Murder My Heart

Out of morbid curiosity, I was psyched to hear Lady Gaga was co-writing Michael Bolton's newest single. Yes, the Disco Stick-wielding diva is all shtick but her music is super fun and undeniably catchy. Still, how on earth would Gaga's club-drenched dance anthems breathe life into Bolton's forlorn soul providing ballads? Would she totally dominate his signature time, love and tenderness or would she give an old man a much needed reality check? I still have no idea but the resulting Murder My Heart offers gentle, appealing lyrical stabs with thumping whispers reminiscent of Rihanna's Unfaithful (much more capably and not at all nasally, I might add) instead of coming off shmaltzy and over the top like so many of his greatest hits.

It's a refreshing experiment and not at all expected considering the overproduced paint by numbers formula music industry suits force upon former headliners in must-win beatmaking challenges, as evidenced in Whitney Houston's shortchanging comeback track Million Dollar Bill produced by Swizz Beatz and penned by Alicia Keys. (And don't even get Trent Reznor started on Timbaland's sad, questionable collaboration with Chris Cornell. As a die-hard Cornell fan, I went solo to his House of Blues show and tried so hard to love him in good times and in bad but it just didn't work.)

Considering Bolton is also teaming up with Ne-Yo, one of my newer favorite singer-songwriters, on another track, this old dog might have a few new tricks up his sleeve. Maybe he will go the distance?

*Bonus: Watch Slater and Jessie lip synch to How Am I Supposed to Live Without You from the Saved by the Bell prom episode