Day 76, and Now! #76, which was released on 19th July 2010.
Time for the first summer hits of the new decade!
Track 1: Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg – California Gurls
Great piece of pop, awesome party tune.
Track 2: Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull – I Like It
Great beat, highly danceable, fun tune. Quite like this track! We used to dance to this one at my Zumba class in Southampton, as my instructor Hayley was a big Pitbull fan.
Track 3: JLS – The Club Is Alive
Daft take on The Sound Of Music. It’s a bit less cheesy than their usual stuff, so I actually find this one okay.
Track 4: Usher and will.i.am – OMG
Great tune! Love the interesting vocals on this one.
Track 5: David Guetta, Chris Willis, Fergie and LMFAO – Gettin’ Over You
Great upbeat dance track – happily chair-dancing away here.
Track 6: Kylie Minogue – All The Lovers
Solid pop track, really like those instrumentals.
Track 7: Professor Green and Lily Allen – Just Be Good To Green
Fairly pointless cover of Beats International’s Dub Be Good To Me with added rapping. It’s okay, but the original is better.
Track 8: B.o.B and Bruno Mars – Nothin’ On You
I’ve always found this one a bit too saccharine.
Track 9: Lady Gaga – Alejandro
Great, atmospheric electropop. When we were doing Electrolicious Sundays at Mr Modos, Geth would always mix this one into La Isla Bonita by Madonna, ’cause the melodies are so similar.
Track 10: Cheryl – Parachute
The atmosphere’s nice, but the tune’s a bit dull.
Track 11: Rihanna – Te Amo
Quite like the vocal hook on this one, and the electro line is gorgeous. Nice Latin tinge too.
Track 12: Roll Deep and Jodie Connor – Good Times
Good dance beat, but the tune’s very generic.
Track 13: Kelly Rowland and David Guetta – Commander
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had David Guetta on track 5.
This is a great track though – very danceable.
Track 14: Dizzee Rascal – Dirtee Disco
Messy intro, but I really like the disco instrumentals (the sample is the Staple Singers track I’ll Take You There, from 1972).
Track 15: Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP – We No Speak Americano
Interesting, danceable track. The sample is the 1956 song Tu Vuò Fà L’Americano by Renato Carosone, fact fans – it gives it an awesome mid-century feel.
Track 16: Inna – Hot
Good beat, but the vocals are pretty irritating.
Track 17: Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina – Stereo Love
I love the accordion on this one – it gives it a lovely Eastern European tinge.
Track 18: Sean Kingston and Justin Bieber – Eenie Meenie
Terrible theme, jarring lines, irritating vocals. The chorus is okay, though.
Track 19: Miley Cyrus – Can’t Be Tamed
Great atmosphere, but the tune’s a bit uninspired.
Track 20: Pixie Lott – Turn It Up
Bit of a bland tune, but the chorus is okay.
Track 21: Justin Bieber and Ludacris – Baby
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Justin Bieber on track 18.
Horrendously saccharine and squeaky. Teenage girls loved it, though, which just goes to prove that teenage girls’ taste is getting worse and worse as time goes on. How did we get from the Beatles to Bieber? You could write a whole book on that, and maybe one day I will.
Track 22: Iyaz – Solo
I quite like the piano, but in general the song’s a bit too cheesy for my liking.
Track 23: Timbaland and Justin Timberlake – Carry Out
Love the atmosphere on this one – great track.
Track 24: Plan B – She Said
Great tune, awesome classic jazz feel.
Track 25: Scouting For Girls – This Ain’t A Love Song
It’s a bit cheesy and soft-rock for me, and the vocals are kind of irritating.
Track 26: K’naan – Wavin’ Flag
Nice jaunty tune released to tie in with the World Cup 2010. It’s funny to think that was two World Cups ago, and now we’re in the middle of another one (which I have been successfully avoiding).
Track 27: Jason Derulo – Ridin’ Solo
It’s an okay pop track, but the tune is a bit forgettable compared to most of Jason Derulo’s stuff.
Track 28: Alicia Keys – Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart
Gorgeous tune, beautiful atmosphere.
Track 29: Fyfe Dangerfield – She’s Always A Woman
Pointless cover of the Billy Joel track. I adore the song whoever does it, but there’s nothing new about this version.
Track 30: Train – Hey Soul Sister
What this song consistently achieves for me is that I always wish it really were Mr Mister on the radio, instead of Train. You have to give them credit for that.
Track 31: Scissor Sisters – Fire With Fire
I find this one a bit slow and dull.
Track 32: Diana Vickers – Once
Great pop tune – really like this one. I also love the video with all her hundreds of different outfits!
Track 33: Example – Kickstarts
The lyrics are a bit cheesy, but it’s a good danceable tune.
Track 34: Swedish House Mafia and Pharrell Williams – One (Your Name)
Great electro hooks, nice atmosphere.
Track 35: The Black Eyed Peas – Rock That Body
Good beat, but the tune’s a bit dull.
Track 36: Alexandra Burke and Pitbull – All Night Long
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Pitbull on track 2.
I quite like the vocal hook on the chorus, but the rap over the intro is pretty jarring.
Track 37: Aggro Santos and Kimberly Wyatt – Candy
Great bassline, great atmosphere. Good solid pop track.
Track 38: Taio Cruz and Kesha – Dirty Picture
Daft theme, and the tune is pretty forgettable.
Track 39: Chipmunk and Esmée Denters – Until You Were Gone
Generic and bland.
Track 40: Skepta – Rescue Me
I find the tune on this one a bit depressing.
Track 41: N-Dubz and Bodyrox – We Dance On
I like the Canon in D sample, but the rest of the track’s pretty forgettable.
Track 42: Robyn – Dancing On My Own
Boring tune – nothing redeeming about this one.
Track 43: Florence & The Machine and Dizzee Rascal – You’ve Got The Dirtee Love [Live At The Brit Awards 2010]
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Dizzee Rascal on track 14.
I remember watching this performance on the Brits at the time. You wouldn’t think You’ve Got The Love would work with Dizzee Rascal rapping over the top, but it’s actually quite an interesting take.
However, I am contractually obliged to point out that in addition to the three instances of the Source and Candi Staton’s original version of the song on Now! #19, Now! #36, and Now! #63, we now have two instances of the Florence & The Machine version, on Now! #74 and on this one, making a total of FIVE instances! I am almost certain that this makes it the most featured song in the history of Now! compilations, though I will have to check my stats at the end of the project.
Track 44: Kelis – Acapella
That title should be spelt ‘a cappella’, but I’m sure you all knew that.
I like the drums on the intro, and the vocal line is quite interesting.
Track 45: Tinie Tempah and Labrinth – Frisky
Great instrumentals, awesome atmosphere – very danceable.
Track 46: Pendulum – Watercolour
Lovely electro track – it builds beautifully, and the hooks are wonderful.
