Wednesday, January 11, 2012

The IamHere2Love 2011 Year-End Music Awards - Part 2: Top-Ten Songs

Yes! Welcome readers to Part 2 of my 2011 Year-End Music Awards: The Top-Ten Songs of 2011! Before we begin, I'd like to thank every person who took the time to check out Part 1: The Special Achievement Awards. If you have not read them yet just click here.

Although everything here is just my opinion (and I appreciate that value it), I do have a small criteria for my Top-Ten picks:

1. Is the song, one of the songs we'll remember from 2011?
2. How popular was the song? Was it a hit? For how long?
3. Does the song rank among that particular artist's best? (For example, even though Born This Way was a huge hit for Lady Gaga this year, it definitely was not one of her best songs - more on that shortly).

Ok, let's begin with six songs that I categorized as "Honorable Mention" - these songs only get a sentence each, lol (by the way, all of the song titles are bolded, italicized, underlined, and also hyperlinked so if you click on it, you'll be able to check out the song on YouTube). These are my honorable mentions, in alphabetical particular order:

  • Born This Way, Lady Gaga - I definitely appreciate the message of this song and it's impact, but I am not sure there's anything particularly unique about this song and Lady Gaga definitely has better songs including "Bad Romance," "Just Dance," and "Mary The Night." 
  • Countdown, Beyonce - Congratulations Beyonce! This song was just amazing and combines so many elements which we've seen from Beyonce before, but I'm a little surprised that it wasn't a bigger hit (71 on Billboard Top 100 and 21 on Hip-Hop/R&B).
  • Give Me Everything, Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack, and Nayer - This was one of the biggest songs of the year, but there are too many guest artists on the track for my tastes.
  • Party, Beyonce featuring Andre 3000 and Kanye West - This really should be on my list... the guest spots are perfect and the song is so chill (please feel free to call me out on this one).
  • #Trending, The Original 7ven - If only this was 1981, lol. This song was so well performed and marks a nice comeback for the back formerly known as The Time. This one gets one more sentence: If Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, or Trey Songz had done this song, it would have been a bigger hit.
  • We Found Love, Rihanna - It seems as though Rihanna is one of those artists who is able to move seamlessly through multiple genres and do it well, especially here with her techno-pop thing.

With the Honorable Mentions out of the way... wait I forgot one: The Show Goes On, Lupe Fiasco. Lupe gets a special recognition here because this song was originally in the Top-Ten. Not only did Lupe have the best use of a rock sample (Modest Mouse's "Float On") I've heard in a long time, he also turned his personal struggle with Atlantic Records into a hip-hop anthem and triumph! Unfortunately for Lupe, he was knocked off the list at #10 by two MCs with whom he has previously collaborated:

#10: Otis, Kanye West and Jay-Z

Watch The Throne had to be the most anticipated album of the year, bar none. This album's first single had to be something memorable and well... timeless. Mr. West and Mr. Carter make Otis an ultimately timeless track thanks to the contribution of the song's namesake, Mr. Otis Redding. Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness" becomes the backdrop for an album that is incredibly deep and conscious concerning the materialistic aspects of hip-hop and ultimately American culture. Aside from that, there are two things that I appreciate about this track. First, it features three icons of black music in Otis Redding, Kanye West, and Jay-Z, the latter two of whom are on the top of their games. Second, the song itself is actually really catchy and grows on you due to Mr. Redding's vocals. As previously mentioned, I had Lupe's "The Show Goes On" in this spot, but realized that this song just needed to be on this list: it's just that important to 2011.

#9: Yeah 3x, Chris Brown

Can anyone please answer the following question for me: since when did Chris Brown become a techno-pop artist? Chris Brown is among a handful of musicians and Rihanna are the only two musicians in the game right now that are able to effectively perform in multiple genres. Chris Brown's "Yeah 3x" is by no means a R&B track even though it is one of the biggest hits on one of the best R&B albums of the year. Instead this song is all pop and a great one at that. When I first heard this track on D.C.'s Top-40 station Hot 99.5, I had no idea that this was Chris Brown and that first time I saw him perform this track was on NBC's Today Show (he also performed this on Dancing With The Stars). Despite his past, the success of "Yeah 3x" proves two things: (1) Chris Brown's crossover is complete (although his best songs, performances, and airplay are still in the realm of black or urban music) and (2) he is back and as viable as ever!

#8: Far Away, Marsha Ambrosius

This song ranks among the most beautiful I've ever heard. Ever though it was released as a single in December 2010, I first heard "Far Away" on Marsha's album Late Nights & Early Mornings which was released in March 2011; despite this technicality I needed to include this song on my Top-Ten list. First musically speaking, this Just Blaze's best work. I just spent the first few seconds focusing on the piano notes and then the snapping fingers... oh my goodness... they just work to emphasis the feeling of loneliness upon which Marsha is singing. And of course Marsha is the key component that makes "Far Away" so epic. She sings with such raw emotion and is so sensual, vulnerable, and powerful in the process. Moreover, Marsha is telling a heartbreaking story:

"I play by the rules
You play by the game
I couldn't of stayed
It's easier to say
Cause I was by your side
When you went through the pain
I guess it doesn't matter now that you're so far away" - Marsha Ambrosius

When I first heard this song, I thought that it was a love story that Marsha was sharing with us. When I saw the video (which is required viewing for readers of my blog), I realized that this song could mean so many things to so many people. It could be about losing a lover, or a friend, or a sibling - it's that powerful. "Far Away" may not have the commercial appeal of any of the other songs on this list, but it probably shines brighter than the rest of them for those who care to look.

#7. You & I, Lady Gaga

Did you know that Lady Gaga is actually the godmother of Sir Elton John's son - for real. The reason I mention that factoid is due to the way in which Gaga channels Sir Elton in "You & I." In a lot of ways, "You & I reminds me of "Bennie and the Jets" in that both songs are smooth and prominently feature the piano. Also, both tracks are old-school rock & roll songs, which is definitely something new for Lady Gaga. Back in August, I included this song in a list of my favorite slow jams and wrote the following:

"I love this track because it's about two people who have been together and together through a journey. This is also a great bar songs and example of storytelling in music."

I'm not one of those folks who tries to understand everything that Lady Gaga is trying to do with her music. Instead, I appreciate her work because it's just good and fun to enjoy. But for those of you care about everything Gaga says and does (I know you're out there), the inspiration for this song comes from the artist's relationship with her former boyfriend Luc Carl (you can read more about that here). I like the notion that for all of the theatricality that Gaga employs in her other songs and videos, it's refreshing to have a stripped down offering from her.

#6. Niggas In Paris, Kanye West and Jay-Z

I'm just going to go in: (1) before this track, I thought Lil' Wayne was the cleverest MC in the game - nope, not any more, (2) these are the best lyrics of the year - period, (3) there are references that we definitely get - Jackson, Tyson, Jordan - and those that we have to think about a bit like "No one knows what it means but it's provocative, (4) Jay-Z is really excited about the Nets moving to Brooklyn right? (5) Dirtiest lyric of the year: "Come and meet me in the bathroom stall, And show me why you deserve to have it all" (6) Lyric that Kate Middleton hates "Prince William's ain't do it right if you ask me, Cause if I was him I would have married Kate & Ashley,"

Seriously though, there is so much to love about this song. For me, it took a couple of listens for this track to really sink-in and build on me because there is so much happening on just about every level. For example, there are so many allusions and references present in so a record number of rhymes. And these words and ideas are being presented with a beat that is both memorizing and disorienting. Somehow all these elements mesh together to form an amazing piece of work. "Niggas In Paris" is the best produced track on the best produced album of the year. More importantly, it is truly Jay-Z and Kanye West at their both individual and collective best!

It's funny though... the two best MCs in the game did not crack my Top Five, but two relative newcomers did, lol

 #5. Black and Yellow, Wiz Khalifa

"Black and yellow, Black and yellow, Black and yellow, Black and yellow"

This song was another one that was released in as a single back in (September) 2010. There are three big reasons why "Black and Yellow" made my list: (1) In 2011, The Pittsburgh Steelers made the Super Bowl and this song became the team's unofficial anthem, upon which time (2) just about every other professional sports team made a version of this song (click here to view Princeton's - yep seriously during our NCAA Tourney appearance), and thus (3) this is probably the greatest sports-related song of all-time, definitely hip-hop sports-related song.

Ok, forget the sports implications for a moment. Excluding New York hip-hop, has any artist put-on a city with a single track (with just one song) the way Wiz Khalifa did for Pittsburgh with "Black and Yellow." Let's see: Will Smith w/ "Miami" - No, he's not even from there, Kanye with "Homecoming" - Nope, but a very good use of personification... I think Wiz takes it. And if hip-hop is about representing your roots, your city and where you're from, no one tops Wiz Khalifa this year!

And Wiz Khalifa gets bonus points for Amber Rose!

#4. Rolling In The Deep, Adele

Tour de Force - "a masterly or brilliant stroke, creation, effect, or accomplishment"

Tour de Force: that's the only way I can describe Adele's "Rolling In The Deep." Everything about this song screams strength. Adele's vocals are strong. Adele's emotions towards her ex-boyfriend are strong. And finally the song's instrumentation is strong. Wow. I keep on wondering what exactly did this ex do?

This song's cultural contribution to the music scene also needs to be discussed. I think "Rolling In The Deep" impacted the music scene in two important ways. First, Adele's appeal is based off her talent and not her sexuality. Since Britney Spears in 1999, the most popular female artists in pop music have marketed their sexuality including, Christina Augilera, Jessica Simpson, Pink, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry - Adele made it to the top primarily based on her talent alone. Second, this song is doing something that I didn't think was possible: Adele is reintroducing soul music - the type of gospel-based, from-the-deep-down-place, soul music - into the mainstream music scene. I honestly cannot recall the last time this was really done (maybe Jennifer Hudson, but her music was smoother than Adele's). It's nice to see an artist channel the music of Ms. Franklin or Mr. Otis. "Rolling In The Deep" is indeed quite the song.

#3. Party Rock Anthem, LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock

Yeah, I'm surprised too. I'm surprised that this song is even on my list, let alone #3. As Kanye would say "That ish cray," but sometimes things just don't make sense. Come to think of it, a lot of things in 2011 didn't make sense including Occupy Wall Street (where did that come from?), Lebron disappearing during the 4th quarters of the NBA Finals, the popularity of Herman Cain and 9-9-9 and the list continues. A lot of things that happened this year were just random and came out of nowhere and guess what? We just went with it. We just went with it. So "Party Rock Anthem" is ranked so high on this list because it reflects this year perfectly: two relatives of Berry Gordy come out of nowhere to deliver the biggest party song of the year and then another one that ranks right up there in "Sexy and I Know It" - only in America.

#2. Super Bass, Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj was the best individual MC of 2011. Yes, Kanye and Jay had the best hip-hop album overall, but no individual MC was as good as Nicki. Case in point, "Monster" on Kanye's Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (a 2010 album that easily transitions to 2011). On a track with Kanye, Jay, and Rick-Ross Nicki offers the best verse. Need more proof? Who had the most and best quality guest spots on hip-hop or R&B records in 2011? In 2010 it was Drake, but this past year? Nicki Minaj. For example, Ms. Minaj took Big Sean's "Dance (A$$) to another level  in the remix for the single/video. Nicki Minaj dominated hip-hop in 2011, but this wasn't enough; she dominated the pop charts with "Super Bass."

"Super Bass" contains three genres: pop, hip-hop, and R&B. Is there another track from 2011 that combines all three genres at all, let alone with the quality of "Super Bass?" What about this for crossover? Apparently, Taylor Swift knows all of the lyrics to the song - really she does. So goes Selena Gomes. Just watch this clip here. I really do think that this would be my top song of 2011, except for one song that EVERYONE liked...

Before we get to that song, a quick observation about deluxe versions of albums. Both Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday and the album that contains the top song were originally released in 2010. The top two songs were each featured on the deluxe version of the respective albums, which were released in 2011. Here's the point: deluxe versions of albums are annoying (and cheap), but are becoming more and more relevant moving forward... AND MY TOP SONG OF 2011 IS:

#1. Moves Like Jagger, Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera

It's very rare that a song comes out and has widespread appeal. I am talking about the type of song that is popular among kids and adults, men and women, black and white, and any other type of categorical group. The last song that I can think of that had this type of musical transcendence was Andre 3000's "Hey Ya" back in 2003. Eight years later, Maroon 5 has come out with a special type of song, a type of song whose brilliance lies in its simplicity. The song is so simple to follow, that any person can sing it, dance to it, or just enjoy it... that's a beautiful thing isn't it? Musically, "Moves Like Jagger" only has a few elements: whistling, "I got the moves like Jagger," and plain old catchiness.

Ultimately, the song plays homage to legendary Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger. The neat thing about Jagger and the Stones is that they regularly crossed the line between rock, blues, and R&B... remember "Gimme Shelter" or "Miss You?" Here Maroon 5, is funky. The guitar in this song is reminiscent of something from an Isley Brothers track back-in-the-day. And finally, Christina Aguilera, haha (a nice byproduct of  Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine's and Christina's partnership on NBC's The Voice). She provides that unique blast that only she can and that takes the song to another level.

Finally, "Moves Like Jagger" has sold over 4 million singles in the United States and over 8 million singles worldwide; that alone makes it Song of the Year worthy. That's only the 2nd criteria on the list though... what about the 1st and 3rd criteria? Well it well definitely be remembered more so than any other song on this list and it is by indisputably Maroon 5's best song!

Well that's a wrap for my Top-Ten Songs of 2011. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of "what was Reggie thinking" thoughts and I'd like to know what they are. Please let me know on Facebook or on Twitter @ReggieGalloway.

Thanks for reading and watch out for the last part tomorrow, Part 3:Top-Ten Songs!






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