on air: 2010 year in music, pt. III

BABY
Justin Bieber feat. Ludacris
My World 2.0

You know you love me.

There's really nothing special about this piece of bubblegum pop except for the Ludacris cameo that adds a bit swagger to the tune. So one can't help but wonder how is it that when the teen pop star croons, "I was like baby, baby, baby oooh", tweens all over the world swoon.

MINE
Taylor Swift
Speak Now

You were in college working part-time waiting tables, left a small town and never looked back.

It will take about twenty or so spins before one can find the gem that hides underneath an otherwise same-sounding crossover track by pop's current golden girl, Taylor Swift. Mine attempts to put Swift in a more mature light by singing of having a drawer of her things at his place. Seriously, nobody is convinced.

SOMETHING 'BOUT LOVE
David Archuleta
The Other Side Of Down

Every night it's all the same.

Something 'Bout Love is not a far departure from the pleasant, contemporary pop music that David Archuleta's known for. His powerful vocals ride effortlessly along a bubbly groove that glosses over a rather poignant truth about love.

WHEN I LOOK AT YOU
Miley Cyrus
The Time Of Our Lives

Everybody needs inspiration.

Miley Cyrus proved her ability to carry a ballad with The Climb but she takes it a step higher with the theme from the movie The Last Song. The slightly gravelly quality of her voice combined with the well-crafted prose of When I Look At You makes for a beautiful and very potent combination.

CALIFORNIA GURLS
Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dog
Teenage Dream

I know a place where the grass is really greener.

California Gurls is Katy Perry's supposed response to Jay-Z's homage to New York, Empire State of Mind. While the latter exclaims the city's magnificence mixed with darker undertones, Perry's is an unapologetic and exuberant summer anthem through and through. Indeed, it is fun, fresh and most definitely fierce.

JUST THE WAY YOU ARE
Bruno Mars
Doo-Wops And Hooligans

Her eyes, her eyes make the stars look like they’re not shining.

Bruno Mars' amazing vocals is highlighted on this piano-driven mid-tempo ballad. There is a certain sweetness and honesty on how he delivers the lines on Just The Way You Are that makes the song dead romantic instead of just plain cheesy. It's the ultimate feel-good track of 2010.

CLUB CAN'T HANDLE ME
Flo Rida feat. David Guetta
Only One Flo, Part I

You know I know how to make them stop and stare as I zone out.

David Guetta has become the go-to producer of artists who want to have a pop hit on their belt. Flo Rida teamed up with the producer for the soundtrack single to the Step Up 3D. With that said, the duo came up with a club record that is unsurprisingly more popular than the movie. Club Can't Handle Me is light, fluffy and perky – the qualities that will make it a timeless party favorite.

DJ GOT US FALLIN' IN LOVE
Usher feat. Pitbull
Versus

So we back in the club, get that bodies rockin’ from side to side.

This Max Martin-produced track feels like a last-ditch effort of the management to milk Usher's latest record. DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love may very well be a reheated leftover of Raymond v. Raymond and it may sell the artist short of the name that he has established for himself. Nevertheless, current pop radio warmly embraces songs that have a memorable chorus and slick rhythm. It is without wonder why DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love is such a hit.

WHATAYA WANT FROM ME
Adam Lambert
For Your Entertainment

Hey, slow it down.

Amazingly, Adam Lambert sounds really good on this Pink-penned track. By foregoing his usual caterwauling, he manages to make Whataya Want From Me sound so honest and passionate. The build-up to the powerhouse chorus is so effective that listeners wouldn't really mind if he pops a blood vessel screeching out the last few parts of the song.

HEY, SOUL SISTER
Train
Save Me, San Francisco

Your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my left side brains.

It's bright. It's sunny. It's quirky. It's feel-good. It's so radio-friendly. It has a high repeat value. Hey, Soul Sister is everything that pop ought to be. There is no depth to its lyrics but with Ke$ha, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry songs dominating the Top 40, who needs depth?