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koganbotHere's a list that isn't much different from the previous one, or the one before that, and so on. I don't believe my tastes are narrowing, so I think this says something about the world, too. But it is true, for instance, that I haven't been diving into the tributaries and sidestreams and backwaters of country these days, being so disappointed with what's occupying the main lake that I'm letting the whole genre slide by. What's Willie Nelson doing these days? He's always up to something.
Think I posed good questions in April, especially regarding popular music not having a viable or credible adulthood; but I haven't followed them up, have yet to reply to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
arbitrary_greay's thoughtful probing. To reiterate one point about CL of 2NE1: Can a performer like CL, who flourishes so well on the border of girlhood and womanhood, go on to a persona that's adult yet just as creative? What models are there for her in popular music? Who has taken this journey recently, with artistry enriched and an audience that hasn't evaporated?
Back in '07, in one of my even more tentative than usual Rules Of The Game columns, I — tentatively — gave an explanation and even hinted at a defense for why popular song lyrics continually replay the themes of adolescent romance. My hypothesis was that one doesn't outgrow the issues of adolescence so much as one finds provisional ways of going forward, routines of getting by. So in popular entertainment one can enjoy romance and romantic tribulations presented at a higher pitch than one actually wants to live them.
TOP SINGLES Mid Year 2012:
1. T-ara "Lovey-Dovey"
2. Trouble Maker "Trouble Maker"
3. ChoColat "I Like It"
4. Dev "In My Trunk"
5. Cassie "King Of Hearts"
6. Miss A "Touch"
7. After School "Rambling Girls"
8. 2NE1 "Scream"
9. Davichi & T-ara "We Were In Love"
10. Wonder Girls "Like This." Best of three recent, very interesting rhythm-heavy hits (the other two TaeTiSeo's "Twinkle" and f(x)'s "Electric Shock," all deserving writeups from me); on this one, producer JYP totally commits to using voices as beats. Good for him:
11. Sistar "Alone"
12. 4minute "Volume Up"
13. Yoon Jong Shin ft. Kim Wan Sun "I Love You All Days"
14. Sunny Hill "The Grasshopper Song"
15. Nicki Minaj "Stupid Hoe"
16. Clazzi ft. Koti & Jubi & MYK "Sexy Doll"
17. The Cataracs ft. Dev "Sunrise"
18. Rihanna ft. Chris Brown "Birthday Cake (Remix)"
19. Girl's Day "Oh! My God"
20. ChoColat "One More Day" (also called "Same Thing To Her"). Wailing passion fit to shimmering harpsichords that recall turn-of-the-millennium Shek'spere 'n' Kandi.
21. Kendrick Lamar ft. Dr. Dre "The Recipe"
22. Jess Mills "Pixelated People"
23. Tyga ft. Lil Wayne "Faded"
24. Lil Chuckee "Wop"
25. Teedra Moses ft. Wale "Another LuvR"
26. Melanie Fiona "4 AM"
27. T-ara "Round & Round"
28. Bella Thorne "TTYLXOX"
29. Blush "Up Up & Away"
30. Kara "Speed Up." Knee-buckling ache at the start that the chorus refuses to live up to. (K-pop having another strong year in Japan.)
31. Bobby Brackins ft. Iamsu & Roach Gigz "Golden State"
32. B.o.B ft. André 3000 "Play The Guitar"
33. Shinhwa "Venus"
34. Cloud Nothings "No Future/No Past"
35. Justin Bieber "Boyfriend"
36. Kang Mi Jin "MIA" (webrip)
37. Tyga "Rack City"
38. After School "Flashback"
39. Gangkiz "Honey Honey"
40. M.I.A. "Bad Girls"
41. Dawn Richard "Automatic"
42. Zebra Katz ft. Njena Reddd Foxxx "Ima Read"
43. Big Bang "Blue"
TOP ALBUMS Mid Year 2012:
1. ChoColat I Like It, The First Mini Album EP (Paramount)
2. T-ara Funky Town (repackage of Black Eyes) EP (Core Contents Media)
3. After School Playgirlz (Avex)
4. DJ Bedbugs Teenpop Lock And Drop Volume 2
5. Miss A Touch EP (JYP Entertainment)
6. E.via E.viagradation Part 1 (Black & Red) EP (Dline Art Media)
7. 4minute Volume Up (Cube Entertainment)
Think I posed good questions in April, especially regarding popular music not having a viable or credible adulthood; but I haven't followed them up, have yet to reply to
arbitrary_greay's thoughtful probing. To reiterate one point about CL of 2NE1: Can a performer like CL, who flourishes so well on the border of girlhood and womanhood, go on to a persona that's adult yet just as creative? What models are there for her in popular music? Who has taken this journey recently, with artistry enriched and an audience that hasn't evaporated?Back in '07, in one of my even more tentative than usual Rules Of The Game columns, I — tentatively — gave an explanation and even hinted at a defense for why popular song lyrics continually replay the themes of adolescent romance. My hypothesis was that one doesn't outgrow the issues of adolescence so much as one finds provisional ways of going forward, routines of getting by. So in popular entertainment one can enjoy romance and romantic tribulations presented at a higher pitch than one actually wants to live them.
TOP SINGLES Mid Year 2012:
1. T-ara "Lovey-Dovey"
2. Trouble Maker "Trouble Maker"
3. ChoColat "I Like It"
4. Dev "In My Trunk"
5. Cassie "King Of Hearts"
6. Miss A "Touch"
7. After School "Rambling Girls"
8. 2NE1 "Scream"
9. Davichi & T-ara "We Were In Love"
10. Wonder Girls "Like This." Best of three recent, very interesting rhythm-heavy hits (the other two TaeTiSeo's "Twinkle" and f(x)'s "Electric Shock," all deserving writeups from me); on this one, producer JYP totally commits to using voices as beats. Good for him:
11. Sistar "Alone"
12. 4minute "Volume Up"
13. Yoon Jong Shin ft. Kim Wan Sun "I Love You All Days"
14. Sunny Hill "The Grasshopper Song"
15. Nicki Minaj "Stupid Hoe"
16. Clazzi ft. Koti & Jubi & MYK "Sexy Doll"
17. The Cataracs ft. Dev "Sunrise"
18. Rihanna ft. Chris Brown "Birthday Cake (Remix)"
19. Girl's Day "Oh! My God"
20. ChoColat "One More Day" (also called "Same Thing To Her"). Wailing passion fit to shimmering harpsichords that recall turn-of-the-millennium Shek'spere 'n' Kandi.
21. Kendrick Lamar ft. Dr. Dre "The Recipe"
22. Jess Mills "Pixelated People"
23. Tyga ft. Lil Wayne "Faded"
24. Lil Chuckee "Wop"
25. Teedra Moses ft. Wale "Another LuvR"
26. Melanie Fiona "4 AM"
27. T-ara "Round & Round"
28. Bella Thorne "TTYLXOX"
29. Blush "Up Up & Away"
30. Kara "Speed Up." Knee-buckling ache at the start that the chorus refuses to live up to. (K-pop having another strong year in Japan.)
31. Bobby Brackins ft. Iamsu & Roach Gigz "Golden State"
32. B.o.B ft. André 3000 "Play The Guitar"
33. Shinhwa "Venus"
34. Cloud Nothings "No Future/No Past"
35. Justin Bieber "Boyfriend"
36. Kang Mi Jin "MIA" (webrip)
37. Tyga "Rack City"
38. After School "Flashback"
39. Gangkiz "Honey Honey"
40. M.I.A. "Bad Girls"
41. Dawn Richard "Automatic"
42. Zebra Katz ft. Njena Reddd Foxxx "Ima Read"
43. Big Bang "Blue"
TOP ALBUMS Mid Year 2012:
1. ChoColat I Like It, The First Mini Album EP (Paramount)
2. T-ara Funky Town (repackage of Black Eyes) EP (Core Contents Media)
3. After School Playgirlz (Avex)
4. DJ Bedbugs Teenpop Lock And Drop Volume 2
5. Miss A Touch EP (JYP Entertainment)
6. E.via E.viagradation Part 1 (Black & Red) EP (Dline Art Media)
7. 4minute Volume Up (Cube Entertainment)
