Stuck In My Skull 416 -- "Live It Up" [Pop Week II]

Pop Week II, Part 1 || Song: "Live It Up" || Artist: Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull || http://youtu.be/BofL1AaiTjo ||

Comments: Good morning, everyone! Today's song opens Pop Week II, where we take a look at the current state of 'pop music.' Don't worry -- I have good taste. (I think...) To open the week, I decided to use this track. Less than a month old, this song confirms my long-held belief that Pitbull is always better as a featured artist. I tend to dislike songs where the canine-inspired rapper is the principle artist is the primary artist, but he sounds great when he is working on another artist's track. Additionally, this song was written by RedOne, that hidden power-behind-the-throne of pop music. As a song, I like it. It's a tad too heavy to be a quintessential 'summer song,' but it works nicely as a dance track, and I foresee this song having a long career in FM radio song rotations. I think its structure is a tad too irregular to be a good club hit -- the several times where the song stops the beat for the Pitbull verses and champagne-popping sound effects really breaks the tempo, in my opinion, which I suspect will prevent it from getting much use on the dance floor. That being said, I'm a fan. I'm not sure that I agree with the Wikipedia entry that calls this a europop or a dance-pop song, but either way it's a good song. I just think more of Cascada or Inna or Edward Maya or Alexandra Stan when someone says europop. The video's not bad either -- a Pitbull song without Pitbull advertising some alcohol? Count me in.

I'm going to be doing five entries this week, so check back every day this week for more!

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Stuck In My Skull 371 -- "Rabiosa"

Song: "Rabiosa" || Artist: Shakira || http://youtu.be/8OO1pOqRJkA [Spanish] http://youtu.be/a5irTX82olg [English] ||

Comments: Hello, all. Sorry about my lack of a post yesterday. Things got a little... hectic. Anyway. Shakira is now a mother, and we are pleased to celebrate the birth of her daughter Milan yesterday. To celebrate, I decided to do a Shakira song for today. I'm actually really surprised I haven't used this previously. Like most of Shakira's hits, this song has both an English version (in this instance, featuring Pitbull, of all people) and a Spanish version (featuring El Cata, which I greatly prefer). So, I'm curious. Since this song is the same beat, Latin-inspired rhythm instrumentation and tune, and same lead vocalist across both English and Spanish versions, which version do you prefer?

Edit: Whooops, sorry about that, and forgive my cultural assumptions. Shakira had a son, not a daughter. My bad!

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Entry 251-- "We Run the Night"

Song: "We Run the Night"
Artist: Havana Brown (feat. Pitbull)

http://youtu.be/NenYxo0ko10 (Original, 2011)

http://youtu.be/AP4dnGkZne4 (2012, feat. Pitbull)

Comments: In writing this entry, I couldn't decide which version of this song to use, so I used both. That being said, I have a serious bone to pick with the 'Top 40' (pop) stations in my area. This is not "We Run the Night -- the new Pitbull song." First, it is Havana Brown featuring Pitbull, not the other way around. Second, this was a perfectly good (I'd argue better) song before RedOne had the bright idea to make a new version of it featuring Pitbull. He, and to a lesser extent RedOne, have both begun to annoy me. Having lately seen this image floating around Facebook, I've begun to realize how little Pitbull puts into his songs. Also, he personally annoys me in this song by announcing himself and RedOne, but not Havana Brown, a little-known artist who could greatly benefit from the fame. As to RedOne, I'm beginning to feel as though his songs are a tad over-produced. Anyway, the original by Havana Brown is excellent in its own right. You should definitely give it a listen. And next time your radio tries to tell you that "We Run the Night" is the new Pitbull song, you can smile and think you know more than the DJ. Happy Monday!

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Entry 173-- "Dance Again"

Song: "Dance Again"
Artist: Jennifer Lopez feat. Pibtull

http://youtu.be/5KxII6AJYZY
Comments: Stuck In My Skull is always proud to bring you the hottest, the freshest, the fastest, and tonight, a special weekend entry to bring you this hot new track, less than a day old! So far, still no official music video, but if one pops up, I'll let you know.
As for the song itself, it's pretty nice. I feel quite confident that it's going to be getting lots of play on the dance floor, with an excellent, steady beat that demands to be danced to. Jennifer Lopez's performance is excellent, but in all fairness, though, Pitbull disappoints me here. He really needs to find something besides sex to sing about. He does it quite well, but it's getting old. Also, enough about Voli vodka. We know you're being paid to endorse it, but this is getting ridiculous.My gripes aside, I still say this is an excellent song. Take a listen!

Edit: Also, this song proves my long-held theory that RedOne is running the pop music industry. Just sayin'. (For the record, that's a joke, not a conspiracy theory.)
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Edit, 4/6/12: Official Video is out! http://youtu.be/bjgFH01k0gU

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