It’s the end of a year and it seems to me that some of the best releases came in this last quarter. Quite a change from previous years with the summer anthems taking the top of my list. I’ve thought back to what I had on repeat on my iPod this year along with those choruses I just couldn’t get out of my head and came up with my top 10 singles of this year.
*A disclaimer* I am an unabashed, hardcore Britney fan so yes, 3 of her singles do make it on the list. And no, I did not include Black Eyed Peas or Taylor Swift–though they were fun and massively successful, they don’t make the top of my personal favorites this year. So, for what it’s worth, here are the songs that I feel pushed pop the furthest this year and quite frankly, kept me listening!
Honorable mention:
The Paradiso Girls: ‘Patron Tequila’
Hell, this was one fun summer song that deserves a nod just for the catchy line “Who wanna get effed up: I do, I do!” Hopefully they won’t be a one-hit-wonder and do something equally as catchy for 2010.
#10
Ke$ha: ‘Tik Tok’
Starting with an intense online campaign, and coming of the heels of her successful debut on FloRida’s ‘Right Round’ single, Ke$ha’s first single from her album ‘Animal’ is one of the best party songs of the year. Sure, she talks about getting drunk and partying and nothing too in depth, but sometimes you just want a good song to get ready for a night out of partying to–and Ke$ha doesn’t disappoint there. 2010 looks to be a great start for her; seeing her album finally debut with top-notch producers Dr. Luke and Max Martin at the healm.
#9
David Guetta ft. Kelly Rowland: ‘When Love Takes Over’
Dance anthems don’t get much catchier than this one. Take the well-known piano theme from Coldplay’s ‘Clocks’ and have French superstar DJ David Guetta mix it with Kelly Rowland’s powerful vocals and you have a dance club smash on your hands. After hearing Kelly belt this one out and seeing the success she had with her previous dance hit ‘Work ,’ I’m beginning to think Ms. Rowland needs to put out a dance album of her own.
#8
Miley Cyrus: ‘Party in the U.S.A.’
Everyone has their guilty-pleasure artist and I’m afraid Miley is mine. Opening with a bit of a country twang and singing about being a Nashville girl at heart, Miley partied her way to the top of the charts with her first #1 single with this song. And no, she did not just make this list because she gives a shout out to Britney in the song–it’s really a fun, carefree single!
#7
Beyoncé: ‘Halo’
Ok, I know I’m going to get a lot of slack for this being the only Beyoncé single to make the list (possibly even more so because of a conflict with another single that placed higher on my list). It can’t be argued that Beyoncé enjoyed an amazingly successful year with her album I Am…Sasha Fierce , perhaps more than any other artist. There’s just something about her to me that is offputting. However, I will say I admire how she handled the Taylor Swift/Kanye West incident, and I am still a fan of her ballads, including this one.
#6
Lady Gaga: ‘Paparazzi’
One of the stand out tracks from her debut The Fame, ‘Paparazzi’ makes the cut in large part because of the crazy, stylized video that accompanied it. One of the darker sounding tracks of the album, ‘Paparazzi’ is all about quintessential Gaga: the quest for fame and love and the dangers that come with it when blurring the two together. This will always be on of my favorite Gaga tracks as I think it’s musicality is unique, even for Gaga!
#5 TIE
I know what you’re thinking: you can’t have a tie in a top 10 chart. However, these two tracks both being produced by Ryan Tedder and being phenomenally done, I can’t decide between the two!
Kelly Clarkson: ‘Already Gone’
Even though this song didn’t seem to catch on as well as I would have liked, it still takes the #5 position in my list. I feel this is Ryan Tedder at his best since ‘Bleeding Love,’ and Kelly gives some of the most personal, emotional performances of her career. It’s a very relatable song and one that I really would have loved to see more promotion for. I think the Beyoncé/Clarkson controversy was nonsense–aside from both being Tedder ballads featuring piano, I see no real similarities.
Jordin Sparks: ‘Battlefield’
Another Tedder power pop song, Jordin blew me away with this one. It’s really passionate and the chorus just bursts with emotion. I love everything about this song from the opening piano to Jordin’s slight dips in the last repeats of the refrain. Definitely a song that will mark her career.
#4
Britney Spears: ‘If U Seek Amy’
This song makes the list cause it is classic Britney. It’s got Max Martin behind it who wrote her first song ‘…Baby One More Time,’ it’s got controversy with the witty, ambiguous play on words, and the style is pure Britney through and through. I thought that this was one of the more clever pop songs written in recent history and it’s just a really fun song to put on maximum volume and sing along to. The video is also a great homage to some of her past hits borrowing elements from past videos (and who can forget them poking fun at that crazy fox news lady?!)
#3
Britney Sears: ‘Circus’
This is probably my favorite Britney song-ever. Where as ‘Slave 4 U’ introduced us a new, darker, sultry Britney, ‘Circus’ brought that to a completely new level. Dr. Luke certainly crafted a sound that had not been done before and the result was, IMO, as close to pop song perfection as one can get. Tying in the album theme and world tour, this was a well-thought-out single choice as the resulting show and album were made even more fun by the circus elements. Coming after a period where Britney’s life really was a public circus, she declared that all eyes were on her and she was back doing what she loved to do best. A very commanding song, a slick, thematic video make this a career highlight for Britney–it should have made it to #1 on Billboard!
#2
Lady Gaga: ‘Bad Romance’
Crazy.Operatic.Epic. These three words describe the latest single from do-it-yourself pop star Lady Gaga. Wasting no time after promoting her debut album around the world, Lady Gaga announced that she would be releasing an all new album with ‘Bad Romance’ as the lead single. It features production from RedOne who also penned her smashes ‘Poker Face’ and ‘Just Dance.’ While those were great, I feel ‘Bad Romance’ amplifies what Gaga is all about even more: theatrics and unique electro pop music. With nonsensical lyrics, some go Gaga’s strongest vocals yet, clean production, and a wild video, I think ‘Bad Romance’ will be talked about for years.
#1
Britney Spears: ‘3′
Yes. ‘3′ is my number one track for 2009. Even though I cited ‘Circus’ as my favorite Britney track, ‘3′ tops my 2009 list because of what it signifies. It marks the return of one of the world’s most dynamic and important entertainers. After such a tumultuous period for pop’s princess, many wrote her off as a crazy has-been. But after staging one of 2009’s most successful world tours and experiencing multiple successes with her album Circus, Britney achieved her third career #1 with this song. ‘3′ sees Britney teamed up with Max Martin again on another naughty romp with nods to ‘If U Seek Amy.’ But where ‘If U Seek Amy’ hides in its innocence, ‘3′ comes right out and says what’s on Britbrit’s mind. The lyrics are fun, again in a bit of a playground chant that makes us remember the little, innocent Britney we first came to know, and the beat is quick and danceable: what we’ve come to expect from a standout Britney track. Signifying the close of one era and the start of another, ‘3′ is proof that adult Britney can still make relevant pop tracks that make people want to listen.
Well there you have it, those are my picks for 2009’s most important, fun, and all together best pop songs. But music is so subjective, so let me know what you had on repeat all year; what songs do you feel pushed the pop envelope in new and better directions? Sound off in the comments or @popboi on twitter!
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