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Song of the Day #1,097: ‘Don’t Wanna Go Home’ – Jason Derulo

Why Jason Derulo is a rising star and not the next Rebecca Black is a mystery to me.

Go ahead, read the first two verses of ‘Don’t Wanna Go Home’ (below) and tell me those lyrics wouldn’t fit right in alongside the “Sunday comes afterwards” inanity of Black’s excoriated ‘Friday.’

On top of that is Derulo’s bizarre habit of singing his own name at the beginning of his songs. I don’t know if he does this on every song, but he does it on this one and on ‘In My Head,’ the only other song of his I know. I find that hilarious.

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Song of the Day #1,096: ‘The Show Goes On’ – Lupe Fiasco

I’ve heard the name Lupe Fiasco for awhile now, but I’ve never known a thing about him. If you’d asked me before today I would have guessed that he was some sort of Latin DJ.

Not quite. Fiasco is actually the stage name of Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, a Chicago rapper who eschews the usual subject matter of drugs and sex, preferring to sing about politics and his Muslim upbringing. He’s one of those “positive” rappers who seem to be increasingly popular.

Today’s song, ‘The Show Goes On,’ was actually released in late 2010, but it seems to have had a surge in popularity this year. It shows up on a few lists of top summer songs.

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Song of the Day #1,095: ‘The Lazy Song’ – Bruno Mars

Last July I spent two weeks on summer singles — those songs that dominate the airwaves during these carefree months. Songs that mostly check their brains at the door and ask nothing of the listener but to hum or dance along.

I’ve traditionally been way behind in discovering summer singles, often not hearing them until months later. I’m the guy who didn’t hear ‘Umbrella’ or ‘I’ve Got a Feeling’ until they’d been in rotation for more than a year. Last summer I proactively remedied that situation, and this summer I’ve aiming to do so again.

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Song of the Day #1,094: ‘It Never Woulda Worked Out Anyway’ – Brad Paisley

Brad Paisley’s mischievous side was apparent right from the start, with this B-side to the ‘Who Needs Pictures’ single as early evidence.

‘It Never Would Worked Out Anyway’ is the opposite of its counterpart song more than just physically. Both tunes are sung by protagonists who have fallen out of relationships, but while the singer of yesterday’s song is lost in sad nostalgia, today’s narrator has opted for petty revenge.

Paisley expertly embraces this juxtaposition on all of his albums. He places earnest love songs against both heartbreak ballads and sarcastic put-downs. In the grand country tradition, he offers up something for everyone.

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Song of the Day #1,093: ‘Who Needs Pictures’ – Brad Paisley

For my latest installment in the weekend series, I’m turning to one of the newest additions to my stable of favorite artists — Brad Paisley.

I discovered Paisley about a year and a half ago and he’s quickly become a staple in my musical rotation. He’s one of those artists who has evolved over the years as both a writer and performer, making him a great candidate for a series of posts that presents his career chronologically.

So welcome to two months of Brad Paisley Weekends! (Dana, I bet you’re longing for the Ron Sexsmith days right about now…)

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