Obnoxious I know, considering that I’ve only just posted the Best Albums of 2008. But alas, it’s snowing…Hard. And when it’s snowing this hard, there’s only one thing to be done.
BLOG. IT. UP.
Somewhere after the top five single reviews, I wondered about how I would write up the remaining ten tracks (read: got lazy). Suddenly, I thought up the genius idea of making my reviews correspond to their song’s ranking in word quantity! And so, the idea has now been brought into fruition. And yes, I’m counting hyphenated words as one complete word.
I’ve had myself some fun. And now, I present…The Top 15 Tracks. Err, well…20.
I couldn’t resist!
Squeezing in…
20. Sia – Soon We’ll Be Found
19. Janet Jackson – Feedback
18. Will Young – Changes
17. Myl̬ne Farmer РDegeneration
16. Madonna – Give It 2 Me
15. Hercules & Love Affair – Blind
Pitchfork proclaims it top dog, but the “coming out” corker merely sizzles beneath the surface.
14. Girls Aloud – The Promise
Slowing down the tempo, the Girls don’t always need Hi-NRG tracks…just some glitter.
13. Britney Spears – Womanizer
New Britney is on a mission, plaguing your dictionaries for years to come.
12. Sugababes – No Can Do
Fabulous track from a fabulous album, the Babes’ sassiest release in years.
11. Santogold – L.E.S. Artistes
Hipster’s delight, mashing genres and crunchy beats. Where’s my skull necklace?
10. Namie Amuro – WHAT A FEELING
Spine-tingling electro reinterpretation, still paving the way for J-Pop.
9. Danity Kane – Damaged
Do, do you, got a first aid kit handy?
8. Sam Sparro – Black & Gold
Slow burning electro gold, never truly grows old.
7. Radiohead – Reckoner
Chanting bliss, especially within the middle eight.
6. Moby – Disco Lies
Purest dance, shame about the video.
5. Kaskade – Move For Me
Easily the finest trance track of the year, Kaskade’s “Move For Me” remains as gorgeously ethereal as it did upon the very first play. Late night synth sounds elevate the track into intergalactic proportions, while breathy, world-weary vocals weave disillusionment in between the beats: “Where do we come from? / Do I know your name? / Doesn’t really matter / In this life, we’re all the same.” Luscious! To this day, my post about the track is still the most searched track of the entire blog…Now that’s saying something.
In five words: Crying at the discotheque.
4. Kylie Minogue – The One
“The One” is, without question, the highlight of Kylie Minogue‘s 2007 album, X. A classic, timeless moment of New Wave warmth and echoey ooh’s and aah’s, the single is the epitome of electro-pop perfection. And despite initial disappointment upon learning the track had already been semi-formed in 2006 under a different artist, its initial impact remains unscathed. In the greatest pop injustice of 2008, “The One” saw a digital release in only a scattering of territories, a phoned-in kaleidoscopic video, and a scrapped-last-minute physical release, completely and utterly gutting the track’s full potential. It will remain one of Minogue’s greatest missed opportunities…We will never forget!
In four words: Love me, love me.
3. Lady Gaga – Just Dance
Prior to the release of the Girls Aloud and Britney albums, Gaga’s debut single was determined to remain my number one track for the year. As simple as it is instant, “Just Dance” was responsible for ushering in a torrent of artist requests for Lady Gaga’s writing skills and RedOne’s electro beats, “Just Dance” is a thoroughly crafted work of chiseled pop perfection. Through and through, the song is solid. I believe I’ve said it before, but “Just Dance” is the first track in years that has given me the “Since U Been Gone” effect–That instant vibe that a track is about to be colossal. Though its rather annoying that the song is only now climbing the Top 10 and gaining national attention (as it was originally released in April), it is a deserved amount of recognition nonetheless.
In three words: Dance all night.
2. Girls Aloud – The Loving Kind
In the Girls’ most tender track to date, this dream team collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys is truly the stuff of dreams (that glitter!). Five seconds short of being a four minute masterpiece, “The Loving Kind” is 2008’s “The One”: A timeless synth stomper intermixed with lyrics of longing. There are dozens of moments of brilliance interspersed throughout the track, though nothing will top Nicola’s show-stealing shouting bits in between the choruses. And sure, they can’t sing it live yet, but give the gals some time…After all, Perfection always takes some practice.
In two words: Love me.
1. Britney Spears – Circus
In her finest moment since 2004’s “Toxic,” Britney Spears takes back the reigns as the true ringmaster of this circus in this whip crackin’, adrenaline packin’, booty smacking stomp fest. “Circus” has already proved to be a massive smash, landing #3 on the singles charts despite establishing a formal release date. Seriously, this is a fully functioning performance piece, bursting with energy, sound, and movement. Was I influenced after having seen this go down live? Probably, but this isn’t getting old for me, and I sure don’t see it running its course anytime soon. Run that ship tight, bitch!
In one word: Perfection.
DL: Kaskade – Move For Me (Mediafire)
DL: Kylie Minogue – The One (Freemasons Vocal Club Mix) (Mediafire)
DL: Lady Gaga – Just Dance (Mediafire)
DL: Girls Aloud – The Loving Kind (Video Mix)
DL: Britney Spears – Circus (Junior Vasquez Remix Edit) (Mediafire)