Here we are beginning another Week of Summer, so it's a time for another recap of the hottest Jams of the Week. There's lots of groovy shakeups this week as a lot of High Schoolers finish up their exams and we all get ready for the Real Summer to begin! Let's get to it!
Hot Jam of the Week: "Cabin by the Sea" by The Dirty Heads
The Dirty Heads always seem like a spiritual extension of Sublime, just super chillout music. It helps that their first big hit, "Lay Me Down" featured Rome from Sublime back in 2010. That's still a perfect Summer Song but "Cabin by the Sea" isn't too shabby. If "Lay Me Down" couldn't catch on significantly, though, this won't to all that much. Still, it's a legit smooth track.
90s Chick: "I Love It" by Icona Pop ft. Charlie XCX
This track really has some legs! It's still hanging around as a pretty popular, but it would still say underrated track. It's just about the most fabulous pop track of the year. It just drips with attitude and a furious independence that really makes it worthy of a Summer Jam. I can't picture it hanging around any longer, but I wish it would stay as long as it likes.
Smiley Jam: "We Can't Stop" by Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus is kind of undergoing a Bieber-ification where her voice and popularity are maturing a bit and it's really signified in this song. Apparently, the track was originally intended for Rihanna, but Miley added a bit of swag to it. First of all, though, there's no way that Miley could add more swag to a track than Rihanna could - but this is also a sweet jam and a bit step forward for the artist. It could certainly take off and we'll be watching this closely.
LAy Your Windows Down: "Cruise (Remix)" by Florida Georgia Line ft. Nelly
This song is taking off a bit but I think it's dividing country and hip-hop lovers a bit more than uniting them. It's still got a super-concentrated of pop appeal for a country song not seen since 2010's Lady Antebellum. I also still have a lot of hope for this track and it could easily become a theme song of Road Trips through the Dirty South this Summer. A more perfect track doesn't exist for a jaunt through Dixie.
We're the Lucky Ones: "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk ft. Pharrell
There may not be a song more opposite of "Cruise," but this also works. Summer is all about chilling to the max, but you also need some beat to groove with. "Get Lucky" has it in spades and it's also the most relevant Daft Punk track in ages. I have nothing but good vibes for this track but it needs quite a bit more tension to really make a good wave this summer. Jam out.
Ass Attack: "Heart Attack" by Demi Lovato
Still relevant this week, but possibly at the beginning of a decline, Demi's "Heart Attack" continues the rehab-addled singer's rise to maturity. It's a wonderful, if not fairly annoying song that is far more explicitly pop-y than anything else on this list. Demi's attempting to showcase her dark side for sure, but it ends up being a little empty. There's this weird line between confident and unconfident lyrics here. There's some pay off but in all, no one will be cheering for this song five years from now.
The Mako Strikes: "Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Ray Dalton
While this track is still huge, it proved to be more mortal this week when it was overtaken on the Billboard Top 100 and also slightly less than overplayed on local airwaves. Still an exceptional track, it still holds the most epic video of anything on this list, with energy, enthusiasm, and swag (yes, Miley) that far surpasses anything else out there right now. That's why the Mack is blowing - in addition to all this, he's a genuine dude, which people buy into. It works.
What Rhymes with Hug Me: "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke ft. T.I. and Pharrell
Congrats to Pharrell for landing on his second track of the list for the week, but I'm just pumped this Jam is taking off. Not only is it the damn hottest video in years but it's an unrelentingly bubbly bouncy song that's truly the sexiest Summer Jam in years. I think the road is now paved for this thing to dominate - there is no looking back from #1 on the Billboard Charts and it's really just taking off. Calling it now - this will take the Summer Throne.
Next Week..
There were some close calls with Pink and Selena this week being left off the list. I've also got my eye fixed on Ariana Grande along with Kanye's "Black Skinhead", which might take off with news of Kim's baby and its use in the trailer for Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), which dropped today. That suddenly made that track so much more listenable. We'll see.
Hot Jam of the Week: "Cabin by the Sea" by The Dirty Heads
The Dirty Heads always seem like a spiritual extension of Sublime, just super chillout music. It helps that their first big hit, "Lay Me Down" featured Rome from Sublime back in 2010. That's still a perfect Summer Song but "Cabin by the Sea" isn't too shabby. If "Lay Me Down" couldn't catch on significantly, though, this won't to all that much. Still, it's a legit smooth track.
90s Chick: "I Love It" by Icona Pop ft. Charlie XCX
This track really has some legs! It's still hanging around as a pretty popular, but it would still say underrated track. It's just about the most fabulous pop track of the year. It just drips with attitude and a furious independence that really makes it worthy of a Summer Jam. I can't picture it hanging around any longer, but I wish it would stay as long as it likes.
Smiley Jam: "We Can't Stop" by Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus is kind of undergoing a Bieber-ification where her voice and popularity are maturing a bit and it's really signified in this song. Apparently, the track was originally intended for Rihanna, but Miley added a bit of swag to it. First of all, though, there's no way that Miley could add more swag to a track than Rihanna could - but this is also a sweet jam and a bit step forward for the artist. It could certainly take off and we'll be watching this closely.
LAy Your Windows Down: "Cruise (Remix)" by Florida Georgia Line ft. Nelly
This song is taking off a bit but I think it's dividing country and hip-hop lovers a bit more than uniting them. It's still got a super-concentrated of pop appeal for a country song not seen since 2010's Lady Antebellum. I also still have a lot of hope for this track and it could easily become a theme song of Road Trips through the Dirty South this Summer. A more perfect track doesn't exist for a jaunt through Dixie.
We're the Lucky Ones: "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk ft. Pharrell
There may not be a song more opposite of "Cruise," but this also works. Summer is all about chilling to the max, but you also need some beat to groove with. "Get Lucky" has it in spades and it's also the most relevant Daft Punk track in ages. I have nothing but good vibes for this track but it needs quite a bit more tension to really make a good wave this summer. Jam out.
Ass Attack: "Heart Attack" by Demi Lovato
Still relevant this week, but possibly at the beginning of a decline, Demi's "Heart Attack" continues the rehab-addled singer's rise to maturity. It's a wonderful, if not fairly annoying song that is far more explicitly pop-y than anything else on this list. Demi's attempting to showcase her dark side for sure, but it ends up being a little empty. There's this weird line between confident and unconfident lyrics here. There's some pay off but in all, no one will be cheering for this song five years from now.
The Mako Strikes: "Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Ray Dalton
While this track is still huge, it proved to be more mortal this week when it was overtaken on the Billboard Top 100 and also slightly less than overplayed on local airwaves. Still an exceptional track, it still holds the most epic video of anything on this list, with energy, enthusiasm, and swag (yes, Miley) that far surpasses anything else out there right now. That's why the Mack is blowing - in addition to all this, he's a genuine dude, which people buy into. It works.
What Rhymes with Hug Me: "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke ft. T.I. and Pharrell
Congrats to Pharrell for landing on his second track of the list for the week, but I'm just pumped this Jam is taking off. Not only is it the damn hottest video in years but it's an unrelentingly bubbly bouncy song that's truly the sexiest Summer Jam in years. I think the road is now paved for this thing to dominate - there is no looking back from #1 on the Billboard Charts and it's really just taking off. Calling it now - this will take the Summer Throne.
Next Week..
There were some close calls with Pink and Selena this week being left off the list. I've also got my eye fixed on Ariana Grande along with Kanye's "Black Skinhead", which might take off with news of Kim's baby and its use in the trailer for Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), which dropped today. That suddenly made that track so much more listenable. We'll see.
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