Saturday Singalong: Why Don't You Like Me (The Best Of What We Heard)

This was not a great year for music (reviving my theory that you either get great stuff to watch... or great stuff to listen to, except for 1978/79, and possibly 1983), especially pop, though if I really loved Hip-Hop and R&B I'd be pretty depressed (seriously... Nicki Minaj? Even Super Bass?). Still, there were bright spots, and by the end of the year, it was possible to resume nearly unbroken listening to a pop station... even if it was "Hits 1" on Sirius XM, which jumps on new music faster than New York radio (or LA, since I now get KIIS via satellite, too). In no particular order, ten (okay, eleven) of the songs that brightened my ears:

Mika, Grace Kelly. One of those artists that you're supposed to appreciate if you're gay and offbeat (so perhaps I'm not offbeat enough. Darn), Mika's all seventies era glam rock and whippet thin Brit Boy emo... which I get, but was never entirely my scene (Bowie, even early Bowie, just strikes me as too much, most of the time). But every so often, I just get into it. Grace Kelly has Mika sliiping in snippets of the Princess' better movie lines, lyrically linking Grace's cool demeanor to an unrequited attempt to get love, with Freddie Mercury worship thrown in for good measure. "Why don't you like me, why don't you like me..." is about as universal as it gets.

Foster the People, Pumped Up Kicks. Loping along to its own midtempo beat, sinking the lyrics into a deep, fuzzed up echo chamber, it's hard ot make out how grim this song actually is - best kind, really, those catchy songs about misery (Run baby run, outrun my bullet), it's I Don't Like Mondays for the distingue set. I'd give it a 66.

The Band Perry, You Lie. Lots of people glommed onto If I Die Young, their first single, and the imagery is indeed arresting, but I like the Band Perry for not just being traditional country but rather reverently old school about it. You Lie (like the man with the slicked back hair who sold me that Ford) is full of down home notions about giving up on a no good, lying son of a gun, sung with considerable brio, so much so you wonder what happened to that waif who talked about dying in her teens. "It's what you do, it's who you are..." sing it, sister.

Keri Hilson, Pretty Girl Rock. It's easy to see this as a self satisfied, cartoonish paean to being one of the hot ones... but I prefer to think of it as an ode to inner self confidence. "Don't hate me cuz I'm beautiful..." I mean we all are, aren't we? My walk, my talk... it's not my fault, so please don't trip. 

Lady Gaga, You and I, Edge Of Glory. So retro that by the end of summer, my teeth ached. Never mind the controversy over "Born this Way" and a bunch of obvious... er homages... to Madonna; the whole album, it seemed, was a retro 80s schlock fest of epic proportions (and I'm not even getting into Judas or Marry the Night). You and I is a power ballad of the old school, specific in its imagery (at a time when so many ballads are so generic), and a reminder that Gaga can outsing much of the American Idol crew (Carrie Underwood, we're looking at you). Edge of Glory, on the other hand, is probably the best Laura Branigan song Branigan never sang. With a sax solo! And the last charting hit for Clarence Clemons! Jeez! 

Fantasia, Even Angels. Pretty much the best "Lip-synch for your life" competition song on Drag Race this year (okay, Meeting in the Ladies Room was even more inspired... but familiar), with Fantasia on hand to judge it. I've been trying to accept Fantasia as a baby diva, and this really does it - beautiful images (Even angels learn to fly), and a sweet, unforced delivery. Still not a big fan of her reality show... but I'll wait to hear more.

Beyonce, Best Thing I Never Had. Even if the album took some critical heat and was less of a giant seller, "4" was proof that Beyonce has learned a few things along the way, notably how to really harness her strengths as a singer, and actually shape a song's lyrics... and if she had to be less than perfect in Dreamgirls to figure all that out, I can live with it. This should have been the first single (but many artists and labels are leery of going slower or downtempo out of the box), full of creamy harmonies, and showcasing Beyonce as a real threat to Mary J. Blige, on every level. As with "Irreplacable", Beyonce is probably best on these tough girl, man up or get out type songs (Single Ladies, also). Now, probably, she could use the surer hand of a single producer... but I'm not sure she's figured that out yet.

Britney Spears, Till The World Ends. Britney continued to show that her foray into techno-dance pop is no lark - her beats are serious and deep, and the productions are first rate. She also started to glide away from the porn-y, overly sexed obviousness of stuff like If You Seek Amy and Three, a welcome development. If the payoffs weren't quite as... large, she does seem to have found a place on the pop charts as a mature, longtime presence. Which isn't a bad place to wind up, really. 

JTX, Love in America. One of a string of songs by up and coming synthesizer based young bands (which, I guess, could be a couple of guys and some keyboards, really), Love in America is all summer pop rolled in a ball, a cross country, cross genre celebration of everything from true love to hot sex (buttons on your Levi's about to come loose... cute). There's a glut of these acts - with Cobra Starship and 3OH3 leading the way - but there might be room for about three or so.

Breathe Carolina, Blackout. Another striking use of techno editing to make a point, the stuttery, stop/start rhythms of the chorus are well done, although lyrically the song's kind of a mess. It's amost making me wish I was back on a dance floor, somewhere.

One Direction, What Makes You Beautiful. Just another boy band with five guys and dreams of super stardom, these five come from Britain via The British X Factor (which seems to have much more relevance there than the one trying to get established here). I think they're the guys who came in second to Susan Boyle, if that helps. Anyway, this piece of ear candy strikes me as cheerful as that plastic pop of the mid sixties we used to get from corporate creations like The Archies and The Monkees, all jangly guitars and go-go dancebeats. If only you saw what I can see... you'd understand why I want you so desperately... good stuff, that.

Comments

[CBill]

Susan Boyle was never a contestant on X Factor - her only appearance was as a guest star long after BGT. And she didn't win BGt - she came second. If that helps lol.

[jinb]

I always found Edge of Glory more Celine Dion than Branigan but that's me ; )

[weboy]

Oooh, fun comments! :)

Gaga's voice isn't really like Celine's (insert comparison to screechy thing here), but thematically, I see your point.

It's so hard for me to keep these things straight - Idol, Britain's Got Talent, X Factor, The Sing Off... enough already. :) So... did One Direction win? Or were they just, like, in the finals? :)

[JTX]

glad to see my hot self on the list! More music to cum very soon... thanx for the cool review.. JTX