January 4, 201411 yr Author I don't believe in much, but I believe in you lJTd4iNAQkw 20. Ciara ft. Nicki Minaj - Livin' It Up Well well well. I did NOT see this coming. I've never really taken much notice of Cici before 2013 but with this latest album she brought the tunes hard. Half-way through my first listen i was sold. And then came the second coming of Nicki and i was converted fully. 'Livin' It Up' became an ANTHEM of sorts for me. The "oh la oh la HEY"s, the (at times painful - "i don't have many friends, but i got you") lyrics, Nicki's grand entrance and the BIG chorus, this is how RnB should be done. The clear album highlight and one of the defining party songs of the year for me, i'll happily let Cici release and flop forever if she comes up with gems like this. Demands to be released as a single, actually do something officially and played night after night in scuzzy clubs. So so good and starting off the top 20 with an overdose of FUN.
January 4, 201411 yr Livin It Up is utterly stunning, I agree that it really should have been a single. Such a feel good song :wub:.
January 5, 201411 yr Author I could take you under my wings m25Nsa-fvms 19. Postiljonen - Supreme Continuing on the feel good is one of the big BJSC discoveries for me this year. Postiljonen come like a breath of fresh air, with an entire album of easy-listening joyous pop. 'Supreme' as the title suggests is the most joyous of the lot. As the thumping beat kicks off you know you're in for a treat, before the sublime vocals take it higher than you could have imagined. The band helped to push me through a summer of dissertations and long lonely rides out in the sun and the memories of this song in particular will always be those of sheer bliss mixed with the struggle of getting out of education. Can look back on it fondly now though and just enjoy the tunes while being much more carefree so it's sweeter than ever.
January 5, 201411 yr Author I'm playing a dangerous game lbMOJpbxSJQ 18. Josef Salvat - Hustler Only a few of my own BJSC entries remain. This was always going to be one of the highest. A daring, seductive piece from one-to-watch Salvat. So dark, mysterious & brooding, and the opposite to what i needed when it dropped, but something as sexy as this i just could not ignore. The video would feature very high up if i was to compile a list of my favourites of the year; i thought i knew the song inside out, but pairing it with those visuals gave a whole new wave of meaning and appreciation to the song. I so wish i could put this higher but it seems as if it's going to forever be underrated, even here.
January 5, 201411 yr Author Make it real loud pco91kroVgQ 17. Lady Gaga - Applause A bit of a shock maybe. But even my second least favourite single to ever be released from the Gagz does enough to muster up a very decent eoy position. After 'Aura' leaked a few weeks before this the hype was there. When 'Applause' eventually came in some sort of global attention grabbing swirl of ZANINESS i was loving it as expected. Sounded basic and simple, but most of all FUN which is what we all wanted after the 'Born This Way' era. Looking back on the single now, it's definitely a highlight of the album but compared to her other highs, it just does not match. It is Gaga by numbers though, self-indulgent and perhaps trying a bit too hard to loosen up? I'm not sure. That all seems to be putting it down, but i still LOVE the song and am insanely glad she brought the fun this era. The way it builds into the chorus, before smashing in your faces, the obscure vocals that made it impossible to sing along to until around 40 listens (after which there was NO escaping it), and the tinny/video-game-esque beat. More of the same in the future, just with a bit more oomph please x
January 6, 201411 yr Author Sometimes I need to be alone GF8aaTu2kg0 16. Kendrick Lamar - Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe So i've almost combined the love for all 4(?) versions of this song into one, but it's mainly here for the album (solo) version. Kendrick has been one of my artists of the year and this early album highlight thankfully got single treatment of sorts with a powerful video. The song on the surface is a tongue-in-cheek riot, but deep down it's a personal attack against all the bitches of the world. The "sinner" line in particular speaks volumes but as always with Lamar, it really must be listened as a small part of the wider 'good kid, mad WORLD' he has envisaged. There are a lot of moments throughout the album that crack open the artist, this does it in the most blatant and bold way. And because 'Swimming Pools (Drank)' won't have made the cut for a 2013 countdown, this is Kendrick's crown wearing song.
January 6, 201411 yr 'Applause' is probably my least favourite Gaga single. It's fun and catchy but it's not at all ground-breaking and it's rather weak for a lead single. I initially HATED it too! I need to listen to some more Kendrick as 'Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe' and 'Swimming Pools (Drank)' are so so good! :wub: His features are decent too ('Give It 2 U', 'Let Us Move On' etc.).
January 6, 201411 yr Love a bit of Kendrick! :wub: 'Swimming Pools' is definitely better than 'Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe' though!
January 6, 201411 yr Author 'Applause' is probably my least favourite Gaga single. It's fun and catchy but it's not at all ground-breaking and it's rather weak for a lead single. I initially HATED it too! I need to listen to some more Kendrick as 'Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe' and 'Swimming Pools (Drank)' are so so good! :wub: His features are decent too ('Give It 2 U', 'Let Us Move On' etc.). That sums it up perfectly for me too. I don't demand ground-breaking with everything she does, but it just very slightly lacks the spark/magic of her former hits. He's very consistent! 'Let Us Move On' is a beauty too <3 Love a bit of Kendrick! :wub: 'Swimming Pools' is definitely better than 'Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe' though! I agree! Just see SP(D) as a 2012 track so couldn't justify including it here :( would've been an easy top 10 though had i done so.
January 6, 201411 yr Author I'm addicted, no lie n-D1EB74Ckg 15. Selena Gomez - Come & Get It What started out as a bit of a guilty pleasure soon became an undeniable force for me. I've quite liked a few of her singles previously with the scene, but when those first Bollywood-tinged groans fizzle through here, you know you're in for a special piece of pop royalty. The slow build up is exotic enough, but it's nothing until it all explodes into an orgy of sounds and colours in one of the most infectious choruses of the year. With seductive verses, a stunning middle-8 and a pulsating beat throughout it all, Gomez definitely delivered one of my pop moments of 2013 whether you agree or not. Teamed with that BEAUTY of a music video and i'm on the floor melting.
January 6, 201411 yr yessss selena / kendrick / gaga cant believe how much selena had me earlier this year!
January 6, 201411 yr That sums it up perfectly for me too. I don't demand ground-breaking with everything she does, but it just very slightly lacks the spark/magic of her former hits. He's very consistent! 'Let Us Move On' is a beauty too <3 Perhaps "ground-breaking" wasn't the right phrase to use, it's just nothing special and doesn't stand out from other songs in the chart (which pretty much all her other singles have done). I may have a listen to his album then! Does he have any newish material out? Not a fan of 'Come and Get It' but there's a few Selena Gomez tracks that I secretly like - 'Love You Like a Love Song' and 'Slow Down' for instance. :wub:
January 7, 201411 yr Author Well you picked my two other Selena faves so all is forgiven Liam! And Kendrick's last release was his album last year. Very very big album and worth it if you can invest in it. Hmm but i'm not sure there'd be too much you'd like as much as the ones you mentioned here, going on what i know of your taste, but could be worth a listen and the singles are all FAB/huge enough.
January 7, 201411 yr Author Solid and powerful, i'll never be scared ce9JwBxWc_8 14. V V Brown - Igneous Well it seems she's well and truly murdered that shark in the water then? V V's 'Igneous' is one of those tracks that just connects, instantly. In an album full of delectably dark pop, this track stands tall above the rest as the most brooding and just fantastic of the lot. As it starts to V V's tribal chant like vocals and the metallic instrumental in the background it's quite hard to determine exactly what will occur. The verses are Grace Jones on acid, the pre-chorus is heart-wrenching, the chorus is lyrically a self-empowering shout outwards, but put together and it almost feels like a desperate cry for help instead. As fierce or feisty as she likes to appear lyrically, her warbles and tremors as she belts them out reveal a more vulnerable side which really gives the song the push it needed to excel for me. I can listen at different times of the day, different moods, different states-of-mind and it will always have a different effect on me. And that's all before the final breakdown where the mountain collapses and an almighty rap rises out from the dust. Sensational.
January 7, 201411 yr Author Baby do it again USF55GUALyQ 13. Mariah Carey & Miguel - #Beautiful On first listen i wasn't impressed with this. It seemed all to flat for me, but i quickly learnt to appreciate the beauty behind it all. A stunning collaboration and a wholly relevant return for Mariah, teaming up with one of the hottest new talents going. It is effectively carried by Miguel for a fair bit of the opening before he hands it over to her gracefully, and that's what makes it such a special pairing. The two compliment each other wonderfully and the song as a whole is a delightful slice of smooth rnb pie with a heap of dotty giggles, slurs and groans throughout which really add personality to an otherwise simple song. If we ever do get the album this year, i'll be hoping for much more of this. And the second best motorbike video of the year~
January 7, 201411 yr #Beautiful is so so so so good. It was definitely the soundtrack of some lovely summer days I experienced last year.
January 7, 201411 yr #Beautiful is gorgeous, fails to get old. Really hoping for more of the same from her new album. Sorry but Come & Get It defines basic bitch pop for me :(.
Create an account or sign in to comment