This generic tune sees the superstar Scottish DJ jump on board the tropical train at a time when most of his contemporaries have already spent a night in the sleeping car. Harris's voice remains a subtly strong asset -- especially in instances like this where his production is unremarkable -- and he doesn't try to do too much with it, keeping its usage to two 37-word verses that get the point of the song across and subsequently scram. The guitar among the instrumentation is a little twist from what you might expect in a tropical song, and it works well. Though Harris can obviously do better than the vanilla breakdown, it's a pleasing hook that's easy to nod your head to. Although My Way is inevitably ephemeral, it's a solid showcase of Harris's ability to craft a pleasant song from a few basic ingredients. It's also a tremendous running song.
This position in 2015: Andy Grammer - Honey, I'm Good. This position in 2014: OneRepublic - Love Runs Out
Chance The Rapper f/Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz - No Problem
7.4/10
This song is blissfully defiant, Chance reveling in his independence at every chance he gets. The distorted gospel choir surprisingly works really well, making the song sound less like a bunch of angry thoughts and more like an uplifting anthem for up-and-coming artists. I just wish Chance didn't use so much autotune, as it ruins his verse for me– though the rousing chorus is still effective. 2 Chainz's verse isn't all that noteworthy, and it adds enough length to the song to somewhat deter repeated listens. It doesn't feel like a slog; it's just not useful to the song at all. Lil Wayne's joyful part is a highlight, and I always smile when he "hits" his relatively high notes. Besides the aforementioned choir, though, the track doesn't stand out technically (dare I say that a Grammy-nominated song has fairly basic production), but the sentiments expressed in it make it a worthwhile listen.
This position in 2015: Rae Sremmurd f/Young Thug & Nicki Minaj - Throw Sum Mo This position in 2014: Chris Brown f/Usher & Rick Ross - New Flame
Incidentally, listening to 24K Magic is like spending time in the city where its music video was shot; upon first glance, it is positively gleaming, carrying with it a seemingly permanent aura of excitement and luxury. But after prolonged exposure, it seems rather unnecessary, overdone to the point where some parts just seem downright obnoxious (like his Desiigner adlib during the first verse or the lyric "hashtag blessed" in the second). But Mars's personality ensures that he doesn't come across as excessively cheesy and contrived, and his ability to deftly integrate throwback sounds into modern pop music comes in handy once again. The vocoder intro is fantastic, and the gorgeous synth in the hook elevates it from good to great. And in a year where the mainstream was relatively lacking in straight-up fun songs, Mars provided one.
This position in 2015: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis et al. - Downtown This position in 2014: A Great Big World - Say Something w/Christina Aguilera
This is the kind of song designed to keep the listeners on the edges of their seats, but after around a minute and a half that becomes nearly impossible. I don't think the chorus needs to be repeated so many times–especially when the prechorus is catchier anyway–and I sure as hell don't think that the outro needed to be 145 seconds long. The brooding instrumentation should dramatize the atmosphere, but it is more sedative than it is captivating. That said, I find the premise of the song quite fascinating, albeit unrelatable. The juxtaposition of such a smooth, beautiful voice with dark tales of self-reflection is also interesting, though I would have liked this track a lot better if Abel was a bit more organized with his thoughts.
This position in 2015: David Guetta f/Sam Martin - Dangerous This position in 2014: Sage The Gemini f/Nick Jonas - Good Thing
no problem (and the parent album) really is fantastic. 24k magic grew a LOT on me. i think the production is still better than the song itself but booyyyyyyy it sounds good on the radio (which is probably what it was designed for)
Acquainted is/was cute from what I remember.
24K Magic Was slightly disappointed at first listen, now I really really love it, especially after the album release.
Was slightly disappointed at first listen, now I really really love it, especially after the album release.
I hope he releases a song with no features in 2016 
