UK Singles Chart, March 26, 2011

1. Don't Hold Your Breath - Nicole Scherzinger

After 4 weeks at #1, Adele's "Someone Like You" is dethroned by Nicole Scherzinger's first solo #1 hit. A solo career has long been the goal for Scherzinger, frontwoman of The Pussycat Dolls. But there was a time it looked like it wasn't in the cards. In 2007, in anticipation of releasing her solo debut album, Her Name Is Nicole, Scherzinger released two singles, "Whatever U Like" and "Baby Love," neither of which really took off (the former was a #14 hit in Britain). Importantly, neither single was at all popular in the US. Ultimately, this led to her debut being canceled with song of the songs reworked for the 2008 Pussycat Dolls album, Doll Domination, which, like its predecessor, continued giving the group hits.

Three and a half years later and Scherzinger finally has the solo success she had been looking for. First came "Poison," which hit #3 late last year, and now she has her first solo #1. Her first album, Killer Love, is out tomorrow.

3. Gold Forever - The Wanted

Friday was "red nose day," part of Britain's every-other-year Comic Relief charity fund raising effort, and The Wanted's "Gold Forever" is this year's official Comic Relief single. After the unfortunate blip of "Lose My Mind" hitting only #19, this returns the band to the top 5, giving them their third such hit.

9. I Need a Doctor - Dr. Dre feat. Eminem & Skylar Grey

This single climbs for a fourth week, reaching the top 10 for the first time this week. This is Dr. Dre's 10th top 10 hit (5th as lead performer).

10. Louder - Parade

With Girls Aloud, Sugababes and The Saturdays quiet for now, the apparent "hole" in the pop music world for British girl groups has for now been filled by Parade, who charge into the top 10 with their first single "Louder." At first, I wasn't into this, but it's actually not bad. Pretty typical of current international R&Bish electro pop.

15. Just Can't Get Enough - Black Eyed Peas

The Peas climb 12 notches to #15 this week. Top 10 here they come as this gets its official single release this weekend.

16. Sweat - Snoop Dogg vs. David Guetta

By itself, "Sweat," or in its original form "Wet," is a sparse beats production by the Cataracs that sounds a lot like what Will.I.Am does, but in David Guetta's hands, it become a Euro-flavored stomper. Not bad.

27. True Faith - George Michael

It's not everyday you see a new single on the chart by George Michael, who takes advantage of Comic Relief to turn out a single other than his Christmas single that has kept popping up the last few years. This is a remake of New Order's #4 hit from 1987.

Album Review: The Vaccines - What Did You Expect from the Vaccines? (3/5)

Remember the Arctic Monkeys 2006 debut, Whatever People Say I Am, that's What I'm Not? The Vaccines 2011 debut, What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?, reminds me a lot of that: British rock band emerges on the scene with a lot of hoopla, releases lo-fi recording of short (generally less than 3 minutes), propulsive (no slow songs) rockers. Although there hasn't been as much hoopla, The Vaccines are launching behind their #3 placing on the BBC Sounds of 2011 poll, which certainly has given them a good push, even if they aren't sending their singles very far into the top 40.

Several of the songs manage to clock in not just below 3 minutes but below 2! First track "Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)," all of 82 seconds, is a burst of energy that is literally over before it even gets started. It's followed by the more substantive "If You Wanna," and then the quite decent "A Lack of Understanding," which delivers an earnest pop melody and a decent bass line.

Besides Arctic Monkeys, the Vaccines' debut recalls other prominent post-punk rockers from the last 10 years. Recent hit "Post Break-Up Sex" sounds a lot like vintage Strokes material. It's a fun song with a tune that suggests an earnest love song, but lyrics that betray that the band's intention is just getting laid. "Wetsuit" goes for a bit more grandeur, similar to Glasvegas' debut. "All in White" strives for rock grandeur too, but misses the mark. "Family Friend," which clocks in over 4 minutes longer than the first track, is better, building a nice warm vibe over gentle guitar melodies that turn bolder later as the tempo gradually increases to break-neck pace.

I know the lo-fi sound goes with the territory for this kind of music, but frankly I'm getting a bit tired of it. "Blow It Up," for example heavily distorts what would otherwise be a nice guitar layering. Music from long ago sounded this way because they couldn't get their hands on better recording equipment. Today there is no excuse.

The album is not bad, but it's not breaking any ground that hasn't already been fully and more skillfully covered by other recent acts.

Best: Post Break-Up Sex, A Lack of Understanding, Family Friend

Essential Albums of the '80s: Debbie Gibson - Out of the Blue / Tiffany (1987)

Debbie and Tiffany were to 1987 what Britney and Christina were to 1999--two teenage girls that emerged on the scene with big pop melodies that quickly won the hearts of teen and tween girls (and, ahem, a few boys) all across the country and even around the world. True, Britney and Christina are 12 years later still going strong (Christina less so at present), while Debbie and Tiffany's time in the spotlight was basically done by 1990, but in late '87 to early 1989, that would not have been apparent, as the two continued to lob hit after hit and had very successful albums as well.

Although the two peddled similar keyboard-driven pop with catchy melodies, there were some interesting differences between them. Debbie leaned more toward slickly produced dance pop, while Tiffany's songs had a rockier and more downbeat edge. Debbie had a slicker image too--her videos showed her romping through Central Park and waiting in Manhattan cafes whereas Tiffany's generally less well-produced videos had her hanging out in second-rate shopping malls and working in a diner. On their album covers Debbie's jeans appear strategically ripped, while the hole in Tiffany's sweater just makes it look like she couldn't afford a new one.

Musically, their debut albums are both pretty strong, but I give the advantage to Gibson's Out of the Blue. It opens with a trio of upbeat tracks, bright and shiny "Out of the Blue," followed by dance pop hit "Staying Together" and then the album's real gem, the irresistible "Only in My Dreams." In the late summer of 1987, this, along with Madonna's "Who's that Girl" and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam's "Lost in Emotion," was one of the songs that really got me hooked on pop music. The album's big ballad, "Foolish Beat," follows. It's a sad tale of teenage love gone sour, notable for being Gibson's first #1 hit and the fact that she has sole credit for its writing and production, which made Gibson the youngest person to write, produce and perform a Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit. Other dance pop cuts "Shake Your Love"--one of the album's four top 5 hits--and "Red Hot" are enjoyable too. The album sags a bit in its second half, particularly with mid-tempo "Wake Up to Love," which feels slight next to all the great dance pop, and "Between the Lines," the closing ballad, which again feels quite undercooked next to the album's other grand ballad. Those are minor quibbles though. Given that this was the first full album of popular music I ever owned, it holds a special place in my heart.

While Out of the Blue has its hits upfront, Tiffany withholds its two #1 hits until the end of the album, a strategy no pop album would employ today. The album opens with the guitar-driven, mid-tempo track "Should've Been Me," a song that has grown on me as listened to the album over the past week. "Danny" follows, a darker, also guitar-driven track. It was the album's first single, although it was not a hit. After a good opening, the album sags a bit through the middle with songs like "Spanish Eyes," "Kid on a Corner" and "Johnny's Got the Inside Moves," although I do like downbeat ballad "Feelings of Forever," which was the album's fifth single, but was not a major hit. All of these songs are just killing time before you get to "I Think We're Alone Now," the brilliant dance pop cue that attracted people to Tiffany in the first place. It's got such a great beat and I love the synth horns in the middle section. Almost 20 years later, British pop group Girls Aloud would remake this and release it in Britain as a top 5 hit. Piano ballad "Could've Been" closes the album. It's a big ballad of a song, really stretching Tiffany's vocal ability, but is nonetheless the album's other memorable moment.

Out of the Blue (1987). Best: Only in My Dreams, Shake Your Love, Foolish Beat, Out of the Blue, Red Hot

Tiffany (1987). Best: I Think We're Alone Now, Could've Been, Danny, Should've Been Me, Feelings of Forever

Further Listening
Debbie Gibson - Electric Youth (1989). Gibson followed up Out of the Blue with Electric Youth, which kept up her streak of hits, in fact giving her the biggest hit of her career, "Lost in Your Eyes." It's a lovely piano ballad of a love song that effectively riffs on mundane phrase "lost and found" as a simple, yet clever pop lyric ("I'll be found when I'm lost in your eyes"). A bit cheesy, but Gibson delivers the song with such sincerity that it works. "No More Rhyme" was another good ballad (and hit single). Interesting that the ballads are strong suit here, given that it was the reverse on her debut. However there are plenty of bouncy upbeat numbers too, like "Electric Youth," "Who Loves Ya Baby?" and "Helplessly in Love." Although it didn't have as many hits as Out of the Blue, Electric Youth was still a double-platinum album and, on balance, just as good if not better than its predecessor. Best: Lost in Your Eyes, No More Rhyme, Electric Youth, Who Loves Ya Baby?, Helplessly in Love, Silence Speaks (a Thousand Words).

Tiffany - Hold an Old Friend's Hand (1988). Unlike Electric Youth, Tiffany's second album was not a major hit and started a downward spiral for her popularity. Particularly ego-busting must have been the fact that her tour's opening act--New Kids on the Block--traded places with her as the tour's headliner in the summer of 1989, as their popularity soared and hers tanked. The rock-leaning sound of her debut has been buried by less distinctive synthesizer pop. It's not bad, but it's not as interesting. After the opening ballad "All This Time," which was the album's only top 10 hit, there's little more that stands out. Best: All This Time, Drop that Bomb.

Personal Chart, March 19, 2011

Billboard Hot 100, March 26, 2011

1. Born This Way - Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga manages to stay at the Hot 100 summit for a fifth week, despite being neither the airplay nor sales leader at the moment. She happens to be #3 on both charts, benefiting from the fact that the songs with more airplay are pretty old and no longer strong sellers, while the songs with stronger sales are newer and their airplay is still building. This moves her ahead of Bruno Mars' "Grenade" to make "Born This Way" the longest-running #1 hit so far this year.

3. E.T. - Katy Perry (feat. Kanye West)

Katy and Kanye jump 5 spots to #3, making "E.T." the fourth consecutive top 5 hit from Perry's Teenage Dream album. I believe the last album to score such a feat was T.I.'s Paper Trail from 2008. "E.T." is this week's Digital Gainer. Wouldn't it be something if it hit #1? It would make Perry the first artist in 7 years to score four consecutive #1 hits.

4. S&M - Rihanna

Rihanna slips a notch to #4 due to Perry's big sales gain, but is still doing well on its own, earning this week's Airplay Gainer. Don't count this one out just yet.

9. Till the World Ends - Britney Spears

Britney climbs 11 notches to #9 with "Till the World Ends," which seemed to get a slower than expected start, but now appears on track to be quite big. It's currently the fastest gaining track at top 40 radio. This is Britney's 10th top 10 hit, half of which she's scored in the last 3 years alone. She's made quite the impressive comeback after her mid '00s slump.

23. Landslide - Glee Cast

Glee singles haven't has as easy a time charting this year. This is only the third top 40 hit the show has had since January, the other two being "Thriller/Heads Will Roll" (#38) and "Firework" (#34). I'm glad to see this rise above those, for it was an unexpectedly great musical moment from the show. Expect to see more Glee in the top 40 next week though--"Loser Like Me" has been #1 at iTunes the last 2 days.

Essential Albums of the '80s: Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms (1985)

Those who know Dire Straits mostly for their iconic MTV video "Money for Nothing" will, like me, probably be surprised by this, their most notable album. First off, it's pretty laid back, like a soundtrack to your island vacation or perhaps the last few slow dances at a wedding reception. "Money for Nothing" is by far the most "up" track here, along with "Walk of Life," which is one of those songs that gets a lot of play on '80s-leaning "adult pop" stations. "Money for Nothing" is a cool song, although I'm troubled by the lyrics about the "little faggot" millionaire with the earrings, makeup and jet airplane. It's hard to imagine that was entirely acceptable back in 1985, but perhaps it (sadly) was. After "Walk of Life" the tempo slows way down for the next four songs until "One World." This romantic '80s rock sound is interesting, although it's difficult for me to see how this captured audiences enough to make it one of the decade's best-selling albums.

Best: Walk of Life, Money for Nothing, So Far Away

Singles Serving

Don't Hold Your Breath - Nicole Scherzinger. The Pussycat Dolls' lead singer releases another great solo single. In fact, the upbeat, grinding tune is her best yet, and looks on course to knock Adele from her perch atop the British singles chart this weekend. This would work great in the US too. How long before its a hit here as well?

Gold Forever - The Wanted. With "Lose My Mind" having underperformed on the chart, we may not be getting any more singles from The Wanted's pretty decent debut album (too bad, I was really hoping for a great video for "Let's Get Ugly"). Moving on then, we get this new track, the "red nose" day single tie-in for comic relief. It's no "All Time Love" or even a "Heart Vacancy," but it's not awful. Should be better though. Sounds an awful lot like "Forever Young" with its tinkling piano refrain.

Louder - Parade. Introducing Parade: the new British girl group with an eye to fill the whole currently left by Girls Aloud (pursuing solo projects), The Saturdays (between albums) and Sugababes (who knows). This first single is fine, but not particularly memorable. Sounds like any electro-leaning R&Bish pop song you've heard before.

The Lazy Song - Bruno Mars. When I reviewed Doo Wops & Hooligans last year, I noted that I didn't care for the reggae-inspired tracks. Now one is out as a single, and I still feel this isn't nearly as great as "Just the Way You Are" or "Grenade." If you're going to add Caribbean flavor to your pop music, leave it to an experts (i.e. Rihanna). I do appreciate the sentiment though.

L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. - Noah & the Whale. Folksy British rock group Noah and the Whale has struck the right note with this new single, which is the kind of song you imagine will kick around the singles chart for an awful long time.

My Boy - Duffy. Sadly, this chapter in Duffy's music career looks to be done. "My Boy," track one from her promising but commercially disappointing second album, isn't grand enough to push her back into the spotlight. It lacks the kind of heft you'd expect from her, I loved her last single, "Keeping My Baby," but it failed to make any waves at all.

Glee "Original Song"

It's regionals, which means a songs-heavy episode. Despite that, this week managed to pack in quite a bit of story too, including the birth of a new romance between two key characters.

Kurt confronts Blaine about the fact that the latter gets every Warblers solo--a fact many viewers have commented on, so it's nice to see the show acknowledge it. Kurt's parakeet dies, putting him in a sad mood, but also empowering him to demand the chance for a solo. Later, Blaine convinces the Warblers that he and Kurt should have a duet in the regionals set list. Afterward, when they're alone, Blaine confesses to Kurt that the reason he chose Kurt to duet with is that he's finally realized that he has feelings for Kurt too and it's an excuse to spend more time together. The two kiss and Kurt looks over the moon. (!!!!)

Quinn begins strategizing about how she'll ensure that she and Finn can be prom queen and king. She decides she needs to get close to Rachel, so when Rachel proposes again that they should sing original songs at regionals (after My Chemical Romances sends them a "cease and desist" letter against using "Sing"), Quinn sides with Rachel and convinces every else that they need original songs. The two decide they will write a song together.

The New Directions kids audition their various original songs for the group, although none really rise to occasion. Mercedes comes close, but it's not quite right. Mr. Schuester encourages the kids to channel their anger over all the mean things Sue Sylvester does to them and they come up with the title "Loser Like Me." After having pretended to be her friend, Quinn admits to Rachel that she isn't her friend, that she knows she and Finn are meant to be married and have a family and that Rachel is standing in the way. Rachel, however, refuses to give up on Finn and goes off to finally write a good original song, "Get It Right."

Oral Intensity and The Warblers both perform good sets before New Directions takes the stage with their original songs. They win over the crowd and the judges--they're going to nationals! Sue slugs the woman who made the announcement, which wasn't funny and was actually rather disturbing.

The episode was good, but not great. It felt anticlimactic. I'm glad Kurt and Blaine got together, although that means the "will they/won't they" tension is gone.

Songs:

Misery (Maroon 5) - The Warblers feat. Blaine. Starting off with a song this time. I wonder why they didn't do this a cappella? As much as I like The Warblers, having them singing in school in their uniforms isn't interesting anymore.

Only Child (Rachel) - Rachel. Three minutes into the episode and already on song #2. It's Rachel's first stab at an original song. It's still, but the lyric "I'm the only Berry on my family tree" is a cute line.

Blackbird (The Beatles)- The Warblers feat. Kurt. Nice to hear Kurt sing. Seems like it's been awhile. He sounds great over this acoustic guitar-backed classic. Love it.

Troutie Mouth (Santana--The character, not the Latin rock guitarist) - Santana. Santana turns out a sassy, sexy vocal that amounts to a major put down about Sam's big lips.

Big Ass Heart (Puck) - Puck. Puck's song is a soulful rocker that he dedicates to Lauren in hopes that it makes up for "Fat Girl."

Hell to the No (Mercedes) - Mercedes. Mercedes' original song, one of the three commercially available, is a pretty old school R&B number complete with a modern rap bridge. Pretty fun stuff.

Jesus Is a Friend of Mine (Sonseed) - Oral Intensity. Sue's glee club has flashy choreography and a snappy, albeit conservatively themed, tune.

Candles (Hey Monday) - The Warblers feat. Kurt & Blaine. Not a song I'm familiar with, but it's fun to see these guys duet with the backing of their immensely talented glee club.

Raise Your Glass (P!nk) - The Warblers feat. Blaine. New Directions has their original loser anthem coming up, but this is a tried and true one. It's fun and the crowd loves it, but it doesn't quite rise to "Teenage Dream" quality.

Get it Right (Rachel) - New Directions feat. Rachel. Rachel's solo is a quality piano pop ballad. Although "Loser Like Me" will get more attention, this song is nice too. Rachel does a good job with it too.

Loser Like Me (New Directions) - New Directions feat. Rachel & Finn. New Directions turns out a high-energy performance of their big number. It's a fun song, although it doesn't quite become the moment I was hoping it would be.

UK Singles Chart, March 19, 2011

1. Someone Like You - Adele

Adele continues to dominate the British charts, maintaining #1 on the singles and albums chart this week, plus also seeing "Someone Like You" climb to the top of the airplay chart. This is the single's fourth week at #1. No single spent as long at #1 last year. Lily Allen's "The Fear" was the last single to spend 4 weeks at the top, doing so in early 2009.

2. Price Tag - Jessie J feat. B.o.B
3. S&M - Rihanna
4. Born This Way - Lady Gaga

It's a static top 4 this week, as these other female artists hold their ground. Adele's other current hit, "Rolling in the Deep," falls out of the top 5 to #9.

5. Black & Yellow - Wiz Khalifa

The recent US #1 makes its UK bow at #5, giving Wiz Khalifa his first top 10 hit.

11. I Need a Doctor - Dr. Dre feat. Eminem & Skylar Grey

Dr. Dre climbs four notches to #11, close to the top 10. Will it continue to climb?

16. What the Hell - Avril Lavigne

This single's been bouncing around in the 20s the last few weeks, but spikes up to #16 this week, up 9 places.

19. L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. - Noah & The Whale

This single has been bouncing around in the 30s and looked like it was going to fall off the chart before rebounding to #30 last week and now up 11 spots to spend its first week in the top 20. The group hit #7 a few years ago with the single "5 Years Time."

20. Heart on My Sleeve - Olly Murs

The law of diminishing returns strikes pop acts hard this week. First up is Olly Murs, who hit #1 with his first single, "Please Don't Let Me Go," and then #4 with its follow-up, "Thinking of Me," but barely manages to brush the top 20 with his third. What do you bet there isn't a fourth single from the album unless it's paired with something new?

21. Till the World Ends - Britney Spears

Britney enters the top 40 at #21 with her new single "Till the World Ends," which debuted at #55 last week on its partial-week sales, after having been released on the previous Friday. #21 isn't very good for an artist who should be hitting the top 10, although a look at her record shows that Spears has been struggling a bit on the UK singles chart lately. Many of her recent singles have charted quite a bit higher in the US than in the UK--a reversal from mid '00s, where the situation was quite the opposite.

27. Just Can't Get Enough - Black Eyed Peas

The latest from Will, Fergie and crew debuts at #27. I imagine this will be climbing. Most of their recent singles were #1 hits.

35. That's the Truth - McFly

Another pop act suffering the law of diminishing returns, as McFly's third single from their fifth album charts at a rather measly #35. Their previous low-water mark was the #18 peak of "Do Ya," the third (and last) single from their previous album. All 17 of their other singles were top 10 hits.

So, will this be Adele's last week at #1? The Wanted have a new single out that's from their recent album and it's a tie-in with the Comic Relief charity effort.

Album Reviews

Clare Maguire - Light After Dark (3.5/5). With her solid debut, Light After Dark, British singer Clare Maguire makes a convincing bid to be the next Annie Lennox, her deep, expressive vocals and rich melodies clearly evoking the Eurythmics singer's style. "The Shield and the Sword" and "The Last Dance" open the album with forceful tunes about the end of love, liberally arranged with swirls of strings, piano, synthesizers and drums. "I Surrender" matches her big sound with a modern synth pop dance beat. Makes sense that it works when you remember the album's producer is Fraser T. Smith, the man behind most of the Taio Cruz and Tinchy Stryder hits. Despite having some good songs, there are a couple of key problems with this album. First, its musical arrangements don't vary significantly, so while I'm always up for a nice strings and keyboard tune, they get old after awhile when there's nothing else. Second, the album has a singular focus on being big and bold--rarely are their quiet moments. Coupled together, the album can be exhausting to listen to in long stretches. That said, if you feel like giving up at the halfway point, come back later for the trip-hop leaning "Sweet Lie" and sinister "Ain't Nobody." Best: The Last Dance, The Shield and the Sword, I Surrender, Sweet Lie.

R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now (3/5). How does a band who had its creative peak in the '80s and its commercial peak in the '90s stay relevant? It's a question that's vexed R.E.M. for the last 15 years. After stumbling through the early '00s, they delivered a pretty decent set in 2008 with the moody rocker Accelerate. On Collapse into Now, they attempt to broaden their sound more. Where Accelerate was lean and focused, Collapse Into Now is all over the place, mining the band's history to explore sounds from their most successful periods. "Discoverer" sounds like '80s R.E.M, "All the Best" like the fuzzier rock of the mid '90s, and "Uberlin" is a close study of the band's 1992 track "Drive." That mandolin that made "Losing My Religion" so memorable? Hear it on heartfelt ballad "Oh My Heart." "Blue" stands out as something different with Stipe's spoken-word segments alternating with Patti Smith's gentle vocal, although I can't say it's a song I particularly like. Although It's fun to hear all these sounds come together on one album, it makes me realize I'd be having even more fun if I was listening to their older LPs instead. Best: Uberlin, Discoverer, Oh My Heart.

Personal Chart, March 12, 2011

Billboard Hot 100, March 19, 2011

1. Born This Way - Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" spends a fourth week at #1. It's still #1 on the Digital Songs chart, although it is no longer #1 at iTunes. It's airplay has caught up though and it will likely top the pop radio airplay chart soon. This is the longest a Lady Gaga song has been #1, and the track ties Bruno Mars' "Grenade" for the most weeks at #1 this year.

2. F**k You! - Cee Lo Green

Cee Lo holds at #2 and is this week's airplay gainer. He really wants a week at #1. Will he get it?

3. S&M - Rihanna

Rihanna climbs two spots to #3, the same position the song occupies in the UK.

5. On the Floor - Jennifer Lopez (feat. Pitbull)

Jennifer Jennifer Jennifer Lopez! She's got to be excited to land her 8th top 5 hit. This song is on fire--it's this week's Digital Gainer and #1 at iTunes (beating Britney, surprisingly).

7. Blow - Ke$ha

Promoting "Blow's" a job Ke$ha has apparently excelled at, sending the hit single into the top 10, becoming her 8th top 10 hit.

20. Till the End of the World - Britney Spears

Brit Brit's second single from Femme Fatale was released unexpectedly late last week, so it debuts at #20 on only a partial week of sales. It's already hot at radio though, so expect it to be another hit from her.

33. Just Can't Get Enough - Black Eyed Peas

This uncharacteristically slow song from Black Eyed Peas annoyed me at first, but now it seems to be growing on me, as I don't mind it anymore. This is their 14th top 40 hit.

Singles Serving

Summer Rain - Matthew Morrison. Lots of original music coming out of Glee this week, although this is official not Glee-related but rather the solo debut of Glee star Matthew Morrison. He's gone the male troubadour route, a la Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson, delivering a breezy slice of pop backed by acoustic guitar, live drums and later some (possibly synthesized) strings. Morrison co-wrote the track with Norwegian production due Espionage, who have written or co-written a number of major hits (Beyonce's "Irreplaceable, Train's "Hey, Soul Sister"). Although it's not what I would have expected him to do, it's not bad. A bit of a grower, but good. Who wouldn't want to make love with Matthew Morrison on a rooftop in the rain?

Loser Like Me - Glee Cast. This is from next week's episode, "Original Song," and as that title suggests, this is the first music out of Glee that isn't a remake. Of course it's expertly produced and co-written by Swedish pop mastermind Max Martin. The club's stars take the lead on this one, and Lea Michele in particular sounds great as usual over the bubbly pop track with an appealing guitar grind under its chorus. Would love to see them score a genuine hit with this. Also out is an original ballad, "Get It Right," which also features Michele, and is quite lovely.

You'll Be Mine - The Pierces. The Pierces are a sisters duo from New York. They've been around for awhile, but with Coldplay bassist (hottie) Guy Berryman producing their new album, they're getting a lot more exposure. "You'll Be Mine" is a great song with a downbeat '70s pop vibe over a richly produced acoustic instrumentation. Definitely whets my appetite for an album.

Till the World Ends - Britney Spears. Longtime Spears songwriter, Swede Alexander Kronlund and pop singer Ke$ha co-wrote this new single for Britney, produced by Max Martin, Dr. Luke and Billboard (not the magazine). What ensues is another pieces of electro-dance pop not unlike "Hold It Against Me" really. Although it isn't breaking any new ground clearly, it's another fun single from the Blonde singer.

Heart on My Sleeve - Olly Murs. For his third single, Murs turns away from the reggae fusion sound of his last two singles toward more traditional pop territory. The song is produced and co-written by John Shanks, who produced the last two Take That albums before Progress. So it sounds a lot like that stuff, especially "Rule the World." I wasn't really into "Thinking of Me," but I like this better, even if it sounds like Take That from 3 years ago (that was, after all, a sound I liked).

Moment 4 Life - Nicki Minaj feat. Drake. Nicki Minaj was a big breakout star last year with a lot of great buzz, but lacked a major hit under her belt. "Moment 4 Life," the fourth single from her album Pink Friday may finally be just that hit. The song contrasts a dark, downbeat melody with an uplifting lyric. Minaj sounds a bit like Rihanna on this one.

That's the Truth - McFly. For a brief moment, it looked like McFly might get interesting. Then they give us this utterly derivative piece of fluff. It's not bad, it's not really good either. It just sort of "is" if that makes sense. It probably sounds familiar, because elements of it sound like about 40 other songs that have been hits in the last 5 years.

Young Blood - The Naked and Famous. This New Zealand group broke out big in their homeland last year and this is the catchiest song I've heard from them so far, with a pretty irresistable synth-based tune. So what if it sounds just like another recent band from down under (Empire of the Sun) who, like this band, was also riding the MGMT bandwagon. You'll be bumping along to it anyway until the next hot new thing comes along.

Glee, "Sexy"

Holly Holiday (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns and Emma Pilsbury finally gets some screen time as the schools new mascot for celibacy. Since Paltrow teaches sex ed, this puts them at odds with Will in the middle, who of course is sexually interested in both of them.

Santana invites Brittany over for a make-out session but the latter confides that she thinks she's pregnant, which quickly spreads all over school including to her boyfriend, Artie. Although it turns out she only thinks so because a stork is building a nest outside her window. Oh Brittany.

Holly convinces Will that his Glee club is particular devoid of accurate knowledge about sex, so she volunteers to come by and explain the birds and the bees rather graphically.

Sue shows up at Kurt and Blaine's coffee shop to give them "intel" on New Directions' new push to be sexy. Although Kurt is skeptical, Blaine appears to fall for her encouragement to get the Warblers to do something sexy. He arranges a performance for a girls' prep school choir to see if they are sexy enough. Kurt struggles with being sexy, so Blaine tries to coach him, but Kurt doesn't want to hear about sex. Blaine goes to Kurt's father and tries to get him to talk to Kurt about sex. Kurt's father gives Kurt some pamphlets to read but also talks with him about intimacy and how scary that can be. It's a surprisingly honest discussion. What a great moment.

Emma and Carl confide to Holly that even though they've been married 4 months they haven't had sex yet. Holly and Carl ask Emma if she's in love with Will and she confesses that she's unsure, although Carl indicates he's moving out of the house until she figures it out.

Brittany and Santana turn to Holly to discuss their same-sex attraction, which leads them to later sing a song together. It helps Santana figure out that she's more than just physically attracted to Brittany--that she actually feels something deeper for her and isn't really interested in the guys. But Brittany decides to stand by Artie and a tearful Santana refuses to be consoled.

Will and Holly's tango makes him hot under the collar but she rebuffs his advances. When it comes time for Holly's sub duty to end she changes her mind and gives Will a goodbye kiss with the prospect of more to follow.

This was a great episode--the best in weeks. Gwyneth Paltrow was fantastic, there were lots of funny lines, the subject matter was topical and well-handled, particularly Kurt's fathers talk with his gay son about sex. Santana finally showed some humanity and the songs were all pretty good too.

Songs:

Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) (Joan Jett) - Holly Holiday. Gwenyth...I mean Holly...works some pretty awesome leather pants in this rockin' sexy number. I hope she continues to come by. She's a great guest star.

Animal (Neon Trees) - Blaine, Kurt & the Warblers. Fun to see them do something isn't a capella for a change. And also nice to Kurt get a co-lead with Blaine, who always seems to get the Warblers solos.

Kiss (Prince) - Will & Holly. Mr. Schue and Ms. Holiday turn Prince's classic '80s hit into a sexy tango. They look great, but who are all these other dancers? Can't the kids tango?

Landslide (Fleetwood Mac) - Holly with Santana and Brittany. Holly grabs a guitar and does a nice, soulful rendition of this classic.

Afternoon Delight (Starland Vocal Band) - Emma, Puck, Quinn, Rachel and Carl. Emma thinks the song is about sneaking an extra dessert in the middle of the afternoon. She's almost as clueless as Brittany.

Best line (Holly): Sex--it's just like hugging, only wetter.

Album Review: Jessie J - Who You Are (4/5)

I've read it suggested that Jessie J is the British answer to Lady Gaga. If that's the case, then I'm not sure what the question is, as she doesn't sound a thing like Lady Gaga to me. More like Katy Perry perhaps or even what Natasha Bedingfield would sound like if she was still famous.

In truth, it's probably not fair to try to pigeon-hole Jessie J so quickly. After all, a lot of people really believe she's the real deal--the X Factor without the reality show, if you will. She won the BBC Sounds of 2011 poll, making her the hottest new act of the year. On her debut album, she's nicely side-stepped the current dominant international pop sound--the soulless blend of electro, pop and R&B, to give us something rather unexpected: a true mix of sounds that's surprisingly downbeat and frequently retro.

In the latter category is the rather cool "Abracadabra," a fantastic dose of tuneful '90s-style R&B scored with piano chords, some funky guitar and a toe-tapping beat. I just gave a quick listen to some En Vogue, Keith Sweat and Toni Braxton, and would love this sound to make a comeback. "Casualty of Love" also fits nicely in this groove, reaching even further to deliver a nice piece of old school R&B balladry.

Too many slow songs drag this album down though. For someone billed as pop's next big thing, they feel out of place in a landscape dominated by Dr. Luke and Max Martin's uptempo studio wizardry. "Big White Room" for example is a nice enough song, but coming after three pretty great and upbeat songs it kills the album's mood. Later in the album, too many similar slowish tracks ("L.O.V.E.", "Stand Up" and "I Need This") are a poor introduction for what is a rather decent closing number in the title track, which also sounds like it is headed to radio soon.

More contemporary sounds include the current reggae-tinged hit, "Price Tag," and "Nobody's Perfect," which showcases some predictable beats and synths, but also showcases quite a bit of personality and a voice (and British accent) that can barely be contained. It screams "future single," and at the rate she's been releasing them, I imagine we'll be waiting weeks rather than months to hear this on Radio 1.

I'm recommending this album, but with reservations. The songs I like are totally solid, but the songs I don't are a real let down. In addition to the aforementioned, I have to also single out over-the-top "Mama Knows Best," which sounds like Christina Aguilera indulging her worst impulses. And I can do without the vocal hiccups on "Rainbow," a rather grating track. But then comes the rather cool strut of "Do It Like a Dude" to restore my confidence that she may just live up to her rather deafening hype.

Best: Price Tag, Abracadabra, Do It Like a Dude, Nobody's Perfect, Casualty of Love, Who You Are

UK Singles Chart, March 12, 2011

1. Someone Like You - Adele
2. Price Tag - Jessie J feat. B.o.B
3. S&M - Rihanna

Adele holds the top spot for a third week with "Someone Like You," the first single to stay at #1 for that long since X Factor winner Matt Cardle did so with "When We Collide" in December. Amazingly, her sales have actually increased each week: 112k 2 weeks ago, 115k last week and 116k this week. Her album 21 also holds the top spot on the albums chart for a sixth week, tying the recent 6-week run at #1 by Take That's Progress. Such a long spell atop the albums chart is rare. Eminem spent 7 weeks at #1 last year with Recovery, but it took four turns to reach that total. The last album to spend more consecutive weeks at #1 was Michael Jackson, who topped the chart for 7 weeks with The Essential Michael Jackson in the summer of 2009 just after his death. The last living artist to have that many consecutive weeks at #1 was Leona Lewis, who spent the last 7 weeks of 2007 at #1 with Spirit.

It's a static top 3 with Jessie J holding at #2, giving her a fifth week in the top 2, and Rihanna at #3.

4. Born This Way - Lady Gaga

Just when it starts looking bad for this single, it gets its second wind. After dropping 5 spots last week, Lady Gaga rebounds to #4 with "Born This Way." In the US, her airplay at top 40 had started to wane, but then turned around and is growing strong again. Once the video is out, it should give the song an extra push, although #1 is very much a longshot at this point.

22. Rope - Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters are back, but don't make a very big splash, debuting at #22 with "Rope," the first single from their upcoming album. Their last major hit was "The Pretender," which hit #8 in 2007.

30. Kidz - Take That

Doesn't look like this will be a hit for them. Too bad. I still like it. It peaked at #28 last week. One three Take That singles have charted lower and those were their first three before they became really big.

40. Who You Are - Jessie J

Will this be Jessie J's "Someone Like You?" The title track of her new album, an acoustic ballad that closes the album, sneaks in as a cherry-picked track at #40.

Essential Albums of the '80s: Madonna (1983)

By 1983 disco really was dead, but a new form of mainstream dance music, "dance pop," was taking off, thanks to artists like Michael Jackson and Madonna. It's hard to imagine a time when Madonna wasn't a worldwide star, but upon the release of her self-titled debut, the singer had under her belt only a couple of singles that were popular in dance clubs but were not mainstream hits. That all changed with the album's third single, "Holiday," which reached the top 20 in the US. She did even better with its follow-up, the mid-tempo love song "Borderline," which hit #10, and its upbeat follow-up, "Lucky Star," which hit #4--a chart progression that by the end of 1984 teed Madonna up for the significantly bigger impact she had with her second album, Like a Virgin.

Madonna effectively straddles both the dance floor and top 40 radio, perfectly embodying the emergent dance pop sound of the early '80s. "Lucky Star" sets the tone with its insistent beat, prominent bassline and irresistible hooks, although it is the trilling synthesizers that really make this song great. Most of the songs embody a similar feel except for "Borderline," which nudges ever so slightly toward love song territory and "Burning Up," which throws in some gnarly electric guitar for a rockier vibe. These songs, as well as most of the album were produced by Reggie Lucas, who was selected over previous Madonna collaborators to helm the album.

Despite Lucas's presence, much of the album's success is due to John "Jellybean" Benitez, the producer of "Holiday" whom Madonna had remix several of the Lucas-produced tracks she wasn't happy with--namely several of the aforementioned songs that became singles. Arguably, he deserves as much credit for this album as Lucas, although the liner notes relegate him to the role of remixer. "Holiday" in particular, although it wasn't a massive hit upon its release, has become the most enduring song from the album, showing up on the concert list of almost every subsequent Madonna tour. It's a breezy slice of synthesizer dance pop with a memorable keyboard solo. It's still routinely played on adult pop format radio. The album's third producer, Mark Kamins, was responsible only for "Everybody," the dance floor stomper that he produced as Madonna's first single, notable for its spoken-word sections. Stephen Bray, who had helped Madonna with her pre-Madonna demo was not selected to contribute to this album (he would get his chance later).

Among the tracks that were not hit singles, "Think of Me" really stands out for its unusual rhythm and saxophone solo. "I Know It" was a favorite when I was a kid, but it doesn't hold my interest as much know. "Physical Attraction" is nice enough dance pop, but not a standout either.

My first listen of the album was probably sometime in 1988. At that time, I was already a big Madonna fan, having started with Who's that Girl and then proceeded with You Can Dance, True Blue and Like a Virgin. I checked the vinyl LP out from the library and listened to this on my parent's record player. I think I got the cassette sometime in late 1988, perhaps for Christmas. Back then, I enjoyed it, but not as much as her other albums, and I still feel the same way today. It's gotten a lot of attention of late, and has probably aged the best of her '80s work, since it is most similar to the currently popular styles of electronic dance pop. But if I was told I couldn't keep all of Madonna's '80s albums, this would be the one I would let go first, as much as I love it.

Best: Lucky Star, Holiday, Borderline, Burning Up, Think of Me

Album Review: Radiohead - The King of Limbs (4/5)

A friend of mine who is a real audiophile recently explained to me opinion how music has suffered in general from the compression of dynamic range to make music sound better on portable devices like iPods. Since periods of relative quiet are annoying when canceled out by background noise and periods of ear-splitting loudness can be jarring, if not hazardous (especially if you turned the volume up to hear a quiet part), engineers are reducing the range of music so that everything falls in a comfortable albeit less interesting middle zone.

I don't mention this to comment on actual dynamic range of The King of Limbs, but something similar is going on with this 8th studio album from Radiohead. Whereas their last album, In Rainbows, as well as the others that came before it were marked with uptempo rockers ("Bodysnatchers," "Optimistic") and elegantly moody slow songs ("How to Disappear Completely," "No Surprises"), this album offers none of the former and little of the latter. Most of its rather short playlist of eight songs is fairly even-sounding, mid-tempo stuff.

There's also little focus on traditional melody and song structure; instead, Radiohead has really focused on the layering of sounds--mostly electronic, often distorted beyond recognition. Sounds loop over continuously in a way that actually quite reminds me of the new wave sound of Talking Heads' Remain in Light, the new wave classic I recently discussed for my Essential '80s Albums series. Radiohead's sound is more electronic though, evoking perhaps LCD Soundsystem.

None of this is said to disparage the album, for I find it rather enjoyable, although not as much as their greatest works (i.e. In Rainbows, Kid A, The Bends, OK Computer). A lonely piano trills through the beginning of "Bloom," whose sustained electronic notes would be expected to sustain perfectly but actually sometimes falter (purposefully presumed), while Thom Yorke's heavily reverbed vocal soars up through the piece. Horns weave through the song's second half, when the piano can once again be heard. "Morning Mr. Magpie's" layering of complex beats with bass, acoustic guitars and synthesizer effects creates a meditative quality. Guitar comes more to the fore on "Little by Little," which also has a complex, vaguely African beat to it (further reason for comparing this to Talking Heads) and an eerie middle section.

While the lyrics on "Little by Little" are mostly barely inaudible, they become fully incomprehensible on "Feral," which contains fragments of lyrics as if someone took a sonic eraser and smudged over the whole thing, leaving little traces that amount to whispers. It's a cool effect and a I rather like this song, despite it bearing little resemblance to a "song" at all.

"Lotus Flower" was selected as the album's single and it's as close as anything comes to being an actual song, although it's not a standout for me. What is though is "Codex," the album's most distinctive song, since it breaks the from the general layered focus of the other tracks to deliver something that is rather simple musically--it's mostly just piano and vocal with a few horns thrown and synth effects thrown in. Quite lovely, especially its instrumental climax. "Separator," the final track rolls along with surprisingly warmth and slightly retro feel, as if lightly kissed by some sunny '70s sun. Some surmise its title (along with the short running-time) suggests that The King of Limbs is the first of a two-part musical piece. If that's true, perhaps the rock 'n' roll is being saved for part 2? We shall see, but I don't need loud feedback to enjoy the ongoing musical exploration this group is taking is on.

Best: Bloom, Feral, Codex, Morning Mr. Magpie, Separator

Personal Chart, March 5, 2011

Billboard Hot 100, March 12, 2011

1. Born This Way - Lady Gaga

A lot of upward moment on the chart this week, although the top 3 remains the same, giving Lady Gaga a third albeit non-bulleted week at #1 with "Born This Way." That matches the 3 weeks she spent at #1 with her first single, "Just Dance," so if it can manage another week, it will become her longest-running #1. Although its sales have slacked, it's still #1 at iTunes, and after waning a bit after its initial onslaught, its airplay has picked up significantly again, so a fourth is definitely possible.

2. Fuck You!/Forget You - Cee Lo Green

Cee Lo holds at #2, earning this week's Airplay Gainer. If there's a threat to Gaga remaining #1 next week, it's this.

4. F**kin' Perfect - P!nk

Pink returns to the top 5 this week, up two spots. This single reached a #2 peak 4 weeks ago, but has been rebounding due to continued growth at radio.

5. S&M - Rihanna

S&M climbs two spots to #5, becoming Rihanna's 13th top 5 hit. This makes Loud her only album to score three consecutive top 5 singles. Although Good Girl Gone Bad had four top 5ers, they were not consecutive and in fact two of them didn't exist on the original release of the album.

8. E.T. - Katy Perry (feat. Kanye West)

Katy Perry makes a nice 20-spot leap to #8 with "E.T.," the fourth Teenage Dream single and fourth to reach the top 10 (the previous three were all #1 hits). The occasion is the release of the single version of this song, a new mix that features rapper Kanye West. This is Perry's 7th top 10 hit.

9. On the Floor - Jennifer Lopez (feat. Pitbull)

After having two singles fail to reach the top 100, Jennifer Lopez must feel good about seeing her latest debut within the top 10! From 1999 to 2003, J.Lo was a hot pop music property. But as her movie career soured, so too did her pop career, and prior to this, her last top 10 hit was as a guest on LL Cool J's "Control Myself" in 2006. Recent singles "Fresh Out of the Oven" and "Louboutins" were #1 dance hits, but failed to crack the Hot 100. Revitalized by her popular turn as a judge on American Idol and blessed with a pretty decent song this time around (as well as Pitbull, a man who recently contributed to the Enrique Iglesias comeback), she manages to score her 10th top 10 hit.

11. Blow - Ke$ha

Ke$ha makes a remarkable 21-spot jump to #11 this week, almost scoring another top 10 hit. Credit this to a big sales boost this week.

13. Rolling the Deep - Adele

Adele makes a nice 13-spot jump to #13, making "Rolling in the Deep" her biggest-charting US hit yet. Her album, 21, is #1 on the Billboard 200 this week.

31. All of the Lights - Kanye West (feat. Rihanna)

The song from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy that I think has the best chance of being a major hit finally reaches the top 40. Despite its universal acclaim, West's fifth album is so far his only one to not score a top 10 hit.