After weeks of winnowing, our picks for the official summer jam of 2008 have been winnowed down to two: Estelle’s lighter-than-air “American Boy” and Tyga’s debaucherous “Coconut Juice.” Polls (and videos, in case you need a last refresher) after the jump; we’ll announce the winner tomorrow evening, right before the Summer Solstice begins on the East Coast. So get cracking!
(And yes, I almost added the Lloyd song to the poll as a last-minute “I’ll show you who’s in charge here” jerk move. I will note, though, that on the latest Billboard Hot 100 it moved up from No. 79 to No. 72 despite falling off the digital-tracks top 200; Estelle is at No. 35, while Tyga is a brand-new chart entry at No. 94.)
Let’s see: Have heard “American Boy” on Top 40 radio, “Coconut Juice,” despite humorous video, has the longest of roads to the top, and that Lloyd song gets minus points for jacking “Paid in Full” and besmirching it with a lame attempt by Wayne to update it.
I’m writing in John Legend and Three Stacks’ “Green Light,” or Nas’ “Hero,” the latter of which is the best song of the year so far.
And: “it’s IMPOSSIBLY hard to top “get it shawty,” because that song kills when driving around in GTA IV and does even better in real life.
Also, that Tyga video is dead.
I gritted (grat?) my teeth and voted for Tyga, because for some reason that Estelle song just irritates the bejesus out of me.
Has nobody noticed that “Coconut Juice” is basically just “Tipsy ‘08″? It’s practically the same beat!
I voted “American Boy,” but that’s just because I like to set the bar high. Tragically I think we know which way this is going to go. “Coconut Juice” is gonna be inescapable by July 4th.
wow, this seems closer than previous votes, but coconut juice is still probably going to win. SERIOUSLY?
The Estelle jam would have been one of my top-5 picks for summer jam 08 regardless, so obviously it gets my vote.
Ooh, I was hoping for a final runoff with the winner of the tournament and the Lloyd song, which I’ve been playing nonstop for a couple weeks after you posted it, dammit.
Wow. Interesting results. Even though I voted for Estelle, I’m still smarting over the fact that Kardinal Offishall didn’t make it. During a run, I frequently skip over “American Boy” in favor of “Dangerous.” I just became a Lloyd convert today.
And yes, I almost added the Lloyd song to the poll as a last-minute “I’ll show you who’s in charge here” jerk move. I think the j-word you need here is “just,” not “jerk.”
Estelle pour moi. high falutin, eh? well, that’s how i roll.
Now that it’s common knowledge that Pete Wentz reads Idolator, I’m really starting to feel like he’s sending Decaydance groupies over here to vote for Tyga. That’s the only explanation I’m comfortable with, anyway.
@Al Shipley: Thanks for explaining that coconut ish.
Estelle gets it hands down. And that coconut water, er candy, uh, whatever it’s called can go back up in the tree with Keith Richards…You’re right MJ. Lloyd is poppin’.
I am clearly biased, since “American Boy” was one of my nominees, but since you brought up chart data…
The fact that the Estelle song now stands a chance at actually booming from American vehicles over the next couple of months, I think, seals it. I wish it were doing better on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart (it actually drops there this week, to No. 73 from No. 67), but the 17-place surge into the Top 40 on the Hot 100 indicates it’s catching on here.
Bottom line, as hifalutin as the song might seem to certain U.S. ears, I don’t think it’ll prove embarrassing to us in August.
Estelle and Kanye FTW.
@Chris Molanphy: i didn’t realize “american boy” came off as hifalutin. i just figured people had to readjust their ears to a house-like beat after years of listening to timbaland’s skittery antics.
four-four beats just sound better at picnics.
(and sorry, maura - that lloyd song bores me. it’s REALLY hard to top “get it shawty”.)
AVENGE LELE
Tyga’s “Coconut Juice” is awesome, it should be 2008’s official summer jam
:D
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