Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
This is definitely not something you'd hope for. I took a week off last week because my data got scrambled. I hoped to return from the one-week absence with a stream of effusive praise for the great songs in our Top 10. Okay, that's not true because my mind doesn't work that way and I know better. I was really just hoping to have heard of a few of these songs and artists. This is one of those instances where higher or lower standards really seem to be a moot point. Anyway, let's have a look.
The Black Eyed Peas continue to dominate the charts with two Top 10 singles. This Jay Sean character is new to the proceedings. I don't suppose I need to tell you I have no idea who this is. There are many hip hop performers with some derivation of "J" and "Sean" in their names. This dude seems to have taken both of those and put them together. For all I know, Jay Sean could have been any number of other Seans or J's. I guess that's the point. I just don't know.
I've seen this Cobra Starship act in the charts lately and I have no idea what they're about yet I'm positive I've heard "Good Girls Go Bad" before. No, not their song. I'm saying this is one of those songs that gets written and recycled every few years. Each graduating high school class has one of these insipid novelty songs.
iTunes' top 10 selling singles of the week ending Aug. 3 2009:
1. "I Gotta Feeling" – Black Eyed Peas
2. "Down" – Jay Sean
3. "Use Somebody" – Kings of Leon
4. "Good Girls Go Bad" (feat. Leighton Meester) – Cobra Starship
5. "Fire Burning" – Sean Kingston
6. "You Belong With Me" – Taylor Swift
7. "Best I Ever Had" – Drake
8. "Boom Boom Pow" – Black Eyed Peas
9. "Remember Me" (feat. Mary J. Blige) – T.I.
10. "Knock You Down" – Kanye West, Ne-Yo, Keri Hilson
After hanging about the lower reaches of the Top 10, Kings of Leon makes the big jump to #1 on the albums chart. That tells me last week was a weak one for new releases because Only By The Night has been out for awhile. Disney creations Ashley Tisdale and Demi Lovato are both pushing some albums across the 'net even though neither has a single that seems to have caught on digitally. Dave Matthews Band's latest record is better than its name and continues to sell strong. Lastly, in a week that saw Katherine Jackson sue for more control over her late son's estate as well as being named permanent guardian of his children, Michael Jackson's Essential package has slipped all the way to #10. Whoever winds up with controlling interest in that estate is banking some good coin. Nice work if you can get it.
iTunes' top 10 selling albums of the week ending Aug. 3 2009:
1. Only By the Night – Kings of Leon
2. Loso's Way – by Fabolous
3. Leave This Town – Daughtry
4. The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies) – Black Eyed Peas
5. Guilty Pleasure – Ashley Tisdale
6. (500) Days of Summer – Various Artists
7. Here We Go Again – Demi Lovato
8. Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King – Dave Matthews Band
9. Fearless – Taylor Swift
10. The Essential Michael Jackson – Michael Jackson
