29 September 2015 - Ty Dolla $ign feat. Charli XCX & Tinashe - Drop That Kitty

Subtle.

I mean, we know what Ty Dolla $ign ACTUALLY means here.  He isn't talking about cats here, despite the prominent feline heads here.  He wants the ladies to drop it like it's hot.  That doesn't mean he didn't perform a very catchy song.  He seems to be competing with T-Pain in the Autotune sweepstakes (and winning).

He's kind of wasting Charli XCX and Tinashe (who both co-wrote the song - Charli was working on it for another artist before Ty came on board), though.  And they STILL manage to steal the show and get you to not notice Wiz Khalifa in the background.  I'd actually like to see what these ladies could do without anyone with a dollar sign in his name. 

But back to this subtle performance.   I mean, the real message kind of sneaks in there.....

28 September 2015 - Beyoncé - Single Ladies

You like it?

Then you should have put a ring on it.

Let's face it - this isn't a flashy video.  It was cheap to produce.  And yet everyone - EVERYONE - knows this song and this dance.



And I do mean everyone.

23 September 2015 - Demi Lovato - Cool For The Summer

Back when Scott Colvin was my co-author, there's NO WAY I would have been able to beat him to this song.

Well, times have changed.  And this is the best thing she's ever done.

And so, on this first day of autumn, I give you an ultimate summer anthem.

(Update: 6 June 2023) Because we posted about the rock version of this song, I felt it was important to note that a sped up version of this song was released last March - and it's not just some YouTuber doing this.  It's an official release.

No idea why she did this.  It's fun, though.

19 September 2015 - Fifth Harmony (feat. Kid Ink) - Worth It

The day has come.  I've broken down.

First of all, I'm posting something on a Saturday.  That's because my daughter Isabella loves this song, and today is her birthday.

But really, this is exactly the type of song you're coming to this blog to see.  And Fifth Harmony has.. well, harmonies... that I haven't seen since the days of En Vogue.  These ladies will have a great career as long as they can hold themselves together.  So I'm going to enjoy the ride while it lasts.

31 August 2015 - Major Lazer & DJ Snake Feat. MØ - Lean On

I almost didn't post this.   Not because it isn't a great song - it really is.  Because it is so damned hard to type MØ.

(Alt-0216, by the way, which I would have remembered had I just read my own post).

Ultimately, I determined it was worth the extra effort.  MØ (that's the woman dancing in the video, but you already knew that) is an amazing talent, and Major Lazer backs her up nicely.  Far and away the biggest hits yet for all concerned (even DJ Snake, although that's arguable), and deservedly so.

Also, the Bollywood homage is awesome.

19 August 2015 - Eminem feat. Dr. Dre - Guilty Conscience

I did see the movie Straight Outta Compton, which was excellent.  And mostly unflinching.

Except for one piece.  Dr. Dre came out looking pretty clean.  I mean, even Eminem mentioned Dee Barnes (at about the 3:05 mark of this song)! I remember admiring Dre for letting that happen back then - like maybe he was facing his bad choices honestly for a minute.

Now, let's talk about this song, which was an early Eminem single.  The call and response between him and Dre is masterful. I'm not personally the biggest fan of Mr. Mathers, but this is a high water mark for him.  Enjoy this good vs. evil masterpiece.

11 August 2015 - Alesso - Heroes (We Could Be)

Let's talk about Alesso.  He actually appears in his own video.... even though he's a DJ.  Hey, David Guetta, Skrillex, Avicii, and all you other DJs who like to remain anonymous - knock it off.  Alesso is seen as the future of Swedish EDM, the direct result of Swedish House Mafia and their demise.  I'm looking forward to hearing more from him.

But c'mon.  If you've been paying attention, you know I really posted this song because it features Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson on vocals.  This song was most people's first exposure in the US to Tove Lo, including mine. Of course, "Habits" would (pretty much concurrently) become a bigger hit, but this song shows a different, more impassioned side of her.  She's a true talent.

Let's not even mention that David Bowie got a songwriting credit here.