I'm just realising now that despite how much we've spoken this year I still don't know your favourite Lorde song. I think I can guess your favourite from Pure Heroine but that's not necessarily much.
Again, thank you all for your comments.
About to update.
Quote:
Originally posted by Jack.
I was expecting nudes reveals, not an essay.
I'm just realising now that despite how much we've spoken this year I still don't know your favourite Lorde song. I think I can guess your favourite from Pure Heroine but that's not necessarily much.
Well I guess you've come to the right place to find that out.
Now, here's one point I want to make clear. I absolutely adore every single song in this Top 40. So really, this list is my best of the best. If I wanted to include all of the songs I loved this year, we would have a list of 300+. So if you spot your favourite songs down in the lower tiers of the countdown, don't stress. It simply means that it really was one of the best songs of the year. Also, I've provided audio for every song, so if you don't know it, just press play! Maybe you'll find something new that you love. Now, with that out of the way, let's begin!
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T O P 4 0
# 4 0IU - "THE RED SHOES"
SONG BEGINS; 1:04
We're starting off this countdown with the perfect opener, a ray of sunshine by the name of "The Red Shoes" by South Korean soloist, IU.
Backed by a bucketload of brass, this super infectious number wouldn't sound out of place opening a broadway musical. Heavily influenced by a fairytale and movie of the same name, the lyrics play off the fairytale plot line of a woman who is forced to dance to the point where she asks to have her feet chopped off to make her stop. While not as grotesque as this tale, both the music video and song dive into the concept of a new way of life with a new pair of shoes - although maybe the music video doesn't have as much of a happy ending than we'd like.
# 3 9ARCTIC MONKEYS - "DO I WANNA KNOW?"
A cut off their self-initialled album, "Do I Wanna Know?" reeks of booze and makes itself known to whoever is fortunate enough to come across it.
Kicking off with stomps, handclaps, and one hell of a guitar rift, "Know" commands attention from the first few seconds. Everything about this song feels quite slurred, but in the best way possible. The second verse is lacking of riffs, merely being stripped down to a bass melody, before building itself back up into a chorus that details the uncertainties in regards to a lover's reciprocated feelings and whether it's better to just move on. The last chorus is my particular favourite part, a perfect moment to just get lost in the music and block out the real world for a bit.
# 3 8DRAKE F/ MAJID JORDAN - "HOLD ON, WE'RE GOING HOME"
SONG BEGINS; 2:34
Finally, a song were Drake sung for an entire track. I know I'm not alone when I say that I love his singing voice, and his constant singing chops laced over his rap catalogue are what makes Drake's material so Drake, i.e. perfect.
Co-produced by production duo Majid Jordan who are now signed to Drake's OVO Sound record label, the beat is simple, smooth, and interestingly managed to meld into today's soundscape really well. At a time where alternative influences outweigh other genres on the radio, "Home" managed to chart well outside of the US, reaching the top 10 in the UK and Australia as well as other countries who usually don't embrace hip-hop and r&b tracks in the same manner as the US. "Home" was definitely a refreshing change, not only for Drake himself, but for Top 40 music as a whole.
# 3 7RIZZLE KICKS - "LOST GENERATION"
After a little break since their 2011 debut, british hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks have come back with "Lost Generation", a piece of social commentary on today's youth and detached sense of reality.
Sonically, "Lost" is very upbeat, a myriad of hip-hop percussion, piano, brass instruments and cartoon gun noises providing a stable foundation for some very powerful lyrics. Featuring some great punchlines, the duo poke fun at "reality" shows such as Big Brother and The X-Factor, take a sly dig at popstars who buy YouTube views, and a recurring theme throughout the track is the mocking of hashtag trends. However, the best lyric of the entire song would have to be the double standard of a woman's sexuality; What's wrong if a girl loves sex? It's only wrong if it's not with you so maybe you should get better in bed!
Couldn't have said it better myself.
# 3 6SKY FERREIRA - "YOU'RE NOT THE ONE"
Ah, Sky Ferreira. After delaying your debut album way too many times, you finally came through with a lead single for an album that happened to be released. Fortunately for all of us, it's one hell of a tune.
It's easy to lump Sky in with other alternative/indie-pop ladies. She seems to just fit with the tumblr group seemingly made of Lana, Marina, and Charli... to name a few. But "You're Not the One" was proof that she has carved her own lane within this scene, utilising rock music to an extent her contemporaries haven't mastered while remaining unabashedly pop. That's what makes this track so special - it's noisy, it's every young adult's anthem, it's perfect.
Do I Wanna Know? + my fave from this set, Hold On, We're Going Home!
