Ke$ha featuring will.i.am or Juicy J or Pitbull—“Crazy Kids”
#59
The credits tell the tale. Ever since “Die Young” was pulled from radio (the decent thing to do, though the conflicting explanations that followed confused the issue) Ke$ha’s career has been in freefall. “C’mon” hung around the charts for a while but never connected, and now the label, or perhaps her management or even Ke$ha herself, are so unsure of what to do they’ve released three different versions of “Crazy Kids” hoping that one of them will stick (to be fair, the will.i.am version is the original, but wasn’t used on the album). It doesn’t seem to be working, which is a shame, because this is my favorite of the singles from Warrior, if only because Ke$ha sounds like she actually enjoyed making it. All the same, it isn’t great, and it’s her third hedonistic anthem in a row. Isn’t it time she tried something else?
Danielle Bradbery—“Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Old Days”
#89
Tyler Farr—“Redneck Crazy”
#95
As an answer record of sorts to Miranda Lambert’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”, I can appreciate “Redneck Crazy’s” sentiment even if I don’t approve of the actions themselves. What I can’t appreciate is the tempo. The slow ballad pace makes the song creepier than necessary, as if the guy was a stalker plotting mass murder rather than an ex-boyfriend reveling in drunken revenge. That’s a dish best served fast.
Justin Moore—“Point At You”
#97
A good song, with a twist that turns its country boy clichés, if not on their head, at least halfway around. Moore, a pro who’s as good as his material but rarely better, makes the most of it. Sturdy, above average country-rock. And that’s all there is to say about that.