The 100 Best Songs Of 2011: 70-61

70. BAD MEETS EVIL ft. BRUNO MARS ‘Lighters’

Credit where credit is due: the usually okay-at-best-but-not-The-Lazy-Song-that’s-just-horrific Bruno Mars is great here, as the nearly anonymous chorus-vocalist in this, the big hit single from Bad Meets Evil’s 2011 mini-album/EP/whatever. Eminem and Royce Da 5’9″ reunited this year for Hell: The Sequel, which just missed out on being in my top albums of the year, and ‘Lighters’ is a big cry-along melodrama which reminds me of past Eminem classics like ‘Sing For The Moment’ and ‘Like Toy Soldiers’. The glory of ‘Lighters’ is in the anxiety of the verses giving way to the chorus, and producers The Smeezingtons (which means Bruno again) bring the pop sensibility they brought to past triumphs ‘Fuck You’ and ‘Grenade’.

69. JAY-Z & KANYE WEST ‘H•A•M’

Another one of those apparent “disappointments” I cannot fathom – ‘H•A•M’ is fucking awesome, was the perfect lead-in for Watch The Throne, and deserved to be on the main tracklist. That cascading choir during the chorus (all this alliteration, I feel like Courtney Stodden) makes this feel like some ancient epic sent to us through the power of time travel, and while Kanye is weaker than usual, Jay-Z is at his best here. That “really half a milli” section is one of my favourite bits of any song released this year.

68. COLDPLAY ‘Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall’

I love the lyrics in this, which copped a bit of flack for being “cheesy”. Cheesy is fine by me when it sounds this good, and lines like “cathedrals in my heart” are so beautiful and ridiculous that I can’t help but fall in love. ‘Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall’ is, yes, built for stadiums and crowd participation, but it’s also a song about having a personal, one-on-one relationship with music. Sound sugary and saccharine? You bet, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

67. FLORENCE + THE MACHINE ‘Shake It Out’

I don’t think Flo is that much like Kate Bush, they’re just both English and have red hair, but ‘Shake It Out’ feels like her ‘Running Up That Hill’. It’s a shout-it-from-the-mountain anthem that feels like a bomb dropping in slow motion, and now that I’m listening to it again I feel like it is the female version of the Coldplay epics we’ve been discussing previously. With some of the best lyrics of the year, this is a summation of everything Florence is about, and it very nearly tops her best song, ‘Rabbit Heart’. Nearly.

66. LADY GAGA ‘Yoü And I’

Shania lives! Like ‘Marry The Night’, ‘Yoü And I’ is not the right choice for a single and the video was boring but it is a great track in its own right. It has already proven itself as a rousing live anthem and whether you’re a fan of ballad Gaga or not, it’s hard to deny that ‘Yoü And I’ has some great lyrics and a surprisingly authentic classic rock feel. “Muscle cars drove a truck right through my heart” is one of my favourite lines on Born This Way, and while the video and the drag king stupidity left a bad taste in my mouth, it still didn’t ruin this excellent song.

65. ALEXANDRA STAN ‘Mr. Saxobeat’

I’m so happy The Cheeky Girls are still influencing pop all these years later. This piece of European trash gloriousness is straight from the nineties and I couldn’t be more pleased. It even cracked America! Alexandra Stan rides this 1995 beat with her nonsensical ode to the titular Mr. Saxobeat, who could really be anyone or anything – who cares. The melody and the throwback vibe is the star here, and I hope Alexandra continues to revive Alice Deejay and doesn’t become a one-hit wonder.

64. KATE BUSH ‘Snowflake’

The opening track on 50 Words For Snow is one of the slowest and most atmospheric Kate songs ever. With lead vocal taken by Kate’s son Bertie, who sounds almost creepily like the choirboy on 1982′s ‘All The Love’, ‘Snowflake’ drifts along very gently, with Kate dropping in every now and then. Of course, she is playing the beautifully simply piano during the song, and the mix of voices and sounds are deceptively straightforward. This uncomplicated track is the important introduction into the world Kate has built for this remarkable album.

63. RUPAUL ‘Glamazon’

The extravaganza of this song! ‘Glamazon’ is a monstrous werqout that sashays and shantés all over the place. With OTT lyrics like “SASHAY! SHANTÉ! PANTHER ON THE RUNWAY!” and a huge, catchy chorus, this is simply a boatload of fun. Keeping in with Ru’s key theme of being yourself and being fabulous, this tale of a “female phenomenon” is presented as being about one person, but it’s really about anybody who has confidence in themselves and isn’t afraid to show a bit of realness in the way they carry themselves.

62. BRITNEY SPEARS ‘I Wanna Go’

‘I Wanna Go’ is one of my most played songs of the year but I’m putting it a little bit low on this list because it really does sound a lot like the single that directly preceded it, ‘Till The World Ends’. But the track has its own unique charms, including Britney’s not entirely convincing claim that she hasn’t already shown us all the dirt she’s got running through her mind. We remember ‘Touch Of My Hand’, girl! Such filth. But the pure pop rush of the chorus and the awesome video made sure ‘I Wanna Go’ was a huge hit (in America at least) and one of the clear standouts on the defining Femme Fatale.

61. BEYONCÉ ft. ANDRE 3000 ‘Party’

This is so old school (old school for me = late nineties). I feel like TLC are about to pop up on guest vocals, or at least Missy Elliott. And we do get a star from yesteryear as a guest in Andre 3000 – when Outkast get another album out I’ll call him current again – whose precise, laid-back flow fits this beat perfectly. Meanwhile, Beyoncé gets her swagu (I don’t know what that is) on and rolls around in the four-poster-bed that is the ‘Party’ instrumental. The “we like to partayyy” hook is infectious and this trip back in time is a centrepiece of the uneven 4.

The 100 Best Songs Of 2011: 80-71

80. COLDPLAY ‘Paradise’

Coldplay are known for their epics – ‘Clocks’, ‘Speed Of Sound’, ‘Viva La Vida’, and now ‘Paradise’, the biggest hit so far from their excellent album Mylo Xyloto. Riding along an infectious “para-para-paradise” hook and some truly massive instrumental work, this is at once self-aware and completely innocent. As the backing vocals sail through the speakers and Chris Martin’s voice climbs higher and higher, ‘Paradise’ really feels like it lives up to its title.

79. LADY GAGA ‘Marry The Night’

‘Marry The Night’ is not a good single and the video put me to sleep. But it is a great song, and a great album opener for Born This Way, representing a lot of the sounds and styles to be found within. I like the verses much more than the chorus, although the “M-M-M-MARRY, M-M-M-MARRY” is a fantastic singalong bit and I expect that will be amazing in concert. This is the sort of thing Gaga does best, and I’m quite happy to pump my fist along with it and sing like a fool.

78. JAY-Z & KANYE WEST ft. FRANK OCEAN ‘No Church In The Wild’

This sinister, drug-soaked track opens Watch The Throne with the same weight and sense of grandeur that ‘Dark Fantasy’ invoked on Kanye’s last masterpiece. The two rappers are at their creepy best, playing selfish, awful characters (or are they playing themselves?) who go on benders and treat people badly and just don’t give a fuck. “What’s a God to a non-believer?”, the chorus asks, and I feel like these two could answer that question quite accurately. The high-flying mafia fantasy comes to life on ‘No Church In The Wild’, and it is a thriller.

77. KATE BUSH ’50 Words For Snow’

It sounds ridonkulous – Stephen Fry recites fifty words that all mean snow while Kate Bush counts for him and then occasionally eggs him on with a rousing chorus. And it all go for eight and a half minutes. And it is completely ludicrous, but it works because Kate manages to put this crazed feeling into it, like reaching number 50 is going to save the world from a catastrophe. Slinking and sliding around for ages but never feeling like an extra-long song, ’50 Words For Snow’ is not a track you’d listen to on repeat, or even very often. But it is further proof that Kate can take a strange idea (remember ‘Pi’ from Aerial?) and turn it into something awesome.

76. BLINK-182 ‘Up All Night’

It’s amazing how much this sounds like it’s from 2003. That is definitely a good thing, by the way. 2003 was awesome. ‘Up All Night’ is classic Blink-182, reuniting these voices and these band members for the first time in years, and everything falls directly back into place where they were before. That’s not to say there hasn’t been progression – this feels more polished than a lot of their earlier material – but their knack for an amazing chorus and a great melody are present and accounted for.

75. MELANIE C ‘Think About It’

So the guitars sound like Kelly Clarkson and she looks like Clare Maguire’s twin in the video, but this voice could only belong to one person – Melanie C, and this is the catchiest thing she’s released since ‘I Turn To You’. Melanie’s comeback album The Sea had lots of great songs but ‘Think About It’ was a clear standout, a slice of power pop that blasts itself into your ears and organises to stay there on a permanent visa. It was a shame that it didn’t do very well, but that’s just the reality of it for most nineties stars these days, and a low chart position doesn’t detract from the highs to be found within this song.

74. DUCK SAUCE ‘Big Bad Wolf’

The genius is in the simplicity. Last time it was two words – “Barbra Streisand” – this time four, with “the big bad wolf” accompanied by a rolling beat and a glorious “AWOOOOOOOO” from a Crazy Clark’s sound effects compilation CD. There’s not that much more to say about the song, it’s just excellent and annoying and amazing all at once. And the video is truly something else, an Aphex-Twin-style freakout that needs to be seen to be believed.

73. TAKE THAT ‘Love Love’

Take That had the song of the year in 2010 with ‘The Flood’, which stills leaves me for dead with its brilliance. While ‘Love Love’ isn’t quite as good as that gift from heaven it stills boasts a massive chorus and as the lead-in for the re-release of Progress, it tweaks their sound ever so slightly (this is a liiiittle bit heavier sounding than their other recent singles) while staying familiar and making sure that the two people in Britain who haven’t already bought the album do so quickly and in an orderly fashion. From the thumping intro to the we-flicked-through-the-Bible-and-found-some-phrases-we-liked lyrics, ‘Love Love’ is Take That via Coldplay, U2 and Gary Barlow’s ego.

72. SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM ‘We Love’

Basically everybody else preferred ‘Big’, but I thought ‘We Love’ was actually, if not technically the better song, more fun. A bouncy eighties beat and Miss Connie doing something funny with her voice that I can’t describe make this stand out from the crowd, and it just makes you generally feel good. The weird (“would you like to buy a shiny banana?”) and gross (“gosh, you’ve got me covered”) lyrics don’t make any sense and the video is crap but sometimes you just have to go with what you feel – and ‘We Love’ puts a smile on my face.

71. ALEX GAUDINO ft. KELLY ROWLAND ‘What A Feeling’

Kelly Rowland is much better suited to R&B than dance (for example, ‘Down For Whatever’ is fucking diabolical and ‘Motivation’ is a masterpiece) but sometimes while doing music for her gays she really gets it right and ‘What A Feeling’ is one of her best-ever songs. Teaming with Alex Gaudino, who previously helmed the defining ‘Destination Calabria’, this is an old fashioned belter, with cheesy lyrics (“Favourite star I used to stare at every night”? Gurl…), a simple beat that anyone can dance to and a chorus just begging to be screamed out by every drunk bitch on the floor.

16 Great Songs That Didn’t Make My Top 100 Songs Of The Year

Poor Havana Brown.

116. HAVANA BROWN ’We Run The Night’

115. R.E.M. ‘We All Go Back To Where We Belong’

114. NICOLA ROBERTS ‘Sticks + Stones’

113. MEAT LOAF ‘All Of Me’

112. KE$HA ‘Fuck Him He’s A DJ’

111. SHAKIRA ft. PITBULL ‘Rabiosa’

110. ALEXIS JORDAN ‘Hush Hush’

109. RIHANNA ft. JAY-Z ‘Talk That Talk’

108. TORI AMOS ‘Shattering Sea’

107. NICOLA ROBERTS ‘Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime’

106. JAY-Z & KANYE WEST ‘Niggas In Paris’

105. COLDPLAY & RIHANNA ‘Princess Of China’

104. THE SATURDAYS ‘Notorious’

103. NICOLE SCHERZINGER ft. 50 CENT ‘Right There’

102. CEE LO GREEN ‘Anyway’

101. BJÖRK ‘Cosmogony’

The 23 Best Albums Of 2011: #6. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne

If Kate Bush hadn’t birthed two gifts this year, my most anticipated album would have easily been Watch The Throne, the much-hyped collaboration between two of the greatest artists of the past twenty years: Kanye West and the man that made him, Jay-Z. Having just come off two career highs (commercial high for Jay, critical high for Ye), this was poised to be either a defining artwork for the ages or an excessive meltdown. Somewhat disappointingly, it failed to be either. It was instead simply an enjoyable record by two of the modern masters.

Not as heavy as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy nor as pleasingly Hot 100-friendly as The Blueprint 3, Watch The Throne instead found a groove somewhere just below classic, throwing out excellent tracks like ‘Otis’, ‘Niggas In Paris’, ‘No Church In The Wild’ and the Beyoncé-featuring ‘Lift Off’. Those four songs – which perhaps not coincidentally open the album – hit a high that is never again reached, only coming close when we get to the bonus tracks. ‘Illest Motherfucker Alive’ and ‘H•A•M’ both deserved to be on the proper Watch The Throne tracklist. While it didn’t match my lofty expectation, this was still the most fun to be had on a hip-hop album in 2011.

Songs Of The Week: 11/09/11

So I’m going to try something I’ve thought about but never done: a list of my ten favourite current songs, every week. I can’t see this being super-interesting to anyone but me, but considering this blog is full of my stupid opinions, this list offers a snapshot of what current* songs I’m listening to/watching the music video of/cry-singing along to/dancing around to this week. Thrilling! Better than the ARIA charts, anyway.

*Current means a recent single, a track on a recent album, or an old song being re-released or re-promoted or remixed (see this week’s number 10).

1. THE SATURDAYS All Fired Up

2. DARREN HAYES Bloodstained Heart

3. LEONA LEWIS & AVICII Collide

4. KELLY ROWLAND ft. LIL’ WAYNE Motivation

5. ADELE Set Fire To The Rain

6. DEMI LOVATO Skyscraper

7. JAY-Z & KANYE WEST No Church In The Wild

8. NICOLA ROBERTS Beat Of My Drum

9. MELANIE C Think About It

10. YOKO ONO Talking To The Universe

Single Review: Kanye West & Jay-Z – ‘H•A•M’

From The Blueprint 3 to ‘Power’, ‘Empire State Of Mind’ to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, basically every single and album put out by Jay-Z and Kanye West over the past few years has been top quality. Their joint album Watch The Throne is due soon and my anticipation levels are through the roof. Word has it that ‘Monster’ was intended for the album, and even though it was eventually included on Dark Twisted Fantasy instead, it certainly is a good sign of things to come. The official first single, ‘H•A•M’, continues this trend.

The most immediately exciting thing about the song is the production, and it opens with a riff that sounds like the start of a PWL single… from the future. Kanye’s trademark surroundings – harsh beats and hallelujah choruses – are put to good use here, and we flip-flop back and forth between stuttering drums and a choir that arrived straight out of a melodramatic film score. The lyrics are great too, revealing that the abbreviation stands for “hard as a motherfucker”, and both performers deliever verses that don’t disappoint or betray such a title. This isn’t an instant classic, it isn’t the best these two have sounded together, but it is still so good that it means I’m frothing at the mouth for Watch The Throne, which I suspect is exactly how ‘H•A•M’ wants me to feel.

7/10

Just Killed Another Fashion Model, It’s A Mild Day: The ‘Monster’ Video Has Arrived

Warning: video will probably be deleted in like five seconds.

First things first (I’ll eat your brains… sorry), this is not quite the finished video yet. Second things second, this isn’t the classic I was hoping for. It’s no ‘What It Feels Like For A Girl’ or ‘Thriller’ or even a ‘Work’ by Ciara (which was absolutely a classic video and I’ll hear nothing to the contrary), but it does succeed on a number of levels. Here they are.

Level 1: Giving Nicki Minaj Something Amazing To Do

It is a known fact that Nicki’s verse on ‘Monster’ is the best part of the song and praise Kanyesus because it’s the best part of the video too. It seems like Monster Nicki has captured her Pink Girly counterpart, which is an interesting concept that also got played out on her album track ‘Dear Old Nicki’. What follows is DOUBLE THE NICKI, which could never be considered a bad thing.

Level 2: Possible Unintended/Subtle Humour

I thought Kanye moving the hands of the dead models he’s in bed with was a funny touch but maybe it wasn’t intended that way – and of course, there is always Nicki’s facial expressions.

Level 3: Everybody Is In It

How terrible would it have been if Jay-Z couldn’t do it or something and they had to do something else while his verse was on? Even Rick Ross is here and he only has four lines.

Level 4: The Atmosphere Fits The Song Perfectly

‘Monster’ was one of my songs of the year so it would have been disappointing to see them get the video wrong, but they did a very good job of complementing the track and all the things that made it so great. This is such a visual song, and I’ve been pretty much seeing a fake video in my head for the past few months while listening to it, and this video is fairly close in terms of look and feel to what I felt the video should be like.

Level 5: We Get Close-Ups Of Kanye’s Diamond Teeth

One day I’ll have diamond teeth, until then I can print out a screenshot of Kanye’s mouth and glue the bit of paper the screenshot is printed on to my own teeth. Raaahhhh, I’mma a motherfucking… weirdo.

The 100 Best Songs Of 2010: #5. Kanye West ft. Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross & Bon Iver – ‘Monster’

from the album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

The best moment of Kanye’s stellar year, in a twist of cruel irony, had to be shared with others who almost steal his spotlight completely. Rick Ross appears first for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo, in which he acts as a hype-man more than anything else, before making way for Kanye’s first verse. Kanye is above and beyond his normal level of greatness here, and it makes the fact that the song just gets better all the more exciting.

Jay is next, vicious as ever using his monster metaphors as much as possible, but we all know what’s coming next. Nicki. She steamrollers over everybody else in the song, almost making us forget that there were even other rappers on it in the first place. Every line is filled with this contagious energy, and as she reaches the end, she also reaches breaking point: “look at what you just saw, this is what you live for” – then, an ear-splitting scream – “I’M A MOTHAFUCKIN’ MONSTER!!!”

And she’s totally right, moments like that – and songs like ‘Monster’ – are what I live for.

The 100 Best Songs Of 2010: #90-81

DAFT PUNK

‘The Game Has Changed’

from the album TRON Legacy: Original Soundtrack

One of the most thrilling little sections of the album, ‘The Game Has Changed’ charges forward in a storm of drums and strings, with electronic effects poured in at just the right times to make it all the more exciting. This perfectly captures tension and intensity, portraying a whole range of emotions and making this a clear highlight of a fantastic record.

LADY ANTEBELLUM

‘American Honey’

from the album Need You Now

This shares many elements with ‘Need You Now’ without sounding like a retread at all: the intertwined males and female voices, the pop approach with charming countrified twang, the impressive and catchy melody. It was a no-brainer for second single and became their third straight country number one and third straight single to reach the top thirty of the Hot 100. And they would have been the country crossover story of the year, if it wasn’t for that pesky Taylor Swift.

T.I. ft. CHRISTINA AGUILERA

‘Castle Walls’

from the album No Mercy

Oh boo hoo. That was my initial reaction to ‘Castle Walls’, in which T.I. and Christina Aguilera lament the life of the rich and famous, which really isn’t a subject many of us can relate to (although I’m sure it’s fascinating for them). I don’t think it will hurt this in the long run though, because as soon as you get past the theme you’ll find a worthy sequel to the melacholy classics that came from Paper Trail, ‘Live Your Life’ and ‘Dead And Gone’. Christina gives one of her most understated and emotional vocal performances, and shows a side of her voice that we don’t hear enough. In the grand tradition of ‘Love The Way You Lie’ and ‘Airplanes’, expect ‘Castle Walls’ to dominate radio in early 2011.

RIHANNA ft. DRAKE

‘What’s My Name?’

from the album Loud

This is the closest Rihanna has come to the light atmosphere of ‘If It’s Lovin’ That You Want’ and ‘We Ride’ since we all stood under her umbrella in 2007. ‘Rude Boy’ had the vibe, but it was still so aggressive. Here, she gives the man a chance to “go downtown” without forcibly pushing his head down there and then slapping him across the face with a giant dildo. No, it’s much more relaxed this time, and while Drake’s verse is still perplexing after multiple listens, ‘What’s My Name?’ will be remembered as the purest fun to be had on a Rihanna single since about 2006.

CHRISTINA AGUILERA

‘You Lost Me’

from the album Bionic

I love ‘Not Myself Tonight’ but this was still such a joy to hear as second single. In the grand tradition of ‘Hurt’, ‘Beautiful’, ‘I Turn To You’ and ‘The Voice Within’, ‘You Lost Me’ is a big ballad that makes excellent use of Christina’s obvious talents without shoving them down our collective throat. When I first heard Bionic I felt like ‘You Lost Me’ was just another one of the slowies, but it soon presented itself to be a truly amazing song, well written and with an almost perfect vocal performance.

ANNIE LENNOX

‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’

from the album A Christmas Cornucopia

I’d listen to Annie Lennox sing her own shopping list so it comes as no surprise that A Christmas Cornucopia was a joy to behold. Basically every track is a standout because they all employ that wonderful voice but ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ is especially rich and beautiful, with big drums and big booming Annie and big everything else. Let’s face it, there aren’t many vocalists in pop these days that match her for versatility or pure raw talent. God bless ye Annie Lennox.

B.o.B. ft. HAYLEY WILLIAMS & EMINEM

‘Airplanes Part II’

from the album B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures Of Bobby Ray

The subject of much derision and parody across 2010, ‘Airplanes’ was a huge, huge hit, and is actually a very good song if you look past the overplayed hook (which is still really great even after all that overexposure). As I’ve shown in my love for ‘Castle Walls’ and will show in my love for ‘Love The Way You Lie’, I adore the sad-rapper-sad-female-popstar formula and it is yet to get old for me, especially when the songs are as good as this. Part II is obviously superior to the original thanks to Eminem showing up and making everything that little bit better like he always does.

NICKI MINAJ

‘Girls Fall Like Dominoes’

from the album Pink Friday

Anchored by a huge Big Pink sample which drives the song along, ‘Girls Fall Like Dominoes’ is another chance for Nicki to brag about anything and everything, but you know what? I love listening to Nicki talk about how great she is, because I really believe it. With some other rappers it gets tedious but certain artists keep finding interesting ways to tell us about their strengths. From the namechecking of everyone from Madonna to Beyoncé to Grace Jones to the excellent production from J.R. Rotem, this is one of the best songs on Pink Friday, even if it is “just” a bonus track.

JAY-Z, RIHANNA, BONO & THE EDGE

‘Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)’

from the album Hope For Haiti Now

Hip-hop king Jay-Z, pop singer Rihanna and rock legends U2 (without the other two)? It seems like an unlikely combination but it works very well and symbolises the unity between genres that comes from an event like Hope For Haiti Now. Rihanna amusingly drowns out Bono a little bit but their joint vocals work very well, while the whole thing is brought together by Jay-Z’s verses. It’s great to hear a charity single that is not just a lazy cover. This was put together with a lot of thought by very talented people, and you can hear that clearly in the final product.

PINK

‘Fuckin’ Perfect’

from the album Greatest Hits… So Far!!!

Both singles from the Pink hits album have been outsider anthems for the ages. ‘Raise Your Glass’ was the one you scream along to, ‘Fuckin’ Perfect’ was made for nights when you feel extra melodramatic (i.e. every night for some of us). In the grand tradition of ‘Don’t Let Me Get Me’, ‘Family Portrait’ and ‘Please Don’t Leave Me’, this wheels out desperate, strained (vocal-wise, I mean) Pink, the one who is sitting on the ground crying, wearing a big tutu-style dress and too much eyeliner like it’s 2002 all over again. All of these things are positives, and ‘Fuckin’ Perfect’ slots in easily with the other classics on Greatest Hits.