It's Rihanna's Sleepy "California King Bed" Video

In the age of the slick, over-produced pop jam, let's all give a round of applause to Rihanna for releasing a good old-fashioned ballad as the fourth single off her Loud album.

The video for the song arrived today, and while it may seem as sleepy as the title (unintentionally) implies, it's still at least a colorful homage to none other than the crimson-weaved singer behind the tribute.

Rihanna is one hot broad, and it's never been more obvious than this dreamy clip. Do we expect it to become her fourth #1 hit in a row from her latest album? Probably not. Even the dance-infused "S&M" needed the Britney Spears remix to achieve a brief appearance at the top of the Hot 100.

Still, if it's not RiRi you're celebrating with "California King Bed," then at least give snaps to the return of the guitar solo in pop songs!

U.S. Chart Roundup: Britney And Kelly Rowland Soar While Beyonce Flops Hard

Exactly two months after the single first arrived, Britney Spears' "Till The World Ends" gets a major push up the Billboard Hot 100 (to #3) thanks to the new remix featuring Wigney's upcoming tourmate Nicki Minaj and the song's co-writer Ke$ha. The last Britney single to peak at #3 on the chart was "Circus." This now gives her three Top 5 hits in a row, following "Hold It Against Me" and "3."

Don't expect The Wig's latest to stick around too long, though — the novelty of the remix appears to have been fleeting, as it's already dropped to #20 on iTunes. The original version of "Till The World Ends" is at #36 on the digital store's chart.

Likewise, it's odd that Billboard even credits Britney this week on Rihanna's "S&M" (#6), since that remix has plummeted to #152 on iTunes. (RiRi's Loud version is hanging in there at #18).

But let's focus on the two high profile singles that have dropped faster than an 17-year-old hooker's panties at R. Kelly's mansion: Lady Gaga's "Judas" and Beyonce's "Run The World (Girls)." Gaga's latest has steadily tumbled, from #10 to #12 to, now, #20. At least she has this week's appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and the premiere of the music video tonight to rely on (not to mention upcoming performances on the American Idol and Saturday Night Live finales).

Meanwhile, House Of Dereon's Main Wig has yet to premiere her video for "Run The World." But let's face it — that song sucks dry weave dust, hence its plunge from #33 to #48.

On the flip side, Kelly Rowland, the TRUE talent from Destiny's Child, climbs 11 positions to #43 with "Motivation." Finally, a little justice comes along to put Beyonce in her place.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "E.T." - Katy Perry feat. Kanye West *5 weeks*
2. "Rolling In The Deep" - Adele
3. "Till The World Ends" - Britney Spears feat. Nicki Minaj & Ke$ha
4. "Just Can't Get Enough" - The Black Eyed Peas
5. "The Lazy Song" - Bruno Mars
6. "S&M" - Rihanna feat. Britney Spears
7. "On The Floor" - Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull
8. "Blow" -Ke$ha
9. "Down On Me" - Jeremih feat. 50 Cent
10. "Look At Me Now" - Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes

U.S. Chart Roundup: Rihanna & Britney Spears Are #1, Kelly Rowland Shows Beyonce How It's Done

Rihanna and Britney Spears scissor their way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with the remix of Ri Ri's "S&M" that The Chanting Wig's angelic voice appears on. This gives Ri her 10th chart-topping single in the U.S., and Weaveney her fifth.

Billboard points out that Rihanna achieves the shortest span between a solo artist's first and 10th #1 singles in Hot 100 history—a stretch of four years, 11 months and two weeks that began with "SOS". Meanwhile, The Chanting Wig's  "Till The World Ends" slips from its peak position of #8 to #9.

And then there's Lady Gaga's "Judas," which leaked on Friday (four days ahead of its scheduled release) and debuts at #10 on the strength of 162,000 downloads sold by Sunday. This marks that broad's ninth Top 10 single. It's a shame "Judas" seems like less of an event, because I actually think that once the dust settles on this era for Gaga, it will be regarded as a better song than "Born This Way."


Elsewhere, Jessie J's mediocre Dr. Luke trash "Price Tag" scrapes its way to #24, while her debut LP Who You Are enters the Top 200 album chart at #11. And then there's The Script, whose single "For The First Time" is so boring I'd completely forgotten it existed. But, no—there it is this week at #36.

Destiny's Child's real success story, Kelly Rowland, sees her latest jam "Motivation" debut at #55. This marks her highest placement on the Hot 100 since "Like This" reached the stunning heights of #30 four years ago.

House Of Dereon's Lucky Hack Beyonce should sit her tired wig down and be studying Ms. Kelendria's every move!

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "S&M" - Rihanna feat. Britney Spears *1 week*
2. "E.T." - Katy Perry feat. Kanye West
3. "Just Can't Get Enough" - The Black Eyed Peas
4. "Down On Me" - Jeremih feat. 50 Cent
5. "Fuck You" - Cee Lo Green
6. "Rolling In The Deep" - Adele
7. "Look At Me Now" - Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
8. "On The Floor" - Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull
9. "Till The World Ends" - Britney Spears
10. "Judas" - Lady Gaga *new*

U.S. Chart Roundup: Britney Spears Weaves Back Into The Top 10

After previously reaching #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 then falling down the chart a bit, The Chanting Wig's second Femme Fatale single "Till The World Ends" gets a major boost following its music video premiere, and hops from #13 to #8.

To date, The Chanting Wig has never had a single peak at #8 on the Hot 100, so we'll just have to wait and see if "Till The World Ends" becomes the first. For this week at least, her appearance on a new remix of Rihanna's current #2 single "S&M" seems to be stealing all the thunder.

The Chanting Wig should just be thankful that "Till The World Ends" is actually climbing the chart, as opposed to "Hold It Against Me," which debuted at #1 then steadily plummeted after a lone week on top.

Over on the Top 200, Rolling Stone cover girl Adele returns to #1 with 21 for a fourth non-consecutive week as it becomes the first album to sell one million copies this year.  This pushes The Chanting Wig's Femme Fatale down to #2.

Other than that, it's a fairly lackluster week. So my wig is off to chant in the shower.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "E.T." - Katy Perry feat. Kanye West *3 weeks*
2. "S&M" - Rihanna
3. "Just Can't Get Enough" - The Black Eyed Peas
4. "Fuck You" - Cee Lo Green
5. "Born This Way" - Lady Gaga
6. "Down On Me" - Jeremih feat. 50 Cent
7. "Look At Me Now" - Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
8. "Till The World Ends" - Britney Spears
9. "On The Floor" - Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull
10. "Rolling In The Deep" - Adele

I'll Say This One Thing About Rihanna & Britney Spears' "S&M" Remix...

While Britney Spears mostly sounds like an over-processed robot getting a jumper cable clamped to its vajazzle basket and shocked with 200 volts of Whore on Femme Fatale, vocally, she actually chirps through Rihanna's new "S&M" remix sounding like her old 5-year-old-with-a-runny-nose self for the most part.

Not sure if The Chanting Wig has ever truly featured on another artist's track (?), but this is the next good step for Operation: Britney Redemption, following the "Till The World Ends" video.



Makes me wanna stop typing for seven seconds and vibe to Duchovny.

Rihanna's Ass And Rihanna Cover 'Rolling Stone'

If you tore a single back pocket off a pair of jeans and then tried to slap it across your naked butt, you'd already have way more clothes on than Rihanna does on the cover of the cover of the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone.

But I get it. Her ass is her weapon. It's a political statement. Viva la revolution.

The "I'm Sick As Hell" Music Roundup: Britney, Avril, Ke$ha, Willow, Lil Kim & Rihanna

I've been sick as a dog since I returned from a trip back to Pennsylvania this past weekend, so sorry for things been quiet around here this week so far. Nevertheless, this morning I dragged myself to the computer to bang out a few thoughts on what's been going down on Planet Pop over the past three days. Read' 'em below.

21st Century Flop



I like the part where Cicely Tyson screams at the beginning of Willow Smith's "21st Century Girl" video—you know, like the Roc Nation bean counters are doing when comparing the budget of the clip to the fact that the song is only #165 on iTunes.

Baby Shut Your Mouth



I've been maintaining that "Inside Out" is the best one of the half dozen Britney Spears Femme Fatale song snippets to pop up in recent weeks, and this lengthier clip that leaked yesterday just goes to prove it.

Blow My Speakers Up



Avril Lavigne covering Ke$ha for Radio 1 Live Lounge is good stuff. Quote from Avril's Billboard interview about her new album, which is out now: "I found myself in a situation on my fourth record with a bunch of people at the label who I didn't know, and they're coming in on my project and saying, 'Here's what we think you need to do for your record,' and giving me their vision. And radio's so rhythmic/dance-driven right now, and that's not where I was going with this record. So I had to fight and say no, but… I ultimately made the record I wanted to."

Notorious K.I.M.

I love a good train wreck, so I ordered Lil Kim's Black Friday mixtape (via PayPal—class!) a few weeks back. And while she appears to have sliced off Nicki Minaj's head on the cover of the 20-track affair, it's her butchering of Rihanna's Loud track "Man Down" that assures me that this was a sound investment.

The 2011 BRIT Awards Winners

The BRIT Awards, held this evening at London's 02 Arena, seemed to come hours after the Grammys. (Are they always held this close together?) Anyway, Arcade Fire took the International Album award, much the way they won Album Of The Year on this side of the pond on Sunday. And kudos to Take That (British Group) and Rihanna (International Female Solo Artist) for picking up statues, as well. Catch the full list of winners below!

If you need a refresher, here is the list of nominees.

2011 BRIT AWARDS WINNERS
British Male Solo Artist: Plan B
British Breakthrough: Tinie Tempah
International Album: Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Critics Choice Award: Jessie J
International Male Solo Artist: Cee Lo Green
British Single: Tinie Tempah, “Pass Out”
International Group: Arcade Fire
International Breakthrough Act: Justin Bieber
British Female Solo Artist: Laura Marling
International Female Solo Artist: Rihanna
British Group: Take That
British Album: Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More

2011 Grammy Awards Winners

If you slept under a rock all day, you missed The Grammys. I'm mentally fried from live-blogging the event over at Idolator, but here are some performances, plus some main winners...

Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"



Cee Lo Green & Gwyneth Paltrow, "Forget You (aka Fuck You)"



Rihanna & Drake, "What's My Name"



Rihanna, Eminem, Skylar Grey & Dr. Dre, "Love The Way You Lie/I Need A Doctor"



Album Of The Year: The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
Song Of The Year: "Need You Now" - Lady Antebellum
Record Of The Year: "Need You Now" - Lady Antebellum
Best New Artist: Esperanza Spalding
Pop Vocal Album: The Fame Monster - Lady Gaga
Female Pop Vocal Performance: "Bad Romance" - Lady Gaga 
Male Pop Vocal Performance: "Just The Way You Are" - Bruno Mars 
Pop Vocal Performance, Duo Or Group: "Hey Soul Sister (Live) - Train 
Pop Collaboration: "Imagine" - Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal
Short Form Music Video: "Bad Romance" - Lady Gaga  
Dance Recording: "Only Girl (In The World)" - Rihanna
Dance/Electronic Album: La Roux - La Roux
Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: "Revolver" - Madonna 
Country Album: Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
Country Song: "Need You Now" - Lady Antebellum 
Rap Album: Recovery - Eminem
Rap Song: "Empire State Of Mind" - Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys 
Rock Album: The Resistance - Muse 
Rock Song: "Angry World" - Neil Young
Alternative Music Album: Brothers - The Black Keys
R&B Album: Wake Up! - John Legend and The Roots
R&B Song: "Shine"- John Legend and The Roots 
R&B Male Vocal Performance: "There Goes My Baby" - Usher
R&B Female Vocal Performance: "Bittersweet" - Fantasia
R&B Vocal Performance, Duo Or Group: "Solider Of Love" - Sade
Urban/Alternative Performance: "Fuck You" - Cee Lo Green

US Chart Roundup: "Black And Yellow" Is #1, But The Steelers Probably Don't Wanna Hear It

Well, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost the Super Bowl, but at least fans of the team waved their Terrible Towels high with one hand as they downloaded Wiz Khalifa's hometown football anthem "Black And Yellow" from iTunes with the other. The Stargate-produced hip hop jam finally climbs to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its 18th week on the chart.

Debuting at #5 is Dr. Dre—who apparently has been more content to live high on his mountain of cash and develop a line of headphones over the past decade than make music under his own name—with "I Need A Doctor." Grammy-nominated British producer Alex Da Kid (check out my interview with him) worked on Dre's track, so its no surprise that Alex's protege Skylar Grey appears on it (not to mention Dre's own protege Eminem).

This brings us to Rihanna's "S&M," which jumps from #66 to #31 after last week's premiere of the song's ho-hum video. Replacing RiRi at #66 is Ke$ha with "Blow," her second single off Cannibal. And two positions above her is Adele's "Rolling In The Deep."

A bit further down, Jessie J's "Price Tag"—this week's UK chart-topper—debuts at #88. Kind of a blase week. But at least, as mentioned yesterday, Pink's Greatest Hits...So Far!!! has finally jumped into the Top 10 on the album chart after three months.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Black And Yellow" - Wiz Khalifa *1 week*
2. "Grenade" - Bruno Mars 
3. "Firework" - Katy Perry
4. "Fuckin' Perfect" - Pink
5. "I Need A Doctor" - Dr. Dre feat. Eminem & Skylar Grey *new*
6. "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)" - Enrique Iglesias ft. Ludacris & DJ Frank E
7. "Rocketeer" - Far East Movement feat. Ryan Tedder
8. "What's My Name" - Rihanna feat. Drake
9. "Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor)" - Pitbull feat. T-Pain
10. "Hold It Against Me" - Britney Spears 

Singer Rihanna hot Gallery Pics

Hot Gallery Pics of Singer Rihanna

Pop Singer Rihanna hot Gallery Pics

US Chart Roundup: It's Another Top 10 Hit For Pink And Max Martin

Well, Pink might be preggers, but that isn't keeping pop's toughest broad from fighting her way up the charts. "Fuckin' Perfect" becomes her 11th Top 10 hit in the U.S. this week (not counting the atrocity that was "We Are The World 25") as it jumps nine positions to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's also her fifth Max Martin-produced single in a row to crack the Top 10.

Over on the Top 200 album chart, Pink's Greatest Hits...So Far!!! climbs to a new peak position of #11.

"Fuckin' Perfect" has the good fortune to be accompanied by a powerful—if not a bit graphic—music video. Meanwhile, Rihanna attempted a shocking video with "S&M," and it did apparently get banned in 11 countries. But overall the clip just comes across like something we've seen time and time again—and it's been done way better by others. "S&M" moves up from #90 to #66.

Elsewhere, Adele's "Rolling In The Deep" slides up 15 positions to #69. That's always been a good number in my book, and I'm sure in Adele's, too. Unless, of course, it ends up being Rihanna's three-foot-high red afro between her thighs, holding a riding crop. In which case I'd tell her to go chase pavements.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Grenade" - Bruno Mars *4 weeks*
2. "Fuckin' Perfect" - Pink
3. "Firework" - Katy Perry
4. "Black And Yellow" - Wiz Khalifa
5. "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)" - Enrique Iglesias ft. Ludacris & DJ Frank E
6. "What's My Name" - Rihanna feat. Drake
7. "Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor)" - Pitbull feat. T-Pain
8. "Hold It Against Me" - Britney Spears
9. "Rocketeer" - Far East Movement feat. Ryan Tedder
10. "We R Who We R" - Ke$ha

Chart Rigger just turned 6! Fill out the fun pop blogiversary questionnaire.

It's Rihanna's "S&M" Video

With "S&M," Rihanna has gone ahead and done her inevitable "the media treats me like I'm a sex object" music video. The jam is the third single off Loud, following up "Only Girl (In The World)" and "What's My Name"—and like the former, it was co-produced by Stargate and Sandy Vee.

RiRi—or rather, "S&M" director Melina Matsouka—tried to go for the shocking here: Uh-oh, Rihanna's in pink latex; uh-oh, Rihanna's got sex toys and a giant red wig on; uh-oh—and Jesus Christ—is that Perez Hilton being walked on a leash and pissing on a fire hydrant?



That said, what could possibly be shocking that hasn't already been done in music videos these days? As far as a single choice, "S&M" is just okay, if not entirely generic. Here's hoping the powers that Ri go for something with a little more personality and warmth, like "Fading," next.

And, last thing: someone really should have told Rihanna that Ye Olde Vampyre Madonna made this same video back in the year 1734. It's called "Human Nature."

UK Chart Roundup: Sound Of 2011 Jessie J Jumps Into The Top 10

Following the announcement that 22-year-old singer-songwriter Jessie J will follow in Ellie Goulding's footsteps and pick up the Critics' Choice Award at the BRITs next month—not to mention her clinching the top spot on the BBC Sounds Of 2011 roundup—her debut single "Do It Like A Dude" has now jumped to #5 on the UK chart.

I'm still a bit on the fence about this broad. I like her look and slightly unhinged demeanor, but the song itself doesn't quite do it for me.

At any rate, Rihanna, who "Do It Like A Dude" was originally intended for, has landed her fourth #1 UK solo single (and fifth overall) with "What's My Name." (Here in the States she's had nine #1s.) Likewise, her LP Loud is at the top of the album chart for a second week in a row.

Other than that, it's pretty much a quiet chart week. At least here in the U.S. we have Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me", Avril Lavigne's "What The Hell" and Kanye West and Jay-Z's "H.A.M." all being released this week, which should give things a much-needed shaking up.

The U.K. Top 10:

1. "What's My Name" - Rihanna feat. Drake *1 week*
2. "When We Collide" - Matt Cardle
3. "The Time (Dirty Bit)" - The Black Eyed Peas
4. "Lights On" - Katy B feat. Ms. Dynamite
5. "Do It Like A Dude" - Jessie J 
6. "Your Song" - Ellie Goulding
7. "Firework" - Katy Perry
8. "Like A G6" - Far East Movement
9. "Only Girl (In The World)" - Rihanna
10. "Who's That Chick" - David Guetta feat. Rihanna 

UK Chart Roundup: The Final List Of The 40 Best-Selling Singles & Albums Of 2010

There are no major new singles in the UK chart this week—though I've listed the week's Top 10, as usual, below—so instead we'll turn toward the final tally of the 40 best-selling singles and albums across the pond, as published today by the Official Charts Company.

What's interesting to note is that the singles that charted at #1 through #7 this week wound up on the list of the 40 top sellers of 2010. Eminem and Rihanna's "Love The Way You Lie", the #1 single of the year, sold a total of 856,000 copies, while X Factor winner Matt Cardle's "When We Collide" (#2) sold 815,000 in just three weeks.

Meanwhile, Take That's Progress, the top album of the year, moved 1.84 copies, easily outselling Michael Buble's Crazy Love (#2, 1.23 million) and Lady Gaga's The Fame (#3, 1.05 million).

So, I own 12 of the 40 best-selling albums. How many do you have?

The U.K. Top 10 this week:

1. "When We Collide" - Matt Cardle *3 weeks* 
2. "What's My Name" - Rihanna feat. Drake
3. "The Time (Dirty Bit)" - The Black Eyed Peas
4. "Your Song" - Ellie Goulding
5. "Firework" - Katy Perry 
6. "Only Girl (In The World)" - Rihanna
7. "The Flood" - Take That
8. "Like A G6" - Far East Movement
9. "Whip My Hair" - Willow
10. "Thinking Of Me" - Olly Murs 

The 40 Best-Selling Singles Of 2010 In The UK:

1. "Love The Way You Lie" - Eminem feat. Rihanna
2. "When We Collide" - Matt Cardle
3. "Just The Way You Are (Amazing)" - Bruno Mars
4. "Only Girl (In The World)" - Rihanna
5. "OMG" - Usher feat. will.i.am
6. "Fireflies" - Owl City
7. "Airplanes" - B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams
8. "California Gurls" - Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
9. "We No Speak Americano" - Yolanda Be Cool vs. Dcup
10. "Pass Out" - Tinie Tempah
11. "Everybody Hurts" - Helping Haiti
12. "Forget You" - Cee Lo Green
13. "Empire State Of Mind (Part II)" - Alicia Keys
14. "Rude Boy" - Rihanna
15. "Telephone" - Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce
16. "She Said" - Plan B
17. "Dynamite" - Taio Cruz
18. "Replay" - Iyaz
19. "Firework" - Katy Perry
20. "Club Can't Handle Me" - Flo Rida feat. David Guetta
21. "Your Song" - Ellie Goulding
22. "Ridin' Solo" - Jason Derulo
23. "Billionaire" - Travie Mccoy feat. Bruno Mars
24. "Don't Stop Believin'" - Glee Cast
25. "Don't Stop Believin'" - Journey
26. "The Time (Dirty Bit)" - The Black Eyed Peas
27. "What's My Name" - Rihanna feat. Drake
28. "Pack Up" - Eliza Doolittle
29. "Starstrukk" - 3OH!3 feat. Katy Perry
30. "Bad Romance" - Lady Gaga
31. "Written In The Stars" - Tinie Tempah feat. Eric Turner
32. "Teenage Dream" - Katy Perry
33. "Cooler Than Me" - Mike Posner
34. "Not Afraid" - Eminem
35. "The Flood" - Take That
36. "All Time Low" - The Wanted
37. "If We Ever Meet Again" - Timbaland feat. Katy Perry
38. "Riverside (Let's Go)" - Sidney Samson feat. Wizard Sleeve
39. "Promise This" - Cheryl Cole
40. "In My Head" - Jason Derulo

The 40 Best-Selling Albums Of 2010 In The UK:

1. Progress - Take That
2. Crazy Love - Michael Buble
3. The Fame - Lady Gaga
4. Loud - Rihanna
5. The Defamation Of Strickland Banks - Plan B
6. Sunny Side Up - Paolo Nutini
7. The Element Of Freedom - Alicia Keys
8. Lungs - Florence & The Machine
9. Recovery - Eminem
10. Sigh No More - Mumford & Sons
11. Come Around Sundown - Kings Of Leon
12. My World - Justin Bieber
13. The Gift - Susan Boyle
14. In And Out Of Consciousness: Greatest Hits - Robbie Williams
15. Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
16. Greatest Hits - Bon Jovi
17. Turn It Up - Pixie Lott
18. Outta This World - JLS
19. Science & Faith - The Script
20. Olly Murs - Olly Murs
21. Messy Little Raindrops - Cheryl Cole
22. Glee, The Music: Season One, Vol. 1 - Glee Cast
23. The E.N.D. - The Black Eyed Peas
24. Lights - Ellie Goulding
25. Brother - Boyzone
26. Only Revolutions - Biffy Clyro
27. Forever Vienna - Andre Rieu
28. Rated R - Rihanna
29. Disc-Overy - Tinie Tempah
30. Moonlight Serenade - Andre Rieu & Johann Strauss Orchestra
31. Only By The Night - Kings Of Leon
32. Greatest Hits...So Far!!! - Pink
33 JLS - JLS
34. Gravity - Westlife
35. 3 Words - Cheryl Cole
36. Seasons Of My Soul - Rumer
37. xx - The xx
38. Time Flies... 1994-2009 - Oasis
39. Iron Man 2 soundtrack - AC/DC
40. Plastic Beach – Gorillaz

Take That Do Simon Cowell's Private NYE Gig

Both the Daily Mail and the Sun published these classy pics of Take That‚ sans Robbie Williams (who was allegedly in L.A. with his wife for "a family get-together") performing a 35-minute set at Simon Cowell's New Year's Eve party in Barbados.

The That apparently didn't get paid anything for their crooning services, but were given an all-expenses-paid week in the island nation with their families. Plus, added bonus—Howard Donald stripped off his shirt for the paparazzi.

Reportedly both Rihanna and Sinitta were among the 350 partygoers—and if she knew what was good for her, RiRi would have taken off her wig and bowed down to Sinitta, because we know who the real star is there.

Sigh. Only seven-and-a-half months till I see these fuckers live in Milan.

The 10 Best Pop Singles Of 2010

It seems like only yesterday when trusty sidekicks in all things pop Moogaboo and D'luv sat down to sift through 10 years of jams to come up with the Chart Rigger list of the Top 40 Singles Of The '00s—yet here we are already doing our first Best list of the new decade.

Sure, radio let itself get clogged with chum on occasion throughout the past 12 months (see our 10 Worst Singles Of 2010 roundup). But here we're highlighting the songs that didn't make you want to go shoot up a strip mall every time you heard them. As usual, the singles listed need only have reached their peak chart position within 2010, even if they were technically released the year prior.

10. Usher, "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love"

Moogaboo says: "Remember that time Usher went on E! and talked about getting a colonic? Well this year he gave his career a colonic, flushing out the r&b sound people stopped liking and infusing his colon—I mean songbook—with more current, classy dance beats. I loved it, and isn't that all that matters?"
D'luv says: "Thank Christ I have no recollection of that. Poor Usher can't sing this song live to save his life, but hey–welcome to the world of having a Max Martin-produced hit. This driving, out-of-nowhere surprise was a radio life jacket amidst a sea of 'Airplanes' and 'Billionaire' this past summer."
Charts: AUS #3, US #4, UK #7

9. Goldfrapp, "Rocket"

D'luv says: "I'm still stunned that the UK treated the Atari-on-the-dancefloor greatness of Head First with all the warmth of Madonna's frozen-over Arctic snatch. Oh, well. The duo got the last laugh by scoring two Grammy nominations."
Moogaboo says: "Goldfrapp were totally having a Flashbeagle moment and I love that it might win a Grammy. 'But I still wanna know/ how she got in the door' is also an adorably bitchy pop lyric."
Charts: US DANCE #1, GER #32, UK #47

8. Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"

D'luv says: "Glambox could probably sing pages of the phone book and make it sound interesting. But this jam proved that with the right songwriters and right material, he could suddenly go from being good to iconic. Too bad there weren't more tracks like this on his debut album."
Moogaboo says: "Note to Lambo: be P!nk more often."
Charts: AUS #4, SWE #8, US #10

7. Rihanna, "Only Girl (In The World)"

Moogaboo says: "As far as the current wave of nu-dance goes, only RiRi's really gotten the essence of house music's pulsating, hedonistic abandon. No jerky stops and starts for her, which is what makes 'Only Girl' so irresistible: it's almost menacing in its insistence that you dance."
D'luv says: "God bless RiRi and her tireless work ethic. This jam had its haters from the get-go, but I loved the throbbing hotness from the first listen. Seriously, slap on some good headphones, crank it up and try to tell me that bass at 1:16 doesn't make your soul shake."
Charts: US #1, UK #1, AUS #1, CAN #1

6. Kylie Minogue, "Get Outta My Way"

D'luv says: "There seemed to be such a rush of love for Kylie's Aphrodite right out of the gate that it appeared to have dried up by the time second single 'Get Outta My Way' arrived (except on the U.S. dance charts, where dreams—no matter how irrelevant—still come true, kidz). Still, there's no denying this was the giddy standout on an already A+ album."
Moogaboo says: "Kylie's career is getting to the point where there aren't many options left between 'completely spent' and 'desperate', so I love that she managed to do something that sounded somewhat effortless and fun. This was the most-played song of 2010 at chez Moogaboo, so of course that means it had to flop."
Charts: US Dance #1, BEL #5, UK #12

5. Hurts, "Wonderful Life"

D'luv says: "If the New Millennium conjured up Lady Gaga as its answer to Madonna, then surely Synth-Pop Land needed a modern-day Pet Shop Boys, too. The drama-soaked beats of 'Wonderful Life' deservedly made Hurts a buzz-y act in 2010, while the Arthur Baker mix only added extra sparkle to the duo's cool factor."
Moogaboo says: "These babes won me over with their stylish sense of drama. If they don't make out with each other next year, I'll be totally over it! But yes, it was all about that Arthur Baker mix with it's rattling polyrhythms and Shannon-derived whipcrack."
Charts: POL #1, GER #2, SWI #4, UK #21

4. Alphabeat, "DJ"

D'luv says: "A Danish pop act making an album of songs inspired by late '80s/early '90s Italo house act Black Box (a staple on the stereo D'luv during the teen years)—why, how could it fail? Don't answer that. I effing love this album, and 'DJ' never ceases to make me grin from ear to ear."
Moogaboo says: "Martha Wash is waggin' a sassy finger at Alphabeat from her perch up in heaven! (I know she's still alive, but I bet she has an all-access pass to universes both real and mythological.)"
Charts: DEN #6, UK #116

3. Cee Lo Green, "Fuck You!"

D'luv says: "I liked this song. Then I loved this song. Then I was over this song. Now I kinda love it again. It could have been higher here on our Best list were it not for the sheer novelty factor. Like, can you picture Cee Lo having another solo hit this big (without an expletive in the title) ever again?"
Moogaboo says: "Well, no, I can't. But who can say for sure? Maybe he's the next Kylie! And even though he seems to have scammed this idea from the inimitable Lily Allen, I'll give him points for upping the bile and attaching it to an even funkier faux-Motown beat."
Charts: UK #1, AUS #5, SWE #6, US #9

2. Katy Perry, "Teenage Dream"

D'luv says: "And now we get to the song that both perplexes me and fills me with whimsical butterflies to no end. I absolutely, hands-down love 'Teenage Dream' and think it's one of the best pop songs in recent memory. That said, when I think of Katy Perry and her Jesus tits, I wanna wrap both hands around her neck and spare the universe from ever having to hear her low-rent, bottom-of-the-barrel live vocals again. But look—I'm just chalking the quality of this jam up to maestros Dr. Luke and Max Martin. If a real singer (say, Kelly Clarkson) had belted this out, it would have been #1 here."
Moogaboo says: "I agree, Kelly could more convincingly portray the protagonist of 'Teenage Dream'—a forty-something, out-of-shape suburbanite yearning to recreate the exploits of youth with the lanky new paperboy. What a missed opportunity. However, Katy's bubbly personality and bouncy boobsiness still manage to put this one over the top. Pop heaven."
Charts: US #1, POL #1, UK #2, GER #6

*POP SINGLE OF THE YEAR*

1. Robyn, "Dancing On My Own"
D'luv says: "No one does stunning, addictive dancefloor heartbreak as deftly as Robyn. And while the broad made us wait nearly half a decade for new material, 'Dancing On My Own' made me realize that patience is indeed a virtue, and that crying under a strobe light is the most bittersweet kind of joy."
Moogaboo says: "Oh, Robyn—you glittering disco sad-sack. I love your highly effective heartbreak tunes. Truth be told, I never thought you'd top 'With Every Heartbeat', 'Be Mine!' or 'Show Me Love'. Then you go and do it again with this, the perfect soundtrack for shedding tears beneath said strobe light while that hunk you just met in the men's room makes out with some ho across the dancefloor. Go on breaking my heart."
Charts: SWE #1, US Dance #3, UK #8



ALSO SEE:
* The 10 Worst Singles Of 2010
* The Top 40 Pop Singles Of The '00s
* The Best Pop Singles Of 2009
* The Best Pop Singles Of 2008
* The Best Pop Singles Of 2007
* The Best Pop Singles Of 2006
* The Best Pop Singles Of 2005

Kylie Minogue Does 'This Is JLS', Christina Aguilera And Rihanna Do 'The X Factor'

With The X Factor wrapping up this weekend, the show pulled out the big guns for the musical performances. Kylie appeared on ITV's This Is JLS special with the pop quartet beforehand—and too bad she didn't perform "Better Than Today" last night rather than a month ago on The X Factor. Otherwise it might not be sitting at #90 on the UK iTunes chart during its official week of release.

Oh, well. Here's JLS and Kylie doing "All The Lovers"...



...Christina Aguilera on X Factor doing "Express"...



...and Rihanna performing "What's My Name". (Where can I get a version of this without Drake on it?)

U.S. Chart Roundup: Raise Your Glass To Pink, Who Has Her Third #1 Single

I'm immensely happy to see Pink's "Raise Your Glass" make its way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week. Who knew that this broad would still be around all these years later, while the rest of her fellow "Lady Marmalade" singers would fall over into the dumpster, one-by-one?

And, yes—I usually try to avoid mention "Lady Marmalade" in relation to Pink's chart achievements, but in this case I'm doin' it, since it was her first of three #1 singles over the past nine years (the second being "So What" in 2008).

Over on the Top 200 chart, Pink's Greatest Hits...So Far!!! falls from #14 to #29. (Though that's not as disastrous as Nelly's drop from #10 to #39 with 5.0.)

Also loving the rapid succession of #1 singles on the Hot 100 lately. It's especially gratifying, since when I started this blog, it was in the days of some rap song topping the chart for six-to-10 week stretches at a time.

Anyway, Enrique Iglesias' trashy new club jam "Tonight (I'm Fuckin' You)" debuts at #18 this week (albeit in it's clean "I'm Lovin' You" form). It's a real Renaissance for the hottest piece of tail in pop, considering he now has two Top 20 singles under his naughty belt in 2010. Previously, his last Top 20 hit was "Escape," which reached #12 in 2002.

Meanwhile, just as "We No Speak Americano" slides out of the Top 40, another dance jam from overseas—Edward Maya's "Stereo Love"—continues to make gains. The tune previously reached #4 on the UK chart back in May, and this week climbs to #26 here in the States.



Other trash: Michael Jackson and Akon's "Hold My Hand" jumps from #84 to #50, Christina Aguilera's "Show Me How You Burlesque" debuts at #70 and David Guetta and Rihanna's "Who's That Chick" enters at #73.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Raise Your Glass" - Pink *1 week*
2. "Firework" - Katy Perry 
3. "Only Girl (In The World)" - Rihanna
4. "Just The Way You Are" - Bruno Mars
5. "What's My Name" - Rihanna feat. Drake
6. "We R Who We R" - Ke$ha 
7. "Like A G6" - Far*East Movement
8. "Just A Dream" - Nelly
9. "The Time (The Dirty Bit)" - The Black Eyed Peas
10. "Grenade" - Bruno Mars

U.S. Chart Roundup: Rihanna Makes Hot 100 History With "Only Girl (In The World)"

This week Rihanna not only becomes the first female singer to nab four #1 singles within one year on the Billboard Hot 100, she's also the first artist ever to have the first single from an album top the chart after the second single did.

Yes, RiRi's "Only Girl (In The World)" has finally inched its way to the top spot, two weeks after her second Loud single "What's My Name" was #1. Earlier this year she ruled with both her hooker jam "Rude Boy" and Eminem's "Love The Way You Lie."

Meanwhile, over on the Top 200, Rihanna settles for a #3 debut with Loud, behind Susan Boyle's The Gift (#1 for a second week) and 10-year-old Pittsburgh native/America's Got Talent runner-up Jackie Evancho's O Holy Night (#2). That's right—bow to SuBo's powerful thong, you amateurs!

Back on the Hot 100, just behind Rihanna is Pink's "Raise Your Glass" at #2. Her only other single to chart higher (not counting collaborative cover "Lady Marmalade" or shit "We Are The World 25") is "So What", which reached #1 two years ago.

It's annoying to think of that time period in the early '00s where labels by and large weren't offering CD singles in the U.S., and the iTunes store wasn't around yet. Because surely "Get The Party Started" would have been a #1 hit, rather than peaking at #4 on airplay alone? At any rate, Pink's Greatest Hits...So Far!!! debuts at #14 this week over on the Top 200.

Cee Lo Green's "Fuck You" finally cracks the Top 10 (#9), likely thanks to last week's episode of Glee. Gwyneth Paltrow's own tame version of "Forget You" from the episode debuts at #11.



And, hey—maybe this will pave a highly fuckable path for Enrique Iglesias' new single, "Tonight (I'm Fuckin' You)"?

On a final single note, Michael Jackson and Akon's duet "Hold My Hand" debuts at #84. Currently it's up to #30 at the iTunes store. Will this will become MJ's first Top 40 hit in nearly 10 years, Jacko fans? Eeeeeeeeeeee-Heeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

And on a final album note, 2010 American Idol winner Lee DeWyze appears to be dead on arrival. His debut LP Live It Up pretty much kicked the bucket with its #19 debut.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Only Girl (In The World)" - Rihanna *1 week*
2. "Raise Your Glass" - Pink
3. "Like A G6" - Far*East Movement
4. "We R Who We R" - Ke$ha
5. "Just A Dream" - Nelly 
6. "Firework" - Katy Perry 
7. "Just The Way You Are" - Bruno Mars
8. "What's My Name" - Rihanna feat. Drake
9. "Fuck You" - Cee Lo Green
10. "Bottoms Up" - Trey Songz feat. Nicki Minaj