INSTEP Magzine

Singles of the week

Instep presents some of the hottest singles on the airwaves these days, from Katy Perry's unique choice of subject to Justin Timberlake's latest. Spend your week downloading these hit tunes and groove the autumn heat away!

'Body On Me' - Ashanti featuring Nelly and Akon

Actress, singer, dancer, model and song writer/producer Ashanti is back with her hit single 'Body On Me', which features the man who made it big with debut hit single 'Lonely' and the notorious Nelly. Ashanti holds a record for having three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 countdown at the same time; 'Foolish',

On Me' is on the top of the MTV charts and the video is on air whenever one tunes in. With Ashanti and Nelly singing to each other about a night out, the chorus is taken over by Akon. The lyrics aren't diplomatic, serious or sophisticated and they aren't supposed to be anyway, as 'Body On Me' is your everyday typical hip-hop tune, that's perfect for the dance floor or a party.

Ashanti recently released her fourth studio album, The Declaration and was then seen in the Stand Up For Cancer campaign on live television. One can now see her on every music channel and hear her on every radio station all thanks to 'Body On Me'. This one is for the die-hard 'Country Grammar' boy Nelly's fans and those who want a doze of Akon too. But its Ashanti who has taken the limelight, like she always does, be it collaborating with Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Nelly or Akon for that matter. And considering Ashanti was regarded the as 'Princess of Hip Hop/R n B' by the media, 'Body On Me' definitely deserves a download!

'I Kissed a Girl' - Katy Perry

Ranked on number six of the Hot 100 Billboard countdown, 'I Kissed a Girl' is one hell of an entertaining song. It's about a girl who overindulges in drink, ends up kissing a girl and to her surprise, she likes it.

"I kissed a girl and I liked it, the taste of her cherry chap stick. I kissed a girl and I liked it, hope my boyfriend don't mind it." The lyrics are fun and so is the song, which should be heard with the stereos on full blast.

The American singer and songwriter Katy Perry then goes on to tell the listener the kiss felt right but wrong and it was more like an "experimental game." And by the end of it all, she says it isn't a big deal, "It's innocent" and the chorus takes over again. Hailed as one of the breakthrough records of the year, 'I Kissed a Girl' is a daring song. Considering pop idols Madonna and Britney Spears kissed on stage and never spoke about it (let alone write about it), Katy Perry seems to be taking it up a notch as she actually wrote a song on what it feels like to kiss a girl. 'I Kissed a Girl' was also chosen by Time Magazine one of the songs that were memorable for the summer of 2008, among big names like Coldplay and Kid Rock in the list. Katy Perry is definitely an artist to watch out for - even Madonna's a fan!

'Miss Independent' - Ne-Yo

Number one on the radio charts and on the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 countdown, 'Miss Independent' is another typical R n B track and is very alike Ne-Yo. It is slow and mellow with soft music and vocals, yet retro and very hip-hop at the same time. With his album, The Year of the Gentlemen, in the leading ten titles of the Hot 100, Ne-Yo has proved he's not going anywhere anytime soon.
The song kicks off with record producer, dancer and rapper Ne-Yo saying 'Yeah yeah' about twenty times and the catchy music soon takes over, followed by Ne-Yo singing about the way his ladylove mesmerizes him by the way she moves. 'Miss Independent' is a song about the independent woman of today, who might want a man but she doesn't need one.

"Cause she walk like a boss, talk like a boss," Ne-Yo describes the woman of his dreams in 'Miss Independent'. Shaffer Chamier Smith, better known as Ne-Yo on the stage and behind the mic, came out with 'Miss Independent' after amassing a series of chart topping songs for other artists (Rihanna, Lindsey Lohan, Beyonce among many others) and since he has produced a hit after another ('So Sick', 'Sexy Love', 'Because Of You') 'Miss Independent' is a must download this week.

'Magic' - Justin Timberlake

Fans were counting days on their fingers for Justin Timberlake to come out with another spanking album. After the success of Future Sex/Love Sounds, Justin has been widely touted as 'the' pop idol. And his collaboration with pop legend Madonna on her album Hard Candy and his recent appearance at a concert in Los Angeles with Madonna have proved he can definitely hold his own with the Material Girl.
With his latest track 'Magic'; one can tell his soon-to-be-released album, titled Mr Timberlake, will definitely be a promising one.
The first track of Justin's album, 'Magic', was released recently and what stands out are the lyrics of the song, which seem like they have been meant for Rihanna or Beyonce. The lyrics aren't the type you would hear a man sing; but then again, Timberlake has a fashionable way of coming on to the listener. (Remember 'Sexy Back'?) 'Magic' is a typical pop song with groovy music and Timberlake sounds like Michael Jackson, the man who inspired him to sing in the first place. Hence, this one is not only for JT's fans; but those who miss Wacko Jacko should download it too!

'Live Your Life' - Rihanna ft. T.I

Kicking off with Rihanna's voice, "mia hee, mia haa, mia hoo, mia haha", this one is not your typical Rihanna track. Inspired by the lyrics of 'Numa Numa', 'Live Your Life' is a catchy and fun song, though it may not be fast paced and neither does it have the typical 'Rihanna pop flavor'. 'Live Your Life' is a hip-hop tune with T.I rapping away to Rihanna's soothing yet smashing voice.

Attaining four Billboard Hot 100s, ('SOS', 'Umbrella', 'Take a Bow', 'Disturbia') out of which 'Live Your Life' is now on the fifth spot, seems like the singer, model and now fashion designer Rihanna is all set to take a few MTV Music Awards home. Being the first solo female singer to have reached the number one spot five times this decade, Rihanna is on the roll and with 'Live Your Life'; she's definitely the criterion of the download list!

– Anum Opel