Demi Levato – Made in the USA
Soldiers, sunsets, carnivals, convertibles, Chevy’s and more Americana make this one of the top tunes of the summer. Demi Lovato’s soaring vocals usually make for a pleasant listen but “Made in the USA” is a song with a message, also. It’s a patriotic love song with a pop-country feel and the video depicts a great American love story. The song also became an unofficial anthem of the day Prop 8 was struck down which Demi has stated that she is proud of. The song has been drawing comparison to Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA”, which was a monster hit that stayed in the top 10 for 16 weeks (huge) and is four times platinum. Let’s see if the same holds true for “Made in the USA”. With already over two and a half million YouTube views for the official video alone, things are looking good.
Britney Spears – Ooh La La
Movie tie-in songs can be a tough sell. Britney Spears, however, knocked “Ooh La La” out of the park. As a standalone it’s great and catchy; a return to form for the bubblegum princess. The song is romantic, light, and a perfect vehicle to showcase Spears’s airy soprano. As a movie tie-in however, the song is arguably better. It suits Smurfs 2 perfectly in terms of theme and tone. The video is outright adorable and shows a different side of Britney than pure sex-pot (not that she doesn’t look stunning in the video); the loving mother. Her sons are more than adorable and genuinely seem happy to see their mom “pop” into the screen and do her thing. Here’s hoping for more fare in this vein!
One Direction – Best Song Ever
With a bold title like “Best Song Ever” 1D is really testing the waters. While 1D fans will probably have difficulty picking their best song ever, this song is definitely up there. Recalling “Baba O’Riley” the song manages to showcase their growth as artists while still serving up more boyband awesomeness. The way they actually tie in “Best Song Ever” is adorably tongue-in-cheek, and the song definitely hits on the summer romance theme in a way that’s sure to keep it atop the charts through Fall 2013 and beyond.
Zedd ft Foxes – Clarity
What is there to say about this song that hasn’t already been said? “Clarity” has already had incredible staying power as it was released almost a year ago. The video has over 17 million views and with good reason. Ethereal images bombard the senses and they’re more than worthy of the anthemic dance track. The caves and sweeping desert sand dunes especially set the tone. Foxes lilting and stunning vocals combined with Zedd’s incredible beat combines to make a romantic yet epic dance track. This song is sure to be everywhere for the rest of 2013 and beyond.
Jason Derulo – The Other Side
This song is swoon-worthy romantic. It’s the first single off Jason’s third album and it’s a worthy first horse out the gate. It talks about the precipice of romance, that moment where you can’t turn back, which is a huge moment for many people – young lovers included. Jason has gone on the record to state that this song was written about his real-life girlfriend, singer Jordin Sparks. That level of authenticity only deepens the emotional grip of the song. The video alone has over 14 million youtube views which speaks to the universality. Don’t be surprised to hear this song for weeks and even months to come.
Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop
Undisputedly, this is one of the biggest hits of the summer. The song sold over 1 million copies in a month, which is almost unheard of in a digital downloading age. The track is the first single off her forthcoming album, slated to be released in late summer. Cyrus herself has nailed the description of the song, calling it “infectious” and “exactly what [she] wanted the first sound [off the album] to be.” It manages to be simultaneously a pop, R&B and dance track. The video is more akin to conceptual art than a traditional music video and is clearly indicative of Cyrus’s ever increasing maturity as an artist and performer. While it may lack some of the “can-do” bubblegumminess of earlier singles like “Party in the USA” it still has a catchy hook and is definitely supported by Cyrus’s vocals which are only growing in strength. With almost 80 million views on YouTube, this song can’t stop.
Anna Kendrick – Cups
One of the most beloved movies of last year has spawned one of the biggest singles of this year. Pitch Perfect had a lot of great music and performances but Anna Kendrick’s cover of Anna Burden’s “Cups” was a standout. She managed to make the song big and small at the same time, given she performed it with just her own vocals and a cup as a rhtymic prop. Anna caught wind of the song via Reddit which featured Burden’s YouTube cover of the Lulu and the Lampshades’ song “Cups (You’re Gonna Miss Me)”, which itself is a rendition of an old-time folk song “When I’m Gone” recorded in 1931 by the Carter Family (you still with me?). It’s a good thing she did because the song has proved popular once again, a testament to both Kendrick’s vocal skill and the amazing universality of the original tune. Another fun tidbit…. the music video for Kendrick’s version was directed by Jason Moore, the director of Pitch Perfect. The video itself is a mini movie and definitely worth checking out; don’t worry though because this song won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.