This is one of those songs you hear on the radio and they never say who the artist is. Why? He's not from America. Specifically, he's a French DJ. Martin Solveig is a very talented producer. When he has a single out, it means he made a track for him and asked someone he knows to perform on it. That act is Dragonette. They are a Canadian electro-pop band. They've actually collaborated with Martin Solveig on a good number of tracks.
The appeal of their crossover single "Hello" comes from a few different things. First, it is a light fluffy pop track for summer. It sounds bright, bouncy, and cheerful. It's a "California Gurls" without being so literal. It's the same kind of sound.
Second, there's the production style. Much like LMFAO and Pitbull, Martin Solveig and Dragonette are benefiting from the recent resurgence in retro-styled electronic music. This song is all synth sequencing and digital drum lops behind the vocal. It sounds modern, but it's playing into that throwback digital obsession sweeping American pop music right now.
Third, it's got a memorable melody. Not memorable for being a particularly great melody. It's memorable because it's so repetitive. It's almost nursery rhyme/sing-song in style (like last summer's breakout hit "That's Not My Name" by The Ting Tings). It's not a hard melody to sing along to and there aren't that many words. Anyone can sing "Hello...Helloooooo." That instant recognition and easy style is, many times, the difference between a big hit and a flop.
I think the song is fun. It's different enough to be worth listening to at least once.
Thoughts? Complaints? Keep it PG and the comment stays up.