Despite the presence of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, and Rihanna, the current pop music moment is dominated by men. Between the bumper crop of new artists (Jason Derulo, B.o.B., Bruno Mars) and the avalanche of older artists having comebacks (Enrique Iglesias, Train, Nelly), our airwaves are in a testosterone haze.

After the jump, I’ll examine today’s best and worst boysongs. Or mansongs. Whichever you prefer.

(p.s. — Even if you don’t typically enjoy current pop music, I urge you to check on the last two songs on this list. They’ve really got something special.)

The Bad
(because it’s best to get it out of the way)

(1) “Erase Me” by Kid Cudi featuring Kanye West

Released on Tuesday, this song is already number 4 on the iTunes chart, so look for it to make a big debut on next week’s Hot 100.  And then look for me to stuff cotton in my ears. While I can certainly accept the current vogue for subpar singing—West’s own “Heartless” and “Love Lockdown” make ugly into pretty—I can only go so far. There’s no beat catchy enough and no rap interlude clever enough to drown out the awful sound of Kid Cudi’s voice in my earholes.

(2) “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz

This song has a strong shot at being number one next week, and while I didn’t mind it at first, I’ve grown to really dislike it. It’s just so aggressively generic—from its “hands in the air” lyrics to Cruz’s extra-auto-tuned vocals—that it might as well be called “Song” and credited to “Pop Star.” Given his utter lack of personality, I will be shocked if anyone knows who Cruz is in two years. (Of course, he could always pull a Rihanna and go from faceless crooner to awesome star, but we can never count on that.)

The Good

(1) “Just a Dream” by Nelly

Welcome back, Nelly! Unlike Enrique Iglesias, who returned from half a decade of hitlessness with the slick and soulless “I Like It,” Nelly bounces back from near-obscurity with a track that makes him seem more interesting than ever before. This song’s pretty melody, rich production, and surprisingly vulnerable lyrics about a failed relationship make it stand out in a field of club-bangers. If this mature, thoughtful Nelly, who still raps with the idiosyncratic flair of his younger self, sticks around, then I’ll be very interested to see where he goes from here. What if he comes up with a more lyrically mature version of “Hot In Herre?” Nations would pause their fighting to rejoice!

(2) “Club Can’t Handle Me” by Flo Rida

For reasons I many never comprehend, Flo Rida’s latest single, a collaboration with David Guetta that’s taken from the soundtrack to Step Up 3D, seems destined to be a minor hit in the United States. What the hell is wrong with us? Yes, “Club Can’t Handle Me” has a distinctly Eurotrash dance vibe, but that vibe is slammin’: Guetta’s pulsing beat, Flo’s super-fast rapping, and the unstoppable chorus are pure, uncomplicated fun. Is America too good for Euro-fun? The U.K. has already made this a number one smash. Let’s follow suit, people!

(3) “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars

Of course, I can’t be too mad at America. After all, we did send “Just the Way You Are” into this week’s top ten, and that’s where it deserves to be. After contributing delectable hooks to B.o.B.’s “Nothin’ on You” and Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire” (both of which I wrote about earlier this year), Mars makes his solo debut with an honest-to-god stirring anthem to a woman who doesn’t know how beautiful she is. Mars’ singing is emotional and rangey without being strained, and it’s matched by a track that travels from ethereal keys to cathartic drums. Every time I hear this song, I feel moved: Moved to sway, moved to sing along, moved to smile. That’s exactly what a pop song is for.

The Absolutely Brilliant

“Fuck You” by Cee-Lo

Oh my god. OH MY GOD. From the moment it started making the internet rounds late last week, I have been contemplating rewiring my heart to pump to this song’s rhythm.

Um… too far?

Anyway, the point is… I LOVE it. First, you get the lyrics, which give you the laugh-out-loud shock of dropping F-bombs all of the place, but which also give you plenty of witticisms (“He’s an Xbox, I’m an Atari”).

And then you get the music, which is just exuberant as it nods to 60s R&B the way “Hey Ya!” did.

And then you get the true kicker: Cee-Lo’s vocal. He’s always been a theatrical, entertaining singer (see: Gnarls Barkley), but he really outdoes himself here. From his delicious spin on lines like “I really hate yo’ ass right now” to his soaring delivery of  power notes, he makes you realize he’s not just relying on the gimmick of curse words to make a song. He’s a gifted artist who has chosen to use bad words.

Ultimately, that’s why I love the entire package of “Fuck You:” Even without its naughty lyrics, it succeeds as a song… and that makes the naughty lyrics much more enjoyable. Because Cee-Lo and company clearly don’t need to curse to get our attention, their decision to do so feels playful, delightful, charming.

So thanks, Cee-Lo! And fuck you!