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Best & Worst Singles of 2007:
Singles that made us turn it up, turn it off, and throw away our radios...
Christine
The best: "All Good Things (Come to an End)," Nelly Furtado; "Shadowplay," The Killers; and worst: "1234," Feist; and "Glamorous," from the queen of understatement, Fergie.
Looking back at the music of 2007, there were a few key acts that managed to make a splash around the world. Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, and Fergie were the expected chart-toppers, but Amy Winehouse, the boozy, trash-talking golden-voiced singer from the U.K., was a surprise hit with her critically lauded album, Back to Black.There were also much anticipated albums from veterans like 50 Cent and Kanye West, who staged the most boring feud in the world when 50 Cent announced he would retire from music if Kanye West’s Graduation would outsell his Curtis. If there’s nothing the public hates more than over-inflated egos, it’s empty threats. This year also marked the sort-of-comeback of The Britney, who, much to the shock of the public, released a critically acclaimed album and a catchy first single. Unfortunately, the year has caught up to Britney, and any dreams she might have had of ascending the pop throne once again were dashed to the wind, much like her performance at the 2007 MTV Music Awards. Breakout sensations James Blunt and Carrie Underwood put out sophomore albums that were well received. Long-time acts that also released albums this year include Matchbox 20, Alicia Keys, Céline Dion, Jill Scott, Bon Jovi, and Mary J. Blige. And lest we think it’s 2007 and not the mid-90s, we also had new albums from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Duran Duran, and Boyz II Men, as well as pop has-beens The Backstreet Boys and The Spice Girls. Kid Rock also managed to produce something in between award show brawls and reconciliations with Pamela Anderson.
On the emo front, bands like Fall Out Boy and veterans Jimmy Eat World, Sum 41, and Good Charlotte were relatively quiet, while hip-hop and R&B acts like Rihanna, T.I., Chris Brown, T-Pain, and Ne-Yo continued their winning streaks. Country was also strong, with the likes of Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, and Rascal Flatts becoming crossover sensations. Teen fodder also fared well on the charts: fervent sales of the "High School Musical" and “Hannah Montana” soundtracks sadly remind us that no matter what Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine say, indiscriminate tweens living in the “American Idol” generation still hold the most consumer power. ¤ C.Ho.
The Best
“4 In the Morning,” Gwen Stefani: The Sweet Escape was a weak follow-up to Love. Angel. Music. Baby., and that’s not saying much. But despite the overall suckiness of The Sweet Escape (see “the worst” list for examples), “4 In the Morning” is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise dull, scattered album. Reminiscent of Stefani’s earlier ballads like “Cool” and “Don’t Speak,” the track failed to impress fans, which, I gather from chart positioning, prefer the overly bubbly “The Sweet Escape” instead. Nevertheless, this smooth, melancholy track, which showcase Stefani’s smooth vocals, is a much-needed reprieve from the yodeling and scream talking she’s adopted as of late.“All Good Things (Come to an End),” Nelly Furtado: There are several tracks from the revamped Furtado that are worth noting, but this one, which sometimes features Coldplay’s Chris Martin, earns a mention with its melodic take on an proverb that rings all too true. It also earns a mention because it’s one of the few songs on the radio that miraculously does not feature Timbaland lurking in the background. Although the lyrics are oftentimes confusing and have little to do with the concept of the song, Furtado’s sugary vocals are captivating enough to hold our attention.
“Apologize,” OneRepublic: This is sure to become one of those overplayed songs that will get annoying in another two weeks, but for the moment, I simply adore this track. Let’s not talk about how silly it is to credit this as a Timbaland track that features the band who actually wrote and performed this song. Instead, let’s talk about how sweet, melancholy and utterly amazing the production on “Apologize” is, with and without the help of Timbaland. From start to finish, this anguished track encompasses everything that a crossover hit needs: strong vocals, a flowing melody, and intensity. This may be the first and last hit OneRepublic will ever produce, but it’s a damn good one.
“Before He Cheats,” Carrie Underwood: I’m not a fan of Underwood by any standards, but her ditty about evening the score with a cheating lover is too deliciously bitter to pass up. Like last year’s “Irreplaceable,” “Before He Cheats” tries to convey an empowering message by kicking a deadbeat to the curb, and mostly succeeds on the sheer power of anger and passion, coupled with a memorable refrain about smashing cars. The only unbelievable thing about this song is how the tiny Underwood could possibly wield a baseball bat that dangerously, but if Beyoncé can hang with a rock band, anything’s possible.
“Big Girls Don’t Cry,” Fergie: There are many people who dislike Fergie, and not without merit. It seems that of late, and especially as she’s embarked on her solo career, her talents have been squandered with throwaway pop hits and sensationalized duets with Ludacris. And while I agree with the consensus, there’s just something about “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” the overemotional and overwrought ballad that dominated charts for most of the summer, that I can’t seem to get out of my head. Its allure is so potent that I can even overlook lyrics that include playing Uno and baby blankets…most of the time.
“I Get Around,” Dragonette: In the midst of all the sappy love songs and depressing ballads saturating my play list, I try to mix in an upbeat song or two that brings me up on an especially bad day or becomes the perfect complement to a night out. Last year it was Chris Brown’s “Run It,” and this year the honour goes to Dragonette’s “I Get Around,” a cheeky, bass-heavy electropop track that’s all about promiscuity and free lovin’. Sweet-voiced lead singer Martina Sorbara is like a pre-L.A.M.B. version of Gwen Stefani, but much, much cooler. It’s the mix of hard synth beats coupled with a sexy video that makes this track worth every listen.
“No One,” Alicia Keys: There’s no denying that she can sing, but with “No One,” there is such a strong intensity that you can practically feel the strains in Keys’ voice jumping out from the radio. It’s not a technically perfect song, but in a land of overproduced, simulated songs, its faulty lines and impassioned pleas are what make this sweet R&B track one of the realest things to come out music this year.
“The Way I Are,” Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson and D.O.E.: When Timbaland sings, “I ain’t got no money,” you can’t help but want to take him in your arms and tell him everything’s going to be all right. You also can’t resist tapping your feet a little, for that is the power of this contagious song, which features Timbaland’s trademark synth lines and Keri Hilson’s angelic vocals. Timbaland Presents Shock Value is mostly rubbish, but when Timbaland hits his stride, as he does here, it’s gold.
“Sober,” Kelly Clarkson: Poor Clarkson’s had a hard year – probably the worst since her rapid rise to fame – despite the fact that My Sweet December is not as big of a disaster as her record label makes it out to be. Luckily (and unlike most young singers), she still has her voice to fall back on. “Never Again,” the first single from My December, was an arguably good attempt at breaking the mold, although it is really just one long death threat with a hook thrown in. But technically and emotionally speaking, “Sober” is on par with “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” and aptly displays how much Clarkson has grown since her days of belting out sappy Mariah Carey love songs for the likes of Simon Cowell.
“Stronger,” Kanye West: Say what you will about Kanye, but his musical genius knows little bounds. There’s a reason why Graduation outsold Curtis, and this is one of them. Thinking outside of the box and sampling Daft Punk also earns West extra points.
“Shadowplay,” The Killers: I must admit that I know next to nothing about Joy Division, the tragic rock band who originally penned and performed this song in 1979 (and eventually went on to form New Order when their lead singer, Ian Curtis, committed suicide), but I love The Killers’ cover. Taking this decidedly dark song, the Las Vegas band has infused spiraling, psychedelic beats over the gloomy lyrics to create an innovative version of a classic.
“Umbrella,” Rihanna: What can I say, I’m easy – especially when it comes to going with the flow. I originally disliked “Umbrella” with a fervent passion, mainly because I never believed that anyone could base a whole song around a refrain as simple as “umbrella, -ella, -ella, eh, eh, eh,” but go figure. This infectious summer track finally won me over when I heard it for the twelve thousandth time on the radio, and I also adore the simple acoustic versions that have been popping up all over YouTube.
The Worst
“1234,” Feist: Seeing as how Feist is largely revered across all intellectual music circles, I’m probably going to be stoned for disliking this song, but “1234” has the same effect on me as watching my boss floss his teeth. The song starts off bouncy and light, and then…just sort of tapers off and becomes as exciting as elevator music. Feist is a talented singer-songwriter, but even her touch and various whimsical clothing commercials (I stand corrected: the song is actually used for the new iPod Nano commercial, although you can also picture this song playing during an especially irksome Gap commercial) can’t keep “1234” from being the most boring song of the year.“Beautiful Liar,” Beyonce and Shakira: Beyonce and Shakira have distinctly “unique” voices, and when they meld together as both divas try to outdo one another, it’s scary. Listen as Beyonce whines her way through her lyrics, and as Shakira warbles back in response. Watch as Beyonce grinds against the wall, and Shakira writhes on the ground in the music video. Despite its Grammy win (are the Grammys even relevant anymore?), “Beautiful Liar” is a dud.
“Bubbly,” Colbie Caillat: The sentiment is cute, but when I hear lyrics that say something about “the size of my toes” (which is probably incorrect, but something may have convoluted in my head at some point), the urge to shut off this song is too hard to resist. (In fact, verifying the lyrics brings about new challenges, such as first verse lyrics that go, “Every time I see your bubbly face, I get the tingles in a silly place.” What is she, five?)
“Dear Mr. President,” Pink: A letter addressed to the president disguised as a musical piece does not always turn out the way you expect, as exhibited by “Dear Mr. President.” Although everything that Pink says is poignant and smarter than a lot of things that have been said this year, the single lacks a melodic punch and just sort of rambles on and on and on after a while. Pink should take a page from Green Day’s book and learn that a political song doesn’t have to compromise quality.
“Fergalicious” / “Glamorous,” Fergie: As if “London Bridge” weren’t bad enough, Fergie decided to complete the unholy trifecta with “Fergalicious” and “Glamorous,” two songs that seem innocuously catchy but are secretly really, really stupid. While the whole concept of “Fergalicious” is just plain dim-witted, “Glamorous” starts off as a melancholy track that slowly spirals into a “me, me, me” fest that wants us to believe that Fergie was once down with Alfonso Ribeiro. If Fergie stuck to carefully orchestrated ballads and far away from will.i.am, we’d get less rubbish on our airplays.
“Girlfriend,” Avril Lavigne: I loathe this song for many reasons, the most obvious being that this track is a blatant rip-off of another equally annoying song. Plus, Lavigne’s posturing is getting to the point where it’s just grating to watch. Her taunting chorus, where she repeatedly tells some dude that she doesn’t like his girlfriend, is sixth grade writing at best, and the video is a giant assault to women everywhere. If this is Lavigne’s idea of fun, then I can’t imagine what she’s like at parties.
“Hate That I Love You,” Rihanna featuring Ne-Yo: The first half of the song is actually pleasant, if a little run-of-the-mill R&B for groundbreaking. It’s only when Rihanna tries to match Ne-Yo’s smooth vocals that things get tricky, which is a nice way of saying that she sounds like she’s trying out for “American Idol” and failing miserably. In fact, the last thirty seconds of the song are very painful, as she hits notes that only dogs can hear. Ne-Yo is better off ditching Rihanna and never looking back.
“Rockstar,” Nickelback: Is Nickelback capable of producing a song that doesn’t sound like the last? This is one of the most probing questions in rock history, and with “Rockstar,” the answer seems to be no. Even with the generic backing music that Nickelback is so fond of, “Rockstar” falters on many levels, including ingenuity and lyrics that aim to be playful (“it’s like the bottom of the ninth, and I’m never gonna win,” “I want a brand new house on an episode of “Cribs,” and a bathroom that I can play basketball in”) but sorely miss the mark.
"(You Want to) Make a Memory,” Bon Jovi: If you’re looking for a good stalker song, you might want to try this one. It’s not so much what Jon says that is creepy, but it’s the whole breathy inflection of his voice. The whole song is sung as if he’s whispering it to someone who’s locked in the trunk of his car. He may have tried to go for sweet, but it just comes off as disturbing.
“Until the End of Time,” Justin Timberlake featuring Beyonce: Like “Hate That I Love You,” this track suffers from Beyonce’s incessant runs and warbled notes. Timberlake could do with a little less vocal gymnastics himself, but at least he’s capable of holding a steady note once in a while instead of turning it into ten, which is Beyonce’s standard response to anything that needs to be sung.
[ Michelle's list. Part I of the best and worst. ]