The Billboard Top 100 till 10th August 2013

Again, this is another post for "The teenager" which i thought i should share here. Enjoy

I usually find myself in search of the latest music so that I can upgrade my playlist. One of my primary stops is the Billboard top 100. Being a music freak, I love listening to all sorts of music. Here is my review to the current top 10. Hope you like it.

At number 10, we’ve got American country music duo Florida Georgia Line with their hit single “Cruise”.  By April 2013, "Cruise" had become the best-selling song by a country duo in digital history. Furthermore, the song got 4 out of 5 stars by Billy Dukes of Taste of Country. This lyric heavy summer song has a feel good feeling to it making you feel some somewhat happy. Liv Carter of Urban Country News gave the song a 'thumbs-up,' calling it "one of those disposable-yet-enjoyable country summer songs which will not only enjoy a healthy chart run, but find itself on radio playlists for many more summers." I agree with Liv Carter. And I give this song 8.5/10 but highly recommend it to all of you.

Next we’ve got Can't Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Ray which is from the collaborative album – The Heist by American rapper Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis. The catchy chorus is in the voice of featuring singer Ray Dalton along with the additional vocals of Susanna Wetzal. The song reached number one on Billboard top 100 previously, making it Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s 2^nd number one hit in USA and their 3^rd number one in Australia. "Can't Hold Us" was generally well received by music critics. Lewis Corner of Digital Spy gave the song four stars out of five, praising its "infectious, soul-soaked piano line and beats more vibrant than Rio de Janeiro's finest carnival floats". A fresh rap which is a must hear according to me. I absolutely love “GOOD” rap with a great hook, a great chorus and great binding in the whole song, and this is indeed the WHOLE package. I give this a 9.5/10. Must hear. Okay?

"Cups" (also known as "Cups (Pitch Perfect's When I'm Gone)") is a song by American actress Anna Kendrick from the film Pitch. Anna Kendrick’s song - serving as the 2013 CONCACAF official song, is a cover for Lulu and the Lampshades' song "Cups (You're Gonna Miss Me). The chart performance of Cups is quite commendable. Adding to that, it’s a light and breezy song with a matching beat which adds more feel to it. Kendrick’s’ voice adds volume to the song and for me it gets a 7/10. But hey, maybe you’d think otherwise.

In at number 7, we’ve got Holy Grail by Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake. Containing elements of Nirvana's 1991 hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", this song has done well with the charts and has a smooth touch to it. Andy Gill of The Independent described the song as "smooth and mellifluous," while Rolling Stone's Simon Vozick called it a "surprisingly moody opener." DJ Booth praised the track as an "appropriately bombastic intro to an epic LP." Couldn’t have said it better. A must hear. I give this song a 8.75/10. Cheers.

Number six is american singer and song writer, Bruno Mars -with “Treasure” from his hit album Unorthodox Juke box. This song is a typical Bruno along with an old time flash back. But nonetheless gives a good feel and might make you get up dance along. Great vocals to go along with great lyrics. Reviews for treasure are accordingly to the great music. Jason Lipshutz of Billboard wrote that one "gets the feeling that 'Treasure,' with its grand harmonies, classically kooky hooks and slyly sexual undertones, is the musical mode that makes Mars the happiest." Rolling Stone's Jody Rosen commented that 'Treasure' is a creamy Michael Jackson/Prince-schooled disco soul. Very few would be able to pull of this genre of music, but mars has done it greatly. Hats off. I give this a 9/10. 

At number 5, we’ve got - Get Lucky Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams. Although I don’t really like disco funk, I’ll do my best not to be biased. This funky song is the lead single from Daft Punk's fourth studio album Random Access Memories. Get lucky has received critical acclaim from media outlets and music critics. Rolling Stone reviewer Will Hermes giving the song a four-star rating out of five, described it as "an old-school disco jam" and called it "formidable". The song brings back a fresh breath of old school air, but as the song progresses, it kind of grows on you. So now comes my rating. If you’re into jazz, old school disco, etc then this is the song for you, if you’re not then try some of the other music. I give this song 6 out of 10 only because I feel the beat could’ve been much better and gripping.

American Indie rock band, Imagine dragons is at number four with their single Radioactive. Containing cryptic lyrics of apocalyptic and revolutionist themes, this alternative rock song with elements of electronic rock and dubstep has been critically acclaimed all around the world. Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio gave the song a rating of 4.5 out of 5, calling it "hook-y [and] emotional", and stated that the "drama" and "excitement" of the song would allow "Radioactive" to appeal to both alternative pop fans and hard rockers. Best of both worlds, eh? They’ve targeted two distinct genre listeners. That’s an accomplishment in its own. The hypnotic chorus, as called by AbsolutePunk just gets you glued and hooked onto the song. The band has been successful at producing a song which never fails to take off. This is a song which will make your fists rise into the air. This powerhouse song is something out of this world and I consider it a must hear. This gets a 10 on 10 from me. Must hear, got it? 

American recording artist Miley Cyrus with “We Can’t stop” from her upcoming fourth studio album Bangerz is number 3 on the billboard top 10. I am surprised to see this here. Maybe it’s cause the name sells and Miley has made a big name for her back in her Disney years and her attempts at staying in the news. According to me the song lacks flow and doesn’t sound right as a whole. This pop, R&B and dance song has failed to amuse me and keep me listening for more than 40 seconds, but for the sake of this review I heard it out and was still not impressed. The song received mix reviews from music critics across the globe. Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone gave the song a two-star rating out of five, commenting that Cyrus' "attempt at club-entering swag is adorable, but there's still a bit too much Disney in her voice to fill the track. Its lyrics – "Can't you see it's we who 'bout that life?" – would be an odd fit for any singer." Ouch. Well now it’s my turn- I give this song 4 out of 10 and question its presence on the charts.

Im sure all the boy band loving freaks are gonna give out a big screech when they hear who’s on number 2 on the Billboard top 10. At number 2 we’ve got English-Irish boy band One Direction with their song “Best Song Ever”. According to me, the first half of the song had more of a adult touch to it and got my hopes up for a more mature song, but as a whole the song gives a 1D feel. It’s a light and soft song which is what the teen girls around the world are crazy for. One direction delivers, however it lacks “catchiness”. As far as critics and artists are concerned, the song has received mixed reviews. Although the song’s title is superficial, it doesn’t fulfill its name and that’s why Click Music reacted negatively to the song, giving it 1 and a half stars out of 5, describing it as "tiresome" and called the song's writers "creatively barren", accusing them of plagiarism of "Baba O'Riley". Click also called the song a representation of "the laziest, most mind-numbing trends in modern pop". However, teenage girls don’t care, right? Why? Because they can’t get over how dreamy 1D is. Now as far as my rating is concerned, I’m giving it 6 out of 10 for lack of originality and lack of catchiness. Slow songs can’t be catchy too and can manage to stick to your head.

 

We’ve got to number 1. *drum roll please*. Number one on Billboard top 10 is "Blurred Lines" a song recorded by American R&B recording artist Robin Thicke. The song features guest vocals from American rapper T.I. and American singer and producer Pharrell. The song is pretty catchy giving a feel as if it’s off the streets. Not bad. Simple lyrics and straightforwardness is what this song is about.” I feel so lucky. You wanna hug me. What rhymes with hug me?” is my favorite part because of the humor. Critical reactions to the song were mostly positive. The song got 4.5 out of 5, from Bill Lamb from about.com. Billboard 100’s Chris Payne compared it with Justin Timberlake's "Suit & Tie" (a musical hit) and called it a "bubbly bit of disco-shuffling R&B". I liked Blurred lines and feel that it deserves 9 out of 10.  Im sure you’ll like it too.

Billboard has done a good job at listing the top 10, however Miley’s appearance on the charts has come off as a disappointment. The best on the chart according to me would be, Radioactive by Imaginative Dragons, while the worst is “We can’t stop” by Miley Cyrus. Now what are you waiting for? Go and listen to these great tunes. You wont be disappointed.