So what does a teenage girl in the wilds of Chicago listen to? Well, if you’re Haylee Belvedere just about the same as a middle aged man in NYC does when he gets his pop music vibe going.
You may remember 13 year old Haylee from last summer when she went to see Miley Cyrus with her kid sister Emily and mommy Anne and let us post all her great pictures.
Anne is an old friend of mine (I was at her wedding) and I love Haylee and Emily and they promised to send me a list of the songs they”re listening to for what a series I was writing at the time: “I review your Ipod”.
That was in August 2009 and now it has arrived and I am almost complete agreement with the songs she loves. Usher’s hit (as I’ve mentioned here several times,) is the pop single of the moment if not the year, “Imma Be” another triumph off The E.N.D., Jason Derulo the song of machine made pop, Justin Bieber a phenom, and Ke$ha the Baby Gaga of our dreams.
I find the inclusion of “clean” here and there a stark remainder of the wars in the eighties over censorship and which makes a lot more sense when you think of a teen like hayley listening to it.
The three Ke$ha songs are all excellent and though Ke$ha might well be the poster child for bad behavior, nothing here is too far off the deep end. I am a little bored with “Tik Tok’ (six months since it dropped?) but the other two off Animal are awesome, the addicitive “Your Love Is My Drug” and the hooky “Blah Blah Blah”. Though, honest, I bet there is nothing on the album Hailey wouldn’t enjoy. The producer is Dr. Luke -the guy behind Flo Rida and the upcoming Katy Perry album. The man is a hit making machine.
Jason deRulo is on his way to becoming a hit making machine and I thought he’d hit back when “Whatcha Say” dropped” and absolutely “Didin’ Solo” with the heavy, heavy doctored vocals is all distance as metaphor.
“Bedrock” isn’t Lil Wayne, it’s his posse Young Money, and this song rides a different metaphor which must be a little hard to clean up.
I’m interested to note, at least in these choices, there is very, very little hip hop. It is all studio designed dance pop. I might also note that, since Hayley is such a big Twilight fan, there is nothing from the two soundtrack albums. Proving my point that the soundtracks missed their target demo by a mile.
I’m interested to note, at least in these choices, there is very, very little hip hop. It is all studio designed dance pop. I might also note that, since Hayley is such a big Twilight fan, there is nothing from the two soundtrack albums. Proving my point that the soundtracks missed their target demo by a mile.
Lady Gaga is a gimme, though I’d love to send my young friend The Morning Paper’s cover of “Telephone” and advise her to youtube Hayley Williams (of Paramore off the Twilightlight soundtrack!!) “Bad Romance”. As long as I am giving advise, Haylee, search out Diplo’s mash up of MIA’s “boyz” with Rihanna’s “Rude Boys” (it’s called “Rudeboyz”) and I can send that to her as well.
Train suck. B.o.B. doesn’t make it for me and while I didn’t like it she might wanna try “Airplane 2″ -with Hayley Williams and Eminem”) -an emo hip hop Kid Cudi move by B.O.B. Jay Sean is the UK’s first real crossover pop this year, Taoi Cruz is teen hip hop and I can’t really take Ludacris (he was adrag opening for Black Eyed Peas earlier this year.)
Which leaves us with Justin Bieber who is morphing into a Justin Timberlake for a new generation. His voice will mature with time, his r&b is real, and in time Bieber will, if he concentrates, have a big time career.
As for my young friend Haylee Belvedere: she impressed me with her smarts when I hung out with her family and she impresses me still.
Haylee: Thank you so much for sharing your WONDERFUL music and come and visit soon.
Your friend, Iman
Hayley Belvedere’s Ipod Playlist:
OMG – Usher Feat. Will.I.Am
baby- juatin bieber
i gotta feeling- black eyed peas
break your heart- taio cruz
bedrock- lil’ wayne(clean)
your love is my drug-ke$ha
blah blah blah- ke$ha(clean)
nothing on you- B.O.B.
Bad Romance- Lady GaGa
telephone- lady gaga/beyonce
Do You Remember- Jay Sean (feat. Sean Paul & Lil Wayne)
TiK ToK- Ke$ha
in my head- jason derulo
Ridin’ Solo – Jason Derulo
Hey Soul Sister – Train
Rude Boy – Rihanna
Imma Be – Black eyed Peas