YG f/Drake & Kamaiyah - Why You Always Hatin?
7.2/10
This song has one hell of a bassline, and it feels very homemade, moreso than the last YG/Drake collaboration (Who Do You Love?). There are a couple awkward lines, like when YG proclaims that the song will go platinum, but it's generally a fun track, half cocky and half vigilant of those who are "always hatin'." Drake loosens things up with a clean verse, and although the hook gets grating after a while, it's still really satisfying to hear when you've just won something. In the end, Why You Always Hatin? feels disposable, but it's still a pretty enjoyable track.
This position in 2015: Flo Rida f/Robin Thicke & Verdine White - I Don't Like It, I Love It This position in 2014: Kiesza - Hideaway
The mumbled hook is the laziest Fetty's ever sounded, and he still manages to make it work; his lethargic self-harmonies are strangely pleasing. The verse largely fails to capture the schoolyard atmosphere that Young, Wild, & Free so brilliantly did five years ago (ironically, he name-checks Wiz Khalifa during the chorus), so it's good that there aren't multiple. It cheerfully unravels as the end approaches, Fetty playing around with his voice and the downbeat melodies of the song. As they say, ignorance is bliss– and he is happily oblivious here.
This position in 2015: Maroon 5 - Feelings This position in 2014: Bleachers - I Wanna Get Better
Kygo returns to this list for a second consecutive year with a song not very different from the one that gave him his first appearance. He does well in enlisting Parson James, who calmly takes the listener along for a ride in the Norwegian's leisurely paradise. The flute-like sound that signals the coming breakdown is quite nice, and the track overall gives off a warm, friendly feel unlike most other songs I've heard this year. Kygo's music is the epitome of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," and his tropical house formulas seem to be working just fine.
This position in 2015: Pitbull f/Chris Brown - Fun This position in 2014: Naughty Boy - La La La f/Sam Smith
It's simultaneously disappointing and satisfying when you hear an album and you realize that the best song on the album was the lead single. Such was the case for Meghan Trainor in 2016, a year that saw her audience shrink because her music was too generic to be directed towards any sort of audience. NO, a crowded mix of early-'00s R&B and contemporary pop, is the only song she released this year that actually feels like her. The same confidence she had on the Title singles is present on NO, from the cutesy a cappella intro to the deadpanned first line of the chorus (which feels like it should be too noisy, but it actually works out really nicely). The track definitely qualifies as a guilty pleasure for me, considering that it is neither original nor especially noteworthy. While the production never feels sharp, it's nevertheless an enjoyable song, regardless of whether it's assertive enough to be deemed an anthem.
This position in 2015: Adele - Hello This position in 2014: Echosmith - Cool Kids
Steel drums and Fetty Wap isn't the most obvious combination, but he actually tried it last year on the hurried album track I'm Straight. Different Now represents a vast improvement, as it features disarming melodies and a natural, laid-back verse. The song is compact and mild; the youthful energy he so exuberantly demonstrated on songs like Again has clearly dissipated, but that didn't appear to hamper his ear for hooks. As a whole, it feels slightly transient, but there's no denying Fetty's ability to craft a good sing-along rap song that's neither cheesy nor generic.
This position in 2015: Ryn Weaver - OctaHate This position in 2014: Christina Perri - Human
Capsize is essentially on-trend easy listening for the pop crowd. That crackling noise in the background provides a nice contrast to the über-polished remainder of the track. While basic in structure, it is a really well-executed song. It conveys a lovely sense of serenity, the chorus making me want to close my eyes and bob my head. Warren oscillates nicely between a power vocal and an airy, soft one, though the guys from FRENSHIP sound like they're doing karaoke. They're picked up by the breezy instrumental, though, its gentle qualities gracefully moving the song forward, much like a sailboat on a warm summer day.
This position in 2015: Kygo f/Conrad Sewell - Firestone This position in 2014: Beyoncé - XO
Meghan is totally lost as an artist. I think maybe she got famous too fast and doesn't know what to do! Maybe she should just give us an album of all Me Toos and then we'd all stan.
Meghan is totally lost as an artist. I think maybe she got famous too fast and doesn't know what to do! Maybe she should just give us an album of all Me Toos and then we'd all stan.
Eh, I think it was more her label/management that wanted to pressure her into going for a more clearly pop sound. It totally backfired, since the tropical influences on Title are actually what's on-trend now.
I totally forgot Stole The Show had a single run in 2016 - I always associate it with 2015 because that's when I discovered it It would have definitely made my own Best Of if I had remembered.
Took a few listens to get into it though.
Joe and the crew did that!
It would have definitely made my own Best Of if I had remembered.
(if we don't count Often remix)
