Pop Blitz

Beyonce ft. Lady Gaga - Video Phone
I probably would have never listened to this if Gaga wasn't on it. As it is, her part is definitely the highlight. Like the worst Beyonce songs, the track's utterly tuneless. Oddly enough, it's growing on me a little. Maybe it's the ridiculous lyrics. C+

Marina & the Diamonds - Mowgli's Road
Sort of a feistier Feist, this track has a a distinctly "arty" feeling to it. If I'm being honest, I've heard better from this band. But still, as their breakthrough, this is alright. B

The Killers - Happy Birthday Guadalupe!
Weird. I wish they'd just release another album and forget about all of these Christmas singles (wait, is this for charity? Then scratch that, I guess). Anyways, I've always been a fan of this band but this song is pretty uninspired. It hardly sounds like them at all. More like an unfinished demo. C-

Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
I maintain my position that there is nothing remotely interesting about Alicia Keys. I find her utterly, annoyingly dull, and it's her more than Jay-Z that prevents me from liking this. The hook is droning, and I don't see why anyone who wasn't from NYC would care about it. C-

Lily Allen - Who'd Have Known?
I'm not a big fan of the album as a whole, but there's already been a few nice tracks from Allen this year. This one's got a very memorable chorus that makes up for some sleepy verses. All in all, one of her better singles. B+

Shakira ft. Lil Wayne - Give it Up to Me
I should hate this. It's so much less inventive than most of Shakira's releases, but for some reason it's completely addicting. The production is circa 2007, but the chorus totally makes it. Lil' Wayne isn't even all that annoying. A-

Jennifer Lopez - Louboutins
Not sure what exactly Jennifer was attempting here, but this is utter crap. I mean, no one was expecting miracles with a voice and personality like hers, but it sounds like she's hardly trying here. It's quite lifeless and the production sounds very cheap. F