There's a few songs in this countdown that I discovered on Spotify playlists this year. This one is the first. I've never heard of either of these artists, but they put together quite a great song so I'm definitely going to try and delve into their other work soon.
39. CHRISTINA AGUILERA - "CHANGE"
Although this wasn't the start to her next era like we were expecting this year, "Change" was not a disappointment musically. I love how heartfelt and passionate the song is, and it really hit home after what happened earlier this year. This is already better than almost everything on Lotus.
38. ARIANA GRANDE F/ NICKI MINAJ - "SIDE TO SIDE"
Whew lord this is TRASH. But it's also a BOP. Although "Side to Side" provides no substance to anything and is in no way innovative, Ariana delivered to us one of the catchiest songs of the year. Throw in a poorly written but memorable Nicki verse and we've got ourselves a monster hit!
37. DJ SNAKE F/ BIPOLAR SUNSHINE - "MIDDLE"
I love how this song has a very absent-minded feeling about it; in the instrumental but also in the vocal delivery. A lot of EDM nowadays is pure garbage, but I think this song (and all of the other EDM in my countdown) represent the great work that can come from it.
36. ALICIA KEYS - "IN COMMON"
This is something that is SO different from everything out there right now. It's also a totally new sound for Alicia and her voice. I am beyond impressed with "In Common" because I feel like it's so innovative in a time when everything in the musical landscape feels somewhat stale, so kudos to her!
It's been a while since we've heard from these guys. "Wherever I Go" was a promising return and really hyped me up for the album. Ryan Tedder has a knack for combining traditional instruments with modern electronic production. I wish this song was longer though.
34. TOVE LO - "COOL GIRL"
Tove is a weirdo, and I love that this song translates that into her art. Although the song didn't catch my attention much at first, the pulsating beat really got into my head and infected me. It's so catchy. It's a shame that the album didn't deliver as much as QOTC though.
33. THE WEEKND - "STARBOY"
At first I thought this was something that was so different for him, but once I heard the rest of the album, I realized that this is actually more similar to his old stuff than most of it. I didn't think this would smash the way it did, but I'm definitely happy it happened because it is quality.
32. JOJO F/ WIZ KHALIFA - "F*** APOLOGIES."
I love JoJo so so so much; the album was fantastic, and while I like this song, I think there were better choices on the album for the lead single. Aside from that, I love this song so much, I really related to it this year as I've come to accept myself a lot more. So thanks to Queen JoJo for that.
31. KUNGS & COOKIN' ON 3 BURNERS - "THIS GIRL"
Man, what a bop this is! I like that this song isn't exactly as generic and trashy as most EDM songs that have smashed this year. It's very funky, and I love the vocalist on the song, whoever she is. The breakdown is so fun to dance to!
This Girl is cute though it had to grow on me at first.
**** Apologies + Wherever I Go
Starboy Great lead single and Daft Punk did thaT w/ the production.
Cool Girl So effortlessly amazing and catchy.