"New Day" Alicia Keys

After an extended professional break for marriage and motherhood, Alicia Keys released a new track on the Internet yesterday that may or may not be the first single from her upcoming fifth studio album. Either way, it's a promising hint of what's to come. Following 2009's lush, gorgeously sleepy The Element of Freedom, "New Day" pumps the passionate energy back up with booming percussion, soaring vocals and relentless positivity. "There's no limitation," Keys sings in the first verse. "Let me see your hands up." It may not be her most sophisticated work, but "Day" represents Keys' first burst of musical enthusiasm since "No One" almost five years ago, and her joy is just as infectious as ever. B+

Throwback Thursday: "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" Bryan Adams

With his rugged good looks and sensitive power ballads, Canadian soft rocker Bryan Adams was like the mature woman's matinee idol of the late '80s and early '90s, selling millions of albums and earning four #1 hits along the way. His final visit to the top of the Hot 100 was with "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?," the Oscar-nominated theme song from the 1995 Johnny Depp film Don Juan DeMarco. The production, featuring delicate Spanish guitar licks and clapping castanets, still sounds remarkably fresh today. But "Have You Ever" does not escape the cheesy lyrics ("To really love a woman/to understand her/you gotta know her deep inside...and give her wings when she wants to fly") and lethally boring pacing that plagued so much of the era's signature adult contemporary fare. B-

17 years ago this week, "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Good Time" Owl City ft. Carly Rae Jepsen

It's a not-quite-all-star collaboration, as semi-forgotten alternative rocker Owl City (he of "Fireflies" fame) teams up with reigning Hot 100 champ Carly Rae Jepsen in an attempt to shake his one-hit wonder status and help her avoid the same fate. This happy-go-lucky party anthem might be just the answer. Full of exuberant energy and featuring the umpteenth chorus of "woah oh ohs" in the past year (it never gets old, does it?), "Good Time" is a frothy bundle of joy that should make for a deliriously fun summertime jam. The big surprise is that Adam Young's Auto-Tuned delivery is actually more annoying removed from the moody nonsense of his earlier work. B+

"Springsteen" Eric Church

Today's biggest twangtastic hit pays tribute to a hard-rocking legend from another genre: Eric Church's "Springsteen," currently sitting at #1 on the country charts, is a nostalgic ballad about youth, first love and the Boss himself, whose '80s hits like "Born in the USA" are fondly remembered as the soundtrack to some July Saturday nights. Its warm orchestration (stuffed with banjos, fiddles and a tinkling piano, among other instruments) and bittersweet reminiscences create a quietly gorgeous, evocative experience that perfectly captures the song's notion of a "melody [that] sounds like a memory." Accessible and affecting, let's hope pop radio soon takes notice of this one. A-

"Never Close Our Eyes" Adam Lambert

Last month, Adam Lambert's new album, Trespassing, debuted at #1, making him the first openly gay artist to accomplish that feat. But without a hit to buoy sales, Trespassing has already tumbled down the Billboard 200, and current single "Never Close Our Eyes" doesn't seem to be doing much to reverse its prospects. Whether it even can is another question altogether. Though "Eyes" is loaded with major pop music credentials—written and produced by Bruno Mars and Dr. Luke, it has a pounding electro sound highly reminiscent of Lambert's successful 2010 release "If I Had You"—both radio and dance clubs have been slow to embrace the track. Perhaps that reluctance stems from its clunky structure; the verses feel like they are from another song entirely, with harder beats and a slower tempo that detract from the intended exhilaration of the chorus' synth-y theatricality. Regardless, it's still a big step up from the sleepy "Better Than I Know Myself." B-

Throwback Thursday: "Time After Time" Cyndi Lauper

She may not have experienced the same heights or longevity of success as her contemporaries Madonna and Janet Jackson, but the '80s pop scene would not have been the same without Cyndi Lauper. Hits such as "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "She Bop" introduced a subversive feminist sensibility into mainstream music, and the goofy sweetness of songs like "True Colors" provided a rallying cry for underdogs and weirdos. Lauper was at her very best, though, on the soft ballad "Time After Time," in which she set aside her signature vocal tics and showed that she could really sing. Set against a simple electric organ and synth orchestration, her declarations of pure devotion soar, especially on the all-time classic chorus. A

28 years ago this week, "Time After Time" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Let It Roll" Flo Rida

Well, he's nothing if not prolific. Back again with the fourth single from his as-yet-unreleased fourth studio album, Flo Rida's latest, "Let It Roll," is another bouncing, club-ready rap track aiming to take over the airwaves this summer. The song's subject matter—partying all night and having a good time—is old hat for the Miami rapper, as it is pounding, synth-heavy sound, but it does manage to provide one truly unexpected thrill: the fantastic chorus, sampled from Freddie King's "Let the Good Times Roll." It may not be original, but it's the kind of anthemic hook that could just garner Flo Rida his first #1 hit since 2009's "Right Round." B+

"Both of Us" B.o.B ft. Taylor Swift

Country and rap make just about the unlikeliest of bedfellows—but don't knock it until you've tried it. "Both of Us," the latest single from Atlanta emcee B.o.B, is a sweet hip-hop ballad featuring a hook sung by the reigning princess of twang, Taylor Swift, and the result is positively lovely. Admittedly, it's more of genre mix-and-match than groundbreaking mash-up, but the frequent transitions between solitary banjo and clanking drum machine beats are seamless and effective. Where the track falls short is Bobby Ray's inspirational lyric, which comes off as slightly clunky and less than inspired. Swift, however, sounds stronger than ever, delivering a gorgeous, nearly ethereal vocal on the chorus. B+

"Call My Name" Cheryl Cole

Stateside, Cheryl Cole is best known as the judge that Simon Cowell fired so Nicole Scherzinger could ruin the first season of the U.S. X Factor. But back in Britain, she's one of the country's biggest pop stars, a former member of quintet Girls Aloud (created on another TV talent show, Popstars: The Rivals) with two #1 albums and two #1 songs of her own. Her latest is "Call My Name," a fizzy techno collaboration with Calvin Harris that captures all the hypnotizing pleasure of love's smallest joys. As the titular name, however, Cole remains a surprisingly anonymous presence amidst the blaring synths. B+

Throwback Thursday: "If You Had My Love" Jennifer Lopez

In the transition from back-up dancer (for the likes of Janet Jackson and In Living Color) to worldwide pop star, Jennifer Lopez took a perhaps surprising approach. Instead of the hard-hitting club beats one might expect—those would come with later hits like "Waiting for Tonight"—her debut single, "If You Had My Love," is a mid-tempo ballad built on cascading violins and a vaguely Latin minor-key riff. Lopez sounds seductive and in control, even as she lays bare her deepest insecurities ("Now if I give you me/this is how it's got to be," she asserts in the opening verse), and the song is a sultry good time. But her interrogation is distinctly lacking in a sense of urgency that would suggest Lopez actually cares whether or not her lover is unfaithful. B

13 years ago this week, "If You Had My Love" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Some Nights" fun.

Now comes the hard part. After an unexpected and impressive six-week run at #1 earlier this year with the anthemic "We Are Young," fun. hopes to avoid becoming the latest breakthrough alternative act to burn bright and flame out quickly on the charts. (Think Foster the People, Owl City, Feist...) Follow-up single "Some Nights" certainly makes a statement with its striking a cappella opening: an enormous sonic wall of harmonizing voices. But the song's searching lyrics and grand scope—a series of moving parts, including pounding drums, soft keyboard and Auto-Tuned vocals, so dynamic that it feels like a pop symphony—are not exactly omens of crossover success. While we wait for a resolution to this question of one-hit wonder status, the New York City-based band nevertheless deserves prop for its ambition. B+

"Let's Go" Calvin Harris ft. Ne-Yo

Let's commence the nominations for 2012's most forgettable summer hit with "Let's Go," the new single from Scottish DJ Calvin Harris. Already a Top 40 favorite after last fall's smash Rihanna collaboration "We Found Love" and solo hit "Feel So Close" earlier this year, Harris' latest will probably soundtrack many a sweaty house party and/or night out on the town in the coming months, but not on merit. Its thumping house beat is fairly undynamic and uninspiring, especially on the dance floor, leaving the track in sore need of an earworm factor. (Ne-Yo's sporadic, nondescript shouts of "Let's go!" hardly constitute an adequate hook.) But go ahead and let the bubbling synths wash over you; it won't hurt, and you probably won't remember come September anyway. B-

"Want U Back" Cher Lloyd

She may not be another boy band, but if you needed further proof that a new British Invasion is upon us then meet Cher Lloyd, an 18-year-old self-proclaimed "brat" and the reigning Princess of Swag-Pop, who shot to stardom in the U.K. with her unique hip-hop style on last year's edition of The X Factor. (She eventually placed fourth, just below current worldwide tween sensation One Direction.) Now, with the help of music mogul L.A. Reid, she's making the journey across the pond and attempting to conquer American pop radio with "Want U Back," a spunky, saucy plea to an ex-lover. The biting lyrics and Lloyd's punctuating grunts inject the enjoyably bubbly synthpop ditty with a bit of riot grrrl vigor, turning "Back" into a song that feels distinct even when it sounds familiar. It's not quite funny, and not quite feminist, but it's definitely different—totally, 100%...Cher. In an age of sexalicious divas like Rihanna and Katy Perry, this little spitfire is a breath of fresh air; let's hope the U.S. gives her a shot. B+

Throwback Thursday: "We Belong Together" Mariah Carey

It's a pretty remarkable feat of superstardom that, with 14 weeks spent at the top of the Hot 100, "We Belong Together" isn't even Mariah Carey's longest-running #1 hit. (That distinction belongs to the 1996 Boyz II Men duet "One Sweet Day.) It might just be her best, though—perhaps even more amazing, considering it came 15 years into her career, after 15 prior #1's. Foregoing the overwrought sentimentality that defined so much of Carey's earlier success, "Belong" is a pared-down piano ballad with a hip-hop backbeat that gives audiences exactly what they want from Mimi: a little bit of glamor, a lot of emotion, and some truly impressive vocal acrobatics. Short and sweet, it packs a powerful—and even more importantly, honest and relatable—punch, favoring strong storytelling over melisma and Carey's signature whistle register. (When she finally lets loose on the last note of the song, it feels entirely appropriate and earned.) The pain of lost love in "Belong" may be more cinematic and universal than raw and personal, but that doesn't make it any less perfect. A

 Seven years ago this week, "We Belong Together" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

"One Thing" One Direction

Unlike their compatriots The Wanted, that other breakout British boy band, One Direction, has carved a welcome niche for itself on pop radio as a blast of bubblegum bliss amidst the increasingly tiresome barrage of raging synths. Debut single "What Makes You Beautiful" was a candy-coated guilty pleasure, and follow-up "One Thing" is a pleasant knock-off: another jaunty guitar riff, more innocent expressions of young love, and of course, a joyously enormous chorus. "Thing" doesn't reach the same ecstatic highs as its predecessor, but it proves that 1D has got a serviceable formula on its hands. If they can keep the tween girls screaming all summer long, then it might be time to call this battle in favor of Niall, Zayn, Liam, Louis and Harry. B

"Chasing the Sun" The Wanted

Is it over already for UK import The Wanted? Despite scoring one of the year's biggest smashes thus far with "Glad You Came," the teen boy band's self-titled EP debuted with sales of only 35,000 last month before quickly dropping off the charts. (That's a fraction of the business done by rivals One Direction, who are still going strong in the top ten of the Billboard 200.) And follow-up single "Chasing the Sun"—currently failing to catch hold on pop radio—doesn't offer much renewed hope for their prospects. Saddled again with generic techno production, this time the song can't even rise above on the strength of a breezy Ibiza hook. The heavy, minor-key synths create an oppressive atmosphere, dampening the mood, the melody and even the chorus of "oh oh ohs." If "Sun" is the best of what The Wanted has left to offer, it's hard to imagine we'll be hearing from them Stateside for much longer. C+

"Timebomb" Kylie Minogue

In commemoration of her 25th year in the industry, veteran pop diva Kylie Minogue is preparing to release another greatest hits compilation this summer, led by new single "Timebomb," a propulsive rave-up that should whip dance floors across the globe into a frenzy. Built on a throbbing house bassline, the song hums along with a vibrant energy before bursting into one of the year's catchiest choruses, a whooping call to party before the night runs out that may just prove physically impossible to resist. While many new tracks for restrospective collections are forgettable filler, "Timebomb" is a thrilling surprise that can stand with the best of Minogue's formidable catalog. A