Hello everyone, welcome once again to the only Posts in August, the on-going search for that elusive Summer Jam of 2011. It's the one truly jamworthy track that we'll always associate with the blistering heat of the Summer Season 2011. It's do or die time by now as we head into the final couple Sunny Weeks. There's still some punch left in a lot of these tracks though. Let's get started:
#8: "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera
This is definitely a funky track. It's kind of a weird Homage to the Rolling Stones frontman as well as a nice advertisement for The Voice on NBC. It's also pretty un-Maroon 5 sounding, with a beat that seems to be more made in a studio than performed by talented musicians. It's catchy though, although it seems like it comes very close to being a good song then stumbles on its own chorus. Basically it's trying way to desperately to be a big hit, which it's really not.
#7: "Super Bass" by Nicki Minaj
This is the second time this Summer that I thought Nicki was out but she came roaring back. This is Nicki's hit track, the one that guarantees she's a star. She just needs to avoid overexposure this year after being featured in countless other tracks. She's having fun here though and that's vital to a good Summer Jam. She hasn't been off the Winner's List in two months now, that might count for something when everything's said and done.
#6: "I Wanna Go" by Britney Spears
This song is actually gaining some ground, but I think Britney's going to run out of room to be considered a good jam this Summer. The song is also incredibly forgettable although it's a fine time in the moment. I don't give a lot of credit to this song but for now it's doing just fine and may rise a few more spots by the time the leaves start falling.
#5: "The Edge of Glory" by Lady GaGa
This song snuck up on me this week, I didn't think I was hearing it that often but then somehow by week's end it was everywhere. GaGa is having an underrated Summer, I think this song is very good but it's also very un-GaGa-like. I don't think it will be immediately counted as one of her surefire hits when we remember her. It does make me want to charge a street alley and start fist pumping though.
#4: "Give Me Everything" by Pitbull ft. AfroJack, Ne-Yo & Nayer
This is still around somehow, it's getting to be one of those Pop Songs that is just dying a slow death. It's certainly got Summer Fun all over it, but it's also not really a distinctive track at all. It's so finely produced to replicate past Pop Successes that it's formulaic rather than spontaneous. And Summer Jams should be fun and spontaneous. All of Pitbull's random Date Rape songs are like this.
#3: "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO ft. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock
This track seems to be fading as fast as it ascended. It's got a good lead for the Crown right now, and I suspect it will be the last we hear from LMFAO. They've got One-Hit Wonder all over them. I think it will keep falling and may not even be on this list by Summer's End. There are enough fresh tracks out there to supplant it status. Still, the work's been done, now we'll see if Katy can overtake them.
#2: "Lighters" by Bad Meets Evil ft. Bruno Mars
Eminem's massive mainstream popularity still confounds me, but this is a cool song. Like his "Love the Way You Lie" track last year, this isn't really a Summer-y Song but it's got the best chance for a late run out of the lot this week. The instrumental here is actually quite intricate and follows the emotional beats of the song very well and although it's not really that danceable it's definitely smooth listening. Bruno also does an excellent job filling in his style amongst the angst of Em and 5'9. Where did playful Eminem get to anyway? His voice is much harder these days.
#1: "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" by Katy Perry
For the second consecutive week Katy nails the Top Spot, this track was everywhere this week. It's really such a terrible song, poorly constructed, vapid lyrical material, obvious sexual marketing - but these are all keys to Pop Success! It will keep doing well, for sure, although with Katy's High School Girl Fanbase I've got to imagine that it's popularity is born of a massive wish fulfillment more than anything else. Great. Tragic. Awesome.
So we lost Wheezy's "How to Love" this week but he seems like he's fading out. Beyonce's "Best I Ever Had" has also been hovering and is just waiting to crack the Top 8 again. I've also still got my ears on Rihanna's "Cheers," featuring great, complex lyrics from Avril Lavigne by the way ("Yeah yeah! yeah yeah!"). I think it will end up being a big Fall Track, it might crack the Winner's List by the end of August or so. I'm also curious about the rising stock of Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks," but I've been jamming out to that one for months now. It just crossed over to the Pop Charts and is catchy as hell, so it may turn some heads. Go crank those Radios up!
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