Cobra Starship - "Good Girls Go Bad" featuring Leighton Meester

Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta and company pull out all the stops here in search of the big pop breakthrough, and they just may have done it. American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi lends her hitmaking songwriting talents, and Kevin Rudolf turns in the production work. The song sounds good on the radio with a little sass from Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester on guest vocals. However, there is that nagging feeling that any possible rough edges have been sanded and polished away in service to the need of a hit for Cobra Starship. It is the first single from the album Hot Mess.

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It's got those dance synths that have taken over the world courtesy Lady GaGa, guest vocals from one of TV's hottest actresses, hitmaking songwriting from Kara DioGuardi, a crowd singalong section, and that catchy chorus that sounds like sheep bleating. It seems there is nothing left out to give Cobra Starship their breakthrough major pop hit, and it seems to be working. In a pleasant surprise, the whole enterprise is pretty good pop radio fodder.

Unfortunately, on the down side, it seems like Cobra Starship has at least shown pretensions to want to be a subversive, edgy pop act. "Good Girls Go Bad" is really only edgy to a nine year old. This is one of the most deliberately polished pop singles of the year. The record wears its intent on its sleeve.

Gabe Saporta's vocals are engaging, and look for crowds to be having a great time with this on the dance floor. The lyrics are silly but they really aren't much more than a draw to the song and then add to the sound collage. Leighton Meester has a slightly tough edge to her voice that draws us in as well. Most likely this is top 10 by fall.