Popcorn Noises

Beyoncé - “Party (feat. André 3000)”

I tend to prefer Beyoncé in breezy, bubblegummy mode, as opposed to bold-n-brassy or bold-n-ballady, but a big part of what grabs me about “Party” is how it twists different conventions together, creating an odd amalgam of tonight’s-the-night intimacy and Knowles’ trademark brashness. The flawless studio chorus of harmonizing Beyoncés—whether or not they’re meant to hearken back to her early years in Destiny’s Child—so undercut the sense of privacy the song seems meant to carry that the effect can be disorienting. That is, until you realize she’s basically ended up with a synthy neo-soul song, one in which her phrasing playfully blurs the lines between singing and sex (“Tonight’s the night that I give you everything, music knocking ‘til the morning light”) and she’s relaxed enough to let “care” become a grinning “curr.” André 3000 turns in one of his liveliest verses in a while, admitting he’s old (because, in pop terms, he is) before ducking out with a wink. Scoff at Kayne West’s phrasing if you must, but he’s right: this song’s got the swag sauce.

runner-up: “Love On Top”