It is end of the year and also a beginning of a new one, put aside economics and let’s get indulged in the music of 2011 by browsing through the hit of each month. Let me fix it this is a subjective selection of my own and based on my Hit of Month postings on Facebook. The source of music is always the so-called English-dominated music scene with very strong influences from the UK music industry and partly by the American popular genres. So let’s get to it:
Hit of the Month January – none:)
Sounds funny but in January 2011 I felt the music industry pipeline was very much dried out, few new releases, the Christmas hype was over, the talent shows just finished and Adele’s album was not released yet..:) Overall I picked two songs back from December, not so much as the strongest songs of the month, but rather interesting ones:
X Factor Finalists 2010 (UK): Help for Heroes
A typical English charity song performed by the UK X Factor Series 7 Finalists, a cover of an old David Bowie song, in support of the injured soldiers. The song reached #1 in the UK in the previous December. I thought it would be good for a January hit. (although this song was not well known in other countries)
Professor Green & Lily Allen: Just Be Good to Green
Also not the most popular song of that month, but this was the time when I discovered this East London rapper, Professor Green, and his collaboration – one of the many – with Lily Allen – Lily is always one of my favourites whatever she touches! Mr Green – actually Mr Stephen Manderson on his civil name – does a pretty good “white rapping”, not an Enimen-c
lass, but not that far, and have a good combination with Lily’s sexy voice. (Worthy to mention: Lily was pregnant in this video, unfortunately later she miscarried. But this year she gave birth to a daughter on 25 Nov 2011)
Hit of the Month February – Rihanna: S&M and Lady Gaga: Born this way
I could not differentiate between the two divas in February… They have such a distinctive style… Rihanna’s S&M song and video is special for me in that it was the first “serious” Rihanna hit that caught my attention, mainly with the content, the style of direction, the passion that is deeply engraved in this song. (previous songs like Umbrella or any David Guetta collaborations are not that “serious” for me…) The song is not only about sado-maso sex, it has a bit deeper meaning.
Lady Gaga is unquestionable and unique in her own way. The reason why the Born This Way stuck me is the meaning of the song, the messages that the lyrics trying to convey, stop hating yourselves, believe in yourself, in Gaga’s words: “Don’t hide yourself in regret / Just love yourself and you’re set / I’m on the right track baby / I was born this way”. I do feel this is important message now and the song combined with a dynamic dance based music and a creative video was good enough for hit of the month of February.
Hit of the Month March – Wretch 32 & Example: Unorthodox and Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull: On the Floor
Again a month with two winners…. Wretch 32 is my big discovery in 2011, an English rapper from Tottenham, London. His first release in January, the Tractor, was not a big shot at all, but this second one was my favourite in March, even before it was officially released in April, and the singer Example gaves a good flavor to this song. Again the message of the song is quite important to me, let me summarise it in one sentence from the song: “Yeah, unorthodox, I made the bar, so I call the shots!” (alas, do not even think of the unorthodoxy of Mr Matolcsy, the Hungarian economic secretary….:)JJ This
J-Lo had not had a proper hit song for years before this one. On The Floor is a perfect collaboration with Pitbull, a banging party anthem, with the proper bass and some Lambada rhymes, rapid Pitbull rapping, chique and stylish video. I like this song, especially the dance mix versions.song also a big plus for Example’s discography in my reading.
Hit of the Month April – LMFAO, Lauren Bennett, GoonRock: Party Rock Anthem
Initially the runners-up in April were the Judas by Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s Run The World (Girls), I remember I posted these ones on the Facebook too, but ultimately the Party Rock Anthem shuffled to the top unquestionably! I saw this weekend the song was also chosen as the Hit of The Year by MTV Dance. Clearly SkyBlue and Redfoo, so the LMFAO group, made its mark on the popular dance industry with this song, which is a real party anthem, you start shuffling once you hear the first beat of the song. About the other collaborators: Lauren Bennett is a nice English photo model active in the United States, check her photos out, she is a real beauty: and GoonRock was and still is a noname for me as a singer, but he was the co-producer and co-writer of the Party Rock Anthem.
Hit of the Month May – Dev: In The Dark
It was unquestionable for me in May that this song from Dev was the hit of the month. May well be Dev requ
ires some introduction to many of the readers. Dev, born as Devin Tailes in California in 1989, is a
singer who was discovered by the group The Cataracs. I noticed Dev first in the G6 song, “Like a G6” by Far East Movement, the first Asian American group to reach a US Top 10 mainstream hit. I really liked that song, but that was in 2009…. Dev’s new release i
n May, In The Dark is so so much full of passion, love, flirting, romance, sex, and Dev’s extremely sexy voice… I could not resist the temptation of making it the hit of the month in May…. (Later I discovered a mash-up of this song with 50 Cent, that is also not that bad, but obviously puts more emphasis on the rapping instead of Dev’s singing.) The good think is that Dev and the Cataracs continued their cooperation and produced such cool songs as the Backseat with New Boyz and my other favourite from Dev, the Bass Down Low.
Hit of the Month June – Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer – Give Me Everything Tonight
I can associate this song to my holidays in Tenerife, Spain, mainly for the feeling of it. Again Pitbull has brought a good team together, Ne-Yo for the chique refrain, AfroJack for the banging beat, Nayer for her beauy J, and the usual Pitbull rapping and carpe diem feeling, a song filled with love and passion, “give me everythin tonight”, and also serves good to the dancing feet. By the way it was Pitbull’s first UK and US number 1 song, understandably. (I wanted to note here that a strong runner-up for the Hit of the Month title was Example and his then-new song Changed The Way You Kiss Me and I still consider that song as a good indie hit of the year.)
Hit of the Month July – Snoop Dogg & T-Pain: Boom
Hit of the Month August -noneFor some reasons this song did not reach significant success in the mainstream music market, although I believed in July this would be next party banger for the rest of the summer… Rather it was the song Sweat most frequently played from Snoop Dogg. This song Boom was not favoured by many when I showed to friends… But I really loved the rapping of Snoop Dogg, the unique way of expressing himself to describe marijuana in plenty if versions… T-Pain did not make a very attractive appearance, he was only shouting the chorus, not too impressive. But I really like the rap of Snoop and the strong bass banging through the beat! (the video is at the level of an average Snoop Dogg clip)
I really felt in August there were no real good hits on the charts. Still the songs from spring and early summer were running high , like Lady Gaga’s Edge of Glory, or similar average pop hits, nothing fancy….
Hit of the Month September – Sak Noel: Loca People and Emil Lassaria & F.Charm: 9 Millimeter
Two club hits topped the September, and I have discovered both of them in the gym J sounds funny, but
these two songs are really cool to do cross-training, hot iron or any form aerobics on them..:) Talking seriously, Sak Noel is a Spanish DJ who hit the number 1 spot with Loca People party banger song. It is about crazy Spanish people and who dance all night and they are really crazy (la gente esta muy loca!).
Emil Lassaria is a different case. Emil is a Romanian DJ and this song is a beautiful example of the lively Romanian dance scene. (not even mentioning Alexandra Stan here), their collaboration with F.Charm, the song 9MM is a remarkable mix of local flavours and global dancing beats. I really loved this song!
Hit of the Month October – LMFAO: Sexy and I know it, Adam Lambert: Sleepwalker, Rihanna & Calvin Harris: We Found Love
After a dry August and a dancing September the spot got really hot in October! First of all LMFAO’s next gig smashed into the galaxy, the extremely provocative, censored, yet ironic and very true Sexy and I Know it. I have listened to this song at least 50 times and watched the video countlessly, if you feel the meaning of this song and the feeling of it, then you are clearly hit by the song! Watch it, love it, dance it!!!
The second October hit was Adam Lambert’s Sleepwalker, this choice is absolutely subjective and driven by my farewell to the nice little town of Sárvár and the friends who meant a lot to me. This song is dedicated to that farewell and sad goodbye. (it is always sad to leave friends behind, even though you make all efforts to keep
up friendships, farewell is always a sad goodbye….)
And the third smash hit in October was Rihanna’s We Found Love!!! (okay Calvin Harris brings the music to the beat)
This songs and the music video speaks for itself, it has various levels of reading it, full of strong messages, and mainly feelings of love-and-hate, sex, drugs, party, break-up, extreme joy and nerve-wrecking disappointments. You HAVE TO feel the feeling of this song! Otherwise you can not love it! The chorus tells it all: “It’s the way I’m feeling I just can’t deny / But I’ve gotta let it go / We found love in a hopeless place”. Listen to this song, watch the video and feeeeel it!!!
Hit of the Month November Nickelback: When We Stand Together and Timbaland&Pitbull: Passt at me
After a wild, crazy, hot October – see Rihanna and LMFAO – the November brought some modesty, while Rihanna kept floating at Number 1 spot in the UK, a new release from Nickelback came to my attention, a kind of national rock anthem: When We Stand Together. I was never an ardent fanatic of this Canadian band, but this song has got me in October. When We Stand Together was the lead single of their new album released at the end of November, too.
Timbaland’s only one hit in 2011 was this collaboration with Pitbull and David Guetta: Pass At Me. This song is about nothing else than party and enjoy it to its full extent, but is has some fundamental good banging beat (thanks to David Guetta’s drum machine) and a funny rhythmic singing by Timbaland, and plenty of sexual references..:)
Hit of the Month December – Flo Rida: Good Feeling and Pitbull feat. Chris Brown: International Love
Flo Rida’s Good Feeling is typical pop and dance floor hit, you can’t get this out of your ears and your feet can’t help getting moving when listening to this hit. Maybe this song has brought the first real mainstream success to Flo Rida? It may so be it.
The second song is also a personal choice: Pitbull’s collaboration with Chris Brown is International Love. A typical international, global pop song. Not surprisingly this song did not achieve much commercial success. Originally it was released in the US in May, but then in November again in Europe and UK, so finally I discovered this in late November at the time of the UK release.
So the year 2011 is over now. So is the list.
I am sure you will say I missed out on a couple of good hits from 2011. I must agree I don’t have Adele on the list, the X Factor winner Matt Cardle, Marc Anthony’s giga hit with Pitbull Rain Over me, nothing from Kelly Rowland and only some minor collaborations from David Guetta, you don’t see Don Omar’s Danza Kuduro, Jason Derulo or Whiz Khalifa, also Enrique’s Tonight I am Loving/Fxxing You as well as Adam Levine and Maroon 5, Bruno Mars missed the top of the pops… But that’s it guys, this is what I sensed from the music industry in 2011… A subjective selection, I told you…
I made some remarkable discoveries in 2011: first of all Jessie J in January required some attention, then Nicki Minaj became a better known female rapper. I have discovered Caro Emerald, the Dutch jazz singer this year with her two previous songs, the Back It Up from 2009 and the Stuck from 2010.
Let’s keep our ears open for 2012!
László Ráb 2 January 2011
Ráb László
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