YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS at Sammy! Only One is a killer good song and plus he is HOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!
Glad to see Bad For Me there too - to be fair though, it was kinda annoying at first since it was in that Kohl's commercial. But then Radio Disney played it and I got hooked. lol.
Another one of the country hits that I found myself liking during the summer of 2012. It's definitely not your typical country song, it's a lot slower and I would almost call it a ballad. Luke has a very unique voice and I haven't quite decided if I like it or not, but I think it works well with this song. He should stick to more songs like this, I don't really like his upbeat music and I especially disliked Country Girl (Shake It for Me). While some of the lyrics are kinda cringeworthy (girl you make my speakers go boom boom? if you ain't a 10 you're a 9.9? ) it still has a great melody and it's definitely one of my favorite country songs of the year. This is the only song by Luke Bryan in the list.
Bridgit Mendler "Ready or Not"
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I heard that this new Disney girl was coming. I mean, Disney has produced some surprisingly great artists like Demi Lovato and Aly & AJ, and some pretty bad artists who I'd prefer not to name. But then I listened to the song. And while I don't think it's anything amazing or epic, it's a really fun song with a great hook. Also, I hadn't heard any of Bridgit's Lemonade Mouth material so I didn't know quite what to expect of her voice, and I was pleasantly surprised by her tone. It's perfect for bubbly pop songs such as this. Unfortunately, the song isn't doing so well on the Hot 100 and I don't know why, it's so much better than many pop songs released this year I hope this isn't the end for Bridgit, I think she has a lot more up her sleeve. This is the only song by Bridgit Mendler in the list.
Brandy & Monica "It All Belongs to Me"
The hugely talented ladies came together for the first time in almost 15 years to give us this smooth R&B track. Maybe during their prime in the 1990s they got the attention they deserved, but right now I think they're criminally underrated, they both have such amazing voices perfectly suited for this genre. The lyrics of the song are really great, they were fighting over a man in The Boy is Mine and now they're breaking up with that same man in It All Belongs to Me. Not to mention the vocals, even if Brandy and Monica are past their prime they're still running circles around all the current R&B girls (well except Emeli Sandé, but that's a story for another time ) The fact that this masterpiece couldn't become a hit shows how dead R&B really is right now. This is the only song by Brandy & Monica in the list.
The Summer Set "F**k U Over"
Here's a band that I completely forgot about for so long. They released their song Chelsea in 2009 and it was an immediate love, I played it all the time. I got over it eventually though and since they never had a hit or any major radio play, they faded from my memory. However, this year I had a phase where I went back through all these pop-rock acts that I used to love. Hey Monday, Evan Taubenfeld, The Downtown Fiction, A Rocket to the Moon, Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and then The Summer Set. I searched them on ATRL and props to Razzle on this one, I found the video for their new single F**k U Over. The song may be generic but Brian has such a unique voice, I don't think there's another one quite like it. The personal footage in the video, especially when Brian dresses up in a partial dog outfit (or mouse, I can't tell) are just priceless.
Plus I think I kind of have a man crush on him This is the only song by The Summer Set in the list.
Gossip "Move in the Right Direction"
I have many ways to discover great new music that I wouldn't have found otherwise, and when the songs come up on this countdown I try to remind myself to give shouts to those sources. This time, I'm gonna give a shout to VH1. They premiered this video on their Top 20 Countdown and while they never added it to their playlist , I was able to fall in love with the song on first listen. It almost reminds me of a synth-pop song from the 80s, especially during the instrumental parts. I'm surprised to see a woman fronting this sort of band, because they are in a male-dominated genre, but it's a brave move and a nice change of pace to hear once in a while. This is the only song by Gossip in the list.