Otherwise, nothing will change- I'll still be doing music and movies, beginning with this article. For those who don't care- come back in February, at which point things will return to their regularly scheduled programming, as it were. Thanks for your patience! Let's get on with it...
The Best in Pop Music - 2019
I was a DJ back in my college days, and every year, I would do several shows featuring my favorite pop, rock and dance songs of the year. I miss doing it, and have been meaning to do it here for some time, but never quite got around to it. This time around, I intentionally mapped out the entire month to do a bunch of end-of-the-year lists, so, since I skipped it last year, I decided to kick things off with some lists of that nature, including a few other categories, just for fun. Hope you like it!
Pop Singles of the Year
Song of the Year: "Bad Guy" - Billie Eilish
I first heard Eilish in the show 13 Reasons Why and subsequently, like I have a tendency to do when I hear someone I like a lot, sought out her other stuff. I remember thinking, the relatively staid "Ocean Eyes" notwithstanding (which could pass for a Lana Del Rey song): they'll certainly never play this on the radio. Especially something as radical as, say, "You Should See Me in a Crown" or "Bury a Friend."
Cue Simon Cowell dissing her not once, but twice on America's Got Talent, when her songs came up as the background music for two different acts, seemingly proving my prediction. Yep, Billie was too weird for the mainstream, just as I thought. I mean, just look at her nightmare fuel music videos. This was clearly the stuff of Goth/Emo kids, right? What a difference a year makes.
It may have taken a hot minute, but this song, released at the same time as her debut full-length album in 2019 (after several singles dating back to 2015 and an EP in 2017), and the fifth single overall from it, finally got her to the top of the charts, as did the album itself, after a couple of Top 40 hits.
As with her other singles I mentioned, this is not exactly the sort of thing that screams "hit single." It's patently weird, minimalist, and changes into something else completely, musically, about 3/4s of the way into the song, like something, say, Stereolab would have done back in the day.
The lyrics bring to mind another unlikely hit, Tove Lo's "Habits (Stay High)," which also details a girl who might just go after your dad, sexually- though Eilish is just nice enough to warn her mom she might not want to listen to this one, lol. The song marks the youngest artist to top the charts since Lorde did the trick with "Royals" back in 2013, as Eilish was all of 17 when the song was released.
That's fitting, as the song certainly owes a debt to Lorde's, among other diverse sources you might not expect, i.e. the theme song from the video game "Plants vs. Zombies," the sound of a crosswalk, etc. It's probably also the first hit pop song to be inspired by, of all things, the theme song from Wizards of Waverly Place- not a joke: peep this.
Not that she did it completely alone, as her brother, Finneas, has co-produced and co-written a lot of her material, including this one, which she readily acknowledges. It's deceptively simple-sounding, but much more layered than one might think- here's a fascinating inside look at Billie and Finneas' process in making the song.
Hers is one of the most unique voices out there, and stylistically, she's damn near without peer, marching to the beat of her own drummer and then some. That something like this could be successful on its own terms is a good sign, indeed, moving forward into the 2020s. Her music and lyrics may be dark and foreboding, but damned if it doesn't give me hope for the future of music.
Runners-Up, in no particular order:
"7 Rings" - Ariana Grande
Ari ended 2018 with the break-up anthem "Thank U Next," which actually took the high road, in spite of its snarky-sounding title, acknowledging the contributions of her former BFs to her life in a mostly positive way, while allowing there was a reason things didn't work out.
Despite this, two of her subsequent singles, "Break Up With Your Boyfriend, I'm Bored" and "Girlfriend" (featuring Social House), belied the fact that she still had a ways to go before she reached top-tier maturity. (See also the aggressively violent videos.)
However, in "7 Rings," we see Ari stepping up in defense of her friends and herself, and letting us all know that she doesn't need a man to take care of her- she's doing just fine without them- though a little "retail therapy" doesn't hurt matters. As she puts it, "I see it, I like it, I want it, I buy it." Must be nice!
Still, it's hard to hate on her, as this attitude extends to her GFs, six of whom get their own "matching diamonds." Nothing wrong with treating your girls- at least she isn't so selfish she's all about herself, right? Also, after that whole Manchester bombing incident, she's earned a little good will for herself. I ain't mad at her. Or that sample of "My Favorite Things."
"Don't Start Now"- Dua Lipa
Cue Simon Cowell dissing her not once, but twice on America's Got Talent, when her songs came up as the background music for two different acts, seemingly proving my prediction. Yep, Billie was too weird for the mainstream, just as I thought. I mean, just look at her nightmare fuel music videos. This was clearly the stuff of Goth/Emo kids, right? What a difference a year makes.
It may have taken a hot minute, but this song, released at the same time as her debut full-length album in 2019 (after several singles dating back to 2015 and an EP in 2017), and the fifth single overall from it, finally got her to the top of the charts, as did the album itself, after a couple of Top 40 hits.
As with her other singles I mentioned, this is not exactly the sort of thing that screams "hit single." It's patently weird, minimalist, and changes into something else completely, musically, about 3/4s of the way into the song, like something, say, Stereolab would have done back in the day.
The lyrics bring to mind another unlikely hit, Tove Lo's "Habits (Stay High)," which also details a girl who might just go after your dad, sexually- though Eilish is just nice enough to warn her mom she might not want to listen to this one, lol. The song marks the youngest artist to top the charts since Lorde did the trick with "Royals" back in 2013, as Eilish was all of 17 when the song was released.
That's fitting, as the song certainly owes a debt to Lorde's, among other diverse sources you might not expect, i.e. the theme song from the video game "Plants vs. Zombies," the sound of a crosswalk, etc. It's probably also the first hit pop song to be inspired by, of all things, the theme song from Wizards of Waverly Place- not a joke: peep this.
Not that she did it completely alone, as her brother, Finneas, has co-produced and co-written a lot of her material, including this one, which she readily acknowledges. It's deceptively simple-sounding, but much more layered than one might think- here's a fascinating inside look at Billie and Finneas' process in making the song.
Hers is one of the most unique voices out there, and stylistically, she's damn near without peer, marching to the beat of her own drummer and then some. That something like this could be successful on its own terms is a good sign, indeed, moving forward into the 2020s. Her music and lyrics may be dark and foreboding, but damned if it doesn't give me hope for the future of music.
Runners-Up, in no particular order:
"7 Rings" - Ariana Grande
Ari ended 2018 with the break-up anthem "Thank U Next," which actually took the high road, in spite of its snarky-sounding title, acknowledging the contributions of her former BFs to her life in a mostly positive way, while allowing there was a reason things didn't work out.
Despite this, two of her subsequent singles, "Break Up With Your Boyfriend, I'm Bored" and "Girlfriend" (featuring Social House), belied the fact that she still had a ways to go before she reached top-tier maturity. (See also the aggressively violent videos.)
However, in "7 Rings," we see Ari stepping up in defense of her friends and herself, and letting us all know that she doesn't need a man to take care of her- she's doing just fine without them- though a little "retail therapy" doesn't hurt matters. As she puts it, "I see it, I like it, I want it, I buy it." Must be nice!
Still, it's hard to hate on her, as this attitude extends to her GFs, six of whom get their own "matching diamonds." Nothing wrong with treating your girls- at least she isn't so selfish she's all about herself, right? Also, after that whole Manchester bombing incident, she's earned a little good will for herself. I ain't mad at her. Or that sample of "My Favorite Things."
"Don't Start Now"- Dua Lipa
I adored Lipa's debut album- it was stacked to the rafters with hits, and to her credit, she does not seem to be resting on her laurels. The vibe of her forthcoming album is completely different from her previous work, with a distinct retro-disco vibe that I'm loving. And I don't mind that new blonde 'do, either.
Disco gets a lot of hate, especially from rock fans, but after grunge collapsed in on itself, I've got to say rave culture kind of saved my life- after all that doom and gloom and death, it was nice to just let everything go and dance. With my embrace of techno, aka electronica, aka EDM, aka whatever they're calling it this week, I also retroactively got into dance music of the past, and came out of it with a genuine affection for disco, a genre I, like a lot of people, had a dismissive attitude towards before that.
Realizing how influential it was, particularly in regards to the hip-hop I grew up on, I started to really dig it, and this nicely dovetailed with the rise of a certain type of dance music in the 2000's, probably best typified by the likes of Lady Gaga.
However, Gaga's take on disco was distinctly modern and techno-oriented, while Dua Lipa's version is much more like the real thing, complete with thumping bass, swirling string arrangements and catchy, empowering, yet dance-friendly lyrics.
I don't know what's going on in Dua's love life, but she sure seems to be having a good time, and she'll be damned if she lets anyone get in the way of it. Amen, sister. Can't wait for the new album.
"Sweet But Psycho"- Ava Max
Speaking of Lady Gaga, newcomer Ava Max is basically Gaga by way of someone like Melanie Martinez or the unjustly underrated Kerli, which is to say a performer that embraces the trappings of pop music, in addition to an appreciation for the darker side of things, both in her look and her overall presentation. This breakthrough track topped the charts in a whopping 22 countries, as well as landing her in the Top Ten here in the States.
Despite her enormous success, it hasn't happened without some controversy, as we're living in a world in which you can hardly do anything without offending someone. In this case, it was Max's perceived slighting of those with mental disorders, when, as she has explained, it's more about the feeling a woman gets when she's made to feel irrational because she seemingly "overreacts" to a feeling that the person she's with isn't being honest with her and is lying through their teeth about it- aka "gaslighting."
It details a woman who, as you might have guessed from the title, is "sweet but a psycho," and how a certain person should stay away because she's "out of her mind" and they'll live to regret being with her. Given Max's overall persona, it's tempting to say: "Pot, meet kettle," but, as Max details in this interview, it's actually from the position of the guy in question, as in he's the one saying these things about another girl, not Max herself saying them about a girl. It's the guy, in fact, that's making the girl feel crazy and irrational, when she has every reason to be upset with him.
That's fairly deep stuff for a pop song, and that she manages to make it catchy AF in the process is a testament to her talents. While I admit her other singles to date haven't quite grabbed me like this one, I'm still looking forward to her new album, and seeing if she can live up to this early promise. Even if she does prove to be a one-hit-wonder, it's still a hit for the vaults that I can easily see myself coming back to again and again in the years to come.
"Nightmare/Graveyard"- Halsey
Alright, this one's a bit of a cheat, but I couldn't just choose one or the other in this case. For one thing, the songs are pretty different, and though "Graveyard" might be ultimately my favorite, I couldn't not highlight a song with such a great video and which features the OG Queen, Debbie Harry, of Blondie fame, in a cameo. Halsey is hands down one of my favorite pop stars of the moment, second only to Charli XCX, maybe, and she definitely had more than a few major moments in 2018.
She started off the year topping the charts for the first time with "Without Me" (not counting her assist on The Chainsmokers' "Closer") giving an especially memorable performance of it on SNL, which she also hosted for the first, and hopefully not the last time, as she showed an unexpected propensity for comedy. Though not unprecedented- I was one of the few people that watched and enjoyed the short-lived Cameron Crowe-produced TV series Roadies, which she had a small-but-wonderfully-quirky role on. Hopefully, she'll do more acting moving forward in 2020.
She also rocked out with Yungblud and Travis Barker (of Blink 182 fame) on "11 Minutes," collaborated with Asian boy band BTS on "Boy With Luv"- which topped the charts in several countries, including their native South Korea, and made the Top Ten in the States- before releasing these songs, the first two singles from her still-forthcoming third album, Manic.
"Nightmare" is the more adventurous of the two, combining a trap-style in the verses and a sort of neo-nu-metal hook for the chorus, which samples the old t.A.T.u. hit "All The Things She Said," much to the delight of the Russian duo, who got royalties all over again. As aforementioned, the video is aces, also featuring supermodels/actresses Cara Delevingne and Suki Waterhouse and lots of sexy outfits for the singer and visuals that range from outrageously over-the-top to, well, nightmarish, like a horror movie set in the fashion world, a la Neon Demon.
Meanwhile, "Graveyard" is quirky technopop, which, as with its predecessor, features a dark underbelly, being as how Halsey equates her commitment to a lover with "digging herself deeper"- right down into the graveyard, as it were. I love the way the beats stutter and stop, which was used to great effect on a commercial for Pandora Radio, as seen here.
Honestly, though, either one making my own Top Ten is fine by me- you may prefer "Nightmare" a little more, and it is perhaps catchier and more propulsive, but I'd personally go with "Graveyard," which is more inventive in my mind, and doesn't do the sampling thing to boot- not that there's anything wrong with that. But both are great, IMHO.
"Juice" - Lizzo
Lizzo positively owned 2019, and it couldn't have happened to a more fun-loving, good-natured chick, and she did it all on her own terms, without compromising an inch. And with a flute! "Truth Hurts" and "Good as Hell" got all the glory, and I 100% understand why- see what I did there?- but I'm more inclined to dig this one, a fantastic throwback to 70's funk that hit the sweet spot for me, as I just love me some dirty rust-bucket funk.
When I was a kid, my father bought a used jukebox from a black nightclub, and promptly tossed all the records inside and replaced them with mostly country music. I was all like: I'll take that, and took possession of said records, which I really wish I still had, as worn out and dusty as they may have been, even by the time I got a hold of them. We're talking P-Funk, Gap Band, Rick James, The Time, Dazz, Fatback, The Ohio Players, Midnight Starr, and plenty more where that came from. Hell, there was even a little Steely Dan.
"Juice" is absolutely a throwback to that sort of music, with a little bit of Bruno Mars-style gloss to modernize it a little. Factor in a fun video, and you have a track that should have gotten more love than it did- though it did serve the purpose of announcing to the world a new talent that was quite unlike anything we'd ever seen before, so there's that. "Truth Hurts" and "Good as Hell" came later, and were accordingly tacked onto the album retroactively, but "Juice" is where it's at as far as I'm concerned.
"Living Proof" - Camila Cabello
One of a whopping seven singles (including her previously-released collab with BF Shawn Mendes, "Señorita") from her long-awaited second album, Romance- honestly, I could have picked any number of them for this list, as all were pretty diverse and eclectic and different from one another- but I ultimately went with this one, a stand-out because of its inventive arrangement and Cabello's vocal gymnastics.
It also does a great job of replicating the ins-and-outs and hesitation of falling in love musically, being as it is the musical equivalent of butterflies, as the music flutters about, seemingly at Cabello's whim. There are acoustic elements, Ari-like falsetto shenanigans, and even a little Rihanna-style tropical riddims. One gets the feeling that Cabello, worried about the famed "sophomore slump," was willing to simply throw anything against the wall to see what would stick.
It certainly paid off, as the end results were a completely worthy second album, which I'll get into later on in another article. I've liked every single thus far, but this one grabbed me the quickest, and I loved the video as well. Your mileage may vary, as some may lean more towards "Liar" and "Señorita," which are more in keeping with something off her first album, or the ballads "Cry for Me" or "Easy." It's all pretty solid, though- this one just so happens to be my fave.
"Lose You to Love Me"- Selena Gomez
Another one about self-empowerment, many saw this one as Selena finally learning to let go of a certain ex-boyfriend- to which I say: about damn time. Let's face it, he's kind of a douche- there, I said it. (Cue the Belieber-baiting theme song...)
Besides, when said relationship in part causes the end of a long friendship that involved said BFF donating a freaking kidney to save your life...well, let's just say it's time to maybe rethink things. (To be fair, pal Francia Raisa's complaints also included Gomez reportedly partying a hair too much for Raisa's comfort, post-op, as well- see here.)
Whatever your take is on all that hot goss, musically, at least, Gomez has grown by leaps and bounds. The Talking Heads-sampling single "Bad Liar" was one of her absolute best- even the man himself, David Byrne, dug it- and to end the year with the one-two-punch of this and "Look at Her Now" is mighty impressive. "Look at Her Now" is perfectly fine dance pop, but a little too heavy on the auto-tune for my tastes. (She's hot as hell in the vid, though.)
"Lose You to Love Me," on the other hand, accompanied by the stark B&W video that's the polar opposite of the colorful, more celebratory "Look," is just gorgeous and absolutely nails that feeling of letting go of a past relationship in order to finally move on with one's life. It brings to mind something like Imogen Heap's "Hide & Seek"- which, somewhat ironically, in light of my recent comments, expertly used auto-tune to likewise nail that end-of-the-road feeling of losing someone- as well as something like Florence + The Machine's stuff, albeit not quite as strong as that, given that Gomez is no match for the likes of Florence Welch, vocally.
Be that as it may, it's nonetheless one of Gomez' strongest efforts ever. I've always liked Gomez in general, but her music hasn't never been my sort of thing- it's just a little TOO pop for my tastes. As you might have noticed, I skew more towards experimental stuff, and Gomez isn't exactly known for that. This one doesn't reinvent the wheel or anything, but, along with "Bad Liar," it's certainly a step in the right direction. I look forward to finding out if the new album delivers on the promise of her more recent work.
"Trampoline"- Shaed
Ostensibly an "alternative rock" song, I'm putting it here because, well, it's not really. At the very least, it's not rock. After all, it topped the dance charts, as well as landing at #13 on the overall Billboard Hot 100 of the year. But yeah, it did also top the alternative charts, too, so there's that. It's my list, though, and I'm going with pop for this one, and if you don't know the song, once you hear it, you'll probably agree, too. It's just not weird enough for alternative status, lol.
That said, lyrically, it totally makes the grade, alternative-wise. The chorus goes: "Wait, if I'm on fire/How am I so deep in love?/When I dream of dyin'/I never feel so loved." So yeah, it could pass for either pop or alternative, I suppose. My alternative list, if I even do one, will likely be a bunch of stuff that no one in their right mind would play on the radio, lol- not so this song, which is a certified hit.
The lead singer, Chelsea Lee, is a dead ringer for actress/singer Anna Camp, of Pitch Perfect fame, if she'd been given an alternative makeover. The band is rounded out by brothers Max and Spencer Ernst, who provide the instrumentation- and the whistling, lol. They've been around since 2016, though the brothers were in the band The Walking Sticks before that, who had a completely different style: folk rock. This isn't that, hence the name change.
Another thing that prompted the change was Spencer dating singer Lee, once a solo artist. After she was dropped from her label, Atlantic, she joined the band, and they mutually decided to experiment with their sound, and Shaed was eventually born, to further distance themselves from The Walking Sticks, who only enjoyed moderate success. The trio were then signed to Photo Finish Records and released their debut EP, Just Wanna See, under their new name in 2016, followed by Melt in September of 2018, which featured this song.
Like a lot of bands these days, their big break came as a result of allowing their music to soundtrack a commercial. First, there was Victoria's Secret, who used their song, "Name on It," then Apple used this one for their MacBook Air, which is what helped to get the word out about the band. Lee and Spencer married the same month, October, that the ad hit.
However, "Trampoline" proved to be a slow burn, and didn't make the charts until 2019. A remix, featuring Zayn, formerly of One Direction, led to the song re-entering the charts late in the year for a second time, so, it's technically been a hit twice! I prefer the original, though. Be sure to click on the link in the title to watch the video- it's nicely trippy.
"You Need to Calm Down"- Taylor Swift
After the haters came out during the whole Kimye debacle, Taylor came out swinging with her Reputation album, which, while pretty fierce, divided fans who weren't too sure about Taylor 2.0. With her follow-up, she softened her approach, while directing her vitriol at more worthy targets, getting overtly political for the first time.
While her efforts weren't fully successful- the candidate she supported in Tennessee didn't win- fans lauded her for speaking out against racism, sexism and homophobia, and for her work promoting Congress signing the Equality Act into law. (It passed in the House, but has yet to in the Senate- and isn't likely to, what with sexist Herr Trumpo involved, who came out against it.) She also garnered a lot of support for her public dispute with Scooter Braun, who bought the masters of her first six albums out from under her.
Her songs and music videos also reflected these themes- "Me!" was seen as a declaration of independence and self-love, albeit a little on the cheesy side; "Lover" harkens back to her country days and is a an ode to- what else?- romance (it actually reminds me a bit of the old alt-indie band Mazzy Star), and features a racist-baiting video with Swift in an interracial relationship (reportedly White Nationalists love her- maybe not so much anymore!); and then there's this song, "You Need to Calm Down," which takes on the haters, and in particular focuses on homophobia.
The video for it is completely over-the-top and very much a celebration of the LGBTQ community, down to the inclusion of Ryan Reynolds- j/k, lol. It also features the monumental, ceremonial laying down of arms and embracing of burger-and-fries in the ongoing T-Swift-vs-Katy Perry feud, a true sign o' the times if ever there was one. If these two can get over it and be friends, why can't we all get along? Then again, the feud is still going on with Kimye, so... yeah. (Although, if you ask me, Taylor's the one who deserves an apology there- "I made that bitch famous," my ass. 😝)
The song itself is pure ear candy, as is most of the album, which finds T-Swift in a more playful mood than usual- she seems genuinely happy, and I must say, I much more prefer happy Taylor to angry Taylor. As nice as it was to see her finally stand up for herself in a fierce way, it just seemed like an odd fit- ooh, this kitty has claws! 🙀 (Don't even get me started on that whole Cats debacle- though I did like her song for the movie.)
2019's Taylor is much more to my liking, standing up for the downtrodden and the bullied, standing up for what she believes in, celebrating life and love and so forth. This is a Taylor we can all get behind, I think. If not, well then, like the song says...
"Juicy"- Doja Cat, ft. Tyga
One of the more unlikely success stories of the year, Doja Cat got her ignominious start when the patently ridiculous "Moooo!" went viral in 2018, with one hilariously low-fi video featuring Doja in a cow outfit with french fries up her nose (!) that had everyone wondering: is this bitch for real? Sample lyric: "Bitch, I'm a cow/I am not a cat/I don't say meow." Though kudos for the line "Moo, bitch, get out my hay"- see what she did there?
So, color me astonished when she actually knocked her first album out of the park, featuring this smooth-as-silk single, with a little help from Tyga, and an appropriately eye-popping video. I'm not gonna lie, she's sexy AF- but this is also a good damn song. I don't think anyone will be writing her off again anytime soon, and I hope she keeps that sense of humor. She got bars, too- check out that album, Hot Pink.
Honorable Mentions
"Old Town Road"- Lil Nas X, feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
Only in 2019 would a gay black cowboy top the charts, and bring back Billy Ray Cyrus in the process! Yeah, it's a bit played out by now, and not completely unprecedented, genre mash-up-wise (Bubba Sparxxx, anyone?), but kudos to the man for coming out in a realm not exactly known for being gay-friendly: hip-hop. Maybe, in time, him and Frank Ocean won't be the only ones.
"Head Above Water"- Avril Lavigne
Beautiful song from a beautiful girl going through some ugly stuff- aka her struggle with Lyme disease. Kind of like her version of Kesha's "Praying." As with "Trampoline," two versions of the song were released: the original, and the remake, featuring vocals from We The Kings' Travis Clark. I prefer the original, but both are moving.
"Like Sugar"- Chaka Khan
Another song that benefitted from association with a commercial, this comeback vehicle from the legendary Khan was fun, danceable and her best effort in years. The dance-centric video was also excellent, too. The only reason it didn't make my Top 10 was that it's a bit on the repetitive side, albeit in a good way. (See also Jain's "Makeba," from 2016.) That groove is undeniable, though.
"All the Ways"- Meghan Trainor
Very cute, much like the artist herself, but stops short of being cloying. Give her some slack, though- the girl did just get married, to none other than former Spy Kid Daryl Sabara. As other songs on this list, this one gained traction after being featured in, you guessed it, a commercial- in this case, for Target, which also released a special edition of her EP with bonus material. The video is just this side of creepy, though. Her subsequent single, "Wave," is more adventurous, but this one's catchier.
"Give You Up"- Dido
Pity poor Dido. While her last few albums have done alright, she's struggled to replicate the success of her breakthrough No Angel and its follow-up, Life for Rent. Thanks to a series of popular dance remixes, though, this song became her fifth number one, at least. It's a perfectly fine little tune which, once again, as with some of her previous hits, celebrates self-empowerment and refusing to take a break-up lying down. The vocals are exquisite, of course, including the swirling background vocals by Joseph William Bernie and a multi-tracked Dido herself.
"Girl"- Maren Morris
More female self-empowerment, and though categorized as country, it's not, really. It could easily have been promoted as alt-rock, albeit of the mellower variety. Morris has a lovely voice, and the video was touching and meaningful. I'm not a big country fan, but I dig Morris' overall vibe, and actually downloaded the album on the strength of this song and the follow-up, "The Bones." I don't regret it for a second, and that goes double for her second effort that year, the supergroup, The Highwomen, of which she was a part, and which absolutely does qualify as country.
"Don't Kill My Vibe"- Sigrid
Kind of Florence + The Machine-ish, this single from Norwegian singer Sigrid is pretty wonderful, with a soaring chorus. If that title sounds familiar, that's because it's a nod to the rap hit, "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe," by Kendrick Lamar. Obviously, this is a very different song, with a very different, um, well, vibe. It's basically a kiss-off to a guy who's- you guessed it- trying to kill Sigrid's vibe. I just love it- it's sort of 2018's version of Rachel Platten's "Fight Song." Sigrid's also very cute, for whatever that's worth.
"Kill This Love"- Blackpink
As declarations go, few are sillier than "Blackpink in your area!" And yet, I gotta say, I'm kind of digging this whole J-Pop/K-Pop thing, at least in terms of the girl groups. I watched Perfume at Coachella and they put on a pretty great show, and I've listened to a fair amount of the stuff on YouTube, though a lot of the band names/artists escape me.
I saw this band on Colbert, I believe, and dug them, and bought their EP, and it was decent. This is the single that most people are familiar with, and definitely typical of the K-pop girl group thing, which features a lot of shouting and techno flourishes and dancing and sexy outfits and the like. They ain't got nothing on Babymetal, but it's a good song.
"Armor"- Sara Bareilles
Very strong Tori Amos vibes on this one, and if you know me, you know I'm a sucker for those piano-playing ladies, especially Tori. "Fire" is sexier, but I like this one as a whole better, and, as with a lot of the songs on this list, it's all about empowerment and standing up for yourself, though, in this case, she gives a shout-out to her partner ("You make me stronger") for helping her to do so. Hence: "Hand me my armor," as in- "Thanks for your help, I've got this." Nothing wrong with that. Cool video, too.
"Mother's Daughter"- Miley Cyrus
Nice to see Miley's settling down. Oh, wait. Never mind.
(Bonus points for covering Nine Inch Nails basically twice in one year- see her Black Mirror episode "Rachel, Jack & Ashley, Too"- which also serves as meta-commentary on her career in general, and got her approval from the man himself, Trent Reznor. Ashley O FTW!)
"Hot Girl Summer"- Megan Thee Stallion, ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dollar $ign
I give.
Disco gets a lot of hate, especially from rock fans, but after grunge collapsed in on itself, I've got to say rave culture kind of saved my life- after all that doom and gloom and death, it was nice to just let everything go and dance. With my embrace of techno, aka electronica, aka EDM, aka whatever they're calling it this week, I also retroactively got into dance music of the past, and came out of it with a genuine affection for disco, a genre I, like a lot of people, had a dismissive attitude towards before that.
Realizing how influential it was, particularly in regards to the hip-hop I grew up on, I started to really dig it, and this nicely dovetailed with the rise of a certain type of dance music in the 2000's, probably best typified by the likes of Lady Gaga.
However, Gaga's take on disco was distinctly modern and techno-oriented, while Dua Lipa's version is much more like the real thing, complete with thumping bass, swirling string arrangements and catchy, empowering, yet dance-friendly lyrics.
I don't know what's going on in Dua's love life, but she sure seems to be having a good time, and she'll be damned if she lets anyone get in the way of it. Amen, sister. Can't wait for the new album.
"Sweet But Psycho"- Ava Max
Speaking of Lady Gaga, newcomer Ava Max is basically Gaga by way of someone like Melanie Martinez or the unjustly underrated Kerli, which is to say a performer that embraces the trappings of pop music, in addition to an appreciation for the darker side of things, both in her look and her overall presentation. This breakthrough track topped the charts in a whopping 22 countries, as well as landing her in the Top Ten here in the States.
Despite her enormous success, it hasn't happened without some controversy, as we're living in a world in which you can hardly do anything without offending someone. In this case, it was Max's perceived slighting of those with mental disorders, when, as she has explained, it's more about the feeling a woman gets when she's made to feel irrational because she seemingly "overreacts" to a feeling that the person she's with isn't being honest with her and is lying through their teeth about it- aka "gaslighting."
It details a woman who, as you might have guessed from the title, is "sweet but a psycho," and how a certain person should stay away because she's "out of her mind" and they'll live to regret being with her. Given Max's overall persona, it's tempting to say: "Pot, meet kettle," but, as Max details in this interview, it's actually from the position of the guy in question, as in he's the one saying these things about another girl, not Max herself saying them about a girl. It's the guy, in fact, that's making the girl feel crazy and irrational, when she has every reason to be upset with him.
That's fairly deep stuff for a pop song, and that she manages to make it catchy AF in the process is a testament to her talents. While I admit her other singles to date haven't quite grabbed me like this one, I'm still looking forward to her new album, and seeing if she can live up to this early promise. Even if she does prove to be a one-hit-wonder, it's still a hit for the vaults that I can easily see myself coming back to again and again in the years to come.
"Nightmare/Graveyard"- Halsey
Alright, this one's a bit of a cheat, but I couldn't just choose one or the other in this case. For one thing, the songs are pretty different, and though "Graveyard" might be ultimately my favorite, I couldn't not highlight a song with such a great video and which features the OG Queen, Debbie Harry, of Blondie fame, in a cameo. Halsey is hands down one of my favorite pop stars of the moment, second only to Charli XCX, maybe, and she definitely had more than a few major moments in 2018.
She started off the year topping the charts for the first time with "Without Me" (not counting her assist on The Chainsmokers' "Closer") giving an especially memorable performance of it on SNL, which she also hosted for the first, and hopefully not the last time, as she showed an unexpected propensity for comedy. Though not unprecedented- I was one of the few people that watched and enjoyed the short-lived Cameron Crowe-produced TV series Roadies, which she had a small-but-wonderfully-quirky role on. Hopefully, she'll do more acting moving forward in 2020.
She also rocked out with Yungblud and Travis Barker (of Blink 182 fame) on "11 Minutes," collaborated with Asian boy band BTS on "Boy With Luv"- which topped the charts in several countries, including their native South Korea, and made the Top Ten in the States- before releasing these songs, the first two singles from her still-forthcoming third album, Manic.
"Nightmare" is the more adventurous of the two, combining a trap-style in the verses and a sort of neo-nu-metal hook for the chorus, which samples the old t.A.T.u. hit "All The Things She Said," much to the delight of the Russian duo, who got royalties all over again. As aforementioned, the video is aces, also featuring supermodels/actresses Cara Delevingne and Suki Waterhouse and lots of sexy outfits for the singer and visuals that range from outrageously over-the-top to, well, nightmarish, like a horror movie set in the fashion world, a la Neon Demon.
Meanwhile, "Graveyard" is quirky technopop, which, as with its predecessor, features a dark underbelly, being as how Halsey equates her commitment to a lover with "digging herself deeper"- right down into the graveyard, as it were. I love the way the beats stutter and stop, which was used to great effect on a commercial for Pandora Radio, as seen here.
Honestly, though, either one making my own Top Ten is fine by me- you may prefer "Nightmare" a little more, and it is perhaps catchier and more propulsive, but I'd personally go with "Graveyard," which is more inventive in my mind, and doesn't do the sampling thing to boot- not that there's anything wrong with that. But both are great, IMHO.
"Juice" - Lizzo
Lizzo positively owned 2019, and it couldn't have happened to a more fun-loving, good-natured chick, and she did it all on her own terms, without compromising an inch. And with a flute! "Truth Hurts" and "Good as Hell" got all the glory, and I 100% understand why- see what I did there?- but I'm more inclined to dig this one, a fantastic throwback to 70's funk that hit the sweet spot for me, as I just love me some dirty rust-bucket funk.
When I was a kid, my father bought a used jukebox from a black nightclub, and promptly tossed all the records inside and replaced them with mostly country music. I was all like: I'll take that, and took possession of said records, which I really wish I still had, as worn out and dusty as they may have been, even by the time I got a hold of them. We're talking P-Funk, Gap Band, Rick James, The Time, Dazz, Fatback, The Ohio Players, Midnight Starr, and plenty more where that came from. Hell, there was even a little Steely Dan.
"Juice" is absolutely a throwback to that sort of music, with a little bit of Bruno Mars-style gloss to modernize it a little. Factor in a fun video, and you have a track that should have gotten more love than it did- though it did serve the purpose of announcing to the world a new talent that was quite unlike anything we'd ever seen before, so there's that. "Truth Hurts" and "Good as Hell" came later, and were accordingly tacked onto the album retroactively, but "Juice" is where it's at as far as I'm concerned.
"Living Proof" - Camila Cabello
One of a whopping seven singles (including her previously-released collab with BF Shawn Mendes, "Señorita") from her long-awaited second album, Romance- honestly, I could have picked any number of them for this list, as all were pretty diverse and eclectic and different from one another- but I ultimately went with this one, a stand-out because of its inventive arrangement and Cabello's vocal gymnastics.
It also does a great job of replicating the ins-and-outs and hesitation of falling in love musically, being as it is the musical equivalent of butterflies, as the music flutters about, seemingly at Cabello's whim. There are acoustic elements, Ari-like falsetto shenanigans, and even a little Rihanna-style tropical riddims. One gets the feeling that Cabello, worried about the famed "sophomore slump," was willing to simply throw anything against the wall to see what would stick.
It certainly paid off, as the end results were a completely worthy second album, which I'll get into later on in another article. I've liked every single thus far, but this one grabbed me the quickest, and I loved the video as well. Your mileage may vary, as some may lean more towards "Liar" and "Señorita," which are more in keeping with something off her first album, or the ballads "Cry for Me" or "Easy." It's all pretty solid, though- this one just so happens to be my fave.
"Lose You to Love Me"- Selena Gomez
Another one about self-empowerment, many saw this one as Selena finally learning to let go of a certain ex-boyfriend- to which I say: about damn time. Let's face it, he's kind of a douche- there, I said it. (Cue the Belieber-baiting theme song...)
Besides, when said relationship in part causes the end of a long friendship that involved said BFF donating a freaking kidney to save your life...well, let's just say it's time to maybe rethink things. (To be fair, pal Francia Raisa's complaints also included Gomez reportedly partying a hair too much for Raisa's comfort, post-op, as well- see here.)
Whatever your take is on all that hot goss, musically, at least, Gomez has grown by leaps and bounds. The Talking Heads-sampling single "Bad Liar" was one of her absolute best- even the man himself, David Byrne, dug it- and to end the year with the one-two-punch of this and "Look at Her Now" is mighty impressive. "Look at Her Now" is perfectly fine dance pop, but a little too heavy on the auto-tune for my tastes. (She's hot as hell in the vid, though.)
"Lose You to Love Me," on the other hand, accompanied by the stark B&W video that's the polar opposite of the colorful, more celebratory "Look," is just gorgeous and absolutely nails that feeling of letting go of a past relationship in order to finally move on with one's life. It brings to mind something like Imogen Heap's "Hide & Seek"- which, somewhat ironically, in light of my recent comments, expertly used auto-tune to likewise nail that end-of-the-road feeling of losing someone- as well as something like Florence + The Machine's stuff, albeit not quite as strong as that, given that Gomez is no match for the likes of Florence Welch, vocally.
Be that as it may, it's nonetheless one of Gomez' strongest efforts ever. I've always liked Gomez in general, but her music hasn't never been my sort of thing- it's just a little TOO pop for my tastes. As you might have noticed, I skew more towards experimental stuff, and Gomez isn't exactly known for that. This one doesn't reinvent the wheel or anything, but, along with "Bad Liar," it's certainly a step in the right direction. I look forward to finding out if the new album delivers on the promise of her more recent work.
"Trampoline"- Shaed
Ostensibly an "alternative rock" song, I'm putting it here because, well, it's not really. At the very least, it's not rock. After all, it topped the dance charts, as well as landing at #13 on the overall Billboard Hot 100 of the year. But yeah, it did also top the alternative charts, too, so there's that. It's my list, though, and I'm going with pop for this one, and if you don't know the song, once you hear it, you'll probably agree, too. It's just not weird enough for alternative status, lol.
That said, lyrically, it totally makes the grade, alternative-wise. The chorus goes: "Wait, if I'm on fire/How am I so deep in love?/When I dream of dyin'/I never feel so loved." So yeah, it could pass for either pop or alternative, I suppose. My alternative list, if I even do one, will likely be a bunch of stuff that no one in their right mind would play on the radio, lol- not so this song, which is a certified hit.
The lead singer, Chelsea Lee, is a dead ringer for actress/singer Anna Camp, of Pitch Perfect fame, if she'd been given an alternative makeover. The band is rounded out by brothers Max and Spencer Ernst, who provide the instrumentation- and the whistling, lol. They've been around since 2016, though the brothers were in the band The Walking Sticks before that, who had a completely different style: folk rock. This isn't that, hence the name change.
Another thing that prompted the change was Spencer dating singer Lee, once a solo artist. After she was dropped from her label, Atlantic, she joined the band, and they mutually decided to experiment with their sound, and Shaed was eventually born, to further distance themselves from The Walking Sticks, who only enjoyed moderate success. The trio were then signed to Photo Finish Records and released their debut EP, Just Wanna See, under their new name in 2016, followed by Melt in September of 2018, which featured this song.
Like a lot of bands these days, their big break came as a result of allowing their music to soundtrack a commercial. First, there was Victoria's Secret, who used their song, "Name on It," then Apple used this one for their MacBook Air, which is what helped to get the word out about the band. Lee and Spencer married the same month, October, that the ad hit.
However, "Trampoline" proved to be a slow burn, and didn't make the charts until 2019. A remix, featuring Zayn, formerly of One Direction, led to the song re-entering the charts late in the year for a second time, so, it's technically been a hit twice! I prefer the original, though. Be sure to click on the link in the title to watch the video- it's nicely trippy.
"You Need to Calm Down"- Taylor Swift
After the haters came out during the whole Kimye debacle, Taylor came out swinging with her Reputation album, which, while pretty fierce, divided fans who weren't too sure about Taylor 2.0. With her follow-up, she softened her approach, while directing her vitriol at more worthy targets, getting overtly political for the first time.
While her efforts weren't fully successful- the candidate she supported in Tennessee didn't win- fans lauded her for speaking out against racism, sexism and homophobia, and for her work promoting Congress signing the Equality Act into law. (It passed in the House, but has yet to in the Senate- and isn't likely to, what with sexist Herr Trumpo involved, who came out against it.) She also garnered a lot of support for her public dispute with Scooter Braun, who bought the masters of her first six albums out from under her.
Her songs and music videos also reflected these themes- "Me!" was seen as a declaration of independence and self-love, albeit a little on the cheesy side; "Lover" harkens back to her country days and is a an ode to- what else?- romance (it actually reminds me a bit of the old alt-indie band Mazzy Star), and features a racist-baiting video with Swift in an interracial relationship (reportedly White Nationalists love her- maybe not so much anymore!); and then there's this song, "You Need to Calm Down," which takes on the haters, and in particular focuses on homophobia.
The video for it is completely over-the-top and very much a celebration of the LGBTQ community, down to the inclusion of Ryan Reynolds- j/k, lol. It also features the monumental, ceremonial laying down of arms and embracing of burger-and-fries in the ongoing T-Swift-vs-Katy Perry feud, a true sign o' the times if ever there was one. If these two can get over it and be friends, why can't we all get along? Then again, the feud is still going on with Kimye, so... yeah. (Although, if you ask me, Taylor's the one who deserves an apology there- "I made that bitch famous," my ass. 😝)
The song itself is pure ear candy, as is most of the album, which finds T-Swift in a more playful mood than usual- she seems genuinely happy, and I must say, I much more prefer happy Taylor to angry Taylor. As nice as it was to see her finally stand up for herself in a fierce way, it just seemed like an odd fit- ooh, this kitty has claws! 🙀 (Don't even get me started on that whole Cats debacle- though I did like her song for the movie.)
2019's Taylor is much more to my liking, standing up for the downtrodden and the bullied, standing up for what she believes in, celebrating life and love and so forth. This is a Taylor we can all get behind, I think. If not, well then, like the song says...
"Juicy"- Doja Cat, ft. Tyga
One of the more unlikely success stories of the year, Doja Cat got her ignominious start when the patently ridiculous "Moooo!" went viral in 2018, with one hilariously low-fi video featuring Doja in a cow outfit with french fries up her nose (!) that had everyone wondering: is this bitch for real? Sample lyric: "Bitch, I'm a cow/I am not a cat/I don't say meow." Though kudos for the line "Moo, bitch, get out my hay"- see what she did there?
So, color me astonished when she actually knocked her first album out of the park, featuring this smooth-as-silk single, with a little help from Tyga, and an appropriately eye-popping video. I'm not gonna lie, she's sexy AF- but this is also a good damn song. I don't think anyone will be writing her off again anytime soon, and I hope she keeps that sense of humor. She got bars, too- check out that album, Hot Pink.
Honorable Mentions
"Old Town Road"- Lil Nas X, feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
Only in 2019 would a gay black cowboy top the charts, and bring back Billy Ray Cyrus in the process! Yeah, it's a bit played out by now, and not completely unprecedented, genre mash-up-wise (Bubba Sparxxx, anyone?), but kudos to the man for coming out in a realm not exactly known for being gay-friendly: hip-hop. Maybe, in time, him and Frank Ocean won't be the only ones.
"Head Above Water"- Avril Lavigne
Beautiful song from a beautiful girl going through some ugly stuff- aka her struggle with Lyme disease. Kind of like her version of Kesha's "Praying." As with "Trampoline," two versions of the song were released: the original, and the remake, featuring vocals from We The Kings' Travis Clark. I prefer the original, but both are moving.
"Like Sugar"- Chaka Khan
Another song that benefitted from association with a commercial, this comeback vehicle from the legendary Khan was fun, danceable and her best effort in years. The dance-centric video was also excellent, too. The only reason it didn't make my Top 10 was that it's a bit on the repetitive side, albeit in a good way. (See also Jain's "Makeba," from 2016.) That groove is undeniable, though.
"All the Ways"- Meghan Trainor
Very cute, much like the artist herself, but stops short of being cloying. Give her some slack, though- the girl did just get married, to none other than former Spy Kid Daryl Sabara. As other songs on this list, this one gained traction after being featured in, you guessed it, a commercial- in this case, for Target, which also released a special edition of her EP with bonus material. The video is just this side of creepy, though. Her subsequent single, "Wave," is more adventurous, but this one's catchier.
"Give You Up"- Dido
Pity poor Dido. While her last few albums have done alright, she's struggled to replicate the success of her breakthrough No Angel and its follow-up, Life for Rent. Thanks to a series of popular dance remixes, though, this song became her fifth number one, at least. It's a perfectly fine little tune which, once again, as with some of her previous hits, celebrates self-empowerment and refusing to take a break-up lying down. The vocals are exquisite, of course, including the swirling background vocals by Joseph William Bernie and a multi-tracked Dido herself.
"Girl"- Maren Morris
More female self-empowerment, and though categorized as country, it's not, really. It could easily have been promoted as alt-rock, albeit of the mellower variety. Morris has a lovely voice, and the video was touching and meaningful. I'm not a big country fan, but I dig Morris' overall vibe, and actually downloaded the album on the strength of this song and the follow-up, "The Bones." I don't regret it for a second, and that goes double for her second effort that year, the supergroup, The Highwomen, of which she was a part, and which absolutely does qualify as country.
"Don't Kill My Vibe"- Sigrid
Kind of Florence + The Machine-ish, this single from Norwegian singer Sigrid is pretty wonderful, with a soaring chorus. If that title sounds familiar, that's because it's a nod to the rap hit, "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe," by Kendrick Lamar. Obviously, this is a very different song, with a very different, um, well, vibe. It's basically a kiss-off to a guy who's- you guessed it- trying to kill Sigrid's vibe. I just love it- it's sort of 2018's version of Rachel Platten's "Fight Song." Sigrid's also very cute, for whatever that's worth.
"Kill This Love"- Blackpink
As declarations go, few are sillier than "Blackpink in your area!" And yet, I gotta say, I'm kind of digging this whole J-Pop/K-Pop thing, at least in terms of the girl groups. I watched Perfume at Coachella and they put on a pretty great show, and I've listened to a fair amount of the stuff on YouTube, though a lot of the band names/artists escape me.
I saw this band on Colbert, I believe, and dug them, and bought their EP, and it was decent. This is the single that most people are familiar with, and definitely typical of the K-pop girl group thing, which features a lot of shouting and techno flourishes and dancing and sexy outfits and the like. They ain't got nothing on Babymetal, but it's a good song.
"Armor"- Sara Bareilles
Very strong Tori Amos vibes on this one, and if you know me, you know I'm a sucker for those piano-playing ladies, especially Tori. "Fire" is sexier, but I like this one as a whole better, and, as with a lot of the songs on this list, it's all about empowerment and standing up for yourself, though, in this case, she gives a shout-out to her partner ("You make me stronger") for helping her to do so. Hence: "Hand me my armor," as in- "Thanks for your help, I've got this." Nothing wrong with that. Cool video, too.
"Mother's Daughter"- Miley Cyrus
Nice to see Miley's settling down. Oh, wait. Never mind.
(Bonus points for covering Nine Inch Nails basically twice in one year- see her Black Mirror episode "Rachel, Jack & Ashley, Too"- which also serves as meta-commentary on her career in general, and got her approval from the man himself, Trent Reznor. Ashley O FTW!)
"Hot Girl Summer"- Megan Thee Stallion, ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dollar $ign
I give.
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