Top Dance Songs of 2009 Vol. 1 - a podcast by Keith a.k.a. K j A M

I can't think of a better way to start 2010 off than to remember 2009.  Okay, maybe not everything from last year, rather the fantastic house music that made us dance, sing and celebrate!  2009 was the year a diva was realized.  Yup, I'm talking about Kelly Rowland.  So she found herself without a record label and at the same time collaborated with David Guetta to create the most memorable song of the year.  "When Love Takes Over" blew our minds, while rattling dance floors across the world; once it previewed at WMC, it was unstoppable.  Looks like life without Destiny's Child, much less Sony is looking pretty damn good these days.  However, she still has that pesky little thing to wrap up with Sony.  Destiny's Child is slated to release a final album later this year.  Then again, if Beyonce (another winner this year) doesn't stop bombarding us with new material, a new album by DC may even be delayed.

David Guetta was definitely the man of the year.  His collaboration with the Black Eyed Peas brought us two monster smashes "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Got a Feelin."  Not only were these monster club hits, but also massive Top 40 hits that tied up the number one spot for most of the spring.  Word up to the old school tired-ass hip-hop artists; either change with the times or your ass will be left behind.  Frankly, I don't care if I ever hear another song with "shawty" in it again.  Pu-leaze!  The minute some white bread tween like Jesse McCartney starts using it, it's time for a change!  Regardless, you can thank David and the BEP for breaking that stale mold of Top 40 radio in the U.S.  Now let's see what other pop artists do with it in 2010.  Justin, you're up next my man.

The sleeper hit of the year was "Release Me" by newcomer Agnes out of Sweden.  Her meat and potatoes style of pop is not only well written but pretty damn catchy.  Coupled with the right producer (Cahill), her music translated quite well onto the dancefloor.  In fact, I'd say she gave 2008's newcomer Solange a definite run for her money in that category.

While the biggest news of the year came from the death of one of pop music's biggest icons Michael Jackson, it was Lady GaGa who drained the rest of our attention.  "The Fame" was released in August of 2008 to critical acclaim by the only sites that matter.  Arjanwrites, Electroqueer and Popjustice all praised the album with its dance-ready electronic beats and pop sensibility.  While the lead single "Just Dance" was blowing up in clubs all around the world, true to fashion Top 40 radio resisted until January of 2009 before the GaGa came crashing through their doors and forced them to add it to rotation or risk becoming irrelevant (not that they aren't already).  The rest was history.  Spawning four number singles and dance hits, LG was on a roll.  By the end of the year, we were treated to "The Fame Monster," a collection of eight brand new songs with its lead single "Bad Romance" taking the lead.  I fully expect to be hearing LG on the radio and in the clubs 24/7 throughout 2010.  Make no mistake, she is a star of her own making and there just isn't anyone that can match her talent.  In fact, when publicity whores like the Fred Phelps bible-thumping wingnuts clan get involved, you know she's doing something right!

Starting things off, we got Beyonce's "Single Ladies" whose video spawned a million imitations.  No doubt, she was at the top of her game in 2009 with chart-topping hits like, "Halo" and "Sweet Dreams" among many, that kept Beyonce in the news.  We also have Lady GaGa's second release "Poker Face," which even got the 100-year-old Baba Wawa reciting the words "bluffin with my muffin" on national TV during an interview with the Chanel clad Princess of the dancefloor.  You also get a double shot of Mariah and P!nk's latest.  I'm still waiting for LaFace to release the absolutely...

Further episodes of Party Favorz

Further podcasts by Keith a.k.a. K j A M

Website of Keith a.k.a. K j A M