by Zhaun Ortega
PART of being a partyphile is knowing about the trends in party music and having a pulse on what the dancefloor is asking for. This is not so much for the fact that you HAVE to know about these things, as it is about imbibing the whole partyphile lifestyle. Fortunately for us remixes have gained popularity among foreign artists so we get to hear our favorite pop tunes on the dancefloor these days. Plus, more and more artists are now going into more danceable hits. Below are some of the songs we hear currently on the dancefloor and my take on them.
Acapella by Kelis: This former R&B artist rose to fame thanks to her huge summer hit, “Milkshake”. These days however, she seems to be donning and edgier, more mature image as she sings about finding music in her life once she had found her loved one. “Before you, my whole life was acapella. Now a symphony’s the only song to sing” Kelis gushes about her new found love and the change in perspective she has gotten since. However, do not mistake this for an evocative love song, it has strong beats influenced by house and techno but is R&B at the very core. Like a milkshake that has several layers, this brand spankin new track from Kelis just seems to get better with every sip. Listen to it a couple of times and you’ll understand what I mean. I give this 4.5 out of 5 shots.
Alejandro by Lady Gaga: everybody has been talking about this video; it has gotten some amount of controversy. Trust Gaga to stir up some commotion with every move, right? Do I like it? No. I find it cheesy and the beats remind me of old-school pop-Latin tracks that do not make sense. Plus I do not appreciate that she was eating rosaries in one part of the video which was definitely too long for a three-minute song. I think Katy Perry said it best when she tweeted “Using blasphemy as entertainment is as cheap as a comedian telling a fart joke”. I give this 1 out of 5 shots.
Not Myself Tonight by Christina Aguilera has been getting some serious airplay and it is not difficult to understand why. With this song, like most Christina Aguiolera songs, her voice is on point. Her vocals are as strong as when she started out a decade ago, and her musical formula has not changed since. People all say that this new reincarnation of Christina Aguilera’s is actually a copy of Lady Gaga’s fashion but I beg to disagree. This song is not like Lady Gaga’s. This has a certain maturity about it; you know she did not write the song just so it would sell. Plus, we are talking about a girl who has reinvented herself with every single album she has made. This is our generation’s Madonna. In fact, you could say that she followed Madonna’s career moves…but Lady Gaga’s? I wouldn’t think so. I give this 3 out of 5 shots.
OMG by Usher: Usher’s musical magic seems to never wane. He had gone through a lot of drama with his personal life last year but that obviously did not stop him from making good music. This year he is back with a new hit entitled “OMG”. And that is probably the reaction you’ll get after your first listen. The chanting, the beats, and the rhythm of the song sounds current but familiar. It has a fresh sound but you know it is definitely signed, sealed, and delivered by the one and only King of R&B, Usher. However, unlike in most of his songs when he sings at the top of his range, Usher keeps his pitch very low in this song. Does it diminish the song’s energy and danceability? Surprisingly, it does not. It is just refreshing to hear USHER sing in a more relaxed range. I do not know if this was intentional or it had something to do with Mariah Carey’s switch to lower-octave songs, and Kanye West’s huge hits that were sung almost under his breath. It does not matter where Usher got his inspiration from, he just sounds good on this track.I give this 4 out of 5 shots.
Getting Over You by David guetta, LMFAO, Fergie, and Chris Willis: Once you hear this song you will automatically remember the other Guetta-produced hit “I Gotta Feeling”. Is this a good thing? I would think not. Although David Guetta has found his signature style, all his new material and new collaborations have started to sound alike. Save for his gorgeously warm and hypnotizing “When Love Takes Over” with Kelly Rowland, all his other songs have started to sound like the same track which is never a good sign for a music producer/DJ. Is it as good as “I Gotta Feeling”? I think not. I think that song’s success was mostly because it gave you a warm and fuzzy feeling. This song however, is pretty dark, quite confusing, and it just seems like a poor copy of “I Gotta Feeling”…from the same people! I would have appreciated this more if they entitled it “I Gotta Feeling Part II”, but since it is called “Getting Over You” I do not think it should sound the same. The funny thing is, “Getting Over You” just proves that David Guetta has NOT gotten over the success of “I Gotta Feeling”. The verdict: 3 out of 5 shots.
To hear these songs on the radio tune in to Confessions of a Partyphile on 105.9 Mix FM every Wednesday from 6 to 9 in the PM.
For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile, log on to http://party.i.ph
