#38 | MAGIC! | Rude

 

UK | 01

Ire | 02

 

MAGIC!'s 'Rude' made a very strong first impression on me. I remember being tired and hungry while stuck in traffic on a bus home from a long day spent doing uni assignments when it came on the radio, capturing my attention and lifting my spirits immediately. The simple, amusing style of storytelling throughout the song proved very effective and, together with its multiple hooks, allowed the track to click with me straight away, lodging itself in my head for the rest of the journey. Thematically, the song stands out from the crowd while its upbeat, reggae-tinged production further separates it from the year's big summer hits. The whole thing is so feel-good and despite the huge airplay it received over the past several months, remains a highly enjoyable out-and-out bop to these ears. *Braces self for inevitable Ultraviolence backlash*

 

 

#37 | Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne | Rather Be

 

UK | 01

Ire | 01

 

Another effortlessly feel-good song is one of the year's enduring mega-smashes, 'Rather Be', by two of the most exciting success stories of 2014, Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne. It is truly incredible how fresh this still sounds to me, having been in my life for over a year and being hugely prominent throughout. The track has so much going for it; adventurous and diverse production sounds which are little utilised in commercial music, sincere, soulful, souring vocals reminiscent of Adele, joyful lyrics with a very relatable sentiment - it's not difficult to understand why 'Rather Be' has proved so massively popular. The captivating video manages to elevate the song further and, personally, has very special appeal, reminding me of the few months I spent in Tokyo, one of the best times of my life.

 

 

#36 | Tove Lo | Not On Drugs

 

UK | -

Ire | -

 

The first of two tracks in this countdown from Tove Lo, one of the year's surprise breakthrough acts, 'Not On Drugs' is a true beaut. Exploring the immense euphoria of being in love, the song packs a huge, overwhelming chorus with explosive production which effectively captures that profound emotion (lol I write as if I know what it feels like! :/). The lyric 'You're high enough for me' encapsulates the comparison to the mind-altering effects of drugs at the heart of the song while providing an apt contrast to the lyrics of Tove's debut smash, which was centred on substance (ab)use. It's upsetting that this wasn't anywhere near the big hit it could have been - what a wasted (appropriately half-arsed drug pun :magic:) opportunity :(.

Oh.

:)

Happy to see Rude here, overplay seems to have killed the track for a lot of people here but not me. I love the reggae fun vibe to it and the lyrics are fun too.

^ Good to see another fan of it on here! I didn't realise until recently how disliked it is. :/

 

#35 | Lorde | Yellow Flicker Beat

 

UK | 71

Ire | 83

 

Dark, brooding and atmospheric with liberal use of drumbeats and synths, 'Yellow Flicker Beat' isn't exactly much of a departure from Lorde's trademark sound. However, something about the lead single of the new Hunger Games film soundtrack is even more enchanting and mysterious than her previous efforts, perhaps partly due to the fact that I haven't a clue what the song's actually about (other than that some of the lyrics are quite ~sassy~). Google tells me 'Yellow Flicker Beat' is Lorde's attempt to get inside the head of the book's/film's protagonist Katniss, which means sweet nothing to me, having never bought into the franchise. Even still, it’s a highly enjoyable, engaging listen. The track's highlight for me is at the end of the second verse when the singer's voice is given prominence for the standout lyric 'I made a little prison and I’m locking up everyone who ever laid a finger on me'. Take note, Jessie J - this is how you reference 'the haters' in your songs. ^_^

 

 

#34 | Sam Smith | I'm Not The Only One

 

UK | 03

Ire | 06

 

'I'm Not The Only One', the third single from Sam Smith's massively successful debut album, is the song for which I've had the biggest turnaround this year. On first listen, it plodded along for four minutes, sounding utterly uneventful and lifeless. It struck me at the time that it was weak for an album track, let alone a single. Although the song would have undoubtedly grown on me regardless, its video was largely responsible for allowing me to understand its lyrics and subject matter (having not been interested enough to listen properly beforehand) as well as appreciate the gorgeous, understated, slow-burning chorus melody. While 'Stay With Me' has always sounded forced and overdone to me, 'I'm Not The Only One' is smart and genuine, sounding like a modern soul classic that deserves to be the best regarded of the 'In The Lonely Hour' singles in years to come.

 

 

#33 | Years & Years | Desire

 

UK | 22

Ire | -

 

Years & Years is one of my favourite British acts for years (and years :rofl:) and the unveiling of their new single, ‘Desire’, a few months ago cemented my great admiration for the London trio. An infectious uptempo pop song with pulsating electro beats, scintillating synths and typically awesome, alluring, high-pitched vocals, the song is the band's most instant and commercial offering yet. While not my favourite track of theirs, I was absolutely thrilled to see it get recognition for them on the charts and hope that its performance, in addition to the critical hype they've received recently, bodes well for their commercial breakthrough in 2015. Failing that, as long as they keep releasing more excellent tunes, I’ll be extremely happy. :music:

Chandelier is amazing, I adore Sia's vocals on it :wub:

Yellow flicker beat is also great and I'm not the only one is Sam's best song by miles, it is just so so beautiful :wub:

 

And obviously for me rude is awful :puke2: :puke2:

^ Good there was some stuff you like in there to offset the inclusion of 'Rude'!

 

#32 | Ed Sheeran | Afire Love

 

UK | 59

Ire | 82

 

The second Ed Sheeran album track to feature in this countdown, 'Afire Love' has always stood out strongly to me when listening to 'x'. Written from a child's point of view, the piano-led ballad details Ed and his family's experience of his grandfather's struggle and death from Alzheimer's disease, something that immediately struck a chord with me, having had a grandmother die from the condition and another who's been suffering from it for the last six years. I find the lyrics incredibly saccharine :puke2: touching and wonderfully evocative throughout, effectively capturing the perspective of a distressed young grandchild. Along with the beautiful vocals and harmonies, my favourite aspect of the track is its clever structure, the first verse dealing with the elderly man's memory loss, the second with his death and the chorus recalling the heartfelt words he used to speak to his wife. The song also features one of the most stunning outros I've ever heard. Single please. :D

 

 

#31 | Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX | Fancy

 

UK | 05

Ire | 12

 

Now for a seamless transition in mood :magic:! Like many others, I was underwhelmed when I first heard Iggy Azalea's 'Fancy' and also remember thinking it didn't sound accessible or likely to be anything other than a fanbase, flash-in-the-pan 'hit'. The video, which followed shortly after, proved to be absolutely on the money, with the high quality take-off of 90's cult movie classic Clueless tapping into the childhood nostalgia of Iggy's target demographic, allowing 'Fancy' to spread to the mainstream and grow with repeated listens, something which I think was essential for this particular track to work. With an undeniable beat, highly quotable verses and a distinctive, anthemic chorus and hook supplied by Charli XCX, the song is full of charm and is extremely re-playable once it's given ample opportunity to grow. I was therefore very happy to see it surpass all expectations in becoming one of the biggest (surprise) hits of the year.

 

 

#30 | Calvin Harris ft. HAIM | Pray To God

 

UK | -

Ire | -

 

'Pray To God', for me, is a case of an innovative, well-chosen and excellently executed collaboration whereby the acts involved bring out the very best in each other - the end result being something which only that particular collaboration of artists could achieve. The HAIM-featured Calvin Harris track exhibits the band's folk-tinged, slightly erratic, fast-paced vocals, as well as their distinctive intonation and harmonies which I've come to love, merged with Calvin’s trademark soaring, infectious, feel-good production style. It’s a wonderfully different take on the ever-growing and encompassing dance genre and a song I've been hammering of late without any sign of its effect wearing off. I look forward to its inevitable single release.

Edited January 3, 201510 yr by Noahspike

Hey Noah :D

 

#51 | Ben Howard | I Forget Where We Were

#54 | Nicki Minaj | Pills N Potions

#56 | Taylor Swift | Blank Space

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

#60 | Walk The Moon | Shut Up and Dance

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

#62 | Rhodes | Your Soul

#63 | One Direction | Fireproof

#66 | Ed Sheeran | Runaway

#68 | Vance Joy | Riptide

#69 | Sam Smith | Like I Can

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

#71 | Shakira ft. Rihanna | Can’t Remember To Forget You

#73 | The Script | Superheroes

#75 | Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars | Uptown Funk

#76 | M.O | Dance On My Own

#77 | London Grammar | Hey Now

#78 | Katy Perry | This Is How We Do

#80 | OneRepublic | I Lived

#81 | The Magician ft. Years & Years | Sunlight

#82 | One Direction | Night Changes

#83 | Professor Green ft. Tori Kelly | Lullaby

#87 | Beyoncé | Partition

#88 | Lana Del Rey | Ultraviolence

#89 | Coldplay | A Sky Full Of Stars

#91 | Foxes | Holding Onto Heaven

#93 | Ella Eyre | If I Go

#96 | Ella Henderson | Hard Work

#98 | Aloe Blacc | The Man

#99 | Jamie T | Zombie

#100 | Tinie Tempah ft. Labirinth | Lover Not A Fighter

 

Great section here. Expecting Kwabs to do well higher up. I think it was you that was the huge Kwabs fan :kink:

 

I agree that Pray To God is the perfect fusion of both artists implementing the charm from both sides to make a song nobody else could. Really hoping it's the next single because I need the public to appreciate it's beauty (and make it smash before it's too late).

 

I also agree that the piano in Afire Love really increases the beauty of the track and it's all so heartfelt. That would be my choice for next single if it was down to me. Hope his team make a good decision and I trust them to because they haven't made one bad decision this era so far, excellent management.

Great section here. Expecting Kwabs to do well higher up. I think it was you that was the huge Kwabs fan :kink:

Good to see you're liking a lot! And you may well be onto something with that Kwabs prediction. :ph34r:

 

I agree that Pray To God is the perfect fusion of both artists implementing the charm from both sides to make a song nobody else could. Really hoping it's the next single because I need the public to appreciate it's beauty (and make it smash before it's too late).

 

I also agree that the piano in Afire Love really increases the beauty of the track and it's all so heartfelt. That would be my choice for next single if it was down to me. Hope his team make a good decision and I trust them to because they haven't made one bad decision this era so far, excellent management.

They would be two excellent singles right there! I'm glad 'Bloodstream' is Ed's next single though to break up the ballads (although is 'Photograph' still getting a single release as well? The current situation seems unclear :unsure:).

 

#29 | Paolo Nutini | Iron Sky

 

UK | 42

Ire | 96

 

Paolo Nutini's 'Iron Sky' caught my attention in March during the run-up to the release of his third album 'Caustic Love', when a

of the statement song went semi-viral, prompting Adele to add to the hype by publicly losing her shit over it when she tweeted: 'f***!!! This is one of the best things I've ever seen in my life hands down' :o! While I wouldn't quite go that far with my superlative usage, the song has sounded epic to me from first listen. It's an inspired shift in direction for Paolo which later proved a clear standout on the album. His unrestrained, soulful voice with its scratchy, raspy tone lends itself perfectly to the deeply pained emotion of the track, the lyrics of which call for the liberation of humans from religious and political restrictions. The suitably dramatic, brassy instrumentation builds throughout to a stunning final chorus which remains a real musical 'moment' of the year for me. Having placed in the UK top 40 sales chart for three weeks, the song is (arguably) the biggest victim of the implementation of streaming, narrowly failing to penetrate the ~iron sky~ of the official top 40. :/

 

 

#28 | James Bay | Hold Back The River

 

UK | 18

Ire | -

 

As the newly-crowned winner of the BRITs Critics' Choice Award, it's inevitable that James Bay will have a commercial breakthrough in 2015. Having liked 'Hear Your Heart' (in remixed form) as part of BJSC, I had been mildly interested in the building hype around him but I wasn't convinced until I heard his latest single, 'Hold Back The River', a couple of months ago. The singer's wonderfully distinctive, lilting voice and vocal cracks seem sincere, managing to elevate the understated verses of the track and maintaining interest until its rousing, uptempo chorus. It's a beautifully melodic gem of a folk-pop song that builds very effectively, particularly through its layered vocals, revealing its brilliance after repeated listens and proving a real earworm. I've been hooked on this for the last while and am very much okay with James' music being thrust upon us for the foreseeable future by the powers that be.

 

 

#27 | Imagine Dragons | Demons

 

UK | 13

Ire | 11

 

I'd always liked the tracks I'd heard from Imagine Dragons, particularly 'It's Time', but post-album single 'Demons' unexpectedly whacked me round the face with its excellence when it began its chart career at the beginning of the year. By far the band's most instant and accessible single to these ears, I don't fully understand why it wasn't given a push sooner (not that the actual single order didn't pay off at all). The anthemic chorus is expertly crafted, absolutely exploding from the very promising 'This is my kingdom come' bridge and featuring awesome, full-blown vocals and an infectious melody with lovely little intricacies (my favourite being the small break/emphasis on 'get' in 'don't…get too close' :heart:). I love seeing deserving post-album singles achieve chart prominence, maintaining album sales in the process, and 'Demons' was among the most satisfying of those of the year.

Edited January 2, 201510 yr by Noahspike

'Pray to God' is definitely the clear highlight from 'Motion'. Very looking forward to hear what is next for HAIM, hopefully we here some stuff from them this year. PTG obviously suffices in the meantime though.

 

Good to see 'Iron Sky' so high too. A very powerful piece of music but seemed to be slightly overlooked at the time.

I've really not got the fuss about James Bay. :/ Whilst 'Hold Back the River' is uptempo, I can imagine the rest of his music being very Ben Howard-esque as I can hear his voice in James'. Another male songwriter who plays guitar is not the sort of thing the charts are lacking.

 

'Demons' really stuck a chord with me early last year. Beautiful lyrics and a huge chorus, quite simply the best single from Imagine Dragons for me!

#35 | Lorde | Yellow Flicker Beat

 

The track's highlight for me is at the end of the second verse when the singer's voice is given prominence for the standout lyric 'I made a little prison and I’m locking up everyone who ever laid a finger on me'.

Yes yes yes but what about the pause right after that, and then BOOM the chorus! I'd say that right there is where it peaks. But yeah her delivery of that line leads perfectly into that, and it's a great lyric as you said.

I like, but don't love a lot of the songs in the recent batches (we'll call this the little lull period before it properly takes off again *.*)

 

'Demons' is fabulous, if a little overplayed for me. I was v obsessed with their album when it came out and saw them live but i haven't returned to it for a while. Still excited for a new era this year though.

 

Not gotten into James Bay as much as a lot of people on here but i haven't really given him the time yet. Nor have i heard Calvin's album but i hear that's a highlight (+ there is a track with TINASHE on it so i need to check it out).

 

Hmmm having read your Ed Sheeran commentary there, it's almost making me want to get over my fear of his samey tunes :) and listen to the album :thinking: (or that track at least because you've sold it so well and i've not even heard it lol) we shall see...

hold back the river is excellent, reminds me a bit of tom odell so i hope he doesn't end up like him as he is the least successful of the critics choice winners. he has a nice sound going on so hope 2015 is his year.

'Pray to God' is definitely the clear highlight from 'Motion'. Very looking forward to hear what is next for HAIM, hopefully we here some stuff from them this year. PTG obviously suffices in the meantime though.

 

Good to see 'Iron Sky' so high too. A very powerful piece of music but seemed to be slightly overlooked at the time.

Yeah, I'm eagerly anticipating new HAIM. Must return to their album actually because it was one of my favourites of 2013.

 

I agree. I always thought it should have been pushed as the second single instead of 'Let Me Down Easy' (not just saying that in hindsight after that flopped :)).

 

I've really not got the fuss about James Bay. :/ Whilst 'Hold Back the River' is uptempo, I can imagine the rest of his music being very Ben Howard-esque as I can hear his voice in James'. Another male songwriter who plays guitar is not the sort of thing the charts are lacking.

 

'Demons' really stuck a chord with me early last year. Beautiful lyrics and a huge chorus, quite simply the best single from Imagine Dragons for me!

I don't really hear the likeness to Ben Howard myself but I love Ben's new album so material like his wouldn't really be a bad thing for me anyway! Yeah he certainly doesn't bring anything vastly new to the mainstream but I remain cautiously optimistic based on 'Hold Back The River' that he'll have some good stuff. (Actually, a lot of it is probably available to hear already but I haven't really checked out other songs of his yet!).

 

Yeah, 'Demons' has excellent lyrics - forgot to touch on that properly.

Yes yes yes but what about the pause right after that, and then BOOM the chorus! I'd say that right there is where it peaks. But yeah her delivery of that line leads perfectly into that, and it's a great lyric as you said.

You're right, the pause and boom are essential to the moment!

I like, but don't love a lot of the songs in the recent batches (we'll call this the little lull period before it properly takes off again *.*)

 

'Demons' is fabulous, if a little overplayed for me. I was v obsessed with their album when it came out and saw them live but i haven't returned to it for a while. Still excited for a new era this year though.

 

Not gotten into James Bay as much as a lot of people on here but i haven't really given him the time yet. Nor have i heard Calvin's album but i hear that's a highlight (+ there is a track with TINASHE on it so i need to check it out).

 

Hmmm having read your Ed Sheeran commentary there, it's almost making me want to get over my fear of his samey tunes :) and listen to the album :thinking: (or that track at least because you've sold it so well and i've not even heard it lol) we shall see...

*Immediately posts another Ed track* :mellow: (although I'm sure at least one of the other two will appeal to you!).

 

Ah, didn't know you are a fan and saw them live - would love to see them sometime.

 

Ooh, must check out that Tinashe track. Still haven't heard the album either. :drama:

 

Haha, baby steps but I have faith in you! Look what happened with 1D and Taylor. :o

hold back the river is excellent, reminds me a bit of tom odell so i hope he doesn't end up like him as he is the least successful of the critics choice winners. he has a nice sound going on so hope 2015 is his year.

Yeah I noticed the Tom Odell similarities as well and can see him having that level of success (which is still pretty decent). Hope he continues to bring the tunes anyway which is the main thing!

Edited January 3, 201510 yr by Noahspike

#26 | Ed Sheeran | Don't

 

UK | 08

Ire | 13

 

The last of three Ed Sheeran songs to make this countdown, 'Don't' has grown to be my second favourite single from the singer, albeit quite a way behind his underrated masterpiece, 'I See Fire'. Making effective use of the chorus of Lucy Pearl's 2000 Top 20 hit

, the track is a rhythmic mid-tempo with hostile lyrics and thus a noticeable departure from the heartfelt tender affectionate saccharine :magic: balladry for which the artist is most known. (Don't listen to the rampant propaganda of the likes of Bal and Ethan – Ed's songs don't all sound the same!). Anyway, I've always appreciated the honesty in this song, with the fast-paced verses going into intricate detail about a time Ed felt he was burned when a certain popstar lover had a ~dalliance~ with Mullingar's modern-day Jesus. Sure, it's very bitter and gives the impression Ed's taking himself and and the situation a bit too seriously, but we're all like that at times and it's great to see a hugely popular artist who's widely known as down-to-earth be brave enough to put a single forward that makes him look like a bit of a douche. The song itself has had massive exposure and radio play and yet somehow is still a highly enjoyable bop for me. Truly sick~ :music:

 

 

#25 | Josef Salvat | Diamonds

 

UK | -

Ire | -

 

Josef Salvat's take on 'Diamonds' is an utter stunner of a cover. The Sia-penned Rihanna track has always been a favourite of mine (well actually it took about a month to hit me but I've adored it since) and Josef's delicate, sombre vocals, together with minimalist piano backing and soaring harmonies, bring the song to new heights - not to say it's necessarily better overall than Rihanna's, I'm staying on the fence with that one :drama:. Innovative use of vocal layering and inspired ad libs are convincing in separating the track from the many other versions that exist in the world, and indeed the glistening original. (Basically what I'm trying to say is: Josef, you made the song your own, it's four yeses, see you at Bootcamp etc.). The overall effect is a highly atmospheric, calming listen to which I find myself returning on the regular.

 

 

#24 | Selena Gomez | The Heart Wants What It Wants

 

UK | -

Ire | 60

 

'The Heart Wants What It Wants' took me completely by surprise a few months ago. Selena Gomez is a very unreliable popstar for me - she's produced some infectious gems such as 'Love You Like A Love Song' in her time but she's got a remarkably limited voice and as such, a lot of her songs fall very flat, giving the distinct impression they'd be infinitely better with a (more) competent vocalist at the helm. However, this particular song plays to all her strengths (i.e. it's easy to sing :magic:), with the emotionally-charged lyrics ('There's a million reasons why I should give you up') coming off as incredibly sincere and apt, given her high-profile, on-and-off relationship with Justin Bieber. As well as being absolutely perfect for her specifically, it's a beautiful song on its own merits, with chilled R&B production and an understated, monotonous and repetitive chorus that feels entirely appropriate for the defeatist subject matter of feeling powerless to the heart's desire. It also picks up wonderfully towards the end with a more resolute post-chorus which gives the track a new dimension. Overall, the song is a stroke of genius on every level except the decision to include a clip of her crying for a minute at the start of the video - ain't nobody got time for that, Selena. :angry:

Edited January 3, 201510 yr by Noahspike

Fancy is so amazing, easily one of the best collaborations this year :wub:

Pray to god is also great and I really hope it is the next single :wub:

'Don't' is my favourite out of the three Ed Sheeran singles so far this era although, from what I've heard of x, it holds better songs in the shape of 'Nina' and 'Afire Love'.

 

Oh wow, I've just read your commentary of 'Afire Love' and payed attention to the lyrics; that's just made it 10x better!