My Music World

Best Songs of 2011

Canadian Boy — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:18:46 +0000

10) “Super Bass”, Micki Minaj

9) “Broken Record”, Katy B

8) “Shake It Out”, Florence + the Machine

7) “Countdown”, Beyoncé

6) “The Edge of Glory”, Lady Gaga

5) “Call Your Girlfriend”, Robyn

4) “Holecene”, Bon Iver

3) “All of the Lights”, Kanye West

2) “Someone Like You”, Adele

1) “Video Games”, Lana Del Rey

Poll: What is the the Best Number One Song of 2011?

Canadian Boy — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:56:06 +0000

I’m returning from my blogging slumber to review the year in music, to start off I thought I would give readers the chance to vote for what they felt was the years best number one on the Billboard Hot 100, because as of this week, the chart year has officially ended. Feel free to leave comments below and tell me how you felt about the past year in music.

Take Our Poll

Single Review: “Cheers (Drink To That)”, Rihanna

Canadian Boy — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:31:17 +0000

After releasing three hugely successful number singles, the Loud campaign reached a bit of a slump. Not only did her label choice to release what probably the two least commercial sounding songs on the record, but they released them so close to each other that neither or had the chance to really take off. So for single number six, Rihanna and her label have decided to go with something that sounds like a surefire hit. Does that mean it’s any good though?

Well I’ll start off by saying that sampling Avril Lavigne’s “I’m With You” was an inspired idea, even if it didn’t exactly mesh perfectly with the chorus. Rihanna herself gives a great performance that is further proof that she is moving away from her former “ice queen” into to someone resembling a warm-blooded human being.

Yet, there’s still something about this song that doesn’t work. While it’s a perfectly likable tune, I just can’t get myself behind. It has all the components of a great drinking song, but by Rihanna standards it’s rather dull. After following “Man Down”, which recounts the tale of a woman shooting a man, “Cheers” feels much too tame.

Although, perhaps that’s the whole point. With the summer coming to a close people will be dragged back into reality, and what better way to help them through it then with a song celebrating “the freakin’ weekend”. From a commercial stand-point, this is undoubtedly the best single choice from Loud, but from an artistic stand-point it is a tad of a letdown.

Grade: 55/100

Amy Winehouse’s Top 10 Songs

Canadian Boy — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 21:17:40 +0000

As a tribute to the late but great Amy Winehouse I have taken it upon myself to dig through her regrettably short discography and chose her ten greatest moments. While there may not be much material to sort through, it is still no simple task as Winehouse has made some truly spectacular music in her short time here, from her impressive debut Frank to her air-tight follow-up Back To Black.

10. “You Sent Me Flying”

One of the highlights of her debut album, “You Sent Me Flying” is essentially Winehouse rambling with some guitars before reaching a soulful breakdown part way through, but it’s that nonchalant casualness that makes this song so exciting. Well that and the excellent chorus.

9. “In My Bed”

Despite being her most “mainstream” sounding single, it still hosted some of her trademark sexually charged lyrics (“The only time I hold your hand/Is to get the angle right“). Plus the hooks on the chorus are so addictive you’ll find yourself singing along to it all day.

8. “You Know I’m No Good”

Back To Black’s second single continued to build on Winehouse’s bad girl image. The song uses very specific imagery that almost eliminates the need for a music video because you can picture the whole in your head. It is also producer Mark Ronson’s best fusion of hip-hop and retro soul.

7. “Love Is A Losing Game”

It is often the simplest realizations that are the most heartbreaking, and “Love Is a Losing Game” is a perfect example. Winehouse could have made this a power ballad of epic proportions, but that was never really her style; Winehouse prefered subtle, slow-burning heartbreak. Making the tragic ballad all the more painfully beautiful.

6. “Rehab”

The song that defies her career. While not her best song it is indeed her most essential. Without “Rehab” and its bold refusal to get help, it’s hard to imagine Winehouse being a household name. I can still remember how exciting and refreshing this song was back in 2007 when it managed to charm this side of the Atlantic similar as to how it charmed Europe the year before. It definitely deserved all of the commercial and critical success it brought her.

5. “F**k Me Pumps”

This sassy little number is Winehouse at her most playful. The expertly crafted single is a charming and cheeky tale of a washed up party girl who desperately tries to find the tall, handsome, and rich man of her dreams who never amounts to anything more than a one night stand. This is some truly brilliant songwriting.

4. “Valerie”, Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse

“Valerie” is so happy-go-lucky that it’s impossible not to adore. Winehouse may have never sounded as infectious as she does here. Ronson wasn’t kidding when he said Winehouse was his ”musical soul mate”. It’s also a rare example of a cover surpassing its original.

3. “Wake Up Alone”

Perhaps her best moment as a songwriter, as she expertly crafts a portrait of a woman dealing with the loneliness that is the aftermath of a difficult break-up. The actual song itself is hands down the most haunting song in her repertoire, from its morbid lyrics to the ghostly back-up vocals.

2. “Back To Black”

Quite simply her saddest song. Winehouse’s tragic masterpiece is the exact moment where you can hear her heart-break into a million pieces, from the moody melody, to her ex’s preference of cocaine to her, and that voice. Wineouse may have never written a better hook than “we only said goodbye with words/I died a hundred times”.

1. “Tears Dry On Their Own”

Winehouse and her team must have known they had something truly special when they decided to sample Marvin Gaye’s classic “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. Those are some seriously big shoes to fill and “Tears Dry” fits them snuggly. While a magnificent song on its own, it is at its most effective when taken into context with the rest of the album. It is with this song that Winehouse finds her inner strengthen and bravely declares:

“ Shouldn’t play myself again,
I should be my own best friend,
Not fuck myself in the head with stupid men“

For an artist who was so good at making darker music, it might come as a surprise that I find her strongest offering to be her most upbeat and empowering. It could be because she does self-help in a way others do, by refusing to glorify her own flaws and missteps. She isn’t looking to be liked or saved (a point made quite obvious from the above verse), she isn’t even promising that she’ll be okay in the long run, but for now she’ll be just fine by herself, doubters be damned.

Single Review: “Moves Like Jagger”, Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera

Canadian Boy — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:43:32 +0000

Maroon 5 know their way around a summer jam, last year’s excellent “Misery” is a fine example of such. Unfortunately, “Misery” never became the chart topping hit it deserved to be and the band’s ensuing album also underperformed. Much like another former chart-topping artist; Christina Aguilera. So it seems fitting that the fellow Voice judges/coaches would team up. And much like last year’s “Misery”, “Moves Like Jagger” feels destined to be a summer smash and with the extra push from a live performance on The Voice things look promising.

As for the actual song itself, it starts off with a charming whistle and breezy strumming. Then a dance-y drum beat starts pulsing. Luckily, the song doesn’t get much more complex than that, making it sound clean and simple. A refreshing break from some of the more heavy-handed productions currently ruling the charts. Lyrically, the song is also pretty simple, with a male narrator trying to impress a possible female interest, who then adds her own two cents, before launching into a very catchy chorus. Although, like many Maroon 5 songs, the lyrics seem to have more of a bite than you would expect. And as always, both Levine and Aguilera sound fantastic.

It will hardly be considered amongst either artists most ambitious work, but the song gets the job done as far as fluffy pop songs go. My only real complaint is that we don’t get to hear Levine and Aguilera really sing together. Regardless, the chorus is ridiculously infectious, more than any song that name drops a musical icon in its title has any right to be, and will hopefully reposition both Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera as the chart forces they both deserve to be.

Grade: 77/100

New Grading System

Canadian Boy — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 01:26:55 +0000

I know it’s been ages since the last time I posted anything new, but fear not there are plenty of new posts on their way! Along with this new posts I will also be introducing a new a new grading system for my single reviews. Rather than using the traditional letter scale to grade them, I will be assigning each song I review a number out of 100. This allows me to be more precise while criticizing a song. So, I hope you readers will enjoy this more exact grading system and I look forward to hearing back from you all!

Single Reviews: Housekeeping Edition

Canadian Boy — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 02:11:10 +0000

Alright, I must start this post of with an apology for being inactive for over a month. So since there’s been lots of big hits to cover in the past couple of weeks I decided to once again do a bunch of mini-reviews to help catch up.

“Til The World Ends”, Britney Spears

So it’s no big secret that I’m not a huge Spears fan, and unlike most I was not very impressed with “Hold It Against Me”. With that said, I must confess I’m really digging her latest “Til The World End”. It’s not a career-defining single by any stretch, in fact it’s less adventurous than HIAM, but it’s the first single of hers I’ve thoroughly enjoyed since “Circus”. What makes it so enjoyable then? Well I’ve narrowed it down to two possibilities, the first being that it’s simply a slice of thrilling and exciting dance-pop, so much so that I’d go as far as to say it’s uplifting. The other being my helpless love, erm, like for Ke$ha (she did help co-write the song…).

Grade: B+

“Just Can’t Get Enough”, The Black Eyed Peas

Speaking of people I’m not a huge of. Coming off the release of one of their worst releases to date, “Just Can’t Get Enough” couldn’t possibly be worst. The song starts off with a surprisingly sweet vocal from Fergie and for a second I thought we’d be treated to a “Meet Me Halfway Pt. 2″. The moment Will.i.am steps in with his lifeless auto-tuned vocals though, things start to take an inevitable turn for the worst. By the time we get to all of that “switch up” crap what could have been a beautiful love song is tainted. Good job Will.i.am!

Grade: C

“Mean”, Taylor Swift

Part of me despises this song, because it has a set of unbelievably grating lyrics that are as juvenile as they are hypocritical. To avoid going on a giant rant about how much of Taylor’s catalogue is based on criticizing others and calling out their flaws, you know the songs about all of the relationships that didn’t work, and then harshly calling out someone who criticizes you yourself isn’t exactly just. Then there’s the petty stabs like “All you are is mean/And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life”, which completely undermines any credibility that you had going for you in the first place. Anyways, with that said the song is also incredibly infectious. So even though I wish I could, I can’t bring myself to hate this song.

Grade: C+

”Price Tag”, Jessie J featuring B.o.B.

Jessie J is my favorite new artist of the year so far. I first fell in love with after seeing the video for her UK debut single “Do It Like A Dude”. I wasn’t as instantly smitten with “Price Tag”, but it has proven to be a grower. The reggae tinged production is what really sells it, so kudos to Dr.Luke who I haven’t been this impressed with in quite sometime.

Grade: B+

”Paper Airplane”, Alison Krauss & Union Station

My relationship with country music and all of its sub-genres has become strained this past year, but “Paper Airplane” has single-handedly managed to restore in it. Everything about this gem is hauntingly beautiful, from the gentle instrumentation, to the melancholy lyrics, to Krauss’s sweet and vulnerable voice that brings them to life. Of course country radio has decided to ignore it all together, but it is truly there lose because “Paper Airplane” is by far the best country song of the year so far.

Grade: A

“Am I The Only One”, Dierks Bentley

Then I remember why it’s strained… You should know better than this Dierks.

Grade: D+

“Dirt Road Anthem”, Jason Aldean

Come on country music! It isn’t nearly as disappointing as Bentley’s new single, but at least he knew not to rap!

Grade: D+

Single Review: “E.T.”, Katy Perry featuring Kanye West

Canadian Boy — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 16:06:06 +0000

I have to admit, Katy Perry’s had a solid run of singles going for her since she released her sophmore album Teenage Dream. Sadly, “E.T” brings what is hopefully a minor speed bump to this run of good singles (if “Peacock” ever gets released though, it’s pretty much hopeless). Whoever’s idea it was to get Kanye West on this track should be applauded since he adds some energy to this fairly lifeless track.

Perry seems to be attempting a more mature sounding record, but if that was her intent using lyrics like “wanna feel your powers, stun me with your lasers” kind of undermine the whole thing. It doesn’t help the songs production is rather, well, dull. Of all the negative things you could say about Katy Perry, dull shouldn’t be one of them. She relies very heavily on her infectious hooks, so without them the song feels undercooked.

So, as I said earlier, hopefully “E.T.” will just be a minor detour from another great or at least decent single. I’m still a little terrified at the possibility of “Peacock” becoming Teenage Dream‘s fifth single, a song so awful that it makes “E.T.” sound like a classic. If I may suggest a song, how about the superb “The One That Got Away”?

Grade: C-

Single Review: “On The Floor”, Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull

Canadian Boy — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:45:25 +0000

J.Lo seems to be using her new position as an Idol judge to her advantage, using the gig as a platform to advertise “On The Floor”‘s upcoming music video and allowing fans to vote on the video’s ending. It’s a very savvy, if somewhat shameless, marketing strategy. Considering it’s spent the entire week behind only Gaga’s latest single on the iTunes chart, it appears to be working too.

Sadly, “On The Floor” is a rather bland piece of techno-lite that’s lacking a proper hook. It has a pleasant enough melody, but the lyrics are fairly dreadful and painfully generic. Again, if the song had a strong hook some of these could be overlooked, although it’s hard to imagine the line “It’s getting ill it’s getting sick on the floor” ever being justified. Meanwhile, the less said about Pitbull’s verses the better.

It’s a shame that Lopez is using her newfound media attention to promote such mediocre material. While I was never a huge fan of hers I was still looking forward to hear her new single and was thoroughly disappointed. Although, I didn’t dislike as much as I did when I first heard it so maybe it will prove to be a grower in the long run, but for now…

Grade: C-

Single Review: “Blow”, Ke$ha

Canadian Boy — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 21:43:00 +0000

Cannibal era Ke$ha seems to be less concerned with being a popstar and more concerned with being the trashiest female act out there. “Blow” continues to push her further into the deep end, but it’s starting to feel like signature Ke$ha. She sings about glitter, clubbing, losing control, and taking over. Pretty standard lyrics, but Ke$ha puts her twist on it and gives us some insight into her grimy ways (“We’re young and we’re bored“).

Alas, the problem with “Blow” isn’t in its lyrics or even Ke$ha herself, but rather its lackluster chorus. It’s only mildly catchy and much too repetitive for its own good. It starts to become a little dull and if there’s one thing Ke$ha can never afford to be is dull. Luckily, the song comes to a powerful end as Ke$ha roars “this place about to blow” with surprising energy and rawness.

So, while it is easy to think of reasons to hate both Ke$ha and her music, I continue to find it impossible or nearly impossible to do so. “Blow” is cheap, crass, obnoxious, and even a little grating, but it’s unmistakably Ke$ha. As she says during the song’s breakdown: “We are taking over/Get used to it“. Might as well.

Grade: B