"Work Bitch"

Britney Spears

The Queen of Pop has released her second single this year, “Work Bitch,” which has quickly climbed the charts. Continuing with pop’s current trend of integrating themes from EDM, the tune carries a strong beat to support Britney’s vocals, but her generally stellar pipes fail to achieve their usual impact. Britney’s unexplained attempt at a British accent and mostly spoken lyrics really detract from the potential impact of the piece, giving the song a half-hearted tone. “Work Bitch” advocates the American dream: achievement requires hard work, creativity, and effort. In an ironic twist, Britney’s new single has good things going for it but doesn’t put in the effort to stand out in comparison to her previous work.

"Rough Water ft. Jason Mraz"

Travie McCoy

It’s been a few years since McCoy’s released his own music, and “Rough Water” carries his style into the new decade quite well. “Rough Water” has a driving beat and use of guitar that comes across as extremely similar to his past hit, “Billionaire.” However, “Rough Water” demonstrates extremely crisp vocals and a momentous background beat (if you ignore the weird spoken interlude in the middle) that makes it a far more refined and polished song than “Billionaire.” “Rough Water” is a perfect start to McCoy’s upcoming sophomore run at creating a solo album: its smooth execution and killer rhythms aren’t uncommon in the Top 40, but in combination with McCoy and Mraz’s great vocals it ought to become a successful hit.

"The Fox"

Ylvis

“The Fox,”—known for its irreverent “what does the fox say?” chorus—has become the latest inexplicably popular viral music video, with 40 million views and counting.  What sets it apart from other sudden hits like “Gangnam Style” and “Numa Numa” is its use of the English language (despite Ylvis being a Norwegian group) and its intentional creation as a work of comedy. “What Does the Fox Say” asks the question on no one’s mind: what the sound of a fox is. It’s definitely not trying to be anything deep, but its wacky lyrics and suave musical production it will either leave you laughing and dancing or viciously hating it.