KANYE WEST
''LOVE LOCKDOWN''
Mr. West, Cher wants her ''Believe'' vocoder machine back. We kid! In
fact, the rapper's latest is a welcome departure from his usual boasts
and beats, with its spare, hypnotic melody and haunting vocals (''I'm in
love with you/But the vibe is wrong/and that haunted me, all the way
home''). A- — Leah Greenblatt
DAVID COOK
''LIGHT ON''
Break out the lighters for this mammoth arena anthem courtesy of your American Idol (and co-writer Chris Cornell). ''Light On'' contains all the
requisite parts — massive chorus, wall of guitars, obligatory bridge
breakdown — that went into the rock hits of artists like Nickelback and
Daughtry. Predictable? Sadly so, but still undeniably catchy. B- — Shirley Halperin
GAVIN ROSSDALE
''LOVE REMAINS THE SAME''
He may live in the shadow of megastar wife Gwen Stefani, but the former
Bush rocker has actually gotten a boost from two other, unlikely
boldfaced names: Richard Gere and Diane Lane. His stirring, Peter
Gabrielesque ballad is featured prominently in the ad for their romantic
drama Nights in Rodanthe. B+ — LG
TAYLOR SWIFT
''LOVE STORY''
The 19-year-old country wunderkind previews her upcoming sophomore album
with a winsome, headily romantic ballad that spins the tale of Romeo and
Juliet into a modern-day, well, love story. Modest twang and all, the
song will still probably find its way onto the pop charts. A- — LG
