Yesterday, our picks for rock SOTS were maligned, and that’s understandable: Those were mainstream selections, and the chart toppers will not always sit well with the persnickety pop-music fan. Today’s tracks, however, coming from the world of radio R&B, should be easier to digest, as they are actually pretty good. (Except Jason Derulo — that dude’s annoying.) And today’s contenders are:
Janelle Monáe, “Tightropeâ€
An incessantly funky banger that’s already the choice of the discerning tastemaker. Can that kind of elitist approval propel the relatively unknown Monáe into mass appeal? It’s her best shot right now.