Thanks for all the comments. Updates will only go by sets of 5 now.
The All-American Rejects "Beekeeper's Daughter"
While it may not have been the best choice for lead single, Beekeeper's Daughter is such a catchy and fun song that really deserved to do better on the charts. I didn't expect a huge hit, but barely even scraping the bottom of the Bubbling Under chart? It must be the label's fault because Beekeeper's Daughter could have taken off if it was properly promoted. I didn't even know AAR were releasing new music until I saw the song on iTunes. Moving on to the song itself, well I think what I love most about it would be its lyrics. Pop-rock songs with bitchy, arrogant lyrics are amazing if they're done properly. And I didn't expect anything less than perfection from Tyson, he scored with Gives You Hell and scored again with Beekeeper's Daughter. There are so many brilliant one-liners here: "you ugly girls all look so pretty", "monogamy's not a part of me", and of course "you're a pretty little flower, I'm a busy little bee". Not to mention how catchy the tune is. I just re-listened to the song while writing this description and now I'll have the "la-da-da-da-da" in my head for the rest of the week Great single from AAR. This is the last of two songs by The All-American Rejects in the list.
Breathe Carolina "Blackout"
I'm not a big fan of dance-pop, so I didn't expect to really like this band. But I immediately changed my mind when I first heard Blackout. Breathe Carolina have their own unique style and don't fit into the typical pop-punk mold. And while they do use auto-tune and vocal processing, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I know they have talent because they can sing well without auto-tune and play their own instruments, the auto-tune is just part of their style which I respect. Now the song itself...it's so catchy and fresh and unlike anything else on the radio nowadays. My favorite Top 40 station, Sirius XM Hits 1, started playing Blackout way back in like June 2011, so that's when I first heard it. Over half a year later, in January 2012, I still wasn't tired of it. It was impossible to find another song that was even similar, so I just kept listening to the original over and over Sadly Breathe Carolina will be a one-hit wonder in the US, but I'll definitely keep my eye out for their future releases. This is the first of two songs by Breathe Carolina in the list.
K'naan f/Nelly Furtado "Is Anybody Out There?"
Of all the clichéd self-empowerment anthems that came out in the past few years, this is the one that resonates with me the most. Maybe because I feel like it's directed towards teenagers, my age group. When K'naan raps, he talks about two kids, one for each verse, who have problems with depression and self-doubt. Substance abuse, anti-social tendencies, feeling the need to "fit in"...I mean these are very common issues in society that are often presented in music, but while other songs try to address these points with complicated metaphors and phrasing, Is Anybody Out There? gets right to the point and really starts digging in. And then there's Nelly Furtado on the chorus. Her voice sounds pure, magical, and beautiful, unlike the weird nasally tone she uses on most of Spirit Indestructible. I can feel her emotion and her passion in the bridge, like she really means what she's singing. THIS is a pop-rap collaboration done right. This is the last of two songs by K'naan in the list.
Eric Church "Springsteen"
I used to hate country music with a passion but it's songs like this that are slowly changing my mind. First of all, I love how it's dedicated to The Boss, one of the best artists ever to exist in music And the song is just so hauntingly beautiful, in a way that I didn't realize country music could be. You always hear people say that the music they remember the most is the music that was popular during their high school years, well the narrator is talking about all the good times he had as a teenager and how Bruce Springsteen's music really defined those times. If you listen closely (well, you don't even have to listen that closely if you're familiar with The Boss's discography ), you can hear references to his hits Born in the USA and Glory Days. Almost makes me wish I had grown up in the 80s The only thing I dislike about this song is that I wish it had a third verse or a bridge. The "whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh"s get boring after a while, they really didn't need to take up over a minute at the end. But overall, Springsteen is a beautiful song, and the highest ranked country song in my list this year This is the only song by Eric Church in the list.
Boys Like Girls "Be Your Everything"
Every time I forget about this flawless band, they keep coming back stronger to show everything they're capable of. This time, they released a beautiful ballad as the lead single from their third studio album Crazy World. As much as I love upbeat dance songs from pop-punk bands, it's often their slower, more sentimental songs that connect with me the most (see: Bleed by Hot Chelle Rae). And damn, did BLG deliver. Martin's vocals sound incredible on the song, maybe the best they've ever sounded. The falsetto in the chorus is just so The lyrics are great as well, they may be a bit cheesy and sappy but they're so cute, I mean what girl wouldn't want a man who would sacrifice everything for them? Such a shame the single flopped, it must just be lack of promotion because BLG still have that same magic that was on their 2006 debut album. Be Your Everything is their second-best single, only because nothing could ever top the magnificent perfection of Thunder This is the only song by Boys Like Girls in the list.
Thought I forgot about this list? Yeah I don't blame you, after all I did forget about it on my Best of 2011 But I took the time to make it this year so I hope you'll check it out
BREATHE CAROLINA
I really like what you wrote about them, and I agree they don't depend on autotune, they could do without it but it's just part of their sound. they'll be one hit wonders but I don't really care, I never expected them to make a splash outside of their scene anyway. what they had with Blackout is a great achievement but as long as they keep making music, I'm happy
can't wait to see where their other song places