I always love your write-ups, lovesong! I wish I could comment more on the albums section, but I barely listened to any new music this year. (Aquarius was fabulous, though.)
I haven't heard 1989 yet! Taylor needs to get right with Spotify already.
Okay so.... i'm about to start my songs list but I have a little announcement.
I've extended songs to 100. I had way too many and I kept changing the list so I could fit everything. Now i'm just going to extend it and get rid of my rule of one entry per artist.
Caribou used a lot of great R&B influences in his album and this one was one of the best examples. Vocals provided by Jessy Lanza help make it even more smooth and more memorable. I don't know if I'd call it a standout but its a song I gravitate to a lot.
99 A: One Direction S: "Fool's Gold"
Regardless of what you think of One Direction, its no denying that they've matured SO much with their latest album. "Fools Gold" is one of those songs that probably only I like because it feels nostalgic yet modern at the same time and is one of the better ballady tracks from the album.
98 A: Beyoncé S: "7/11"
The type of track that you need to either let grow on you or simply abandon all together. The beat is infectious and the weird repetitive lyrics are addicting too. The video is fun and all around its just a fun light-hearted Beyoncé single.
97 A: Vic Mensa S: "Down On My Luck"
A recent addition to my list, I came to hear of this song from some other year end lists and ended up really liking it. It's smooth with a cool pulsating beat that flawlessly combines deep house with a modern take on R&B. Its really addicting and I wish I had heard of it earlier.
96 A: Yumi Zouma S: "The Brae"
Yumi Zouma was hyped a lot this year but I found that there wasn't much that interested me. "The Brae" is the one exception since its beautifully sung, atmospheric and compelling. I can't say the same for some of her (their?) other songs although I did consider "Alena" too.
It was a joyful experience to finally hear Charli on my radio and she did with a fun pop song without sacrificing what it was that made her so special. It isn't my favourite on the album (which I LOVED) but it was still a great listen this year and it still feels kinda fresh.
94 A: Pharrell (feat. Daft Punk) S: "Gust Of Wind"
The only track on his album that actually made me want to come back for more to be honest. It sounds fantastic and since I loved their last collaborations I had a feeling I'd really like this one. The rest of his album was pretty meh for me but this one still feels really cool.
93 A: iamamiwhoami S: "fountain"
Beautifully produced, wonderfully sung and all around a magical listening experience. The imagery that this song creates is fantastic and one of the biggest reasons why I liked iamamiwhoami this year. The oceanic references in the production and the lyrics are very nice too.
92 A: Gwen Stefani S: "Baby Don't Lie"
Overall quite underwhelmed with her comeback but this song is surprisingly catchy and overall really fun. I like the little throwbacks to the Harajuku style that she was known for back in the day but its still missing something.
91 A: St. Vincent S: "Rattlesnake"
The perfect opening to the album, "Rattlesnake" is hectic and exciting the whole way through. The lyrics are stunning as per usual on her part and talk of her isolation in an experience walking through the desert. They hit very hard and set the perfect tone for the other tracks.
Not a huge fan of my formatting but I guess it'll do. Thanks for your comments so far!
Note - no Taylor songs will appear since I gave her a special list and otherwise she'd be half of my top ten. And the other thing is I'm not restricting it to like one song per artist so you'll see a lot of St. Vincent and others throughout the list.
Boom Clap is one of my favorites from this set! love it.
- better late than never
