Throwback Thursday: "Rude Boy" Rihanna

At the darkest depths of Rihanna's career—personally, in the wake of Chris Brown's assault upon her; artistically, on the brilliant Rated R, which dealt with the incident's aftermath; and commercially, when said album initially tanked—came an unexpected smash that turned all her fortunes around. Returning to the singer's Caribbean roots for inspiration, "Rude Boy" became spring 2010's biggest club anthem, sending audiences into a frenzy winding and grinding on the dance floor. With its skittering percussive beat and raucous island groove, the song was already an irresistible jam just looking for a good time. But it also proved to be a coming-out party of sorts for Rihanna—arguably the first time that she had ever truly been the main attraction of her own music. Sounding strong and in command like never before, her success with "Rude" launched an impressive run of #1 hits that cemented Rihanna as one of the world's biggest pop stars. A

Two years ago this week, "Rude Boy" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Give Your Heart a Break" Demi Lovato

After a turbulent 2010 that saw her entering rehab at the age of 18, ex-Disney star Demi Lovato made a triumphant return last summer with the inspirational ballad "Skyscraper." Now comes follow-up single "Give Your Heart a Break," an uplifting love song that represents Lovato's first step on the road back to pop star normalcy. For the most part, it's a highly successful effort. On the verses, her rich, husky voice soars, and it's great to hear her sounding happy again after so much personal trouble. But despite an enormous (and enormously appealing) hook, the overly glossy production on the chorus creates an emotional wall with the listener. Lovato's team should trust in the vulnerability and imperfection that she displays in glimpses during the middle eight, which possess a powerful poignancy even in this joyful context. B

"Ours" Taylor Swift

It's been more than a year and a half, but Taylor Swift's quadruple-platinum third album, Speak Now, is still going strong: just this past week, sixth single "Ours" topped Billboard's country songs chart. It's a pretty little ditty, featuring a more mature sound than Swift's signature hits, but lacking in the the type of big, belt-along chorus that made "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me" so memorable. Still, sometimes soft and sweet is what the mood calls for, and "Ours" plays it just right with a lovely, simple arrangement (minus the cheap keyboard) that highlights the track's mellow charm. The confessional lyrics have a pleasant impact, only lessened by some vague, clunky platitudes that ring as insightful as a fortune cookie. B

"Boyfriend" Justin Bieber

There comes a stage in the career of every teenage pop star when it's time to "grow up." It's a tricky transition from bubblegum youth to adult acceptance, and previous aspirants have seen varied results, from some of the most successful recording careers of all time (Michael Jackson, Britney Spears) to has-been punchline status (Miley Cyrus). Thus arrives the moment of truth for tween sensation Justin Bieber, who turned 18 earlier this month; new single "Boyfriend" is a swaggering hip-hop track that aims to bolster his urban appeal and cool factor. The ploy may work—at least, for the lovestruck middle schoolers that have converted everything he touches into multi-platinum. For the rest of us, the thought of the Biebs as a whisper-rapping Casanova who wants to "make you shine bright/like you're laying in the snow" (I don't know what that means, but it sounds gross) is more than a little unsettling. And yet...that chorus—from the falsetto bridge to the acoustic guitar hook—is simply too catchy to completely dismiss the song. Let's just the split difference and call it a B-.

"Free" Haley Reinhart

For fans of Haley Reinhart, the third-place finisher on last season's American Idol, it's been a frustrating ten-month wait for new music. Though other contestants, including winner Scotty McCreery and runner-up Lauren Alaina, already long ago dropped their albums and then dropped off the face of the Earth, the growly, soulful songstress has remained mostly quiet about what to expect from her debut—or when. So what a pleasant surprise to see Reinhart's defiant return to the Idol stage last night, singing the hell out of her first single, "Free."

And the jazzy piano ballad has been well worth the long hiatus. "Free" perfectly captures the unique retro vibe that distinguished her Idol run in an accessible, radio-friendly form that's just begging to be a summer smash. That will unfortunately be difficult in a musical landscape still so dominated by dance-pop, but Reinhart doesn't seem to mind. She sounds happily at home jamming along to this laid-back track, especially on the soaring chorus. Featuring her infectiously blissful delivery of the refrain, it's one of the year's most gorgeous musical moments thus far. A

Throwback Thursday: "Billie Jean" Michael Jackson

Even in a career as packed with hits as Michael Jackson's, there are songs that stand apart. Nearly 30 years after its release, "Billie Jean" remains one of the defining moments of the MJ legacy—a smash success with groundbreaking cultural impact (its video was the first by a black artist played on MTV) and sustained critical acclaim (it was named the Greatest Song Since You Were Born by Blender in 2005). Of course, it's not hard to see why; just take another listen to "Billie Jean" and you'll immediately be struck by Quincy Jones' masterful production. It's a layered patchwork of building tension, featuring unexpected flourishes—a saxophone here, some cascading strings there—that only make repeated plays a more revealing and enriching experience. But the most powerful instrument has always been Jackson's expressive pipes, and it's his intriguing mix of anger and desperation here that helps elevate the song to among the best ever in pop music, especially on the endlessly imitable bridge and chorus. A+

29 years ago this week, "Billie Jean" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Fuck U Betta" Neon Hitch

Music serves many different purposes in our lives: aesthetic, cathartic, celebratory. And sometimes we just need a good excuse to let loose and shake our asses. Enter Neon Hitch, whose raunchy, sassy, shameless "Fuck U Betta" is a dance track just begging audiences to get down and dirty. The pounding bass beat should get your body moving, but once the boastful chorus kicks in (sample lyric: "She can fuck you good/but I can fuck you better"), you'll be trying to outshine everybody else on the dance floor—or at least all those people in the posters on your bedroom wall. "Betta" probably won't be winning any Grammys, but when was the last time you had so much fun listening to Adele? B+

"Drive By" Train

Following the relentless cultural saturation of 2010's "Hey Soul Sister"—an irritatingly cheerful ukelele love song that Madison Avenue couldn't get enough of—Train became your mom's favorite band. Of course, it made everybody else hate the San Francisco rock outfit in the process, and "Drive By," the lead single from their upcoming sixth studio album, California 37, is probably not going to be changing any minds. It's another irritatingly cheerful acoustic love song from the same production team behind "Soul Sister," and here they attempt to repeat their formula to even more baffling effect. Should a song about trying to win back the lover you abandoned really have a sunny chorus that suggests the driving montage in a road trip movie? That hardly seems romantically appropriate. Neither do references to two-ply Hefty trash bags, love going viral and the old children's saying "So sue me!"—a lyrical playfulness not nearly as clever as Pat Monahan believes. C-

"Wild Ones" Flo Rida ft. Sia

Being a "singles artist" might just be the ultimate pop star insult—after all, if an album drops in a forest and no one is there to buy it, does it make a sound?—but there's really no other way to classify Flo Rida. The rapper shows up every couple of months with a new song, turns it into a surprise hit and then disappears again without a trace while America sits back, barely batting an eyelash. So on the heels of last summer's "Good Feeling" comes "Wild Ones," another club banger currently taking over iTunes and pop radio. Flo Rida's lyrical content hasn't changed much since his first smash—he's still busy getting low, low, low on the dance floor—but "Wild" connects on an emotional level like none of his work has since, well, ever. Thank Sia, whose full-throated, bright-eyed take on the chorus turns the song into an anthem of freedom. I'd love to hear what she could do with the whole thing. B+

"Happy Pills" Norah Jones

After a couple of years away from the public eye, Norah Jones returns with the mellow ballad "Happy Pills," the lead single from her upcoming fifth studio album, ...Little Broken Hearts. Surprised to be reminded of the "Don't Know Why" singer's existence? You can hardly be blamed for failing to notice her absence; Jones' profile has dropped considerably since a decade ago, when she stormed the music scene with a debut that won five Grammy Awards and went on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide. Yet it seems that time has made only Jones a richer, more rewarding artist. On subsequent records, she has allowed her indie spirit to explore, veering away from pleasant waiting-room jazz and into a quirkier, rootsier territory that has produced some gorgeously affecting results. "Pills," with its subdued drum and bass composition and its quiet heartbreak, is a lovely addition to that oeuvre. A-

Throwback Thursday: "Stutter" Joe ft. Mystikal

Nothing like starting a song with some heavy panting to suggest it's pulsing with uncontainable sexual energy. Nothing like an extended (and nearly incomprehensible) guest verse from Mystikal to kill all the alluring tension. Such is the problem plaguing Joe's "Stutter," a song that, like so many from the era, splashed together a haphazard "urban" remix in an effort to Frankenstein a cross-genre hit. (See: Jennifer Lopez's numerous collaborations with Ja Rule.) In the case of this smooth R&B jam, the transition to skittering hip-hop track is actually an improvement, elevating the energy—and the drama—to exciting will they or won't they have angry make-up sex? levels. Then Mystikal shows up with his overly-aggressive delivery and steps into frightening crimes of passion territory. Is that really what got the ladies hot back in 2001? B-

11 years ago this week, "Stutter" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" Foster the People

Since dominating the late summer with mellow rocker "Pumped Up Kicks," last year's breakout band Foster the People has been searching for a follow-up hit to cement its unexpected crossover success. Subsequent singles "Helena Beat," all trippy synths and dark melody, and "Call It What You Want," a quirky mumble jumble, were arguably richer musical experiences, but failed to ignite the charts. Now, the band may have found just the right mix of edge and accessibility on "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)," a groovy throwback jam that accomplishes a lot in a tight three minutes. With its sunny psychedelic rock vibe and a snappy whistle hook as genius as the one from "Kicks," the songs simply exudes cool. Expect to see it soundtracking a hipster car commercial any day now. A-

"Feel So Close" Calvin Harris

After crafting Rihanna's biggest hit ever last fall, Scottish dance artist Calvin Harris takes a stab at solo stardom in the U.S. with "Feel So Close," an airy house track now racing up the charts. Though überproducers like David Guetta and Dr. Luke have turned the pop music scene into a veritable rave over the past few years, Harris brings something refreshingly different to the party on "Close." The song pulsates with the soaring synths we've come to expect, but its use of natural instruments—sparing piano chords on the verses, a killer guitar line on the chorus—grounds it in a sense of reality that feels bigger than the dance floor. And the ascendant melody is like a command of cosmic uplift, infecting the soul with positivity in a way that so many recent "it gets better" anthems have failed to do. In its softness and simplicity, "Close" is still powerfully effective—a joyful techno stimulus for adults. B+

"We Are Young" fun. ft. Janelle Monae

Talk about the underdog hit of the year! Thanks to some prime featured placement on Glee and in Chevrolet's Super Bowl XLVI ad, indie pop band fun. has come from nowhere to score a breakthrough smash with "We Are Young," which just yesterday became the first alternative rock track to top the Hot 100 in almost four years. Though it starts off indiscriminately enough, "Young" veers sharply toward left field on the chorus, a languidly-paced stunner driven by heavy drum beats and soaring harmonies. The listener's sense of wonder will only grow as fun. meanders toward an emotional peak during the middle eight, which sounds like a barroom singalong featuring a lovely but underused cameo from Janelle Monae. In today's pop music climate of pulsing synths and racing BPM, this is a tall, refreshing glass of slow-burning splendor. A

Throwback Thursday: "Escapade" Janet Jackson

Before she became a relentless sex kitten in the 1990s, Janet Jackson had much more innocent things on her mind. On "Escapade," the third single from her masterpiece, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, she's just a girl who wants to have a good time and leave her worries behind. Though already in her early 20s at the time, Jackson's still got a youthful giddiness and perky charm about her that's impossible to resist, especially when she lets her falsetto loose on the blissful bridge. As with so many of her classic collaborations with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the song probably goes on too long for its own good, but the production is full of so many interesting layers that it mostly manages to sustain itself. And when Janet Jackson commands, "Let's go!," you join in the celebration. B+

22 years ago this week, "Escapade" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Climax" Usher

Usher has spent the last few years on a sojourn through the world of dance-pop, mostly leaving behind the smooth R&B ballads that made him famous, so new single "Climax"—from his upcoming seventh studio album—feels like a welcome return to form. Though still employing a slinky stable of synths, the soundscape is relatively simple and muted, allowing Usher's piercing falsetto to take command. Playing on the title's double entendre, he laments a dying relationship in a sexy pillow talk tone that serves as a potent reminder of what a powerful, expressive tool his voice can be. That's the real allure here, especially during the song's striking moments of instrumental silence. A-

"Call Me Maybe" Carly Rae Jepsen

It's too bad that it took a viral video of tween stars like Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and Ashley Tisdale dancing in fake mustaches to turn Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" into a hit, because memories of that trifle will probably be much longer-lasting than the Canadian singer-songwriter's U.S. impact. Still, without the online exposure, this delightfully dorky pop ditty—which has suddenly jumped into the top ten on iTunes—would still be languishing in obscurity. So props to the Biebs and friends for the hat tip; with its fantastic strings-laden disco hook that perfectly captures the euphoric essence of a first crush, "Call Me" is my new obsession as well. Now excuse me while I return to bopping around my room and loudly singing along to the chorus. A-

"Live My Life" Far East Movement ft. Justin Bieber

It's the collaboration that nobody's been waiting for: breakthrough Asian-American hip-hop group Far East Movement (whose moment was pretty much over as soon as Dev finished singing the hook on their #1 hit "Like a G6") and Justin Bieber, the latest thorn in adult America's side, join forces on "Live Your Life," an Ibiza-flavored club banger so generic that it makes "Glad You Came" sound like a battle cry for musical revolution. Despite a cavalcade of swirling synths, the entire production is incredibly monotone, with Far East Movement's elementary rhymes falling away into the background and Bieber's vocals on the oddly listless hook rendered practically unrecognizable by artificial deepening that makes him sound vaguely like Enrique Iglesias. If this is what dance-pop has come to, then it might be time to put a nail in its proverbial coffin. C-

Throwback Thursday: "Yeah!" Usher ft. Lil Jon and Ludacris

It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment at which "Yeah!" won over America. Was it Usher's opening declaration of "Peace up! A-Town down," which heralded the coming (brief) command of the airwaves by Atlanta's crunk music scene? Or maybe when Lil Jon's sparse synth beat kicked in—its aggressive four-note progressions so strikingly different that they demanded attention? Perhaps it was the repeated calls of "yeah, yeah, yeah," surely one of the simplest and most effective hooks in modern pop music. Regardless, anyone not on the dance floor trying to take that and rewind it back by the time Ludacris' naughty guest verse rolled around was probably one of those sad people who hates having a good time. This was, and remains, easily a high point of urban music's mid-aughties domination. A-

Eight years ago this week, "Yeah!" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.