Ke$ha – Die Young

Start with the four-on-the-floor dance beat. Move on to the pumping lead synth that drops in and out while building anticipation and providing relief throughout the song. Throw in an acoustic guitar playing the simple chord progression to fill in at the bottom of builds. Wrap up with coherent, empowering (and non-pandering) lyrics about living in the moment. It’s all there.

Oh, and don’t forget Dr. Luke.

Ke$ha’s latest offering is a great example of what a solid pop song sounds like today. Definitely one of the best pop offerings of the year.

Four Tet – Pyramid

It’s a special track that can get a crowd moving when they’re expecting known material and they’re served fresh stuff. Both times I saw Four Tet, Pyramid did just that. Clocking in at a steady 8:30, the song has movement for days – provided in no small part by the chugging looped vocal sample.

I can’t admit to being one who’s followed Four Tet through his long journey through IDM, jazz, and their fusion with electronica, but I am absolutely loving his fairly recent output of straightforward dance music.