Electro: Undeniably Mainstream

Finally, finally, after many years of waiting for it to happen, electro is no longer a sidenote in pop music. (Specifically, pop music in America.) Everywhere else in the world, first and foremost in Europe, "techno" has long been a mainstream culture. Sure there are deviants in the rave culture and so on, but people took in seriously. This is not a trend that you could see in America, even just a couple years ago. "What is this repetitive bullsh*t?" or "ntz ntz ntz" were (and still are) common responses to techno in the US. But all of you can go suck on your thumbs; Electro is here to stay. With groups like 3Oh!3, LMFAO, Far East Movement, along with the recent trend of electro-base productions in the r&b arena, has come the electronification (yes, I know its not a real word) of even the most pop of pop. I present to you my case:

Rihanna - the most recent princess of pop has recently released several songs in this vein of genre. She teamed up with electro-super-producer, David Guetta, to release some tastefully addictive songs that make you want to swing your hair while you sweat out the stress from your daily grind. Three songs in particular catch my attention:

Only Girl in the World

Who's that Chick - amazing lyrical video

S&M

- as a small comment, I still just am unable to see why people think she is so hot. I mean, sure, she has a bangin' body, but so do a lot of people....? Please enlighten me on this one.

Even J.lo, who I guess is trying to make a comeback to relevance?, takes a shot at the electronica scene in her recent single, On the Floor, which features Pitbull for a Latin double combo. Honestly, its a good beat, and a great attempt, but somehow to me it sounds like an uninteresting version of Stereo love...

Then we have Britney Spears, the queen of pop (I understand Madonna is supposed to be the queen, but its been a while since she's released stuff that's been immensely popular) who takes her stab at this whole electro scene. Those of you who keep up with my blog will notice that I'm using the same song as the last post, but suck it. I'm making a point, damn it. Not only does she attempt this genre, but she takes it a step further by taking a production with some dubstep tones in it. Well, let's say, her producers took half a step, since the wobwobwob in the song, does feel a little half hearted... But regardless, a huge step in dubstep becoming more than just an underground movement for potheads and people who just love love love subwoofers. Hell, but who am I kidding: I would 100% rage to this song.

Hold It Against Me

Britney Spears: Dubstep is Officially Mainstream

So kiddoes, I'm sure you've already been blasted multiple times with this song, but hell, dubstep is officially mainstream. Sure the song is mostly electro-pop in a Guetta-esque way, but that breakdown from around 2:12 is undeniably dubstep-influenced. Boom.

Britney Spears- Hold it against me

Pop-culture: R&Blectro

The (somewhat) recent trend for the pop music world has been to mash electro and R&B together. The result is basically every dance-y singy-songy track that has been hitting the clubs and charts hard as of the last year or so. Some examples would be Taio Cruz' Dynamite, Chris Brown's Yeahx3, and everything else you hear in the club and can sing along to.

So hear (haha) are some of the stuff I've found most recently:

100/100

"I have to take this job in Tokyo... (looks down) I know.."

Bwahaha. I love the beginning of this vid. Anyway, big up to FM for making it and flying sky high. This track features Ryan Tedder from One Republic of "Apologize" fame. Check out this feel good song for sure.

Far East Movement - Rocketeer ft. Ryan Tedder

90somethingish/100

Haven't really made up my mind about this song, but it def is bumping. A good example of what I mean by R&Blectro.

Jessica Mauboy - Saturday Night feat. Ludacris

100/100

Fell in love with this song the second the beat dropped. What do you think?

Unique - You Me And The Dance Floor (Prod. by StarGate)

Lesson in Pop-Culture: Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue, simply put, is a cultural icon. This Aussie (adopted Brit) has been pushing the bar for other pop stars to follow, yet stayed true to her electro-pop core. And she's been doing it for decades. Now let's follow her music through the ages.

80/100 - circa 1987

Her break out hit!

Kylie Minogue - The Loco-Motion

90/100 - circa 1988

I didn't even know this was her song until recently. But I sure as hell recognized it right away!

kylie minogue-i should be so lucky

Not a lot of superb commercial success during these years... but hey! Once the 2000's hit...

97/100 - circa 2000

Duet with Robbie Williams. Good ol times! The video screams late 90's early 2000's doesn't it... Especially the mirror room shot. Busta, Missy, Puff Daddy... etc etc etc all had similar types of scenes. I guess it was all the rage.

Kylie Minogue - Kids

100/100 - circa 2000

This is where we start to really see the present Kylie, in this funky dance-pop tune! And yes... her body is amazing. And by body, I mean her ass, in those gold lamé booty shorts. Much respect.

Kylie Minogue - Spinning Around

100/100 - circa 2001 (From the album Fever)

This is really where Kylie became truly an international pop star in her own right, despite her success in her motherland (Australia) as well as in the UK. I remember bumping to this song and loving the choreography; It definitely kept me glued to MTV in hopes that it would come on.

Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head

100/100 - (Fever)

Easily one of my favorite songs to get my mood in an upswing. A fantastic feel-good uptempo dance track. I recommend giving it a listen and dare you to get up and dance around to this song. I can't help but move to this. I just can't.

Kylie Minogue - Love At First Sight

100/100 - (Fever)

This gets me pumping, period. Click that link, you'll see why.

Kylie - Burning Up

97/100 - circa 2003 (Body Language)

Kylie turns on her sexy to full blast in this video. Slash I would LOVE to be dancing with an amazing dancer in a club to this song. *That* would be too hawt to handle.

Kylie Minogue - Slow

2005 - Kylie battles breast cancer!

95/100 - circa 2007 (X)

Fear not! She comes back with her 10th studio album X and another great single: Wow!

Kylie Minogue - Wow

100/100 - circa 2010 (Aphrodite)

This song is really her comeback piece to me though. I love, Love, LOVE this song. Such a perfect dance-club song. I started dancing in spite of myself on my walk to work yesterday because of this song. It's good, I swear. Also, how old is Kylie? 42? Watch this princess of pop work it.

Kylie Minogue - Get Outta My Way

Bonus: Check out this remix!

Taio Cruz feat. Kylie - Higher

Pop-culture: Ke$ha

I don't care what you think, Ke$ha is awesome, obviously.

Apparently, she's smart? But her interviews tend to be fun and funny, and she does a good job of showing her sarcastic, witty humor.

Anyway, these are teh roxxorz:

100/100

This is one is sure to be a hammyjammy classic.

I don't see how this eletro-synth-pop sensation isn't going to take drunken college kids by a storm. I dedicate this one to Ankoor, who at first hated Tik Tok, but came around and we danced, and it was good.

Ke$ha - We R Who We R

98/100

This one goes heavy, unlike her other pop-tastic songs, but I love fat heavy beats, so booyah! Does this make anyone feel a sort of M.I.A meets Cool Kids vibe? Particularly, Fire Fire and Galang crossed with Jingling and One, Two. Slash, I just remembered how beast the Cool Kids are. Dirty.

Ke$ha - Sleazy

Combo Update: That New-new Pop-pop

No theme to this post other than its new stuff that is fun to listen to.

100/100

Can't wait to hear this one in the clubs.

Rihanna - Who's That Chick (Prod. by David Guetta)

100/100

I've been stuck on this Nicki track for the past two weeks. It's addictive as hell. I dare you to give a few spins; You'll have it playing on repeat soon enough.

Nicki Minaj Right Through Me

100/100

Drizzy Drake takes a sample from Nneka's Heartbeat, which I think I featured on this blog before? In any case, beast. All these hip hop acts are finally jumping on the dubstep janx, which is awesome.

Drake - I'm Ready For You

Bonus: Nneka - Heartbeat (chase&status remix)

100/100

Sammy Adams, the college kid from Bean Town, does it big on this HUUUUGE dubstep beat by Bassnectar.

Sick, sick, sick, sick, sicksicksicksick sicker than SARS.

Sam Adams - Bass Head [Prod. by Bassnectar]

100/100

Check it out! This one samples the Buggles "Video Killed the Radio Star" (but many of us probably recognize the version by Presidents of the United States) and yeah. So you'll recognize the Ow wah Ow. Def. As well as the keyboard in the back.

Nicki Minaj - Check It Out (feat. Will.I.Am)

Pop-culture: Katy Perry (Teenage Dream)

I love Katy Perry.

Thatisall

kthxbai.

Naw, I'm just kidding.

I'll never forget how someone described her as having Zooey Deschanel's face, with a porn star's body.

+

=

Zeeeeeoooowwwwwwwww

Anyway, I increasingly like her music for some reason, and the shit from her newest album is real addicting.

Right around now, most of you are probably getting tired of California Girls, but hell I keep going strong with a couple of remixes:

95/100

Feel good remix. Roof top party? Beach night chilling? You decide.

Katy Perry- California Gurls (Dave Edwards Remix)

94/100

As one song gets overplayed, another song prepares itself for overplay-ation. That song being Teenage Dream. In case you are already bored of the original, here is a remix. If you haven't heard the original, go listen to it.

Katy Perry- Teenage Dream (Barletta + Paul David Remix)

100/100

This one might take a while to surface on the radio, but is AWESOMEpants.

I wish I were back at school to be screaming along to this song with random people I've become best friends with that night but will not know the next day.

Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)

I do realize that I skipped out on part 2 of the previous post, but hey, shit happens. I'll get back to that later.

Pop-culture: Summer Chart Toppers

Or at least songs that should. And at the very least are good summer jams that might stuck in your head after a couple listens. Anyway...

91/100

To quote the song, "I know this song a little annoying Oh yeah, but now I'm making dollars so I really don't care. Now I got the whole world singing oh yeah." Pretty much explains the song.

oh yeah - jaiko

96/100

Some of you might recognize him from Drake's track, "I Get Paper" off the Heartbreak Drake Pt. 2 Mixtape, and some of you are probably like who the fuck is Drake? But anyway, this song is hot.

Kevin Cossom - She got a boyfriend

99/100

My fave out of this batch of songs.

Amazing. Katy Perry does it again. Perfect summer jam. It's got the same vibe as a night on a beach during the summer, and makes you want to fall in love (or all over again if you are already in love).

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

93/100

This Brit is bringing it back to the 80's! The video references Rubik's Cubes, Nightrider, perhaps even Tron. Enough stuff to make you older readers nostalgic. Maybe. hahahaha

Master Shortie - Bringing it Back

His other stuff is not so bad either, like this song.

Him sounding more British.

94/100

Iyaz of Replay-fame, and the New Boyz who smashed it last fall with "You're a Jerk".

Smash hit + smash hit = I'd bank on a smash hit.

New Boyz Break My Bank ft. Iyaz

93/100

Continuing the theme from the above track, Iyaz again.

Iyaz - So Big

Pop-culture: Party Poppers

I just had the best weekend in a while, and as many of you know, I love playing music that gets people going during parties. So, here are some songs that I've been putting on the heavy-rotay to get me in the partying mood.

94/100

Hilarious. Don't play this until everyone is pretty drunk. Why? Prior to that point, people will be like , "uh wtf?" Past that point, everyone will be something like, "Woohoooo I love this f*cking song!!!" Why this transformation? I don't know, but you know you'll be shaking your rump to this with sweat pouring down your back. Don't even worry about it.

The Pack - Titties

Great line from this song: Left titty right tittie I call them boobs.

....? ahahah

97/100

I'd say this is kinda somewhere between drum and bass and house, but who even cares? This one is sure to get your head bobbing and your feet tapping. Beast song. I was going to save it for a electro post but eff it. The video is awesome too. Double dutch action, so check it!

DJ Fresh - Gold Dust

98/100

The most addictive house beat I've heard in a long while. The track has been out for a couple of months, and has been all the rage in Europe, but I somehow doubt its really hit the US shores yet. Anyone?

Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP We No Speak Americano

93/100

Honesly, the first time I heard this song, I didn't think too much of it. "Generic" was the first word that came to mind, which is still true but for some reason, I've been listening to this non-stop. Perhaps it reminds me of running over to the speaker box well into the party, choosing a song of Ank and I's liking, blasting that shit, running in the middle of the party pack and going nuts. Why exactly? I dunno. But whatever. Also, the chick from Step Up 3D is ZEOWWWWWWWWW

My Own Step

98/100

Woldpack Paaaarrtyyyyyyy. While the original is quite good, this Dino Roc Reroc is beast. BEAST.

The Pack - Wolfpack Party (Dino Roc Remix)

Original is here.

95/100

In one word: ZEOW. Shiet.

Girlicious - Stupid S***

100/100

THE Crown Jewel of this post.

Best party banger I've heard since... since... Either the Paradiso Girls' "Patron Tequila" (sound access remix) (dave aude remix) or 3OH!3's "Touchin On My" or Girlious' cover of "Sexy Bitch"

In any case, this is crazy.

Tinie Tempah ft. Labrinth - Frisky (HD)

Bonus: His other song has a CRAZY beat: Pass Out.

Pop-culture: The Top of the Pop

Tracks that will, or at least should, get overplayed in the next 12 months:

100/100 (Poppiest Pop Ever)

This has been stuck in my head for over two months now. It's geared to be a smash hit, and threatens to get stuck in your head after one listen. If you don't like it, you're either overcompensating or hate puppies, marshmallows, and sunshine.

He's been under the radar for a while, but now that he has an OFFICIAL VIDEO, I'm assuming the bigwigs are ready to unleash Cody Simpson onto the world.

iYiYi- Cody Simpson Featuring. Flo Rida

95/100 (Samezies)

It's got everything a chart-topping pop song needs: A catchy, can't-get-out-of-you-head tune, easy to sing chorus, eye candy for tween girls. I dunno if this song has hit the airwaves yet, but I assume it will soon and blow up, if it hasn't.

The Ready Set - Love Like Woe

96/100 (Electro-rap)

Feel-good tune from Flo-rida and Guetta. Can't really go wrong there.

Flo Rida - Club Can't Handle Me ft. David Guetta

Overplay these now at parties so that you can claim to be ahead of the curve and feel (rightfully) snobby about it later.

On another note, Mike Posner's "Cooler than Me" is hitting the charts hard a year later... Sometimes it takes a while for a good song to be recognized and overplayed I guess.

Pop-culture: Clash of Genres

Candy-techno-house-hip-hop, this seems to be the trend for some time, much to my delight. I remember telling a friend around 2000 that the future holds a melding of big techno/house beats molded with hip-hop and r&b elements, so I was decidedly pleased the rise of artists such as LMFAO. Anyway, without further ado, some songs that are sure to get stuck in your head.

100/100 (Electro-hip-pop)
Clearly the smash hit of the summer. I mean, everyone's all over their new album, as they should be.

Double Vision - 3OH!3

Bonus tracks: My First Kiss, Touching On My, Hey ft. Lil Jon

Bonus fun fact: Sean used to play ultimate: Junior Worlds, played a year? with Mamabird before getting injured and deciding to focus on music. A loss to ultimate, but a great gain for parties.

94/100 (Electro-r&b)

David Guetta, 'nuff said. Certain to get your booty up and bumpin'.

David Guetta Ft. Jackie Boyz - Girls Everywhere

92/100 (Electro-rap)

He's a Brit. Great vibe, check him out.

KANO - ROCK N ROLLER OFFICIAL VIDEO

Bonus Party Smasher (Dancehall vibes): Kano - Get Wild

95/100 (Electro-pop)

Party Smasher. Envision dance floor, sweaty, hazy, tipsy, and having the time of your life. This song will push that feeling even higher!

The White Tie Affair - You Look Better When I'm Drunk