Singles: June 17, 2011

Coldplay, ”Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall”
It’s official: With their majestic, bagpipe-sounding guitars and an insistent backbeat building to a rhapsodic climax (and with no references to any arachnid heroes), Coldplay are now a better U2 than U2. A- —Kyle Anderson

Beyoncé, ”Best Thing I Never Had”
B follows her militaristic ”Run the World (Girls)” with a more melodic listener-friendly ballad that harks back to ”Irreplaceable” — and she sings the hell outta it. B+ —Tim Stack

Paramore, ”Monster”
The lyrics to the now trio’s song for Transformers: Dark of the Moon — ”Now that you’re gone, the world is ours” — may ostensibly be directed at CGI robots, but they sound far more pointed at the band’s recently (and bitterly) departed Farro brothers. C+ —Joe Lynch

Lil Wayne, ”How To Love”
Wayne is usually a love-’em-and-leave-’em kind of rhymer. But on his ballad-like latest, he’s mending broken hearts; oddly enough, soft-pop Weezy works. A- —Brad Wete

Skylar Grey, ”Dance Without You”
Grey’s airy vocals helped Dr. Dre (”I Need a Doctor”) and Diddy (”Coming Home”) hit the charts. Now, over a beatbox rhythm and woozy guitars, the singer-songwriter takes her rock-siren style center stage. B+ —BW

Joe Jonas, ”See No More”
Sans brothers Nick and Kevin, the JoBros’ lead heartthrob sheds teen-pop tremors for sensitive-guy cool on this sultry midtempo torch song. B —Tanner Stransky