7. Pitbull & Ke$ha - 'Timber'
Pop music these days is very divisive as it becomes more and more fluid with mainstream pop artists such as Katy Perry, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga exploring more underground sounds and beats without being labelled 'weird' (that does happen with Gaga, but for a different reason). Part of the late 2000s' musical soundscape saw a sudden shift towards an electronic sound and an irreverent, reckless party vibe to proceedings with the phrase 'LOL-pop' often being used for artists who created pop party tunes. Two of these juggernauts of the genre teamed up in late 2013 for a collaboration which saw many criticising it as a career low for both - Pitbull and Ke$ha on their song 'Timber'. While it's somewhat understandable that people might underwhelmed by the song, it's certainly not a bad song and actually is quite a solid effort in the genre - Pitbull's rapping style is in its purest form here and the production here is very enjoyable and easy to listen to. Ke$ha herself sounds at home, all but dominating the song with her strong vocals and hook. All criticism of the song as throwaway and light rather seems to be missing the point of the song's intentions - it's supposed to be that. Neither Pitbull nor Ke$ha are - at least for now - big popstars or soulful crooners. Their market is making people dance or helping aid any party with some fun disposable pop, and in a world where the trend is fading fast, it's refreshing to see that songs this joyously breezy are still around. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHESy8XsJPs