Top 50 Singles Of 2012: 50-46

50. Donkeyboy - Pull Of The Eye



An enticing blend of Europop, old-school techno and delicious melody. The Summer song that was released a few months too early.

49. Carly Rae Jepsen & Owl City - Good Time



It achieved the impossible. It made Owl City tolerable! You can thank Carly for that.

48. Reece Mastin - Shout It Out



The song that proved Reece was more than one X-Factor-assisted hit. A fantastic blend of pop and rock.

47. Rihanna - Where Have You Been



Not quite We Found Love, but an excellent follow-up that extends the sound, while dirtying it up a little.

46. Straight Up! - Family 



Indie release from Swedish popstars in the making. This has one of the most addictively propulsive choruses of the year.

Carly Rae Jepsen & Owl City - Good Time

"We don't even have to try"

Carly Rae Jepsen is taking over music around the world right now. Call Me Maybe shows no signs of abating, and has really secured its place as the song of Summer 2012. Hot on its heels, though, is this new duet with Owl City. I've never been a fan of Owl City's music (I find his voice very whiny and overly affected), but I'm happy for new Carly. Honestly, I'd prefer a little more meat on the bones of this pop song. The hook is a little phoned it. But, the prediction is lush and Carly's parts are really enjoyable. Regardless of how I feel about it, I predict this is going to rule the airwaves... at least in North America. It's the comeback Owl City needs. Who would have ever predicted it would have come in this way?



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy Carly's EP here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

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+