Should have figured this was coming, especially from Pitbull. It doesn’t carries the historical import of the original, but it’s fun anyway. And Sensato is great. Just listen to those Rs rolling down the street.
Posts Tagged ‘Pitbull’
Latinos in Paris
Monday, January 2nd, 2012Hot 100 Roundup—11/5/11
Thursday, November 10th, 2011Justin Bieber—”Mistletoe”
#11
Just for the season, Bieber steps out of hip-pop into Jason Mraz/Colbie Caillat/Coca-Cola commercial territory. At least I hope it’s just for the season.
Christina Perri—”A Thousand Years”
#74
Perri is actually getting better. This is merely mediocre instead of out and out terrible like “Jar of Hearts”. But then, this is a soundtrack cut, so maybe she wasn’t trying as hard.
Rick Ross featuring Nicki Minaj—”You The Boss”
#84
Did Nicki Minaj really know what was going on when she gave Ross the hook to this piece of sexist, misogynistic tripe? Had she heard the rap, or more importantly, the second female vocal (I’m assuming it isn’t her, and I hope to God I’m right) before she laid down her part? I’m trying very hard to avoid personally insulting Ross, because he may very well just be playing a part, but can I help it if I always imagine that part as Jabba the Hut?
Chris Young—”You”
#85
Not bad for a by-the-numbers country love song; I like the chorus a lot. But there’s nothing special about Young’s voice or his ideas. He just happened to write a half-way decent song this time, is all.
Romeo Santos featuring Usher—”Promise”
#94
Not as delightfully insane as “You”, but odd and pleasant enough. Santos’s voice is so ethereal that almost everything he sings drifts off into the stratosphere, and not even Usher, who sounds a bit out of his depth, can hold him down. I’d love to hear what a production team like Stargate could do with him, but my fear is that the closer he gets to crossing over the more he going to sound like Enrique Iglesias. If he gives Pitbull a guest spot we’ll know it’s over.
Wale featuring Kid Cudi—”Focused”
#97
Blurry.
Hot 100 Roundup—10/22/11
Thursday, November 3rd, 2011Daughtry—”Crawling Back to You”
#41
The hook sticks in your head, but only because you’ve heard it a thousand times already. Fans of this kind of stuff can probably sing along after the first two or three notes, which I’m sure is a large part of its appeal. There isn’t an original or interesting idea anywhere on it. Not that that’s a surprise.
Hot Chelle Rae featuring New Boyz—”I Like It Like That”
#51
This is like 3Oh!3 for the younger crowd (what became of those guys, anyway?), and if it wasn’t for the presence of the New Boyz, might be considered as an audition for the next Kidz Bop collection. The New Boyz, however, though they keep it clean, also add a bit of personality, which is the last thing a Kidz Bop record would want. They’re still good enough that I wish they weren’t so obviously at the mercy of the industry, and I only hope they don’t get every ounce of talent, or their regard for each other, squeezed out of them before their contract expires.
Glee Cast
“Fix You”, #53
“Run the World (Girls)”, #91
Taio Cruz featuring Flo Rida—”Hangover”
#62
I like this a lot, mostly because I get the feeling that Taio Cruz is secretly putting forth an anti-drinking message, or at least an anti-drinking-to-excess message. When he brags about drinking till he throws up I always catch the whiff of satire, no matter how hard the beat is pumping in the background. Satire, of course, is beyond Flo Rida, because most of what he says is incomprehensible anyway. He does claim that he never throws up, so maybe he considers satire unmanly.
T.I. featuring Big K.R.I.T.—”I’m Flexin’”
#66
I can’t think of any particular reason to recommend this track. The flow is good, the raps intelligent, but neither T.I. or K.R.I.T. have anything important or interesting to say, which may explain why the music seems old-hat and lacking in punch.
Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull & The WAV.s—”I Like How It Feels”
#76
This record confuses me. I like the openness of the arrangement, and the beats sound like they were made with live drums (probably not, but that’s how they sound), but the lyrics are weird. The first verse sounds like a standard dance track, with an odd reference to the It Gets Better project tossed in for no apparent reason. Then the second verse is all we-can-save-the-world-if-we-stand-together. Then Pitbull enters, and since all he’s ever been able to rap about is sex, he does that for a while, and then the record ends. My assumption is that Iglesias was just stringing words together and callously cashing in on an internet meme. Then again, if Pitbull wasn’t on here, I might wonder if this wasn’t Iglesias’ confused idea of a coming out song. I have no real evidence to back that up, and it probably isn’t true, but weirder things have happened.
Big Sean—”Dance(A$$)”
#93
This is like a Busta Rhymes track without Busta. Why exactly did Kanye West sign this guy? Because he reflects West’s id (or anybody’s, really) without the limitations of conscience, intelligence, or taste?
Beyonce featuring Andre 3000—”Party”
#95
I haven’t heard the J. Cole remix that is apparently replacing this for the video and radio, but it can’t possibly be better. This is a good record, especially the harmonies on the chorus, but Andre is the only thing that makes it special. His rap is about being older, about not partying, but being looked up to by the kids who are. It adds a level of contemplation to the song that’s only hinted at in the mature groove of the arrangement. I’ve heard that some people think Andre is slipping as a rapper. I think he’s entering a realm that those people don’t understand.
Hot 100 Roundup—8/20/11
Friday, September 2nd, 2011Five Finger Death Punch—”Over and Under It”
#77
I’d like to think this record is a joke, but there’s nothing about the performance that indicates that it is, and I suppose they mean it. Which leaves us with the oxymoron of a metal band who are overly concerned about the haters who spread rumors about them, such as suggesting that they give a shit. It makes no sense at all. If they’re over and under it, why bother writing a song? And why bellow all the time?
Ellie Goulding—”Lights”
#85
A good record that should be especially enjoyed by those who wish Bjork’s career had moved in the direction of pop instead of the avant garde. The catchiness of this, though, sounds more like a piece of luck than anything else, and since Goulding isn’t Bjork, I don’t expect much from her in the future.
Mat Kearney—”Ships In the Night”
#87
I’d swear I’ve heard this song before. Thousands of times, in fact. Once, long ago, it may even have been something I enjoyed.
Dev—”In the Dark”
#92
Dev is essentially an icier version of Ke$ha. The subject matter is roughly the same—clubbing, partying, and sex—but the approach is more distant, hence more erotic. As long as The Cataracs are providing her beats, there’s doesn’t seem to be any reason she couldn’t keep this up for ever. Here they create a Euro-disco feel, only with more restraint and without the melodic cheesiness, and the result is actually looser and warmer than their previous records. It’s the new version of cool—Selena Gomez’s records have some of the same feeling—and they’re masters of it.
Tinie Tempah featuring Wiz Khalifa—”Till I’m Gone”
#96
I like the way Tempah raps—in his British way he reminds me of Pitbull—but his verses seem to have nothing whatever to do with Khalifa’s generic chorus. I wonder which came first.
Tyga featuring Chris Richardson—”Far Away”
#98
Richardson does Bruno Mars/Hayley Williams, Tyga does B.o.B., but they can’t seem to decide whether they’re doing “Nothing On You” or “Airplanes”. Or maybe they’re trying to do both at once. Not that it matters much. This is mediocre either way.
Hot 100 Roundup—7/9/11
Wednesday, August 10th, 2011Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera—”Moves Like Jagger”, #8
Javier Colon—”Fix You”, #52
Dia Frampton, “Losing My Religion”, #54
Vicci Martinez—”Dog Days Are Over”, #68
Xenia—”The Man Who Can’t Be Moved”, #92
Pitbull featuring T-Pain & Sean Paul—”Shake Senora”
#69
This record doesn’t sound like a good fit for anyone involved—too brazen and obvious for T-Pain, but, if anything, too subtle for Pitbull, who’s better at leering and lustful growling than the lightness of touch that would be required to make this work. As for Sean Paul, only his biggest fans would notice that he’s here. It doesn’t even work as parody. All they’ve done is overemphasize what the song is already about, and not in a way that points out anything interesting. I do like Pitbull comparing booty, which reminds me of “My Gal Is Red Hot”, but the rest is a disaster.
Selena Gomez & the Scene—”Love You Like a Love Song”
#72
One of the things I love about the production team Rockmafia is their belief in traditional pop form and structure. They’re well aware of the possibilities of emotional tension and release inherent in verse-chorus-verse form, and they do their best to take advantage of it while keeping the music itself as simple and catchy as possible. Sometimes the results sound too simple and automatic, as they do on the chorus here. But it also helps them to create classic pop moments like the first verse, as perfect a melding of music, mood, lyric, and performance as you’ll ever hear. If the rest of the song came close to it, this would be a great record. As it is, it’s only a very good one. Not that that isn’t achievement enough.
Bella Thorne & Zendaya—”Watch Me”
#95
What’s most fascinating about this Disney-pop variation on Ke$ha is how well it works. It isn’t as brash as Ke$ha—the music is more bass heavy, and of course the “sleazy” is removed—but otherwise it would be difficult to tell the two apart. It isn’t that Ke$ha’s music is easy to imitate, but that it’s tapped into a generation’s universal mood of directionless, hyped-up energy and restlessness that, oddly enough, Disney has helped to promote and capitalize on, and maybe even helped to create. The Disney tweens of five years ago are the Ke$ha, Katy Perry, and GaGa and Glee fans of today, and it’s a sign of Disney’s marketing savvy that they’re trying to keep up with them. I don’t think they are, quite, since it’s all out of their control now, but this is a good record nonetheless, and they deserve credit for trying.
Jill Scott featuring Anthony Hamilton—”So in Love”
#97
Reviewed in Bubbling Under, 5/14/11
Train—”Save Me, San Francisco”
#98
The Loggins and Messina of their era, and if they’re not as irritating as, say, Rascal Flatts, it’s only because their tunes are catchier and clever self-deprecation is a part of their act. They’re just as clueless, though. They can’t even get a song about their hometown right. Except for a few obvious lyrical references, nothing about this record sounds like San Francisco. What it sounds like, instead, is an above average Rolling Stones cover band, and considering the Stone’s history in the bay area, is that really the vibe you want to go for?
Brantley Gilbert—”Country Must Be Country Wide”
#100
True enough, but does that mean it has to be heavy metal, too?
Bubbling Under—7/2/11
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011Christina Grimmie—”Liar Liar”
#103
This, coming after Christina Perri, is almost enough to make me think that no one named Christina should be allowed to make records. Granted, this is only mediocre, while Perri’s “Jar of Hearts” is unbearable, but it’s hard not to think that Grimmie got signed for her name and her geek-girl looks rather than her music.
Shakira featuring Pitbull—”Rabiosa”
#117
The crazier Shakira gets on record the more I like her, but despite the title this is nowhere near as rabid as it should be. Even then it’s too stylish for Pitbull, who thrives in rougher surroundings. He’s out of place here, while Shakira sounds as if she’s going through the motions and nothing more. This has its moments, but not nearly enough.
Steve Holy—”Love Don’t Run”
#119
Mediocrity seems to be the watchword this week. This isn’t embarrassing as far as country love ballads go, but it’s nothing special either. Because the song never tips us off as to exactly what’s being discussed, it feels unfinished, not only as a song, but emotionally. How can we possibly understand how strong his love is if we don’t know what it is that it isn’t running away from? Pop songs shouldn’t make you ask questions as convoluted as that.
New Hollow—”Airplanes”
#120
Other than proving that “Airplanes” works as rock and roll as well as hip-hop, I don’t see much point to this record. I bet someone like Jason Aldean could make it work as country, too. So?
Alexandra Stan—”Mr. Saxobeat”
#125
More euro-disco nonsense. Irritating not just for itself, but because there must be far better euro-disco that isn’t being imported (aside from what ends up backing Pitbull and Chris Brown, that is), and I’d much rather hear that than this corny pablum. Though I’d be happy to play it to anyone who still believes European culture is more sophisticated than ours.
Hot 100 Roundup—6/25/11
Tuesday, July 19th, 2011Paramore—”Monster”
#36
As their craft improves their energy, though still strong, becomes more streamlined and automatic, and less interesting. This is above-average pop-metal, but if the song weren’t so obviously about the band’s fractious split last year, would anybody care?
Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood—”Remind Me”
#59
Frustrating. It’s a good idea for a song, the chorus is cute and catchy, and Paisley’s first guitar solo is as erotic as country ever gets. But Paisley loses control of this record somehow, which is rare for him. By the end, the arrangement seems designed to drown out the singers, and since we’re talking about Carrie Underwood, more drowning out is required than normal ears can stand; some of her high notes are so piercing they could be used in invisible fencing systems.
Pitbull—”Pause”
#73
A gimmicky confection based on what I assume is a Euro-disco sample, which, coming from Pitbull, is just about my favorite sub-genre right now. It gets a bit tiresome when you sit and listen, but I bet it kills on the dance floor. Pitbull isn’t a genius, but he knows what he wants and he knows how to get it. His single-mindedness may be his greatest virtue.
Dia Frampton—”Heartless”
#78
I’ve been debating whether I should refuse to comment on The Voice singles the same way I have Glee, and this record, horrible in every way, certainly makes me lean in that direction. I understand the power of television to make hits, but this, even more than Glee, is an unjustifiable waste of time and energy. It isn’t a waste of talent though, because no actual talent is involved.
Selena Gomez & the Scene—”Bang Bang Bang”
#94
What has always separated producers Tim James and Antonina Armato (otherwise known, unfortunately, as Rockmafia) from their Disney-pop colleagues is the undercurrent of smoldering eroticism that runs through their music. Even though they’re making straight pop records in a time of excess, they almost always keep their cool, and rarely overplay their hand. Gomez, it turns out, is the perfect delivery system for their brand of low-key sensuality: relaxed, knowing, and all-powerful without once raising her voice or engaging in meaningless melisma, she sounds more mature and experienced than not only her own 18 years, but than most 30-year-olds. The obvious double entendre of the title may make the message too clear, but even without it everyone would know exactly what this guy will be missing. And yet radio still treats Gomez like she’s kid’s stuff.
Toby Keith—”Made In America”
#95
In a way it’s a relief that Keith saved his jingoistic nonsense for the fourth or fifth single off his new album. He’s probably as tired of this stuff as most everyone else, and only does it because it’s expected of him. If the earlier tracks had been more successful he probably wouldn’t have released this as a single at all. But here it is all the same, another stolid piece of propaganda, country-style, all about the patriotic act of paying a little more for locally produced goods (maybe he should join the locavore movement). Odd exception: the King James bible. Keith must know that’s not really an American product, right?
Gavin DeGraw—”Not Over You”
#96
Ryan Tedder, as producer, continues his way down the pop music foodchain and finds a willing victim in DeGraw, who hasn’t had a decent hit since his debut six years ago and welcomes Tedder and his echoey drums with open arms. The result is old-school faux-soulful sincerity updated with new-school faux-soulful sincerity. Just what we’ve all been waiting for.
Romeo Santos—”You”
#97
Reviewed in Bubbling Under, 5/28/11
Martina McBride—”Teenage Daughters”
#100
Reviewed in Bubbling Under, 4/16/11
Hot 100 Roundup—6/18/11
Tuesday, July 5th, 2011Coldplay—”Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall”
#29
Producer Brian Eno continues to toughen them up musically, but the lyrics are as self-obsessed as ever. This one posits romantic revolution for record nerds, where sitting in your room and listening to daring and difficult music is a rebellious act that ends in you raising your fist against something or other somewhere out in the real world. And then you feel sorry for yourself. Not even Eno can ring the sentimentality out of crap as earnest and determined as this.
Pitbull featuring Chris Brown—”International Love”
#59
On the chorus, Chris Brown’s idea of international appears not to extend beyond the continental U.S. The hook is catchy, though, and Pitbull makes up for Brown’s narrowness with an itinerary that starts in Rumania (where a pair of sisters offer themselves to him) and includes Lebanon and most of South America. Compared to his last couple of appearances, Pitbull sounds rejuvenated, especially near the end, when he switches effortlessly between English and Spanish. His voice is his main attraction, but Pitbull doesn’t get near enough credit for his rapping, which is fluid not only linguistically but rhythmically. I find his eurodisco-based beats a bit heavy-handed, but that’s what a club banger is supposed to be.
Beyonce—”Best Thing I Never Had”
#84
Though she tries hard, too hard, to separate herself from the norm, Beyonce fits perfectly into one standard mold: the mid-career pop artist desperate to be taken seriously. Her attempts to break free are, in fact, a symptom of the problem. This is terrible in almost every way: over-arranged, melodramatic, badly sung (when Beyonce wants to sound angry she tends to bellow), with lyrics whose artlessness may be designed to counteract the dramatic production but only succeed in exacerbating the problem. By the time she shouts out “Sucks to be you right now” it’s impossible not to wonder what the hell she was thinking when she recorded this. That she was doing something different and daring, I bet.
Linkin Park—”Iridescent”
#86
I can’t stand these guys, but they are entertaining. This may be the funniest hard rock record since Queensryche’s “Silent Lucidity”, though it doesn’t come close to Queensryche’s preening, pretentious stupidity. It doesn’t even set a record for cliches, since just about any romantic lyricist could beat them in a walk. For sheer boilerplate existential despair, though, no one can touch them, and the first verse, which I feel a duty to quote in full, is a masterpiece:
You were standing in the wake of devastation
And you were waiting on the edge of the unknown
And with the cataclysm raining down
Insides crying “Save me now”
You were there, impossibly alone
It’s even funnier when Mike Shinoda sings it.
Trey Songz featuring Drake—”Unusual”
#90
Reviewed in Bubbling Under, 6/4/11
Rodney Atkins—”Take A Back Road”
#92
Reviewed in Bubbling Under, 5/21/11
Victorious Cast featuring Victoria Justice—”Best Friend’s Brother”
#93
I love the bridge, like the chorus, but could care less about the verses, which are standard, streamlined punk-pop. All the same, Nickelodeon is getting better at mining the Disney-pop model, and Justice, who has a co-writing credit, may be a real talent. Especially if she wrote that bridge.
Andy Grammer—”Keep Your Head Up”
#94
Reviewed in Bubbling Under, 6/11/11
Rej3ctz—”Cat Daddy”
#97
Reviewed in Bubbling Under, 4/23/11
Trace Adkins—”Just Fishin’”
#98
Reviewed in Bubbling Under, 5/21/11
Bubbling Under—4/16/11
Wednesday, April 20th, 2011Jennifer Lopez featuring Lil Wayne—”I’m Into You”
#101
I like this better than “On the Floor”, even though it’s less forward looking in style. But that’s only because I like Shakira, who Lopez blatantly imitates here, better than Pitbull. Lil Wayne adds nothing, which I’m hoping doesn’t become a habit.
Toby Keith—”Somewhere Else”
#112
Self-doubt may be the exact opposite of what Toby Keith is famous for, but he is sure is good at faking it. Helps that he’s such a craftsman: this record isn’t exactly profound, but it’s perfectly put together. He’s no genius; he’s just a journeyman.
Dierks Bentley—”Am I the Only One”
#117
No, Dierks, you’re not the only one. I’m sure somebody else must have ripped off the tune of The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Jug Band Music” before this (and who knows where John Sebastian found it). They just weren’t so blatant about it.
Martina McBride—”Teenage Daughters”
#118
I’ve never paid much attention to McBride, but maybe I should, because this is a great record, low-key and warm in a way most Nashville singles aren’t these days. It’s a little too long, and I don’t think there was any real reason to repeat the intro at the end, but, with the exception of Sunny Sweeney, it’s still the best country record I’ve heard this year. The middle eight is perfect: “They’re beautiful, wild and free/Everything we wish we could be/But they’re still crazy”. I hope McBride continues down this road; it’s exactly where she should be.
Hot Chelle Rae—”Tonight Tonight”
#123
Another bunch of privileged white boys form a band, with the twist that this time they’re from Nashville–their fathers are all successful songwriters and/or session men. The results don’t sound all that special, though: clean-cut punk-pop with a heavy Cars influence. They could be stars on Nickelodeon or the Disney channel anytime they want.
