Song Of The Summer

June 15th, 2011 | 5:00 pm by Nick Minichino

Ke$ha Would Rather Hear “Till The World Ends” Than Anything She Sings, But Has No Misgivings About Selling It

Vulture caught up with Ke$ha at amfAR’s NY Inspiration Event at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City last night to ask about “Till the World Ends.” Specifically: “Why would she turn over such an obvious smash to Britney Spears, when she could have kept it for herself?” Her answer:

“That song,” Ke$ha explained, “I?ve never been more proud of anything in my career… It really solidifies me as a songwriter in the pop music world, which is what I consider myself first and foremost. So it actually is really, really exciting for me when I hear [Britney] sing it. Like, when I hear my own songs on the radio I have to kind of turn it down or change the radio or whatever. When I hear that, I f****** blow the speakers out and I order everybody to dance.”

June 13th, 2011 | 5:20 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Song Of The Summer Countdown: Adele Is Still Dominating, But Here Comes Bruno Mars

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If it doesn’t feel quite like summer yet, that’s because it’s still technically spring until the summer solstice arrives on June 21. After looking at the release dates of the songs atop this week’s Song Of The Summer chart, it certainly appears as if we’re still mired in springtime.

As you’ll see in our handy Microsoft Excel chart, Adele‘s dark and wintry chart topper “Rolling In The Deep” —which, we’ll continue to note until (if?) it leaves this countdown, was released in December (!)— has a strangehold on the Song Of The Summer crown for the third consecutive week. However, the smoky-voiced Brit seems to have some competition by the name of Bruno Mars, who lept over Katy Perry and J. Lo this week to snag the #2 spot with his breezy ditty, “The Lazy Song.”

However, even though “The Lazy Song” has yet to crest, we sorta feel like Pitbull‘s club-friendly plea as to why it’s best to just give in to your carnal desires, “Give Me Everything,” has the most momentum this week. Not only did it make its debut in the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown, but it’s also holding down the number two spots on both the Billboard 100 and iTunes sales charts, which certainly signals that people are going to be listening Ne-Yo crooning this song’s catchy, Eurotrance-y hook all summer long.

What song do YOU think is poised to make a big leap this summer? Continue along with our analysis and then let us know in the comments!

June 13th, 2011 | 1:30 pm by Nick Minichino

Katy Perry Throws An Eighties Style House Party In The Video For “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”

Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) - Music Videos

It’s Monday, but Katy Perry is hoping people will be thinking?and talking?about her new video “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).” She teased the video over a month ago by quoting, on Twitter, a friend who said the clip would “break the internet.” The clip certainly appeals to that demographic, which is no surprise: director Marc Klasfeld was also responsible for the clip “Scarface School Play,” so he knows a little something about viral videos.

In the first place, Perry’s costar in the video is Rebecca Black, whose “Friday” video, as of today, has 165 million views and remains in the YouTube Music Weekly Top 10 despite its 88% thumbs-down rating. Black is, of course, internet catnip, especially since she is apparently magical in this clip:

June 7th, 2011 | 6:30 pm by Nick Minichino

Shakira Practices Some Spirited Baile de Tubo In “Rabiosa”

Shakira - Rabiosa - Music Videos

Latin-flavored pop music rarely crosses over in America unless the lyrics are sung entirely in English, but you can’t blame Shakira for trying. Her latest album, the bilingual Sale el Sol/The Sun Comes Out, debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200 (#4 among Digital Albums) when it was released in the first week of November against tough competition (namely, Kings of Leon and Sugarland), but the English-language version of single “Loca” featured British rapper Dizzee Rascal, who’s talented but hardly an American hitmaker.

“Rabiosa,” on the other hand, features Miami rapper Pitbull, so it’s getting a much bigger push, which seems warranted, since the lyric video posted a week ago already has nearly half a million views. (Granted, Latin artists perform disproportionately well on YouTube when compared to other charts.)
Read more…

June 7th, 2011 | 1:00 pm by Lacey Seidman (@Lacezilla)

Beyoncé, Kanye and Andre 3000 Serve Up a Sassy Summer Anthem

We’ve got a live one! Leaking last night with the rest of Beyonc?’s album, 4, “Party” might be one of the strongest new contenders for our Song of the Summer, and we’re hoping it will also be her third single. Produced by both Kanye West and Consequence and featuring an insane verse from novelty-spitter Andr? 3000, this sweetly sexy track delivers something for every listener, including a silly line from Yeezy woven in-and-out that’s so cheesy it might actually grow on us (I mean, “swag sauce” and “dripping swagu”? If you say so!).

But don’t let the song title deceive you; while “Party” can easily help complete a laid-back, trill evening with friends, its sound is more reminiscent of a come-hither lady anthem from the R&B 90s. And who better to pull off a grown and sexy summer smash than B, singing sassy lyrics that demand the most intense kind of intimacy from her suitor– but only if he “don’t tell nobody tomorrow.” The need for intimacy, however, is a self-proclaimed bi-product of a (perhaps unrequited?) love that crowns the track’s endearing confesional nature. Of course Beyonc? is a happily married woman, but at one time, she was a single lady looking for love and cruising for a man to be her equal. Perfectly suited for brewing summer romances, “Party” can serve as the backdrop to a BBQ, a bikini-targeted workout session, or -you guessed it- some good old-fashioned boot knockin’. Proceed with caution, y’all!

June 6th, 2011 | 4:00 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

2011 Song of the Summer Countdown: Adele Continues To Roll Deep

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Welcome to Week Two of VH1′s Song of the Summer countdown. Each and every Monday from now until Labor Day, we’ll be utilizing ~~today’s most advanced data collection techniques~~ Microsoft Excel to chart the competition of what will become THE song that people will think of when they remember the summer of 2011.

Last week, Adele‘s monster smash, “Rolling In The Deep,” captured the top spot, scoring 87 of a possible 100 points. (For a reminder on how the scoring system works, click here.) Somehow, the English songbird managed to increase her stranglehold on the #1 spot in this countdown this week, racking up 91 (!!!) points and proving that no matter what medium people use to consume music these days, they’re using it to listen to Adele.

However, lest you think that Adele has got this summer on lock only two weeks in, there are a number of new songs that cracked the charts this week for the first time: Jason Derulo‘s “Don’t Wanna Go Home,” DJ Khaled‘s superstar-laced hit “I’m On One” (which features Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne), Coldplay’s “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall” (which was just released on Friday) and Taylor Swift‘s bid for power pop domination, “The Story Of Us.” Oh yeah, and Adele’s powerful anthem of lost love, “Someone Like You,” managed to crack the Top 20, too.

June 3rd, 2011 | 6:15 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Summer Jams: Mark Graham Picks Three Of His Fave “Song of the Summer” Candidates

What is going to be the 2011 Song of the Summer? I honestly have no idea! I’m neither a prognosticator nor a music critic, but rather, I’m simply a fan. My colleagues Nick Minichino, Lacey Seidman and Jim Shearer have already weighed in with their thoughts on which songs will reign supreme (Burrito Supreme!) this summer, but all that I can guarantee about my three picks is that I will be listening to these a lot this summer. Either way, enjoy!

NOMINATION: Foster The People, “Helena Beat”
EXPLANATION: At this time last year, Foster The People were an unsigned band in search of a record deal after a buzzy single (“Pumped Up Kicks”) took the 2010 SXSW audiences by storm. Their song took off in social media circles, thanks in large part to a push from NPR and The Hype Machine. Eventually, the gents signed to Columbia imprint Startime International, and their debut LP, Torches, hit stores in late May, just weeks after they became one of the surprise successes of this year’s Coachella festival.

“Helena Beat,” their second single off Torches, is a synthy indie pop pleaser that will appeal to fans of MGMT. I will confess that I’m not entirely sure what the song is about, and lead singer Mark Foster‘s distinctively high-pitched vocals are sometimes a smidge tricky to decipher, but each and every time I hear this song, I can’t help but to tap my toes. Maybe it’s the washes of sound that roll through the track, maybe it’s the way the progression of the synth line builds, I’m not sure, but this song just feels like summer to me.

June 3rd, 2011 | 3:15 pm by Nick Minichino

Coldplay and Bad Meets Evil (Eminem And Royce Da 5’9″) Featuring Bruno Mars Enter Song Of The Summer Race

Two new Song of the Summer contenders emerged today: “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall,” Coldplay‘s previously-announced new single, and “Lighters,” a leaked track from Bad Meets Evil’s Hell: The Sequel EP, featuring Bruno Mars.

“Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall” has as big a hook as any Coldplay single before, but not much in the way of a chorus (much like “Clocks,” which hardly suffered for it). The Big Country-esque guitar solo and pinch of sidechain compression make it sound simultaneously retro and current, and its lyrical stabs at a communal experience of a solitary expression cast a wide net.

June 3rd, 2011 | 2:45 pm by Lacey Seidman (@Lacezilla)

Summer Jams: Lacey Seidman’s Top Three Contenders for “Song of the Summer”

After a miserable NYC winter, the weather is again warm, and we’re all about hitting these streets! But what will our summer-lovin’ soundtrack include? Since the pop music monster is one that defies taming, most of us can already venture to guess what we’ll likely hear blasting out of car windows while dining al fresco and laying poolside, but for me, it’s all about the songs that may or may not hit the mainstream radar. Specifically, songs that light your summer on fire and arouse flashbulb memory nostalgia for years thereafter. As a music head, I can’t wait to find out what will be this year’s perfect audio accompaniment during glorious, sweaty cocktail-glass pre-game rituals, or what I’ll have on repeat in my headphones as I dodge European tourists in Times Square. Until then, here’s hoping that the radio gods are listening, and (fingers crossed!) that they have good taste.

NOMINATION: Friendly Fires, “Live Those Days Tonight”
EXPLANATION: If mainstream radio could just bend some rules and make room for an indie-pop dance record, this next few months would certainly be a bit lovelier. Summoning nostalgia for the (allegedly) more-fun 80s past that he never had the chance to experience, Friendly Fires’ frontman Ed Macfarlane vows to one-up his predecessors on this uptempo, synth-happy slice of audio heaven. Heavy with drums and feel-good vibes, “Live Those Days Tonight” is the first single off of the band’s critically acclaimed sophomore release, Pala, and is also the perfect summer party accessory!

June 3rd, 2011 | 1:00 pm by Nick Minichino

Summer Jams: Nick Minichino’s Top Three Contenders for “Song of the Summer”

Memorial Day has come and gone, so the season of the summer jam has officially begun! We will be paying close attention to the competition for the 2011 Song of the Summer here on the VH1 Blog. Of course, the pop audience will decide who will win, but here are three of our favorites:

NOMINATION: Lady Gaga: “Edge of Glory”
EXPLANATION: “Edge of Glory” seizes on a combination of rock and Euro-house not heard since 2002 (when DJ Sammy’s cover of Bryan Adams’s “Heaven,” among others, hit huge). Gaga’s song provides something not only for fans of the dominant sound of dueling pop kings Doctor Luke and RedOne, but also for those who appreciate more of a classic rock sound.

On top of that, the Clarence Clemons solo happens to coincide with the return-of-sax zeitgeist. Willa Paskin pronounced 2011 the “Summer of Sax” at New York‘s Vulture blog, but her only other evidence was Katy Perry‘s upcoming single “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F),” so the claim is a bit overstated. But it’s true that sax is back in vogue?indie rockers like Destroyer, and to a lesser extent Gayngs (featuring Justin Vernon of Bon Iver), have returned to a smooth-sax sound, and other artists on the edge, like Gorillaz collaborators (and Raphael Saadiq favorites) Little Dragon, have revived that specific smoothness, though with different instrumentation.