Top 100 Songs of the 2000's: #20-1

Previous installments: #100-81 #80-61 #60-41 #40-21

20. Jessica Simpson 'I Think I'm In Love With You'
2000. From Sweet Kisses.

Of the four teen pop princesses who emerged in 1999-2000, Jessica Simpson (along with Brit, Xtina and Mandy Moore) gets the least amount of respect these days. I find it a shame that she's nothing more than tabloid fodder because underneath all of the Newlyweds, "dumb blonde" foolishness, there's a legitimate talent. When she gets a great pop song, she nails it (see also: 'A Little Bit,' 'With You,' 'Irresistible'). 'I Think I'm In Love With You,' sampling the fantastic hook from John Cougar Mellencamp's 'Jack & Diane,' is the perfect pop song, the embodiment of how I want to feel when I fall in love with someone. I want to sing that big note without a care in the world. One more than one occasion I've said that I love this song more than nearly every member of my extended family; it's still true and probably always will be.



19. Leona Lewis 'Run'
2008/9. From Spirit.

My only gripe with Britpop of the 2000's, a decade which saw the Brits deliver consistently more clever and creative pop music than us lazy Americans, is the way they constantly cover pop songs that had no business being covered (and the fact that they get to #1 again and again at an alarming rate). Just think of all Christmas #1's, X-Factor finalists/winners and charity singles that hit the top of the chart and then were quietly forgotten two weeks later. One of the very few exceptions to this rule is Leona Lewis's 'Run,' a cover of Snow Patrol's so-indie-it-hurts ballad. Leona turned this dire song into one of the biggest and most emotive power ballads since Celine Dion's heyday. Now, this how you cover a song.



18. Lady GaGa 'Bad Romance'
2009. From The Fame Monster.

A future classic. 'Bad Romance' is the moment everyone realized that GaGa wasn't fucking around.









17. Robyn featuring Kleerup 'With Every Heartbeat'
2008. From Robyn.

Whenever I hear some annoying twat complain about how shallow pop music is (especially in comparison with whatever precious indie shit they adore), I, first of all, want to shake them. After that, I would tell them to listen to Robyn's 'With Every Heartbeat,' a searing, unconventional portrait of a broken heart that is unashamed of its pop roots. The way she repeats "And it hurts with every heartbeat" over and over at the end is more emotive and real than all of your "real" music put together.




16. Destiny's Child 'Say My Name'
2000. From The Writing's on the Wall.

America's premiere girl group bounced right back from the nasty departure of two of its members with 'Say My Name,' the song that solidified their then-burgeoning fame. I simply adore the way this song plays around with tempo and pacing, oscillating back and forth, constantly surprising with what's coming next. Bonus points for that iconic music video--which girl's room do you want to be in?





15. Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland 'SexyBack'
2006. From FutureSex/LoveSounds.

This song should have gotten old quickly. Thankfully, it hasn't. I can still listen to JT's sexy growling and Timbaland's constant "Yup!" and never get sick of it.








14. Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z 'Crazy in Love'
2003. From Dangerously in Love.

I don't fall head over heels in love with a song on first listen, but 'Crazy in Love' had me right from that opening trumpet wail. Beyoncé always had star power--'Crazy in Love' just proved that she had the ability to take over the pop world. Seven years later, we are still captivated by her.






13. Leona Lewis 'Bleeding Love'
2008. From Spirit.

My God, those lyrics! I simply can't get over how rich, emotive and surprisingly dark they are, even after hearing this song approximately 1400 times since its American debut in the spring of 2008. But this isn't the song's sole claim to success. Jesse McCartney, one of the song's co-writers, sang a version of it, but it never worked for me. Leona has this amazing knack to emote on my exact emotional level at all times. She turns 'Bleeding Love' from a great poem to an amazing musical experience.





12. Girls Aloud 'Sexy! No No No...'
2007. From Tangled Up.

The first Girls Aloud song I ever heard. What a way to start, hm? I love the absolutely relentless beat that gets heavier and heavier as the song moves along. It's so f-ing addictive, and I'm sure it is what made me a Girls Aloud convert right from the get-go (the insane punctuation in the song title sure didn't hurt either).






11. Mariah Carey 'We Belong Together'
2005. From The Emancipation of Mimi.

The moment America seemed to remember how much they truly loved Mariah after all those years of calling her crazy and washed up. I loved Mariah, even during those dark years (I still think Charmbracelet is an underrated album), but 'We Belong Together' reaffirmed those feelings like a renewal of marriage vows. A couple times a year, some R&B songstress tries to come out with a smooth R&B slow jam and try to out-Mariah Mariah. A couple times a year, those songs fail. No one does 'We Belong Together'-style balladeering better than the originator.





10. Kylie Minogue 'Love at First Sight'
2002. From Fever.

The idea of "love at first sight" is technically not a very groundbreaking concept in pop music. With 'Love at First Sight,' however, Kylie is able to capture that emotion like it was a startling breakthrough. In much the same way 'I Think I'm In Love With You' does, 'Love at First Sight' relates an idea or feeling that you hope to experience someday. Only pop music, I feel, has the power to take some emotion so mundane and make it completely zesty.




9. Ciara 'Like a Boy'
2007. From The Evolution.

Ciara stands up to all the wannabe gangsters and tough thugs in one of the cleverest take downs of this decade's rap culture...and no one pays attention. Sigh.







8. Missy Elliott 'Work It'
2002. From Under Construction.

This may not be Missy's most accomplished jam (which sounds like complaining about your least favorite track on Blackout), but it's the one I'm most fond of even after all these years. 'Work It' is Missy at the height of her powers, when she was making music for herself and having a damn good time doing it. The great thing was, everyone else was enjoying it too. 'Work It' was popular among my group of friends in high school, and I remember often talking about how insane and in-your-face this song is--especially that epic lyric in reverse during the chorus.






7. Amy Winehouse 'Rehab'
2006/7. From Back to Black.

Come back to the music world, Amy Winehouse, Amy Winehouse. This place simply isn't the same since your hasty, drug-induced departure. Who else but Amy Winehouse can make a song about refusing to get help for a drinking problem so beautiful and every so slightly sad at the same time (maybe Ke$ha, but less enthusiastically and soulfully)? I will never give up on this woman and her eventual re-ascension to the top of the music world.





6. P!nk 'Just Like a Pill'
2002. From M!ssundaztood.

P!nk's rebellious attitude had become her stock in trade by the time she released this single. Never before had she dabbled in such a dark, eerily moody place as she does in 'Just Like a Pill.' This song is often remembered only as a footnote after the twin mega-successes of 'Get the Party Started' and 'Don't Let Me Get Me,' but 'Just Like a Pill' stands on its own merits and showed the world a side of P!nk that hadn't been seen before.





5. Sugababes 'Push the Button'
2005. From Taller in More Ways.

The sexiest song ever recorded. I wasn't convinced at first, but now I want to make babies to this song.










4. Eve and Gwen Stefani 'Let Me Blow Ya Mind'
2001. From Scorpion.

The best example of post-Spice Girls "Girl Power." Rock and rap collide in this piercing take down of celebrity-hungry culture and rappers more concerned with bling than writing good rhymes. If only more people had paid attention to Eve's warning back in 2001, maybe we wouldn't have had to endure Souljaboy.

P.S. I know every word to this song. It's probably the only rap song I can say that about.





3. Kelly Clarkson 'Since U Been Gone'
2005. From Breakaway.

I'm sure this song is near the top, if not at the top, of everyone else's best of the decade list. But when a song has proven this influential (for good or for bad) and this monumental in such a short span of time, there's nothing left but to give it due credit and follow consensus. Never have I been happier to follow a trend.





2. Girls Aloud 'Biology'
2005. From Chemistry.

I still remember the moment when I realized 'Biology' was one of the greatest songs I had ever heard. I was driving home from work one random night, listening to my Girls Aloud mix CD. I had always liked 'Biology,' but something happened with the song that gave me chills. As weird as it may sound, I felt like I was having some grand epiphany of sorts. This is what pop music is about.

I love the way 'Biology' keeps on playing with your expectations without you even realizing it. The structure doesn't follow the typical verse/bridge/chorus we've come to expect from a three and a half minute pop song. Then, there's the way the first verse builds up to a heated, sexual frenzy, pausing more seductively with each "Closer," only to, for lack of a better expression, give you blue balls with the abstinence-friendly second verse. How many songs do you know that can take you up and then take you down like that all in a matter of seconds?




1. Nelly Furtado 'Say It Right'
2007. From Loose.

Surprised that a semi-serious song from everyone's favorite Canadian warbler is my favorite of the entire decade? I was rather surprised myself when I sat down to make this list that I kept coming back to this one as the song I felt most strongly about, the one that defined the whole decade for me. 'Say It Right' is a perfect, and admittedly strange, combination of mid-90's hip-hop, Eurthymics-style 80's synth pop, late 2000's American pop and East Asian zen. Add to that conflicting pile of influences the fact that I, nor even Nelly herself, knows exactly what this song is about or trying to be about. That hardly matters in the long run, though. When you have a song as mysteriously vague as 'Say It Right,' it's more fun trying to dissect its meaning rather than knowing straight off. For this reason (plus the fact that it's compulsively listenable), 'Say It Right' is officially my favorite song of the 2000's.

Top 50 Singles of 2009

We've come to the end of yet another not so glorious year so what better way to say "fuck off" to a terrible year then to celebrate the best singles of the year. While I've complained throughout the year that 2009 has been a terrible year for albums, the same can't be said for its singles. There were a plethora of fantastic songs to choose from and what a decision it became! Even if the choice seems fairly obviously, it became an epic month-long struggle to choose my number one song; at least seven songs were in contention at some point. And, as the list went down, it became harder and harder to pick what went on and what had to be forced off. In a weaker year, many of my runners-up would be serious contenders for the Top 20. Many thanks to Dave, Kameron, JD and Glenn for continuing to spread the good word of pop music and telling me what to listen to. I hope you enjoy this list and please feel free to let me know what you think.

The 10 Runners-Up: P!nk 'Sober' | Alexandra Burke featuring Flo-Rida 'Bad Boys' | Britney Spears '3' | Kelly Clarkson 'My Life Would Suck Without You' | Leighton Meester featuring Robin Thicke 'Somebody to Love' | Star Pilots 'In the Heat of the Night' | Demi Lovato 'Here We Go Again' | Blake Lewis 'Heartbreak on Vinyl' | Beyoncé featuring Lady GaGa 'Video Phone' (Extended Remix) | Lady GaGa 'Lovegame'

50. Disney's Friends for Change [Demi Lovato, Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus & Selena Gomez] 'Send It On'
The ultimate guilty pleasure of the year. It's so, so bad but so, so good at the same time. If nothing else, 'Send It On' proves that 2009 was the year of Demi Lovato.
49. Cascada 'Evacuate the Dancefloor'
48. Sugababes 'About a Girl'
47. Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West 'Run This Town'
46. Cheryl Cole 'Fight For This Love'
45. Jennifer Hudson 'If This Isn't Love'
44. Britney Spears 'If U Seek Amy'
43. Agnes 'I Need You Now' (UK Radio Edit)
The album version was mediocre at best but the radio edit is simply glorious. Let's hope that Agnes' impending US debut makes her as big of a star as she deserves to be.
42. Alphabeat 'The Spell'
41. Shakira 'Did It Again'

40. Dolly Rockers 'Gold Digger'
Have you been Dolly Rockered yet? I know I was the instant I heard this track.
39. Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys 'Empire State of Mind'
38. VV Brown 'LEAVE!'
37. Cobra Starship featuring Leighton Meester 'Good Girls Go Bad'
I wouldn't have cared if Leighton Meester wasn't featured here. In much the same way Rihanna did on 'Run This Town' and 'Live Your Life,' Meester completely steals the track from Cobra Starship and makes it all about her. If this is any indication, 2010 should be a great year for her.
36. Darin 'Viva la Vida'
35. David Guetta featuring Kelly Rowland 'When Love Takes Over'
34. Röyksopp featuring Robyn 'The Girl and the Robot'
33. Kings of Leon 'Use Somebody'
32. Taylor Swift 'You Belong With Me' (Pop Remix)
31. Erik Hassle 'Don't Bring Flowers'

30. Taylor Swift 'Love Story' (Pop Remix)
29. Demi Lovato 'Remember December'
28. MPHO 'Box N Locks'
27. David Archuelta 'Touch My Hand'
26. Pixie Lott 'Boys and Girls'
25. Mini Viva 'I Wish' (Cahill Radio Edit)
As if the Xenomania-produced wasn't amazing enough, the Cahill Mix turns the epicness of 'I Wish' to 11.
24. Keri Hilson featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo 'Knock You Down'
23. A.R. Rahman and the Pussycat Dolls 'Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)'
This was the version that should have won the Oscar.
22. VV Brown 'Shark in the Water'
21. Beyoncé 'Sweet Dreams'

20. Mariah Carey 'Obsessed'
Mariah's dismissal of Eminem was by far more creative than anything Eminem has done in more than five years. "You're a mom and pop/I'm a corporation" is still one of the best insults I've ever heard.
19. Frankmusik '3 Little Words'
18. Girls Aloud 'The Loving Kind'
17. V Factory 'Love Struck'
16. Freemasons featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor 'Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)'
15. Jordin Sparks 'Battlefield'
14. Jonas Brothers 'Paranoid'
The Jo Bros grow up and deliver their cleverest pop song yet. A song about the pitfalls of celebrity that isn't whiny or "oh, pity me and my horrible life" after about thirty seconds.
13. Miley Cyrus 'Party in the USA'
Miley does it again! After the insipidness of 'The Climb,' she came back with this song and proved that she is the go-to girl for turning stupid-sounding lyrics into pop gold.
12. Natalie Imbruglia 'Want'
11. La Roux 'In for the Kill'

10. Jesse McCartney 'How Do You Sleep'
As I said before when I named 'How Do You Sleep' the 82nd best song of the decade, it is the epitome of summer jams. The song's message may not be especially "laid back," but Jesse's breezy delivery makes it feel that way.
9. Lady GaGa 'Paparazzi'
Need more proof that GaGa was the woman of 2009? 'Paparazzi,' a legitimate contender for best song of the year in any other year, is only the first of three GaGa songs in the Top 10. Excessive? Yes. But would the GaGa really have it any other way?
8. Shakira 'She Wolf'
Who else but Shakira would be insane enough to use not only the word "lycanthropy" in a pop song as casually as it was "love" or "heart" but also a wolf howl (a WOLF HOWL!) over the chorus? Bonus points for having the best non-GaGa music video of the year.
7. Little Boots 'Remedy'
It took me awhile to get into 'Remedy,' but once I did, I was addicted like that chick who huffed electronic dusting spray on Intervention.
6. Agnes 'Release Me'
I fell in love with Agnes and her 90's power-pop throwback 'Release Me' at first listen.
5. La Roux 'Bulletproof'
If Agnes brought 90's pop music back, La Roux made 80's synth pop relevant again.
4. Lady GaGa 'Poker Face'
Who knew that "Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-poker face" would be the most addictive hook of the year?
3. Girls Aloud 'Untouchable' (Album Version)
Mark my words: In ten years, after the "OMG what a failure!" hysteria has died down, this and 'Biology' will be the songs Girls Aloud are remembered for.
2. Leona Lewis 'Run'
Technically this was released in the US in December of last year, but it's my list and I didn't discover it until this year anyways.
1. Lady GaGa 'Bad Romance'
Epic. Probably the most epic American song since Celine's 'It's All Coming Back to Me Now.' Lady GaGa already knew how to make catchy simple pop songs, but 'Bad Romance' adds an emotional, almost psychotic, desperation to that final minute that instantly turns the song into a classic. If this is where Lady GaGa is heading in the future, there is absolutely no way I am going to miss out on what she has to offer next.

Meet the New Divas

One of the most lingering memories from my childhood is listening to my copy of the Divas Live '98 CD over and over again in my room, just soaking up all that diva goodness. What is Divas Live '98, you ask? Well, it was a concert special on VH1 that brought together on one single stage--wait for it--Gloria Estefan, Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and The Queen of Soul, Bitch, Aretha Franklin. You can't get any more amazing then that, can you? The greatest thing about it, besides the amazing music, was that the show was done live so there are these great impromptu bits of banter in between each song where the diva would talk to the audience. I listened to that CD so many times (is it any wonder I grew up to become the diva I am today?) that I can still recall great bits and pieces of these moments For instance, there's Gloria being humble and claiming that she's more of a "divette" than a full diva. Or Shania letting us know, in this really off-hand way, "If it wasn't for music class, I probably would have been a high school dropout." Or after the Aretha and Mariah duet when Mariah loudly exclaims in jubilant praise, "ALL HAIL the Queen of Soul!" to which Aretha replies, like she doesn't give a shit in the slightest, "Ms. Carey...Mariah." Oh, and did I mention the fabulous music? Mariah with gospel choir in tow for "Make It Happen." Gloria running through an amazing 5 minute megamix of all her hits. Shania making me fall in love with "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" for the first time. The aforementioned Mariah and Aretha duet. Celine with special guest Carole King ripping into "The Reason." All five going over-the-top with falsettos and theatricality in the finale of "(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman." VH1 tried to imitate its success a couple of times afterwards, even getting TINA and Cher for Divas Live '99, but something was always sorely lacking in comparison with the '98 version and they finally gave up.

Until now, that is. About a week ago, VH1 announced that they were bringing back Divas Live this year for the first time since the odd 2005 incarnation. So, without further ado, here's your 2009 lineup:


Er, okay. Listen, I love me some Leona and Adele's got a great set of pipes on her (I'm not even going to start on the inclusion of Miley Cyrus as one of the Divas because I could probably go on for five lengthy paragraphs about the ridiculousness of that), but I don't think any of them (besides Kelly) have been around long enough to earn a spot in this lineup. I can understand that VH1 is trying to make it hip with names that the youngsters will recognize and (hopefully) tune in to watch, but I think they're completely missing the point of why the '98 lineup was so special. Seeing Mariah, Gloria, Shania, Celine & Aretha on stage together was a celebration of everything that was good with the 90's with some of the biggest voices who made it so great. It's simply to early to be proclaiming Leona and Adele to be equal with Shania and Mariah. Give them five or seven years and if they're still around, making hit after hit, then we can talk about including them. Besides, any show that gives Miley the chance to belt "It's the climbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb" at the top of her (limited) vocal range to prove that she can "sing" is bound to be a nightmare waiting to happen.

If you were running Divas Live '09 and had to assemble a bunch of divas for one night only, who would you choose?

I would stick with Kelly Clarkson since she's practically defined the 2000's. Add in Beyoncé because she is the epitome of a Diva (in a good way, obviously) and everything this show was meant to celebrate. Pink would be a good pick to give the music a little variety (something which the '09 lineup is clearly lacking). Bette Midler would be awesome as well, although I'm not sure her voice is still good enough to compete with these younger gals. Still, her attitude alone would make up for any vocal deficiencies.

The Most Beautiful Song I've Ever Heard

I was already a huge fan of Leona Lewis (she did make my favorite song of 2008) but her version of Snow Patrol's "Run" takes that love to a whole new level. I started listening to it obsessively about a month ago- something about Leona's vocals totally cast an unbreakable spell upon me to the point where I have to listen to all of her songs on repeat for hours- but it wasn't until a couple of days ago that I realized just how beautiful it is. "Run" is so beautiful that I honestly believe that if I was in the right state of mind, it could actually bring me to tears (and no song has ever done that for me). It also never fails to amaze me that she turned a not bad indie rock ballad into a pop power anthem on par with Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" or Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." Is it too soon to call "Run" my favorite song of 2009?

The Top 50 Songs of 2008

Every year, this list keeps on getting bigger and better. I started with 10 in 2006 and worked my way up to 20 last year. This year there were so many fantastic songs that I just had to expand my list to 50 (and even then I couldn't include everything I wanted to!). The reason for this? In 2008, I expanded my taste beyond the crap that was being played on the radio here and, thanks to Glenn at Stale Popcorn and Popjustice, I started listening to music from the U.K. and Australia. Guess what? The music over there is amazing, 100 times better than most of the stuff being played repeatedly over here. I've discovered some pretty amazing artists and they figure heavily into this countdown and my upcoming Albums of the Year post. I hope you enjoy my list and get the opportunity to click on some of the links to discover some fresh new music today.

Runner-Ups: Pussycat Dolls "I Hate This Part"/Mariah Carey "Bye Bye"/Jesse McCartney "Leavin'"/Kanye West "Love Lockdown"

50. Jesse McCartney "It's Over"
49. Jordin Sparks "One Step at a Time"
48. Paula Abdul "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow"
For Paula fans only.
47. Danity Kane featuring Missy Elliott "Bad Girl"
I thought "Damaged" was just a fluke...
46. Santogold "L.E.S. Artistes"
45. Chris Brown/David Archuleta "With You"
I liked the Chris Brown version first, but then Davie Archuleta did his own rendition on American Idol this spring and I fell in love with it even more.
44. Ne-Yo "Closer"
43. Natasha Bedingfield "Pocketful of Sunshine"
42. Flo Rida featuring T-Pain "Low"
Sadly, this was the best rap song of the year. Come back, Missy and Eve; we desperately need you!
41. Gabriella Cilmi "Don't Wanna Go to Bed Now"

40. The Saturdays "If This Is Love"
39. Cyndi Lauper "Into the Nightlife"
38. O.A.R. "Shattered"
37. Britney Spears "Break the Ice"
36. Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland "4 Minutes"
My initial fanaticism has died down a bit (and there were better songs on Hard Candy) but I still think it's fantastic.
35. Sugababes "Girls"
If this is one of Sugababes lesser singles, imagine what they sound like at their best. It's mindblowing!
34. Rihanna "Take a Bow"
The first of three Rihanna songs.
33. The Saturdays "Up"
32. Same Difference "We R One"
Oh, you knew Sean and Sarah were coming...
31. The Killers "Human"
Not quite "Somebody Told Me" but I'll take it.

30. Duffy "Mercy"
29. Beyoncé "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)"
Crazy music video? Check. Beyoncé in all of her diva glory? Check. Flawless vocals? Check. Then why wasn't I Am...Sasha Fierce as good as this one track?
28. Jennifer Hudson "All Dressed in Love"
27. Kylie Minogue "The One"
26. Janet Jackson "Feedback"
As with Beyoncé, the only decent song on Miss Jackson, if you're Nasty's latest dud album. Where has our 80's queen gone?
25. Delta Goodrem "You Will Only Break My Heart"
24. Britney Spears "Womanizer"
Repetitious as hell, but you are lying if you say this song doesn't get stuck in your head after hearing it just a few times. Bonus points for her comeback music video, which made this already great song that much better.
23. Santogold "Lights Out"
22. Sam Sparro "21st Century Life"
21. Adele "Chasing Pavements"

20. Madonna "Miles Away"
Hypnotic; it's like you're listening in on Madonna's therapy session (and it makes it all the sadder that the song basically came true just months after the album's release).
19. Lady GaGa featuring Colby Odonis "Just Dance"
18. Rihanna "Don't Stop the Music"
17. Leona Lewis "Better in Time"
16. Sam Sparro "Black and Gold"
15. Kylie Minogue "In My Arms"
How does it feel in your arms, Kylie? Fan-fucking-tastic. This may be the one of the finest songs of her long career.
14. Estelle featuring Kanye West "American Boy"
13. Little Jackie "The World Should Revolve Around Me"
A song for divas around the world.
12. Robyn featuring Kleerup "With Every Heartbeat"
11. Miley Cyrus "See You Again"
Is "My best friend Leslie said, 'Oh, she's just being Miley'" the most genius lyric of this year? This decade? I think so.

10. Jennifer Hudson "Spotlight"
Can J. Hud sing every song ever? We all knew she could sing the shit out of ballads, but now she can add mid-tempo dance songs to her resumé. Now, all she needs is an album full of well-written songs like this one and she'll be taking over the world soon enough.
9. Pink "So What"
I love my Pink pissed off and out for revenge. She's my favorite divorcé this year.
8. Sneaky Sound System "Kansas City"
The best hook of the year: "Somebody in Kansas City loves me." The rest of the song is catchy as hell, too.
7. Michelle Williams "We Break the Dawn"
Forget Beyoncé- the former member of Destiny's Child who had the best year was third-wheel Michelle Williams. Not only was her album off the hook (the kids are still saying that, right?) but "We Break the Dawn" rivals some of Beyoncé's best solo work.
6. Duffy "Warwick Avenue"
"Mercy" may have been her breakthrough, but "Warwick Avenue" was the first proof that Duffy may be the finest singer/songwriter of her generation. When she sings, "You think you're loving, but you don't love me" it cuts right through me; I feel like I know exactly what message she's trying to get across through that one lyric.
5. David Archuleta "Crush"
"Crush" is so cheesy and 90's boy band-ish that I'm surprised Same Difference hasn't covered it already and yet little Davie Archuleta sells it like the true pro he is. I feel no shame in admitting that I spent a good portion of the summer listening to this song in my car and singing every word at the top of my lungs.
4. Danity Kane "Damaged"
"Can you fix my H-E-A-R-T, 'cause it's D-A-M-A-G-E-D?" Yes, Danity Kane, you did fix the whole in my heart left by PCD's disappointing seconds album.
3. Girls Aloud "The Promise"
Is it "Biology"? No, but no other song this year had me waiting so impatiently for its release and then when I finally heard it, the song didn't disappoint in the slightest. I swear to God I listened to it 20 times in a row the first day I heard it and it's currently the most played song on my iTunes.
2. Rihanna "Disturbia"
If you're not careful, "Disturbia" will creep up and consume you, that's how insanely catchy it is.
1. Leona Lewis "Bleeding Love"
UK import Leona Lewis struck gold with "Bleeding Love" this year and it's, without a doubt, my favorite song of the year. I'm actually surprised that this song was so big because it's actually very dark and moody. Leona's vocals are absolutely enchanting and you spend the whole song waiting in anticipation for whatever is going to come out of her mouth. The best news of all is that Leona Lewis isn't a one-hit wonder; both "Better in Time" and "Run" proved that she has the talent to stick around for a long time.

Best of 2008 (So Far): Music

It's almost scary to believe that 2008 is already half-way through. It seems just like yesterday I was trudging through the snow, waiting for the bus in the sub-zero temperatures so I could go see There Will Be Blood at the movie theater near my campus (ah, the things we do for cinema). Now it's so hot that I don't ever want to leave my air conditioned house. The diva in me is never satisfied with the weather, what can I say?

Since we've reached the end of June, it now means I can make more lists honoring my favorites from the beginning of the year. This first one will cover the best songs and albums so far and in a couple of days (a week at most) I will honor the finest films and performances.

Best Albums

5.

Mariah Carey E=MC2
Not quite The Emancipation of Mimi, but it's still a great CD for the summer: smooth, relaxed and a ton of fun.
Key Tracks: "I Stay in Love", "Migrate", "I'm That Chick", "Touch My Body", "Cruise Control"

4.

Madonna Hard Candy
The more I listen to Hard Candy, the more addictive it becomes. I was generally meh for awhile but suddenly I found myself listening to it nearly every day.
Key Tracks: "Miles Away", "Heartbeat", "4 Minutes", "Incredible", "Beat Goes On"

3.

Kylie Minogue X
I know I've been talking about this album for forever, but it only got released in the U.S. in the beginning of the year so I'm considering it eligible now. Sixteen tracks of dance-pop perfection.
Key Tracks: "In My Arms", "Speakerphone", "Wow", "All I See", "Rippin' Up the Disco"

2.

Duffy Rockferry
I was hooked from the first time I heard "Mercy"; imagine my surprise when "Mercy" is hardly the greatest track on this impressive debut CD.
Key Tracks: "Warwick Avenue", "Delayed Devotion", "Rockferry", "Mercy", "Serious"

1.

Emmy-Award Winner Kathy Griffin For Your Consideration
I already told you all how much I loved this CD a couple of weeks ago, so let me just repeat that this is the funniest comedy CD you will ever buy. It's even better than some of her Bravo specials (and those are fucking amazing).
Key Tracks: "Oprah is a Deity (And I Think She's Full of Shit)", "The Clicker (For Maggie Fans)", "Cover Me", "Oprah's Favorite Things", "The Osmonds Were Never Cool"

Best Songs

5.

Estelle featuring Kanye West "American Boy"
I don't know how or where I first heard this song, but boy am I glad I did. Instantly catchy and her interaction with Kanye is golden.

4.

Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake "4 Minutes"
"4 Minutes" at number 4? Boy, I'm clever. I loved this song to death when it came out originally and I still listen to it all the time without getting sick of it.

3.

Duffy "Warwick Avenue"
The best song on Duffy's debut CD. And there's a lot of winners to choose from.

2.

Danity Kane "Damaged"
Until "Damaged," I always considered Danity Kane a second-rate Pussycat Dolls. Then I heard this gem of a track and it instantly overshadowed the latest PCD track "When I Grow Up." Unfortunately for my co-workers, I am always singing this damn song while at work.

1.

Leona Lewis "Bleeding Love"
I seriously doubt any single released in the second half of 2008 will match Leona Lewis' American debut "Bleeding Love." I haven't encountered a song this emotionally raw and poetic since ABBA's "Chiquitita."