pushed this thing out in October of last year a month later and the irony would’ve been dandelion-bitter. OneRepublic, “Future Looks Good” ( Oh My My, 2016)Ī panoramic, acoustic-fueled EDM-pop-rock anthem that feels like an entire music festival in three-and-a-half minutes, with an unbridled sense of optimism baked into every strum and stomp, and of course into the second-hand-reported chorus: “You are the future/ And the future looks good.” Fortunate that Tedder & Co. It’s a shame: the annoyed-yet-affectionate track is almost laugh-out-loud funny, while carrying more depth than it lets on, the aforementioned lyric still concluding with the sigh, “tomorrow I’ll be beggin’ you to come home.” - TATIANA CIRISANOĩ5. Leave it to P!nk to pen a love song with the lyric “Leave me the fuck alone!” This pissy, expletive-filled confessional about being head-over-heels - but still needing space - was billed as a single overseas, but never stateside. P!nk, “Leave Me Alone (I’m Lonely)” ( I’m Not Dead, 2006) In fact, “Hands Up” has a stronger kinship with the Peas’ earlier material, which is why it’s probably the best song to open Elephunk, a meshing of pre- and post-“Where Is the Love?” sensibilities that’s not too jarring for older fans. There were simply too many hooks on Elephunk, too many melodies to lodge in your brain, for “Hands Up” to score an impact on pop radio - though it might’ve had better luck on rhythmic or hip-hop formats. The Black Eyed Peas, “Hands Up” ( Elephunk, 2004) That slight discomfort is what makes the song a fan favorite, though, an assured CiCi just a little more sinister than usual with the scalpel, but still making all the right cuts, proving herself the “true tactician” of the chorus. Ciara, “Like a Surgeon” ( Fantasy Ride, 2008)Ī planned-but-canceled single from Ciara’s third LP, it’s not hard to see why “Like a Surgeon” was ultimately deemed unfit for radio: The song’s lurching beat, overstuffed chorus and “Weird Al”-reminiscent title all seemed a little off-kilter for late-’00s pop. Skip to 2:35 - The Fray never pulled off an epic key change like this. But the album’s standout is arguably this immaculate, string-laced post-breakup power ballad. The boy band boom was long dead, but Never Gone managed to hang with the radio rock-friendly times by embracing a live instruments-only policy, and logging one last Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hit.
Backstreet Boys, “Climbing the Walls” ( Never Gone, 2005)Īrriving in June 2005, Never Gone was the Backstreet Boys’ first studio album since 2000, though for the Diamond-certified quintet, it must’ve felt like over a decade. You can be forgiven for assuming “Kill the Lights” was a cut off Spears’ 2007 album Blackout rather than its follow-up, 2008’s Circus. The song’s swaggering, serpentine synths, kiss-offs to the paparazzi and partly spoken-word chorus could have easily fit among “Gimme More” and “Piece of Me.” Regardless, it speaks to the strength of Circus’ preceding singles that “Lights” never got its due on radio. - KEVIN RUTHERFORDĩ9. Britney Spears, “Kill the Lights” ( Circus, 2008) Dive in to the deep end of the pop world with us.ġ00. You may or may not agree with our definition, but we think you’ll agree with the songs - buried treasures, should’ve-been singles, and oddball jams that show you a side of your favorite superstar that you never knew existed. (So sorry, Carly Rae fans - not queen of this list.) Of course, the word “pop” itself is pretty open to interpretation, and sometimes we just had to ask ourselves: Would we ever refer to this person as a pop star in conversation? (That’s why Drake is on this list, for instance, but not Kendrick Lamar.)
We generally tried to apply our hyper-subjective Four-Song Test: As in, if you were talking to a fan who’s casually paid attention to pop music this century, would you expect them to know at least four songs this century by (or featuring) the artist, without knowing whether they were actually a fan? If so, they’re probably in, if not, they’re most likely out. Songs from albums before 2000 were ineligible, though, as were ones from 2017, since there’s still time for them to be tabbed as singles.Īs for “pop star,” that’s a little trickier. promo singles are OK, as long as they don’t have an official video that’s more than just a bunch of strewn-together concert footage, as are international-only singles. We define a deep cut as anything that wasn’t released as an official single in the U.S. To pay tribute to these lesser-celebrated gems hiding in plain sight within the pop sphere, Billboard has compiled a list of our 100 favorite deep cuts from pop stars this century.