Pop Blitz 5/6/11

Friendly Fires - Live Those Days Tonight
Like their past singles, this has that distinct electro-indie vibe. I can appreciate it, and I actually quite like it, but there's something holding me back from loving it. The production is probably the strongest aspect. B

Jordin Sparks - I Am Woman
She's recorded exactly two brilliant pop songs in her career and everything else has really failed to impress me. This, unfortunately, will be filed with "the rest." From the cluttered production to the girl power lyrics, it's like a subpar Beyonce b-side. C

Hard-Fi - Good For Nothing
It's been a long time. The band definitely suffered from the sophomore slump, but I'm not sure if this is enough to bring them back out of obscurity. They've lost much of their electronic influence in favor of guitars. C+

Lady Antebellum - Just A Kiss
They're clearly aiming for the kind of crossover success they achieved with their breakout single, as this isn't all that country. Instead, it's a calibrated-for-radio-success ballad that sounds an awful lot like their last one. Nice vocals and melody in the verses, but it's a little sleepy. The chorus should be stronger. B-

Jennifer Lopez - I'm Into You
It's certainly a comedown from the excellent On The Floor. This midtempo, slightly Latin sounding pop song has some of the dippiest lyrics of the season, but the melody is infuriatingly catchy. B

Rye Rye - Never Will Be Mine (ft. Robyn)
I never thought something that sampled Robyn could be so bad. Rye Rye basically takes on of the best songs of the last decade (Be Mine, the acoustic version in this case) and craps all over it. My only hope is that this would lead people to listen to the original. D-

Cody Simpson - On My Mind
He's tried to be the next Justin Bieber so hard, but it was never gonna happen. Now that his voice has changed, he's aiming to become the next Chris Brown, apparently. As derivative as this is, it's still the best thing he's recorded by far. B-

Pop Blitz 4/19/11

Lady Gaga - Judas
Yes, it's basically Bad Romance Part Two, but you can't deny that the thing's catchy. A little more innovation would have bumped this up a notch, but Gaga by the numbers is still something to get excited about. A-

Alexandra Stan - Mr. Saxobeat
The latest European dance hit, sampling a saxophone loop. It's hardly original, and it's not as catchy as either We No Speak Americano or Stereo Love, two similar hits in this genre. It's just a little dull. C+

Jennifer Lopez - Papi
After On The Floor, which I loved, Jennifer Lopez suddenly got interesting again. This isn't quite up to that level, even though it strives for the same international appeal. Still, it's better than the stuff she's been releasing the past few years. B

Tinie Tempah - Written In The Stars
After hitting it big in the UK, this seems to be Tempah's American breakthrough. It's got a nice hook that reminds me of that Airplanes song from last summer. It's better than that, though nothing that's really knocking my socks off. The surging production is the best part. B-

Owl City - Galaxies
A couple years ago, I hated nothing more than Owl City and his whiny Fireflies song. The vocals in this are so much more tolerable and the melody and production is shockingly good. What ruins it are the cheesy religious lyrics. I wish they were in another language so that I could ignore them. B

LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
A hit around the world, this has (weirdly) yet to strike in America. Give it time. This will be everywhere. It's irritating, yet somehow it's almost impossible not to like. It's what BEP could sound like if they didn't take themselves so seriously. The video's better than the song, though. B-

Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song
After a pair of strong singles, this Jason Mraz castoff is a misstep. I can't believe this was chosen as a single. It's a weak album track, at best, with annoying lyrics. I hope to god I don't have to hear this over and over on the radio. D+

Pop Blitz 3/8/11 - Diva Edition

Avril Lavigne - What The Hell
What an odd career path this girl's had. And who, honestly, thought she'd be around this long? This dials down the snottiness of Girlfriend and seems to be a natural transition. Catchy chorus, but the whole thing's definitely lightweight. B

Nicole Scherzinger - Don't Hold Your Breath
Her best single to date, by a mile. Though it remains to be seen whether or not this will get a big push in the US, it's a strong pop song with a great beat. Nicole should stick to this poppier sound. It suits her voice better than the slinky r&b they're trying to market her with. A

Keri Hilson - Pretty Girl Rock
Not bad. It's silly and a little stupid, but good fun at the same time. And that slow-burning hook really gets under your skin. B+

Britney Spears - 'Till The World Ends
It's not a good sign when the best part is the Britney-less chant that makes up the chorus. It reminds me of Deep Forest (anyone?). The rest is just not that good. The song could have been special with warmer, less synthetic vocals. C+

Rihanna - S&M
I used to like Rihanna, but this is just stupid. She should take cues from Janet's The Velvet Rope on how to tackle this subject in a more subtle, artistic way. The vocals grate and the lyrics are pretty cringe-worthy. C-

Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor
I didn't expect to like this, but I see now why it's become the worldwide hit it is. She's cleverly mixed about every trend in dance/pop that she could find, and it actually works. There's something very European about the sound. A-

Ke$ha - Blow
I've made my distaste for Ke$ha known on this blog several times, but I'm always willing to give new singles a chance because I've been surprised before. This sounds like a worse version of the Britney song. I just can't wait until we don't have to hear this voice anymore. D