Best. Number 22. 3OH!3 - “DON’T TRUST ME”
I don’t really know where I stand with 30H!3. The self-determined electro-hop group have never really previously grabbed my attention in anyway before, but seriously I fucking love this song! Is that ok? Are 3OH!3 even acceptable for me to listen to, let alone cool? I’m really not sure. Apparently there has been a fair old bit of controversy regarding this song with accusations of misogynous lyrics flying about all over the place. This is of course very uncool and icky subject, but I digress. “Don’t Trust Me” is incredibly catchy electro pop, with a fantastic chorus, and at times fairly accomplished lyrics. The electro timbres are fairly interesting and not too staid, and the production is tight and interesting. The delivery of the track is aggressive yet mischievous, and has the familiar tang of naughty American rich boys having fun, (think Blink 182, The Beastie Boys etc.). This vocal attitude is something I actually find very appealing, and the whole release, video included, reminds me distinctly of Electric 6. I just hope 3OH!3 really are being ironic with their “hoe” referencing here; otherwise the whole thing just turns into an misogynistic embarrassment.
Worst. Number 18. JUSTIN BIEBER FT LUDACRIS – “BABY”
This has always struck me as a messed up combination. Putting Justin Bieber, cutie pie extraordinaire and deranger of teenage girls everywhere, with aging dirty rapper Ludacris, letcherer of teenage girls everywh…. wait a minute, I’m beginning to see a pattern here… But seriously, what is going on here? Bieber’s music is really, really young, (this track is essentially about Bieber finding his first love for the first time), with young topics, young settings and premises, and really young (like pre-16 looking) girls. Generally this kind of music is awful for all grown adults, and rightly so as it isn’t aimed at us, so why the fuck is Ludacris getting involved? In both the video and the lyrics of the song, Ludacris seems to be acting as a mentor for Bieber, supposedly teaching him how to please girls, not to get laid. I think it seems so weird to me because Ludacris is seeming to treat Bieber like an equal musically, that it his music is legitimate on a general level and not just teeny bob. It is not. I it the worst kind of “youth” music, I’m not even sure Bieber’s voice is broken. He 16 for fuck’s sake, time to start growing up me thinks.
