I'm not rating the re-entries (even though a couple were new to me; in their day I might have ticked "3 Lions" on the borderline but not the other two).
Dizzee Rascal and James Corden "Shout": Dizzee sounds strained in the verse and this doesn't click until "Shout" itself shows up, but from there the gang shouts are reliably thrilling while, amazingly, the hint of sadness in the melody penetrates all the rah-rah. Accidentally touching, thanks to Tears For Fears songwriters Orzabal and Stanley. TICK.
Tinie Tempeh ft. Labrinth "Frisky": "Rap going pop" doesn't capture what's happening here any more than it captures what's happening w/ Ke$ha, DeRulo, GaGa, BEP, et al. in the States: party pop is being reinvented as a bright bubbling dance mess, and it's pretty damn interesting (though I wish competing messes like hyphy and jerk also got chart representation*). "Frisky" doesn't capture late-night haze and aggression as well as "Pass Out" did, but it does a fine job of making blips and burbles and slow screws and fast pat-downs sound like party favors. A barely distinct soul voice arrives near the end - "it wanna feelin' yeah" is what I get - providing a sudden ache while a comfortable voice in the lower register cheerfully assures us that we're frisky. TICK.
Shakira ft. Freshlyground "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)": A reasonable flow and bounce and Shakira's gargle is reliably trilling, but the melody and overall effort is surprisingly meh. NO TICK.
(See what I did there?)
*Cali Swag District's "Teach Me How To Dougie" is rising through the lower reaches in the U.S., stretching all the way up to 81 in the Hot 100 (26 in hip-hop/r&b). Not that it's sound is a mess (is even sparer than most jerk, actually), just that it's bass and brattiness deserve their place in the general social cacophony.
Bright bubbling mess
Dizzee Rascal and James Corden "Shout": Dizzee sounds strained in the verse and this doesn't click until "Shout" itself shows up, but from there the gang shouts are reliably thrilling while, amazingly, the hint of sadness in the melody penetrates all the rah-rah. Accidentally touching, thanks to Tears For Fears songwriters Orzabal and Stanley. TICK.
Tinie Tempeh ft. Labrinth "Frisky": "Rap going pop" doesn't capture what's happening here any more than it captures what's happening w/ Ke$ha, DeRulo, GaGa, BEP, et al. in the States: party pop is being reinvented as a bright bubbling dance mess, and it's pretty damn interesting (though I wish competing messes like hyphy and jerk also got chart representation*). "Frisky" doesn't capture late-night haze and aggression as well as "Pass Out" did, but it does a fine job of making blips and burbles and slow screws and fast pat-downs sound like party favors. A barely distinct soul voice arrives near the end - "it wanna feelin' yeah" is what I get - providing a sudden ache while a comfortable voice in the lower register cheerfully assures us that we're frisky. TICK.
Shakira ft. Freshlyground "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)": A reasonable flow and bounce and Shakira's gargle is reliably trilling, but the melody and overall effort is surprisingly meh. NO TICK.
(See what I did there?)
*Cali Swag District's "Teach Me How To Dougie" is rising through the lower reaches in the U.S., stretching all the way up to 81 in the Hot 100 (26 in hip-hop/r&b). Not that it's sound is a mess (is even sparer than most jerk, actually), just that it's bass and brattiness deserve their place in the general social cacophony.