Music

Top 5 Pop Releases: May Edition

by Aaron Zorgel

Each month, tons of new music from many taste-spanning genres is released into a fast-consuming, unforgiving audience; it can be tough to get a handle on what’s new before it’s on to the next. In an attempt to highlight the standout releases, at the end of each month, AUX staff re-cap the month in Punk, Metal, Indie/Pop/Rock, Hip Hop, Pop, and Electronica/Dance with the top five releases in each. Consider it your cheat sheet for year-end lists.

Top 5 Pop Tracks:
May Edition

 

Chris Brown – “Beautiful People” feat. Benny Benassi

Electro House and Trance has been trickling down into R&B/Hip-Hop production more and more over the past couple of years, but this is the finest instance of an R&B singer wholly embracing that throbbing, sparkling Europop sound. Chris Brown is almost unrecognizable on this track, and I think I like it that way. It’s a feel-good club anthem with uplifting and inspirational lyrics, showcasing a side of Brown that we didn’t know was there. Don’t get me wrong, Breezy is still the worst dude, but this song is dreamy, bouncy, and perfect as a dancefloor destroyer. Simply killer.

Nicki Minaj – “Super Bass”

On the whole, Pink Friday was kind of underwhelming. It’s got some good hooks, and some decent hashtag punchlines, but it lacks the raw energy and freakiness that Nicki Minaj initially showed on her mixtapes and early features. “Super Bass” is a cut from the deluxe edition of Pink Friday, and it’s an album favourite. The hook is super catchy, Kane’s production shines, and it shows what a talented rapper Minaj is. I’m also really into that British accent she uses in the pre-choruses. It doesn’t even come close to touching her verse in “Monster,” and it’s no “Massive Attack,” but it’s a great pop song.

Pitbull – “Give Me Everything” feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack, and Nayer

I’m a fairly vocal detractor of Cuban-American rapper Pitbull, but this song is an exception to the rule. His raspy monotone actually suits his vocal on this song. The sparkling synth lead is memorable, and Ne-Yo crushes the “grab somebody sexy” chorus. Partying in the face of the apocalypse is an eerily common theme in pop music today (see: “Till The World Ends,” by Britney Spears, “2012,” by Jay Sean) and this song might be the best of the ill-boding bunch. Since I’m not a fan of Mr.Worldwide, I attribute the success of this track to up and coming Dutch producer Afrojack, who also apparently lent his skills to Run The World (Girls) by Beyoncé.

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

This track is a perfect example of how, in the world of pop music, eight different people can have writing credits on one song. Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins (“The Boy Is Mine,” “Telephone”) and Julie Frost wrote the basic framework of the song. Then, the Darkchild-affiliated production team of Tommy Brown and Bah contributed to the composition, and handled initial production of the track. At this point the track was passed to the Black Eyed Peas, where all four members contributed, and according to Frost, “cut it up and gave it their own twist.” The end result is a melancholic-then-manic structural Frankenstein. The arrangement is a somewhat typical chorus/verse/chorus/verse until will.i.am announces (in a weirdo half-Japanese/half-Jamaican accent, no less) “This is mega switch up.” The song then barrels in a completely different uptempo direction, where apl.de.ap gets a moment to shine for a change.  It’s a bizarre song, but somehow it works.

Beyoncé – “Run The World (Girls)”

This is kind of a controversial one, because the musical production is largely borrowed from the 2009 Major Lazer electro/dancehall banger “Pon De Floor.” The critics might be divided on it, but in my opinion B can do no wrong. Plus, there’s enough vocal layering on top of the track to give it an entirely different feel. “Run The World” feels like the next installment of Beyoncé’s signature uptempo female empowerment anthems (“Single Ladies [Put A Ring On It],”Diva”).  She absolutely destroyed audiences with performances of the song on the Billboard Music Awards and Oprah last week, and reminded us that she is the most talented woman in pop music today. Major Lazer die-hards be damned, I’d take Beyoncé over (Major Lazer hype-man) Skerrit Bwoy any day of the week.

Surprises, disappointments and tracks/albums to watch for next month

Surprise of the month: I can’t believe I’m saying it, but “(It) Feels So Good” by Steven Tyler has been stuck in my head all goddamned month.

Disappointments: I was really digging “Judas” by Lady Gaga until I realized it was essentially a re-write of her 2009 hit “Bad Romance.” That said, I still walk around my apartment singing “a King with no croooooown.”

Out in June: Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV comes out on June 21st, so expect another massive single soon. If “Six Foot Seven Foot” and “John” are any indication, it should be pretty solid. Well, It can’t be any worse than Rebirth.