Top 20 Songs of 2000-2009: Songs 6-10

10. Crazy in Love-Beyonce

It would be foolish to deny Beyonce’s musical influence this past decade. From her Destiny’s Child roots to her movie career, Beyonce has dominated pop culture in many different ways. Picking her best moment is almost an exercise in futility, because there are so many options and it’s hard to go wrong. Although Single Ladies and Say My Name were both strong contenders, I could not ignore her first single. Crazy in Love dominated 2003 and helped elevate Beyonce from Desinty’s Child front-woman to international superstar. It’s also a damn good track. Those horns…they’re inescapable.

9. Since U Been Gone-Kelly Clarkson

She-rock had a very strong showing this decade. Avril Lavigne and P!nk both made some excellent tunes that showed tougher women could dominate the pop charts. Now, Kelly wasn’t always a badass. After winning American Idol, she was poised to be America’s Sweetheart—the likeable Texas girl with strong pipes. Although Miss Independent hinted at her rock leanings, it wasn’t until she cut loose on this song that she really showed some new depth. Additionally, this song is further evidence that Max Martin is a musical god.

8. Try Again-Aaliyah

Timbaland wasn’t always the production monolith he is today. In the 90s he was just beginning to break into the mainstream and had a few hits here and there. Most of those revolved around his muse: a young R&B princess with a smooth voice. This muse may not have been the strongest singer or the most emotionally available, but something about her hypnotic delivery sat well with Timbaland’s beats. Yes, Aaliyah managed to bring something out in Timabaland’s music that very few could. This song is perhaps their greatest collaboration and a sad indication of Aaliyah’s potential had she lived longer.

7. Maps-The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

When it comes to music outside of the mainstream, I don’t think it gets much better than this song. Even though it’s very lyrically repetitive, the instrumentation and layering perfectly captures the anguish that Karen O is trying to convey. The guitar line is incredible and this song manages to portray heartbreak more minimally and effectively that almost every pop song this decade.

6. Biology-Girls Aloud

This is probably the least influential song on the list, particularly in the United States, but it is also the most perfectly crafted and interesting pure pop song this decade. Taking a leaf from the Supremes, the structure of this song is subtly atypical. It takes two minutes for the chorus to hit. The beat is an odd mixture of Europop and Muddy Waters. It seems so mashed together that you’d think it would never work as a song. Yet, somehow it does. Brilliantly.

Album Review: All I Ever Wanted

I have to say, the more I listen to Kelly Clarkson’s music and try to understand who she is as an artist, the more confused I get. Originally, she was America’s pop sweetheart: A wholesome girl from Texas and the inaugural winner of Fox’s hit reality program, American Idol. After a few successes from her debut, Thankful, she reinvented herself as a pop/rock artist the in vein of Avril Lavigne with her sophomore album, Breakaway. Breakaway was both critically and commercially successful—a shedding of her American Idol skin so that she could make music that was more her style. Granted, it still clung to a commercial sensibility, but it was a more cohesive effort that her debut. Then, Kelly decided to make an album that would completely represent her as an artist. My December was panned by her fans, but applauded by critics. It was a dark examination of love and relationships that showcased some of Kelly’s loveliest singing and, at the end of the day, Kelly could claim ownership because she wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album. Although the album isolated some of her core fans, the complete integrity with which she recorded My December was admirable

Now, Kelly returns with her fourth album, All I Ever Wanted, and it takes about thirteen seconds to realize that Kelly has completely sold out. As soon as the beat kicks in on her current hit, My Life Would Suck Without You, it’s obviously that this album is a complete departure from the darkness of My December and, in some ways, a departure from anything she’s done before. This album seems to be specifically engineered to re-energize her fans with a constant barrage of glossy pop songs that are produced to the nth degree. Even the album’s most “tender” moments feel a bit disingenuous. On Cry, the album’s first power ballad, Clarkson says “Is this as hard as it gets/Is that what it really feels like to cry.” However, I have trouble believing her. Instead, I feel like she’s coloring in the lines to make her record label happy. I didn’t really give My December a fair chance. Now that I can see how the pursuit of pop perfection shows Clarkson’s sacrifice of artistic integrity and I actually think she knew what it was to cry on her last album. Now, I can’t decide if she’s a pop princess, rock goddess, or love’s philosopher. This time, she’s trying to be the jack-of-all-trades and the master of only one.

Despite my displeasure with how the album portrays Kelly as an artist, All I Ever Wanted does contain several moments of pop brilliance and should re-solidify Kelly as pop’s reigning princess. The aforementioned Cry, albeit a bit insincere, still has engaging lyrics and a soaring chorus. The glorious Already Gone is a beautiful ballad in which Clarkson describes leaving a relationship in order to help someone move on and heal. There are also some great up-tempo numbers. My Life Would Suck Without You will surely cause people to sing at the top of their lungs during the chorus and the Katy Perry penned I Do Not Hook Up is about as infectious as a song could get. Surely it will have radio success. The potential hits on this album are endless. It’s a bit overwhelming. Some of the songs even experiment with different structures. The bridge on Save You is unlike anything I’ve ever heard on a pop song, with inspiration coming from a classical piano melody. I Want You delves into a sound that seems partially inspired by Running, by No Doubt, and still manages to seem completely original. The downside of this is that All I Ever Wanted doesn’t feel like a complete idea. It’s more like a Kelly Clarkson’s Greatest Hits album, and most listeners will probably just pick their favorites and put them on repeat. I don’t really see many people looking to listen to the album in its entirety.

At the end of the day, I think I have to accept that I cannot have a Kelly Clarkson album that is an honest reflection of her artistic intentions and, simultaneously, a showcase of superb pop. I have to choose. However, just when I lose hope and think Kelly has sold her values for this album, All I Ever Wanted ends on a promising note. If No One Will Listen is Kelly’s most heartfelt and honest vocal on the album and seems to be the perfect bridge between the styles of Breakaway and My December. Kelly still confuses me, but these songs are engaging enough that I’ll keep playing them until I figure her out. Don’t worry Kelly, this time people will listen.

3/5 Stars

Savage Songs: My Life Would Suck Without You, Already Gone, and If No One Will Listen