"Where Have You Been" Rihanna

No, the title doesn't refer to an elusive follow-up hit to last fall's mega-smash "We Found Love." But after a series of misses—first the underperforming "You Da One," then non-starter "Talk That Talk" with Jay-Z, and most recently, the controversial (and pitiful) Chris Brown remix of "Birthday Cake"—Rihanna may have finally found her next big single in "Where Have You Been," another expansive Calvin Harris production. With its blistering synths, soaring vocals, repetitive refrain and instrumental breakdowns, it's reminiscent of a less emotionally resonant, more feverishly club-ready version of "Love." But the dark house beat is strong enough to stand on its own, creating a fierce, oppressive atmosphere that finally emerges in ecstatic release on the chorus—already in contention to be one of the summer's hottest music moments. A-

"Scream" Usher

"If you wanna scream, 'Yeah!'," Usher sings in the chorus of his new single, "Scream," "let me know and I'll take you there." Unfortunately, it's a place we've been many times before. Collaborating once again with Max Martin and Shellback (who produced his 2010 hit "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love Again"), the song takes Usher back to the same electropop territory that has seen him get increasingly generic as an artist—and anonymous as a singer—over his last few albums. Not that the syncopated house beat and "ooh baby baby" refrain of "Scream" won't make for a delightful time on the dance floor, but after the sultry simplicity of "Climax," this is definitely a disappointment. B

Throwback Thursday: "I Love Rock N Roll" Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

Who would have thought that a 1975 flop from obscure British rockers Arrows would seven years later become one of the most iconic female rock songs of all time? By softening the distortion on the killer guitar riff—allowing for maximum in-your-face energy—and amping up the urgency with her casual feminist badassery, Joan Jett turned "I Love Rock N Roll" into a seven-week #1, a career-launching (and -defining) hit, and a future riot grrrl anthem. With a singalong chorus practically tailor-made for drunken barroom belting, "Rock N Roll" also remains one of the punk era's most enduring classics, kept alive by '80s nights at karaoke joints across the country. A

30 years ago this week, "I Love Rock N Roll" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Whistle" Flo Rida

You almost have to feel bad for Flo Rida. Despite two multiplatinum-selling top ten hits in the past few months, his fourth studio album, Only One Rida (Part 2), remains shelved with no release date in sight. Now comes yet another new single, "Whistle." Opening on a distinctive acoustic guitar and whistling intro, the song confirms the Florida rapper is one of the new millennium's most reliable progenitors of great hooks. And with its low-key party vibe and idiotically catchy central double entendre ("Can you blow my whistle baby?"), it's got all the ingredients of the perfect summer smash. So expect to see audiences gobbling "Whistle" up in the coming months—just as Flo Rida's label continues to debate whether or not to finally drop his inevitable future flop. B+

"Work Hard Play Hard" Wiz Khalifa

Early last year, Pittsburgh's Wiz Khalifa emerged as one of the rap scene's newest breakout stars, sending "Black and Yellow," a catchy ode to his hometown sports teams, all the way to the top of the charts. (It hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 following the Pirates' February Super Bowl victory.) A couple of moderate hits and gold album sales followed, but Wiz spent the rest of 2011 on a decidedly slower burn. So new single "Work Hard Play Hard," from his upcoming second studio album, O.N.I.F.C., represents a pivotal career moment: Can Khalifa cement himself as a legitimate superstar, or is he destined to join MC Hammer and Soulja Boy as a novelty footnote in music history?

With another simple, easily repeatable—and highly repetitive—refrain ("Work hard, play hard/Work hard, play hard"), Wiz certainly seems intent on following in the earworm footsteps of "Black and Yellow." And while it may not be as instantly grabbing, "Work" does have all the elements that made his previous work so appealing: propulsive, snapping beat; drawling, sing-song delivery; anthemic chorus. The result is a heavy industrial bounce that only grows more satisfying with each listen. The jury's still out on what kind of impact this one will have, but its leap to the top ten of iTunes on its first day of release ain't a bad sign. A-

"We Run the Night" Havana Brown ft. Pitbull

From its hard-hitting house beats to its soaring techno chorus, "We Run the Night" is like an introductory electronic dance music sampler that offers a little bit of something for everyone. Perhaps that's why this addictive, accessible party jam from Australian DJ Havana Brown topped Billboard's club play chart earlier this year and is now making headway on pop radio. It certainly wasn't because of Brown herself, who is so Auto-Tuned at times that she is not even recognizably human. The song's insanely repetitive, insanely catchy hook is the star here. B+

Throwback Thursday: "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" Puff Daddy ft. Mase

Before the clothing line and countless name changes, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs was just a successful hip-hop producer trying to transition to headliner status. Debut single "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" is a personal manifesto of making bank and staying real—ironically, performed almost entirely by protégé Mase—that defines the era of rap that Puffy helped spawn: a menagerie of emcees celebrating wealth and fame over a cruising beat heavily constructed from classic samples (in this case, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "The Message"). It's a simple, endlessly repeatable formula that produced some highly effective, inspired tracks over the years—particularly the posthumous Notorious B.I.G. single "Mo Money Mo Problems," produced by Combs. But points off from "Can't Nobody" for turning Matthew Wilder's 1983 hit "Break My Stride" into the sleepiest, least galvanizing motivational hook imaginable. B

15 years ago this week, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Burn It Down" Linkin Park

Was it all the angsty teenage hormones that made Linkin Park bearable? Because, upon reflection, the aggro nü-metal that seemed so great in seventh grade is actually a fairly unpleasant listen. Fortunately, screamo vocals and sludgy guitars were banished to the underground back in 2003, but that hasn't stopped Linkin Park, which is preparing to release its fifth studio album this summer. Lead single "Burn It Down" is more of the same—literally, this could be on the group's 2000 debut, Hybrid Theory—now with more electric organ! The song has some intriguingly moody verses, driven by a restrained, hauntingly layered vocal performance from Chester Bennington. But, as usual, the chorus is too much of...everything. In particular, its discordant melody will get crawling in your skin. C+

"Payphone" Maroon ft. Wiz Khalifa

Maroon 5 shot to stardom in the early 2004 on the strength of melodic pop-rock like "This Love" and "She Will Be Loved." But recent years have seen attempts at edgier fare, dwindling album sales, and then, last summer, an unexpected #1 smash—the fairly mediocre dance-pop jam "Moves Like Jagger"—following singer Adam Levine's coaching stint on The Voice. So what a relief that new song "Payphone," the lead single from the band's upcoming album, Overexposed, returns to what Maroon 5 does best. Featuring a tinkling piano, Levine's soaring falsetto and a massive refrain, it is both vaguely romantic ("All of my change I spent on you") and slightly douchey ("All those fairytales are full of shit")—a dynamic that Levine has somehow pulled off effortlessly for the last decade. Judging by its quick ascent to the top of iTunes, "Payphone" will be huge, and even with an utterly unnecessary Wiz Khalifa cameo, I don't think I'll mind hearing it all over pop radio all summer long. A-

"She Doesn't Mind" Sean Paul

Oh, Sean Paul, that relic of the early aughties. Even though he hasn't had a hit in over half a decade, he just keeps trying, and I can't be mad at him for that. Still, I'm not sure that new single "She Doesn't Mind"—off his upcoming fifth studio album Tomahawk Technique—will provide the comeback that he so desperately seeks. Combining his signature dancehall sound with electropop in a sputtering bid at relevancy, the song offers some solid ragga beats and serviceable Balearic synths. But the resulting fiyah is only lukewarm—an attempt at crossover appeal that probably won't end up pleasing much of anybody. B-

Throwback Thursday: "Save the Best For Last" Vanessa Williams

"Sometimes the snow comes down in June," Vanessa Williams sings at the beginning of "Save the Best for Last," her 1992 megahit. "Sometimes the sun goes 'round the moon." It's an inane line—grasping for depth and missing the mark completely—yet it's become one of the most iconic moment of Williams' entire career, helping to define "Best" as her signature song. And despite the ludicrous imagery signifying nothing, it's not hard to see why: Mixing romanticism with camp appeal, the line is perfectly emblematic of the song's continued guilty pleasure status. Built on both a cheesy keyboard line and swelling orchestral strings, and topped off by a powerfully subtle vocal performance from Williams, "Best" is a perfectly lovely easy-listening ballad that only gets better when considered as an exemplar of everything so ridiculously right about early '90s pop music. A

20 years ago this week, "Save the Best For Last" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Titanium" David Guetta ft. Sia

Is Sia having a moment? After adding a level of emotional resonance to Flo Rida's most recent party hit earlier this year, the Australian singer-songwriter gives another moving performance as the featured vocalist on David Guetta's latest single, "Titanium." Taking a more mature, pensive approach that we've rarely seen from the French DJ, Guetta's production is sparing and subtle, often falling to the background of the track, so that its occasional bursts of pounding synths have maximum impact. But the real highlight is once again Sia, whose rich, soaring vocals make the otherwise vague central metaphor ("I am titanium!") come alive with feeling. The chorus, in particular, is an awesome explosion of pure ecstatic release. B+

"Honestly" Hot Chelle Rae

Nasvhille rockers Hot Chelle Rae broke out big last summer with "Tonight, Tonight," a dated, juvenile, obnoxiously perky party anthem that became one of the year's sleeper hits. (Kids these days...) Now the band is back with "Honestly," the third single from its album, Whatever, and it's attempting to take over the airwaves once again. The song certainly has all the ingredients of a summer smash: a laid-back, beach-ready vibe; lyrics that sound like they were written by the high schoolers that will be jamming to it at their graduation parties; and, most importantly, a sunny, feel-good hook ripe with singalong potential. In fact, the chorus provides enough cheesy fun that—to quote its refrain—I honestly just don't care if it sounds like an All-American Rejects B-side from 2005. B

"Mercy" Kanye West ft. Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz

Reviving his website's G.O.O.D. Fridays tradition for the first time in over a year, Kanye West unexpectedly dropped new song "Mercy" today, the lead single from his record label's upcoming eponymous compilation album, G.O.O.D. Music. (The acronym stands for "Getting Out Our Dreams.") With its tense beat reminiscent of a horror movie soundtrack and a hauntingly distorted dancehall sample for a hook, the production creates a quietly unnerving vibe that makes for a striking listen. Unfortunately, the rest of the track doesn't quite match up; the chorus is a total throwaway, and the featured performers deliver some pretty basic verses full of standard rap braggadocio. That's not to say there's nothing worthwhile here—West's urgent middle eight and Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz provide a few serious thrills—but it's certainly not enough to warrant a five-and-a-half minute running time. B

Throwback Thursday: "Say My Name" Destiny's Child

With powerful church-trained pipes, over 40 million records sold and an impressive string of #1 hits, any conversation about the greatest girl group of all time should, at the very least, include Destiny's Child. The best argument for their superiority? "Say My Name," the Grammy-winning manifesto of romantic fealty that is not only the highlight of DC's catalog, but also a standout among the past few decades of pop music. From its opening bursts of cotton-candy harmonies, the song pulses with an infectious energy, bouncing along on a layered production of competing sounds—a guitar lick here, some synthesized violins there, and is that a triangle?—that leaves pleasures to still be discovered on the umpteenth listen. It also creates a playground of noise for Beyoncé's fabulously distinctive vocal performance. Contrasting sparse and almost overly-enunciated verses with a bridge that is lightning-quick and practically indecipherable, she makes audience participation irresistible and inevitable—just as any all-time great should. A

12 years ago this week, "Say My Name" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Is Anybody Out There?" K'naan ft. Nelly Furtado

Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan rose to prominence in the summer of 2010 when Coca-Cola chose his inspirational anthem "Wavin' Flag" as their official theme song for the World Cup. Now he's back with "Is Anybody Out There?," a decidedly less inspiring anthem from his new EP, More Beautiful Than Silence. Kicking off with a twinkling piano hook and a sickly-sweet chorus sung by fellow Canuck pop star Nelly Furtado, the song hits all the wrong notes—it's limp, cloying, and too cheesy by half. The introduction of a hard-hitting drum machine loop during the first verse gives it a bit of grit, but that can't overcome K'naan's weak lyrics and even weaker delivery, both of which feel sort of amateur. Worst of all, it's so plainly obvious how hard "Anybody" is trying to uplift it audience (there is actually a line that goes "Baby girl, this your anthem"). That level of overly calculated effort reeks of desperation, and can make even the most well-intentioned of songs seem hollow and hackneyed. C-

"Dance Again" Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull

Though it became one of the biggest hits of the year—and one of her most successful singles ever—last spring's "On the Floor" wasn't quite the career revival that Jennifer Lopez was probably hoping for. So she's back with another attempt this year: the appropriately-titled "Dance Again," which debuted online over the weekend. The song makes every effort to recapture the magic of "Floor"—and by that I mean it rehashes every generic trick that turned the latter into such a club smash. Production from RedOne? Check. Guest verses from Pitbull? Double check. Sampling an earlier dance classic? You betcha! (This time, the middle eight lifts straight from '90s Robin S. fave "Show Me Love.") Even the clapping synth beat sounds like "Floor"'s slightly more ethereal, less vaguely Latin cousin. "Dance" possesses exactly one genuinely thrilling moment of its own: the divinely escapist chorus (lyrics: "I wanna dance/and love/and dance/again"). Don't be surprised if J. Lo manages to ride it all the way to summer radio domination once again. B-