Yeah!: Usher, Lil Jon, Ludacris, “SexBeat” – The triple-threat alliance that is Usher, Ludacris, and Lil Jon has worked wonders in the past, making the sort of classically dirty R&B that turns out magical: 2004’s “Yeah!” “Lovers and Friends,” and now their new joint, “SexBeat,” which Lil Jon previewed during his Instagram Live battle with T-Pain. The song follows the same Atlanta-bounce formula (it’s about two years old, according to Lil Jon), replete with dreamy keys and soft, orgasmic (I’m sorry) vocals performed by Usher. This is just as apropos for body rolls as the trio’s previous hits, and I can’t complain. —Clover Hope
Meh: Selena Gomez, “Boyfriend” – I wasn’t crazy about Selena Gomez’s latest album, Rare. I appreciate the growth it symbolized, but the extramusical elements—her cult of personality, even where that personality is “someone whose finally come to realize her self-worth”—it just doesn’t stand to justify a sleepy pop record. That said, the songs are pleasant to listen to, and “Boyfriend,” one of her leftover cuts released for the deluxe edition of her album and partially for covid-19 relief, is fine. It’s a nice little ditty about not needing a boyfriend to make you happy while still desiring one, but the explicit line of “there’s a difference between a want and a need,” strikes me as too clunky. There’s a way to be clear without being heavy-handed, and this misses the mark. Still, I really mean it when I say it is… fine. —Maria Sherman
Meh: Selena Gomez, “Boyfriend” – I wasn’t crazy about Selena Gomez’s latest album, Rare. I appreciate the growth it symbolized, but the extramusical elements—her cult of personality, even where that personality is “someone whose finally come to realize her self-worth”—it just doesn’t stand to justify a sleepy pop record. That said, the songs are pleasant to listen to, and “Boyfriend,” one of her leftover cuts released for the deluxe edition of her album and partially for covid-19 relief, is fine. It’s a nice little ditty about not needing a boyfriend to make you happy while still desiring one, but the explicit line of “there’s a difference between a want and a need,” strikes me as too clunky. There’s a way to be clear without being heavy-handed, and this misses the mark. Still, I really mean it when I say it is… fine. —Maria Sherman