Throwback Thursday: "Forever Your Girl" Paula Abdul

With her thin voice and mad dance skills, Paula Abdul stomped onto the pop music scene in 1988, fresh from a stint as the Jacksons' choreographer. Her debut album was a smash success, eventually selling over 7 million copies in the U.S. and spawning four #1 hits, the second of which was its title track, "Forever Your Girl." A jaunty, joyful ode to love, the song sounds incredibly dated in this day and age, full of saxophone solos, tinkling xylophone scales and random cameos from an uncredited male vocalist. But charm can be a powerful guard against the wear of time, and "Girl" is brimming with it, from Abdul's squeaky enthusiasm to the climactic expressions of affection as the song draws to a close. It may be an '80s relic, but this one is forever a delight. A

23 years ago this week, "Forever Your Girl" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Wide Awake" Katy Perry

As Katy Perry's Teenage Dream era enters its third (!) year, the pop star is hoping for yet another summer smash to join the Album of the Year nomination and six #1 hits that already comprise its impressive accomplishments. For the eighth (and final?) single, she has settled on electro ballad "Wide Awake," a lovely choice that would certainly end things on a high note. Like "Part of Me," it's a post-Russell Brand anthem that gets much more personal than we normally expect from she of the sparkling, whipped cream-spraying breasts. But where that song choked on its own childish anger, "Awake" is self-reflective and surprisingly mature—a lush, billowing composition that features Perry sounding vocally strong and truly assured. It may not be the best work from Dream (that honor still belongs to the joyfully lovesick title track), but it is perhaps the most accomplished. For all its openness, both sonically and emotionally, "Awake" is immensely appealing. A-

"Euphoria" Loreen

If there is any emotion that dance music—with its soaring synths and divalicious vocals—is perfectly suited to convey, it's pure, unadulterated bliss. And based on the title alone, Loreen's "Euphoria," which this past weekend was crowned the winner of the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, certainly promises quite a bit of it. At moments, the song touches on the desired musical ecstasy, especially during the booming chorus, which explodes on some sky-high notes from Loreen. But simply talking about a feeling is not the same as conveying it, and ultimately, "Euphoria" comes up a little empty on that front. A-

"Dark Side" Kelly Clarkson

Earlier this year, Kelly Clarkson saw an unexpected career rejuvenation when anthemic single "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" became her biggest hit since the similarly turbo-charged "Since U Been Gone." Now she's attempting to build on the momentum with a gig on ABC's new singing competition, Duets, and follow-up single, "Dark Side," a soaring midtempo ballad (would Kelly have it any other way?) about loving someone despite their flaws. Featuring a twinkling music box melody and no pounding dance beats, it may not have the sound to be a summer smash. But its stirring chorus—which explodes into a truly gorgeous middle eight—and the sentimental, if a little overly earnest, message should help "Dark" make plenty of headway on adult contemporary radio. B+

Throwback Thursday: "Tha Crossroads" Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

A number of the '90s' biggest hip-hop hits were tributes to fallen comrades, but is any of them better than Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's "Tha Crossroads"? Dedicated to the group's mentor, N.W.A. rapper Eazy-E, who had died the previous year from complications due to AIDS, the song deals with some heavy, extremely personal subject matter. But framed by the titular refrain ("See you at the crossroads/so you won't be lonely"), its searching tone resonates far beyond the immediate questions of death. And with an easygoing vibe, as well as the sense of closure that settles in as the final notes fade away, it's no wonder that "Crossroads" became the summer anthem of 1996. I can see the graduation party singalongs now... A-

16 years ago this week, "Tha Crossroads" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Home" Phillip Phillips

For their cheesy inspirational imagery and maudlin production, American Idol coronation songs have become a bit of a pop cultural punching bag since Kelly Clarkson first topped the charts with "A Moment Like This" back in 2002. So let me express my pleasant surprise at the overall quality and genuine loveliness of "Home," the debut single from Phillip Phillips, who tonight was voted Idol's latest victor. Skipping the usual trite sentiments, the song is a frills-free, folksy jam that actually sounds like it could get played on the radio. From the jaunty acoustic guitar line to the swelling chorus of harmonious ohs, "Home" hits just the right amount of sentiment—warmth, comfort, hope—while still retaining a sense of artistic identity. Though slightly familiar-sounding, it's a promising, appealing start for Phillips. B+

"Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)" Nelly Furtado

From soulful folkie to dance floor maneater, Nelly Furtado has had many incarnations in her decade-long career—and it seems that she's still got more up her sleeve. After a five-year absence from the pop music scene, she returns on new song "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)" as an '80s-inspired b-girl, a decision that can only be described as...unexpected. Actually, it's downright wacky (and I'm not just referring to the bizarre video, where a giant, stilts-wearing Furtado takes over Downtown Los Angeles). Serving as the lead single from her upcoming fourth studio album, The Spirit Indestructible, "Hoops" is an essentially tuneless, hookless Darkchild production that reduces Furtado to bleating like a young Rihanna. While its stuttering beat is undeniably transfixing after a couple of listens, the song is missing the driving passion behind her most inspired hits. It's hard to imagine this limp entry will do much for the former chart-topper's comeback. C+

In Memoriam: "I Feel Love" Donna Summer

It's been a sad year for the music industry, as nearly every major genre has already lost a legend, and now dance music joins the list with the passing of Donna Summer, the once and always Queen of Disco. After a battle with lung cancer, she died yesterday at the age of 63, leaving behind an impressive legacy (including four #1 hits and five Grammys), as well as a career that defined the disco era, though Summer later ventured into rock and then gospel. It's hard to narrow down her expansive and impressive catalog (including the unforgettable "Love to Love You Baby" and "Last Dance"), but Summer's most important—and perhaps best—song remains the mind-bending "I Feel Love," which revolutionized dance music with its synthesizer production. Representing the "future" segment of her 1977 concept album I Remember Yesterday, a musical progression through the decades, it still sounds far beyond its time over 30 years later. Nevertheless, the sparse, space-y soundscape wouldn't work nearly as well without Summer's passionately, humanly blissed-out vocal performance, a signature of her long line of glorious feel-good hits. A

Throwback Thursday: "Foolish" Ashanti

Back in 2002, Ashanti was the hottest new thing on the block. After gaining notice as the hook girl on hits by Ja Rule and Fat Joe, her debut single, "Foolish," spent 10 weeks at the top of the Hot 100, leading to massive sales of her self-titled album and a somewhat controversial victory as Entertainer of the Year at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. Within three years, her star had pretty much burned out, and looking back now, it's sort of hard to figure out what all the fuss was about. Despite a great piano sample from DeBarge's "Stay With Me," which still makes for an instantly recognizable hook, "Foolish" is a remarkably tame song, filled with little of the longing and frustration that the lyrics suggest. Though the tempered production certainly doesn't help matters, much of the blame lies with Ashanti herself, whose wispy vocals are fairly passionless in their declarations of love and torment. "Foolish" is certainly not bad, but it's not much to inspire a nation's fervor either. Was this really one of the biggest songs of the decade? And was Ashanti really once the future of music? It seems odd, but as they say, hindsight is 20/20. B

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

"Tongue Tied" Grouplove

It's been a good few years, but the dance-pop movement is clearly coming to its end, and two new trends have emerged to vie for dominance on Top 40 radio. Will it be a bubblegum revival or an indie surge? Judging by the months-long reign of fun. and Gotye, the latter seems to be winning, which bodes well for alternative rock's latest breakout band, Grouplove, whose single (and former iPod commercial soundtrack) "Tongue Tied" is now climbing the pop charts as well. With its bubbly xylophone flourishes and sprawling chanted chorus, the song certainly has the kind of warm, celebratory vibe that suggests a potential sleeper summer smash. But whether it actually makes that leap into the mainstream in the coming months could say a lot about what the future of popular music holds. B+

"The Fighter" Gym Class Heroes ft. Ryan Tedder

With Travie McCoy as frontman, it's hard to see Gym Class Heroes as anything other than pop radio's biggest jokesters (and perhaps its biggest joke, given "Ass Back Home"). But on new single "The Fighter"—which features OneRepublic singer Ryan Tedder, reigning king of sentimental ballads—the group tries to show its sensitive side...and just ends up somewhere closer to boring. The song is McCoy's attempt at an "it gets better" anthem, though once again, he seems to have greatly overestimated his own pop cultural worth. (It's hard to believe that "half the population's just waiting to see me fail" when his album sales suggest that they probably don't know who he is.) Sure, you've got to give McCoy a little bit of credit for trying to use his platform to do something good. Unfortunately, weak boxing metaphors like "If you fall, pick yourself up off the floor" can only take you so far. C

"Turn To You (Mother's Day Dedication)" Justin Bieber

When you're one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, writing a song for Mom is probably a sweet and occupationally appropriate way to celebrate Mother's Day. Recording that tune of devotion and turning it into a digital single? That just seems grandiose and a tad crass, especially when the song in question is as terrible as Justin Bieber's "Turn To You (Mother's Day Dedication)." Reaching for stately gravitas, this Sparks Notes version of the Biebs' biography instead sounds like a dirge, favoring heavy confessions and an even heavier melody that don't suit the normally celebratory holiday. What's more, despite more melodramatic twists than your average telenovela, the message of "Turn To You" doesn't come off as all that compelling or, frankly, very sincere. (Blame, perhaps, the track's four co-writers.) There's no question, your momma deserves better today—and so does his. D+

"Jumanji" Azealia Banks

Since setting the blogosphere ablaze with last year's tenacious, outrageous "212," Harlem rapper Azealia Banks has been touted as the next big thing in music. While we await her full-length debut later this year, she's keeping fans satiated with a June mixtape, led by single "Jumanji." Full of blaring trumpets, tinkling steel drums and a pounding timpani, the track is like a jungle party where every animal is invited. That includes Banks herself, whose rapid-fire, tongue-twisting delivery is impressive to behold. Though she doesn't offer any snappy one-liners on the level of "I guess the cunt's getting eaten" this time around, "Jumanji" is still just as much a "jammer" as promised. B

Throwback Thursday: "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" Cutting Crew

There are '80s power ballads and then there are '80s Power Ballads, the kind of epic, usually cheesy, hits that define an era of excess and will never die no matter how dated they come to sound. (Look to "Don't Stop Believing" and its pop cultural dominance for a prime example of this phenomenon.) Cutting Crew's "(I Just) Died in Your Arms," unfortunately, is more of the former—a moderately appealing, fairly unmemorable effort that is welcome to stay in the past. Though it has a striking organ intro and a great guitar line, the song flops in its star-making moment, that which could have pushed it into legendary status: the chorus. Where other tracks soar, "Died" feels slightly constrained, failing to provide adequate sonic release and producing a slightly oppressive effect (perhaps the result of singer Nick Van Eede's limited vocal range?). Despite a sufficiently ridiculous backstory—the titular refrain is a reference to an obscure French metaphor for orgasm, which came to Van Eede while he was having sex—"Died" does not reach nearly enough epically cheesy heights to stand with the classics, or even the "classics," of the 1980s. B-

25 years ago this week, "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Gold on the Ceiling" The Black Keys

The Black Key's distinctive blend of minimalist indie style and retro sounds has propelled them to top of the (admittedly diminished) world of popular rock. Since breaking out with 2010's Brothers, they have become mainstays of alternative radio, and "Gold on the Ceiling" is now their fourth top-three single on the format. The song is another rollicking foot-stomper, with irresistibly grubby charm and a glorious electric organ hook. Hewing closely to a '60s garage pop sound, the lo-fi verses are a pounding, howling pleasure. Unfortunately, the tidier chorus constrains a bit of the track's manic energy, but its female harmonies and virtuoso guitar work do provide some of the most satisfying moments on "Gold." B+

"How We Do (Party)" Rita Ora

Since launching Rihanna into global superstardom in 2005, Jay-Z has slowly been building himself into one of the biggest moguls in music. His latest protégé is Rita Ora, a British singer with exotic looks and party-girl swagger, whose debut single, "How We Do (Party)," is now making its way up the pop charts. The song's Auto-Tuned vocals and singular focus on having a good time suggest a Ke$ha scrubbed free of all her humorous grit. And in fact, this tale of waking up hungover, only to prepare for the next night's festivities (Jack Daniels reference included!) make the "Tik Tok" comparisons inevitable. "How We Do" isn't as good as that 2010 smash, though its joyful chorus and "party and bullshit" refrain are certainly satisfying enough to propel it to summer hit status. Nevertheless, the real question remains: Will it be enough to elevate Ora to the big leagues? She seems to lack a certain unique appeal necessary to truly make an impact, but with Jay at the helm, the sky is always the limit. B

In Memoriam: "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" The Beastie Boys

After a long battle with cancer, the hip-hop community lost an important member today with the passing of Adam "MCA" Yauch at the age of 47. As a member of the Beastie Boys, Yauch helped pioneer the use of sampling in rap music, expanding the notion of what the genre could be—not only sonically, but racially as well. The group's breakthrough was the 1986 album License to Ill, featuring their biggest career hit, "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)," a rollicking hard rock anthem that reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. Though not the Beasties' greatest or most sophisticated work, its hammering guitar riff and crude rhymes offer their own rebellious charms, particularly the screamo titular refrain. So party on, MCA! Your influence will not be forgotten. B

Throwback Thursday: "Give It To Me" Timbaland ft. Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake

For a period in the mid-aughties, Timbaland was on the top of world, producing endless megahits for the likes of Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado (who scored five #1's between them in 2006 and 2007). Songs like "SexyBack" and "Promiscuous" even made Timbo enough of a household name that he was able to launch his own (briefly) successful solo career, starting with "Give It To Me," a thumping diss track featuring his two favorite collaborators. Though some circles credit the dominance of Timbaland's club-ready work in helping lay the groundwork for the dance-pop resurgence of recent years, it's almost comical to look back now at how simple his artfully industrial clicks and snaps sound compared to today's pulsing synth orgies. But the sparsity is incredibly refreshing, especially because it allows for maximum appreciation of the trio's amusingly boisterous verses. Just try not to crack a smile when Timberlake gets to his genius Prince slam, "We missed you on the charts last week/Damn, that's right, you wasn't there." B+

Five years ago this week, "Give It To Me" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Back in Time" Pitbull

Though he professes to be going "Back in Time," Pitbull's new single for the upcoming Men in Black III soundtrack is more like a journey through the ages: a pit stop in the 1950s with a guitar riff interpolated from Mickey & Sylvia's "Love is Strange"; pounding club beats from the current dance-pop trend; and a glimpse at the (please don't let this be the) future of music with a dubstep breakdown during the middle eight. It's a mismatched combination of styles and influences that doesn't really work—especially on this droning, low-energy track that offers no strong hooks or particularly compelling moments for the listener. In fact, the strongest feeling that "Time" evokes is an intense longing for the Big Willie Style of the original MIB theme song. C-