by Eliana Diaz
A welcome surprise came from our favorite Canadian rocker chick, Avril Lavigne, who graced us with her new song “Girlfriend”. This song is described by Lavigne herself as being “fast, fun, young, bratty, aggressive, confident, cocky in a playful way…all the good stuff.” .“Girlfriend,” gained Lavigne her highest single debut (number five) and her first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as her highest ever position on the UK Singles Chart (number 2).
For all of our Hip-Hop and R&B lovers out there, there’s no need to fear. Timbaland, famous for his producing skills and collaborations with Missy Elliott, has his new hit “Give It to Me” which features two very prominent artists, Nelly Furtado, and everyone’s guilty pleasure, Justin Timberlake. Unknown to most people, “Give It to Me” disses many other musicians in its lyrics. Each of the three featured artists have a single verse in the song separated by the chorus which is sung by Nelly Furtado (Furtado’s verse takes a blow at Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas while Timbaland’s verse is aimed at fellow producer Scott Storch.).
Lest we not forget the powerhouse combo of Beyoncé and Shakira with their hit, “Beautiful Liar”. The song’s musical structure mixes heavy hip-hop beats with Middle Eastern music, which are the characteristic sound of Beyoncé and Shakira, respectively. It holds the distinction of having the largest upward movement on the Billboard Hot 100, moving 91 positions from 94 to 3 the week of April 7, 2007. Beyoncé has stated the song is about female empowerment, in keeping with the theme of the album. The protagonists sing about being charmed by the same man; instead of fighting over him, they decide not to start drama or waste their time.
So, whether you’re up to singing about pains of boyfriends or up to dancing and partying like a rockstar, you’ll be sure to hear these songs more on the radio, and on the go!
