WHAT makes a hit? Is it the lyrics, the artiste, the hype at the time? Is it “something special” about the voice or rhythm? The TEENage Hitlist pinpoints the hits and the misses as soon as we hear both local and international releases.

Local Hit Of The Week

Drink N Merry by Assassin

If you can recall, earlier this year after reviving Assassin’s single I Love You, TEENage Hitlist was greatly concerned with the inconsistency plaguing Assassin’s music as of late.

Well, since then Assassin has proved us wrong by releasing a plethora of solid tunes including Run Di Place, Talk How Mi Feel, Badda, and several others.

Drink N Merry is another track to add to the list above, and is sure not to disappoint listeners when heard.

As the title suggests, Drink N Merry is a jovial song about drinking a beverage of your choice and having a good time. Throughout the song Assassin vividly paints a picture outlining the details of his party experience, including exotic drinks, and pouring some of its contents for deceased love ones.

TEENage Hitlist must commend Assassin for his attempt to be relatable to every type of listener, as he urges them to get a drink of ‘any kind and size’, ranging from water to exotic liquors that a majority can’t afford.

Drink N Merry is a Board House Production that features an uptempo dancehall instrumentation that’s perfect for Jamaica’s dance-lovers. There is also something about the song’s lyrics and production that makes Drink N Merry feel like a successor to Hand Ina Di Air, a previous hit of Assassin’s.

TEENage Hitlist believes that Drink N Merry is another tally for Assassin’s winning streak as he gets one step closer to his goal of ‘running di place’.

International Hit Of The Week

I Am Woman by Jordin Sparks

After winning American Idol in 2007, Jordin Sparks has had a moderately successful recording career, which includes three Billboard top 10 singles from two albums, a multitude of shows, and a slew of awards.

However, the reason this success is classified as moderate is that since her first album she hasn’t been able to translate popular singles into strong album sales or relevance outside of an album release. This is especially true after suffering a sophomore slump with the album Battlefield, despite the namesake single peaking at number 10 on the Billboard charts.

Despite the misfortunes of her last release, Jordin Sparks, being the winner she has not thrown in the towel just yet, but has released I Am Woman, the first single from her presently untitled third album.

I Am Woman like Beyonce’s Run The World (Girls) is a lyrically unoriginal, female-empowerment song, out just in time to grace the scene for summer. And just like Run The World (Girls), I Am Woman is an attempt to convey this message over a dance floor-ready production.

Ryan Tedder, the lead singer of One Republic is back again behind the boards for Sparks, as he was with her last popular single Battlefield. Tedder provides a danceable production that features futuristic sounding electro-pop synths and military sounding drums and trumpets.

Vocally fit for ballads, Sparks sounds a tad bit corny and out place here. Her voice also sounds drowned in production and loses its uniqueness. A listener would not know that I Am Woman is a Jordin Sparks song upon first listening unless previously briefed.

While TEENage Hitlist commends Sparks for trying to reinvent herself on I Am Woman, one cannot ignore its poorly timed release, which coincides with Beyonce’s Run The World (Girls), and the song’s cliché lyrics.