dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 21, 2021 11:00:07 GMT -5
It's finally here.
2020 is in the driver's seat and thank God! I think no one will disagree with saying last year SUCKED and I don't need to elaborate why. And yet, if I'm being honest, there were actually a lot of silver linings that happened last year. Most importantly, more than any year of my life, I listened to a lot of music this year: over 200+ albums and hundreds and hundreds of individual songs. I discovered artists and genres I never thought I'd get in to. And I got more engaged in the music listening community on forums and servers. And now, after a long and arduous year in the making, I've finally decided on what my favorite songs of last year were. The songs that made the biggest impact on me and helped me get me through all the s**t that happened over the last 12 or so months.
In terms of what a single is: any song that was released ahead of an album release or was given an music video is a single in my eyes. Of my two lists though, this was the hardest to put together: mostly because while I listened to a lot of music, a big factor of this list is replayability outside of albums. Certain songs hit harder because of their placement in tracklists but unless I went back to the albums in full, a few artists will not make this list. And because replayability is such a big factor for me in determining my favorite songs of the year, my enjoyment of certain songs varied from week to week. Overplay lead to songs being down more than I expected while some songs grew on me in ways I did not expect. Even until today, the positions changed once again. Lastly, a rule of one song per artist. There was a lot of great music released by a variety of artists and across both lists, I want to highlight as many of them as possible.
A few questions to make this interesting: 1. How many "hit" songs will be on this list? 2. What will be the highest hit song? 3. How many pop songs will be here? 4. How many rap? 5. What critically acclaimed song/s will get completely snubbed?
I'll be revealing in about 12 hours
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Post by GP on Jan 21, 2021 14:39:30 GMT -5
Dua sweeping
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 21, 2021 23:02:57 GMT -5
#50. WHATS POPPIN by Jack Harlow
This is the catchiest rap song I heard all year, and I don't mean that hyperbolically. It's rare when I know every line of a song, let alone a rap song, but this is one where I've memorized every line. Sure, it helps that's only one verse and the hook twice, but when the flow is this catchy, the instrumental with it's piano loop doesn't overstay its welcome - unlike the remix, and Jack Harlow's sly charisma. And the lyric "Dark haired bitch and she look like Shego": classic
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rom
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Post by rom on Jan 21, 2021 23:14:47 GMT -5
whats poppin a penitentiary is what tory lanez should’ve hopped in i got options i c
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 21, 2021 23:20:03 GMT -5
#49. ROUGH 7 by JPEGMAFIA feat. Tommy Genesis
JPEGMAFIA released a ton of singles last year of them all, I did not expect this one would be my favorite. This was one of the least liked singles JPEGMAFIA released last year and I can understand why as it is very lowkey. Unlike other JPEGMAFIA songs, it's not so much about in-your-face manic energy, this song is rather more about the low, simmering atmosphere beneath the surface with the Brandy sample giving it such a seductive vibe that I love. And the sample really helps give Tommy Gensis this dominant, sexual aura around her that for once it's not Peggy who's not the star of the show, it's her. I've been aware of her rather blunt sexual trap sound for awhile and this is one of best performances I've ever heard and I really hope she continues this route. Again, I understand if it doesn't hit as hard of other Peggy songs but once you dig in to the vibe, you can help but be roughed up.
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willapted33
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Post by willapted33 on Jan 21, 2021 23:45:30 GMT -5
ngl this was my least favourite of his 2020 singles but it’s still cool to see him land on this list
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 22, 2021 3:26:55 GMT -5
#48. Look the Other Way by Katie Pruitt
Potential spoiler for the rest of this list but you won't see a lot of "protest songs" on this list. Now don't get me wrong, a lot of them were really good, especially in June in light of movements like BLM...but that's also my issue with them. As we're starting to move towards small progress, a lot of their impact gets muted and doesn't hold the same punch as when they were first released. Again, many were very good - and I much prefer these songs than the cynical "charity" songs released or songs directly addressing the pandemic, but as I said earlier, a big factor of this list is replayability and if I don't return to this songs after all the anger had died down, then they don't make this list.
That said, there are two protest songs that I think went above & beyond and are still as powerful as when they were first released, and this is the first one. Katie Pruitt has been one of the breakout stars this year, in my opinion. Just such a powerfully progressive voice in country music and while songs like Normal and Expectations are fantastic cuts, it's this that really spoke out to a real anger. Yes, there are shots at the former president of the United States - especially a nice nod to his photo op - but more than anything it's talking to those on the sidelines. Nihilists and doomers who've given up changing anything and who're content to say "that's the way it is" as opposed to trying to make even incremental change. Essentially it's a righteous middle finger to both those who abuse power and those who perpetuate them by not doing anything, and it strikes a similar chord to when The 1975 released 'People': frustrated and angry and even bleak, but still offering hope and unity nonetheless. Sometimes, saying "we want peace and love" are the right things to say.
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 22, 2021 3:29:46 GMT -5
47. Ms. California by Beach Bunny
It's a bit difficult to explain why Beach Bunny does so much for me because on the surface, she's making rather simple pop rock material. And yet as I'll show across both my lists, sometimes simplicity is all you need, especially when you've got solid melodies and Lili Trifilio being able to sell youthful and adolescent yearning without being irritating or cliche. Not much to say except it's cute and charming.
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 22, 2021 3:41:50 GMT -5
46. Oh How We Drift Away by Weyes Blood
It's been great to see that even in a year where she didn't release any proper material, Natalie Mering has still been making moves after a great 2019: helping the Killers out on their latest album and basically stealing the show Tim Heidecker's latest album, being on most of the tracks and closing out the album with this stunning, quiet, and beautiful ballad to drifting away naturally from friends. And it hits the exact right tone this song deserves: bittersweet, mournful, even a bit tragic we can never reclaim that magic we had...but still appreciating that it happened anyway. It's a great showcase that Natalie is here to stay and we're all the better for it.
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 22, 2021 3:49:35 GMT -5
45. xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx (Remix) by 100 gecs feat. Tommy Cash and Hannah Diamond
Now for the longest time, the 100 gec representative was going to be Dorian Electra's remix of gec 2 Ü, but while I eventually went with this, both would've been here for the same reasons. Both are improvements upon the original in both writing and composition. Both showcase the meme-factor of the gecs while still showing a genuine love for pop music. Both have parts that took time to grow on me, in this case Tommy Cash's Pitbull-isms and their verse finally grew on me upon my latest listen of the album. And at the end of the day, both are a ton of fun. I expect to see more of Dylan Brady and Laura Les on lists like these going forward, especially if they're more pop like this.
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 22, 2021 4:04:28 GMT -5
44. One Night Standards by Ashley McBryde
For awhile, I really thought this was going to be my favorite country song of the year. I remember hearing this for the first time and being stunned at how bold Ashley McBryde was in her writing, and I got even more excited when it actually got a push from Nashville radio! The writing is the star of the show: I love how honest she is in painting a picture of a quick one night stand, where both of them think they need this...and there's a sense both of them know they're going to end up more miserable even more. Sour and rather black for a country song, but it's not melodramatic either because she's able to sell the earnestness in her voice. Now it's cooled down on me since I first heard it back in January but it's still a fantastic song and with country becoming bigger than it has in over a decade and with her also having major label backing, I can't wait for Ashley McBryde to be heard by even more people.
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 22, 2021 4:11:47 GMT -5
43. Don't Stop by Megan Thee Stallion feat. Young Thug
BANGER! Just wow! Jokes aside, the first minute of this song, I would easily say is a career best for Megan. The demented and harsh synths that sound like if P.C. Music made a trap song, Megan's flow and wordplay that's so dominant and nasty, and the hook which is Megan's best chorus to date. So with all that praise, why isn't this higher? Well honestly, Young Thug doesn't exactly match the Megan's energy and doesn't flow as well against the harsh production, maybe a tighter flow or voice would've helped, and even Megan's second verse don't quite hit as hard as her first verse. That, and Megan would have another starmaking performance on another song that's coming soon...but in the meantime, yeah, this incredible and shows a bright future for Ms. Stallion.
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𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤
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Post by 𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤 on Jan 22, 2021 4:12:25 GMT -5
STANK AZZ WALK
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 22, 2021 4:18:58 GMT -5
42. FRANCHISE by Travis Scott feat. Young Thug and M.I.A.
I'm actually a bit sad this hit number one when chart watchers were expecting otherwise, because without that stigma of gaming sales to top the charts, I think this is easily Travis' best song since the best of ASTROWORLD. The verses and lyricism might not be as tight as his best but the energy of the track is wild, I can see this doing amazing live. Young Thug though has his best verse in awhile, not just flow-wise and playing off the hard bass but also in his bars. I'm even one of the few who'll defend M.I.A.'s verse, I think she adds some color and weird energy to the track and her flow is a lot sharper than detractors will give her credit. I really think once it's stigma as a gamed number one goes away, this will be looked at as the trap banger that it is.
{Frinds}
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𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤
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Post by 𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤 on Jan 22, 2021 4:19:59 GMT -5
“Franchise” is such a banger, wish it became an actual hit
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 22, 2021 4:25:03 GMT -5
41. Bittersweet by Lianne La Havas
I mean...I feel like there's not much I can add nor should I add. Lianne La Havas has already been praised across the board by everyone who's listened to one of her songs that me saying her voice is beautiful or that the instrumentation is beautifully organic or that the writing is subtly nuanced, feels like I'm saying "2+2=4". The music speaks for itself and if you're still wondering why Lianne La Havas has been on so many lists including mine, I'd suggest going out and just listening to her material. R&B this good doesn't need much explaining.
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 22, 2021 4:32:23 GMT -5
Honorable Mentions Round 1:
Natural in Three Movements by Alexis Marshall
I really hope we get more material either from Alexis Marshall or from Daughters soon.
SULA (Paperback) by Jamila Woods
There was a lot of good R&B this year
Bootlicker by Mr. Muthaf**kin' eXquire
Alright, there are three protests songs on this list, not two.
Teenage Headache Dreams by Mura Masa feat. Ellie Roswell
Wasn't really a fan of Mura Masa's latest project but it did give us this one game
Staying Power by Emma Ruth Rundle
If you're in the mood to brood, this should do the trick
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Post by fearlessarrow on Jan 22, 2021 5:44:55 GMT -5
I never thought I'd see a country song here but yes at "One Night Standards"!
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Post by Sambalada on Jan 22, 2021 7:30:58 GMT -5
Oh wow what a great list! "Bittersweet"? "One Night Standard"? "I wud never stop u"? "DON'T STOP"??! Dang
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GP
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Post by GP on Jan 22, 2021 9:10:17 GMT -5
I highly recommend Phony Ppl's Megan collab 'Fckn Around'!!
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 22, 2021 10:11:10 GMT -5
I highly recommend Phony Ppl's Megan collab 'Fckn Around'!! I did listen to Fkn Around last year. It's a good song but tbh Megan really overshadowed Phony Ppl, I think the song would've been better if it was just her
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GP
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Post by GP on Jan 22, 2021 10:41:11 GMT -5
I highly recommend Phony Ppl's Megan collab 'Fckn Around'!! I did listen to Fkn Around last year. It's a good song but tbh Megan really overshadowed Phony Ppl, I think the song would've been better if it was just her true, her part >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 24, 2021 0:03:24 GMT -5
#40. Delete Forever by Grimes
I don't know how Grimes does but even when she puts out underwhelming music or projects, she still finds as way to make it on to my lists of my favorite songs of the year. This is the third year in a row she did this and while this isn't better than 'We Appreciate Power' or 'My Name is Dark', this still a pretty good song. Grimes has flirted with acoustic guitars before on cuts like California and here the chipper summer vibe is countered by the lyrics. They create an atmosphere of the hot, slow sun eating away as you fall deeper into demons and even lose friends to opioid addiction. It's a surprisingly dark song, one of the more difficult songs to return to because of how bleak it all feels but it's one but still a rather beautiful nonetheless, especially when the banjos and strings come on.
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 24, 2021 0:18:17 GMT -5
#39. Sweet by Porridge Radio
Now if you a song that's both gritty in both content and composition, Porridge Radio should satisfy your need. Both a great throwback to 90s grunge and a good opener to their album - one of the best cuts on their album even - it's a simple straightforward roar back at all the expectations frontwoman Dana Margolin has gotten from society. Accompanied by blasts of noisy guitars, Margolin is the star of the show. Her delivery and writing full of British bite, sarcasm, and cynicism, yet there's still a sultry, seductiveness to the song, almost tempting you to join her in the true sweetness of life.
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 24, 2021 0:27:02 GMT -5
#38. Trust Nothing But Love by Haru Nemuri
Haru Nemuri is a very difficult artist to get into. Between the wild genre experimentation, the rapid spoken-word delivery, and the abstract poetic writing, she definitely does not make music for everyone; she can seem a bit to obtuse. And yet, there's such a wild sense of ambition and creativity in her work that even when I don't completely understand it (even after I find translations of the lyrics), I can't help but respect it. This was my favorite song of her latest EP: the J-rock sounding guitars, with the twinkling keys, the subtle bass, and especially the great drum work throughout the song, and Haru Nemuri's fast delivery all create this frantic, stressful energy that make this more than just a simple love song, especially when Nemuri starts growling to a surprisingly effective moment. And once you translate the lyrics: a desire to find and cherish love while filled with anxiety and seeing love as the only part of existence worth caring about, it's complex yet the charisma and wild energy make it even more populist and universal. Again, not for everyone but for those willing, I hope you give this a shot.
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𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤
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Post by 𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤 on Jan 24, 2021 0:44:38 GMT -5
“Damn Daniel” is a perfect song
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 24, 2021 1:04:36 GMT -5
#37. SOUL LADY by YUKIKA
I mentioned earlier that sometimes doing the simple things effectively can be enough and when you have a genre as simple as city pop, a singer as naturally charismatic as Yukika Teramoto, and enough pretty nightly atmosphere to the city sound like so much fun - again, it might be a simple song but it's this luscious, I don't see why that should be a bad thing.
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dremolus - solarpunk
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 24, 2021 1:04:48 GMT -5
#36. 1985 by Freddie Gibbs and the Alchemist
And speaking of doing the simple things right, you could make an argument both Freddie Gibbs and the Alchemist have made countless songs like this. Hell especially in 2020, I heard a lot of cocaine rap songs produced by The Alchemist thanks to Griselda. And yet every time I think I'm done with Freddie Gibbs or thinks he needs to evolve, the reasons why he's lasted this long come back: his effortless charisma, the great flow against the electric guitars, the bars to The Last Dance and Tiger King that somehow don't feel dated even now, and just the fun both men are having on this track. If you're tired of this style and song, I understand...but I'm sick of the coke just yet.
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 24, 2021 1:05:34 GMT -5
#35. Midnight Sky by Miley Cyrus
I'm a bit scared to put this song on my list, not because it's a guilty pleasure or that I dislike Miley Cyrus but because it's the type of song I know, given Miley's track of changing genres with every album and a lack of solid identity at this point, it's the type of song she will never make again. Because yeah, this is easily one of Miley's best ever songs. The matured grit in her voice, the pulsating 80s groove, and one of Miley's best ever hooks, again it's the type of lightning in a bottle we'll never see again, or at least not consistently, but since it is here: Miley's never lit up the sky so brightly as this song
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Post by dremolus - solarpunk on Jan 24, 2021 1:05:56 GMT -5
#34. DAMN DANIEL by Bree Runway and Yung Baby Tate
This is just one of those cases where there's just so much to love, it's hard to know where to begin. The 80s hip-hop beat with the sharp snares and synths - plus the music video and the costumes, Bree Runway and Yung Baby Tate's fun chemistry - with Tate having my favorite verse of the two, the great hook - especially the final one where they start harmonizing together, and even the fact they managed to make a reference to a cringey meme from four years ago work and be funnier than the meme itself. It's just a super fun track that establishes both artists as stars to follow in the coming years.
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