What makes Radioactive striking to the senses is the obvious departure from Marina’s piano-driven sound into a sound that screams Top 40 material (you may think of David Guetta for the heck of it). Produced by DJ Chuckie and Stargate, Radioactive shows off a pulsating dance beat yet retains the lyrical edge and sensibility that Marina has become known for. The opening line (Lying on a fake beach, you’ll never get a tan / Baby, I’m gonna leave you drowning, until you reach for my hand) really got this writer pumped once he heard it. You can think of Radioactive as a smarter version of those mainstream Guetta tracks. It is that good.

Radioactive shows why people will never get tired of pop – as long as pop is sensible that is. Fortunately, Radioactive is sensible in lots of aspects. Lyrically, it possesses tons of wits. Production-wise, you can hear semblances of Guetta here and there but it still is flawless. Radioactive definitely is one of the best singles to have come out this year. Enough said.

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Released: September 30, 2011
Label: 679 Artists

The song structure, to aptly describe it, is simple – providing enough ammunition for the critics of the track. It is all about providing that dance feeling. The lyrics are repetitive mind that. If I were to provide a description for the whole track, I would say: “Imagine Rihanna’s vocals sprinkled all over Calvin Harris’ beats.” It all depends on the listener if he likes both variables in the equation.

Frankly, the first listen gave me a feeling that this was Only Girl (In The World) all over again with the change being that of Calvin Harris handling the producing duties. However, the similarities do not really matter for the quality of We Found Love is simply astounding. Basically, this track does give you a feel of Rihanna’s Loud era rather than that dark Rated R era. The beats are definitely bouncing in the track. Vocally, what is expected of Rihanna is given.

Is We Found Love Rihanna’s best released single ever? Of course not but it will give the listener some much needed entertainment before the (upcoming and new) album sets off the fireworks.

Date Released: September 22, 2011
Label: Def Jam
Just as good as: Only Girl (In The World)

Multi-talented Florrie may have wowed us with her Introduction EP (The Reflective Inklings review) which was released last year but her desire in creating more sensitively crafted material has not deteriorated.

Cue her latest creation: Experiments EP.

Florrie, who initially worked as a drummer for Xenomania acts such as Pet Shop Boys and Girls Aloud, churns more tasty tunes in the six-track EP. If her Introduction EP provided a glimpse of what she could offer as an artist, this latest EP of Florrie then offers a view on how an artist works her magic once the public have learned to accept her craft. Basically, Florrie shows more reasons why a label should snap her up and give her a deal.

Begging Me can and will make the listener beg (pun intended) for more with a luscious sound that gets savvier with a very lovely bass. Versatility is the name of the game and Experiments confidently shows off this trait of Florrie’s. She Always Gets What She Wants, albeit not sounding like that of a record that will be willingly embraced by the listening public, actually should not experience such cruel fate. With an instrumentation that will let the listener think of those fiestas right away, the track should find itself treating your aural capabilities easily.

The EP, as a whole, is a very pleasurable listening experience. The offerings may not sound like those that can be seen in those charts but the quality of Florrie’s artistry should be unquestioned. What Florrie has done is an effort that may end up being underrated by the listening public but frankly, such cruel fate is a fate that Experiments does not deserve for the tracks are simply impressive.

Okay, Leona did not initially credit Avicii for the instrumental of the track but after Avicii claimed that Camp Leona said that they will only sample Penguin (the track whose instrumental is embedded all over the place in Collide) and not use the track as a whole, controversy arrived. You can read more about the controversy in BBC’s article.

The instrumental of Collide is actually splendid with those piano riffs shimmering with no hesitation whatsoever. Actually, it is nice to hear Leona change things up (and freshen her music in the process) and rely on production values largely reminiscent of David Guetta (who fortunately has stopped his samey production works with the impressive Titanium) instead of those suddenly boring crafts by Ryan Tedder that just drain the life out of the listener. As a result, Collide ends up as something a bit fresh that is enough for the listener to put the track on repeat for hours.

Leona has shone in various choruses and unsurprisingly, she does it yet again in Collide. The chorus is simply . . . well-executed. It gives the listener those feelings of positivity which are highly appreciated.

The only problem I see with Collide is that the magic of the track will not last for a long time. Perhaps, it can then be said that the track only gives ‘short-term happiness’. Still, Collide is a good track and should not be regarded as mere garbage.

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Just as good as: I Got You
Not better than: Bleeding Love
Date Released: September 6 (U.S)
Label: Syco/Sony

The step towards the realization of the maturation process only continues for Miss Joanna Levesque, perhaps more known to you as the one and only JoJo.

Disaster is the official first single from JoJo’s upcoming album Jumping Trains. Listening to Disaster will serve as a striking reminder of the reasons why you totally went gaga over JoJo’s craft back then. Fortunately, Disaster is an impressive single that should not cast any doubts whatsoever regarding JoJo’s workmanship.

The power vocals are there. JoJo hitting those high notes with relative ease and comfort just like the good old times goes to show that Miss Joanna Levesque remains fierce and impeccable as ever. Arrangement-wise, JoJo opts for simplicity with the instruments but once fused together, it all ends up as a perfectly executed plan.

Disaster is definitely not a . . . disaster in terms of execution. The parts work very well. Vocally, JoJo remains impressive as ever. She definitely did not miss a beat whatsoever. Disaster goes to show why some people have been clamoring for a long time for JoJo to actually produce something that can whet their musical cravings. Obviously, JoJo answered the call and I am glad she did.

For the hardcore fans of Miss Levesque, Disaster will let you take a trip down memory lane and subsequently remind you why JoJo’s music became an integral part of your growing up process as humans. As for the relatively new listeners, do listen to Disaster and hear for yourself why age does not matter at times when it comes to crafting exceptional music.

Again, thank you JoJo for answering the call when it really mattered most. You definitely are back.

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Just as impressive as: The Other Chick
Definitely better than: Note to God
Label: Interscope Records

First and foremost, I admit that I do not know everything regarding the Korean Pop (more known as K-Pop in my motherland). Second, I also admit I am not much of a fan of the said industry. Lastly, would you find it weird that the latest ‘Song of the Week’ is a K-Pop track? I hope not.

Embedded with a very stylish beat that screams “Hello there listener! I am actually well-produced!”, Mr. Taxi by the famous girl group SNSD/Girls’ Generation (the group has two names and frankly, I do not want to delve much into this) obviously has the makings of being a great song.

Boy, it really is.

The instrumental may be considered as something that is undoubtedly miles ahead over songs manufactured in the U.S.A or even the U.K. It has a lot of power in it – exuding that conviction that is thoroughly needed in a very fantastic pop record.

As for the flow of the track, I actually commend whoever produced this track. Seamless, the listening felt. The parts of the track perfectly fit. Vocally, there is nothing wrong done albeit the dreaded auto-tune technology makes a cameo appearance. Fortunately, the said dreaded technology did not do any damage whatsoever into the track. Rather, the said dreaded technology even added more pizzazz into the track which the listener should easily appreciate.

I have mentioned that I am not a fan of  any songs from the K-Pop genre. So what made me like this masterpiece by SNSD/Girls’ Generation?

Perhaps, the sheer fact that it outclasses most of the garbage being played in radio nowadays made me appreciate it. Good music should easily outdo any garbage out there in the market. Fortunately, Mr. Taxi is one great song. Period.

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There comes a point in the career of a musician when everything that he creates sounds too diluted. Fortunately for David Guetta, such period is now over with the release of Titanium, the last track off his upcoming album Nothing But The Beat which will be released on the 30th of August in the U.S.

The inclusion of Aussie Sia in the track gives a refreshing layer which the listener will easily appreciate. The powerful declaration of “Shoot me down but I won’t fall / I am titanium!” coming from Sia definitely is one of the most glorious moments in pop music this 2011.

The synthesizers and the production values are simply of out-of-this-world quality. Frankly, I am glad to hear such for the past production values in past Guetta singles have been getting stale and monotonous. Titanium is definitely better than Little Bad Girl simply because the production values are simply more massive than the aforementioned track. Sia does a solid job in providing power to a track that would not even stand a chance without her vocals.

Seeing the name “David Guetta” constantly in the pages of the chart magazines may have annoyed some but with Titanium, I guess there is a reason why some people continue to stand up for their favorite DJ despite the legion of haters. Guetta deserves credit as well. Instead of providing the listening community with trash, here he comes with a track that possesses a lot of swagger and power. In other words, Titanium can be summed up as a gift from the electronic music gods.

If Guetta continues to provide singles such as Titanium, he might as well continue firing away.

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Better than: Little Bad Girl
Date Released: August 5, 2011
Label: Virgin Records

Perhaps everyone knows by now that Nicola Roberts, the quietest member of Girls Aloud, has this golden voice that just leaves people in awe once they hear it. Beat of My Drum may not have fared that well in the charts but her latest effort Lucky Day should be the single that would quell any worries from the listening public regarding Nicola’s abilities as a solo artist.

Truth be told, the Dragonette-penned single should have been Nicola’s debut solo single. Beat of My Drum looks a bit inferior when put beside Lucky Day. There is nothing too complex with Lucky Day and I guess this can be qualified as a strength for the track. Lucky Day is really more about showcasing Nicola’s vocals without any ‘distractions’ coming from the track’s instrumental. The “Woah, woah, woah, woah” parts actually were impressive.

So what else can I say? Nicola definitely can belt those notes. If Beat of My Drum turned people off with its instrumental, such could not be said for Lucky Day. Lucky Day‘s instrumental is top-class and once it is put together with Nicola’s vocals, what you get is a great finish that should give you a great day.

Simply magical. Nicola has done it yet again.

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Better than: Beat of My Drum
Release date: September 18, 2011
Label: Polydor Records