Hot young stars in the charts

In some cases we are hearing their music for the first time and listeners do not really approve of all that these talented young artists present. They have this tendency to write explicit lyrics. But they are hot. They sell. They might just soon join Lady Gaga and The Bieber as the sounds and the faces of popular music in the coming decade.

Katy Perry, Teenage Dream: This is Perry’s follow-up to the phenomenal I Kissed A Girl and it must have been hard coming up with something that would at least equal, if not top that stunning debut. That must be why she played it safe with this one and it looks like her decision to stick to her successful formula is working.

The single California Gurls featuring Snoop Dogg is a big hit. You can now expect Teenage Dream to follow suit. Its `70s vibe is very infectious. I also see a bright future for Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F) and Not Like The Movies. All in all, Perry’s second CD is pretty sunshine with glowing melodies and simple but catchy lyrics. I do not see any selling problems with those qualities.

Mike Posner with 31 Minutes To Takeoff: Posner is the pop idol of the batch. What he has going for him are his unique singing style, his ability to fuse assorted rhythms into one pop whole and his songwriting talent. He wrote all the songs in his debut CD. Posner is also young, only 22 and from the way his first single Cooler Than Me zoomed up the hit lists, has what it takes to please listeners.

You can listen to Cooler Than Me and dance to it. You can admire the arrangement, which is excellent. Take note of that bass. And listen to those lyrics. This guy has something to say and knows how to say it. I see another hit with the soaring Please Don’t Go. He can get very romantic. But he can also have fun as in the nonsensical jive of Bow Chika Bow Wow.

B.o.B. with B.o.B Presents The Adventures Of Bobby Ray: I do not know what B.o.B. means. Rappers do not really explain these things. But whoever he is and whatever those letters mean are not likely to matter as he blows away all who hear his first album release. The CD, which B.o.B. designed as a concept album, made No. 1 when it came out last April and easily spewed out two platinum singles, Nothin’ On You featuring Bruno Mars and Airplanes feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore.

B.o.B. is only 21 and unlike most rappers, plays several musical instruments. That must be why his album, most of which, he produced, flows seamlessly from one cut to the other. Opener Don’t Let Me Fall, is one big winner. Think of a combination of John Legend and Jay Z. I also like the slow rap of Ghost In The Machine and the romantic way he sings Lovelier Than You.

Take note of the hip-hop stars who joined B.o.B’s CD. Past My Shades feat. Lupe Fiasco; Bet I feat. T.I. and Playboy Tre; The Kids feat. Janelle Monae; Magic feat. Rivers Cuomo; 5th Dimension feat. Rocco Barrino; and Airplanes Part II feat. Eminem and Haley Williams of Paramore.

Taio Cruz with Rokstarr: The buzz about 26-year-old Taio is that he is a combination of Babyface and Timbaland. That means he is a hitmaking songwriter and producer. Among his credits are recordings by Usher, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Leona Lewis and the Pussycat Dolls. Then like Babyface and Timbaland he also went into performing and became a star. And so here he is with Rokstarr, which includes his first hit single, the extremely danceable Break Your Heart which features Ludacris.

Now Rokstarr presents no question as to Taio talents as rapper and producer. He is very good. What I like better here though is finding out that like Babyface, Taio can sing. Maybe I just like ballads but the strongest cuts in this CD are the slow tunes with the lush, make-out vocals. Listen to acoustic entries Falling In Love and the bonus track Feel Again. Also to the dreamy I’ll Never Love Again and the inspiring I Can Be.