"Drunk All the Time"
DILLON FRANCIS feat. SIMON LORD
(Mad Decent/Columbia)
|
 
|
When Simon Lord opens his voice to this neo-disco workout, it feels as if Boy George has just discovered a vat of futuristic chlorophyll. The vocoder trembles, trusty disco beats and clean production of Francis are agents of earcandy. It's a shame that people still think disco sucks. Francis is out to kill that dirty campaign.
|
It is apparently clear that Australian singer/songwriter Sia has mastered every nuance of Rihanna. But to beat Ri at her game, you have to swing harder. Sia does just that, but tries it from a chandelier. It's "Umbrella" but with a midtempo balladic approach. Her voice also comes with its own bag of emotions. You can hear her flex her anguish on the high notes, which is crucial to selling its most heartwrecking lyric: “I'm gonna fly like a bird through the night, feel my tears as they dry.” |
"Dangerous"
JENNIFER HUDSON
(RCA)
|
|
"I do it for the thrill, even if it kills," sings a rejuvenated Jennifer Hudson. Finally she has landed on her Plymouth Rock, a foundation worthy of her big diva pipes and R&B attitude. But it's the song's grown-up funk that actually turns this motha out. Jen is good, but the groove – a lost art missing on modern day black radio – is amazingly more superior. |
"Do It Again"
RÖYKSOPP & ROBYN
(Dog Triumph/Interscope)
|
|
Together Röyksopp and Robyn cross a new EDM threshold with “Do It Again,” a song that highlights the singer's Madonna-esque charm and the popular Norwegian duo's adventurous production. Its forward-thinking synths, electric-programmed beats and clever melody puts this track ahead of most EDM packaged this year.
|
"The City Below"
MACKINTOSH BRAUN
(Chop Shop/Island)
|
|
Snazzy synths and halo-like strings outline this monument of euphoric indie pop. The Oregon-based duo have invented something as beautiful as MGMT's “Congratulations.”
|
"Jealous"
NICK JONAS
(Safehouse/Island)
|
|
Dropping all things Disney and rock embellished, Nick Jonas followed the path of his brother Joe in 2014 for a sound that's more urban and rhythmic. Sure, "Jealous" is a younger cousin of Miguel's "Adorn" and that's probably why it isn't much of a revelation to the ear. But this is Joe Jonas were talking about here. He's fighting for his image and his manhood on this one, and it's apparent that he's ready to be considered a first-rate balladeer. You can feel it in his aches: "I turn my chin music up and I'm puffin' my chest/I'm getting red in the face, you can call me obsessed."
|
"Shake It Off"
TAYLOR SWIFT
(Big Machine)
|
|
It's not that hard to figure out the inspiration behind Taylor Swift's most authentic r&b jam to date. It rhythmically borrows a few corners of Pharrell's "Happy" without sounding like a ripoff. With the loosey-goosey bravado of Chubby Checker shake fest, "Shake It Off" becomes a wild roller coaster stirred up with melodic crossover spirit, remnants of Swift's "Trouble" and a slice of innocence cut from the golden era of rock n' roll.
|
"Marilyn Monroe"
PHARRELL WILLIAMS
(i Am Other/Columbia)
|
|
The basis of the funk inside "Marilyn Monroe" is obsessed with The System's "You Are In My System” and “It's Passion.” Most people ignored those 80s jams then, but Williams dusts them off and tries it again. Crooning about the iconic blonde and Joan of Arc certainly grabbed our attention.
|
"Break Free"
ARIANA GRANDE feat. ZEDD
(Republic)
|
|
Many synth pop songs of this decade have already bore this EDM template, but Grande's turn on the rave circuit gives aspiration to the future of dance. It sounds upbeat, massively commercial and, believe it or not, drug-free. You don't need Molly to get a high off of this Zedd-produced jam.
|
"Best Friend"
FOSTER THE PEOPLE
(Universal Republic)
|
|
The unfortunate pressures to cook something bigger and better than "Pumped Up Kicks" may have thwarted any adrenaline rushes from Foster the People. But the band was able to cook up a surprising rhythmic rock-disco gem with "Best Friend." It's a musical detour from their career hit, a worthy investment into cool uptempo playlists — even if it wasn't fully supported by their closest rock stans.
|
« MORE [BEST OF] FEATURES »
Top 33 1/3 Albums of 2012
LISTEN: 45 Best Singles of 2011
LISTEN: 45 Best Singles of 2010
|
