New Good Song: "Godlike," Puzzle 11.15.15

Here's a new good song: "Godlike" by Puzzle. Featuring this for its beautiful music although I find the theme a little on-the-nose. But if you like big atmospheric synth-pop, this will satisfy. Enjoy!

New Good Song: "It's All In Vain," Wet 11.15.15

Here's a new good song: "It's All In Vain" by Wet. A pretty pop ballad. Enjoy!

New Good Song: "WTF (Where They From)," Missy Elliott f/ Pharrell Williams 11.15.15

Here's a new good song: "WTF (Where They From)" by Missy Elliott f/ Pharrell Williams. These two innovative music pioneers are widely celebrated by critics and fans alike, and each of them has three pairs of double letters in their names. When Missy was at her career peak in the late '90s and early '00s, some of her singles, like "Get Ur Freak On," annoyed me at first but eventually grew on me, and I became quite fond of a few of them, none more so than "Work It" and "Teary Eyed." Now that 10 years have passed since the last time Missy was the lead artist on a Top 40 hit ("Lose Control," f/ Ciara and Fatman Scoop), her talent, creativity and influence are all the more apparent, and sorely missed. "WTF" fits effortlessly into her portfolio, and I'm pleased that in its first few days of release, it's doing very well on iTunes and YouTube. It would be wonderful to see this become a hit, and perhaps her first No. 1, a long-overdue accolade she deserves. Enjoy!

New Good Song: "The Dreamer," Anna of the North 11.14.15

Here's a new good song: "The Dreamer" by Anna of the North. It's a mid-tempo dream-pop song with a galloping beat and vocals that resemble those of Ellie Goulding, which will not be everyone's taste. "The Dreamer" is a bit repetitive but it's a solid effort. Enjoy!

New Good Song: "Sorry," Justin Bieber 11.14.15

Here's a new good song: "Sorry" by Justin Bieber. This is a big milestone for Justin because it marks the first time he has ever released a good song. Prior to this, he sang one song that wasn't terrible, the recent "What Do You Mean," which was a nice track musically but was lyrically amateurish and did itself no favors with its cornball video. Now here's "Sorry," where things have finally all come together -- a well-written piece of music that's nicely suited to Justin's voice and age, elevated by atypical production and the risky but ultimately winning use of tropical rhythms. The whole package is a success and seems as authentic as it is catchy. And it's worth mentioning that this lyric video is outstanding. All the folks involved in this project deserve recognition, including Justin. Enjoy!

New Good Song: "Focus," Ariana Grande 11.14.15

Here's a new good song: "Focus" by Ariana Grande. This, to me, would be a throwaway if it weren't for the deliciously synthy bridge (0:30 to 0:49, and repeated twice more). Word on the street is that Jamie Foxx provided the vocal in the chorus, although he's not credited on the track. I like Ariana. I didn't care for 2013's "The Way" (f/ Mac Miller), which shamelessly ripped off and did not improve upon 1998's "Still Not A Player" by Big Pun f/ Joe, which shamelessly ripped off but did improve upon 1979's "A Little Bit Of Love" by Brenda Russell. But I did like Ariana's singles "Problem" (f/ Iggy Azalea) and "Break Free" (f/ Zedd), which landed at Nos. 81 and 95 respectively on my list of the best new good songs of 2014, and "Love Me Harder" (f/ The Weeknd), which will end up in a nice spot on the 2015 list, even though, as I mentioned in my original post about the song, I could do without The Weekend's whining. As an aside, congratulations to The Weeknd on his breakout success this year, even though I haven't yet particularly cared for any of his songs. Hope all the drug references are just part of the act, because he's too talented to die young. Anyway, enjoy "Focus"!

New Good Song: "Start Over Again," Alana Yorke 11.14.15

Here's a new good song: "Start Over Again" by Alana Yorke. This is an experimental soft-pop electronic song that sounds more like the calculated outcome of a college music theory assignment than an outpouring of raw expression. But there are some very nice sequences in this track, especially 1:09 to 1:41 (repeated and elaborated upon from 2:31 to 3:21), as well as the looping keyboard hook from the outset. Enjoy!