Bubbling Under Chart: #35-31 "Didn't we almost have it all?" Well, no, you didn't even land somewhere in the middle of the main chart.
#35Mutya Keisha Siobhan
Flatline
Looking for the vital signs in this Mutya Keisha Siobhan comeback attempt (is it a comeback, or the start of something entirely fresh and just as thrilling), but things seem to have flatlined, and I'm not sure there's any resuscitating this was-great and should-have-been-great-the-second-time-around (and still-is-great-as-far-as-I'm-concerned) trio. It's a shame, too. What seems at first to be a complete throw-away does, in time (with repeated listens and an intense longing to find some element of enjoyment), become a real ear-worm of a tune. And truly, the Origibabes sound as spectacular in 2013 as they did a whole decade and change ago. (With time, one almost forgets the glory of Siobhan's sweet, heavenly, tones.) It'd be difficult, if not impossible, to find a more harmonious grouping of such radically distinctive voices. I thought we'd never again have the good fortune of experiencing that intoxicating blend. "No words. No words to describe it. So beautiful. So beautiful..."
The Best Bit: Mutya seems to have grown into her looks.
#34Lady Gaga
Do What U Want (featuring R. Kelly)
A grower of sorts. Ignoring the dubiousness of R. Kelly's appearance on this particular track given his documented sexual deviancy, I really enjoy the odd-ball pairing of the performance art primadonna and her cuddly Pedobear as they alter the human experience with social media, and bring ARTculture into POP in a reverse Warholian expedition. Exploring Gaga’s existence as a cultural interface (OH, I SEE! HOW FASCINATING.), the user will share in the ‘adrenaline of fame’ as they build and share their own projects, chat with one another, and watch in real-time on a virtual globe as ARTPOP explodes onto the physical and virtual universe at once on November 11, our ‘BIG BANG!’ In turn, the album ARTPOP musically mirrors Gaga’s creative process as she passes through the mediums of each artist she collaborates with, scoring a blueprint of her journey. The result, a ‘rage’ of electronic passion and fury, defining each artistic process from beginning to end, ARTPOP could mean anything. (THAT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND!) But for her, this is a celebration of obsession. (THAT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND!)
The Best Bit: I would fall apart
If you break my heart
So just take my body
And don't stop the party
#33Ciara
Body Party
CiCi hasn't done anything this ****able since "Promise" (although "Ride" comes dangerously close to penetrating the same lofty territory).
The Best Bit: Sexy, slinky, beats curtesy of Mike WiLL. ("He made it and it's great, y'all." - Miley Cyrus)
#32Disclosure
You & Me (feat. Eliza Doolittle)
Having missed out on last year's magnificent "Latch" (omitted here due to a 2012 release date), I would have to describe myself as a bit of a latecomer to the Disclosure table. "You & Me", a collaboration with UK songstress Eliza Doolittle (Why can't the English learn to speakgive their popstarsproper popstar names?), so wonderfully mirrors everything ("Broken Record" comes to mind) I love about a good Katy B track and thereby earns mention (ahead of Katy herself, no less) in this year's list.
The Best Bit: So please don't let go
Cause you know
Exactly what we've found
#31Ellie Goulding
Burn
Can we pretend this is a Little Boots single? I like her more.
The Best Bit: Greg Kurstin's pounding production. The most under-appreciated and under-utilized studio maven in the game, no?
Bubbling Under Chart: #30-26 "Didn't we almost have it all?" Well, no, you didn't even land somewhere in the middle of the main chart.
#30Cody Simpson
Pretty Brown Eyes
Australian Bieber does shimmery, summery, beach pop better than anyone else. I like Cody Simpson. He seems like a respectable young gentleman; the sort of young man who goes to bed early. He would never piss in a bucket at a restaurant or deface a poster of beloved former US president Bill Clinton. He definitely wouldn't set foot in a Brazilian brothel. He probably has a decent education. In fact, Australian Bieber probably isn't very Bieber-y in any respect. My apologies for the nickname.
The Best Bit: The rap bit, which, Cody handily tackles on his very own. Your presence not required, Australian Big Sean/Australian Ludacris.
#29Little Mix
Move
There's something to be said for the bold and distinctive musical stylings favored by the Little Mix crew. While never veering entirely off-trend, the girls do not pander for hits (they don't have to) and very rarely do they delve into that same formulaic territory which seems to have trapped contemporaries like The Saturdays. "Move" is quite possibly their most bonkers offering yet.
The Best Bit: Jazzy scales on a keyboard.
#28Rihanna
What Now
Beautiful bombast! Both wonderfully emotive and completely overblown. One of only a few saving graces on an otherwise unpalatable LP. It seems such a pity this one should slip under the radar, relegated to that last hope, sixth single slot. Sure, this isn't the sort of thing one should use to launch an album, but neither was the ridiculous claptrap she called a first single, which I'm convinced only performed so well because of the name attached to it.
The Best Bit: Whatever it is, it feels like
It's laughing at me through the glass of a two-sided meer-arr
#27Ke$ha
C'mon
Ke$ha has a fantastic gift for crafting such wonderfully sing-songy melodies. "C'Mon" offers little in way of innovation— a mere rehashing of the same YOLOstuffs and amusing wordplay that, by this point, has been worn a bit threadbare— but when my foot starts a tappin', I'm willing to overlook a lot.
The Best Bit: That sing-along chorus.
#26Tanika
Bad 4 U
I told you once. I told you twice. I'm only gonna **** with your life, and engine, and tires, and assorted mechanics.
The Best Bit: That video. Talk about autoeroticism. (#FunPuns) Now, picture Katy and her PRISM truck or Gags and her Born Brave bus engaging in this sort of elaborate, sexually-charged, man v. machine tango. Can't imagine it? That's right you can't. They're not operating on this level. #VoteTanika4PopStardom
I've never heard any Little Mix songs besides "Wings," but "Move" is hot! Let me STAN.
"What Now" is such a guilty pleasure of mine. Your description is perfect—beautiful bombast, both wonderfully emotive and completely overblown, indeed!
I'm not sure in what world "C'Mon" is a 2013 single, but okay. For Ke$ha's sake, I'm glad someone still remembers that songs exists.
Quote:
Originally posted by Patrick
Now, picture Katy and her PRISM truck or Gags and her Born Brave bus engaging in this sort of elaborate, sexually-charged, man v. machine tango.m
Oh my god. We have finally a workable concept for the "Do What U Want" video!