EVRY DAY EVRY OWAH TURN THE PAIN INTO POWAH

 

POWAH

 

you wrote a Superheroes commentary without reference to the best part of that song :drama:

 

Uptown Funk is brilliant! A bit too recent for my chart as it's still growing on me, could possibly make an appearance in next year's Thermo chart though :funky:

"I Lived" does indeed seem very sincere. I can honestly say the lyrics have inspired me, and the song itself is beautiful.

 

"It's My Birthday" and "This Is How We Do" are definite pleasures and not in the guilty sense! Really enjoyed your commentary on the latter.

 

Also I agree with you on the Shakira/Rihanna collab. The chorus is a bit weak but the verses make up for it! I also love the intro to the song.

Songs I LOVE ~ Uptown Funk, Dreamers, Hey Now, This is How We Do

& songs i DON'T ~ It's My Birthday, Can't Remember To Forget You, Superheroes

 

Yay for diversity though :dance:

 

(i have relegated 'Uptown Funk' to my 2015 chart :S starting to think i was wrong to do this lol)

I Lived :cheer:

I absolutely adore Can't Remember To Forget You. Rihanna maybe could be a bit better but Shakira sounds absolutely stunning on it :wub:

Uptown Funk is amazing and so catchy, it is nice to hear such a fresh and great track :wub:

Yay for the Sunlight inclusion!

 

good placing for the v funky Uptown Funk :music:

Great that you both approve, thanks!

 

EVRY DAY EVRY OWAH TURN THE PAIN INTO POWAH

 

POWAH

 

you wrote a Superheroes commentary without reference to the best part of that song :drama:

Indeed, what an oversight :o. Thanks for bringing some much-needed POWAH to the thread.

 

"I Lived" does indeed seem very sincere. I can honestly say the lyrics have inspired me, and the song itself is beautiful.

 

"It's My Birthday" and "This Is How We Do" are definite pleasures and not in the guilty sense! Really enjoyed your commentary on the latter.

 

Also I agree with you on the Shakira/Rihanna collab. The chorus is a bit weak but the verses make up for it! I also love the intro to the song.

Interesting to hear your thoughts on them, thanks! And yeah, I definitely agree with the verses of 'Can't Remember...' being superior to the chorus - should have mentioned that!

 

Songs I LOVE ~ Uptown Funk, Dreamers, Hey Now, This is How We Do

& songs i DON'T ~ It's My Birthday, Can't Remember To Forget You, Superheroes

 

Yay for diversity though :dance:

It appears I may have been a sillybean then :drama:. Nice to see you're liking a lot too though, particularly 'Dreamers'. :heart:

 

I Lived :cheer:

:cheer:

#70 | Rita Ora | I Will Never Let You Down

 

UK | 01

Ire | 09

 

Rita Ora released a single this year to help re-legitimise her celebrity lifestyle and remind us all that she sings songs sometimes in addition to her full-time job of posing at events for Daily Mail photographers. On first listen to the song in question, 'I Will Never Let You Down', it was to my immense disappointment that not only was it very good, it was quite clearly a smash-in-waiting and thus highly unlikely to kickstart her descent into irrelevance :drama:. The track is a perfect example of a straightforward pop song done right - it has a simple structure, a universal message, excellent vocals and vibrant production provided by Rita's then boyfriend, Calvin Harris (who, having also written the song about her, let her down quite spectacularly by blocking her from releasing essentially her entire second album after they broke up :o).

 

 

#69 | Sam Smith | Like I Can

 

UK | 09

Ire | 18

 

As the all-important single to push Sam Smith's 'In The Lonely Hour' towards the million mark in the run-up to Christmas, 'Like I Can' was a somewhat surprising choice and a very refreshing change of tempo from the ubiquitous ballads which preceded it. By rights, the ridiculously high-pitched chorus should grate on me (in a similar way to the 'Money On My Mind' 'hook' :puke2:) but for whatever reason, I find the whole thing extremely catchy and re-listenable. In fact, the only thing that mildly annoys me about the song is the line about a 'lawyer on a witness stand' as it shows Sam doesn't know much about courtroom procedures (unless I'm missing something and they do sometimes stand there, in which case my bad but at least I got the word count up for this commentary as I was really struggling :magic:).

 

 

#68 | Vance Joy | Riptide

 

UK | 10

Ire | 07

 

The second and final song in this countdown to reference Michelle Pfeiffer :o, 'Riptide', by Australian musician Vance Joy, sounds just as fresh and pleasant to me now as when I first heard it almost a year ago. The uplifting folk-pop song is effortless in its ability to transport me to an August evening beach barbecue-type scenario whenever I listen to it, even managing to do so during its radio and chart prominence in the depths of winter. I always felt it peaked at the wrong time of year (and indeed in Vance's native Australia, having peaked six months prior there) and was thus very happy to see it re-enter the Top 40 during the summer.

 

 

#67 | VÉRITÉ | Strange Enough

 

UK | -

Ire | -

 

VÉRITÉ's 'Strange Enough' came to my attention when Umi entered it into BJSC in August and, although it made an instant impression on me (gaining my 10 points in the final), it wasn't until I was reminded of the track by Riser months later that I fully appreciated it in all its exquisite glory. Understated, vulnerable vocals throughout the verses and chorus eventually build to a truly stunning, euphoric post chorus/outro of the repeated line:'Strange enough, I don't love you like you want me to'. It is most definitely a 'moment' that ensures my continued return to the song.

 

 

#66 | Ed Sheeran | Runaway

 

UK | 71

Ire | -

 

The first of three songs in this countdown by criminally underrated flopstar Ed Sheeran is 'Runaway', a standout album track on his second record, 'x'. Ed's knack for storytelling is exemplified by sharp, soul-filled verses which detail his desire to pack up and leave his father's home for good. The song is perhaps the most instant and catchy of the album for me and I'd love to see it be made a single down the line, partly in order to demonstrate to his detractors the variety in his music. ^_^

Edited December 22, 201410 yr by Mistletoahspike

Hey Andy, I'm ready to become Noahstalgic! :funky:

 

Firstly, thanks for linking that parody video of Shakira/Rihanna - I'd never seen it before, brilliant! :lol: I do think the song is underrated. Maybe a bit of a disappointment at first, but it proved itself to be a bit of an earworm for me.

 

'Like I Can' is quite possibly my favourite Sam Smith song thus far! A welcome change of pace, although I do rather like all of his other singles actually. *Not a Sam Smith hater* :o

 

Poor unfortunate Rita! :snif: 'I Will Never Let You Down' is her best single so far, and it definitely seemed like she was onto a good thing by collaborating with Calvin Harris. A shame their fall out put paid to the second album. I'll be interested to see what route she goes down for Rita second album era mark II.

 

I'd never heard that M.O song before - quite the tune! Loving the Sweet Female Attitude sample. If I'd heard it at the time of its release then I'd have definitely charted it in my pc / been annoyed at it missing the UK Top 40!

 

Many other songs I approve of, I'd better leave the post at this though before I go on and on! :lol: Very much looking forward to the rest of the countdown!

iwnlyd is fantastic pop song i agree, i love the softly spoken chorus leading into the huge dance breakdown. done very well, i hope her album isn't totally screwed over though because i do quite like her as a popstar

 

the chorus to runaway is very strong too, the 'aaah's are lovely. hope that'll be a future single too!

I quite liked that Rita track but never enough to properly seek it out and play it away from the umpteen times i heard it on the work radio station :drama:

 

'Like I Can' is fabulous. I am a big fan of him and not ashamed to say it. He gets unfair criticism here which is a shame because the music really isn't offensive at all and it's mostly... dare i say it... PLEASANT :o talking of unfair criticism: all of Ed Sheeran's songs sound the same, so i have already heard that one despite never listening to it :)

 

'Strange Enough' is fabfab. Got me really into her and of course that led to my obsession with 'Weekend'. Her other tracks don't quite match these two, but i am still excited to see what she does next. <3

 

Sillybean rating: 3/10 :cheer: WD x

Hey Andy, I'm ready to become Noahstalgic! :funky:

 

Firstly, thanks for linking that parody video of Shakira/Rihanna - I'd never seen it before, brilliant! :lol: I do think the song is underrated. Maybe a bit of a disappointment at first, but it proved itself to be a bit of an earworm for me.

 

'Like I Can' is quite possibly my favourite Sam Smith song thus far! A welcome change of pace, although I do rather like all of his other singles actually. *Not a Sam Smith hater* :o

 

Poor unfortunate Rita! :snif: 'I Will Never Let You Down' is her best single so far, and it definitely seemed like she was onto a good thing by collaborating with Calvin Harris. A shame their fall out put paid to the second album. I'll be interested to see what route she goes down for Rita second album era mark II.

 

I'd never heard that M.O song before - quite the tune! Loving the Sweet Female Attitude sample. If I'd heard it at the time of its release then I'd have definitely charted it in my pc / been annoyed at it missing the UK Top 40!

 

Many other songs I approve of, I'd better leave the post at this though before I go on and on! :lol: Very much looking forward to the rest of the countdown!

Cheers for all your comments, Jay! I'm also not a Sam Smith hater and there's another entry from him still to come in fact :o.

 

Chuffed to hear you've made discoveries in 'Dance On My Own' and particularly that flawless parody!

 

iwnlyd is fantastic pop song i agree, i love the softly spoken chorus leading into the huge dance breakdown. done very well, i hope her album isn't totally screwed over though because i do quite like her as a popstar

 

the chorus to runaway is very strong too, the 'aaah's are lovely. hope that'll be a future single too!

I may have been a tad harsh on Rita in my commentary as, although she irritates me, I definitely wouldn't be against her sticking around in the limelight provided she delivers the goods with the new album.

 

And YES, another 'Runaway' fan - I haven't seen the song discussed much anywhere so it's good to see I'm not alone in thinking it'd make a great single.

 

I quite liked that Rita track but never enough to properly seek it out and play it away from the umpteen times i heard it on the work radio station :drama:

 

'Like I Can' is fabulous. I am a big fan of him and not ashamed to say it. He gets unfair criticism here which is a shame because the music really isn't offensive at all and it's mostly... dare i say it... PLEASANT :o talking of unfair criticism: all of Ed Sheeran's songs sound the same, so i have already heard that one despite never listening to it :)

 

'Strange Enough' is fabfab. Got me really into her and of course that led to my obsession with 'Weekend'. Her other tracks don't quite match these two, but i am still excited to see what she does next. <3

 

Sillybean rating: 3/10 :cheer: WD x

Haha, just so you know I most definitely didn't have your past Ed-related comments in my head when writing that ~v subtle shade~ :)

 

Love 'Weekend' as well so thanks for that one - a narrow miss on the countdown.

 

And :o :yahoo: @ only 3/10

#65 | Lykke Li | Gunshot

 

UK | 126

Ire | -

 

Blog favourite Lykke Li was an artist I'd heard great things about for years but for whatever reason, I hadn't felt any urge to check her out for myself. That all changed a couple of weeks ago when I was unexpectedly floored by the spellbinding chorus of 'Gunshot' via a Youtube advert for Peugeot, as I've been hammering the track, along with others of hers, ever since. Having inexplicably ignored the Swedish indie songstress' music for so long, my favourite lyric of 'Gunshot' 'I am no one, I'm nobody', has a certain irony for me. I've been incredibly taken with the song, as demonstrated by its placing on this countdown despite only being in my life since the start of the month. I adore her broken vocals in the verses and the transition of 'I am longing for your love' into the melodramatic, drum-heavy chorus is a thing of beauty.

 

 

#64 | Busta Rhymes ft. Q-Tip, Kanye West and Lil Wayne | Thank You

 

UK | 13

Ire | 87

 

From one of my newest discoveries to one of the oldest, 'Thank You', by Busta Rhymes, is a collaboration with Q-Tip featuring unnecessary ad libs from Kanye West and Lil Wayne. The track, which samples 'I Wanna Thank You' by Alicia Meyers, returned the veteran rapper to the UK Top 40 after a six year absence as a lead artist. I was delighted to see it do so well in the charts as I've loved it since first listen for its catchy, clever verses, particularly those of Q-Tip (whose delivery bizarrely reminds me of Azealia Banks in '212', especially on lines such as 'You dead and done, rip up your paper 'cause your status is none' :o). Given that I've been listening to this semi-regularly for a year and haven't tired of it, I would say it's the track with perhaps the slowest burn rate of everything on the countdown.

 

 

#63 | One Direction | Fireproof

 

UK | 92

Ire | -

 

'Fireproof', the first track to go public from One Direction’s fourth album era, grabbed my attention from the off and is responsible for beginning my confusing and deeply soul-searching spiritual journey to my current status of 'reluctant Directioner' :drama:. The track was definitely indicative of the matured, mellowed overall sound of the album that was to come. With an American road trip-esque feel (at least in my mind) reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac, it's a simple, laid-back, melodious love song featuring excellent vocals and harmonies from the five-piece (and I'm even including Louis in that, whose token few lines sound perfectly competent :o).

 

 

#62 | Rhodes | Your Soul

 

UK | -

Ire | -

 

Rhodes' 'Your Soul' would likely be a lot higher in this countdown if I hadn't somehow erased its existence from my memory until a few weeks ago :drama:. I'm a sucker for an atmospheric emo ballad and this song (sent to BJSC by Jáhq and the first ever recipient of my 12 points :o) ticks all the boxes with subtle instrumentation underpinning intense, brooding verses before picking up for a soaring chorus which features the singer's haunting falsetto. It's a truly stunning track overall, the impact of which is as strong as ever after repeated listens.

 

 

#61 | G.R.L. | Ugly Heart

 

UK | 11

Ire | 02

 

G.R.L. took me by surprise this year with the release of their absolute banger of a debut single 'Ugly Heart'. To me, their feature on Pitbull's 'Wild Wild Love' didn't exactly bode well as to the group's potential, with their five-pretty-dancers-with-voices act coming off as completely unremarkable and derivative. However, I loved everything about 'Ugly Heart' as soon as I heard it. It's an excellently executed pop song, with an undeniably infectious chorus, multiple hooks and sassy (argh I hate this word but can't think of an appropriate synonym :drama:) vocals throughout to fit the theme of the song perfectly. I was very saddened by the incredibly untimely death of group member Simone a few months ago and hope the four-piece will return successfully in 2015.

Some FINE songs here, Noah. ugly Heart, Your Soul, This Is How We Do, Gunshot <3

I will never let you down is great and ugly heart is stunning, definitely my favourite girlband song this year :wub:

ALL caught up now, yay!

 

A few really good tracks here in this section. I didn't really know much of Lykki Li aside from 'I Follow Rivers' but I DO know of 'Gunshot' and it's fab! 'Fireproof' is also one of the highlights of 1D's album for SURE, they do have some great tunes. I really like 'Thank You' and 'Ugly Heart' too, and simply haven't heard the Rhodes one before, so all in all a pretty darn good section!

oo i heard gunshot through that same advert! really struck me immediately and i whipped out shazam on my phone to see what it was. it's a lovely track and i can't believe i'd ignored all of her hype beforehand either.

Some FINE songs here, Noah. ugly Heart, Your Soul, This Is How We Do, Gunshot <3

I will never let you down is great and ugly heart is stunning, definitely my favourite girlband song this year :wub:

TY :D

ALL caught up now, yay!

 

A few really good tracks here in this section. I didn't really know much of Lykki Li aside from 'I Follow Rivers' but I DO know of 'Gunshot' and it's fab! 'Fireproof' is also one of the highlights of 1D's album for SURE, they do have some great tunes. I really like 'Thank You' and 'Ugly Heart' too, and simply haven't heard the Rhodes one before, so all in all a pretty darn good section!

Gah, I always forget Lykke Li is the artist behind 'I Follow Rivers'! That song was everywhere in Ireland a few years ago and of course means I had heard her material (or at least heard it in remixed form) prior to 'Gunshot' :drama:. Nice to see another fan of 'Thank You' as well as I think it's been largely forgotten/was never that popular on Buzzjack. Thanks Jade!

oo i heard gunshot through that same advert! really struck me immediately and i whipped out shazam on my phone to see what it was. it's a lovely track and i can't believe i'd ignored all of her hype beforehand either.

Ha yeah it seems we're definitely not alone as there's a load of comments on the official video saying how the advert brought them there :D.

#60 | Walk The Moon | Shut Up and Dance

 

UK | -

Ire | -

 

I was introduced to Walk The Moon's 'Shut Up and Dance' a few months ago by the band's fellow Ohioan, Riser, who was considering it for BJSC at the time. Although the track was an instant hit with me, I believe I warned him that it was unlikely to do well in the contest. It subsequently came fourth for FSR Rontvia a month later, demonstrating my severely limited understanding of what types of songs appeal to voters (although I'm convinced it would have finished quite a bit lower had it been a Harmonican entry :ph34r:). Anyway, this 80's-inspired indie-pop banger is completely irresistible to me. A song absolutely laden with hooks, it has a huge, anthemic chorus that lodges in your head from first listen. I also find the video refreshingly endearing in its goofiness/whatever the antonym of 'slickness' is :huh:.

 

 

#59 | Paloma Faith | Only Love Can Hurt Like This

 

UK | 06

Ire | 26

 

On first checking out 'Only Love Can Hurt Like This', the second single from Paloma Faith's third album 'A Perfect Contradiction', I thought everything was going fine until she started screaming the song's title at the top of her lungs into my poor, unsuspecting eardrums :arrr:. I remember thinking someone in the recording studio at the time should have told her that her unrestrained screeching was not cute and/or vetoed it making the final cut of the track. However, that opinion ended up being very short-lived, with subsequent listens allowing me to recognise the significance of those high-pitched, passionate belts with regard to the song's theme and message. I've loved the track ever since and think it has a very 'classic' feel to it, with its 70's throwback production, direct, relatable lyrics and dramatic overall vibe. It was great to follow the song's chart progress towards deservedly becoming Paloma's biggest (solo) hit to date.

 

 

#58 | Katy B | Stay Down

 

UK | -

Ire | -

 

Katy B's 'Little Red' was undoubtedly one of my most anticipated albums of the year and it definitely did not disappoint, with only a couple of underwhelming moments throughout the record and the high quality maintained right into the bonus tracks. One such song on the deluxe edition, 'Stay Down', was an clear standout, immediately rivalling the album's two stellar singles in my affections. With subtle production complementing Katy's warm tone, it's an understated, mellow track, the chorus of which is built on my favourite melody of the whole album. I also have a real soft spot for the slight vibrato in her voice on the word 'stay' at the beginning of the chorus. Ugh, how this beaut didn't make the standard edition, I'll never understand :cry:.

 

 

#57 | Josh Record | Wide Awake

 

UK | -

Ire | -

 

Another BJSC-related track to make my 100 musical highlights of the year (and indeed another of Jáhq's entries, after 'Your Soul') is 'Wide Awake', by London singer-songwriter Josh Record. The song appeals to me for many of the same reasons that 'Your Soul' does – it's an atmospheric, melancholic ballad featuring thoughtful and tender vocals in the verses which are then layered beautifully in a powerful chorus. My favourite aspect of the bittersweet song is the way it builds from the simple, piano-backed middle 8 to the heavy drums of the suitably climactic final chorus.

 

 

#56 | Taylor Swift | Blank Space

 

UK | 04

Ire | 09

 

With the outstanding commercial success of her fifth album '1989', Taylor Swift has demonstrated the enduring and widespread appeal of well-written, catchy, somewhat innovative but ultimately accessible pop songs. For me, this is no better exemplified than through the album's second single 'Blank Space', an infectious uptempo track packed with witty, tongue-in-cheek lyrics which cleverly enable her to take control of the 'serial dater' image and associated media backlash that she's experienced in the last couple of years. The highly entertaining accompanying video complements the song and its purpose perfectly and is definitely among the best pop videos of the year.

Edited December 24, 201410 yr by Mistletoahspike

yes! shut up and dance was very insant for me too. a great indiepop track, hoping it gets a uk push actually..

 

blank space is lovely too, probably her best single for me now. i love how it all works as a big tongue n cheek package with the lyrics and video, definitely one of the best this year for me :wub:

Only love can hurt like this is beautiful and blank space is definitely one of my favourites this year, the song and video are so amazing :wub:

yes! shut up and dance was very insant for me too. a great indiepop track, hoping it gets a uk push actually..

Yeah I hope so too and can see it being a big hit over here.

 

Only love can hurt like this is beautiful and blank space is definitely one of my favourites this year, the song and video are so amazing :wub:

I had a feeling that section might appeal to you!