Chris Brown
“Zero”, #80
“Little More (Royalty)”, #91
“Zero” is an attempted Daft Punk rip that sounds like Maroon 5 with vocoders, and is only half successful. That still makes it twice as good as “Little More”, on which Brown tries yet again to talk a woman into having sex with him when she has more important things to do, like sleep. Wonder what happens if she turns him down.
Lindsey Stirling
“Hallelujah”
#81
When Lindsey played before the Lord
He cut her off ‘fore her final chord
Said “You don’t really like that muzak, do ya?”
Kevin Gates
“Really Really”
#94
This sounds like Future without the melancholy and autotune, which also means without the complexity and emotional resonance. Even Future is barely getting away with this stuff anymore, and Gates has nothing new to add. Better than most, but is that really saying anything?
James Bay
“Let It Go”
#98
The adoption of old time singer/songwriter stances and attitudes by rappers is bad enough, but actually trying to sound like those models, the way Bay and Ed Sheeran do is even worse. In this case, Bay deploys what sounds like a borrowed guitar figure from what is probably a much better record, and pairs it with words that say nothing new, or even truthful, about breaking up. “You be you and I’ll be me” he croons, blissfully unaware of how impossible and ultimately meaningless a proposition that is.
Future
“Stick Talk”
#99
Future’s consistency is impressive: “Stick Talk” is no worse, and sometimes better, than the other singles he’s released in the last year. But it also sounds just like those other records, and doesn’t expand on any of his usual themes. It’s like a regular checkup on a chronic illness that never gets worse but never goes away. The details may get more precise, but they never tell you anything new.
Jason Derulo
“Get Ugly”
#100
If you want to sound loose and crazy, it’s best not to employ prefabricated parts that have been jammed together with the slickest of grease. “Want To Want Me” worked because it had some feeling to it, and the silliest tracks from his previous album worked because he was just discovering the technique and you could feel his excitement. This sounds like formula intelligently, even tastefully, applied, which is the exact opposite of what it should be. If you’re going to get ugly, get ugly.