A Rhyme: "Party Girl" - Asher Roth Feat. Meek Mill

"I Love College" rapper Asher Roth returns with his new song about a girl who likes to party. Aptly titled "Party Girl," it samples Eddie Murphy's 80's hit "Party All The Time". Asher still has connections to college-oriented music with this song describing the party antics of a stereotypical college frat girl.

Backed by a club-dupstep based beat, it makes for a good track that any party girl would want to dance to. The song also serves to introduce younger audiences to the fact that yes, Eddie Murphy did attempt to sing at some point. It's good, it's straight forward and the rap provided by Meek Mill helps make it more hip-hop and less typically pop appealing to the college crowed. It's not necessarily mainstream but neither is Asher Roth.

A Rhyme: "Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)" - Nelly Furtado

With the release of a lyric video on VEVO, Nelly Furtado returns  to the scene for the first time since 2006's Loose with her new single about hoop earrings. It's a club song that focuses on a typical premise of a girl trying to catch a guy's eye. While that may seem like nothing new, what is new is the techniques Nelly used on this song compared to how we last heard her. Produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Nelly utilizes vocal manipulation not only through the ever-popular autotune but also on her own. The singer echoes current pop staple Rihanna, feigning a Caribbean accent on the track.

The most interesting part of the song comes in the last minute when the music stops and after a few words from Nelly and the chorus repeats with a fast-paced 90's-esque rave track racing in the background. That's something refreshing to hear considering it could have gone a more predictable route and launched into a dupstep break down. Even though the song is nothing especially different to what's on the radio now, it is different enough to stand out.

A Rhyme: "Lost" - Gorilla Zoe

Gorilla Zoe’s most popular track is undoubtedly “Lost” form his March 2009 album Don’t Feed Da Animals.  Like many artists, his song is about being lost in the business. He has his go-to vices to keep him sane: purple and a chick he met in the club. The words in the song smoothly flow from ear to ear with the slick familiar hip-hop beat in the background and a female vocalist that echoes more of the R&B genre.

This isn’t the most typical hip-hop song but it’s not completely original. Yet it still goes a little deeper than the usual: rapping about money, cars, girls, and the like. It’s a song anyone who is feeling at least somewhat overwhelmed can relate to.  And the song actually tells a story making it more relevant.

Image Credit: Bad Boy South, Block, Atlantic

A Rhyme: "Bright Lights" - Gary Clark Jr.

Upon first hearing Clark's "Bright Lights", you might mistake it for a blues song from the peak of the genre during the 40's and 50's. But once the smooth electric guitar joins in you'll recognize that this is something of a more recent caliber.

Clark sings about a city's social scene blowing up his ego and him not caring. And he shouldn't. With guitar skills like those showcased on the bridge that take years of training to perfect, he seems to have mastered it well. The crooner's solo sounds smooth but still gritty enough to for the listener to believe he's taken time to make it to this city where he's determined for you to know his name.

Image credit: rollingstone.com

A Rhyme: "Delusional" - Simon Curtis

From Simon Curtis' debut album released on his own independent label in March of last year, "Delusional" showcases electronic elements prevalent on 8Bit Heart. The first verse gives the impression that the song may focus on naysayers who write Curtis off as someone who won't make it in the music business:

Here's to all the people who've been trying to keep me down
Got their fingers in my collar trying to turn me all around
I find it so funny to hear how much they hate
Try to push me to the ground then say they love me to my face
Say what you mean and don't try to deceive me
I so want to believe it, yes I want to, yes I do
Say what you want and don't try to prolong it
If you want to so-long it, then I want you to, yes I do

This can be thought into the second verse where Curtis proclaims "Now I know you're gonna try to say I stole this verse from Tim'..." (though his voice is more reminiscent of Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys, his musical styling is more in line with Justin Timberlake's) but the rest of the verse suggests he's really referring to a lover who left him for someone else. Whether this lover is a man or a woman is up for debate, as there is speculation if the singer is gay. All that aside "Delusional" is a song that easily fits into the current atmosphere of music, which is why 8Bit Heart was downloaded 150,000 times since its release.

Source: Billboard.com, simon-curtis.com

Picture credit: simon-curtis.com

A Rhyme: "Moves Like Jagger" - Maroon 5 feat Christina Aguilera

The new single from Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera, "Moves Like Jagger" debuted today much to eager Xtina fans' delight. The song is infectiously catchy and relies heavily on it's funky disco-esque beat that is characteristic of some of Maroon 5's songs. Adam Levine's voice is smooth along side the notable guitar. (Which might echo Party In The USA from two summers ago). Aguilera supplies guest vocals on the bridge and announces her arrival on the track with her signature vocal stylings and gives the song a fresh feminine take. Though The Voice judges often bud heads on the show, they show great chemistry here. It's a tune that is sure to be something of a summer smash.

Listen:

A Rhyme: "Strawberry Wine" - Deana Carter

The debut single "Strawberry Wine", from country crooner Deana Carter, was released in 1996 from her debut album Did I Shave My Legs For This?. Before being recorded the year earlier, songwriter Matraca Berg shopped it around to labels but was shut down by companies who insisted the song was too long and controversial. Carter recorded the song and it became the most successful song of her career.

Listening to the song and viewing the lyrics, you get a sense of just how special the hometown is for the speaker (which is not necessarily Carter, since Berg wrote the song based on her experience growing up in Luck, Wisconsin). It's where she lost her innocence and first fell in love. Carter sings the song in a way that makes her fondness believable even though the fields become overgrown so many years later. The song has remained one of the most popular country tunes and was later covered in 2006 by country duo The Wreckers.

Picture credit: amazon.com