I'm not much of a lying around the pool in the middle of summer kind of girl--give me a book and some shade, thank you very much--but a weeklong early summer vacation in a humid southern state kind of demands it. The songs that fell into frequent rotation for me this year during my "would have been more deserved any time from February to April but by this point was basically just a change in location, not leisure time" vacation (it's heavy on songs I added just before taking off and losing computer access):
Kelly Rowland, "Commander" (the song of summer, and don't pretend it's anything else)
3OH!3 feat. Kesha, "My First Kiss" (does this mean I'm giving in?)
Sean Kingston & Justin Bieber, "Eenie Meanie" (my "maybe the kids are all right" moment with today's teen pop, it's enough bubblegum fun to outweigh the awful "catch a bad chick by her toe" part)
Alexandra Burke, "All Night Long" (the only thing wrong with this song is that the best part is the backing "all night, all night, all night night night night" part, not the actual chorus melody. Other than that, it's just the sort of fun, lighthearted party song the summer demands)
Alphabeat, "DJ" (what's clearly the best song from their most recent album finally gets a single release)
Kesha, "Bootycall" (another Kesha leak/demo, this one could stand with the first few opening and final seconds getting cut, but the '80s candyfloss joy of the chorus and its overproduced '80s drums makes up for it)
Enrique Iglesias feat. Pitbull, "I Like It" (long live Enrique, even if the cynical side of me is unconvinced about staying power here. Plus, well, how can you begrudge him working with RedOne when he's the creator of what's obviously the best "RedOne + artist" tag ever in "Takin' Back My Love"?)
Baby Alice, "Piña Colada Boy" (gimmicky summer fun)
Aggro Santos feat. Kimberly Wyatt, "Candy" (the best thing about this dance-rap song is that the worst lyrics in it--heck, probably the worst lyrics all year--are the catchiest part, delivered in a staccato style so they're as easy to understand as possible, and transcend over into brilliantly awful: "girl. you. look. familiar. Where. do. I know. you. from?/Have. you. been. to. visit. me. at. AggroSantos.com?")
Taio Cruz feat. Ludacris, "Break Your Heart" (one of my favorite pop songs of 2009, so who would have thought the insertion of a couple of Ludacris raps into it could possibly make me love it even more? The best thing Ludacris has done since Usher's "Yeah!", and we all know how amazing that was)
Rogue Traders, "Would You Raise Your Hands?" (back on track after the misfire of "Love Is A War," the Australian dance-rock team delivers a song that never fails to make me pick up the jogging pace)
Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg, "California Gurls" (lightweight, but begging for successive summer plays...and do you know what? There's no point resisting)
Kids Of 88, "Just A Little Bit" (avoiding watching the video, loving this snappy electro-pop song from a two guy New Zealand act)
Jason Derulo, "Love Hangover" (broke down and bought his album just before leaving. It's not a must-own, but why is this not the next single instead of "Ridin' Solo"?)
Scissor Sisters, "Fire With Fire" (confession: the only Scissor Sisters song I've ever really enjoyed before this album campaign was "Paul McCartney." Maybe it's due to Jake is using his voice differently that this particular door opened up, but it's the joyous uplift of the Elton John-meets-the-Killers'-"Human"-but-better of the song itself that sealed the deal)
Mini Viva, "One Touch" (most thrilling Xenomania song since, what, at least "Miss You Bow Wow"? It's the attitude-filled fresh female sound that caused us all to fall in love with Girls Aloud)
Play, "Consequence Of You" (haven't really listened to the Swedish girl group's album, but there's no way there can be anything better than this song on it)
Throw in some random holdovers from spring--Matisse's "Better Than Her," Young Money's "BedRock" (cheesy puns are my weakness; see also: above picture), Lady GaGa's "Alejandro," Kesha's "Your Love Is My Drug," Gabriella Cilmi's "Superhot," etc.--and a few other songs--Dolly Rockers' "Automatic Girl," Taio's "Dynamite"--you've got the new additions. There's a whole summer playlist that gets rolled out, of course, but those standbys will have to compete with some great new songs from the past week or so. In fact, hmm, give me a few minutes...
(By the way, Crystal Bowersox and American Idol, you couldn't have had your hometown visit one week earlier or one week later? Really? It had to be during my previously scheduled and unmovable week away?)
9 comments:
You're back! Let the rejoicing begin! And please don't stay away so long next time!
A terrific list, as usual. May I make two other suggestions? Maria Haukaas Storeng and Mans Zelmerlow's "Precious to Me", which I have been listening to on a video clip because I can't get an mp3 file anywhere, and Kelly Rowland's "On and On", which has already become my "Crash and Burn" for 2010 (also produced by Brian Kennedy).
Yay!!! PG is back! I was scared something's wrong with you, hope you're fine and just took a break :) Commander is genial and hope you'll however give a listen to Play's album, I like "Not The One" even more than "Consequence Of You". What do you think about Katy Perry's "Futuristic Lover"?
I've started my new blog by the way, you're very welcome :)
http://swedishstereo.blogspot.com/
YOU ARE ALIVE! THANK GOD. Were you in alternate universe a la Lost or Fringe?
You're back!!!!! We've missed you so much!
XO - that better not have been a Lost finale spoiler and just a general commentary on the show :P PPG! You have returned - and in love with so much good music. here are my thoughts on some of your thoughts!!
mans and his new car :) What delicious advertising. if only people advertising cars in England were so pretty. have you heard his duet single with Maria someone or the other, Precious To Me? It's quite lovely in a sing a long sort of way!
Mini viva - sigh. such potential. I suspect it isn't going to happen for them. Devastated :/
Scissters - am a huge fan. The album is fairly wonderful though not entirely... Track 4 is the best! This is Elton John does sex on fire and is quite good...
Enrique, Alphabeat, kelly R - i'm all on board for :) Alexandra - i like the song, i'm not blown away by it though... the single version - the start sounds like it should be in Glee and the chorus sounds a bit Paparazzi... nice though overall!
John, GREAT recommendation on the Kelly song! I went out and, um, "found it" after reading that, and I love it. Love. Good reference, too. The Måns/Maria I know and enjoy, though I am never sure how much Måns's involvement always gives me a bias in regards to something.
Damian, you have a blog?! That's great news--definitely very welcome and very deserved. Best Internet news in a while, surely? I really like "Futuristic Lover," though for some reason it always makes me think of Adam Lambert (which is no bad thing in my books). At your recommendation, the Play album will get a listen.
XO, YES! Though not having watched the finales for both those series yet, I'm thinking it's for the best that I've returned--neither of those seem like places you want to be for long periods of time.
Thank you, Nick...and everyone else. It genuinely means something to be welcomed back.
Paul, one highlight of the alternate universe was an Italian waiter--well, water-refiller, really, whatever the technical term for that position is--who looked like he could have been Måns's brother. I just may have drunk my water a little faster than usual that night... I haven't heard the single version of Alexandra's song yet, but did any changes really need to be made to it? Poor MV. Hopefully the Scissters get the success they deserve with this song--it really demands to be a big summer hit.
Missed you, missed you, missed you....WELCOME BACK!!!! :)))
I thought you had been abducted, and not in the sexy Scully/Mulder-type way! So glad you're back! I was at the Will Young/Instinct magazine party on Tuesday night, and Len Whitney, who works at the L.A. venue Will played at, came up to me and told me you were back to blogging.
You are world renowned!
Laura, thank you! I missed you, too--and missed so much news and excitement and what must have been a lot of fun and frustration, both of which are better when shared.
Robbie, that's...wow. I owe Len a thank you! Really nice of him to think of me, to mention me. Über-jealous of you getting to see Will, by the way, and thank you for the welcome back.
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