La Roux — “Bulletproof”

Released: 7.21.09 Peak: #8 “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” made a strange comeback in 2009. For starters, you had Dr. Luke negligently violating the DNR order and defibrillating the Dead or Alive hook for Flo Rida’s benefit on “Right Round,” as translated by Ke$ha’s most arresting vocal to date. (I don’t necessarily mean [...]

Drake — “Best I Ever Had”

Released: 6.16.09 Peak: #2 Drake was something of a historic inevitability. The passive-aggressive sing-rap of Kanye’s 808s & Heartbreak, the smoked out self-absorption of Kid Cudi’s “Day ‘N’ Nite,” the shameless infatuation of Soulja Boy’s “Kiss Me Through the Phone” — in hindsight, the path couldn’t have been more clearly paved for Drizzy’s sullen girl-friendly [...]

Mariah Carey — “Obsessed”

Released:6.16.09 Peak:#7 You can’t just blame the drugs, of course. You can never just blame the drugs. No use blaming Proof’s murderers or Kim or Debbie either for Eminem’s by-far worst album. Relapse was the work of a man well aware that he was pissing away his talent. Pushing forty, Marshall Mathers’ heart just wasn’t [...]

Black Eyed Peas — “I Gotta Feeling”

Released: 6.16.09 Peak: #1 I’ve never seen the percentage in hating the Black Eyed Peas. They’re never bullying or misogynist, and their closest stray toward the sententious, “Where Is the Love?,” was bold enough to remind us that the C.I.A. is a terrorist org. Far be it from me to guess what roils foes who’ve [...]

a quick question

Hey there, neglected blog readers.  Hoping to squeeze out the past few entries soon (or not-so-soon), but I have a quick request: Could you let me know which of these posts have been your favorites? Trying to round up and revise a handful of the best.