Oddly, and finally, Adam Levine and company released the video for their newest and funkiest single, "Moves Like Jagger," a collaboration with Christina Aguilera that first hit the charts back in late June, when Xtina and Levine were judges on NBC's The Voice.
Actually, "collaboration" is too strong of a word to describe this song. Basically, "Moves Like Jagger" is made up of Levine's coos and come-ons for the first two verses and chorus, with Xtina coming in swinging in the middle eight. And, for what could be one of the first times since "Genie in a Bottle," you can actually understand what she's singing because she doesn't wail all over the place -- and that's because she doesn't have a writing credit on this song, so she couldn't get all diva with it.
But more to the point, is anyone else wondering why the hell Maroon 5 waited seven whole weeks to record a video for this ode to the one-and-only Mick Jagger? We understand that the song runs more like a creepy eulogy to Mick than a cheesy pick-up line from Levine, but, really, seven weeks? And for a video that merely combines Jagger look-a-likes with old footage of the Rolling Stones god with Levine's half-nakedness? Whatever -- the video helped send the song back into the Hot 100's top ten. Will "Moves Like Jagger" stay there next week, when all of the faux novelty has worn off? Not likely -- but at least it was enough to remind us that Levine and Xtina have careers outside of television.
Movers and Shakers: Britney Spears continues her climb to the top with her third single from Femme Fatale, "I Wanna Go." It may not have the end-of-world, dance-our-cares-away vibe that made Britney's "Til the World Ends" so interesting, but that's because Ke$ha didn't have any more songs she could afford to give away; she was too busy fucking djs and prepping material for a new album of her own.
"Lighters" from Bad Meets Evil, by Eminem and Royce da 5'9, also continues its ascent to number one, moving up two slots this week with a strong push from radio. Nicki Minaj, meanwhile, sticks it out at number three with "Super Bass," the biggest-selling single by a female rapper in the past decade, while Pitbull's "Give Me Everything" sits behind her, at number four, when it should be much lower in the top ten by now, nineteen weeks in.
Every other single on the chart dropped this week, including Lil Wayne's "How to Love," which inches down one spot, "Rolling in the Deep" falls from six to nine, and "Tonight Tonight," by newcomers Hot Chelle Rae -- whose guitarist, Nash Overstreet, just so happens to be the brother of a more or less fired Glee cast member.
Album-wise, Adele's 21 reclaims the top of the Billboard 200 after being dethroned by Eric Church's out-of-nowhere album Chief last week. New entries round out the top five, with Trace Adkins's Proud to Be Here at number three, Matt Kearney's Young Love at four, and the soundtrack to the movie Victorious at number five.
Up Next: Foster the People's creepily awesome single "Pumped Up Kicks," about a contemplatively homicidal youth, lurks just outside the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. "Otis," by Watch the Throne duo Jay-Z and Kanye West, actually fell this week, but it will likely move back up the ladder, if not to the top ten, for next week's chart, which will include the impact and sales from the Watch the Throne official album release on Monday, August 8.
