The Singles Roundup - 4/20

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Chris Brown - Sweet Love
When a Chris Brown song opens with "baby, let's get naked / just so we can make / sweet love," and flows into "you start screaming when I go downtown," one has cause for concern. Sweet Love smells of pulling "a Banks," and by that we mean emulating the entertainment industry's new shock-value goddess / musical messiah, Azealia. Unfortunately, Chris's attempt at sounding sexy ends up somewhere between profane & just plain icky. You should know betta.

Timbaland - Break Ya Back ft. Dev

The good news: Timbaland is back with some dirty-dirty-bass-bass-bass. The bad news: Break Ya Back is choppy at best. The song's finer moments feature Dev, whose swagger shines over Timbaland's incoherent mumble-rap. In the long run it's alright though, because Dev assures us "I'm gonna be around for a little while / ya feel me?"

Maroon 5 - Payphone ft. Wiz Khalifa

Adam's voice has never sounded whinier. We don't even remember the song, honestly.

Cheryl Cole - Call My Name
This is a disappointing track - not because Cheryl Cole does not deliver, which she does (as much as Cheryl can) - but because Calvin put in barely a passing effort. For Cheryl, it's a radio-ready, dancefloor-friendly comeback, but for Calvin, it's a bit of a red flag. Don't go Dr. Luke on us Calvin! We're not interested in Rihanna's sloppy seconds (although, to be fair, Call My Name sounds more like In My Arms than We Found Love). Either way, Cheryl is on her way back. Prepare.
Note from Gregory: I'm SO over this! Beyonce did Say My Name, Rihanna did What's My Name, & now Call My Name? RE-DUC-TIVE.

Unapologetically,

Gregory & Minna

'90s Sundays

Pony by Ginuwine

This tune takes us right back to 1996! Ginuwine's very first single is overtly sexual, and I love it. (I'll ride his pony anytime. My schedule is officially CLEARED.) One of Timbaland's earlier productions, this song contains all the synthy funkliciousnes we've come to expect from the super-producer. If you listen closely, you can hear various elements (such as the slow, winding, pulsing beat imitating the fantastical ideal of sex) that came into full form on Timbaland's later work with Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake (on the masterpiece that is FutureSex/LoveSounds). This track perfectly fuses hip-hop, R&B, and POP. These genres began to fully blend in the '90s, and Pony is the ideal representation. Listen and enjoy!

Unapologetically,

Gregory