Top 20 Songs of 2000-2009: Songs 11-15

15. Not Ready to Make Nice-The Dixie Chicks

When considering country songs that could qualify for this list, I had a very hard time setting aside my personal biases. Miranda Lambert will always be my favorite country singer from this decade, and we saw very strong singles from Carrie Underwood, Sugarland, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, etc. However, at the end of the day, I have to recognize The Dixie Chicks for their Grammy winning Not Ready to Make Nice. No matter how popular Before He Cheats was, there was an element of dishonesty to it. Carrie Underwood, not matter how hard she tried, couldn't quite pull of the angry bad-girl act. With Not Ready to Make Nice, the Dixie Chicks shoved all of their genuine rage and frustration into four brilliant minutes. When Natalie reaches the bridge and delivers the lyric, "they'd write me a letter saying I'd better shut up and sing or my life will be over" you can really feel the girl's anguish.

14. Ignition (remix)-R. Kelly

Well, lyrically this song doesn't have anything special to say. However, there's something about how insanely catchy it is that makes me smile. I don't think I'm the only one. This is one of those tracks where people don't necessarily associate it with this decade--yet almost everyone knows it and likes it (or loves it). The groove is undeniable and the lyrics, albeit mundane, seem to capture the feeling of the perfect party. Perhaps that makes this the perfect party song?

13. Heartbeat-Annie

This song is a bit meta, if you ask me. Lyrically, it's about the memory of dancing. Thematically, it is one of the best dance songs I've ever heard. It doesn't start out very special, but something about the way the song layers itself makes it get better and better not only as the song progresses, but also with each subsequent listen. It ingrains itself in you. Before you know it, you're constantly singing the lyrics to yourself. You can almost feel your heart beating with the rhythm, as if your body syncs up with the song. The first time I heard it I thought it was pretty bland. Now it won't leave me alone. I'm fine with that.

12. Umbrella-Rihanna

I don't know what to say. Everybody must know this one. Granted, not everybody likes it anymore, but there was a time when this song was inescapable. Many times a song inexplicably rises to the tops of the charts, defying all critical assessment and logic. Yet when this song was released, it was original and different. Its rise to to the top seemed justified and unavoidable. I think people tend to ridicule it now for its repetitive chorus and extreme ubiquity (you can't blame the song for being sung by people every time it rains), but that detracts from what it is in-and-of itself: Top-notch pop.

11. Rehab-Amy Winehouse

The British re-invasion may have been started by Lily Allen, but it was popularized by Amy Winehouse. This single blew Ms. Allen out of the water with its retro-soul vibe, shocking and autobiographical lyrics, and non-traditional vocal. The fact that it won multiple Grammy's was icing on the cake. The retro-soul movement of 2000-2009 has yet to reach these same heights. Duffy and Adele are mighty talent, but maybe they need a quick stint in rehab to get those creative juices flowing.

Single Review: Russian Roulette

Single Review: Russian Roulette

Rihanna’s new single was, sadly, met with apathy. As a Rihanna fan, I understand her fans’ disappointment. They expected something catchy and danceable in the vein of Disturbia, SOS, or Umbrella. Instead, Rihanna’s upcoming CD is being preceded by a barely midtempo song with some of the most depressing and intense lyrics ever recorded. This song has little hope of commercial viability. It would be a buzz-kill in a club or on the radio. The references to domestic violence are so thinly veiled that only a real idiot wouldn’t pick up on the allusion. Perhaps the pure emotion of the track will grab listeners, but this choice of single was a huge gamble. And yet, I love it. There’s a genius to this song that I will do my best to sort out here.

When it comes to the subject of domestic violence, I find this song can be seen as a bit of a paradox. I applaud Rihanna for releasing a song that so clearly evidences the emotions of being trapped in an abusive relationship. The interplay between her fear and her determination to complete this “terrible game” completely ties to what I understand are common emotions of women in abusive relationships. I feel both her desperate desire to escape and simultaneous unwillingness to do so. Yet, I can see how some would argue that this doesn’t quite send the right message to women in a similar situation. In the song, Rihanna chooses to play Russian roulette. She doesn’t walk away.

However, the gunshot in the final seconds shows how Rihanna is destroyed at the hands of the game. Although she emotionally cannot escape, it’s clear at the end of the song that she should have left while she could. I think this song will emotionally resonate with many people and hopefully those individuals will correlate staying with someone physically and emotionally abusive to playing with a loaded gun. In the song, Rihanna chooses the more common path—the path destined for tragedy. She makes her decisions based off of the same emotions that the abused men and women experience. Anyone who saw the picture of her post-beating knows where her path ended. Hopefully Russian Roulette makes the abused see a little more clearly how important it is to leave an unhealthy relationship. Thank God Rihanna had the courage to pick this song.

Rating: 5/5 stars