Pop Blitz 6/13/12

Kylie Minogue - Timebomb
This is the freshest and youngest Kylie's sounded for awhile. I love that this isn't trying to be a big "event" single. It's just an excellent pop song firing on all cylinders. A

Nelly Furtado - Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)
It's been a long time since Furtado's peak of popularity. This tries to recreate that sound, but to lesser effect. There are parts that I like, but the verses grate in a way her voice hasn't before. B-

Katy Perry - Wide Awake
Her gazillionth single from this era. The thing is, though, they've all been pretty good. This lush ballad is the perfect way to conclude an epic run of singles. A-

Kelly Clarkson - Dark Side
I know many will disagree, but I've never been a fan of Clarkson's sulkier singles. This is perfectly serviceable, but it just doesn't stick with me the way her best material does. B-

Rita Ora - R.I.P. (ft. Tinie Tempah)
Is this even a song? I really can't see any reason for this existing. There's no effective hook, no sense of discernible melody, and so many synths that it drowns everything out in a soup of messy production. D+

Usher - Scream
Usher's had a long career, hasn't he? I definitely prefer old 90's Usher and not this new "Ursher" as he annoyingly calls himself. I like that he's "discovered" dance music, but this sounds like everything else out there right now. C

Rudimental - Feel The Love (ft. John Newman)
Could've used slightly more of a vocal hook, but what's there is pretty good. I like the production. It's not overwhelming and the brass is a welcome surprise. I'm not sure I understand why it was #1 in the UK, but it's nice enough. B+

Pop Blitz 6/13/12 Your Choice!

Kyle Minogue - TimebombNelly Furtado - Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)Katy Perry - Wide AwakeKelly Clarkson - Dark SideRita Ora - R.I.P. (ft. Tinie Tempah)Usher - ScreamRudimental - Feel The Love (ft. John Newman)

Free polls from Pollhost.com

Pop Blitz 4/6/11

Noah & The Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.
I've been very much enjoying this band's reinvention as a slick, melodic aor rock act. This isn't one of my favorites from the album, but it's got a laid-back nostalgic sound. B+

Usher - More
Usher delves even further into club sounds, and this is one of his strongest singles in years. It's very Taio Cruz, which means it's gonna sound old fast, but for now I'm enjoying this. B+

Pitbull - Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor)
Empty calories. I'm not a fan of the heavily distorted vocals that make up the chorus to this. Pitbull's part is passable, but I don't think this is all that memorable. C

Alexis Jordan - Good Girl
There's something refreshing about Jordan's simple, airy pop. The drums on this are fantastic, but on the whole it's not as strong as her debut. The chorus is pretty strong, though. B+

Mumford & Sons - The Cave
Melodically, this is like a slowed down version of their last single. It's a nice, strummy, Summer-sounding single. Very pleasant, but I'm already a little sick of it. B

Willow Smith - 21st Century Girl
Not a bad song, necessarily, but the delivery is very annoying and the lyrics are just ridiculous given who the singer is. Give this to Rihanna, switch it up a bit, and it could be pretty good. B-

The Strokes - Under Cover Of Darkness
Their much-lauded return to form kicks off with this pleasant, jangly single. They've had stronger, for sure. I love the sound of it, but there isn't really much of a hook beyond the guitars. B-

Pop Blitz 7/16/10

Fefe Dobson - Ghost This sounds A LOT like the Veronicas and not much at all like Dobson's older stuff. It's more synth-heavy. I just wish it was a little less forgettable. Still think she's a dynamic performer, though. B-

McFly - Party Girl
Or, "McFly goes Gaga." They get points for trying something completely different, but they should have bypassed current trends (could this sound more '09-10?) and gone for a more classic dance sound. But it's somewhat promising. B

Swedish House Mafia (ft. Pharrell) - One
Great beat, massive sound, but will it be remembered this time next year? Doubt it. Though as far as club/dance songs go, I like this a lot more than I would have thought. B+

Usher - DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love Again
As much as I hate to admit it, I was totally won over by OMG (though it took me two months). This just sounds like Taio Cruz. It's a good thing, and a step up from the usual Usher single, but I see it getting irritating fast. Then again, maybe it'll win me over, too. B-

JLS - The Club Is Alive
Wow, I actually dislike this quite a bit. It's so unimaginative and ticks all the current musical trends in the most boring way possible. I liked some of their earlier songs, but this is nearly unbearable. So dull. D+

Yolanda Be Cool - We No Speak AmericanoThese novelty European dance hits just keep getting stranger and stranger. But even though I'm not a fan of the old-timey samples over modern beats thing, this is a better example of the genre than most. B

Professor Green (ft. Lily Allen) - Just Be Good To Green
Even Lily can't save this one. I really hate this Professor Green character. He's got one of the most irritating voices on pop radio. This is something I'd actively avoid, and if it wasn't for the Lily parts it would be an easy F. As it is, it's a solid D