Ignore the earlier gif fail.
Again, another tough week - I don't
hate, or even
dislike any of these songs.
Christina Aguilera - Impossible
It's crazy to hear how young her voice sounds. I like what she does more in the bridges than in the verses/choruses, but this just feels like another pose; an appropriation. Very rarely can Christina make me feel anything when she sings, and this is just another example. She also doesn't have a mastery of Alicia's
particular wordplay
- in her voice, the "circus/clown" couplet sounds as ridiculous as it actually is.
1
Alicia Keys - You Don't Know My Name
This actually works. Seven years later, it still gets so much right that it separates itself from other ironic or too on-the-nose homages. Patrick mentioned something earlier about the pinched quality in Alicia's voice, but she puts it to beautiful effect here. I'm also a sucker for sped-up soul samples, and this is one of the best. (Kanye produced this, right?) Plus ... that monologue. !!??!
8
Robyn - Keep the Fire Burning
Maybe the most soulful vocal of the week, one that's deeply indebted to modern R&B, but still crafts something new. There's no doubt that Robyn means every word she sings, and that counts for a lot. Couple that with production that lives, moves, squirms, and there's nothing left but a winner.
7
Hilary Duff - Stranger
Like a lot of her material, Hilary's voice is the drawback - I find myself more interested in the backing vocals. Still a good song, but could be much better with someone else.
2
Lady Gaga - Poker Face
What a difference two years makes. When I first heard this, I thought it was a tacky, melody-free mess and would quickly doom Gaga into one-hit-wonder village. Cut to ...
Incredible layers of production, hook upon hook, and a terrific vocal - seriously, her tone alone in the chorus is worth the price of admission. Bonus points for having a Roisin soundalike do backing vocals ...
5
Roisin Murphy - Movie Star
... especially in a week when Roisin's playing! "Movie Star" was maybe the most obvious single choice on
Overpowered, and with good reason: Everything works here. If only it had a middle eight to lift it into the stratosphere.
6
Florence + the Machine - Hurricane Drunk
The disoriented haze created in the verses works wonders, but the Horrors remix really outshines this.
3
Ke$ha - Sleazy
Oh Kesha. I could write a novel about this song, but I'll spare you - this. knocks. hard.
4