CALL ME MAYBE - Carly Rae Jepsen

"Call Me Maybe" is a song recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen for her EP Curiosity (2012) and appearing on her international debut album, Kiss. The song was written by Jepsen and Tavish Crowe as a folk song, but its genre was modified to pop following the production byJosh Ramsay. It was released as the lead single from the EP on September 20, 2011, through 604 Records. Jepsen was signed to Schoolboy Records, releasing her single in the United States through the label, as the first single from Kiss. Musically, "Call Me Maybe" is an upbeat teen poptrack that draws influences from dance-pop and disco. Lyrically, the track alludes to the inconvenience that a love at first sight brings to a girl who hopes for a call back from a crush.

The song received generally positive reviews from contemporary critics, who praised its composition and clever lyrical content. "Call Me Maybe" has attained commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, while peaking inside the top three in Austria, Belgium (Flanders & Wallonia), Germany, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. After reaching the top position on the Canadian Hot 100, Jepsen became only the fifth Canadian artist to do so in her home country since 2007. In the United States, the track reached number one on theBillboard Hot 100 and the Pop Songs chart. The song is the first number one by a Canadian female artist on the Billboard Hot 100 chart since 2007's "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne.

An accompanying music video was directed by Ben Knechtel. In it, Jepsen seeks the attention of an attractive boy next door who is revealed at the close of the story to be attracted to a male band member. As part of promotion for the song, Jepsen performed the track on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where she made her US television debut, and at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards. "Call Me Maybe" has been covered by several artists, including Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Dan Deacon, Fun, Big Time Rush, The Chipettes, R5, Lil' Wayne, Enter Shikari, Ben Howard, Cody Simpson,The Saturdays, and parodied by Cookie Monster and some of the news staff of National Public Radio. It was also covered on "The New Rachel", the season premiere episode of the fourth season of Glee. The song was used in other television shows as well, including Castle, Jane by Design,Degrassi: The Next Generation, and 90210.

"Call Me Maybe" was nominated for two Grammy Awards, for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 55th Annual ceremony, but lost to "We Are Young" by Fun and the live performance of "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele, respectively. On December 11, 2012, "Call Me Maybe" was named Song of the Year for 2012 by MTV. In its 2012 Year-End issue, Billboard magazine ranked this song #2 in the Hot 100 Songs, Digital Songs, and Canadian Hot 100 charts, in each case behind "Somebody That I Used to Know", by Gotye featuring Kimbra. The song was also ranked number one by the Village Voice's annual Pazz and Jop poll, which compiles the votes of music critics from all over the United States. The song was the best-selling single worldwide in 2012, selling over 10 million copies in that year alone, and the best-selling single on the iTunes Store in 2012. With worldwide sales of over 13 million copies as of May 2013, "Call Me Maybe" was the best-selling digital single of 2012, and is also one of the best-selling digital singles and one of the best-selling singles of all time.

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WE ARE YOUNG - fun. Featuring Janelle Monae

"We Are Young" is a song recorded by American band Fun for their second studio album Some Nights (2012). It was released on September 20, 2011 as the lead single from Some Nights. Musically, "We Are Young" is an anthem that incorporates the genres of indie pop, alternative rock, andpower pop. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, with many noting the song as a breakthrough for the indie genre and praising the song's catchiness. "We Are Young" has attained commercial success worldwide, reaching number one in several countries.

The track initially only gained attention from online media, although it did receive its first commercial radio airplay on WDHA-FM during the October 2, 2011 edition of Anything Anything with Rich Russo. However, it was soon covered by the television show Glee. With the Glee version having success on the charts, the song was licensed for use in a Chevrolet Sonic commercial that aired during Super Bowl XLVI. The single song propelled the band into mainstream success, topping the digital charts in February 2012 and becoming a crossover hit, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100through airplay on contemporary hit radio stations, topping the chart for six weeks straight. It is also the first song to log seven weeks of 300,000 or more in digital sales, a record that was previously held by Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie" (2010). "We Are Young" has been certified five-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and is both Fun and Monáe's first charting single on the Hot 100, as well as their first number-one single. The song also topped the Hot 100 Airplay chart with 120 million impressions in seven weeks, becoming the first group sinceDestiny's Child's "Survivor" (2001) to do so.

An accompanying music video was directed by Marc Klasfeld at David Sukonick Concert Hall in Los Angeles. It features the group performing on a stage at a bar where a riot breaks out. As part of promotion for the song, it was performed at the 2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the American late night television show Conan, and was used as the opening song at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards. The song is featured in the music video game, Rock Band Blitz. The song won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the 55th Grammy Awards, where it was also a nominee forRecord of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

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PAYPHONE - Maroon 5 Featuring Wiz Khalifa

"Payphone" is a pop song performed by the American pop rock band Maroon 5. The song was released on April 17, 2012, as the lead single from their fourth studio album Overexposed (2012). It features American rapper Wiz Khalifa. It was written by Adam Levine, Benny Blanco, Ammar Malik, Robopop, Shellback and Khalifa, and produced by Blanco and Shellback. The song is a pop ballad and it talks about a romance that is no more. The song has received mixed to positive reviews from music critics, who praised the catchy melody and named it "a radio success", but some others dismissed Khalifa's appearance and its title. The official music video, directed by Samuel Bayer, finds Levine taking down some bank robbers and attempting to become the "hero" in a hail of bullets as he makes his escape, steals a gun from a robber and then gets mistaken for one. Because of this, he must escape from a fleet of policemen, which he does with ease. The video was positively received from critics, who considered it an enjoyable mini-action movie. The video was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video, but lost out to "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction. On the Billboard Hot 100, the song debuted at the number three spot before peaking at number two. The song sold 493,000 copies in its first week, becoming the best sales week for a digital song by a group and also the eighth-best sales week overall. It also reached number-one on the Canadian Hot 100 chart and has stayed at the top for eight consecutive weeks. It also topped the UK Singles Chart, making it the band's first ever single to do so. Payphone was the world's fifth best selling single of 2012 with 9.1 million copies sold.

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LIGHTS - Ellie Goulding

"Lights" is a song by English recording artist Ellie Goulding from her debut album, Lights (2010). Written by Goulding, Richard Stannard and Ash Howes, the song was inspired by Goulding's childhood fear of the dark. It was released in the United Kingdom on 13 March 2011 as the album's sixth single overall, and second from the Bright Lights re-release. Originally a bonus track on the iTunes edition of Lights, the song was re-edited for inclusion on Bright Lights in late 2010, serving as the single version. The song is featured on the soundtrack to the film Spring Breakers. "Lights" received critical acclaim from most music critics, who praised the song's production and Goulding's "ethereal" vocals. The song was also a commercial success, reaching the top ten and top twenty in several countries. In the United States, "Lights" was a sleeper hit, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 after thirty-three weeks on the chart, and becoming one of the few songs to have spent more than a year on the Hot 100. The song has sold over four million copies in the US. In late 2012, "Lights" was ranked number five on the Hot 100 year-end chart, while topping the Pop Songs year-end chart.

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GLAD YOU CAME The Wanted

"Glad You Came" is a song by British-Irish boy band The Wanted, taken as the second single from their second studio album, Battleground. It was released on 10 July 2011. The dance-pop song was written by Steve Mac, Wayne Hector and Ed Drewett, and was produced by Steve Mac and Russell Steedle. It debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart and the same position in the Republic of Ireland, as well as number two in Canada and number three in the United States.

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STRONGER (WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU) - Kelly Clarkson

"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Clarkson and the titular song from her fifth studio album, Stronger (2011). Originally titled as "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)", the song served as the album's second single on January 17, 2012 through RCA Records. Written by Jörgen Elofsson, Ali Tamposi, and David Gamson, with additional writing and production by Greg Kurstin, "Stronger" is an uptempo song which draws from the genres of pop rock, dance-pop, and electropop. Its lyrical content mainly explores themes of empowerment and recovery following a heartbreak, with the chorus inspired by a Friedrich Nietzsche quotation: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." Upon its release, "Stronger" was met with a positive reception from music critics, who considered it to be the musical highlight of Stronger. Clarkson's vocal performance and song's production received particular praise, while criticism targeted the song's lyrical content. Commercially, "Stronger" became her most successful single to date. In the United States, it became her third song to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart for three non-consecutive weeks, surpassing "A Moment Like This" (2002) and "My Life Would Suck Without You" (2009) as her longest-running number one single on the chart. It also topped fifteen other Billboard charts, including Adult Pop Songs, Adult Contemporary, Hot Dance Club Songs, and Pop Songs charts, more than any other song Clarkson has ever released. Internationally, "Stronger" topped the national charts of Poland and Slovakia and attained a top-ten position in over fifteen countries around the world, eventually selling over five million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. Its success helped its parent album to sustain commercial longevity for over a year. "Stronger" merited consideration for several industry awards—including three Grammy Award nominations, and a World Music Award nomination. The song's accompanying music video was filmed by Shane Drake, which incorporates the theme of a global flash mob dance, featuring submitted videos of people dancing to the song. The music video garnered positive reception from critics who felt that its overall impact was exuberant. It earned Clarkson a nomination for a MuchMusic Video Award. With its continued success, she performed "Stronger" on several live award shows and television appearances around the world, debuting it during the first season of the American singing competition The X Factor; and performing it on the 37th season of Saturday Night Live, the 2012 MuchMusic Video Awards, and the 2012 American Music Awards. Clarkson also included the song in the set list of her Stronger Tour and on the encore set of her 2012 Summer Tour with The Fray.

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WE FOUND LOVE - Rihanna Featuring Calvin Harris

"We Found Love" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna, from her sixth studio album Talk That Talk (2011), and features Scottish DJ Calvin Harris. "We Found Love" premiered on September 22, 2011, in the United Kingdom on the Capital FM radio station and was made available to download on the same day as the lead single from the album. The track is a dance-pop and electro house song, with elements of techno and Europop. It is backed by repetitive synthesizers, alarm bells, and a keyboard. The song's lyrics speak of a couple who "found love in a hopeless place". The song was later included on Harris's third album 18 Months. "We Found Love" was met with mixed to positive reviews from music critics, who praised the song's composition and Rihanna's vocal performance; however, some critics felt that the lyrical content was sparse and came second to Harris' production. "We Found Love" was a major commercial success. In the United States, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for ten non-consecutive weeks, becoming the longest running number one single of 2011 and of the 2010s decade thus far as well as surpassing "Umbrella" as her longest running number one single. It became Rihanna's eleventh song to top the Hot 100, placing her in third place amongst female recording artists amassing the most number one singles. "We Found Love" topped the charts in twenty-five countries including Ireland, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It also attained top five positions in Australia, Belgium and Czech Republic and peaked in the top ten of charts in twenty-nine countries worldwide, becoming one of the most successful songs in 2011 and 2012. Worldwide the single has sold over 8.1 million copies making it one of the best selling singles of all time. The song's accompanying music video, directed by Melina Matsoukas, depicts the singer as a drug-abusing thrill-seeker in a relationship that quickly spirals downward into addiction and violence. The video received a mixed response from critics, as they noted that it profoundly alludes to ex-boyfriend Chris Brown's assault on Rihanna, two years prior. It attracted criticism from political commentators, who questioned the video for its suggestive sexual nature. The song has been performed on both the UK and US versions of The X Factor, as well as at the 2012 Grammy Awards and the 2012 BRIT Awards. Many artists have covered the song including British alternative rock band Coldplay and singer Jessie J at BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. Cam'Ron, Flo Rida and R3hab have made remixes of the song. The music video won the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video and MTV's VMA for Video of the Year

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STARSHIPS Nicki Minaj

"Starships" is a song by Trinidadian-American singer-songwriter and rapper Nicki Minaj, taken from her second studio album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. It was released on February 14, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money, Universal Republic as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Minaj, Nadir Khayat, Carl Falk, Rami Yacoub and Wayne Hector, and was produced by RedOne, Yacoub, and Falk. Initially, "Va Va Voom' was intended to be released as the first single, though its release was scrapped in favor of "Starships". "Starships" received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its production, though found it generic and criticized Minaj's transition towards pop music. The song is Minaj's most successful single to date, peaking inside the top five in over fifteen countries. It remains her most certified single to date, and has become one of the best-selling singles of all time. The song also made US Billboard history, debuting in the US top ten and then spending a total of 21 consecutive weeks in the top ten. Minaj has performed the song live in a number of appearances, and was the encore performance on the Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour. The corresponding music video was shot Oahu Island, Hawaii. Directed by Anthony Mandler, the song features Nicki on a beach in a bikini, and near the end of the video, it shows her and a "party-esque" dancing to the song and performing. The music video was critically acclaimed from music critics, many praising the kaleidoscope effects in the video and the fun, carefree style. However, some critics noticed its postponed release, because the video for her single "Beez in the Trap" was released before "Starships" was. With all the success, the song has also sparked controversy surrounding a pulled live performance.

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WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL - One Direction

"What Makes You Beautiful" is a song performed by English-Irish boy band One Direction. It served as their debut single and lead single from their debut studio album Up All Night (2011). Written by Rami Yacoub, Carl Falk and Savan Kotecha and produced by Yacoub and Falk, it was released bySyco Records on 11 September 2011. After recording the song at Cosmos Studios and Kinglet Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, the band felt relieved to have a song that they were happy to release as their first single. The track is an uptempo song which interpolates pop genres teen pop, power popand pop rock. It features a prominent guitar-based chorus and riff, and the middle eight consists of a "na na na" hook.

The song was generally complimented by contemporary music critics, who highlighted its appeal to the teenage audience and pop sensibility. It debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, after setting a Sony Music Entertainment pre-order record and selling 153,965 copies in its first week. The single also topped the Irish and Scottish Singles Charts, and reached the top ten on the Australian and New Zealand Singles Charts, Flemish Ultratop 50, Canadian Hot 100, Japan Hot 100 and the United States Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and, as of January 2013, had sold over four million copies in the US. With over 5 million copies sold worldwide, the track is the best-selling song by a boy band in digital history and among the best-selling singles of all time.

The single's accompanying music video was directed by John Urbano and depicts One Direction spending time on a Malibu, California beach. The video garnered the group three MTV Video Music Awards on 6 September 2012, including Best Pop Video. One Direction performed the song live on televised shows, at awards ceremonies, and on two of their major concert tours: Up All Night Tour (2011–12) and Take Me Home Tour (2013). Artists including Boyce Avenue, Parade, Rita Ora, The Piano Guys, and Josh Groban have covered "What Makes You Beautiful", and it was performed on an episode of Glee titled "Prom-asaurus". "What Makes You Beautiful" won the BRIT Award for Best British Single at the 2012 ceremony.

Background information

Origin London, England

Genres Dance-pop, pop rock, power pop, teen pop

Years active 2010–present

Labels Syco, Columbia

Associated acts The X Factor finalists 2010

Website onedirectionmusic.com

Members Niall Horan

Zayn Malik

Liam Payne

Harry Styles

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Manatsu No Sounds good! - AKB48

AKB48 (read "A.K.B. Forty-eight") is a Japanese girl group. As of April 2013, the group has 86 members. The girls range in age from early teens to mid-20s. Produced by Yasushi Akimoto, it is one of the highest-earning musical acts in the world, with 2011 record sales of over US$200 million in Japan. It has achieved such popularity in Japan that it has been characterized as a social phenomenon.

As of January 2013, the group's seventeen latest singles topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart. In 2010, "Beginner" and "Heavy Rotation" placed, respectively, first and second in the list of Japan's best selling singles for the year. In 2011 and 2012 AKB48's singles occupied the top five spots of the Oricon Yearly Singles Chart. The band has sold over 20 million CDs, and holds the record for most singles sold in Japan by a female group.

AKB48 is named after Akihabara (Akiba for short), the area in Tokyo where the group's theater is located. The idea of AKB48's producerYasushi Akimoto was to create a girl group that, unlike a regular pop group, which gives occasional concerts and that is mostly seen on TV, would have its own theater and perform there on a daily basis; the fans would always be able to go and see the girls live. AKB48 still performs at the theater daily, with tickets distributed by lottery. Akimoto has also expanded the AKB48 concept to several sister

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Gangnam Style - PSY

Park Jae-sang (born December 31, 1977), better known by his stage name Psy (Korean: 싸이, stylized PSY, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, record producer and television personality. Psy is known domestically for his humorous videos and stage performances, and internationally for his hit single "Gangnam Style." The song's refrain "Oppan Gangnam Style" (translated as "Big brother is Gangnam style", with Psy referring to himself) was entered into The Yale Book of Quotations as one of the most famous quotes of 2012.

On October 23, 2012, Psy met UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the United Nations Headquarters where Ban expressed his desire to work with the singer because of his "unlimited global reach". On December 21, 2012, his music video for "Gangnam Style" exceeded 1 billion views on YouTube, becoming the first and currently only video to do so in the website's history. Psy was subsequently recognized by the media as the "King of YouTube".

In December 2012, MTV noted Psy's rise from little-known to "global superstar", and, for being first in the YouTube-era to secure a place in pop-culture history, hailed the singer as the "Viral Star of 2012". On December 31, 2012, Psy performed in a globally televised New Year's Eve celebration with American rapper MC Hammer on-stage in front of a live audience of over a million people in Times Square, New York City.

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SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW - Gotye Featuring Kimbra

"Somebody That I Used to Know" is a song written and recorded by Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter Gotye, featuring New Zealand singer/guitarist Kimbra. The song was released in Australia and New Zealand by Eleven Music on 5 July 2011 as the second single from Gotye's third studio album, Making Mirrors (2011). It was later released by Universal Music in December 2011 in the United Kingdom, and in January 2012 in the United States and Ireland. "Somebody That I Used to Know" was written and recorded by Gotye at his parents' house on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria and is lyrically related to the experiences he has had with relationships.

"Somebody That I Used to Know" is a mid-tempo, indie pop ballad. It samples Luiz Bonfá's song "Seville" from his 1967 album Luiz Bonfa Plays Great Songs. The song received positive reception from critics, who noted the similarities between the song and works by Sting, Peter Gabriel and Americanfolk band Bon Iver. The song won the Triple J Hottest 100 poll at the end of 2011, as well as ARIA Awards for song of the year and best video, while Kimbra was voted best female artist and Gotye was named best male artist and producer of the year. In 2013 the song won two Grammy Awards forBest Pop Duo/Group Performance and Record of the Year.

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