Jay-Z feat. Rihanna and Kanye West
“Run This Town”
Roc Nation
3.5 out of 5 stars
Hova’s back, and this time he’s gathered an all-star lineup for the first single off his upcoming The Blueprint 3. Rihanna contributes a lifeless chorus and delivers her well-worn “hey, -ey, -ey, -ey,” howl. The looped beat keeps things interesting with its hyper snare hits and piano undertones. But the real treat is the verse by Kanye West. Thankfully, he’s back to rapping and with lines like “It’s crazy how you can go from being Joe Blow / to everybody on your dick / no homo,” he’s not losing his self-given title as one of the cleverest lyricists in recent memory. In the end, the question of “Who’s gon’ run this town tonight” is rhetorical. And no one knows this better than Jay-Z.
Muse
“United States of Eurasia”
Warner Bros.
2.5 out of 5 stars
Aside from an occasional Radiohead comparison, Muse has been admired by rock critics as a band that has maintained a consistent level of musical ingenuity — a rare feat for a trio receiving regular radio play. But “United States of Eurasia” lacks their edgy inventiveness as frontman Matt Belamy pays tribute to Queen by belting out over-the-top, anthemic vocals that would have made Freddy Mercury proud. Although the song is blatantly ambitious, it falls short of tracks like “Knights of Cydonia” and “Butterflies and Hurricanes,” which better display Muse’s sonic originality.