Can't have a Best of 2012 without mentioning One Direction, a truly excellent boy band. I've included "Rock Me" from their latest album,
Take Me Home, because I feel it's the best from that album. Some may feel this pop-rock jam is a bit cheesY, and it is. However, it's the best thing Dr. Luke has done in this terrible year from him. The best thing about "Rock Me" is Louis's long-awaited major solo. His pre-chorus is heavily processed and heavily auto-tuned, but it works; we need more Louis on the 1D tracks. In the verses, the boys sing about the Summer of '09, when most of them were 15. It must have been a special time in their lives? Anyways, the "We Will Rock You" sample has been overdone to death, but it really works here. I also like to imagine them singing "I want you to **** me" instead of "rock me;" the sexual innuendos from 1D never cease! I thought this might be my most-polarizing selection for this list, but then I remembered #16.
This is the best song on
MDNA. I don't care what anyone else says! Everything about it just works; it's the most interesting song on the entire record, from the banjo opening to the bitter, yet stinging, divorce settlement lyrics. Apparently Madge's money was a big deal in her marriage to Guy. "If we opened up a joint account, would that put an end to all your doubt? / Frankly if my name was 'Benjamin,' we wouldn't be in the mess we're in." Go in, Madge! Madonna is no stranger to divorce songs, since she wrote "Till Death Do Us Part" on
Like a Prayer after her breakup with Sean Penn; she uses the "till death..." line once again in "Love Spent". "I want you take me like you took your money / Take me in your arms until your last breath / I want you to hold me like you hold your money / Hold me in your arms until there's nothing left." Truly scathing stuff in this song! But it's still dance-able.
Yassssss The Female Boss aka Tulisa! I only used to stan for this song to piss Ace off (he hates the Female Boss). However, after a few listens, I started to
really stan for this song. It's the Law of Repetitive Listening at work yet again. What's not to love about this song? Tulisa gives an impassioned vocal about "living on the edge of life" and never comprising because she's YOUNG. 2012 was really the year about "young" songs (We Are Young, Live While We're Young, Die Young, etc...), and this may be the best of them. The instrumental chorus is euphoric and chaotic; it just makes me want to dance and jump up and down! Unfortunately, The Female Boss's new album is TRASH, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy her amazing #1 UK hit single! Forgive me for liking this song, 'cause I'm young; yeah, I'm young!