Artists of the Year - Taio Cruz

This is the first in a series of entries where I will be listing my favorite artists of 2010. I hope you enjoy it!

Taio Cruz:

2010 got off to a very slow start where all the best music on the radio at the start of the year was holdovers from 2009. Things were looking quite bleak and I was getting close to accepting that 2010 was just going to be the end of my being able to find and enjoy new hit music every year. I was so happy when that ended up not being the case when Taio Cruz burst onto the scene with the exhilerating club dance beats on his #1 smash Break Your Heart. It was like the dark clouds were clearing to reveal the bright and colorful spotlights on a million mirrored disco balls!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_SI2EDM6Lo

And it was even better when Taio showed that he's not going to settle for being a one hit wonder when the exhuberant sounds of his follow up song Dynamite started to get airplay. This song became THE definitive dancefloor anthem of the year!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vysgv7qVYTo

Who knows what's in store for Taio Cruz in 2011, but he will always go down in history as one of my favorite artists of 2010. :)

The Top 10 songs of 2010!

2010 has been a great year for fun pop songs and here's the Top 10 of the year:

Teenage Dream - Katy Perry: No other song this year embodied the vibrant thrill of being young and in love than the title track from Katy's latest album. Not only that, but it reached the broader audience of older listeners making them feel young again. Then, this amazing song was used in an episode of Glee and it was elevated to an even higher place of significance in all of our hearts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98WtmW-lfeE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E46BhMIRujI

Whataya Want From Me - Adam Lambert: The Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up released a fantastic collection of songs on his debut release For Your Entertainment and was asked to be a mentor to the Season 9 finalists. They were a very dreary group, but even Adam's dynamic range and performance style couldn't get them out of their doldrums. When he performed this second single from his album on the show it leaped into the Billboard HOT 100 Top 10 singles chart. This song is the perfect response to how the media loves to scrutinize his free spirited personality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Fqn9du7xo

Break Your Heart - Taio Cruz: 2010 was getting off to a very boring start in the first three months of the year and that all changed when Taio Cruz released his debut single. This song can take credit for the sudden turn around making the radio fun to listen to again. It lead the charge of the club friendly dance beats that came to dominate the rest of the year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_SI2EDM6Lo

Only Girl In The World - Rihanna: Her dismal release Rated R is responsible in large part to what was making radio so boring in the first part of the year. Rihanna clearly wanted everyone to be in just as bad a mood as she was, but thankfully the first single from the album Loud turned all of that around. This song is a joyous anthem that demands your attention and you feel fantastic with no regrets afterward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa14VNsdSYM

OMG - Usher: As one of the biggest artists of the decade, Usher was never one to be a follower, but this year he could have been accused of jumping on the club dance beat bandwagon. The fact is that while this song is very danceable, it is nothing like the generic throb found in other songs. He is continuing to be an innovator releasing the most entertaining and enjoyable single of his career. Usher was also a mentor on American Idol this season and his appearance helped catapult this song to the #1 position on the Billboard HOT 100.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RnPB76mjxI

Nothin' On You - B.o.B. / Bruno Mars: When you pair two completely new artists together the odds of having a hit are slim to none, but when the song is this catchy it becomes impossible to ignore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PTDv_szmL0

I Like It - Enrique Iglesias: Everything about this song from it's strange Lionel Richie tribute to the fact that it's by Enrique Iglesias, who has never put out anything all that great, made me think this was just a throwaway track. Even the inclusion of the horrible Jersey Shore cast in the video couldn't stop me from admitting that yes, Baby - I LIKE IT! It's a completely feel good and fun jam every time you hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X0QzUdjhIg

Cooler Than Me - Mike Posner: Here's another unknown artist who managed to find the perfect song to introduce him to the public. It's completely infectious and who can't relate to the lyrics?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqWq_48LxWQ

Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars: After the success of his smooth vocals on Nothin On You, Bruno was primed and ready to have a huge solo hit and it came in the form of this toe tapper. Once again, just like with Teenage Dream, while it was still at the top of the charts, the cast of Glee injected some more life into an already amazing smash.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjhCEhWiKXk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttwW7y1x1rk

Baby - Justin Bieber: Every generation needs to have their teen idols and in 2010 they were all catching Bieber Fever. This was his biggest hit and it is well crafted to have all the ingredients of young love and innocence to appeal to exactly who it's supposed to, teenage girls and me. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kffacxfA7G4