And with the worst of 2013 behind us, now let’s start
looking at the best! Here’s to the songs that got us dancing. It’s refreshing to
know that not EVERYONE makes the same repetitive techno song.
10.) “Work Bitch”
Britney Spears
It may not have been the most memorable first single in her
career, but it still was pretty catchy. The radio edit was pretty amusing (“you
better work work”) and the video was hot. She may be past her prime, but there’s
still a little spark left.
9.) “Harlem Shake”
Baauer
It’s not the REAL Harlem Shake dance, but it certainly was
quite a spectacle seeing all of the YouTube videos that followed. And man oh
man, Baauer really knows how to put on a show!
8.) “I Love It”
Icona Pop & Charli
XCX
The ultimate kiss-off anthem of the year, these ladies had
us all declaring ourselves “90’s bitches”!
7.) “Burn”
Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding’s voice is suited for great
alternative/electronic/pop music. It’s sweet, soothing, and quite a refreshment
from the generic singing voices on the radio. So it was quite a sweet surprise
to hear her on this adorable summer anthem with such gusto behind it.
6.) “Feel This Moment”
Pitbull &
Christina Aguilera
It would appear to me that Ms. Aguilera is a lot more
successful singing choruses on other songs for other artists than she is singing
on her own (see “Moves Like Jagger” or “Say Something”). I’m still hoping for
her to have more solo moments, but for now, let’s just enjoy the dance song
king Mr. 305 with the dynamite Christina and this “Take On Me” inspired jam.
5.) “Latch”
Disclosure & Sam
Smith
Not all DJs are doing dubstep. Sometimes a classic-sounding
techno song can make you move just as much. What makes this song even more
fantastic is the incredible choreography Sanya Tayeh taught during Vegas week
this summer on So You Think You Can Dance.
4.) “Blurred Lines”
Robin Thicke, Pharrell
Williams, & T.I.
Was there ever a moment when listening to the radio this
summer that this song WASN’T playing? It may have worn out its welcome, but
there’s no denying how fun and funky this song is and how much it gets us all
grooving (regardless if it is a straight up rip-off of Marvin Gaye’s “Got To
Give It Up”).
3.) “We Can’t Stop”
Miley Cyrus
Hannah Montana grew up, and she’s a twerking hot mess! BUT
WE LOVED IT! This was the ultimate party jam, proving that she’s not the same
little girl she used to be.
2.) “A Little Party
Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)”
Fergie, Q-Tip, GoonRock
Although not officially released as a single, it was one of
the great highlights from the stellar Great Gatsby soundtrack! It is without a
doubt one of the best workout songs created!
1.) “Get Lucky”
Daft Punk &
Pharrell Willams
Daft Punk came back in a big way this year, bringing back
funk and R&B dance music to mainstream 2013. And along the way, they got us
on our feet, brought in Nile Rogers, AND re-introduced the world to the genius
that is Pharrell Williams.
While 2013 had its share of pretty amazing music to share,
that’s not to say that there were a few flops that didn’t impress us that much.
I’m not saying that these are the WORST, but more like the top 5 less than
stellar albums of the year.
5.) The 20/20
Experience – 2 of 2
Justin Timberlake
The first half of his 20/20 experience was already a lot to
live up to, but this second half of the experience didn’t really live up to the
hype of being a continuation. With a less-than-exciting first single “Take Back
the Night”, expectations were starting to get a little low. The album was way
too long with songs that sounded more like sloppy seconds from the first half
released earlier this year. This is not to say that this album was horrible.
Moments like “Cabaret”, “Only When I Walk Away”, and “You Got It On” made up
for the lack of imagination with the rest of the album, especially for the
ridiculous 9-minute “True Blood”.
Best Song:“Cabaret”
4.) Britney Jean
Britney Spears
Britney Spears made it known all year that her new album was
going to be more personal, the best of Britney! Yet the album seemed to fizzle
in all the wrong places. She has never been the strongest singer in the
business, but what’s worked is her ability to turn pop songs into memorable pop
culture moments in music videos and live performances. The first single “Work
Bitch” was eh, having will.i.am as an executive producer didn’t help at all,
and overall the album was trying too hard to be “personal”. It’s sad to say
that Ms. Spears may be a little past her prime.
Best Song:“Perfume”
3.) Me, You &
the Music
Jessica Sanchez
I rooted for Jessica on American Idol last year, but all
because of a horrible winner’s single, she lost to Phillip Phillips. People knew
she’d still get a record deal no matter what, but where this album went wrong
was in her age. They tried to play to a more mature fan base, but her
youthfulness got in the way. They tried to make her older than she was, and she
was trying her best to catch up. It wasn’t a good representation of her
dynamite, powerhouse voice.
Best Song:“Tonight”
2.) Magna Carta…
Holy Grail
Jay-Z
Sorry Mr. Carter, but this was an utter disappointment. It had
all of the ingredients to be another fantastic spectacle: collaborations with
Bey, JT, & Frank Ocean, production from Timbaland, an exclusive release on
a mobile app. But what we got was over-production, Miley Cyrus twerking
references, incoherent lyrics, and app malfunctions.
Best Song:“Part II (On The Run)”
1.) ARTPOP
Lady GaGa
And then there’s GaGa. Talk about trying too hard. GaGa is
no longer pushing the boundary of art and pop, she’s over-doing it nowadays.
She’s almost become a joke. This concept was bigger than what the album
actually ended up being. Another example of a bad first single with the
forgettable “Applause”, the bad streak continued with the weird cover art and
even more ridiculous outfits while promoting. I’m definitely looking forward to
her jazz album with Tony Bennett, but until then we’re stuck with this dud.
Beyoncé just made everyone’s Christmas
a little better – no, scratch that…A LOT better! In what is now THE best kept
secret of the year (or ever), she released her self-titled 5th
studio album a couple days ago, a beautiful “visual album”, proving why she is
who she is AND sneaking in at the last second to bring us the best album of the
year! This is not to say that her other albums aren’t as good, they have their
own special moments too. And in keeping with her love and connection with the
number 4, for every Queen Bey album in my opinion, there are four signature
songs to look out for: the Bey standard, the fiercest track, the best ballad,
and then the personal favorite. So now let’s look at how her albums rank and what
songs fit this criteria!
5.) I Am…Sasha
Fierce (2008)
I have to admit that if there was any album of hers that I
honestly did/do not like, it would be this one. Sure, it has its moments of pop
culture greatness (“Single Ladies” anyone?) but the album as a whole felt very
incoherent and jumpy, if those descriptions make any sense. We all knew about
Sasha Fierce already, but did it require its own separate disc? Regardless,
there are moments of sheer perfection that must be highlighted.
Bey Standard:"Halo"
Ryan
Tedder’s great production (regardless if it sounded just like the other 4 songs
he produced around the same time) is what makes this song epic. Not to mention
that she now uses this song to close out every show of hers…it’s a classic!
Fiercest Track:"Ego"
It’s
fierce already, but what really makes this song amazing is the vocal breakdown
towards the end of the song when she riffs and vulnerably shows off her raspy
notes in all of its glory. Fierce enough indeed! Why it was considered a bonus
track is beyond me.
Best Ballad:"Disappear"
A slow and steady build of a song that really shows off her lower and higher
registers simultaneously, it’s beautiful and heartfelt.
Personal Favorite:"Smash Into You"
Producer and songwriter duo Tricky Stewart and The-Dream definitely
made a statement alright with their work on “Single Ladies”, but it’s their
ability as R&B producers to incorporate elements of rock, pop, AND R&B
together that makes this song truly special. Not to mention that Beyoncé sounds so incredibly beautiful
as always.
4.) Dangerously In
Love (2003)
Beyoncé
was already doing it big on her own outside of Destiny’s Child, but this is
where she finally made her declaration of independence. Hard to believe that
her own label told her that she wouldn’t have a single hit on this album. But
like she says “they were right…I had 4”. The singles alone made this album
truly special and solidified her mark as one of the world’s best entertainers.
Bey Standard:"Crazy
In Love"
I
mean come on…this song NEVER gets old! Going on its 10th
anniversary, this song still makes anyone bump and shake when the “uh-oh’s”
start. With a little help from Jay-Z, Beyoncé proved this whole solo thing she
was doing was very much paying off.
Fiercest Track:"Naughty Girl"
With
a sample from Donna Summer and a little cameo help from Usher in the music
video, she hits all the sweet spots, showcasing her sexy fierceness in the high
register and growling sex appeal both in the way she sings AND the way she
moves.
Best Ballad:"Dangerously in Love 2”
It
was already a Beyoncé solo when this song originally appeared on Destiny’s
Child’s third album Survivor, but with a re-done production, she truly
shines in this epic romance ballad of being too dangerous in love.
Personal Favorite: "Baby Boy"
Mixing
reggae and R&B together never sounded better with a little help from Sean
Paul and producer Scott Storch. It’s another fierce track that helped her score
another number one spot on the charts, as it deserved!
3.) B’Day
(2006)
With just 10 songs, Beyoncé was able to show off parts of her personality and
self that no one had a chance to really see. It was a celebration of everything
that people already loved about her, but times 100! She manages to funk it up
with “Déjà Vu”, bump it with “Get Me Bodied”, sass it up with “Ring the Alarm”
and everything else in between. THIS should have been her Sasha Fierce album
all on its own.
Bey Standard:"Irreplaceable"
Another
staple in her growing catalogue of hits, this one gave her fans the ultimate
shake off when it came to leaving our significant others. There’ll always be
another one here in a minute. And thanks to this, we all know what direction to
shake them off to… (I’m talking about the left, the left).
Fiercest Track:"Freakum Dress"
Fierce
can’t even begin to describe what this song is: it’s monumental, epic, hot,
freaky! Rich Harrison’s productions were all started to blend together, but it
seems like he kept the best tracks for Bey. Here, she gets to show us all a
little glimpse of what happens when every now and then, she goes to the back of
the closet to pull out that freakum dress.
Best Ballad:"Resentment"
A
sweeping, heartbreaking recollection of feelings that is all parts epic and
beautiful. It’s a slow and steady build where Beyoncé’s vocals soar from
beginning to end.
Personal Favorite:"Kitty Kat"
It’s
a sassy highlight from producer Pharrell, but honestly, you wanna know what
makes this song my personal favorite? The fact that she raps AND manages to
quote the movie Friday: “you ain’t gots ta lie, Craig!” Thank you.
2.)4
(2011)
And then she goes and releases her most coherent, well
thought out album thus far. 4 was a beautifully crafted album from start to
finish, bringing to light the many influences in Bey’s career. From 70’s funk,
90’s slow jams, Chi-Lites songs, Jackson 5 dances, this album brought back
R&B for a moment. It’s without a doubt the most underrated album of her
career, but certainly one of the best.
Bey Standard: "Love On Top"
I
mean really! From the moment I first heard this song, I knew it was going to be
a hit. And before she officially released it as a single, she performed it as
her pregnancy declaration at the VMA’s. The feel-good vibes and old school feel
make this song a standard, but it’s the key changes at the end that make it
legend!
Fiercest Track: "Run the World
(Girls)"
Who
run the world? Who do you think?! Beyoncé was not willing to let anyone forget
that she’s all about women and independence. She growls, she belts, and she
conquers in both the song and video. She didn’t hold anything back in this
beast of a first single (that might I add should have done a lot better than it
actually did).
Best Ballad: "1+1"
What
a way to open up her album with this beautiful love song. It’s epically
romantic and heartfelt, from feelings of desire, longing, and a need for that
special someone, knowing that two people are meant for each other. It’s just
beautiful all around.
Personal Favorite:
"Countdown"
It’s
fierce AND gets you moving! What more could you want? It’s a bouncy hip-hop
club track with excellent production from The-Dream and Beyoncé herself,
bringing to mind a lot of funk and party jams complete with its own marching
band rhythm. Another Beyoncé jam that you can’t help but dance to, no matter
how old the song gets.
1.) BEYONCÉ
(2013)
And just when you thought she couldn’t out do herself again,
she goes and surprises us all once more with this visual album. Beyoncé has always had a love for
creating music videos for her songs, even if they were not being released as
singles. Here she really shows us how special each song is just by showing us
the visuals and what the song means to her. Not to mention that this is
probably the most open Queen Bey has been ever when it comes to sex, marriage,
and her kids. It’s without a doubt the best work of her career…so far.
Bey Standard: "Pretty Hurts"
In
what is sure to be a classic soon, this track emphasize beauty and
imperfections, the need to look and find what really is beautiful. It hurts…it
really does.
Fiercest Track:
"Yoncé/Partition"
Damn
Bey! You can’t help but pop pop pop to this two-for-one track. With amazing
production from Timbaland and Justin Timberlake, she brings out her fiercest
performance yet! Yoncé is on ALL our mouths like...
Best Ballad: "Heaven"
You
can’t help but tear up with the last two songs on this album, but its here as
she takes us through her unfortunate miscarriage before Blue Ivy that really showcases
her honesty and heartfelt emotions. Heaven couldn’t wait, and it’s
gut-wrenching to hear those words, but so true at the same time. Well done.
Personal Favorite: "XO"
Listening
to this album four times back to back in the past two days, every song on this
album is a favorite for one reason or another. But it’s this Ryan Tedder track
that is just feel-good, fun, and all around great! She always seems to out-do
herself no matter what!
