The 100 Best Songs Of 2010: #4. Scissor Sisters – ‘Invisible Light’

from the album Night Work

Water in between drinks serves a purpose other than just giving the alcohol a break. There is a few seconds at the mirror where you can calm down, take a breath, get yourself together. Your hair is fucked but that’s to be expected, how long does it usually last anyway? Five, ten minutes? As you walk back into the crowd you pass the line of men waiting to use the bathroom.

“…sailors lust and swagger…”

There’s this wall of people you somehow have to get through on your way to your destination. Pushing past them is difficult but worth it. As the crowd gets harder and harder to get through, the bodies start to move with more direction and purpose. By themselves like Robyn or in a group like Ashlee Simpson’s friends in ‘L.O.V.E.’, everybody here moves together and alone at the same time.

“…this sparkling theatre of excess and strobed lights…”

The… atmosphere begins to kick in as you reach the floor.

“…painted whores…”

How much makeup do you have to be wearing for it to become a mask? Some of these women and men shouldn’t have bothered. We all know that once it gets dark and sweaty enough, everybody looks the same.

“…sexual gladiators…”

You’re making bets with your friends on whether the couple against the wall are two men or two women. On the other side of the room, a man and a woman start making out and you can see the gays beside them strike a comically disgusted pose. A hand might have brushed against your back before – on purpose – but you can’t be sure, and if you look back you might be confronted with an awkward situation, so you keep dancing and ignore it… unless it happens again.

“…fiercly old party children…”

Now you’re against the mirrored wall, alone but with everybody. The mirror was broken years ago, and you cut your finger badly that night, but it has long since been fixed and with your back to it, you spread your arms out behind you. The heat and the music and the people are all intertwined, feeding off each other, trading energy. You can’t feel anything and yet you can feel everything.

“…come to the light, into the light…”

Raise your head to the ceiling.

“the invisible light.”

The 100 Best Songs Of 2010: #20-11

SCISSOR SISTERS

‘Night Work’

from the album Night Work

This album strikes a pretty good balance between fantasy and disappointing reality, and the opening track is the uplifting introduction a world that seems too good to be true. Using an extended clubbing-as-manual-labour metaphor, ‘Night Work’ slides along on a classic eighties riff and possesses perhaps the finest and most exciting chorus on the record, let alone those amazing lyrics. “You gotta keep on moving remember, this is what you asked for” – in the grand tradition of ‘Vogue’ and ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’, dancing in a club is no longer something you do for five minutes between drinking bitch beers and falling down the stairs – it is your duty and your calling.

NICKI MINAJ ft. EMINEM

‘Roman’s Revenge’

from the album Pink Friday

Oh god oh god oh god. This is the stuff dreams are made of. I get a small panic attack thinking about how much I love it. ‘Roman’s Revenge’ teams up the arguable king and queen of 2010: Eminem and Nicki Minaj, who morph into their respective alter-egos to provide us with the greatest song on Pink Friday. I could list all the best bits but I’d just be describing the song from start to finish. Of particular note are the video game sounds in the intro, the tension-filled stuttering beat, “rahh rahh, like a dungeon dragon” – oh look at me, I’m just describing the whole song. In conclusion, from the lyrics themselves to the way they are delivered with such force to Nicki’s spoken outro – everything about this is perfect.

KATIE MELUA

‘The Flood’

from the album The House

What a weird song this is. Produced by William Orbit but not sounding immediately “Orbit-ish”, ‘The Flood’ is the sort of ethereal oddball epic that leads people to screech “KATE BUSH” even though I can’t think of a Kate Bush song that really sounds anything like it. Featuring lyrics that I’ll pretend to understand and a soaring chorus that could not have been done justice by a lesser voice, ‘The Flood’ begins as a slow existential ballad, then shifts tempo to become almost a completely different song, then afterwards moves back to the style from the beginning, taking us on a little journey not unlike the musical equivalent of a fantasy film.

MICHAEL JACKSON & AKON

‘Hold My Hand’

from the album Michael

Like ‘You Rock My World’, this is one of those songs that would be number one for months if it were sung by anyone but Michael Jackson. Because the rest of his catalogue is filled with such classics, new songs that would be a dream for any new artist feel underwhelming coming from such a legend. Well sure, ‘Hold My Hand’ is really quite good, but it’s no ‘Billie Jean’, is it? Once we move on from the fact that very few songs are as good as ‘Billie Jean’, we can appreciate ‘Hold My Hand’ for what it is: a well-written and catchy R&B ballad sung by a great voice, with help from Akon, whom I don’t find as disgusting as I’ve found many other people do. I actually quike like him and his voice, so his contribution on ‘Hold My Hand’, while slightly unnecessary for a song that could easily have been done solo, gives the song just that little bit more of a kick. Either way this is the best pothumous Michael Jackson song yet.

CEE LO GREEN

‘Fuck You!’

from the album The Lady Killer

Like Motown in an alternate universe, ‘Fuck You!’ is a true classic masquerading as a novelty. Cee Lo plays our clearly hurt protagonist who hides behind big sweary outbursts instead of just accepting how upset he really is – until he breaks down halfway through, to hilarious effect. With a chorus like that, catchy and fun to yell at the top of your lungs, how could ‘Fuck You!’ have been anything less than brilliant? Instead of relying on the LOL HE SAID FUCK factor, what we have here is an expertly crafted song performed by one of the most talented vocalists I think I’ve ever heard.

HURTS

‘Stay’

from the album Happiness

Earlier this year I had to do an assignment on a new artist for my Music Business course, and I chose to analyse Hurts, and ‘Stay’ in particular. Of note was how incredibly dramatic the lyrics and production are, but all with a knowing glance to the camera, a little window in the fourth wall that tells us Hurts know exactly what they’re doing and why. Never innocent, always polished and calculated, the atmosphere and theatrics in ‘Stay’ are the key to the artistic success of the song, but you still get the feeling that a raw, stripped back version without the big drums and layered vocals may still be just as powerful. The best thing about Hurts is first and foremost the strength of their vocals and songwriting, all the rest is a bonus that takes things to another level – but the touchstone of all their work is still their talent.

KANYE WEST

‘Power’

from the album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

‘Power’ touches on so many hot topics from Kanye’s past: social injustice, paranoia, politics, how great Kanye is, how awful Kanye is, all the people who have offended him, the eternal struggle between his good and bad sides, and all with one of his most breathtaking productions. I can hardly believe how huge this all sounds, especially the centrepiece, which starts casually – “How ‘Ye doin’? I’m surviving” – and then leads into the beat dropping out ushering in that amazing King Crimson sample, then moving into what sounds like something from the Streets Of Rage Sega Genesis game soundtrack. An absolute blockbuster, ‘Power’ is superhero theme music at its finest.

KYLIE MINOGUE

‘All The Lovers’

from the album Aphrodite

Lyrically simple but surprisingly melancholy, ‘All The Lovers’ features an understated vocal performance which is framed by rich, gorgeous production and this overwhelming feeling that Kylie is growing up – I know she’s grown up before, but she’s still going – and moving on. From what? I’m not sure. But as she sings “all the lovers that have gone before…” you can feel the history in her voice, and it is a lyric that wouldn’t sound right coming from some fresh-faced Elixie DooLottle who just graduated from stage school. This is the type of pop song you need to be mature to deliver effectively, and as Kylie floats above the beat, preparing us for the orgasmic instrumental climax (the first part of the song we all heard, and also the best bit), it becomes even clearer why she survived in the industry against all odds: because she was never afraid to add extra layers, extra elements to what could have been an emotionally empty club track.

ANTOINE DODSON & THE GREGORY BROTHERS ft. KELLY DODSON

‘Bed Intruder Song’

Perhaps my favourite pop culture story of 2010 is the Ballad Of Antoine Dodson. After his sister was the victim of an attempted rape, Antoine was on the news to talk about the attacker and delivered a chilling threat: “He’s climbing in your windows, he’s snatching your people up, so y’all need to hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband, cos they’re raping everybody out here”. The hilarious nature of this mixed with his delivery made the video an instant viral hit, and when it was remixed by the Gregory Brothers, the whole thing reached a new level of fame, even making it to the Billboard Hot 100 and the BET Hip-Hop Awards. ‘Bed Intruder Song’ also happens to be one of the catchiest and most fun songs of the year, the original quote perfectly translated into autotuned bliss. It also has the bonus of being connected to a heartwarming story of something good coming from a bad situation. And call me crazy, but maybe there is more to ‘Bed Intruder Song’ than just being a fun remix of a viral video. There is – and stay with me here – a underlying sadness to the project (it was, after all, started off by an attempted rape) which is captured in the final line: “we don’t run around crying and acting sad, we just dust our shoulders off and keep on moving”, which reminds us that there are real people behind funny internet stories like this, and that not all of them are as lucky as this guy was.

NICOLE SCHERZINGER

‘Poison’

Who the fuck would have thought? With PCD dead are her solo career even deader, what was Nicole Scherzinger to do in 2010? Here’s what: rope in RedOne to give her his best non-Lady Gaga song ever, sing it like her life depended on it, and watch it become one of the best songs of the year. And suddenly, on the verge of 2011, Nicole Scherzinger looks like one of the most exciting things about the new year. There were few pop moments this year as invigorating as the desperate cry of “I got that poison! I got that poison!!” and even fewer songs that lent themselves so easily to repeated listens.

The 100 Best Songs Of 2010: #30-21

MICHAEL JACKSON ft. 50 CENT

‘Monster’

from the album Michael

There have been several attempts throughout Michael’s career to replicate or pay tribute to the song ‘Thriller’, from ‘Ghosts’ to ‘Is It Scary?’ to ‘Threatened’ and now to ‘Monster’, one of the best upbeat tracks from the new album. Clattering beats and random screaming give ‘Monster’ a frantic pace that is replaced by quieter R&B for the chorus. So even if it doesn’t get to ‘Scream’-levels of intensity, it is still very interesting and holds your attention for the full five minutes, especially when Michael throws in little nods to ‘Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin”, even if just for split-second. I’m a fan of 50 Cent but I didn’t expect his bit on ‘Monster’ to be quite as good as it is, and mixed with the incredible production for this specific verse, it is a more-than-worthy addition to a great song.

SCISSOR SISTERS

‘Fire With Fire’

from the album Night Work

I don’t get why this was apparently such a bad choice for lead single – there are better songs on the album, but ‘Fire With Fire’ is still 100% amazing and is especially great in terms of vocals and production, which give the song this joyous, epic feel. It doesn’t represent the overall feel of the album, but when you think of it as the “morning after” to the rest of Night Work, it makes more sense, and becomes a confident look to the future. “Tomorrow has become today…”

HURTS & KYLIE MINOGUE

‘Devotion’

from the album Happiness

Dear Weird Kylie,
Oh, my love, you don’t know how much I’ve missed you. I still listen to the songs you recorded while you were here with me and wonder what happened. I know you’re in a better place now and I feel selfish for wanting you to come back but it felt like those years were a secret between us, those that dismissed you were only missing out on your greatest work. I listen to your new material from places and mindsets far away from where we used to be, and although it sounds so good it will never be the same. Hearing you re-emerge so briefly on ‘Devotion’ has given me faith that one day you will return to me, and we will drown in odd hair colours, trip-hop beats, Nick Cave duets and singles with a chart peak in the low twenties.
Come back soon. All my love,
Richard.

KANYE WEST

‘Dark Fantasy’

from the album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Shivers. down. the. spine. “Can we get much higher?” – the most incredible thing is, yes, the level of sheer brilliance can get higher and does so on the rest of the album. But ‘Dark Fantasy’ is a perfect opening track, setting up all sorts of themes and moods that will be explored over the next thirteen tracks. There are choirs, nonsensical references to Celine Dion and Leona Lewis, and that incredible bit about the séance. Also, can we get Nicki Minaj to introduce every album from now on? That’d be great, thanks.

EMINEM

‘Not Afraid’

from the album Recovery

Imagine if this had been the lead single from Relapse. Of course, it couldn’t have been because it is effectively about Relapse, but what I’m trying to say is that ‘Not Afraid’ is exactly the type of massive comeback everyone wanted and expected from Eminem in 2009. In 2010, it still sounded exciting, and had an extra element of emotion to it after the last year of drama. ‘Not Afraid’ reminds me of ‘Like Toy Soldiers’, not just because of the marching band beat but because it holds a lot of weight on its parent album and has the sort of passion and intensity to it that made Eminem such a legend.

KELE

‘Tenderoni’

from the album The Boxer

I don’t know if the character sung about here is in the closet or just over-eager to prove his masculinity, but either way it makes ‘Tenderoni’ one of the most tension-filled, interesting love songs of the year, on a scale of complexity that makes ‘Love The Way You Lie’ sound like ‘Love Me Do’. There is the inaudible chorus, where words are rendered completely useless, so all it has to stand on is that unbelievably explosive beat. When you can hear the vocals – like on the vicious “you think you are one of them” leading into the fragile “don’t be so quick to pull away” – it adds yet another layer of paranoia and anger.

KELIS

’4th Of July (Fireworks)’

from the album Flesh Tone

On an album full of hands-in-the-air moments, ’4th Of July’ is the most breathtaking. The verses are purposely quiet and subdued so that when the beat drops out, Kelis can let loose. “NOTHAN, I EVA SAY OR DEW, WILL BE AS GOOOD, AS LOVAN YEW”. As hook gives way to hook after hook after hook, Kelis moves from enthusiastic to part of the background and back again, and when she sings “just like the sky, like the fourth of july”, the music explodes behind her just like – you guessed it – fireworks, but she acts as if it is the most natural occurence in the world.

M.I.A.

‘XXXO’

from the album Maya

I thought this was going to huge. Maybe not ‘Paper Planes’ huge but it surely should have hit the top ten. ‘XXXO’ was the proper lead single from Maya and features what it perhaps the biggest and most commercial chorus to be found on an M.I.A. song, not to mention the headphone-shaking beat that begs for repeated plays. It is sung as if it was being tweeted like tweety bird on an iPhone: “u wan me be sumbody who im really not”, and the approach to both music and lyrics is almost self-consciously modern and current. Ultimately this sort of thing wouldn’t suit M.I.A. all the time but on the disappointing Maya it was a ray of light.

MICHAEL JACKSON

‘Breaking News’

from the album Michael

This is ‘Tabloid Junkie Part II’, from the newsreader intro to the “eat it/feed it” lyric pairing, but with such a thrilling Dangerous-era production style, how could I judge it for being a bit unoriginal? Another track that could conceivably have been a hit for Michael if he were alive, ‘Breaking News’ rides along on stuttering beats lifted straight from 1991, and while it isn’t a classic by any stretch of the imagination it gets closer to it than basically all other tracks from Michael.

(Ten life points to whoever recognises where the headline in the banner comes from.)

RIHANNA

‘Man Down’

from the album Loud

Remember when Kelis told us in ‘Bossy’ that she rides the beat “like a bicycle”? This is what Rihanna does here on ‘Man Down’, the best song from Loud and one of the greatest achievements of her career. Her accent is brought to the forefront here, given time to run up and down the lyrics and the chance to show a side of Rihanna that has had precious little time in the spotlight. A ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’-style narrative makes up the lyrics, and as Rihanna tells us why she “shot a man down”, it emerges that there are all sorts of frantic explanations and internal arguments about what has just happened. From “I’d never thought I’d do it…” onwards we hear this jaw-dropping series of conflicting thoughts – “I am a criminal” could be bragging until we get to the desperate breakdown of “tell the judge please give me minimal” – and all with a delivery that I never thought Rihanna could pull off. ‘Man Down’ is a triumph in every way imaginable.

The 100 Best Songs of 2010: #40-31

ROBYN

‘Dancing On My Own’

from the album Body Talk Pt. 1

I must admit I had a bit of an eyeroll when I found out what ‘Dancing On My Own’ was about – it really seemed like an unnecessary retread of themes explored brilliantly in previous singles. But the song is executed perfectly, with rapid fire beats, a euphoric chorus and a wonderful vocal performance. When the music drops out then returns machine-gun style – that’s the kind of little moment that gets Robyn such across-the-board acclaim.

NICKI MINAJ

‘I’m The Best’

from the album Pink Friday

The perfect track to open Pink Friday, ‘I’m The Best’ tells the Nicki Minaj story from the start, with liberal amounts of bragging and clever wordplay to keep it interesting. The crowning moment, however, is the chorus: “I hear they comin’ for me/Because the top is lonely”. Hip-hop is rife with paranoia, from Nas’ classic line “I never sleep, because sleep is the cousin of death” to the entire career of Kanye West. While Nicki tries to enjoy her success, she’s always looking over her shoulder for the next upstart to proclaim herself the “best bitch doin’ it”, which gives ‘I’m The Best’ an extra element of emotion and vulnerability.

SCISSOR SISTERS

‘Any Which Way’

from the album Night Work

I was sure that ‘Invisible Light’ or ‘Night Work’ would follow ‘Fire With Fire’, but when ‘Any Which Way’ was announced as second single from Night Work it made me revisit the song and listen to it in a different way. As if it needed to be released as a single to ensure the brilliance of it wasn’t lost under more immediately impressive songs, it suddenly becomes clear than ‘Any Which Way’ is a complex and well-written track, complete with a glorious spoken bit from Ana Matronic and the kind of amazing chorus it seems this band could write in their sleep.

TAKE THAT

‘SOS’

from the album Progress

Following ‘The Flood’ was no easy task, and ‘SOS’ doesn’t match up to that incredible first single, but it does a great job of moving new old Take That into more adventurous areas single-wise. Whether that works out for them is yet to be seen (if ‘The Flood’ can stall at number two then literally nothing can be considered a surefire megahit “in times like these”), but we can be happy that they made a good choice artistically. The song sort of reminds me of what might happen if Coldplay went electro – and I love Coldplay, but let’s be honest they’d be even better if they went electro – but Chris Martin doesn’t have four other guys to help him out on the vocals when he needs it, and ‘SOS’ benefits from the back-and-forth between multiple vocalists that helps take “male vocal group” songs onto that other level they can sometimes get to when done really well. And this, my friends, is done really well indeed.

TAIO CRUZ ft. KYLIE MINOGUE

‘Higher’

from the album Rokstarr

Blah blah blah generic blah blah blah why wasn’t some album track a single blah blah blah Kylie should only ever do one style blah blah blah X was a mess blah blah blah. A simple pop song with a big dance floor beat never hurt anyone, especially not Kylie Minogue of all people, and while ‘Higher’ might not be deep or complicated, for me it recalls the joyous hooks of her PWL years and I see no problem with that at all. This is a song you don’t think about too much, you just tap your feet and sing along. Not innovative, not revolutionary, but 100% fun. 100% fun is always better than 1% fun and 99% overthinking it.

RIHANNA

‘Only Girl (In The World)’

from the album Loud

‘Only Girl (In The World)’ is the first Rihanna single since ‘Umbrella’ that I have not bought as soon as it went on sale. It wasn’t because I didn’t like it, but because I knew I would buy Loud the moment it was released, and I didn’t feel like spending $2.19 on a song when I could open my window and hear it any time I felt the urge. ‘Only Girl’, with its infectious beats and screamalong chorus, was everywhere I went, it became the type of inescapable pop single that Rihanna seems to attach herself to once every six months or so. ‘Pon De Replay’, ‘SOS’, ‘Umbrella’, ‘Don’t Stop The Music’, ‘Disturbia’, ‘Rude Boy’, and now ‘Only Girl’. And I bet my life there’ll be at least two more we can add to that list by the time this era is over. And the most amazing thing about all this? ‘Only Girl’ doesn’t sound like an obvious retread of anything Rihanna has done before, and neither do any of those songs I just listed. I’m going into a full-on fan mode now but how amazing is it that such an incredible run of megahits could also claim to be so diverse? I LOVE RIHANNA SO MUCH.

TAYLOR SWIFT

‘Back To December’

from the album Speak Now

Wistful guitar? It’s here. Slight country twang, but not so much that it scares off anyone who “wouldn’t normally like that sort of thing”? Present and accounted for. Sweet voice, personal-but-relatable lyrics? All right there. That’s right, you’ve just encountered the 2010 So-Good-It-Hurts Taylor Swift Ballad, and if it weren’t for the piano version of ‘Forever & Always’ I’d have to say ‘Back To December’ is the best T-Swizz ballad ever. The lead single ‘Mine’ might have been more instant but ‘Back To December’ has the more beautiful melody, better lyrics and a more sincere vocal performance. This song is a prime example of why people have taken Taylovelorn into their hearts and their iTunes libraries all over the world: because she writes amazing songs and she sings then in an amazing manner. And that, as Forrest Gump might say, is all I have to say about that (until the next time I find a reason to talk about her).

PET SHOP BOYS

‘Together’

from the album Ultimate

It takes several listens to click but when it does, ‘Together’ will stay in your brain for quite a while. Even my sister was going around the house singing it at one point, perhaps breaking the Guiness World Record for the youngest person to actually hear this song. ‘Together’ was the new single for the hits album Ultimate, and while it doesn’t stack up to previous PSB hits-collection-new-tracks like ‘Was It Worth It?’ or ‘Flamboyant’, it has its own special little identity while staying very much in line with the singles from the recent album Yes. Like so many Pet Shop Boys classics, the beat of ‘Together’ is up while the lyrics are ambiguously down, which, on one hand, ensures a platform for epic remixes, and on the other hand it makes sure you continue thinking about what the song means long after it has finished.

ROBYN

‘Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do’

from the album Body Talk Pt. 1

KICKDRUM. I said most of what I have to say about ‘Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do’ in my Body Talk Pt. 1 roundup, but I will just say again that it was one of my most played and most loved listening experiences of the year.

KE$HA

‘Your Love Is My Drug’

from the album Animal

In January I labelled ‘Your Love Is My Drug’ the first truly classic pop single of 2010. And while over the next twelve months thirty songs emerged which I thought were ultimately better, I still pretty much stand by what I said. One thing is certain: it still boasts one of the best hooks of the year, especially because Ke$ha sounds absolutely ridiculous while singing it. “YA LAV, YA LAV, YA LAV” she yells, completely free and unconcerned with staying within any limits or boundaries. And seriously, “I like your beard”? My heart explodes with joy every time. I can’t even.

The 26 Best Albums Of 2010: #9. Scissor Sisters – Night Work

Released June 28, 2010

1. Night Work
2. Whole New Way
3. Fire With Fire
4. Any Which Way
5. Harder You Get
6. Running Out
7. Something Like This
8. Skin This Cat
9. Skin Tight
10. Sex And Violence
11. Night Life
12. Invisible Light

Ta-Dah was one of those albums that I will look back on as defining my teenage years, from the ridiculously huge single ‘I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’’ to the relatively unknown ballads like ‘The Other Side’, it was always going to be a hard act to follow in my eyes. But Night Work, incredibly, was even better. More coherent and unified than their first two records, Night Work perhaps misses out on the huge obvious radio hits that those albums had in abundance, but instead what we get is a more satisfying work of art, a collection of songs that work well away from each other but work best when experienced as a song cycle about all the euphoria and sadness that comes with loving the nightlife.

There are a couple of other albums that come to mind that have tried to do this sort of concept (Pet Shop Boys’ Nightlife and Madonna’s Confessions On A Dance Floor come to mind immediately, while Britney Spears’ Blackout did it too, only by accident) but I don’t recall any that were as focused and successful as Night Work is in capturing the whole “scene”. The album runs the whole course of a night out, from the initial excitement of the title track to the sweaty, dirty, I-can’t-see-anything-but-I’ll-keep-dancing-anyway atmosphere of ‘Invisible Light’.

There is lots I want to say about individual tracks but I’ll save that for my songs of the year countdown, but as I said before none of the songs have the same impact by themselves that they have together as Night Work, a project that will go down in Scissor Sisters history as one of their most adventurous and exciting achievements.