Fantastic update. I've really been playing through that whole Broods album. I just needed winter to set in to appreciate them and Brood properly. I think they're less overtly arty and rocky than Lorde, and I may prefer them
Agree with you on Anaconda. Nicki was the perfect person to use that sample and we need more fun songs like this.
You know how I feel about Ms. Aiko, but wow I didn't know you liked Katy!!! Crying For No Reason, I played that one so much last year. It's a beautiful song.
Fantastic update. I've really been playing through that whole Broods album. I just needed winter to set in to appreciate them and Brood properly. I think they're less overtly arty and rocky than Lorde, and I may prefer them
Agree with you on Anaconda. Nicki was the perfect person to use that sample and we need more fun songs like this.
You know how I feel about Ms. Aiko, but wow I didn't know you liked Katy!!! Crying For No Reason, I played that one so much last year. It's a beautiful song.
I still haven't really clicked with their album, honestly. Their EP was great, but I felt like the album left a lot to be desired. It's a shame because they have such potential for greatness, but they just didn't followup that well. I'm not ruling them out, though, because they could easily come back with something astonishing. I also think the Lorde comparisons are ruining them a bit.
I meant to include this in my writeup but "oh my gosh, look at her butt!" has been the unofficial slogan to Nicki's career ever since she hit the mainstream. The song is so brilliantly Nicki Minaj and absolutely no one else could have pulled it off in the way she did.
I really like Katy! On a Mission was really great, and she didn't disappoint with her followup. "Crying For No Reason" might just be her magnum opus. Maybe. She has a couple of contenders.
10. THE WEEKND - "OFTEN"The night's almost done, but I see in your eyes you wanna go again.
Top 10! My absolute favourite songs of 2014.
I love The Weeknd so much, everything about his music is so chilled out and his voice is mesmerising. "Often" doesn't cover any new ground for Abel, but it's addictive and the repetition of the title throughout the hook hits just the right spots to keep me coming back for more. I've actually enjoyed all of his albums/releases so far (even the somewhat-slammed Kiss Land) and I can't wait for his new release this year!
Warning: If you're going to watch the video, just make sure other people aren't around you.
09. CHRIS BROWN F/ LIL WAYNE & TYGA - "LOYAL"
One thing I want to get clear is that the lyrics to this song are beyond trash. I hate them and don't support them whatsoever. However, lyrics aside and from a sonic perspective, this song is pretty cool. The synths choices and the tone of Chris' voice was enough for this record to worm its way into my mind and have me playing it repeatedly throughout the year.
08. THE ASTON SHUFFLE F/ KAELYN BEHR -
"NO PLACE LIKE HOME"I feel alive, but there's no place like home, we'll realise.
This is the type of EDM I prefer to the standard club bangers. The aussie duo have produced something that's dreamy, free, and it's just really fantastic. My favourite part is the bridge; hearing how the production fades in and out, and then the extra "oooooh" ad-libs for a general buildup effect before the explosion of the final chorus. Ugh, wonderful.
07. ORANGE CARAMEL - "CATALLENA"She's temperamental but I want to see her. I want to know her. I want to dance with her.
Despite not quite making the top five on this list, "Catallena" more than deserves it's own post. In one of 2014's most weird and wonderful pop moments, I'd argue that "Catallena" is the best pop era of the year (I can only think of one competitor, depending on the definition of "pop" - more on that later in the countdown!).
When this record first dropped, I didn't really click with it much. It seemed forgettable from the first couple of listens, but that's because I had both completely overlooked the genius of it all, and not seen what Orange Caramel were about to unleash with their performances. This track also dropped when I was still getting adjusted to the trio - much like Japan's Kyary, Orange Caramel are super cutesy in an uncomfortably weird way. Not to get sidetracked but this scarily sweet charm has completely won me over, and it helps them stand out amongst their peers.
From the conversations I've had with other members here, I seem to be in the minority about this, but I think of "Catallena" as a bi-curious gem. With lyrics such as "even as a girl, I can see she's so great" and a tonne of admiration towards this female character, it adds another dimension to the record. Also worth mentioning, "Catellena" samples a punjabi wedding folk song (jutti meri, oi hoi hoi!), and the lyrical matter paired with a wedding song just makes the ultimate combination. I suppose we can call this track the new and improved "I Kissed a Girl", hm?
That's not all, though. This synth-pop number matched with disco strings creates the perfect infectious melodies a pop listener could hope for. Before I knew it, I had this song stuck on repeat and couldn't stop for hours. The track is brilliant.
The video helped me love the song, too. I mean, Orange Caramel are titled after food and have no problem dressing as food either; the food in question this time around being sushi and fish. The girls are taken from their environment and packaged for consumption, although no one will buy them when there's better food available. Is that it? I don't know, the video still confuses me. There seems to be a triumphant moment when they don't eat Catallena (the octopus) and they tearfully think back to the ocean where they came from. However, it's still one of the best videos of the year. It's incredibly engaging and I enjoy that there's so many ways to interpret the visuals. Some might say that the song and video don't match, but I find that there's enough references to the song's lyrics in the video to loosely tie them together. No one can say they took the generic or cliched route with this one!
For those of you who are active on tumblr, chances are you would have seen memes from this release once or twice, even if you're not a k-pop fan. "Catallena" is incredibly meme-able, mainly for the "ha!" introductions of every performance. In fact, there are currently twovideos on the site that have over 100k+ notes (one of them has over 200k notes!), and even today I saw a new threepartpost dedicated to the "ha!" meme that seems to be going viral. There is also a gif from one of their performances that went viral with over 300k+ notes, too.
To the left is another video that is apparently getting attention on tumblr, but basically it sums up all the "ha!" moments you've been missing out on. Give it a watch.
Performances.
So basically all the performances of this record were fantastic and interesting. Orange Caramel switched it up every time with different outfits and themes, and so I'm going to share a few of my favourites. As I said, it's the best pop era of the year!
Only including the dance rehearsal just to focus on the choreography. I think I've watched it far too many times and yet it's still interesting and fun. The best move is during the hoi! hoi! hoi! chant, for sure. The chant plus the captivating visual make a really powerful statement together.
Orange Caramel dressed as orange juice (feat. actual liquid juice!)
I think this is one of the very first performances they did of this track. Get into the audience participation!
Orange Caramel performed a Christmas version of this record recently. It's still great, though.
My FAVOURITE performance of this track, hands down. Orange Caramel dressed as burgers, featuring a guest appearance from Catallena herself (played by Kim Daesung). K-pop performances are usually so formulaic (understandably considering they're always filled to the brim with choreography), but it's nice to see Orange Caramel still have some fun and not follow the steps so strictly in this performance. Bringing Kim Daesung onto the stage was brilliant!
Yasssss Orange Slayage better reign with that bible of text. Catallena remains one of the best songs of the year and anyone that disagrees needs a 101 in taste.
I still haven't really clicked with their album, honestly. Their EP was great, but I felt like the album left a lot to be desired. It's a shame because they have such potential for greatness, but they just didn't followup that well. I'm not ruling them out, though, because they could easily come back with something astonishing. I also think the Lorde comparisons are ruining them a bit.
I meant to include this in my writeup but "oh my gosh, look at her butt!" has been the unofficial slogan to Nicki's career ever since she hit the mainstream. The song is so brilliantly Nicki Minaj and absolutely no one else could have pulled it off in the way she did.
I really like Katy! On a Mission was really great, and she didn't disappoint with her followup. "Crying For No Reason" might just be her magnum opus. Maybe. She has a couple of contenders.
You can't go wrong with "Oh My Gosh, Look At Her Butt"
Agree completely! Crying For No Reason is on another level. It really has such a nice build. One of my favorite songs of the year.
Loyal is a great bounce track, especially if you ignore the lyrics. So I agree completely with what you said. He really hit on something with a couple of the X tracks.
As I'm typing this, holy cow this Ashton Shuffle track is amazing!
Your write-up for Orange Caramel was also a good read
Nicki was the perfect person to use that sample and we need more fun songs like this. 
Anaconda and Crying For No Reason in your Top 15 
Performances.
It's still great, though.
