So, half of the year has passed, which means that it's time to look back at what pop music has offered us. Kicking off the celebration, here are my Top 10 songs of 2011, January to July.
10. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera
Even though I've only watched one episode of The Voice (very typical of me, I was slow on the American Idol uptake as well), I am grateful to the show for launching this amazing collaboration between the two judges. The kickass tribute to Mick Jagger's sexual prowess drove the group to a more danceable, but equally trendy territory. As for Aguilera, it's her most meaningful contribution to pop since 2006's Back to Basics.
9. Where You At - Jennifer Hudson - The Idol superstar may have seen a lot of doors open up with her astonishing weight loss, but what hasn't changed is her penchant for a good power ballad. That, and her Grammy and Oscar-winning voice, of course. With "Where You At", Hudson asked a pretty simple question, with all of the fire and passion that has made her one of today's top talents.
8. Give Me Everything - Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Nayer and Afrojack
Pitbull's worldwide #1 smash is a surprisingly elegant take on the inescapable club anthem. Pitbull has one of the smoothest flows out there, and Ne-Yo's irresistible hook is one of the best of the year, enough to make us forget about the ill-fated Libra Scale project. If you're not at least bopping your head a bit to this song, check and see if you have a pulse.
7. E.T. - Katy Perry feat. Kanye West
I was already a fan of this spacey trip from Teenage Dream, but putting Kanye, with his galaxy-sized egom on the remix was a stroke of pop genius. His verses added an extra dose of sex appeal to grind-worthy grit of this ode to outer space romance. The video will probably be a frontrunner at the VMAs this year.
6. Judas - Lady Gaga
I'll preface this by saying that "Born This Way" is not in the Top 10. Shocking, I know, considering how big a fan I am of the Gaga. But the record-smashing #1 completely faded from my mind when I heard "Judas", the second single. While I can understand why it underperformed (religious references, sounded too much like "Bad Romance), this song embodies everything that makes Lady Gaga one of pop's most important artists. Frankly, this song should've been the first single, hands down.
5. Hold It Against Me - Britney Spears
Britney should receive credit for her (or her producers, dependent on your thoughts on her mental state) daring risks with the first song from her latest album. She's the first mainstream pop star to include dubstep in a song, and it paid off greatly. She scored a huge #1 hit, and reminded the other pop girls why she's considered music royalty.
4. Rolling in the Deep - Adele
If one song can be deemed ubiquitous with 2011, it's Adele's amazing "Rolling in the Deep". The fiery kiss-off was everywhere for the longest time (it still is), eventually logging seven weeks atop the US charts. Even with a video of her just sitting in a chair, she effortlessly owned the pop landscape with her smash hit and her even bigger smash album, 21.
3. Turning Tables - Adele
And yet, "Rolling in the Deep" isn't even my favorite from 21. That would be the absolutely flawless, heartbreaking ballad "Turning Tables". Her voice would sound amazing singing gibberish, but the powerful lyrics about ending a dying relationship truly come to life under her tutelage. Gwyneth Paltrow tried it on Glee, but nothing came lose to the original, not even.
2. Best Thing I Never Had - Beyoncé
She started off a bit rough with "Run The World", but Beyoncé quickly smoothed things over with "Best Thing I Never Had". It's certainly a relative to her 2006 smash "Irreplaceable", but everything is so much more. The melody is flawless, her attitude is on point, and her voice literally knocks your socks off. Despite being a lot more safe than other songs on her album 4, "Best Thing I Never Had" sees the diva of our time pushing her limits like never before.
1. Scheiße - Lady Gaga
Honestly, I will never forgive Lady Gaga if this song epic song is not a single. Everything about this song is brilliant: the German gibberish, female empowerment theme, the call-to-arms chorus, and the explosive production by RedOne. It screams sex, dance, energy, and just awesomeness, and the whole world deserves to hear it. For me, it is ranks in the top 2 of Gaga's best songs ever.
Agree with my picks? Disagree? What songs are missing? Drop a comment and let me know!
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