Best Singles of 2011

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 Rihanna – We Found Love 
Recently celebrating it's 7th week at #1 in the US, noteably her 11th in the States, 'Love' combines many of the successful elements of pop music right now: opening with a catchy, pulsing rift that swiftly becomes a true "banger" when the hand claps come in before the chorus and cementing the current trend of electronic, trance-y production is the joyous chorus. The steam has yet to run out of this Rihanna-train. 

 Cher Lloyd - With Ur Love 
This Max Martin + Shellback number is insanely catchy, and a great follow up single to 'Swagger Jagger'. The sing/rapping verses are pure Cher-Lloyd-bratty-brilliance, and combined with the Swedish hit-makers' summery beats, it's a fool-proof equation. Hitting #4 on the UK Singles Chart, the song was an overseas success, and with a newly-inked US record deal, it might yet be a hit across the pond. 

 Demi Lovato - Skyscraper 
The minute I heard this song, I knew it was gonna be one of those great, heart-wrenching pop-ballads, and wow does Demi have the voice for it. The rapid piano chords opening the song become layered with soaring strings and a tempo-keeping deep drum pounding. The song debuted and peaked at #10, becoming her most successful solo single to date. 

 Kelly Clarkson - What Doesnt Kill You (Stronger) 
The title track off her amazing 5th album is set to become her biggest hit to date, recalling the explosive chorus of 'Since You've Been Gone', this is what Kelly does best; booming, rock-pop, and this one comes equipped with a bangin' dance beat. The track has already charted at #64 the week of the album's release, and with the video having just been released, it should be hitting the Top 10 any week now. 

 Nicola Roberts – Lucky Day 
It is CRIMINAL that this song peaked at 40 (low peaking song deserves a low peaking Britney reference). This track does double duty; Nicola's irreverent lyrics manage to be simultaneously carefree and heartwarming and the production of the track, courtesy of synthpop trio Dragonette, is jointly fresh and exciting AND has the best features of the current trend of music; guitar strums over a beat of crisp claps and a steady drum. 

 Ke$ha – Blow 
Dr. Luke and Max Martin prove their production mastery with this song, the vocal production is a special highlight, the strobe-like "Blo-o-o-o-o-o-o-ow" cementing itself into the masses. It's classic Ke$ha trash-pop, genius in it's glitter-covered-grime, and fared fairly well on the Hot 100, peaking at #7, and continuing her trend of consistent Top 10 singles. 

 Britney Spears – I Wanna Go 
Another Max Martin + Shellback success that continues the exciting trend of vocal stuttering, "I-I-I wanna go-o-o", and pairs it with a summery burst of pounding, dance-pop. If this wasn't her signature song in '11, I don't know what was, nothing screamed "summer-fun" more than this number, and the American public agreed; #7 on the Hot 100. 

 Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) 
This history-making 5th #1 single from Katy's "Teenage Dream" was the second track on the album,following the title track, for a reason; it epitomizes the rowdy, teenage-party-fun vibe of the record. With a classic Dr. Luke guitar intro, bold, powerful Max Martin melodies and flirty-fun McKee lyrics, It has the trifecta of amazing pop-music. Definitely her best offering this year. 

 Neon Hitch – Bad Dog 
2 of the best things about music right now, Ester Dean's songwriting and Benny Blanco's twangy production, meet a 3rd; newcomer Neon Hitch, who's most-known contribution to Top-40-Pop is "Blah Blah Blah" by Ke$ha. She has a great tone to her voice and even AutoTuned and vocoded, it shines through. One of the sexiest, danciest songs of the year. 

 The Saturdays – Where My Heart Takes Over 
Longtime UK primo-producer Steve Mac, who's worked with X-Factor contestants Leona Lewis, JLS and One Direction, teams up with up-and-coming songwriter Ina Wroldsen for this amazing power-ballad. Their strength is in their vocal harmonies and here, their deliveries are spot-on. Sadly, power-ballads aren't "in", and the song only reached #15 on the UK Singles Chart.

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die - Single Review

Official Single Cover

Lana Del Rey, a.k.a. Lizzy Grant, is a newcomer to the world stage, but girl has been on her grind since 2006. Her retro persona has received massive criticism, notably from hipster blogs, who question her authenticity, claiming that her image and music is the clever marketing of major record label Interscope, giving her the appearance of an independent artist using a grassroots movement to gain popularity. For the record, I don't buy that, I believe that she has been working on music for the past couple of years, uploaded Video Games to YouTube, not expecting the resulting popularity, and as a result, got signed to a major label.

That aside, not only is she retro-vintage in her aesthetic, but her music has this fantastic vibe to it, a combination of All-American pin-up girl, the stylized era of the 20's, with an often tribal/hip-hop beat underneath. Her current single, follow-up to the immensely popular and haunting Video Games, Born To Die, is one of those great moments in music that makes you stop and think, it's like nothing else I've heard. Some parts autobiographical, some part ill-fated love story, it's inherently "Lana" with it's melancholy-tinged lyrics and melodic chorus. The abstract beat of hand-claps, clanging metal, shouts and jungle noises is layered with soaring strings and her powerful voice. Her voice is a thing of interest in it's own right; changing from her deep, lower register, to high falsetto, and the Betty-Boop-sex-kitten. It reminds of Paris Hilton's dual voices, but with a touch more class.

Her lyrics are genuinely impacting, opening with "feet don't fail me now/take me to the finish line/oh my heart it breaks/every step that I take", building emotion as it build to the chorus: "don't make me sad/don't make me cry/sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough/I don't know why" and reaching the peak with the final line of the chorus "choose your last words/this is the last time/cause you and I were born to die". What's different on this track from her others is her almost religious references, mentioning searching for something, and the line "I'm hoping the gates tell me you're mine". Though she's no catholic schoolgirl, during a live performance, she changed the line "let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain" to the more explicit "let me fuck you hard..."

Her charm is her unassuming air and general innocence (the single opens with her whispering "What? Who me?"), and yet can drop f-bombs and say "ride or die" and "bitches" without changing character. She never once seems like she assumes, but every every so often, there's a glimmer in her eyes that seems to say "I know exactly what you think about me". The girl transfixes with both her appearance, revival of Americana and her discordant, other-worldly voice. Her music is indie in nature, but with pop-melodies, blues chord transitions and hip-hop stylings, Lana is defying the boxes people try and constrain her in. She's poised to become Pop's new "It Girl".

Lana Del Rey is currently signed to Stranger Records, and is planning on releasing her debut album under Interscope Records on January 31st 2012 Worldwide.