Jam of the Week: "Wildfire" by the Saturdays

 
Last year, British girl group the Saturdays made a strong but ultimately ill-fated attempt to make a splash here in the states. I've been following their career for some time now, so even if most of my fellow Americans haven't heard of them, I feel like they deserve some recognition.

"Wildfire" is a sizzling dance track from their last album, Living For the Weekend. (Curiously, the song is only a bonus track, despite being better than all the album cuts.) This song is at home on American airwaves, so it's truly a wonder why the band had such difficulty breaking into our music industry.

Without further ado, take a listen to "Wildfire" and see just what makes these girls so fun!

2013: A Year in Review

As we close out another year, it's important to celebrate the past twelve months we've spent with Tommy Time. Without further ado, here are your Jam of the Year, Cunt of the Year, and Bitch of the Year for 2013, as voted by you faithful readers...

Jam of the Year

It's no surprise that One Direction takes home the title, but it's puzzling that their new singles "Best Song Ever" and "Story of My Life", which were both nominated, were beat out by this album cut. Still, "Rock Me" is an epic and timeless jam full of thinly-veiled sexual innuendos. Doing us dirty proud, boys!

Cunt of the Year

Lady Gaga is, without a doubt, the biggest cunt in the music industry. Thankfully, you all recognized it. Together, we saw through the elaborate makeup, meat dresses, and equality anthems and saw this mediocre song-stealer for what she truly is. May all of Artpop's commercial and critical shortcomings haunt Lady Gag-me for all eternity.

Bitch of the Year

It's with an almost prohibitive reluctance that I thrust this honorable title among Jennifer Lawrence. As the comments on her Bitch of the Week post indicate, many readers fail to understand that the title is a sacred and celebratory one. Thus, I have no idea how those who voted for JLaw actually feel about her. That issue aside, Jennifer's saucy attitude and legend-in-the-making status are more than enough to secure the title. Well done!

And now, just for the sake of nostalgia, here are the most-viewed Tommy Time posts from 2013.

1. Where Are They Now?: Christy Carlson Romano
2. 20 Things You Didn't Know About Beverly Hills, 90210
3. Cunt of the Week: Justin Bieber
4. Bitch of the Week: Jennifer Lawrence
5. 20 Things You Didn't Know About Friends
6. Where Are They Now?: Lalaine
7. Bitch of the Week: Daisy Duck
8. Demi Lovato: Not a Cunt, Not Yet a Bitch
9. This or That: Selena Gomez vs. Demi Lovato
10. Go Call the Po-Lice! Go Call the Guv-uh-nuh! BRITNEY IS BACK TO WORK, BITCH!!!

Jam of the Week: "Human" by Christina Perri

If you can gleam anything from "Jar of Hearts" and that Twilight song, it's that Christina Perri has a musical formula that works and she sticks to it. Whether or not that's a good thing is for you to decide.

But the Jam of the Week? That's for me to decide. And this week, it goes to Christina's latest single "Human", a song about, well, being human. She sings about being capable of intense love but of the occasional mistake as well.

Jam of the Week: "Love Don't Die" by the Fray

Remember the Fray? Surely you do. "How to Save a Life" was basically the world's anthem back in the day. But you might not know that they're still making music. Well, they are! And their newest single, "Love Don't Die", is the Jam of the Week.

Lone gone are the band's signature piano ballads. "Love Don't Die" is a grimy, Southern rock-infused number that makes you feel like you've just stepped foot in a seedy dive bar. It's too fun and worth a listen! But then again, what Jam of the Week isn't?

Jam of the Week: "Cannonball" by Lea Michele

I've been waiting five years for Lea Michele to launch a solo career and that time has FINALLY come. Glee's leading lady has been working on her debut album for over a year now, and if its lead single and Jam of the Week, "Cannonball", is any indication, it's going to be amazing.

Lyrically, "Cannonball" is similar to "Roar", "Firework", and a slew of other Katy Perry songs in that it speaks about self-empowerment. But while Katy's songs are vague pick-me-ups, Leas "Cannonball" definitely seems to be about her overcoming her grief after Cory Monteith's death. It's spectacular, even if she does pronounce "cannon" a little oddly.

Have this ish on repeat.

Jam of the Week: "Say Something" by A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera

 
The reigning Jam of the Week might seem mellow, but it's a jam no less. "Say Something" is the breakout hit of indie band A Great Big World. It's all about a reluctant break-up in which the singer begs his lover to "say something, I'm giving up on you."

The original version features just the band itself, but Christina Aguilera's presence on the re-release is what made the song such a big hit, and that's the version that wears the Jam of the Week crown.

One big question this song begs: is Christina's solo career over? Her last biggest hits, "Moves Like Jagger" and now this song, were with other bands, and neither Bionic or Lotus yielded any smashes. Just saying...

Jam of the Week: "Love Is Everything" by Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande is sitting pretty at the top of the world. Her hit song, "The Way" with Mac Miller, dominated the radio this summer, and now she's being groomed to be the next Mariah Carey. So it's no wonder she wasted no time releasing new music.

The Nickelodeon star just released two Christmas songs. One is a cover of "Last Christmas" that I'm still making my mind up about; the other is "Love Is Everything", a fun urban song full of holiday cheer. It's such a jingle jam. Listen for yourself!

Jam of the Week: "Work" by Iggy Azalea

While I love Australian rapper Iggy Azalea, I wasn't feeling her latest effort, "Work", until I saw Selena Gomez perform it live in concert. Then I went back and listened to the song again and fell in love. Once again, Iggy comes off as a less glittery Ke$ha (which is a compliment!) as she sings about her teenage years living away from her family while trying her hand at rap.

It's the perfect jam to listen to while you're work-work-work-work-working on your shit.

Jam of the Week: "4 Carats" by Kelly Clarkson

As we get closer to the holiday season, I think it's time to ring in Christmas with some carols and shit. Kelly Clarkson recently dropped her new Christmas album, Wrapped in Red, and boy does it have some holiday jams. My personal favorite is "4 Carats", which is like a combo of "Santa Baby" and "Material Girl" by Madonna.

In the song, Kelly asks Santa to bring her some bling: "Oh my diamond ring/Just a little something from Tiffany's/Or a big ruby/You know red has always looked good on me."

Because, at the end of the day, we know that's what the holidays are all about!

Jam of the Week: "Story of My Life" by One Direction

One Direction is back, y'all! And this time, they're getting super emotional.

"Story of My Life" is the band's latest single, off their upcoming album Midnight Memories omgicantwait. I've always preferred their faster songs, but this mid-tempo jam is simply to die for.

The song is all about that extra baggage we carry around and how the ones we love might not be able to handle it. It's deeper and more cynical than their previous work. Our boys are growing up!

Enjoy the song AND the music video, which is adorable and sad at the same time.

Jam of the Week: "Perfume" by Britney Spears

Sorry if you're still recovering from "Work Bitch" slaying your life but Britney is back and she's going to bulldoze you with more jams! Girlfriend just dropped "Perfume", the second single off her upcoming album Britney Jean.

Britney promised this album would be her most personal yet, and "Perfume" seems to be a step in the right direction. Co-written by Britney and Sia, the song is dripping in paranoia and insecurity, as the singer worries that her man's ex is moving in on him.

"I hide it well, hope you can't tell, but I hope she smells my perfume," Britney sings flawlessly while making history for being fucking unstoppable and you cry because it's so beautiful and you'll never do anything as great with your life.

Now that the song's out, we can look forward to the new music video #hellaFantasyproductplacement! And of course Britney Jean, which drops on December 3!!

Blessed be this song!

Jam of the Week: "Still Into You" by Paramore

I've always hated Paramore because Hayley Williams is an annoying troll and the band is indirectly responsible for tainting the first Glee tribute episode to Britney Spears. I wasn't even really sure what their music was... I knew they had a song in Twilight, and that's hardly a recommendation.

BUT they've finally crossed over to Top 40 radio, and that's something that gets my attention. "Still Into You" is all about a love that shouldn't work but does. It has hardcore Paramore fans split, but it definitely gets the Tommy Time seal of approval. #Jam

Jam of the Week: "Unconditionally" by Katy Perry

 
Katy Perry's third album (fourth, if you count her Jesus freak album that sold 100 copies) Prism drops tomorrow, and while lead single "Roar" quickly lost its novelty and promo tracks like "Dark Horse" and "Walking On Air" failed to impress altogether, the latest song to debut off the album has just what it takes to be a Jam of the Week.

"Unconditionally", said to have been inspired by John Mayer, is all about loving someone uninhibitedly. As per usual, Katy hardly offers anything new or groundbreaking, but it's still a fun song to listen to! Unfortunately, the amazing song comes coupled with a ratchet lyric video that's trying too hard to be simplistic and lesbian-friendly. Just ignore that and focus on the music!

Jam of the Week: "Timber" by Pitbull & Ke$ha

In an EDM-dominated world, it's nice to hear pop music that uses real instruments. The usually club-friendly Pitbull and Ke$ha have teamed up for a honky-tonk jam that makes you just want to head out to the meth-stricken backwoods and do a hoedown.

"Timber" (like wood... a little naughty) is the first single from Pitbull's eighth (ugh, I know) album, but the real treat here is Ke$ha. While I love her as a solo artist, there's something refreshing about hearing her in a supporting capacity. It's a little reminiscent of "Right Round", no?

Swing your partner 'round and round. End of the night, it's going down!

Jam of the Week: "Demons" by Imagine Dragons

After "It's Time" was massacred by overplay and "Radioactive" bored me to tears, I was just about done with Imagine Dragons.

But then I see a trailer for some movie about sex addiction starring Mark Ruffalo and P!nk and Imagine Dragons' "Demons" starts playing. I loved the song so much that I didn't even mind it was by a band I passively hated.

So whether you're a fan of them or not, check out "Demons". It's quite a jam with a sort of uplifting message.

Jam of the Week: "Hurricane" by Bridgit Mendler

With Miley, Demi, and Selena all fighting to be alpha bitch of Disney, it's easy to forget about the little people, like Good Luck Charlie's Bridigt Mendler. And that's a shame, because the girl is just as talented as her colleagues and probably the most unique in terms of music style.

I give you Exhibit A: "Hurricane", her latest single. It mixes pop, jazz, and hip-hop... And it works. Don't believe me? Listen for yourself!

Jam of the Week: "TKO" by Justin Timberlake

Everybody should still be listening to "Work Bitch" on repeat, tbh...

But in the spirit of keeping Jam of the Week alive, I'll honor "TKO" by Justin Timberlake. (I know, I know. Following Britney with Justin? Das tacky. But what can you do? A jam is a jam.)

The second single off of The 20/20 Experience - Part 2 of 2, which is just around the corner, "TKO" combines the fresh funk of new Justin with the pure pop bliss of vintage JT. So that's a fucking win.

And for those of you who aren't boxing fans, like me, a TKO is a "technical knock-out." So that might change your perception of the song. Enjoy!

Jam of the Week: "Work Bitch" by Britney Spears

As if you couldn't have guessed...

Jam of the Week: "Rock N Roll" by Avril Lavigne

A lot of people have given up on Avril Lavigne over the years. Sometime between "Sk8r Boi" and "Girlfriend", fans just jumped ship. But given that Avril hasn't really grown much as a musician ("Here's to Never Growing Up" has so many layers...), I would argue that these fans just outgrew her and that she hasn't actively done anything to repel (or keep) them.

I've never been Avril's #1 supporter because I generally don't support women who wear ties and tutus, but I can appreciate a good jam as much as the next person. Her latest effort off her upcoming self-titled album, "Rock N Roll" is a true smash. It's all about not needing anything but love, and saying "fuck you" to anyone who gets in your way.

So join Avril and put that middle finger in the air, and let 'em know we're still rock n roll. (Rock n rooooollllllllll!)

Jam of the Week: "Heart by Heart" by Demi Lovato

Fresh off the soundtrack to that shitty monster-hunting film The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, "Heart by Heart" is the next single in Demi's line of cardiology-themed songs (after "Give Your Heart a Break" and "Heart Attack", of course).

And since musically Demi can't really do any wrong, it's no surprise that this song is a smash. It's all about finding your soul mate and knowing somebody's "heart by heart." Yeah, it doesn't make much sense. But we love her anyway!