Top 50 Songs of 2021

[dremolus - solarpunk]

#9. Yoru Ni Kakeru by YOASOBI

Okay I know I’m cheating a ton by using a song originally released in 2019 but in all fairness, this song didn’t truly grow on me until this year, it was at least released on their debut EP released in January, and I couldn't go a year without talking about this song, especially since it was one of the songs that defined my year. It's pretty much common knowledge at this point how the jaunty and upbeat dance melody and vibe can be a bit of a tone clash with the lyrics discussing a love story with a double suicide. But I'd like to add that: 1. all of YOASOBI's works are based on short stories and I think they do the story justice, and 2. even if that context is a bit jarring, I think that doesn't take away from the great infectious beat, melody, and hook. And paradoxically, you could argue that it being so catchy is in line with the temptation...but look, everyone who loves this song isn't in it for the lyrics. It can join the pantheon of great upbeat sounding songs with depressing lyrics. It hasn't stopped anyone from listening to say 99 Luftballoons or Every Breath You Take, and it shouldn't stop it now. There's a reason YOASOBI's one of the biggest acts in Japanese music right now: they make great pop music that's catchy on the surface and can draw you in with great fantastical storytelling if you take the time to dig deeper.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Friends}Mayman HamedM1 💔  ramona wants sleep rekwiem razorshark  Daryl the Beryl  willapted33  GP  Choco  Crimsonio  rom  samo🦕  peacebone  wheatsquares33  bornfearless2000  fearlessarrow  filthy  Leaf  lyhom  Web  Nick P  wrip  rimetm  BB🌕  kimberly  kindofbiased  MoD  otaviohmg  trilogy  Sambalada  Rose "Payola" Nylund  singingrulebritannia  violentdreams  walt91  𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤  Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ  Darkest Hour

[dremolus - solarpunk]

#8. Good Girls (Don't Get Used) by Beach Bunny

And speaking of great pop music with a subtle edge one of Beach Bunny's best ever songs - perhaps their best ever? -  and a great reason why they're one of my favorite pop rock bands right now. A great brash and proud assertion from Lili Trifilio to prod the guy to stop messing around and be up front, stop playing games but also a reminder that she's not one to be played with. For me, the line that's always resonated with was this: you're not a ghost, I'm not afraid of you. Simple, a bit basic, and with a sly use of current gen z lingo but as she asks in the song entails, straightforward and direct. She's been clear about who she is, why can't the guy? Couple that with familiar but effective pop rock instrumentals, I feel that Beach Bunny's breakthrough should be coming any time soon. They're adolescent twee Gen Z in the best way.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Friends}Mayman HamedM1 💔  ramona wants sleep rekwiem razorshark  Daryl the Beryl  willapted33  GP  Choco  Crimsonio  rom  samo🦕  peacebone  wheatsquares33  bornfearless2000  fearlessarrow  filthy  Leaf  lyhom  Web  Nick P  wrip  rimetm  BB🌕  kimberly  kindofbiased  MoD  otaviohmg  trilogy  Sambalada  Rose "Payola" Nylund  singingrulebritannia  violentdreams  walt91  𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤  Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ  Darkest Hour

[dremolus - solarpunk]

#7. bang by Haru Nemuri


But if you want a song that's a bit more dense, full of political anxiety and stress from information about global news we're all too aware of at the moment, and yet despite all that will still sing for life just to embrace it, yeah you've got one of Haru Nemuri's best ever songs here and my favorite rock song of the year. Where her wordy, almost spoken word concerns are real, honest, and true and yet she's still find a way to have spark to explode, have that burst of energy especially on the final chorus where the guitars shred for one of the best final hooks of the year. It's an incredible powerful song and a statement I think most of us could use right now, and I could all just break down into one simple word: bang!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Friends}Mayman HamedM1 💔  ramona wants sleep rekwiem razorshark  Daryl the Beryl  willapted33  GP  Choco  Crimsonio  rom  samo🦕  peacebone  wheatsquares33  bornfearless2000  fearlessarrow  filthy  Leaf  lyhom  Web  Nick P  wrip  rimetm  BB🌕  kimberly  kindofbiased  MoD  otaviohmg  trilogy  Sambalada  Rose "Payola" Nylund  singingrulebritannia  violentdreams  walt91  𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤  Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ  Darkest Hour

[dremolus - solarpunk]

#5. I Hate You, I Love You by Little Simz

I feel like I could have put any Little Simz song here and no one would really disagree if I said it was the best hip-hop single of the year. It's just been great to see her gain a critical following while still being one of the best lyricists in rap right now and without having to compromise her feminist vision. And while 'Introvert' was a great teaser and 'Woman' is one of best female empowerment songs I've heard in a while, we have to talk about one of the best songs on the album, one of the most personal and touching. It's a long, in depth, look at fathers; both the love for the good times she's had and in how she used to view him as her hero but also the hate in the trauma and abandonment. And it's the latter side that's most interesting, because Simz makes it clear she does not want the hate to rule her life but she also doesn't know how to let go. It's a decoupling she's still in the path of doing, of humanizing family, but it's a necessary one if she's to be a strong woman. It's a powerful song that needs to be heard but most importantly dissected and analyzed, along with the rest of her album. Statements this complete don't come often, especially in rap, and I think we need to treasure that.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Friends}Mayman HamedM1 💔  ramona wants sleep rekwiem razorshark  Daryl the Beryl  willapted33  GP  Choco  Crimsonio  rom  samo🦕  peacebone  wheatsquares33  bornfearless2000  fearlessarrow  filthy  Leaf  lyhom  Web  Nick P  wrip  rimetm  BB🌕  kimberly  kindofbiased  MoD  otaviohmg  trilogy  Sambalada  Rose "Payola" Nylund  singingrulebritannia  violentdreams  walt91  𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤  Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ  Darkest Hour

[dremolus - solarpunk]

#4. All Too Well (10 Minute Version) by Taylor Swift

...I mean, duh!

I debated for a bit whether or not I would include this song - even thought about just leaving this as the highest honorable mention. But ultimately the experience of listening to the full 10 minute version was first experienced this year. And besides, I couldn’t go this year without mentioning the year’s best hit and already one of the best ever songs to top the charts in history.

Because yeah, it really is as amazing as everyone say it is. Like Jenny Hval’s Jupiter, you barely notice this goes by, even with it going 10 minutes. The pacing and construction of going Verse-Hook-Verse-Hook and pause before the final verse and hook and a final two minutes just allowing you to breathe. Taylor's storytelling has never been as strong as it's been, the detail in showing how a relationship starts but turns into tragedy, melodramatic sure but like the best of her songs, it's all done with a sincere and human touch. And since this is one of the re-recorded versions for her version of Red, her more adult and mature vocals along with the improved instrumentation that shows how much she's grown since 2012, it's a sight to behold. But all that begs the question: if a song that good with all these elements of heartbreak while also showing true artistic growth is only number 4 on this list, what could possible be better?

SPOILER: Click to show

{Friend}Mayman HamedM1 💔  ramona wants sleep rekwiem razorshark  Daryl the Beryl  willapted33  GP  Choco  Crimsonio  rom  samo🦕  peacebone  wheatsquares33  bornfearless2000  fearlessarrow  filthy  Leaf  lyhom  Web  Nick P  wrip  rimetm  BB🌕  kimberly  kindofbiased  MoD  otaviohmg  trilogy  Sambalada  Rose "Payola" Nylund  singingrulebritannia  violentdreams  walt91  𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤  Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ  Darkest Hour

[dremolus - solarpunk]

#3. The Princess and the Clock by Kero Kero Bonito

When I first heard this song back in February, I immediately knew this would be a shoe-in for the Top 3 of this year, hell for a few months, I thought it would be the best song of 2021. Kero Kero Bonito’s best ever song that like All Too Well tells a story and one with a larger scope, and yet the fact they're able to tell what is presented as a legend, a fairy tale in less than 4 minutes, while still showing a complete journey shows why they've been one of my favorite electropop acts of the 2010s. And this is them at their best: one of Sarah's best ever vocal performances, the mystical and fantastical tone of the instrumental with one of the best drops and bridges of the year, it's just a beautiful pop song and even with all the darkness KKB have always dabbled in, they show true genuine optimism can be just as inspiring in a time of nihilism and pessimism. It really is a song that I think speaks for itself.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Friends}Mayman HamedM1 💔  ramona wants sleep rekwiem razorshark  Daryl the Beryl  willapted33  GP  Choco  Crimsonio  rom  samo🦕  peacebone  wheatsquares33  bornfearless2000  fearlessarrow  filthy  Leaf  lyhom  Web  Nick P  wrip  rimetm  BB🌕  kimberly  kindofbiased  MoD  otaviohmg  trilogy  Sambalada  Rose "Payola" Nylund  singingrulebritannia  violentdreams  walt91  𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤  Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ  Darkest Hour

[dremolus - solarpunk]

#2. Hall of Mirrors by Let's Eat Grandma 

So in my unpublished list for the best songs of 2019, I had Let's Eat Grandma in my top 5 of that year and since then, I wondered if maybe I'd overhyped them a bit too much. I was just getting into more indie music, maybe if they come back I wouldn't love them as much given how much indie pop I've listened to since then.

Well I'm more than glad to be proven wrong and that yes, Let's Eat Grandma is one of the more interesting and promising acts in indie pop right now. Given they're rather unorthodox experimentation, I recognize they're not for everyone but personally, this song struck a chord with me that few songs really matched this year. And while I could talk about the great use of silence in the song, the gorgeous sax solo towards the end, the great piano against the buzzing synths, for me it's something beyond the music. That feeling of being trapped in your own head, feeling dazed and hypnagogic stumbling around...and in the middle of the rain, finding calm and peace when you remember the love others have for you. It's something special that I don't think I'll ever be able to properly write down how much this song touches me emotionally. And that's fine, art this good can certainly leave you speechless or at a loss of words, and at the end of the day, resonate in a way only you know. And it's something I'm truly greatful for.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Friends}Mayman HamedM1 💔  ramona wants sleep rekwiem razorshark  Daryl the Beryl  willapted33  GP  Choco  Crimsonio  rom  samo🦕  peacebone  wheatsquares33  bornfearless2000  fearlessarrow  filthy  Leaf  lyhom  Web  Nick P  wrip  rimetm  BB🌕  kimberly  kindofbiased  MoD  otaviohmg  trilogy  Sambalada  Rose "Payola" Nylund  singingrulebritannia  violentdreams  walt91  𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤  Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ  Darkest Hour

[dremolus - solarpunk]

#1. Unfold by Porter Robinson and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

Not gonna mince words, by the mid-point of last year. I knew this would be my number one song of the year, no doubt about it

But before I go on, personally I do want to address something. If there’s one thing I regret about my list last year it’s that I didn’t have Porter Robinson in my honorable mentions. I don’t regret placements of my list, I stand by most of it, but I do feel it was a missed opportunity not mentioning Something Comforting or Mirror last year. Well I'm more than glad to have made up for that mistake in hindsight in a big way!

Everything I said about Let's Eat Grandma in terms of a personal, emotional attachment applies here albeit in a less abstract form. It's a moment of finally letting go of yourselves; finally allowing others to share your personal weight that you feel you've had to shoulder for as long as you've been quiet about it. It's a feeling of joyous and euphoric optimism that doesn't feel plastic or bubblegum and yet is also authentic, and real. Every time the chorus comes in with the clattering percussion and Porter utters the simple phrase "And I watched the water unfold, It's a feeling I want you to know" it hits me in a way very few art really has. And after the up and down year I and many folks have had, a song that really spoke about a sense of optimism and positivity that can be achieved, you don't have to bear the weight of everything on your shoulders; that it is okay to ask for and you'll be all the more happier for it, I don't see what other song could've topped this list.

It's about as close to perfect as you could ask for in music, a song I think is truly timeless, and will go down as one of the best songs made this decade...but I think I've said enough and I should just let the song speak for itself.

The best song of 2021 by a good margin, let's see what 2022 has to reveal when it unfolds. 

SPOILER: Click to show

{Friends}Mayman HamedM1 💔  ramona wants sleep rekwiem razorshark  Daryl the Beryl  willapted33  GP  Choco  Crimsonio  rom  samo🦕  peacebone  wheatsquares33  bornfearless2000  fearlessarrow  filthy  Leaf  lyhom  Web  Nick P  wrip  rimetm  BB🌕  kimberly  kindofbiased  MoD  otaviohmg  trilogy  Sambalada  Rose "Payola" Nylund  singingrulebritannia  violentdreams  walt91  𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤  Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ  Darkest Hour

[dremolus - solarpunk]

okay, big moron here. I forgot to put my #6.

#6. Good Days by SZA

I mean...what can I even add? It's one of the most acclaimed songs of last year - hell it's THE most acclaimed song that came out during 2019 on RateYourMusic's ranking. And I feel like I'd be echoing what everyone else has said. The warm guitar driven instrumental, SZA sounding great, the outro with Jacob Collier that's the best thing he's ever made, and around it all, the conflicted feelings of trying to find good days and happiness in the midst of tragedy and depression - the callback to the story of Job is very clever, one that actually gets down to the root of the gospel in not trying to find silver linings but just pushing through with your strength. It is just a beautiful...but you don't need me to tell you that.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Friends}Mayman HamedM1 💔  ramona wants sleep rekwiem razorshark  Daryl the Beryl  willapted33  GP  Choco  Crimsonio  rom  samo🦕  peacebone  wheatsquares33  bornfearless2000  fearlessarrow  filthy  Leaf  lyhom  Web  Nick P  wrip  rimetm  BB🌕  kimberly  kindofbiased  MoD  otaviohmg  trilogy  Sambalada  Rose "Payola" Nylund  singingrulebritannia  violentdreams  walt91  𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕖𝕓𝕤  Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ  Darkest Hour

[wrip]

Haven’t listened to Hall of Mirrors (I’m sure it’s solid though) but everything else in this top 10 is amazing!! Definitely agree that these are some of the highlights of 2021 in music

[Deleted]

based #1 if it wasn't obvious already, nurture and songs like unfold in general really helped keep my head above water when i was transitioning out of teenhood and i was uncertain about where i would head to later on in life, it pushed (but not anything over the brink, one at a time) me to realize that a thousand things could've happened to me in the last few years that would've made me fall after staying on all fours for so long in the process of changing, and that maybe things would become nicer for a change

i'm not actually okay or at least can find the exact words to help me get okay, but i've been helped and i can allow myself to go up further from here, and porter's music was one entity that helped me around when the song came out

[GP]

Good Days was def missing, nice!