"Misery" by Maroon 5

Brought to you by the letter "M".

Maroon 5 have skillfully skirted the line between jazz, funk and radio-ready pop for the last decade, and continue to do so with their newest single "Misery". While "Misery" may not break any new ground for the band stylistically, it makes up for it by hitting harder and stronger than before.

Maroon 5's signature sound is instantly recognizable: straight ahead drums, funky guitar, groovy bass, soulful vocals, and, most of all, heartbreaking lyrics. Just listen to the chorus:

I am in misery
There ain't no other who can comfort me
Why won't you answer me?
Your silence is slowly killing me

Did you catch all that? The speaker is suffering a slow, painful death. Additionally, he is unable to find healing except in one person, a specific person with whom he is particularly obsessed.

I know what you're thinking: that sounds surprisingly similar to the plot of 2002 sci-fi film Star Trek Nemesis. And you are correct.

Shinzon: #1 Maroon 5 fan

Adam Levine: #1 Shinzon fan

It is clear that Adam Levine wrote the lyrics to "Misery" with two objectives in mind:

1. Explore themes of unrequited love.
2. Describe the plot of what is generally considered to be the worst Star Trek: The Next Generation movie.

And I would say that he succeeded.

"Dynamite" by Taio Cruz

Listen, Taio, I don't understand why you keep buying sunglasses with no arms.

While Taio Cruz only recently broke into the US market with his single "Break Your Heart", he is not new to the game. He has been an industry songwriter for a long time, and has just in the last couple years begun pursuing his own solo career.

His industry-songwriter style has never been more obvious than on his newest single, "Dynamite". The chord progression is tried and true, and the lyrics are mostly about dancing, with Taio exclaiming "I throw my hands up in the air sometimes". Bold statement, there: he throws his hands up in the air...sometimes.

Usually adherence to such a standard formula results in a banal and forgettable pop song, but this tune escapes with a couple of original moments. First off, I really appreciate the sense of humor in Taio Cruz's language and rhymes, especially the following lines:

"I came to dance, dance, dance, dance
I hit the floor 'cause that's my plans, plans, plans, plans"

Secondly, the ubiquitous Dr. Luke applies his hardest-hitting production techniques to the track, bringing back the synth stylings of previous Ke$ha hit "Tik Tok". If you liked that song, you will probably like this one.

Overall, the song doesn't do anything new, but it's fun when listened to in the proper context, which is with friends while dancing/intoxicated. Who knows, you might even throw your hands up in the air. Sometimes.

"Cooler Than Me" by Mike Posner

Mike sometimes talks like a pirate.

Mike Posner's first big hit comes in the form of 12/8 dance track "Cooler Than Me". A combination of electro-pop and whiny R&B vocals gives the song a dark, hip sound. The lyrics are about a girl who thinks that she is cooler than Mike Posner.

Clearly a very cool guy.

For me, what makes this song work is the ambiguity of the verse/chorus form: the verse and chorus sound very similar, making the song feel almost like a strophic form jam, save for the contrasting bridge. The high background note at the end of the bridge (appropriately on the word "clouds") breaks up the claustrophobic, repetitive melody, giving the song a dynamic peak vocally.

After the last chorus, the music picks back up and suddenly we've got a synth solo going on. It's a little surprising, but in a good way, like you just finished eating a takeout pizza and the box suddenly turned into a bicycle. Your first thought would be, "Holy crap, what just happened", but then you would calm down and realize you had just gotten yourself a free bike.

Take-home lesson: Synth solo = Free bike

After the synth solo, the song is suddenly over. There are a lot of places the song could have gone, like back to the bridge chords or one of the earlier verses, but it just ends. Left hanging, we scream aloud in our frustration, "You know what, Mike Posner? Maybe she is cooler than you."

"Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry

More like "Teenage Complex Partial Seizure"

The lead single off Katy Perry's new album, entitled "California Gurls", blended trendy dance-pop with 70s funk. The follow-up single, "Teenage Dream", also produced by the omnipresent Dr. Luke, goes in a more contemporary pop-rock direction.

Similar to most of Dr. Luke's work, it is based around a dance beat and a syncopated, anthemic chord progression. Similar to most of Katy Perry's work, it has thoughtful lyrics and effective melodies. Similar to most of their collaborations, it is a smart, slick, and well thought out pop song.

In particular, the bridge of "Teenage Dream" is a fantastic example of Perry's uniquely infectious melodic sensibility. The bridge is so good that Dr. Luke and Perry decided to write it into the song twice - once before the final chorus and once after. It is wonderful to hear the section twice, but after the second repetition the song just fizzles and fades out. What circumstances could possibly have led to such an unresolved ending? To this end, we can only speculate.

Dr. Luke: Hey! Now that we're done with the second bridge, how do you want to end it?
Katy Perry: ...
Dr. Luke: Dangit! She's gone catatonic again!

At least we can get the cover shot done.