Yet Another Year In America March 11, 2010
Taio Cruz wtf? He jumps out of nowhere (well, out of Britain) to nab number 1, denying Lady Antebellum their rightful place. "Rude Boy" at 4 looks like it's going to be Rihanna's first sustained hit from Rated R. A couple of country tunes, one by Blake Shelton and one by Easton Corbin, are just bubbling under the Top 40.
Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris "Break Your Heart": Cruz writes good tunes, but as a singer he's just a mannequin. Of his seven tracks that hit in Britain, only one, "Come On Girl," garnered a tick from me over on poptimists, and it shouldn't have. So now here from among the nonticks is "Break Your Heart," in a remix with Ludacris. It fits the DeRulo-Iyaz-Sean pretty-sugar-boy AutoTuned dance-r&b dance amalgam that's been hitting the top; nice Hi-NRG synths rolling along in the back make this less deadening than those others, and Luda adds a jolt of energy. Unfortunately, Cruz's mediocrity drains the song before it finishes, but I do think I underrated it the first time. BORDERLINE TICK.
Justin Bieber "Never Let You Go": A singer with a light touch on a light song and he still sounds strained, though I'm not finding a stream of the actual single. In any event, this is the first really good song he's released since "One Time," pleasing sweetness that doesn't douse us in sugar. BORDERLINE TICK.
Jason DeRulo "Ridin Solo": Instantly likable, like all his singles; then, like all his singles, it slowly dies as uninflected syllables follow one upon the other. NO TICK.
Daughtry "Life After You": The prettiness and cragginess in his voice cancel each other out this time. I could imagine this as a not-bad pop country song, though you'd have to give it to a singer who doesn't need to drag it complaining through the Cave Of Dark Feeling. NO TICK.
Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris "Break Your Heart": Cruz writes good tunes, but as a singer he's just a mannequin. Of his seven tracks that hit in Britain, only one, "Come On Girl," garnered a tick from me over on poptimists, and it shouldn't have. So now here from among the nonticks is "Break Your Heart," in a remix with Ludacris. It fits the DeRulo-Iyaz-Sean pretty-sugar-boy AutoTuned dance-r&b dance amalgam that's been hitting the top; nice Hi-NRG synths rolling along in the back make this less deadening than those others, and Luda adds a jolt of energy. Unfortunately, Cruz's mediocrity drains the song before it finishes, but I do think I underrated it the first time. BORDERLINE TICK.
Justin Bieber "Never Let You Go": A singer with a light touch on a light song and he still sounds strained, though I'm not finding a stream of the actual single. In any event, this is the first really good song he's released since "One Time," pleasing sweetness that doesn't douse us in sugar. BORDERLINE TICK.
Jason DeRulo "Ridin Solo": Instantly likable, like all his singles; then, like all his singles, it slowly dies as uninflected syllables follow one upon the other. NO TICK.
Daughtry "Life After You": The prettiness and cragginess in his voice cancel each other out this time. I could imagine this as a not-bad pop country song, though you'd have to give it to a singer who doesn't need to drag it complaining through the Cave Of Dark Feeling. NO TICK.