As usual, songs will be up later. Let's see who's playing - and what their second place songs are:



Kelly Clarkson, performing Never Again



Arcade Fire, performing Crown of Love



Nelly Furtado, performing Try



Kanye West, performing Jesus Walks



Freemasons, performing Uninvited (feat. Bailey Tzuke)



Ciara, performing Promise


Mandy Moore, performing I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week



Kylie Minogue, performing Love at First Sight

What say we have all comments due by Friday/Saturday? You know the deal - listen to all eight songs, comment on them and rank them; 8 is your most favorite song, 1 is your least favorite. Have fun!

:: Amazing ::
8. Kylie Minogue - Love at First Sight.
7. Kelly Clarkson - Never Again
6. Kanye West - Jesus Walks
5. Ciara - Promise

:: Ehh ::
4. Nelly Furtado - Try
3. Mandy Moore - I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week

:: ::
2. Arcade Fire
1. Freemasons

Kelly Clarkson - Never Again

I was always perplexed as to how this song wasn't more successful at the time of its release. A bit flat melodically, but the perfect corollary to Since U Been Gone - less pop euphoria, more infuriated passion. Vocal's sterling as always, as a better attempt at this sort of thing than You Oughta Know. 4

Kanye West - Jesus Walks

Always was a bit ... removed from this one; it's stirring, but does little for me. Weakest single from the first album, if one doesn't count The New Workout Plan. And in 2011, it just sounds strange coming from Kanye. 1

Mandy Moore - I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week

Perfectly pleasant 70s-aping pop, but misses the next step into mastery that certain other songs this week accomplish. 3

Arcade Fire - Crown of Love

While Mandy's track hedged a little to closely to parody instead of homage, Arcade Fire take the sum of their influences and make something wholly unique to them. I had never heard this song before, but now I'm in love. And now the tempo's changed! Brilliant. 6

Ciara - Promise

What is this - week of homages? As an admirer of Roger Troutman and his ilk, I can't help but not love Promise. Vocally, Ciara has rarely sounded better, and she just gets it. Arguably Polow's finest production as well. 7

Nelly Furtado - Try

When this was first released, I didn't get it. ATRL was IN LOVE with it, but it just underwhelmed me. As time has passed, however, the way the song plays with sentiment - always earning it, never phoning it in, - really hit home with me. Tough week. 5

Freemasons - Uninvited (featuring Bailey Tzuke)

As much as it pains me to admit, I love the original, Kashmir - jacking "Uninvited," it all it's corporate America's version of grandeur glory. I've heard this version before, and I'll probably leave it in my iTunes, but it doesn't really match it. 2

Kylie Minogue - Love at First Sight

Perfection. Leaving the stan ********tery aside, perfection. How it's this shy of a direct ripoff of Daft Punk and Stardust, but sounds of a piece with them. Her delivery - the life she gives to the worlds is distinct, and incomparable. How the song echoes out in the bridge, and again in the middle eight. If joy - in all of its forms - had a soundtrack, this would be song number one. 8

Mandy Moore, performing I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week 8
Ciara, performing Promise 7
Kelly Clarkson, performing Never Again 6
Kylie Minogue, performing Love at First Sight 5
Nelly Furtado, performing Try 4
Kanye West, performing Jesus Walks 3
Freemasons, performing Uninvited (feat. Bailey Tzuke) 2
Arcade Fire, performing Crown of Love 1

Arcade Fire- 8
Kylie Minogue- 7
Ciara- 6
Kanye West- 5
Kelly Clarkson- 4
Freemasons- 3
Mandy Moore- 2
Nelly Furtado- 1


I loved all of the songs though.

Right? This week is so strong. Great way to start Round 2 off.

8 Kanye West
7 Kylie Minogue
6 Arcade Fire
5 Kelly Clarkson
4 Ciara
3 Nelly Furtado
2 Mandy Moore
1 Freemasons

8) Kanye West - Jesus Walks
7) Nelly Furtado - Try
6) Kylie Minogue - Love at First Sight
5) Arcade Fire - Crown of Love
4) Kelly Clarkson - Never Again
3) Mandy Moore - I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week
2) Freemasons - Uninvited
1) Ciara - Promise

Ridiculous week. When Arcade Fire gets FIVE from me, holy ****. I don't even mind that Ciara song that much.

P.S.: Sorry for being late. What can I say? I'm a procrastinator.

[8] Kylie Minogue "Love At First Sight"
[7] Ciara "Promise"
[6] Nelly Furtado "Try"
[5] Kanye West "Jesus Walks"
[4] Kelly Clarkson "Never Again"
[3] Arcade Fire " Crown of Love"
[2] Mandy Moore "I Could Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week"
[1] Freemasons "Uninvited"

I'm late too

Yup, amazing week for sure.

This week is looking a little bare, so I'm going to do a quick, last-minute submission. Count it or ignore it at your own discretion, Ace.

Ciara, performing Promise: Ciara has simply never been sexier. Pure vocal seduction, and surprisingly lovely to boot. [8]

Kanye West, performing Jesus Walks: Kanye goes off on this one. A brief, fiery flash of the introspective artist to come. [7]

Kylie Minogue, performing Love at First Sight: Just makes me smile every time I hear it. Definitely one of my favorite Kylie tracks. [6]

Nelly Furtado, performing Try: I love the Timbaland-ified Nelly, but it's nice to be reminded that in her original incarnation, she had pretty fantastic moments too.

Kelly Clarkson, performing Never Again: I'll never understand why this underperformed so greatly. Maybe people don't like an angry Kelly, but this track is just as delectably singable as her hits from Breakway.

Arcade Fire, performing Crown of Love: The type of nice, quirky ballad I gravitate to in certain moods. The lead singer's voice gets a little grating, though. And that disco breakdown at the end is certainly... unexpected. [3]

Freemasons, performing Uninvited (feat. Bailey Tzuke): Ha ha, what? The strength of Alanis' original was her hauntingly heartbroken voice and the sparse piano track. [2]

Mandy Moore, performing I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week: I have never even heard of this song before, so I just Googled it. It was a lead single?! While cute, it sounds like the most throwaway of deep album filler cuts to me. [1]