Peanut butter and summer jams

As promised: something not as serious.  I devote a fair amount of writing to my thoughts on various movies I've seen on this here blog of mine, but that's the be expected, no?  I call myself some sort of movie encyclopedia, considering I'm the go-to when someone asks anything related to random movie trivia; I've spent more time at the theaters this summer than I have at home; hell, I'm going to school for cinema studies, and the more I think about my future the more I realize I better be behind a camera, or at the very least, I better be the next Ebert.  And so with all of that digression in mind, my point is that I thought I might shift gears and give light on what I'm listening to in these last remaining summer months, for no reason aside from (well, changing gears) the fact that I can.

The last time I shed light on my musical tastes I got considerable backlash, but that's to be expected: there's so much music out there that one isn't defined to a handful of selections unlike, say, preference in television shows.  It's a lot easier to relate to someone over a love for Game of Thrones than it is over the most obscure underground indie band whose name isn't even in a writable language because of the depth of the medium's scope - there are only so many genres of TV or movies and only so many options to actually watch that common likes and dislikes are easily discovered.  Musical taste, on the other hand, is hardly definitive - why, even in just my own iTunes library, you could go from a Lady Gaga pop song (it's likely, I have hundreds) to a classic rock song to a showtune to some weird rap song.  That being said: I feel like when it comes to musical taste it's imperative that respect is kept in check.  There's a fair chance that you, my current reader, will hate everything I'm about to list - you might not even consider it music whatsoever - but that doesn't automatically write off what I've listed as universally "bad."  It simply represents a personal opinion, an opinion exactly what this very post is: I will at no point say that this is rule.  It's what I like, regardless of if you think it's quality at all - that's the fun of this though, isn't it?  You might walk away wanting to listen to anything I've suggested, or you might find yourself on the comments section of this post to tear me down and assume everything I've spoken out against in this overtly-defensive and largely irrelevant paragraph, you damn cliche, but whatever - I'm game!

Anywaaaaays.  Yes, the point of this is to write about what I'd consider to be good music to be listening to this summer in a time devoid of any new Lady Gaga material.  (good mood material, that is - I'm not usually up for listening to Princess Die when I'm hanging out with my friends but nevertheless check it out it's beautifully written) Forgive the fact that I'm not well versed in the language needed to describe music quite like I am with movies.

212 | Azealia Banks
This song is fire.  It's begun to grab traction on the radio although the censorship is a discredit to the song - the word 'cunt' is used so many times I can't even begin to count, but considering I've become too liberal with the word I've completely embraced it.  Azealia Banks just has this something that I can't even begin to describe, and it's what makes the song so incredible.  It definitely has to do with her spitfire rhythm and her near-apathy when rapping as if she could do it in her sleep.  As much as I've gone crazy over this song I realize that it isn't for everyone - any time it's come on my mom has said "please change this Nicki Minaj song" - but it's at least worth a listen considering the last two people I've shared this with (one of whom does not like rap) were hooked within seconds.  Should you become as enamored with this song as I have been, and if rap is sorta your thing, she recently released a free nineteen-track mixtape entitled Fantasea which, although quite unlike 212 in its grittier and heavier rap tone, is still very impressive.  It's also worth saying: Azealia Banks wipes the floor with Nicki Minaj.

Runaways | The Killers
Already have I proved my previous point about the huge scope in music: I'm jumping from a female rapper to an alternative rock group.  A few days ago came the release of The Killers' first single from their upcoming album Battle Born, and it's undeniably them.  I've always loved The Killers, and I'd wager that Mr. Brightside is probably one of my all-time favourite songs, if not the top.  There's no use in even trying to go on about what makes the song so good, namely because I think The Killers might be moreso recognizable to you than the previous song where, reading again what I've written, I seem like Azealia Banks' official distributor.  If you've ever liked listening to any song of theirs, you'll obviously like Runaways; it's similar enough to their previous work to make the song familiar, yet it's different enough to add a progression to what they've done.  The escalation throughout the song is immersive.

Electra Heart | Marina and the Diamonds
Thought I'd change things up and make note of an entire album itself.  You might not recognize the name Marina and the Diamonds, yet there's a chance you might recognize the lead single from this sophomore (yeah, this is her second, a conceptual follow-up to The Family Jewels) album called Primadonna.  While the name is suggestive of a band, we find instead just Marina Diamondis - the mentioned 'Diamonds' are her fans, as she's said, ala Little Monsters - a Welsh import with one of the more distinctive voices in my musical library.  (I think it's because she sometimes sings with her accent - it's tough to explain) While The Family Jewels was largely experimental with its alternative-pop songs, Electra Heart finds a shift to a more traditional pop sound made unique by her voice.  The album as a whole works in concert with her current image - that is, bleach blonde hair and an indulgence in the archetypical blonde - as it deals with the overarching theme of the blonde starlet, fame, and its consequential downfall.  Songs like Bubblegum Bitch and Homewrecker take stabs at the stereotype while Teen Idle and Living Dead deal with the break of that facade.  The album (and her voice) takes some time to adjust to, but she's worth a look.  Songs of note: Teen Idle, the obvious highlight; Primadonna, Power & Control, The State of Dreaming, How to be a Heartbreaker.

National Anthem | Lana Del Rey
I'd be lying if I said I didn't write that lengthy preface almost specifically because I knew I'd mention Lana Del Rey.  I've spoken before about how polarizing she is, considering - even though I call myself a pretty big fan - I sometimes think she can't even sing; live performances tank more often than not and I don't overly appreciate the reliance on production to make songs enjoyable.  Regardless, National Anthem is the highlight to what I honestly think might be one of the strongest albums of the year, Born to Die.  (my misgivings aside, I'm not exaggerating when I say there isn't a single song that I don't dislike, it's that good - although you really need to be in a mood to listen to fifteen tracks with the same somber tone) With National Anthem we find her almost-rapping throughout the verses which lead up to a catchy chorus.  Worth mentioning is the video where she portrays Jackie Kennedy opposite A$AP Rocky as JFK; what seems like a controversial video plays out as extremely emotional and hauntingly beautiful.  This song screams summer.

Synthetica | Metric
The power of live performance: it took one free concert of only six songs to launch my obsession of Metric, a band who I've always enjoyed though never to this extent.  Fantasies seemed like a tall order to follow; with Synthetica Metric returns with grand scale, found in songs like Artificial Nocturne and my favourite, Speed the Collapse.  I'm completely in love with Emily Haines and her vocal style; she's a ball of energy while performing and that playfulness is apparent in a song like Lost Kitten, another one of my favourites, which is nearly creepy but definitely catchy.  The album takes only one misstep, a song called The Wanderlust which features Lou Reed.  His bizarre drawling dampens the song as a whole and I can't help but think that I might've enjoyed it had it been only Haines singing, but it's nothing a simple click of the skip button can't fix.  Proud to be a Canadian with bands like Metric repping us in the music industry.  Songs of note: everything.  I'm kidding: Speed the Collapse, Youth Without Youth, Lost Kitten, Breathing Underwater, Synthetica.

The Lana Del Rey Conundrum

If you've never heard of Lana Del Rey before this very sentence, you've probably been under a bit of a rock - and no, I don't mean that in the sense that she's so famous you surely must've heard of her.  If anything, really, she might be infamous following her recent turnout on Saturday Night Live, and therein lies my meaning behind my certainty you've probably at least heard her name in passing since the January 14 episode hosted by Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe.  You may never have heard her open her mouth whatsoever, but you might have heard about the trainwreck that was her two performances.

I feel it right to say, I'm a fan of hers.  She caught my attention as her song Video Games kept popping up on year-end lists covering the best-of 2011 music.  Interestingly, the day I typed Video Games into the Youtube search bar was the day that her first professional music video for her second officially released single, Born to Die, was released, and as I absorbed the slow melodic sounds of the former song I was stared down by the apathetic glare coupled with dark and pronounced lips that were Lana Del Rey's face on the banner for the new video.  A click away and I found myself watching the five minute long clip, and by the time it drew to a close I found myself compelled to play it again, and before I realized it completely I'd listened to the song (watching grew tiresome after a couple views even though the video is visually stunning) a good five or six times.  I was eager to hear more and I was greeted with a large amount of old demos on Youtube; I reserved myself to only listening to the songs which were to be included on her debut album, Born to Die, due out on the 30th of January but is somehow already playing on repeat on my iTunes.  (the only other songs being Blue Jeans, Diet Mtn Dew [which received a heavy hip-hop makeover for its final version and which consequently has become a favourite] and Off to the Races, my favourite by miles) I suppose it's largely due to my music library growing stale - yeah, Gaga has a great replay value, but Born This Way has really become mundane for me to listen to, save for the select standouts - but I was somewhat enthralled with Lana Del Rey.  Now, being a reader who's never heard of her, potentially, it's at least my duty to explain to you her sound, but as my backspace button can attest to this fact I've struggled to sum her up.  Pop music, sure, in the loosest of senses, borderline the elusive 'alternative' mantle that I label nearly half of my library as for lack of a better term; her voice is extremely unique, smooth and somewhat like Nancy Sinatra, a singer whom she's been professionally compared to.  Her songs are of the slower nature, melodic and hypnotizing, but now having heard the full album I'll say the split between slow love-like songs and, shockingly, pseudo-rap songs with boisterous beats is even.

Returning to her SNL performances: I was not a fan; anything but.  I was excited for her first televised performances, happy that such a talent was given such a platform for a large splash of an introduction.  The chimes of Video Games started off after Daniel Radcliffe's intro and the spotlights came upon her figure, clad in a gown preserving her pinup bombshell-like image.  (Christ, I don't know!  Just go with it)  Lord, though, she did not sing well live.  Her voice wavered and went flat, changing pitch throughout the song at cringeworthy moments.  Blue Jeans, her second performance, was no better, and safe to say I was glad she left Born to Die untouched by her live performance, or else I wouldn't be able to return to that song with the love I have for it now.  I understand her poor performances to be to nerves, and I feel for her: during the cast goodbyes you can see Seth Meyers hug a downtrodden Lana and read his lips which clearly say, "it wasn't that bad."  The backlash was somewhat painful to witness: for a debut performance, she was panned, and as an avid Twitter user (follow me!) I witnessed brutal trending topics burning her performances rise to the top of the most popular trends in the world.  Reviews since have been anything but glowing, and I feel bad that they've served as a large blow to the anticipation for her new album - if to prove anything, I had come across an article touting her as "2012's Adele," but I'm afraid (for now) she'll have to do a lot to overcome the public's negative outlook on her.  I admit I was a heavy critic after her performances, largely due to my sheer disappointment; I'll also admit that probably, because of the likes of Gaga or Adele, the precedence for live performance has risen once again from the likes of lip-synching Britney, and no longer does it cut it to be just a recording artist: you need to be a singer.  In that sense, it was upsetting to know the voice I grew to love wasn't a live one.

And yet, her debut album is flawless.  (yes, it leaked early this morning, and no, I do not have the willpower to resist listening to it for another week) I can say that there is no weak link to the tracklisting as every song is, in its way, a perfect standout.  Her voice seems flawless, but I beg the question: how much of it is genuine?  All the same, I'm enjoying her music immensely: from Dark Fantasy to Lolita or from the new hip-hop Diet Mtn Dew (..I'm thinking it's my favourite) to This Is What Makes Us Girls to the title track or her fame-maker Video Games, I can't pick the sole standout, which I suppose serves as a testament to the overall strength of Born to Die as a whole.

I entirely realize that her voice is so unique that she's very polarizing: that is, you'll completely love her music and sound, or you'll find yourself unable to get into it.  There's no grey area there, and I wouldn't expect there to be - there isn't one for Lady Gaga, either - because her sound is so defined that you'll either adhere to it like glue or repel it like a magnet.  She's certainly an acquired taste.  That being said, my disappointment in her Saturday Night Live appearance is that she's turned off everyone from her completely.  Here's what I mean: given that she's a very love/hate sort of act, I would never expect SNL's target audience to lap up her performances.  However, had they been solid, she would've garnered respect; I hate to keep bringing it back to Gaga, but I know of many, many people who dislike her music and/or image but straight up respect her because of her powerful voice when singing live.  In that respect, Lana Del Rey has missed that completely: not only did she appear to be that weird girl with an offbeat voice and strange song, but she missed the vocal mark completely, pitchy and shaky and painful to listen to.

It's a difficult concept for me to comprehend, but I'll have to understand her as a recording artist.  She's at the point in her career where the live performances are at a minimum, and my liking of her is low enough that I don't follow her like a hawk so my exposure to her (potential) live missteps will be at zero.  I can only hope with time her voice will become better when singing live, but even still with SNL I fully realize it was probably entirely due to nerves: after all, I can't even imagine having my first televised performance to millions to occur on Saturday Night Live which makes the concept of 'live' as live as possible.  And yet, reversing everything I've just spelled out, I heard a recent performance of Born to Die which sounded ten times better than her recorded version.

I'm in a constant state of confusion with this girl.  She's drop dead gorgeous, so there's definitely that.  For now, I'll reserve myself to enjoying her album as immensely as I have been - I've lost count on the repeats.  I highly suggest her, at least to try: there's a massive, massive chance you'll dislike her, perhaps even hate her, but I'll say if you like her, you'll have a lot to like.

20 of 2011

It's the end of the year again!  Much as I did last year in December, I've decided to make a year-end list detailing my picks for the twenty best songs of 2011.  A disclaimer before I begin: this list will be biased.  I tried my hardest to be as objective as possible when valuing the music of the year, but to assume that I would omit album tracks from Born This Way would be foolish: to me, it was one of the more defining albums of 2011 so in keeping with my outlook (that is, the fact that I personally have listened to it most this year) I do, in fact, list some of the album fillers as the best of the year because - to me, and I cannot drive that point enough - they are, and if anything to come out of this list, I'd love it for you to at least consider listening to some of the songs you aren't familiar with.  Take my word for it: I objectively made quite an extensive list of songs from 2011, good and bad (you'll find I hated hated hated the most popular songs of the year, but you'll read more about that in my extra special Worst Five Songs of 2011 list), and in knowing that I hope it's evident that the fact that Gaga songs still appear means that they are just that good.  Okay, I got that rant out of my system.  Anyways: yes, Lady Gaga appears most on this list, but she does not dominate it.

As I said, I tried as hard as I could to remain objective, considering not only my personal enjoyment of the songs, but it's no secret that my taste in music is somewhat rather mainstream; I certainly do not think that whether or not a song is played on the radio is indicative of its quality, and the fact of the matter is the ones I like are the ones I'm most exposed to.  For an example of my objectivity, (and this song does not appear on the list) I nearly included Katy Perry's Last Friday Night (TGIF) because even though I don't necessarily enjoy it, I realize that it's a finely made song and has experienced astronomical popularity and success this year.  I constructed my list giving credit where credit's due to particular artists, because even wearing my Gaga tinted glasses on the world (this is an expression.  I do not own Gaga tinted glasses, whatever they may look like) I realize that she is not the only musician on the planet with talent - and no, I'm not saying Katy Perry does, but that's immaterial.  Another point to touch base with is the idea that my list is not the be all end all of definitive lists: I know for a fact you will likely disagree with me at multiple points as you continue down my top twenty, and I'm certain my number one choice is not the best song of 2011 to everyone; once again, it's the best of the year to me, and I only hope you find joy from reading my list as opposed to offended anger at my choices.

My final disclaimer: choosing songs from 2011 was tricky because I encountered the permeability of what it actually means to be released in 2011.  What I mean by that is that you will likely find a song or two that was officially released in 2010: for example, a Katy Perry song (using her as an example once again) appearing on this list first came to be on her 2010 album, but it was officially released as a single in 2011 and therefore I've made it eligible.  By extension of that, I hope I don't screw myself over for next year: if one of the album Gaga songs that I've included becomes a single next year, I'll have to ignore it on my list next year.  (I encountered this with Katy Perry [again] this year: I listed E.T. as one of my top twenty last year, but it became a single this year, meaning I could've used it and would've, if not for already using it)

I've gone on far too much.  Here's hoping you enjoy reading my list, and that you find something new to listen to!  (hit 'read more' to carry on - it's a long one!)

Set fire to the rain

 LISTEN TO THIS FREAKING ALBUM.

Soundtrack of my week.

Play them on repeat: 2010

Given that the year is quickly approaching its close, I've already been giving thought to some year end themed blog posts; I figure I'll do something similar to one of my facebook notes from last year, where I talked about my year in a nutshell, about what I learned or how I changed or what have you.  And then, I was struck with an idea: maybe, in addition to those personal culminations of the year, I could have my own say in the top music or movies of 2010, much like other reputable websites do come December 31st.

And so, we have the first of such lists: I thought it would be a fun idea for me to create my own Top 20 of the best songs from 2010, ranking them and reasoning.  I do this lightheartedly; my word isn't law, and as much as I tried to stay objective, you'll see that a lot of the songs likely appear due to my personal likes for them.  But then, on the flip side, you'll see that I included some that aren't exactly my favourites, but even I can step back and affirm that 1. they are undeniably good songs despite the fact that I might not personally like them, 2. that they were popular and sold well for a reason, and 3. that Lady Gaga wasn't the only artist with worthwhile hits in the year.  In fact, to (probably) your surprise, the number one spot isn't occupied by a song of hers.  Nor is the second.  (The third, well.. we'll see, I'm sure I'm bound to edit the order as I go along)  I realize that the majority of them are radio offerings; I'm not so much an indie fan anymore, so yes, it's fairly mainstream, but even so, I tried to stay objective when valuing the songs with the biggest impact in 2010.  Of course, there are notable omissions - there's my personal preferences.  This list isn't a be-all end-all of lists - the songs here are merely my personal choices and (sometimes) favourites.  Ready?  Me neither.

CROSSFIRE : BRANDON FLOWERS
I'm sure you've never heard this song on the radio; in fact, chances are you've never heard it at all.  I couldn't deny it, though, since I like it so much.  Truth be told, I'd much prefer Brandon Flowers to go back to The Killers, as his album as a whole was less than good; but of any, Crossfire reminded me most of his former band, and after seeing the video so many times on MuchMusic, you can't help but like it.

WHAT'S MY NAME : RIHANNA ft. DRAKE

I'm very hot and cold with Rihanna, but this is undeniably one of the better singles she's had as of late - even with the sometimes annoying repetition of 'oh na na, what's my name.'

POWER : KANYE WEST

I'll say it now, and I'll probably end up saying it again: 2010 was the year of Kanye West.  I'll say it myself, I was never that big of a Kanye fan, especially not after the Taylor Swift debacle; My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy more than changed my mind on him.  Sure, maybe sometimes his egotistical ways irk me, but it's undeniable that he knows how to make a great song - Power being no exception.  (it just happens to be my least favourite of any appearing on this list)

GRENADE : BRUNO MARS

I would rank this song higher except for the fact that it's relatively very new compared to some of the songs on my list.  I like Bruno Mars' voice - he makes songs like Billionaire and Nothing On You bearable - and I adore this song.

ERASE ME : KID CUDI ft. KANYE WEST

Another case of "not really being a fan," this time because of seeing him live; the second time I saw Lady Gaga, Kid Cudi opened for her, but I ended up loathing him because his set was over-long and I wanted to see Gaga perform already, damnit! I'm a big fan of this collaboration with Kanye West, though; so much so that I checked out Cudi's entire sophomore album, and it's a diverse good listen.

ANIMAL : NEON TREES

This is one of those instances where I feel like a follower or a hypocrite; I hate when more 'unknown' bands hit the airwaves and suddenly explode where countless upon countless people jump on the bandwagon of being a fan.  In that sense, I feel like that; I love this song, but I'm completely aware that I owe my awareness of it entirely to the radio despite the fact their CD came out a while ago.  It's just one of those songs that you can't dislike.

ROCK THAT BODY : BLACK EYED PEAS

Speaking of things you can't dislike.. the Black Eyed Peas are quite the opposite.  I'll be the first to say that I'm NO fan of them; the times of I Gotta Feeling were excruciating, and they've topped themselves with the god awful The Time (Dirty Bit).  Despite all that, I'll give them kudos where kudos is deserved: Rock That Body is a solid song, and when coupled with Imma Be in a nine minute version complete with an unbelievably amazing transition between the two, the song is a fantastic listen.

E.T. (FUTURISTIC LOVER) : KATY PERRY

Much like Rihanna, I'm very hot and cold with Katy Perry.  Her songs are usually the devil incarnate: I HATE California Gurls; Teenage Dream was once sweet and enjoyable before the radio overplayed it; and Firework is gratingly shrill.  However, I couldn't seem to ignore her completely; credit is where credit's due, and Katy Perry had a very good year in 2010.  Therefore, instead of acknowledging her singles, I chose the strongest song from her album Teenage Dream - E.T.  The song is completely out of the box when considering it as a pop song, and I think the branching outside of the normal is what makes it especially special.  I seem to have this liking of stutters in songs, too.  (in this: 'kiss me, k-k-kiss me,' etc; others: 'papa-paparazzi' or 'ale-alejandro'.. just a trend)

RUNAWAY : KANYE WEST

Sometimes, the video makes or breaks the song; the video for Runaway - a 35 minute movie of the same name, or, specifically, the 5 minute excerpt where the song itself plays - gives just another rap song some level of beauty.  (watch the video, you'll see what I mean)  Kanye's live performances of the song just elevate it even more - I would recommend watching his performances of this and 'Power' on Saturday Night Live.

GHOST : FEFE DOBSON

I have to give it to Fefe Dobson: she was able to create such a strong song despite being, well, Fefe Dobson.  I too laughed at first when I heard "and now, a new song from Fefe Dobson!" on the radio, but my mind was changed quickly after hearing it multiple times.

DANCING ON MY OWN : ROBYN

I've been aware of Robyn - a Swedish pop singer - since hearing one of her songs on So You Think You Can Dance and instantly falling in love with it.  I was never a big enough fan to keep up with her, though, until I read in multiple places that her new album (Body Talk Pt 1, and its subsequent "sequels") were pretty amazing, and I'd have to agree - Dancing On My Own is a stunning, haunting song, and believe it or not, I think you've heard it before if you watched this year's MTV Video Music Awards.

SPEAK NOW : TAYLOR SWIFT

Again, speaking of things you can't hate!  I'm as much of a fan that I can be of Taylor Swift - meaning, I can only like her so much since I'm not a 13 year old girl.  I can't exactly relate to her lyrics, although I'm fully aware of why she is so easy to relate to. It's no secret that Taylor Swift isn't the best of singers on a technical level - her live performances are rarely any good.  Her strength is in her songwriting abilities, and this song is the perfect example of unique lyrics.  Where else do you hear about brides wearing gowns shaped like pastries?

COMMANDER : KELLY ROWLAND

Beyonce who?  This year, Kelly Rowland began to get a lot of attention following her collaboration with David Guetta; the first time I heard Commander, I was in Costa Rica, and I was instantly mesmerized and in disbelief that it was Kelly Rowland, or Beyonce #2.  After that, I started hearing the song everywhere - in commercials, the video playing on Much - and it's such an infectious club-banging song that you'll want to get up and dance.  (I don't)

DOG DAYS ARE OVER : FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

Another instance of guilt: I feel like I've jumped on another bandwagon here as I'm aware that Florence + the Machine had a following before hitting the airwaves.  The abnormal structure of the song and the absolute power of Florence's voice meshes together to make a unique song that I'm still loving despite hearing it everywhere.

ROMAN'S REVENGE : NICKI MINAJ ft. EMINEM

Of course, I can't ignore Nicki Minaj!  Options to pick to include on a best-of list are slim: her debut CD is sub par, and her singles each have their own annoyances (specifically the idiocracy of 'You see right through me, how do you do that shit? repeated over and over in Right Thru Me or the horrifying looming presence of Annie Lennox on Your Love).  Roman's Revenge, however, is pretty amazing.  It's a heavy hitting rap song where Nicki and Eminem take turns spitting out the most vulgar lyrics you can think of; the song is a cartoon of itself, and it reaches the point of being "so bad it's amazing."  The ending where Nicki screeches in a fake British accent is so over the top, that even when it gets to be too much, it provides for a good laugh.

ALEJANDRO : LADY GAGA

How could I ignore Lady Gaga?  Well, I can't.  My personal all time favourite song of hers, I was overjoyed to know that Alejandro was selected as a single - though my happiness faltered when it didn't garner the greatest of receptions, since it broke her string of number one songs and didn't catch on as well as her previous singles.  I recognize its daring; the video itself is marginally controversial, and as a pop song, it's extremely unorthodox - it especially seemed out of place on the radio.  But then, the fact that it DID receive acclaim (just not on the same level as Telephone or anything before it) is something only Lady Gaga could pull off and only shows her relentless strength as an artist.

ALL OF THE LIGHTS : KANYE WEST & ..EVERYBODY

Impressive, impressive song; you must have some SERIOUS cred if you're able to incorporate so many artists on one song - including Rihanna, Fergie, Kid Cudi, Alicia Keys, and fucking Elton John.  I would rank this much, much higher - maybe at the top of the list - if it wasn't for some of the more questionable verses (I'm looking at you, Cudi and Fergie); despite them, the song is still pretty amazing.  Besides, it ends with an Elton John piano solo - cool.

TELEPHONE : LADY GAGA ft. BEYONCE

Gaga, not number one?  (Bad Romance was released in 2009.  Otherwise..)  This song and accompanying video is more solid proof that Lady Gaga isn't going anywhere; she was able to put together a near 10 minute mini-movie of completely unrelated subject matter and set it to the tune of a song superficially about dancing at a club and making it, simply, iconic.  Things you'd never think to put together work in this song: the song uses a harp, for instance, and the pairing of Gaga and Beyonce is conceivably strange until you hear the product.

LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE : EMINEM ft. RIHANNA /

LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE PT II : RIHANNA ft. EMINEM

Technically, my number two spot is a tie; on the flip side, it's merely a recognition of both songs as a whole, as that's what they essentially are.  Both use the same Rihanna sang chorus; both differ in showing two sides to the same story.  (obviously, Eminem's viewpoint in the song most dominated by him - his own; Rihanna's answer in hers)  It's a shame that Rihanna isn't releasing hers as a single, as I'd even go so far as to say that it's simply beautiful.  Eminem's offering, on the other hand, is an excellent rap song to sing along to, pretending you're a rapper - maybe after a few drinks.  Eminem's is another instance of the radio overplaying and killing a song, but I can still see that it deserves the accolades it deserves, and I'm personally pulling for it to sweep the Grammys since Gaga's Bad Romance was shockingly overlooked.

And now..

MONSTER : KANYE WEST ft. JAY-Z, NICKI MINAJ, RICK ROSS & BON IVER

AMAZING, AMAZING SONG.  There's nothing else I can say (eh, eh).  Kanye West does it again; it's safe to say that this song single-handedly reignited my love for rap music - yep, those were the days in Grade 8.  This song is truly incredible, and each featured artist does their best to top each other with their spitfire, heavy hitting verses.  No contest, however - Nicki Minaj wins hands down.  If any song on this list to download (if you haven't heard it), THIS IS THE ONE.


I actually had a lot of fun putting this list together, and god bless you if you actually read it all.  Jesus, this is long.  Who knows, maybe you'll find a few songs that peak your interest?