Jukeboxin': archive edition

Scrolling through the archives of the dearly departed Singles Jukebox this week, I found my very first blurb, published on May 1st, 2014. Which led me to digging further and finding the first 10 songs I blurbed and really loved - including the first two 10s I gave out, one of which was for a Cam’ron and A-Trak single I referenced in my Jukeboxin’ post from earlier this week! Even though I’ve not listened to some of these, maybe, since 2014, most of them hold up. (Including, definitely, both of the 10s.) Here they are, in chronological order, with some notes where warranted.

Girl Talk & Freeway feat. Waka Flock Flame - Tolerated: Girl Talk proves that he can produce an original track (even if it is an homage to early-’00s hip hop) and Freeway proves he’s still got it, 11 years on from the awesome, underrated Philadelphia Freeway. Free raps likes he wants to make sure you know HE MEANS IT, while Girl Talk’s swirling string riff backs him up with urgency. This pretty much hits every single one of my buttons — and the presence of WFF, who I find extremely minor-league at best, doesn’t even detract. [8] Freeway’s 2002 single “What We Do” is still an all-timer for me. This isn’t quite up there, but it’s great nonetheless.

Sky Ferreira - I Blame Myself: This is one of those alternate-universe smash pop hits. Ariel Rechtshaid’s production isn’t so far off from his work with HAIM, albeit simultaneously a little more poppy and a little more crackly-and-poppy. It wouldn’t mean anything, however, if this wasn’t an incredibly well-constructed song with a super-catchy, weird chorus, which for some reason makes me think of a more straightforward Bjork. I get why Miley Cyrus picked Sky as an opening act; Sky is almost the through-the-indie-looking-glass version of Miley herself. In Miley’s hands, “I Blame Myself” would likely be a lot more high-gloss, but it benefits from not getting that treatment. This gets better with each listen. [7]

Ariana Grande feat. Iggy Azalea - Problem: I suspect this will be ’14’s “Call Me Maybe” in terms of impact (if not YouTube lip-sync videos), and it deserves to be, because this is perfect pop. It’s A-list Max Martin, in that it doesn’t sound like Max Martin — I mean, there’s a rip from Ying Yang Twins’s “Wait,” for pete’s sake! Iggy Azalea, whatever you think of her, is a weirdo — white Aussie female rapper who sounds for all the world like Eve circa 2002 — which makes her an asset in the pop universe. Ariana increasingly looks like the latest kiddie-TV star to go legit as a pop princess, and why not? She’s a better singer than Demi Lovato. In fact, she’s a pretty damned good singer, like a younger, poppier version of Mariah-spliced-with-Whitney. This is so tasty, I can even forgive the sax riff ganked from that awful Macklemore record. [9] Probably a 7 now, but still a strong single, even if time has not been kind to Azalea. That said, “tasty” needs to be banned from the vocabulary of every non-food critic.

Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake - Love Never Felt So Good: I know, aping Off the Wall-era MJ is supposedly “easy,” and a bunch of pop right now (the stuff that isn’t turbo-EDM) sounds like it. But if you’re gonna do Off the Wall manque, it helps to actually have MJ’s vocals, along with a guest spot from his would-be heir JT. (He’s not really his heir, but we’ll get to that later this week.) Because Michael’s vocal on this was originally recorded back in ’83 it’s got that breezy, effortless character he lost later in his career, i.e. it sounds gorgeous. And adding in the little touches from “Workin’ Day and Night” was a smart move on Timbaland’s part; they provide authenticity. I feared the worst for Xscape, but now have high hopes, since this would seem to be an indication that the folks to whom L.A. Reid handed the MJ master tapes treated them with the reverence they deserve. This is what pure joy sounds like. [8] Yes, this would be better without JT, but his vocal here is actually fairly lovely and matches the song well. And the production stands up.

Usher - Good Kisser: Coming out of anyone else’s mouth, let alone JT’s, these oversexed come-ons (really, they’re come-afters) would sound gross. But Usher, uniquely, has the panache to get them over. 20 years into his career — let that sink in for a moment — he gets better and better as a singer, and by evidence of the song’s video, the same is true for his dancing. Usher is the true, and frankly only, heir to Michael Jackson’s throne. He hasn’t yet made his Thriller (though Confessions came closer than you think), but he may do so yet. The salsa snares here are perfection; the multi-tracked-to-heaven multiple Ushers on “KISSERRRRRRR” are even better. The first truly great, classic single of 2014. [10] Y’know, you can put together a great playlist just from Usher’s last decade, starting with 2012’s Looking 4 Myself, a decade that includes only one top 10 pop hit (a minor one at that). Since he gave up the EDM “bangers” and seemed to really start following his muse, he’s been making some superlative R&B; this and 2020’s “Bad Habits” (which I gave a 9 at the time, but is undoubtedly a 10) are my favorites.

Beyonce - Partition: I love how smutty this is — it makes “Drunk In Love” sound like “God Bless America” by comparison. I can’t really hear the Timbaland and Timberlake contributions (unless JT suggested the French translation of that bit from The Big Lebowski — yes, really), but I can most definitely hear The-Dream’s handprints all over this song’s ass. And he’s smackin’ it but good: all low- and high-end to match its all-id lyrics. [8]

DJ Clock feat. Beatenburg - Pluto (Remember You): Based on the name “DJ Clock,” I was honestly anticipating-slash-fearing some Teutonic bosh-bosh-bosh EDM-pop. What a pleasure to realize it’s actually the kind of Balearic gem I didn’t think anyone still made, and from South Africa no less. This would slot in so nicely between the Arthur Baker remix of Fleetwood Mac’s “Big Love” and Chris Rea’s “Josephine” — as this comes off as nothing so much as Double 2014, with its jazz guitar lick and gently shuffling beat. Unquestionably my favorite out-of-nowhere discovery of the year thus far. [8] Hmmm.

Keyshia Cole - Next Time (Won’t Give My Heart Away): This song nags at me and gets better with subsequent listens, a definite grower. Cole uses a mannered low-to-midrange to great effect — no melismas here — and helps get her point across more directly than if she were shouting it. Lyrically it plows her usual row of “you hurt me and I’m through,” but this side of Mary J. Blige, few pull it off as expertly as Cole does. The spare production and keyboard trills in the chorus also serve to serve the song’s lyric rather than overpower it. I’m giving it a [7] today, but this could well be an [8] a month from now. A welcome return. [7] Someone who’s never received the respect she deserves.

Vic Mensa - Down on My Luck: Interesting that Vic Mensa is such a highly-touted young rapper, since this track is basically a straight up Chicago/Detroit house track circa ’89. It’s got that dark LaTour feel via Kevin Saunderson (there’s more than a passing resemblance to Inner City’s “Good Life”) — and that means it’s pretty great. His flow, while obviously faster, reminds me of Kendrick Lamar — also great. [8]

A-Trak & Cam’ron feat. Juelz Santana - Dipshits: A-Trak and Just Blaze loop an awesome sample of the opening of Yes’s “Our Song” (from 1983’s Trevor Horn-produced 90125, so maybe he should get a coproduction credit), while Cam’ron, Juelz Santana (reunited and it feels incredible) and, in a supporting role, Dame Dash, spit grease all over the track. This is a street party, this is a rumble, this is what the best Ruff Ryders records used to sound like (frankly, it’s better than most of the Dipset catalog), this is the sound of bottles poppin’, this is a neighborhood threat. This is the best single I’ve heard yet in 2014. [10] Good god, I love this record.