2007 was … weird, to say the least.
Blackberrys were the go-to cellular device, your MySpace top eight was one of your gravest concerns, shutter shades were acceptable eyewear and “Leave Britney Alone!” was one of the most talked about viral videos. The mere thought makes me feel fuzzy inside, yearning for a simpler time. Regardless of all this, 2007 provided us with some very catchy tunes that we can still go back to today and sing along to every lyric. Here are my top 10 favorite songs from a decade ago.
10. Aly & AJ, “Potential Breakup Song”
This song goes hard, plain and simple. The group is comprised of two sisters, Alyson and AJ Michalka, the former of whom was the best friend and love interest of Phil Diffy on the Disney Channel television series, Phil of the Future. I digress. Aly & AJ are actually slated to release a new album in 2017, but it is songs like “Potential Breakup Song” that will always stick out. The catchy tune that hold lyrics such as “We got along until you did that / Now all I want is just my stuff back / Do you get that? / Let me repeat that / I want my stuff back,” making it an eternal banger for all your breakup needs.
9. Sean Kingston, “Beautiful Girls”
When you hear Sean Kingston scream out his own name at the beginning of this delightfully simple R&B pop song, you know it’s about to go down. Kingston had moderate success during the latter portion of the 2000s, but has fallen off since. However, the song that put him on the map in “Beautiful Girls” will forever live on in our hearts. In hindsight, the song is a bit whiny and honestly concerning, but covers it up with a catchy melody and upbeat instrumental that makes it just so darn good.
8. Metro Station, “Shake It”
Metro Station was the epitome of Hot Topic culture in the mid-to-late 2000’s. The band that was fronted by Trace Cyrus, the tight jeans-wearing, swoopy-haired, tattooed brother of Miley gifted us with what is one of the most fun, danceable songs of the decade. Many would consider Metro Station to be a one-hit wonder, but their self-titled album from that year was actually pretty solid from front to back. Other hits include “Control,” “Seventeen Forever” and “Kelsey.”
7. Kat DeLuna, “Whine Up (feat. Elephant Man)”
Once upon a time, an artist named Kat DeLuna released one of the best party songs of all-time called “Whine Up.” Unfortunately for DeLuna, she was never able to repeat the success of the single off of her 2007 album entitled 9Lives that peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Party chart. DeLuna released an album in 2016, but has been pretty irrelevant since the success of “Whine Up.” Regardless, the song with the heavy bass and the goosebump inducing hook “Whine up! Whine up! Whine up! Oh, yeah!” has me hitting repeat on Spotify to this day. DeLuna is still only 29, so she might have another hit in her, but if not, we will always have “Whine Up.”
6. Fall Out Boy, “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s An Arms Race”
Infinity on High is a great album, no question about it, but “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s An Arms Race” is the song that immediately comes to mind when thinking about Fall Out Boy, and the song that piqued my interest in the band in the first place. Though the band now releases mediocre pop music, in their heyday, they were a delicious blend of emo and pop-punk, and it’s songs like this that leave me craving the days of chubby, mutton chop, four-eyed Patrick Stump. The song is a “kind of a tongue-in-cheek look at the way we are so addicted and obsessed with new arts, cultures and loves to the point where it just becomes oversaturated,” according to bassist Pete Wentz. This song which has been stuck in my head since I was in seventh grade, also has one of the greatest music videos I’ve ever seen.
5. R. Kelly, “I’m a Flirt (Remix) feat. T.I. & T-Pain”
R. Kelly is perhaps best known for the song “Ignition (Remix)” as well as…other things. Okay, I’m sorry. “I’m a Flirt (Remix)” is a close second to the party anthem “Ignition (Remix)” and for good reason. T-Pain provides a great verse, as well as T.I., who was a staple in hip-hop culture for many years. The catchy hook is a sign of the times and one that pulls the song together and makes it a memorable bop.
4. Avril Lavigne, “Girlfriend”
This song is arguably the last hoorah from Avril Lavigne, who had a plethora of success in the earlier portion of the 2000s with songs like “Complicated” and “Sk8r Boi,” but “Girlfriend” is up there with some of the Canadian sensation’s greatest songs. The silly lyrics of the song actually add to the experience and make it stick out as such a wonderful pop gem.
3. Timbaland, “The Way I Are (feat. Keri Hilson & D.O.E.)”
Timbaland really killed it with the song “Apologize,” but it’s Keri Hilson who makes “The Way I Are” what it is. It’s a bit perplexing why it’s called “The Way I Are” and not “The Way You Are,” but regardless, Keri Hilson’s hook on this song is one of my favorites from all-time because it just works so well with the instrumental. The rest of the song is forgettable for the most part, but the reason it’s so high up on my list is for the chorus and the chorus alone.
2. Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em, “Crank That (Soulja Boy)”
Undeniably one of the best songs of our generation. I remember my entire friend group trying to replicate the dance at recess every day when it first came out, and playing it on constant repeat off our Motorola Razrs. Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em had other hits such as “Turn My Swag On” and “Kiss Me Thru the Phone,” but it will be “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” that people will forever associate with the rapper.
1. Gwen Stefani, “The Sweet Escape (feat. Akon)”
Akon really had a fantastic year musically in 2007, releasing his own hits, including “Don’t Matter,” and “I Wanna Love You,” but his ballad with the former front woman of No Doubt is my favorite song from a decade ago. Anyone who knows me knows I have a golden “The Sweet Escape” sticker on my laptop, which signifies my love for this song. Just an all around solid song that is still just as listenable today as the day it came out.