Radio Singles

The Killers, "Miss Atomic Bomb"

The Killers managed to build a semi-charmed career on lyrics that pushed the envelope into strange places. The latest single to come from the just-over-a-decade-old Vegas group sounds like it was ripped from Springsteen’s back catalogue. Brandon Flower’s voice is gruffer, and the group’s instrumentals have adapted by toning down their organic urgency in favor of a slower, more heavily-produced burn.

Elton John vs. Pnau, "Phoenix"

Australian electronic group Pnau’s release comes from the partnership’s debut album, Good Morning to the Night. The sound is entirely comprised of synthesized, compressed, and sampled pieces, with Elton John doing simple, un-stressful vocals overtop. Elton’s voice ain’t what it used to be, but the spacey, wall-of-sound refrain is pleasantly tuneful and rather catchy.

Justin Bieber feat. Nicki Minaj,"Beauty and a Beat"

The latest single to come off Bieber’s much-anticipated Believe album assaults the senses with repetition, assumedly because his songwriters were suffering retrograde amnesia. While boasting that he’s going to party like it’s 3012 (Yeah, I dunno, just roll with it), the trademark auto-tuned Bieb’s monotone is cut short by Nicki Minaj declaring “Buns out, weiner” with literally no context at all.