"Glad You Came" The Wanted

With the Eurobeats of David Guetta and Calvin Harris taking over the American pop scene (and the unexpected success of novelty songs like "We No Speak Americano" and "Mr. Saxobeat"), it was only a matter of time before we experienced a full-on musical invasion. British/Irish boy band The Wanted is the latest in a new wave of international artists attempt to break into the notoriously difficult U.S. market by riding the current dance craze. Their debut Stateside single "Glad You Came," already a #1 hit in the U.K., has the kind of dreamily exotic vibe you would find on the soundtrack to a luxury Mediterranean cruise commercial: it's teeming with techno synths lifted straight from an Ibiza rave, while the singing man candy sounds nondescript and feather-light. The song is probably too generic to make a lasting impact—its airy hook leaves your mind almost immediately—but it's certainly got all the ingredients of a potential crossover smash. B

Throwback Thursday: "Un-Break My Heart" Toni Braxton

It may be a staple of break-up playlists and televised singing competitions everywhere, but time has been less than kind to Toni Braxton's classic weepie "Un-Break My Heart." Sure, Braxton's assured vocal performance—graciously favoring emotional connection over technical grandstanding, unlike so many divas of the day—has aged like a fine wine. Lilting over a quiet Spanish guitar (an inspired compositional touch), it builds to a climax that feels genuinely earned and affecting. But that whole soft verse-big chorus-epic key change formula that made writer Diane Warren the queen of '90s balladry? I'm pretty sure it went the way of the Titanic circa "My Heart Will Go On." B

15 years ago this week, "Un-Break My Heart" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Sorry For Party Rocking" LMFAO

Electropop duo LMFAO has been everywhere this past year: First, the dance phenomenon "shuffling" took over the summer thanks to their guilty pleasure smash "Party Rock Anthem." Then, follow-up ear assault "Sexy and I Know It" hit #1 last fall on the strength of a Speedo-tastic music video. Now they're back to chase away the winter blues with the title track from their album Sorry for Party Rocking, and...it pretty much sounds like a mash-up between their last two hits. Also, it's terrible. The song's refrain is dripping with more douchey sarcasm and misplaced confidence than you can shake a drunken frat boy at. Fortunately, "rappers" Redfoo and SkyBlu hardly matter on a track like this; the swirling, pounding synths are cranked so loud that it almost crowds out those nagging thoughts of how much you're hating yourself. That is, unless you catch a whiff of the lyrics. "Yo, I be up in the party/looking for a hottie to bone," the first verse begins. Just...ew. D-

"Bizness" tUnE-yArDs

Ask any indie enthusiast and they'll tell you that tUnE-yArDs—the avant-garde music project of vocalist/songwriter/instrumentalist Merrill Garbus—is one of the hippest new acts to hit the scene in years. For the rest of us, it was probably a seriously head-scratching (and tongue-twisting) moment when her second album, w h o k i l l s, topped the Village Voice's prestigious Pazz & Jop critics' poll last week as the best of 2011. Not to fret. Though a one-woman band and spelling choices that would give your high school English teacher a migraine might throw up warning signs to the casual pop fan, the set's first single, "Bizness" (which premiered last February), is the perfect gateway drug to Garbus' unique brand of melodic experimentation. Built on a sparse electro-vocal soundscape, the track is full of the unexpected and delightful—especially when the chorus explodes into soulful worldbeat, featuring the year's grooviest use of saxophone (sorry, Gaga!). Garbus' deep, full howls of pain make the song's mournful love story bleed true. A

"Stupid Hoe" Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj's alter ego Roman Zolanski has inspired some moments of maniacal brilliance in the rapper, including her blistering guest verse on Kanye West's "Monster" and the raging Lil' Kim takedown "Roman's Revenge." That same musical madness seems to be the goal of "Stupid Hoe," another Kim-directed diss track that was recently released to create buzz for Minaj's upcoming record, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. Unfortunately, the track is just crazy, no genius, and it's doubtful that it will create too much excitement among fans for an all-Roman concept album. (Clearly Minaj's label agrees; just today, Reloaded saw its release date pushed back two months.) Jumping through a clapping bass rhythm full of bloops, whistles and sirens, "Hoe" is energetic and playful, almost like a children's rhyme. But it lacks the kind of witty lyricism that made many of Minaj's prior hits so immediately ear-catching; the song's chorus, for example, is nothing more than a seemingly endless repetition of the line "You a stupid ho." There's just not much of a hook there—or a song structure, really. It's a ramshackle tour of Minaj's most visceral artistic instincts, but the ideas are undercooked. B-

In Memoriam: "At Last" Etta James

After a battle with leukemia, blues legend Etta James died today at the age of 73. Her successful recording career spanned more than five decades and 28 studio albums, eventually earning her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and a spot on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. Her signature hit was the 1961 R&B cover "At Last," a recipient of the Grammy Hall of Fame award in 1999 and the soundtrack to President Obama's first dance at his inauguration ball. With its cascading chorus of violins, the song has a dreamy, timeless quality that makes it impossible to forget. But the real triumph is James' vocal performance, both hypnotizing in its nonchalant romanticism and awe-inspiring in its raw power. It's the stuff that classics are made of. A

Throwback Thursday: "Black or White" Michael Jackson

One of the greatest things about Michael Jackson was his unending optimism that we could all help make the world a better place. His passion for that message formed the basis of some truly tremendous pop classics, including the 1991 smash hit "Black or White," which has not lost any of its peppy spark during the last two decades. Gliding over a joyful electric guitar riff and some ebullient hand claps, Jackson's stirring delivery sells his plea for tolerance and equality right to your heart. His attempts at musical inclusiveness are less successful: A hard rock interlude halfway through the song feels out of place, though it does satisfyingly ramp up the energy; the uncredited rap verse that follows, however, is definitely misguided (and more than a little dated). Nevertheless, if there's one thing that won't ever be diminished with time, it's the steadfast spirit with which MJ imbued his work. A-

20 years ago this week, "Black or White" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Rack City" Tyga

Let's put aside for a minute the astounding amount of sexism found in Tyga's "Rack City," a breakthrough hit for the Compton rapper that recently climbed to the upper reaches of the iTunes download chart. Built atop an alluringly foreboding three-note keyboard progression, the song creates a playground of snaps, claps, chants and drum machine stutters that allows Tyga to let loose with some impressively dexterous flow. Now back to that sexism: Tyga uses the word "bitch" 48 times in under three minutes. Any self-respecting woman or friend to modern feminism probably won't be able to hear anything else by the third listen. For all the merits of its appealing production, this is one track that's impossible to enjoy in good conscience. C+

"Ass Back Home" Gym Class Heroes ft. Neon Hitch

If Travie McCoy loves anything, it's pretending that he's more rich and famous than he actually is (see: 2010 Bruno Mars-assisted solo hit "Billionaire"). So on his latest single with rap-rock group Gym Class Heroes, the horribly titled "Ass Back Home," it's the fast and fly celebrity lifestyle that's TEARING HIM APART! Never mind that McCoy is the definition of D-list, or that the song's central conflict—"I don't know where you're going," Neon Hitch sings as the waiting girlfriend, "or when you're coming home"—could easily be solved with healthy communication through regular e-mails and phone calls. Just ignore the almost laughably "pensive" verses and learn to love the pounding, ethereal chorus, which is probably already propelling "Home" toward an inevitable (and entirely forgettable) reign at the top of pop radio. B-

"Domino" Jessie J

For a split-second, it seemed like Jessie J might be the next rule-breaking, in-your-face cool savior chick of pop music. (The last great hope, Ke$ha, proved a disappointment when she quickly turned into Lady Gaga lite.) Then the British songstress' swaggering, gritty debut single "Do It Like a Dude" flopped in the U.S. and she remade herself into the new Katy Perry (as if we needed one of those). That transformation continues on Jessie J's new single "Domino," which sounds like the missing link between One of the Boys and Teenage Dream. Such is the danger of a world dominated by Dr. Luke and Max Martin productions; at frequent moments, Jessie J's voice is utterly indistinguishable from Perry's. And yet, "Domino" reaches levels of such melodic disco bliss on the chorus that it proves irresistible. Sure, it's all been carefully crafted for maximum Top 40 appeal, but why hate when the music makes you feel this good? A-

"Glory" Jay-Z ft. B.I.C.

Like the enterprising mogul we all know him to be, it took less than two days from the birth of daughter Blue Ivy for Jay-Z to release "Glory," a beautifully simple love song to fatherhood. It's amazing how quickly genius can work with a little bit of inspiration. Drifting along on some soulful horns—and an interspersed sample of his daughter's first sounds—Jigga spits intensely personal and revealing rhymes about the painful journey to this moment of happiness (including a prior miscarriage), as well as his excitement and anxiety for the path ahead. But most revelatory is the track's touching sweetness, a side of himself that Jay-Z has rarely revealed on record. "My greatest creation was you," he raps. "You're the child of my destiny." Try not to be moved. A-

Throwback Thursday: "How You Remind Me" Nickelback

Before they became everyone's favorite musical punching bag, Nickelback ruled for a time as the biggest band in the country. A decade on, their breakthrough hit "How You Remind Me" (which would eventually become the most-played radio song of the decade) serves as its own reminder: Primarily, of that sad period when post-grunge, nü-metal and their ilk were massively successful and legitimately embraced genres of music. (How did we let Creed get so popular, America?!) But also that, when Chad Kroeger isn't being a total douchebag, maybe this Canadian quartet isn't so bad after all. Tinged with a more modest rock star swagger—and none of the band's signature chauvinism—"Remind Me" thrives on Kroeger's thick, throaty voice and an enormous chorus. Just let the song's sledgehammer guitars wash over you and think back to a simpler time when All the Right Reasons didn't yet exist... B

10 years ago this week, "How You Remind Me" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)" will.i.am ft. Mick Jagger and Jennifer Lopez

If will.i.am's solo "career" has taught us anything, it's that Fergie must be the muse that keeps him producing listenable work. Because seriously, this latest offering—the lead single from his forthcoming album, #willpower—is horrible. Way too long at almost five minutes, "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)" sounds like a Black Eyed Peas cast-off (think a mash-up between the swaggerific synths of "Imma Be" and the computerized beeps of "Clumsy") mixed with some truly headache-inducing static buzzing. The song momentarily becomes bearable during Jennifer Lopez's hook (equally repetitive and danceable), but it's unclear what will.i.am wanted from her besides name recognition; her already thin contribution is Auto-Tuned to the high heavens. When Mick Jagger inexplicably takes over vocal duties for the last minute of the track, things completely fly off the handle. It's all a terrible techno fever dream that just won't end. D+

"Lonely Boy" The Black Keys

"Well, I'm so above you/and it's plain to see," Black Keys vocalist Dan Auerbach sings at the start of "Lonely Boy," the lead single from the band's latest release, El Camino. He's not lying. The Akron duo—which finally broke through with 2010's "Tighten Up" after nearly a decade in the business—is one of the most exciting voices in music right now: gritty, soulful and most definitely rockin'. Currently sitting atop Billboard's alternative charts, "Boy" has an appealingly lo-fi surf rock vibe that really takes off on the turbo-charged chorus, with its driving guitar line and sweeping female harmonies. It's like the soundtrack to the coolest '60s gunslinger flick that never existed. A

"I Won't Give Up" Jason Mraz

After an almost three-year absence from the music scene, Jason Mraz returns older and wiser on his latest single, "I Won't Give Up." The singer-songwriter—whose previous hits have ranged from contentedly chill to jauntily playful—is a serious new man on his latest offering, all lush guitar chords and existential contemplations ("How old is your soul?" he asks at the end of the first verse). While it begins as a relaxing acoustic lullaby that's classic Mraz, the song crescendos into an effectively anthemic chorus—and then unexpectedly veers into country-fried power ballad territory halfway through (complete with gospel choir), a move that may leave some listeners slightly shell-shocked upon first listen. The end result is ultimately quite stirring, though "Give Up" is unlikely to lodge itself in your brain for the next year à la Mraz's mega-smash "I'm Yours." B+

The 25 Best Songs of 2011

My completely subjective, utterly mainstream and shamefully limited take on the best songs of last year. All apologies to any great songs that were ignored or forgotten.

1. "All of the Lights" Kanye West ft. Rihanna
"Jesus Walks," "Flashing Lights," "Power"—Kanye West has always been at his most intriguing exploring the heady, operatic impulses of his beautiful, dark, twisted mind. On "All of the Lights," 'Ye and an all-star cast of supporting voices (including Kid Cudi, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Fergie and hip-hop's ultimate hook girl, Rihanna) weave a desperate tale of broken families and shattered dreams that's as deeply alluring as any of his best work—and still more oddly inspirational (oh, those glorious horns!) than anything else released this year.

2. "Super Bass" Nicki Minaj
In this sunny throwback ode to fly guys with hot rides and blaring audio systems, Nicki Minaj trades her hardcore emcee bona fides for a softer, bouncier hip-pop flow. The move may have drawn ire from purists who saw Minaj as the savior of female rap, but the haters really need to give this one another listen. Irresistibly charming and enormously infectious, the boom-ba-boom-ing chorus was a rallying cry for summer lovers and little British YouTube sensations everywhere.

3. "Call Your Girlfriend" Robyn
Robyn's deliciously sweet brand of Swedish dance-pop has always been a soundtrack for the misfits, with hurts-so-good tales of unrequited love and stalking that dude at the club while he makes out with some new girl (see: 2010's best song, "Dancing On My Own"). Now, she's out of the shadows and feeling so fine that she might just steal your boyfriend too if you're not careful. For someone who's been burned so many times, Robyn sure knows how to make being the other woman sound awfully right.

4. "Till the World Ends" Britney Spears
It was a year of professional seesawing for the legendary Ms. Spears: Her most recent effort, Femme Fatale, spawned three top ten singles—a career first—yet still has not reached platinum sales. Meanwhile, her nationwide tour this summer played to near-sellout stadium crowds and harsh reviews. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Spears' celebrity once again overshadowed the music, which is too bad, because Fatale is full of top-notch tunes. On "Till the World Ends," Spears got Ke$ha-fied and gave us the kind of grimy, sultry performance that defined her mid-2000s peak—and was sorely missing from her 2008 comeback, Circus. That chorus of "oh oh ohs" was the most satisfying expression of pop euphoria all year.

5. "Someone Like You" Adele
There's no denying that 2011 was the year of Adele: her sophomore effort, 21, spoke—and belted and wailed—universal truths of heartbreak and longing, and audiences across all demographics gobbled them up in record numbers. The album's emotional climax was the lovely piano ballad "Someone Like You," which impressively captures such a raw outpouring of emotion that it became the year's cathartic musical experience of choice (as SNL so lovingly spoofed this fall).

6. "Ni**as in Paris" Jay-Z and Kanye West
A synth beat so relentless it's intimidating, Kanye's most playfully demented verse in ages, the year's best dubstep breakdown, and an unexpectedly brilliant interlude of dialogue from the Will Ferrell comedy Blades of Glory? That shit cray—and crazy good.

7. "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" Coldplay
Over its decade in the spotlight, Coldplay has morphed into an arena rock outfit of the U2 variety, with each new album bringing a new lead single of epic, stadium-ready proportions. Yet for all its formula-fulfilling essentials (sweeping wall of sound? Check. Soaring vocals? Check.), "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" was something satisfyingly fresh for Chris Martin & Co. Credit a complete disregard for all conventions of songwriting structure. When the electric fiddle finally breaks into a recognizable refrain at the 3:23 mark, it's a joyfully light burst of pop nirvana, wholly detached from the orchestral grandeur of Viva La Vida and X&Y.

8. "The Edge of Glory" Lady Gaga 
Born This Way may have been a giant retro misstep, but "The Edge of Glory" proved that '80s nostalgia is still good for one thing: really awesome saxophone solos. The anthemic chorus was an instant classic, providing the year's ultimate sing-along-to-your-car-radio moment and hopefully tiding us over while Gaga gets this phase out of her system.

9. "End of Time" Beyoncé
Beyoncé's 4 was a woefully mismanaged album that has yet to produce any hit singles—which is too bad, because it's the most consistent and impressively mature work of her career, chockfull of potential smashes. Chief among them is this rollicking marching band salute to true love, which climaxes in such a fit of magnificent passion that it nearly veers off the rails into madness. (Equally great is the retro soul jam "Schoolin' Life," criminally banished to bonus track status on the deluxe version of the record.)

10. "Rolling in the Deep" Adele
It was the year's biggest, most ubiquitous hit, with inescapable airplay and endless YouTube covers that probably had even your grandma asking you, "Have you heard of this Adele girl?" Fortunately, this rousing, moody barnstomper—perhaps the greatest woman-scorned demand for attention since Alanis Morrisette's "You Oughta Know"—was worth all the hype.

11. "S&M" Rihanna
An irresistibly danceable tribute to whip and chains and all that kinky stuff. Feels so good being bad, indeed.

12. "Pumped Up Kicks" Foster the People
The lazy beach vibe and charming whistles made for the cheeriest school shooting tale ever—and the unlikeliest smash of the summer.

13. "How I Roll" Britney Spears
Its playful post-industrial production was the most striking avant-garde appropriation in mainstream music this year. (Sorry, dubstep!) Too bad this could never fly on Top 40 radio.

14. "Highway Unicorn (Road to Love)" Lady Gaga
Inexplicably detested by a nation of Little Monsters, this roaring hair metal homage is the most underrated gem of Gaga's short career.

15. "Sail" AWOLNATION
This dark and desperate electro rock dirge—a sleeper hit on the alternative charts—sounds like it's been beamed from an alien spacecraft with soul-crushing vigor (and I mean that in the best possible way).

16. "If I Die Young" The Band Perry
A beautifully melancholy (and remarkably obtuse) paean to love and death and—oh, who cares, it's just so pretty.

17. "1+1" Beyoncé
An almost courageously quiet storm of a ballad. Beyonce's bravura vocal performance is mesmerizing, and those electric guitars are a thing of majestic beauty.

18. "We Found Love" Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris
A slightly soulless Rihanna vocal is offset by Calvin Harris' truly transcendent house instrumental, which rises so high on the back of an air horn effect that is becomes almost heavenly.

19. "Cockiness (Love It)"/"Birthday Cake" Rihanna
Juvenile sex metaphors + easily chantable hooks = dirty, dirty fun.

20. "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)" Kelly Clarkson
Backed by a turbo guitar and a throbbing synth line, Clarkson lets loose on her biggest chorus since "Since U Been Gone."

21. "Dance (A$$)" Big Sean ft. Nicki Minaj
Offensively stupid on paper, but the unironically awesome MC Hammer interpolation and spitfire Nicki Minaj guest verse (her best since "Monster"?) defy logic. Waikikiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.

22. "Take Care" Drake ft. Rihanna
Further proof that the world can never have enough Rihanna features.

23. "Levels" Avicii
Thanks to an atmospheric Etta James sample, this brilliant techno instrumental is worth more than just a great time on the dance floor.

24. "Shake It Out" Florence + the Machine
An inspirational, gospel-tinged cry of freedom, courtesy of a dazzling choir of Florence Welches.

25. "The Motto" Drake ft. Lil Wayne
Drake and Weezy play lyrical jumprope over a clapping bass beat with impressive braggadocio.

Honorable mentions: "Roll Up" Wiz Khalifa; "Lift Off" Jay-Z and Kanye West ft. Beyoncé; "I Wanna Go" Britney Spears; "Sure Thing" Miguel; "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" Katy Perry