Just hear me out.

I love pop music. I always have. In 3rd grade I was so obsessed with the New Kids on the Block I literally prayed every night that their tour bus would break down on my street. Because of course that would logically lead to them staying the night in my house which naturally results in Joey M and I sharing a room and those prankster bandmates of his putting us in a "French kissing position" so that in order to break apart we'd have to....french kiss.

But anyway....I've always loved a bubblegum beat--I like songs that make me smile and make me want to walk a little faster because maybe there's a party around the corner.

This brings me to my current obsession and her name is Gaga. I just don't understand people who can't get behind her. The Fame is an amazing album and The Fame Monster.....Gaga is actually otherworldly. I used to pride myself on not buying a CD unless I liked at least 3 tracks. I actually love all 23 songs she's put out. Even the ones I don't outright adore, I don't skip in my All Gaga playlist.

I wasn't a fan at first. I liked Just Dance--no one can deny: it's a really fun song. Poker Face was catchy and made me want to dance. But I still thought she was weird and contrived and a drag queen. Then came Paparazzi and that crazy ass video and a little monster (gaga for "fan") was born. Something about the Paparazzi hook really resonated with me and I suggest for beginning Gaga fans that you start with Paparazzi from the Fame and Speechless from the Fame Monster. Speechless is maybe one of the best songs ever. Period. It's hard to listen to it and not be touched and I can't think of another song that triggers that kind of emotion in me except for maybe Yesterday.

I don't really talk about music often because for most of my life I've always caught shit for the music I listen to. The black kids made fun of me for listening to Celine Dion and the white kids thought I was lame because I didn't like Radiohead. I can't even really say definitively that pop is my genre of choice. Because while I adore it, I also really like jazz and country and gospel and rap. But now I'm a grownup and I'm much more comfortable in my own skin and I could give a shit if someone doesn't like the music that I like.

But I really feel the need to spread the word about Gaga.

She's just so refreshing. She keeps her personal life private and I think that's really awesome. I love her songs, I don't need to know who she's fucking. I feel like she's just about her music. Gaga is Gaga not Stefani Last name I don't remember. And her songs are really fantastic. It infuriates me that DJs don't play more of it. You can put on a mix of The Fame and The Fame Monster and you have a dance party--just hit play and shuffle. If you haven't learned the Bad Romance dance you should get on it because it's maybe this years Macarena. And I don't know about you but after the demon that was 2009, I think 2010 needs a Macarena.

So while I'm on the "let me tell you a thing or two about music sonny" kick here are some other albums you should have a listen to:

Rihanna - Rated R: I think that they're saying this album is getting bad reviews. Well "they" are full of shit because this album is amazing. I think it's Rihanna being kind of raw and saying to hell with it, I'll do what I want and I love that. It's also an amazing breakup album especially if you were the one who got screwed. Key tracks are Hard which is so empowering and makes me feel like I can kick so much ass and Cold Case Love--her voice is so well suited for this song, I don't know if it will ever make it to the radio but I think it's some of the best singing I've eveer heard her do. Fun dance tracks are Rude Boy which should a gay bar anthem already and Rockstar--you can't not move when it's on and feel like a badass. My top fav track is Fire Bomb. It shows the crazy and I love the crazy.

Ke$ha - Animal: I've shouted out to Kesha before but I will do it again because this morning I listened to an NPR interview with her and she said she was in the marching band, unprovoked. Anyone who admits they were in marching band without specifically having been asked is Good People. I've had her album for a couple of weeks now and I'm nowhere close to being sick of it. Her songs are really catchy and really funny. My top tracks are Take It Off--this song makes me want to be drunk and dancing on a table in a bar that smells like tequila, Stephen--named for the actual boy who dissed her, this one is ballad-ish and hilarious, and Animal--because it reminds me of a prom scene in an 80s movie when everyone realizes, "This has been such a great night and we have our whole lives in front of us guys!" And of course everyone knows Tik Tok. Is it wrong that I let Kailyn and Amme watch that video so many times? They loved the song. Kailyn asked me, "Bran why does she brush her teeth with Jack? Is Jack like Crest?"

And lest you think that I'm up too high on my music snob wannabee horse, my first CD and still one of my favorite CDs is a little album called Breathless but a pretty suburb saxophonist named Kenny G. And I'm not afraid to let the world know about that. I think Kenny G is the bomb and I do recall on many occasions saying that I'd love to have him play at my wedding. And at any other important event in my life which may or may not include 2nd and 3rd marriages, birthdays, and "I just need a little soprano sax music" days.

Favorite track below.




(No I'm not kidding.)


So let's give it up for pop in 2010. I hope that Gaga is setting the bar for new artists and I know that her 3rd album (to be released later this year) will be something totally new but still incredibly awesome. Official fan for life right here.

Oh and ps TOMORROW I AM SEEING HER LIVE AT RADIO CITY IN THE SECOND ROW.

That's right--you read that right SECOND ROW!!!!!!!

Beyond excited and sometimes when I think about it I have to stop because I can't breathe.