Posts tagged Jennifer Lopez
Posts tagged Jennifer Lopez
DUBSTEP! Rihanna with her album Rated R can take credit as one the first US pop star to really have some strong Dubstep influence in their music. Since then, Britney Spears released a pretty good dubstep influenced pop album last year in Femme Fataleand all of the stuff that has happened on this chart has lead to Dubstep being the next big thing people are stumbling over themselves to cover. Last year, I wrote about the slight dubstepiness of “On the Floor” by Jennifer Lopez, and here is a quick update on that idea looking at “Love You Like a Love Song”, “You Da One”, and some general ideas on the Skrillex.
“Love You Like A Love Song” by Selena Gomez is hard to exactly figure out how popular the song truly is, as it came out last summer, but it took some time for it to gain a moderate amount of radio buzz. So, maybe it took some time for the rest of the world to appreciate the bass oddness instead of finding it off putting. It’s a love song about love songs and with an odd pairing of some of the glossiest vocals I’ve heard in a pop song in recent memory with over active bass sounds. But, considering how loose the definition of dubstep has gotten in the last few years that is still enough for music writers (this one included) to say that there is dubstep influence in the song and one of the better ones with roots in pop music to get that distinction.
Dubstep went from something so under-covered in music circles, I’d bet a year ago most music critics would have been asking “What is a Skrillex?” while mocking those people who were saying “Who is Arcade Fire?” after their Grammy victory. But, where we stand now, dubstep is the music of the young people that must be covered. So, great writers are now wrestling with the music of Skrillex and other more American based Dubstep producers, whose names are usually never mentioned in Dubstep articles, because Skrillex serves to be the head of this second electronic music revolution and conveniently the only one most writers can name.
Not to be too crabby, but when I first heard Skrillex more than a year and half ago I thought he was garbage, so seeing people stumbling over themselves to praise the man is strange to say the least. Which accounts for the name of this article, because early on Dubstep pieces would characterize it as music for bros to mosh out and go crazy to, which while not untrue as people started to pay more attention to the music, it became obvious this was music both genders equally enjoyed. Also, for all of the Grammy nominations and sold out shows that Skrillex will play, the way that dubstep is entering the mainstream is through female artists, who take some dubstep elements are work them into their music far better than Skrillex and his peers (Flux Pavilion, Zeds Dead, Nero, and a the UKF group if you want some other examples of this stuff).
“You Da One” is a weird Rihanna single still trying to find another life to eventually top the charts like so many of her songs have already. Yet, focusing on bass drops in dubstep, quickly loses the fact the drums of most dubstep songs have an instantly recognizable slowed up lurch compared to other more bland four on the floor pound of most pop songs on the radio today. That is the most notable dubstepish part of “You Da One”, as while the bass is noticeable the drum pattern is what gives the anticipation of a bass drop eventually happening, even if it doesn’t really happen. I don’t really enjoy too many Skrillex or Rusko (supposed originator of this Bro-step style) dubstep songs that are heavy on bass drop and not much else, but considering they are probably the reason a songs like “You Da One” or “Love You Like A Love Song” were even considered for a major label means I will begrudgingly accept their place in the world.
Get Right - Jennifer Lopez (feat. Fabolous)
We haven’t quite arrived at mid 2000s R&B/Pop appreciation leading to awkward indie band covers and white label remixes of “1 Thing” on small British electronic music labels (even though the songs fits nicely in Nguzunguzu “The Perfect Lullaby” mix). “Get Right” has a few years of being too out of step with current trends to sneak on to radio playlists (unlike the always relevant “Yeah”), and without an accelerated sense of nostalgia probably won’t become a reference point for a dozen different Best New Tracks.
Produced by Rich Harrison, the song isn’t too different from his number 1 hit with Beyonce “Crazy In Love” as both get a pretty funky use of their samples (for this song I’s “Soul Power 74” by James Brown). The sampled horn in the song isn’t too far from this year’s “In the Dark”, “Edge of Glory”, or “Mr. Saxobeat”, but the rest of the songs are a lot stiffer and a lot less groove than “Get Right”.
Jennifer Lopez is the main artist of this song, but it’s surprising how little she is given to do with this song, which highlights why this song would standout on a current pop station. “Mr. Saxobeat” does very little with Alexandra Stan’s vocals, but the rest of the backing track is a kind of safe Euro-Pop that doesn’t really depend on her vocal talents, where “Get Right” is held up by its funk sample and not Jennifer Lopez’ vocals, and that instrumental track sounds a few decades out of date compared to “T.G.I.F. (Last Friday Night)” despite only being six years of separation between them. I’m sure this song will be able to slip back onto pop radio without sounding so bizarre eventually, but if not it at least it did have it brief time of relevancy.
On the Floor - Jennifer Lopez (feat. Pitbull)
280,000,000 views—people have heard this song, I guess. There are numerous reasons one might listen to “On the Floor”: Pitbull’s guest verse, Jennifer it’s Lopez biggest hit in years, or maybe less likely (but I can hope) someone just enjoys keeping track of all songs that reference Keith Sweat. All of those noble reason aside, I’m in the song mostly for its buzzy bass wobble. Produced by RedOne, featuring Pitbull; the song is trying to appeal to all people across the globe, and in a year where Pop songs have only gotten bigger and bigger that arrogant goal is very necessary.
Hands are in the air, alcohol is consumed, and over-exaggerated 4/4 stomp, so that bass wobble is not going to increase the song’s global reach, but it adds a groove and wiggle that usually lacking in these Trance-Pop hits. Even though I love the bass wobble with its slightest hint of dubstep, I will not be seeking out any “Dubstep” remixes of the song. As the producers, who are behind most “Dubstep” remixes of popular songs have little concept of what makes a good pop song let alone a good dubstep song.
So, I guess it would be better leaving this type of genre mashing to the professionals. The professionals in this case, Dr. Luke and Max Martin whose remix of “Till the World Ends” includes: an increased bass, the original writer of the song Ke$ha, number one female rap star Nicki Minaj, and just for fun a dubstep breakdown at the end. To reduce another great pop song down to its bass and synths: the bass at certain point wraps and twists just like in “On the Floor”, slightly overblown never calling attention to itself letting it be a slight nod to other music trends happening across the musical world. The song may be overstuffed, but even the breakdown at the end does not push the song over the edge with it being only a slight extension of the increased bass and not a minute long excursion of aluminum foil crinkling. “On the Floor” and “Till the World Ends (Remix)” are not going to lead dubstep to being heard across US radio stations, but if the pop landscape morphs toward that direction, then these songs can be seen tangoing with new sounds while still being able to top charts 2011’s pop landscape.
