The Music in Me

One thing that every Wildcat needs is a banging soundtrack.  Personally, I like to imagine most of my life unfolding like one long, perfectly-edited movie montage.

The opening credits show me walking down the street to the T in the morning to Candi Station's You Got the Love, a la Carrie Brawshaw.  When I hit a rough patch, it's smoothed over by the melancholy angst of Jimmy Eat World's 23.  I fall in love and there Sade is to punctuate the moment with By Your Side.  It doesn't work out (because, really, when does it ever work out the first time in the movies?) and Dirtie Blonde Walk Over Me lets my audience know that I'm over it.

You get the idea.

Given my obsession with the music in my life, I thought it only appropriate that my first post be my favorites from 2010.  I didn't pick a certain number, or rank them because I'm not some music critic who thinks she knows more than other people.  My tastes are far-reaching and undiscriminating, perhaps embarrassingly so.  To paraphrase the great Notting Hill, I'm just a girl, standing in front of an iPod, asking it to make a movie montage of her life.

All of the Lights - Kanye West featuring everyone in the entire world

When your list of all-star collaborators on a song could field a baseball team (with bench players), you'd better turn out a good song.  Luckily, Kanye and his friends, John Legend, The-Dream, Tony Williams, Rihanna, Fergie, Alicia Keys, Kid Cudi, Elly Jackson, Charlie Wilson, Ryan Leslie and Sir Elton John don't disappoint.  If you ask me, this is Kanye being Kanye: sick production, catchy hook, clever rhymes.  Not to shabby for a douchebag.

Dancing on my Own/Hang with Me - Robyn

My best friend growing up was a huge Robyn fan (maybe the only huge Robyn fan?) and after years of Show Me Love being a staple on every mix CD and party list, I thought I had heard enough Robyn to last me for the rest of my life.  But, shockingly, Robyn came back this year with an awesome album -- so awesome, in fact, that I couldn't decide which song to include on the list.  Both songs make me want to hit the dance floor.  But only one makes me want to have hate sex on a piano.  In other news, I always assumed that Robyn was having a late career success like Kylie Minogue.  Turns out, she's 31. Way to make me feel inadequate, Robyn.

Dancing with the DJ - The Knocks

I dare you not to dance to this.  Seriously, just try.  

Fireworks - Drake featuring Alicia Keys

One of the only songs off Drake's album Thank Me Later that wasn't a massively successful single, Fireworks flew a bit under the radar, considering the star-power behind it.  But to me, it was the perfect cool, summer song.  Maybe it's the country girl in me, but the slow-ish verses and smooth, two-part chorus just makes me want to drive with the windows down on an empty road.

Fuck You - Cee Lo Green

When was the last time that a hate song was so catchy?  Cee Lo manages to make getting dumped for being poor sound kind of great.  Plus, anyone who rhymes Ferrari with Atari in 2010 gets my vote.

Nothin' on You- B.o.B. and Bruno Mars

2010 was definitely B.o.B.'s year.  You couldn't turn on the radio last summer without hearing Airplanes, Nothin' On You or Magic.  Whether you call him B.o.B., Bobby Ray or Mr. Fantastic, he was all over the place last year.  And if you ask me, his success was well-deserved, if only for putting out that there paying your taxes is a good thing. And for the record, I am the whole package.

No Love/Spacebound/Love the Way You Lie - Eminem 

It's a well known fact that I've been a huge Eminem fan forever, so it was with excitement and anxiety that I awaited the Recovery album.  It's no secret that Relapse: Refill was not good. At all.  So the idea that Em's days of making albums that were desert island-worthy were over certainly crossed my mind.  Luckily, my panic was for naught, and Recovery has proven to be one of Eminem's best.  These three are my faves from that album.  I like Em when he's all intense.

Only Girl (In the World) - Rihanna
I've never met any girl who doesn't want someone to make them feel like the only girl in the world.  Or, for that matter, like a hot pie.

That's How Strong My Love Is - Alicia Keys
No one, no one, no one sings a love song like Alicia Keys.  This one wasn't particularly popular, but it was my favorite from The Element of Freedom album.

Those are my picks for 2010.  I'll be rotating them into my ongoing montage and I suggest you do the same.

xo kate