60: T.I. feat. Rihanna - "Life Your Life" (from Paper Trail)
What gansta samples the "Numa Numa" song? T.I., futhermuckers! And he does it with the spirit of a hustler and the swagger of a college kid. Why? Cause he's steady chasing that paper. I liked it better when I thought Rihanna was saying "Instead of chasing that paper, just live your life" but I still feel it...
59: Madonna - "Devil Wouldn't Recognize" (from Hard Candy)
Timbaland and Justin Timberlake team up to produce a sleek modern ballad, replete with a scattershot beat and all male chant over the bridge. It's a worthy companion to the duo's prior masterpiece, "Cry Me A River" and the Queen of Pop sounds fierce as usual.
58: Jason Mraz - "I'm Yours" (from We Dance. We Sing. We Steal Things.)
Mr. A-Z might have stolen a page from Jack Johnson's playbook with the surf-folk sound, but the athletic lyricism is pure Jason. "I tried to be chill, but you're so hot that I melted" is awesome enough, but "it's our God-forsaken right to be loved, loved, loved" is a tongue twister and a great line.
57: Shelby Lynne - "Just A Little Lovin'" (from Just A Little Lovin')
Is there any better way to wake up than with just a little lovin', early in the morning? I wouldn't know, but waking up to this soft piano-jazz influenced country track from the Virginia native's Dusty Springfield tribute is pretty sweet, too. Listen to the track at her MySpace.
56: Jennifer Hudson - "Spotlight" (from Jennifer Hudson)
On "Spotlight" Jennifer proves she wasn't just Effie from Dreamgirls, she's a modern girl working with modern uber-producers Stargate (and white-hot R&B songwriter Ne-Yo.) Between the syncopated piano, the smooth midtempo beat and light vocal acrobatics, you'd think J.Hud would have had a monster hit on her hands, but outside of R&B/Hip-Hop radio (where the single rested at number one for two weeks) airplay was scarce. Too bad, as usual pop radio missed out on a winner.
55: The Ting Tings - "Not My Name" (from We Started Nothing)
Do not call Katie White anything other than her name. She will not answer to "bird" or "her" - that's not her name. I guess that's the UK equivalent to calling a girl Shawty or Pretty Lady, just tacky. You wanna hit on a lady, introduce yourself! Scrubs is scrubs, on either side of the pond.
54:Santogold - "Creator" (from Santogold)
Santi White creates an M.I.A.-style attack of a song, a riot of distortion and squeaks and scary noises. How it got to be picked for a Bud Light Lime commercial I will never know, but I do know it loud and aggressive and that's hot enough for me. "Me I'm a creator, thrill is to make it, the rules I break earn me a place up on the radar." Fuck yea, I believe in Santogold.
53: Paramore - "That's What You Get" (from Riot!)
Sometimes you follow your heart, and your ass gets burnt. That's the moral of this midtempo rocker from Haley and her punk-popping bandmates. "Why do we like to hurt so much... I drowned out all my sense with the sound of it's beating. That's what you get when you let your heart win." Don't I know it, emo sister, don't I know it.
52: Death Cab For Cutie - "I Will Possess Your Heart" (from Narrow Stairs)
The original album version of this track is epic, over eight minutes in length. You can listen to it here. I prefer my brooding soundscapes a little shorter, but that's just me. And is the topic really creeping, or really cute? I understand Ben Gibbard thinks this thing will work out, that if you "spend some time, love... I know that you will find, love, I will possess your heart" but that just screams stalker/psycho kidnapper boyfriend. So why do I like the song so much? Maybe deep down I am a psycho boyfriend. Or I just want one...
51: Jay Brannan - "Goddamned" (from Goddamned)
This may be the first emotional argument for atheism I've ever heard. Not only doesn't it sway me from my faith, I actually find it inspired. Ironic, don't you think? But the line from the chorus "Mary and Mohammad are screaming from the clouds for you to lay your goddamned arms down, rip your bigot roots up from the earth and salt the goddamned ground" is what I think more religious people should hear. We squabble over little things and history shows the horrific acts done in the name of Jesus, Allah and the gods of old. Christians haven't proven themselves any better at following Jesus teachings of "love your neighbor as yourself" than the rest of the world. I don't know that "no one's coming to save you" but I do believe that we should "save yourselves from turning earth into hell."
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