Pop Blitz 2/1/11

Britney Spears - Hold It Against Me
As this single's quick chart ascension proves, it's an instantly catchy dance track. What it doesn't seem to have, though, is a lot of staying power. Right now I'm rating it as "just fine." Certainly not bad, but nothing all that special, either. B

Jessie J - Price Tag
While I can see a glimmer of the "next-big-thing" hype she's getting, neither her last song nor this one has got me all that excited. It's kind of boring, honestly. C+

Chris Brown - Yeah 3X
After everything that happened, I'm honestly surprised that this comeback is happening. Especially with such a derivative, sounds-like-everything-else track. Taio Cruz does this much better, but I do have to admit that the chorus is pretty strong. B-

Pink - F**kin' Perfect
Sorry, Pink. I'm a fan, but this is such a lazy song. Boring melody, sappy sentiment and dull production. I don't see why it's such a huge hit. It's the same problem I've had with a lot of her more recent stuff. She's coasting. There's none of that spark of her first three albums. C

Adele - Rolling In The Deep
Amazing. This is an example of an artist improving on her debut with a single that pushes forward, rather than setting the auto-pilot and reaping the rewards of an already established career. A-

Train - Marry Me
Is there anyone alive that still likes Hey, Soul Sister? It may have been the most overplayed song of all time. Let's HOPE this doesn't follow the same path. This is a neutered band, producing Hallmark card songs at the whim of conservative radio playlisters. Blech. F

Wretch 32 - Tractor
I'm probably not the target audience for this, but as far as UK rap singles go, I find this relatively forgettable. I like the production, but the hook's not strong enough to make much of an impact. C-

Pop Blitz 10/7/10

Joe McElderry - Ambitions While I can't say I'm happy that this perfect Scandinavian hit is being repackaged by another artist, this could be a lot worse. Sure, it's been stripped of the delicate melancholy of the original, but the new Jai-ho peppiness of it all makes this a different kind of treat. A good song is a good song. A-

Nelly - Just A Dream
I can't say I expected this comeback. As far as hip-hoppers go, I've always found Nelly pretty charming. This is more gooey ballad than rap thumper, and it's all the better for that. A nice surprise. B+

Kings Of Leon - Radioactive
Unlikely to chart as high as past hits, but this percussive, rootsy rocker has its own charms. Pleasant, even if it isn't the most memorable thing in the world. B

Robbie Williams & Gary Barlow - Shame
They deserve a stronger song. It sounds like a b-side. That being said, I'm a fan of any song Robbie touches, and the laid-back orchestral flourishes bump this up a little for me. B-

Pink - Raise Your Glass
She's never really released a bad single, so the quality here is no surprise. I'm more fond of the verses than the chorus, though. B+

Kanye West - Runaway
I'm not aboard the Kanye train. When this was performed on the VMAs, I thought it was ridiculously stupid. Presented here without the added spectacle, it's just pretty stupid. C-

The Saturdays - Higher
As far as girl groups go, the Saturdays have done little to impress me. This is utter crap. It's so derivative that I can't believe there were actual songwriters involved. So devoid of any personality. And any semblance of a hook. D

Pop Blitz 2/3/10

Marina & The Diamonds - Hollywood
I'm still not entirely in love with Marina's voice, though that's more of a personal thing. However, the song's quite nice. Subtle in a way... it doesn't really hit you over the head the first time. It's a real grower. Hopefully that means longevity. B+

Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
I'm not a country fan but I can see why this is taking America by storm right now. Somehow it sounds more like a big 80's ballad than anything. There's nothing like it on the radio right now. Very pretty. A-

Jedward - Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby) (ft. Vanilla Ice)
I'd probably hate this if I hadn't followed John & Edward on X-Factor. As it stands, it's a super fun slice of novelty pop. And it does the impossible: makes Vanilla Ice tolerable! B+

Pink - Glitter In The Air
Her performance at the Grammys catapulted this non-single to hit status and unearthed a buried gem. It's one of her most delicate ballads. Reminds me of the late 90's. A-

Black Eyed Peas - Imma Be
This is absolute crap, and represents the worst side of BEP. It's not a song. It's noise. The military could use it to drive Bin Laden out of hiding. F

Iyaz - Solo
Horrible. Basically, he took a classic song, changed the lyrics and sang it horribly. I can't believe that something like this could even be deemed radio-worthy. D-

Jason Derulo - In My Head
Maybe he won't be a one hit wonder, after all. This sounds a hell of a lot like Chris Brown, and possesses exactly 0% originality, but it's pretty catchy. Could've been a LOT worse. B