1. Crazy Beautiful Life – Ke$ha – This is the goods. About the joys of romantic love, dumping the douchebags and, as she puts it very kinda sweetly, “oh oh oh fallin’ in love” in a hook laden dream of a bridge.
2. Take It (feat Chrisette Michele) – Eric Benet – Could this be any better? You’ve gotta wonder why the modern r&b soul man, from Usher to Maxwell, has not fully exploited the greatest decade for soul: the 70s. They get tripped up by a) production and b) hip hop. I am four songs down on Lost In Time and counting.
3. Wish List – Neon Trees – Is this an original? I think it is and it a killer dilla Christmas song. Guess what’s on their wish list? YOU ARE!!!! Free on itunes no less.
4. Put Your Money On Me (feat T..) – Ronald Isley – Almost ridiculously good soul song.
5. All Of The Lights – Kanye West
6. Dark Fantasy – Kanye West – In other words? I’m done with the first tier and I am down to tier 2.
7. The Cave Mumford And Sons – The first song I’ve ever not hated by these guys.
8. Rock That Body – The Black Eyed Peas – BEPs are considered shallow for the same reason Guetta is considered shallow: because the depth is implicit in the arrangement not in the lyric.
9. Coming Home – Diddy – Say what you will about Sean, he still gives Biggie his props.
10. The Promise – Bruce Springsteen – Cmon folks, let’s confess that the Darkness outtakes were all dogs and move on with our lives. I mean, this is way beyond self parody and into the realm of self-reverance.