The Problem With… Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night”

I’m starting to think the whole ’80s retro thing has run its course. We’ve seen plenty of it in recent memory, and now Katy Perry’s latest single “Last Friday Night” is the latest attempt to pull at your nostalgic side — while referencing, of course, to the ABC sitcom block…

The Problem With… Lady Antebellum’s “Just A Kiss”

Bless my lucky stars! Lady Antebellum is back on the charts! In the fall, they’ll be releasing an album with the ominous title, Own The Night, which makes them sound like they’re vampires or a street gang wearing 19th century dresses with huge skirts. I do declare: They must have…

The Problem With.. Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory”

So. Lady Gaga’s anticipated Born This Way came out earlier this week. After giving it a listen, I’d say its like a roller coaster — one that has Gaga’s roaring head from the cover on the bumper. It’s thrilling in some turns, nauseating in others and it gives listeners a…

The Problem With… Beyonce’s “Run the World (Girls)”

After a year away from music, Mrs. Shawn Carter is now looking to get back on the spotlight. Tracks from the 2008 release I Am… Sasha Fierce endured for a while. With “Video Phone,” she pushed the gadget industry to include video phone functionality, which the iPhone eventually did. “Single…

The Problem With… Jessie J’s “Price Tag”

In the last quarter, we’ve seen a handful of British artists arrive at the top of American charts. We’ve had Adele, with her soul sound that draws in people over 30. Ellie Goulding, too, with her hipster-approved Swedish bicycle. Rapper Tinie Tempah, meanwhile, has doled out some Yeezy-tier productions.  Now…

The Problem With… Bruno Mars’ “The Lazy Song”

I’ve never really considered Bruno Mars’ music to be especially industrious. I just imagine that, one morning, some music-industry toady stuck a bunch of magnetic letters on a fridge, spelled out Jason Mraz, shuffled all the letters around and got the name “Bruno Mars.” The whole idea behind Bruno seems…

The Problem With… Lady Gaga’s “Judas”

Last week, a new Lady Gaga track called “Judas” premiered. And, with it, she released a new, tacky cover image for her upcoming album (see it after the jump).This week, Lady also pulled a “faux ga” of sorts with Weird Al. The story goes like this: Gaga’s manager snubbed his…

The Problem With… Pink’s “Fuckin’ Perfect”

Without a doubt, all of the depression- and suicide-related songs released in recent memory have meant well. Unfortunately, the singer-as-motivational-speaker thing is a but impulsive and contrived. Has been for some time, too: The late-’80s film Heathers even lampooned the trope with a hokey anti-suicide track called “Teenage Suicide (Don’t…

The Problem With… Ke$ha’s “Blow”

I didn’t think I’d have to review another Ke$ha track this year. I kinda thought the industry and fans would be done with her by now. When I saw a new track “Blow” on the charts back in February, I didn’t want to hasten the day. Then, it finally hit…

The Problem With… Rihanna’s “S&M”

It’s good to see that the love of my life, Rihanna, is still on the charts. At the tail end of last year, she showed up in a tame duet with Drake in “What’s My Name” then ended the year appearing in the impressive Kanye track “All Of the Lights.”…

The Problem With… Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”

For every good idea that Lady Gaga has, she also has a bad one. Bad enough, even, to make you reconsider how good the original idea was in the first place.This even applies to her image. Hey, I’m all for creating fantastical characters — they’re inseparable with popular music culture,…

The Problem With… Taio Cruz’s “Higher”

Have you ever met any music fans who tell you they only listen to British music? The ones who think British music is superior to North American music? Yeah, they must be pretentious bastards viewing the greener grass on the other side. Yet, in listening to both versions of Taio…

The Problem With… Train’s “Marry Me”

As a man, I don’t think I’ll ever get the appeal of the group Train. Before I heard “Drops of Jupiter” all those years ago, the name Train brought to mind the show Soul Train, suggesting a funk and soul character. Now, every time I hear that name, I always…

The Problem With… Far East Movement’s “Rocketeer”

Y’know, the East Asian-American group Far East Movement had a pretty good hit last year in “Like A G6.” It was probably the only electronic-sounding pop song of last year that I wouldn’t be ashamed to mix. In fact, the track was so good, I can even overlook their making…

The Problem With… Britney Spears’ “Hold It Against Me”

After a quiet 2010 consisting of an appearance in a Glee episode dedicated to her, Britney Spears is wasting no time getting back in the spotlight in 2011. And her first release/leak of this year is a jambalaya of dated electronic sounds hidden behind a chipmunk/Cajun Britney Spears.The song’s called…