BEST OF 2011: Radio Songs of the Year: Chris Brown and Miguel

The first thing you notice about Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now?" The beat hits you like a bomb. The production combination of Diplo and Afrojack created something that is out of this world. It's not a dance floor beat by any means. It's a lean back head nodder that--excuse the cliche--goes hard in the paint.

It's the perfect template for Chris Brown's new "hood" mentality, as he rapping/singing bars at the beginning are a new artform. But it's Busta Rhymes who takes the crown on this track, with his double time flow, Bussa Buss stays relevant without trying to hard. This track makes me want to roll down my windows and blast while driving at a slow speed. It was hands down the track of the summmer.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gyLR4NfMiI[/youtube]

On the flip side, Miguel's two radio singles "All I Want Is You," and "Sure Thing," were a breath of fresh air the to the sometimes repetitive nature of radio. The former, produced by the one and only Salaam Remi is quite possibly one of the best songs I've heard on the radio in the long time. Remi's organic production really shines on this track, especially the riding bassline. In addition, the track "Sure Thing," starts with a Prince fasetto and teeters between retro and cutting edge.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7PVhQPaFNY[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4GJVOMjCC4[/youtube]