2008 Year In Music Review - The Overlooked

As we say hello to 2009, That’s My Jam would like to reminisce about the songs that rocked our world (or didn’t) in 2008

Each year, there are always songs that slip through the cracks. Either they didn't get enough air time, were never released as singles or were drowned out by the overplayed monsters that plagued the Billboard charts. The 2008 Recipient of the Overlooked Award was one of the few songs from the album of the same name that wasn't released: "Good Girl Gone Bad" by Rihanna.


Runners Up:
“Big Girl Now” by New Kids on the Block and Lady GaGa
“Energy” by Keri Hilson
“Bottle Pop” by Pussycat Dolls and Snoop Dogg
“Cops Up” by Lyfe Jennings
“Right Here (Departed)” by Brandy

What was your 2008 Overlooked? Let us know what and why ― along with your first name, city, state and county ― by e-mailing thatsmyjamradio@gmail.com

2008 Year In Music Review - The Overlooked

Best of the VMAS - Chris Brown/Rihanna: "Wall to Wall/Umbrella/Kiss Kiss"

The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards air on Sunday, Sept. 7. It's not That's My Jam's intention to make this year's edition look whack by posting some of our favorite, most entertaining performances from the past, but if that's the conclusion you draw after watching these memorable snippets, we understand.

From 2007, here's Chris Brown with a medly of "Wall to Wall" and "Kiss Kiss." Look for the cameo from Rihanna, as she croons "Umbrella."

Best of the VMAS - Chris Brown/Rihanna: "Wall to Wall/Umbrella/Kiss Kiss"

Sound Off - Rihanna: Good Girl Gone Bad [Reloaded]

The latest albums making noise

Let it be known that That’s My Jam is not a fan of artists re-issuing their albums with new content — especially when we purchase said albums on the day of their initial releases — yet for some reason, Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad [Reloaded] demanded attention.

Maybe it was because two of the three bonus tracks have been burning up radio and are highly addictive. “Disturbia” borders on pop with its gibberish-laden hook while tightroping the melody of a bass-driven, “lite” house groove. “Take A Bow” goes the ballad route, utilizing the piano keys as a foundation for the performance-cliché-heavy track about — ironically — Rihanna’s former lover being unfaithful.

There’s also a strong collection of “filler” tracks, though many of them could easily be spun on radio and video outlets. “Push Up On Me” is a fun cut that pays tribute to the ’80s with its thick inclusion of synthesizers, while “Rehab” is acoustically similar to stuff from Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds sessions. “Good Girl Gone Bad” finds Rihanna embracing an “urban guitar jam” that’s as much a warning to men taking their women for granted as it is to the ladies looking to cross over to the proverbial dark side.

Lest anyone forgot, Good Girl Gone Bad [Reloaded] is also packed with a number of chart-toppers, including 2007’s inescapable “Umbrella” with Jay-Z, “Hate That I Love You” with Ne-Yo, “Don’t Stop the Music,” “Shut Up and Drive,” “If I Never See Your Face Again” with Maroon 5 and “Breakin’ Dishes.”

It would be bold to compare this set artistically to masterpieces such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Prince’s Purple Rain or Madonna’s Like A Virgin. One thing Good Girl Gone Bad [Reloaded] does have in common with them, though, is its eclecticism. The diversity on this record eliminates monotony by providing songs that are engaging and easy to listen to, and cater to a variety of moods.

Track List:
1. “Umbrella” with Jay-Z
2. “Push Up On Me”
3. “Don’t Stop the Music”
4. “Breakin’ Dishes”
5. “Shut Up and Drive”
6. “Hate That I Love You” with Ne-Yo
7. “Say It”
8. “Sell Me Candy”
9. “Lemme Get That”
10. “Rehab”
11. “Question Existing”
12. “Good Girl Gone Bad”
13. “Disturbia”
14. “Take A Bow”
15. “If I Never See Your Face Again” with Maroon 5

Sound Off - Rihanna: Good Girl Gone Bad [Reloaded]