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23 July 2012

Summer Jam Week 11: Rihanna, Cashin Out, and Let's Throw in Some Batman

Folks, it's been a tragic couple of days in the Entertainment world. The shootings in a movie theater in Colorado have marred the premiere of the Summer's Biggest (and probably best) Film. It's a terrible act and for what it's worth, the heart of Norwegian Morning Wood goes out to the victims and their families.

How are we supposed to talk about bubbly ridiculous pop hits amidst this sobering tragedy? We have to move on while acknowledging its magnitude - lest the psychos of the world win. Needless to say, this is Bat-Weekend, and the impact of The Dark Knight Rises (2012) is already rising above any other film before it in recent memory.

Hot Track of the Week: "My Homeis Still" by Lil Wayne ft. Big Sean



This is a bizarre vid, but certainly bouncing enough to make a good run as a Summer Jam. It's not really that memorable of a track, but Big Sean lays down his typical thing the way he should here. More than anything it seems to be an ode to Wayne's love for purple drank and having desolate goofy panda parties. Sounds like Summer to me.

Cheddar Burning: "Cashin' Out" by Ca$h Out

This song is perhaps egregiously stupid, but is picking up some buzz, perhaps because of how many times Ca$h Out screams his own name, which is also a call to action. What does that mean, cashing out, actually - like, exchanging your chips at a casino? Or paying your bar tab? No one really cares about the meanings of rap slang anymore. Well, I guess they never did. I just hope he changes his name for each subsequent single he releases in what will certainly surely be a long and illustrious artistic career.

Summer Smoochems: "Tongue Tied" by Grouplove

This track is hanging in there as a nice Summer Melody. It's held on fairly well for an track that's more alternative than it is pop, and its idle make-out anthem fits a summer bang session perfectly. Still, the song isn't really that huge, and by no means is it guaranteeing Grouplove, who has had some nice songs, a bountiful future, not even into next week.

If Foreheads Could Kill: "Where Have You Been" by Rihanna

This jam has been around for a while but really seemed to peak this week into relevancy. It's not that exceptional or distinctive for a Rihanna song, but it does its job in that it has found its way innocuously into the background of our lives just about everywhere. It won't last that long or get too huge, but for now it's a nice addition to the Rihanna oeuvre.

Blowin Up: "Whistle" by Flo Rida

Flo is turning out to have a pretty decent year, even if none of his songs are reaching the status of "Low." I mean, Step Up 2: The Streets (2008) was a powerful force back in the day. I still think Flo Rida's career is pretty interesting. He barely has a brand personality or a really distinctive following like rappers like Kanye, Snoop, or hell, even Soulja Boy. He still fills a gap in the market, though.

White Folks Cough it Up: "Till I Die" by Chris Brown ft. Big Sean & Wiz Khalifa

The most in-demand track of the moment, "Till I Die" remains the get high anthem of the summer and presents the goofier side of Chris Brown. A ruse to hide his status as a Woman Beater? Very likely. The flow of this jam is so crisp and the party-fueled lyrics infused with a quite a bit of wit makes it a worthwhile hit. It hasn't really reached spectacular jam status yet, but it ought to.

WiFi Hotspot: "Payphone" by Maroon 5 ft. Wiz Khalifa

The fusion between hip-hop and pop rock provides interesting precedent for future collabos, but this song still sucks. It's possible that Adam Levine peaked with "Iran So Far Away." All I know is that I'm getting sick of trashing Maroon 5 every week (read: I'm running out of criticism), and this jam needs to peter out. That's unlikely to happen any time soon, though.

Call for a Good Time: "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen

Somehow this little Princess of Canada has truly landed here in the States. The jam is everywhere and at this point is really looking like the Champion of Summer lest something drastic takes place. Not only that, but her sophomore effort on Owl City's track is also picking up. It's a big question right now whether she becomes a low-level pop starlet like Demi Lovato, a living joke like Justin Bieber, or can transform the enormity of this jam into a successful career. My guess is we'll know by Fall.


Bonus of the Week:
Rise:



Because who doesn't want to rock out to a bit of one of the best-scored blockbusters in decades this week? Higher points for headbanging in an Desert Hole Prison to Bane's Chant.

Next Week...

We're getting to the End of July already, and believe it or not, that means that Summer is moving quietly towards its conclusion. Considering this is the Final Summer we'll ever have before the World ends in December, are we really going to let Carly Rae Jepsen take the reigns? Meh, why not. There's plenty of room for some hits to grow yet and we'll see how it all ends up shaking out.

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