The Best Pop Music of 2009
A look at the best pop songs of 2009. From Lady Gaga to Justin Bieber, these are the songs that defined the year.
Intro
It’s been a great year for pop music. We’ve seen the return of some veteran performers, the debut of some talented new artists, and the continued dominance of soulful R&B. Below, you’ll find our picks for the best pop albums of 2009.
1. Beyonce – I Am… Sasha Fierce
2. Lady Gaga – The Fame
3. Taylor Swift – Fearless
4. Britney Spears – Circus
5. Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
The Best Pop Songs of 2009
It was a great year for pop music. We saw the rise of new artists like Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, and the return of established artists like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. 2009 was a year of change, and the pop music landscape was no exception. Here are the ten best pop songs of 2009.
“Poker Face” – Lady Gaga
“Poker Face” is a song by American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga from her debut studio album, The Fame (2008). It was released on September 26, 2008 as the album’s second single. “Poker Face” is a synth-pop song in the key of G♯ minor, following in the footsteps of her previous single “Just Dance”, but with a darker musical tone. The main idea behind the song is bisexuality and was a tribute by Gaga to her rock and roll boyfriends. The song’s lyrics feature various pop culture references, which received mixed reviews by critics.
The composition of “Poker Face” includes Very tempo-driven synth-pop that combines construction ideas from new wave and dance-pop while staying within the confines of modern pop music; according to Los Angeles Times, some basic construction ideas of the song are similar to David Bowie’s 1983 hit single “Let’s Dance”. Lyrically “Poker Face” is about sex and gambling. Gaga stated in an interview that she wrote the lyrics while on the poker bus tour for The Fame Ball Tour. She also stated that the main idea behind the song was sex and gambling. In an interview with Daily Star, Gaga explained how the composition of Poker Face came about:
I was with some friends at a table in Vegas, and I was at this casino where I had won all this money playing poker. And we were all gambling on who could come up with the best pop song ever written. So I got $100 from each person at table, which ended up being $1,000. So I sat down at this piano calmly and just started writing this poker face poem until it turned into a song.”
Gaga also stated that Poker Face was one of her favorite songs on The Fame. She explained why during her acceptance speech for Best New Artist award at 50th Grammy Awards: “I have to say what an honor it is to be nominated for best new artist alongside so many incredible artists…I wrote ‘Poker Face’ about making love to men because I was bisexual…Thank you so much for giving me a chance.”
“I Gotta Feeling” – The Black Eyed Peas
“I Gotta Feeling” is a song by the American hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas. It was released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, The E.N.D. (2009). The song was written by Allan Pineda, Joshua Alvarez, Thomas Randolph, and Will Adams, with Shawn Carter and Mike Fratantuno co-writing the song’s hook. The track was produced by Francis “Franny” Tallarico and Kevin KD7 Davis of audio production team Futuristics, with additional production from high-profile producer David Guetta.
The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group’s fourth chart-topper both as a group and separately since 2002’s “Where Is the Love?”. In October 2009, “I Gotta Feeling” became the most downloaded song ever in the UK after three weeks of release; it has since sold over 1,000,000 copies there. As of June 2018, it has sold 13 million copies in the US.
“Just Dance” – Lady Gaga
“Just Dance” is a song recorded by American singer Lady Gaga for her debut album, The Fame (2008). The track was written by Gaga and produced by RedOne. It was released as the album’s lead single on April 8, 2009. An electropop and dance-pop song, “Just Dance” lyrically speaks about being intoxicated at a club. The song received positive reviews from music critics, who praised it for its hook and chorus, and nominated it for multiple awards. It peaked at number one on the records charts of six countries and topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart in the United States.
“Just Dance” was an instant commercial success upon its release, selling more than three million copies in the United States alone. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) recognized it as one of 2009’s best-selling singles. A music video accompanying the single was directed by Jonás Cuarón and uploaded to YouTube where it became popular, receiving millions of views within weeks. “Just Dance” has sold over fifteen million copies worldwide, making it one of Gaga’s best-selling singles.
“Boom Boom Pow” – The Black Eyed Peas
“Boom Boom Pow” is a song from The Black Eyed Peas’ fifth studio album, The E.N.D., and was released as the lead single from the album on March 30, 2009.
The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it the group’s first single to top the chart. It also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and peaked within the top five of 20 other countries. “Boom Boom Pow” won Record of the Year at the 52nd Grammy Awards.
“I Kissed a Girl” – Katy Perry
The lead single from Katy Perry’s debut album, “I Kissed a Girl” caused quite a bit of controversy when it was released in 2008. Some felt that the song’s depiction of a same-sex kiss was too explicit for radio, while others praised the song for its frankness. Nevertheless, the song became a huge hit, peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The Best Pop Albums of 2009
It was a great year for pop music. We saw a lot of new artists emerge and some old favorites make a comeback. A lot of different genres were represented in the top albums of the year. Let’s take a look at the best pop albums of 2009.
The Fame – Lady Gaga
The Fame is the debut studio album by American pop artist Lady Gaga. It was released on August 19, 2008, by Interscope Records. After joining KonLive Distribution and Cherrytree Records in 2008, Gaga began working on the album with different producers, primarily RedOne, Martin Kierszenbaum, and Rob Fusari. Inspired by fashion shows and their accompanying music, she co-wrote every song on The Fame while also working on her acting career. Musically, The Fame is an electro-pop and synth-pop record that follows in the vein of 1980s music. It opens with “Just Dance”, which sets a flirty tone that is continued throughout the album. The record also explores sexuality with tracks like “LoveGame” and “Paparazzi”.
Gaga described her creative approach for The Fame as “focused on providing songs that were differentiateable from one another”. She achieved their desired sound by working with various producers to expand her musical repertoire; she experimented with electronic rock and synthpop before deciding that she wanted to incorporate energetic dance music instead. The record’s concept originally dealt with global fame: it explored how somebody becomes famous as well being addicted to it; however, Gaga felt that it had “changing every day” due to her rising popularity after its release. She wrote everyday during this period while nurses monitored her physical state because of numerous fainting spells she experienced due to the intense fatigue caused by working double shifts at Interscope Records’ office and studio.
The Fame received generally positive reviews from Music critics who reviewed the album for EDM focused publications such as Billboard and DJ magazine; it was ranked among the best pop albums of 2009 on several year-end lists compiled by publications such as PopMatters They complimented Gaga’s success in bridging the gap between mainstream pop music and underground dance music, calling it a turn for popular music as a whole; however others were more critical of her musical direction. Commercially, The Fame peaked within the top five in over ten countries including Australia (where it was certified nine times platinum), Canada (where it was certified seven times platinum), Germany (where it was certified five times platinum), United Kingdom (where it was certified four times platinum), United States (where is was certified triple platinum) In the United States, it debuted at number two on Billboard 200 selling 96,000 copies in its first week before reaching atop in its second week; this made Gaga only the fifth female artist to achieve this feat since 1991 when Nielsen Soundscan started tracking sales data.
The E.N.D. – The Black Eyed Peas
It’s been five years since the Black Eyed Peas released their last album, and in that time the world has changed a lot. From Barack Obama being elected as the first black president of the United States to the rise of social media, a lot has happened since 2004. So it was with great anticipation that fans awaited The E.N.D., the Black Eyed Peas’ fifth studio album.
The E.N.D. did not disappoint, delivering a high-energy mix of pop, dance, and hip-hop that is sure to get your feet moving. The album’s first single, “Boom Boom Pow,” is an instant club classic, with its catchy hook and thumping beat. Other standouts include “I Gotta Feeling,” “Meet Me Halfway,” and “Imma Be.”
If you’re looking for a party album to help you get through 2009, look no further than The E.N.D. by the Black Eyed Peas.
Funhouse – Pink
Album of the year goes to Funhouse by Pink. With hits like “So What” and “Please Don’t Leave Me”, this album became an instant classic. It’s a perfect mix of pop, rock, and R&B that showcases Pink’s incredible vocal range. If you’re looking for a feel-good album that will get you dancing, look no further than Funhouse.
I Am… Sasha Fierce – Beyonce
I Am… Sasha Fierce is the third studio album by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on November 18, 2008, by Music World Entertainment and Columbia Records. Developed as a dual disc album, its music incorporates pop and R&B styles, while its themes explore femininity, sexuality and love. In its first week of release in the United States, the album sold 482,000 copies, earning Beyoncé her third consecutive number-one album on the Billboard 200 chart and setting a one-week sales record for a female artist in the SoundScan era.
I Am… Sasha Fierce received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. The majority of them complimented Beyoncé’s new musical direction and deemed it as her best work to date. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 482,000 copies, becoming Beyoncé’s third consecutive number-one album in the country. The album was certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). An edited version of the record entitled I Am… was released in April 2009 to coincide with what would have been the single disc edition’s release if it were not for the early leak; it comprised tracks from I Am… Sasha Fierce which omitted some explicit language. Sasha Fierce won five Grammy Awards at the 52nd Grammy Awards (2010), including Best Contemporary R&B Album and Song of The Year for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”.
Fearless – Taylor Swift
In her second album, the then–20-year-old Swift fully embraces her role as a pop star. “You Belong with Me” and “Love Story” are Top 40 radio staples, but the real joy of Fearless is watching Swift grow up in real time. On the one hand, songs like “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince” look back at her high school years with wistful nostalgia. On the other, she embraces her status as a role model on tracks like “The Way I Loved You,” which features the empowering message, “Don’t you ever forget how to thunder / Promise me you’ll never change / Who you are.”
Conclusion
The year 2009 was an excellent one for pop music, with many great artists releasing catchy and innovative tunes. Some of the best pop songs of 2009 include “I Gotta Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas, “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga, “Boom Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas, “Run This Town” by Jay-Z, and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” by Beyonce. These five songs were all huge hits, and each one showcase the different sides of pop music that were popular in 2009.
