5 T-Pain Songs That Even Music Snobs Will Enjoy Ahead of His July 21 Beijing Gig

He makes purists instantly turn up their noses, provides snobs with endless fodder, and he even prompted his genre's most famous figure to cast shade at him.

Yes, R&B and hip-hop heavyweight T-Pain (playing at Sir Teen on July 21) has arguably been as divisive as he's been successful. And that's saying something, considering the gazillions (that's the correct, highly technical music critic's term) of records he's sold airwaves he's dominated thanks to hit singles like "Low," "Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')," among others. Yes, especially circa 2008, the sound of this Florida born artist's outer space sounding, autotuned drawl was inescapable.

Critics, uppity music fans and even rap giants like Jay-Z all famously dissed him because of his overreliance on such computerized vocal effects (if you're drawing a blank, just imagine a robot cooing at you flirtatiously). But the shtick was so successful that it prompted legions of copycat acts. At this point, most listeners seem to have gotten more than their fill of it and moved on, leading to a serious decline in T-Pain's single and record sales (along with even more derision from haughty critics).

But no matter how much the most stringent among us may claim to hate him, there's bound to be at least one T-Pain song out there that will get their bodies gyrating. That is, in part, because of the sheer breadth of his output, collaborating with a who's who of rap and R&B stars that appeal to a spectrum of tastes. Aside from that, there are instances of him shutting the autotune off, which reveals a supple, dexterous voice that proves he's no gimmicky slouch. I also have to confess – despite my annoyance with his shrill "Kiss Kiss," collaboration with Chris Brown, and his clunky "Low," team-up with Flo Rida, both of which were inescapable upon release – that he had a hand in some all-time favorite hip-hop tracks, along with a few guilty pleasures and outright goof fests that leave me grinning from ear to ear every time I hear them. In fact, I'm so confident that the list below will convince you to reconsider your T-Pain hangups that, if you still hate him after listening to these five tracks, I'll buy you a draaank.

"Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')" (2014 live version)
This more recent, stripped down version of T-Pain's early hit was part of NPR's "Tiny Desk Concert," series. It showcases the considerable talent that has always laid underneath a mountain of studio gimmickry on much of the rest of T-Pain catalog, which explains why many of us couldn't resist grooving to some of his hits even as we rolled our eyes and pretended to be too cool for them. That explains the astounding six million views the clip garnered on YouTube when NPR posted their corresponding interview with T-Pain. It's also a good read, and offers insight into the nuanced trials of a man who's too often been dismissed as a shallow showboat.

"I'm On a Boat," The Lonely Island feat. T-Pain
Talking of boast, this go-for-broke goofy parody song and video shows T-Pain's eagerness to not take himself too seriously, all the while sounding great while doing so. In it, he embraces many of the barbs that his haters have leveled at him in suitable comedic fashion.

"Good Life," Kanye West feat. T-Pain
This one isn't a guilty pleasure for me. I categorically love every second of it, and will defend it from any snob who argues against T-Pain's autotune usage. It's joyous, stratospherically upbeat, and hypnotically catchy, making it my favorite track on an album (West's 2017 blockbuster Graduation) that's full of longtime faves.

"Blame It," Jamie Foxx feat. T-Pain
When T-Pain partnered with showbiz vet Jamie Foxx for this slow burning, sultry club number, it became a fixture of every weekend night out for months after its release. It's quintessential T-Pain – hooky, electronic, sexy, but without all of the wince-inducing trappings that bog down some of his other major hits (see the aforementioned "Kiss Kiss," or "Low").

"Bartender," T-Pain feat. Akon
This is an early single that, while cracking the Billboard 100, was very much overshadowed by bigger T-Pain hits like "Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')." That being said, "Bartender," is way better – sporting smoldering instrumental and soothing vocal turns from both T-Pain and Akon (the latter of whom otherwise irks me to no end). It's a slow jam that's fun and unfussy from an artist then known for borderline spastic club bangers, and it laid the groundwork for the much more popular (but not quite as sonically textured or layered) "Blame It."

T-Pain will play Sir Teen on July 21. Tickets are RMB 180 and can be bought here.

Photo: ratedmd.com, Just Flippin, NPR, fanpop.com, justjared.com, contactmusic.com