gems that the rest of the world would never find, yet here we are. Now if only someone would bring Dragonette over to America, I'd be set.
Rihanna - Diamonds
Rihanna. We have heard that name nonstop for the past four years...at least. She doesn't know how to take a break and so she just keeps pumping out the same sounding songs over and over and over again until you just want to slam your head against the steering wheel whenever her voice comes on the radio. Occasionally, though, we get a diamond in the blur of repetitive, blaring dance tracks. And "Diamonds" is aptly named, because it is one of these gems.
"Diamonds" isn't the kind of dance song that Rihanna has been giving us lately. It's still a pop song, yet she slows it down a bit and gives us something graceful. You may remember "California King Bed" which I thought was lovely, but definitely didn't match the success of her other hits. "Diamonds" is a similar song, yet it adds much of the strength and excitement that "California King Bed" lacked. The chorus may be slower than what you're used to be, but it just has so much power in the smooth vocals.
Throughout the song Rihanna repeats the phrase "Shine bright like a diamond" with a playful, childish tone. At first I thought it was annoying, yet I realized that this is the perfect final piece to the song. While she's got you hooked with her beautiful singing, this little verse is the part that's going to burrow into your head and make you remember the song.
"We Found Love" was the kind of song that repeated a sentence so many times that it lost all meaning. "Diamonds" is repetitive too, yet it keeps the meaning to the song. There is such a strong emotion behind these words that it really does keep the beautiful every time. Plus the verses contain poetic lines that actually sound interesting and make you want to listen to what she's saying.
While I could still use a break from Rihanna, I'm glad that she is giving us something a little different. The ballad type song is still popular, and Rihanna takes this while mixing in her own style to make the kind of song that is sure to appeal to many fans. I am very impressed with "Diamonds" and I think it may be one of Rihanna's best songs recently.
"Diamonds" isn't the kind of dance song that Rihanna has been giving us lately. It's still a pop song, yet she slows it down a bit and gives us something graceful. You may remember "California King Bed" which I thought was lovely, but definitely didn't match the success of her other hits. "Diamonds" is a similar song, yet it adds much of the strength and excitement that "California King Bed" lacked. The chorus may be slower than what you're used to be, but it just has so much power in the smooth vocals.
Throughout the song Rihanna repeats the phrase "Shine bright like a diamond" with a playful, childish tone. At first I thought it was annoying, yet I realized that this is the perfect final piece to the song. While she's got you hooked with her beautiful singing, this little verse is the part that's going to burrow into your head and make you remember the song.
"We Found Love" was the kind of song that repeated a sentence so many times that it lost all meaning. "Diamonds" is repetitive too, yet it keeps the meaning to the song. There is such a strong emotion behind these words that it really does keep the beautiful every time. Plus the verses contain poetic lines that actually sound interesting and make you want to listen to what she's saying.
While I could still use a break from Rihanna, I'm glad that she is giving us something a little different. The ballad type song is still popular, and Rihanna takes this while mixing in her own style to make the kind of song that is sure to appeal to many fans. I am very impressed with "Diamonds" and I think it may be one of Rihanna's best songs recently.
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