#34: Jesse McCartney - Shake

I'll be honest with you and say that I actually enjoyed Jesse McCartney's albums - they're good, solid teen pop, and he's grown over the years, both vocally and musically. Which is enough reason for him to be one of my moderate favorites.

The catchy song thing has kind of stuck to my mindset on songs because obviously, that's what songs like that exist for - to make people remember them even when they're not listening to the song. It's as much a musical thing as it is a marketing strategy, and I've learned to accept that.

That said, Shake is one of a few representative catchy American singles on the list this year. No, his bad hair isn't forgiven and I highly doubt it will ever be, but the song is rather good.

The melody fits Jesse's vocals nicely, and he delivers it well. The arrangement is very tight and computerized, but it manages to grasp a kind of bare-sound. Hey, at least there's dynamics to the song!

Shake doesn't beat around the bush - it is what it is and it's not afraid to show it in every way possible. In some cases that can be bad, but as long as it's done with some grace and a lot of conviction, it shouldn't be a problem. Actually, it isn't.