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Celeb News: Consequence Of Sound: top 50 songs of 2012
Member Since: 6/15/2010
Posts: 14,318
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Consequence Of Sound: top 50 songs of 2012
(meta-girl)
- 50. M.I.A. – “Bad Girls”
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While some artists never experience said phenomenon in their entire career, Ms. Arulpragasam scored a second, slightly diminished return with “Bad Girls”. Released just days before her PR nightmare at Super Bowl XLVI, the track’s something of a spiritual successor to “Paper Planes”; both are catchy, intricate, and ready-made for pop radio and/or singing by the late-night party crowd. But unlike her first big hit, this latest banger has none of her trademark political undertones, proving she can make music just for the sake of having a good ol’ time.
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- 49. Ty Segall Band – “Wave Goodbye”
- 48. Cult of Youth – “Garden of Delights”
- 47. Tanlines – “All of Me”
- 46. Indian Handcrafts – “Bruce Lee”
- 45. Leonard Cohen – “Come Healing”
- 44. Earl Sweatshirt – “Chum”
- 43. Crystal Castles – “Sad Eyes”
- 42. The Walkmen – “Heaven”
- 41. Rick Ross feat. Meek Mill – “So Sophisticated”
- 40. Taylor Swift – “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
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Swift’s latest single proves that there is a time and a place for teardrops on guitars. But when an ex-boyfriend called her irrelevant, Swift threw her country contemplation out the window, and created the ultimate pop Warhead: a song with an acrid bite and a sweet finish. Produced and provoked by pop hit-makers, Shellback and Max Martin, the song features Swift singing in a nasal tone, talking smack – embellished during the chorus – and adopting an assertive veneer. The song “wee-hee”-ed up the Billboard Charts and likely destroyed Top 40 Radio for her ex. Somewhere, Carly Simon is also listening and smiling her toothiest smile. When will these guys stop watching themselves gavotte? “Never, ever, ever, ever.”
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- 39. Titus Andronicus – “My Eating Disorder”
- 38. The xx – “Angels”
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Perhaps the best representation of the delicate beauty of “Angels” comes from filmmaker Jamie-James Medina, who shot the trio in a Tokyo hotel room, à la Lost in Translation. The three minutes and seven seconds are almost exclusively dedicated to Romy Madley Croft, whose dainty fingers slide up and down her Les Paul as she softly sings, “But I think I’m ready, as long as you’re with me / Being as in love with you as I am.” The video lacks Jamie’s precise and subtle additions, like the hollow drum that accompanies the Coexist version here. But giving the spotlight (or rather the glow of Tokyo skyscrapers) to Croft feels appropriately intimate. Oliver Sim appears to be having a relaxing, Suntory time on the hotel bed, proving that Croft can sail this song’s ship all her own.
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- 37. Chief Keef feat. Lil Reese – “I Don’t Like”
- 36. Burial – “Kindred”
- 35. Solange Knowles – “Losing You”
- 34. Lotus Plaza – “Monoliths”
- 33. Gorillaz feat. André 3000 and James Murphy – “DoYaThing”
- 32. Purity Ring – “Fineshrine”
- 31. El-P – “The Full Retard”
- 30. Jack White – “Love Interruption”
- 29. Sharon Van Etten – “Serpents”
- 28. Divine Fits – “My Love Is Real”
- ]27. Angel Haze – “Cleaning Out My Closet”
- 26. Beach House – “Myth”
- 25. King Tuff – “Bad Thing”
- 24. Lambchop – “Gone Tomorrow”
- 23. Action Bronson – “9-24-11″
- 22. Spiritualized – “Hey Jane”
- 21. Todd Terje – “Inspector Norse”
- 20. Torche – “Kicking”
- 19. Chromatics – “Kill for Love”
- 18. Killer Mike feat. Bun B, T.I., and Trouble – “Big Beast”
- 17. Skrillex feat. Sirah – “Bangarang”
- 16. Twin Shadow – “Five Seconds”
- 15. Bat for Lashes – “All Your Gold”
- 14. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe”
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“Call Me Maybe”, the insta-meme-turned-genuine-pop-gem, grabbed 2012 by the throat and never let go, mostly due to an astounding feat of economical songwriting. Name any major pop hit of the past 20 years, and the thing you’ll probably remember best is its chorus. Protest all you like, but for most radio songs, all we really want to hear is the deeply satisfying catharsis of the hook. Jepsen and her songwriting team took that idea to its logical extreme; of “Call Me Maybe”‘s 194 seconds, 86 of them are dedicated to its unimpeachable hook, meaning nearly half of the song is just the chorus.
None of this would matter if the chorus weren’t any good, but “Call Me Maybe” does more by using less– it’s practically minimalist by radio standards– and features nothing more than a kick/snare stomp and a big, dumb, simple, immensely satisfying four-chord riff, leaving the heavy lifting to Jepsen’s warm, innocent, and wonderfully human lyrical sentiment and vocal performance. The pendulum of acceptability in society may cull some Rihanna tracks from radio rotation, but “Call Me Maybe”‘s delightful sweetness will always have a place, and be welcome.
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- 13. Swans – “Apostate”
- 12. Miguel – “Adorn”
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In 2012, Miguel Pimental’s sweetness was our weakness, as Barry White might’ve said. The smooth Californian R&B star is known for his cheeky come-ons (“Do You”) and sex drive (“Quickie”), but he reaches definitive-Delfonic status with the phrase “Let my love adorn you,” on his second single, “Adorn”. Minor keys and chord inversions further signify Miguel’s soulful longing. The tender instrumentation is rife with melancholy. This is the kind of technique we might reserve for the likes of Stevie Wonder, especially on his balled, “Overjoyed”.
“Adorn” affirms Wonder’s sentimentality. The minimal production allows Miguel’s vocals to linger, luxuriate, and get lost in anticipation. He sings: “This mind, oh, will never neglect you, baby.” The song has a modern R&B body-rock that recalls Ginuwine or even Avant, but Miguel’s delicate electronic influences are steeped with emotional maturity that is sometimes taken for granted in the R&B sphere. “Adorn” is sterling – and stirring.
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- 11. Jessie Ware – “Wildest Moments”
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If the world were a fair place, “Wildest Moments” would have been the “Rolling in the Deep” of 2012. The lead single off Jessie Ware’s debut, Devotion, has all the elements of a mega-hit: a stadium-sized hook of a chorus, Ware’s Simon Cowell-worthy star power, and a poignant yet simple message conveyed by its lyrics: “Baby in our wildest moments, we could be the greatest.” If you close your eyes, it’s almost hard not to imagine a Glastonbury crowd of 100,000 strong singing along with fervor. It’s also one of the most quietly ambitious tracks of the year, forgoing dense production and instead relying on a boom-pow bass drum to propel the story of a toxic relationship.
But where Adele wanted to make you “wish you never had met me,” Ware stands by her man, sharing proudly and meditatively in the mutual suffering. She asks, “From the outside, from the outside / Everyone must be wondering why we try / Why do we try?” It’s less girl-power and more of a deep reflection. We’re not sure if she’ll make it out alive, but she makes it easy for us to go along for the bumpy ride.
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- 10. Cloud Nothings – “Wasted Days”
- 9. TNGHT – “Goooo”
- 8. Death Grips – “I’ve Seen Footage”
- 7. Kendrick Lamar – “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
- 6. Fiona Apple – “Every Single Night”
- 5. Usher – “Climax”
 long ass bit
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Just when we thought Usher had officially devolved into another pouty party-tard rolling out of Ludacris’s Lamborghini, he stepped outside the club for a moment of clarity on “Climax”, his greatest faded-love song of all time.
Usher has been lamenting love since he could spell the word. The last song on his 1994 debut was the strikingly similar “Final Goodbye”. By today’s Usher standards, this older material sounds as naïve as reading an earnest old diary.
Despite its sexual connotation, the climax Usher sings about is an ode to the good times of a relationship, and the painful realization that they have stopped rolling, forever. “Don’t wanna give in / So we both gave up,” he intones before wafting into his silky falsetto. Usher employs his highest register and most resolve when he sings the actual word “climax,” yet he uses his darkest tone when he is, physically at his lowest point (“I’m on my knees but it seems we’re / Going nowhere fast”).
The quiet shimmer of the song is all thanks to Philadelphia-based producer of the year, Diplo. He and Usher bonded over the initial concept, which Diplo beautifully rendered through sound waves that never fully crest, blindsiding whooshes, and carefully strewn beeps and claps that reflect the song’s romantic inertia. In a song that’s all about lost nuance, Diplo shades in all the appropriate places. The most poignant effect is the underscoring drum loop that invokes the actual high-hat drums of Al Green’s rendition of “For The Good Times”, a song that shares the Usher’s concept. Penned by Kris Kristofferson, Green’s calm take on expired love seems like it might offer peace of mind to Usher’s updated version. Then again, the chance to “Make me believe you love me one more time,” has long passed for Usher.
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- 4. Grimes – “Genesis”
mhmm
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“It’s appalling that anyone would consider me cute,” accompanies Grimes in most Claire Boucher-focused .gifs that cycle their way through the Tumblr-sphere. While these might be considered little compliments — a whole army of people saying, “No Claire! You’re adorable! We love you!” – they’re doing exactly what she doesn’t want. At first listen, most of Visions might be fodder for people to forever consider Grimes that “adorable girl with the hair and the lisp,” but that could be the exact antithesis of Grimes’ artistic vision.
While “Genesis” on the surface is “Oblivion”‘s good-twin with its bouncy-synth bass line, layered harp and piano, and soundtrack-ready beat, it’s also arguably the most minimal song on Visions, offering transparency to her lyrics and vocals like no other inclusion on the tracklist. This is where she wants you to think, Hmm, this isn’t adorable, come to think of it. It’s all in the looped lyricism (“My heart will never feel / Will never see / will never know” that floods the track, or the cyclical, also-looped beat of a dying heart that closes it out with with a struggling signature.
There’s been a wealth of juxtaposition in pop this year, namely because honesty reigns supreme. With “Genesis”, Grimes juxtaposes not only her music, but her identity, shattering any misconceptions one might placate on the intricate singer-songwriter.
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- 3. Passion Pit – “I’ll Be Alright”
- 2. Japandroids – “The House That Heaven Built”
- 1. Frank Ocean – “Thinkin Bout You”
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It’s been awhile since such a lonely, desperate ballad has swept up the nation. Yet months later, Frank Ocean’s rallying battle cry “Thinkin Bout You” continues to coddle the hearts and souls of millions everywhere. It’s not really a fault of his, per se, but Ocean’s voice is just so goddamn good that too many forget how smart and dynamic his supporting instrumentation can be. But that’s where the song gets its blood: that cyclical whirring of chords, the percussion that trudges along like a dialysis machine, and those synthetic strings that hoist up the chorus. It all envelopes the track with this wallowing angst, giving it character without relying on words or harmonies.
That’s a strong facet of Ocean that few ever discuss. His sharp sense of emotionalism soaks into the instrumentation, branding each track with gooey layers of introspection that otherwise wouldn’t be there. What’s extraordinary is that this is now a trademark of Ocean’s, almost to the point where one might consider him a perfectionist (see: last year’s “Novacane” or even “She”, his collaborative track with Tyler, the Creator on Goblin). Similar to Kanye West, who’s changed hip-hop by tweaking it into something avant-garde (sorry, “luxury rap”), Ocean has elevated R&B into something that goes far beyond the singer. It’s not just about stories, or feelings, or words — it’s about a moment.
One line boils it down: “Cause I been thinkin’ ’bout forever.”
There’s so much erroneous context to Ocean that it almost precedes his music today, which is pretty much the most tragic thing about him right now, namely because his music absolutely doesn’t need it. It’s all right there in the DNA, speaking multiple tongues for anyone’s mind and soul. Back in September, when Ocean performed the seminal hit on Saturday Night Live, millions of viewers sat on their couch and witnessed one of the show’s most intimate and telling performances in its 35-plus-year history. Ocean shared a moment with everyone that night, turning the spotlight not on himself, but his audience. That’s the power of his songwriting, and why his music will outlive his contemporaries and, to be fair, himself. With “Thinkin Bout You”, it’s certainly a hard moment to embody — starving for someone who will likely never hunger for you — yet it’s something every human being feels at one point or another in life. And never has feeling so lonely felt so rich.
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Member Since: 12/5/2009
Posts: 9,974
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50. M.I.A. – “Bad Girls”
40. Taylor Swift – “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
38. The xx – “Angels”
35. Solange Knowles – “Losing You”
15. Bat for Lashes – “All Your Gold”
14. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe”
11. Jessie Ware – “Wildest Moments”
7. Kendrick Lamar – “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
6. Fiona Apple – “Every Single Night”
5. Usher – “Climax”
4. Grimes – “Genesis”
2. Japandroids – “The House That Heaven Built”
1. Frank Ocean – “Thinkin Bout You”
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/8/2006
Posts: 42,086
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14. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe”
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Member Since: 8/1/2012
Posts: 1,892
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This is actually a pretty great list. 
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Member Since: 10/1/2011
Posts: 21,257
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wildest moments should have been higher<3
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Member Since: 10/3/2010
Posts: 50,276
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17. Skrillex feat. Sirah – “Bangarang” 
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Member Since: 6/15/2010
Posts: 14,318
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Quote:
Originally posted by Chemist
14. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe”
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I'm so tired of dragging her or Taylor, what's the use
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Originally posted by Victoria
This is actually a pretty great list. |
Hands down the best year-end list we have so far
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Member Since: 11/9/2011
Posts: 12,849
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They nit the nail on the head on Jessie Ware. And one of the best year end lists so far.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 9/26/2001
Posts: 22,475
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I'm so far behind the curve that I just listened to "Thinkin Bout You" for the first time...and it just ate through my soul and spat me out. That description could not have been any more correct.
And I had heard that Cohen had released new material, but it does my heart good to know that it's legitimately good.
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Member Since: 11/9/2011
Posts: 12,849
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Quote:
Originally posted by Red
I'm so far behind the curve that I just listened to "Thinkin Bout You" for the first time...and it just ate through my soul and spat me out. That description could not have been any more correct.
And I had heard that Cohen had released new material, but it does my heart good to know that it's legitimately good.
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Old Ideas is one of my favourites. It's not great, but still better than majority of 2012 releases. Minimalist production, it's like an audio book for me. Worth your hard earned coins definitely, if you're a Cohen fan.
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Member Since: 6/15/2010
Posts: 14,318
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Quote:
Originally posted by Red
I'm so far behind the curve that I just listened to "Thinkin Bout You" for the first time...and it just ate through my soul and spat me out. That description could not have been any more correct.
And I had heard that Cohen had released new material, but it does my heart good to know that it's legitimately good.
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It's the best track on C.O
What do you think of Wildest Moments, Red? It makes me angry that she hasn't smashed, it really is a much-underrated anthem.
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Member Since: 5/4/2011
Posts: 20,807
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Quote:
50. M.I.A. – “Bad Girls”
38. The xx – “Angels”
32. Purity Ring – “Fineshrine”
27. Angel Haze – “Cleaning Out My Closet”
17. Skrillex feat. Sirah – “Bangarang”
15. Bat for Lashes – “All Your Gold”
7. Kendrick Lamar – “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
5. Usher – “Climax”
4. Grimes – “Genesis”
1. Frank Ocean – “Thinkin Bout You”
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I'm surprised how many of these songs I actually really like.
I'm really happy that Angel Haze and Purity Ring are getting some attention, too! 
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 9/26/2001
Posts: 22,475
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Quote:
Originally posted by thediscomonkey
Old Ideas is one of my favourites. It's not great, but still better than majority of 2012 releases. Minimalist production, it's like an audio book for me. Worth your hard earned coins definitely, if you're a Cohen fan.
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That makes me so happy. I'm not a diehard Cohen fan, but what I have heard, I've loved. Gotta check that album out at some point.
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Originally posted by YoYo
It's the best track on C.O
What do you think of Wildest Moments, Red? It makes me angry that she hasn't smashed, it really is a much-underrated anthem.
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I liked it enough, those it didn't quite stick out to me like, say, "Rolling in the Deep" did. But I can understand why people are upset that the song hasn't become a smash hit, because it sure as hell sounds like one.
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Member Since: 8/1/2012
Posts: 12,442
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I actually totally agree with the sentiment that Wildest Moments should have been RITD of 2012.
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Member Since: 8/1/2012
Posts: 8,763
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Quote:
Originally posted by Red
That makes me so happy. I'm not a diehard Cohen fan, but what I have heard, I've loved. Gotta check that album out at some point.
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You should, Old Ideas really is a solid album 
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Member Since: 9/7/2010
Posts: 28,471
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50. M.I.A. – “Bad Girls”
35. Solange Knowles – “Losing You”
26. Beach House – “Myth”
11. Jessie Ware – “Wildest Moments”
7. Kendrick Lamar – “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
6. Fiona Apple – “Every Single Night”
1. Frank Ocean – “Thinkin Bout You”
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Member Since: 1/1/2009
Posts: 1,714
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Losing You 
Bad Girls could've been higher though 
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Member Since: 1/1/2012
Posts: 3,878
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Member Since: 12/8/2010
Posts: 17,643
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WANEGBT making another year-end list
Great list overall.
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Member Since: 6/25/2011
Posts: 28,853
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What a GREAT list!
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