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05 |

Better |

Banks |

 

 

Vibrates with despondent bitterness, its beat and construction like a metronome or a heartbeat having to decide to continue beating with every thump. Alive with the sexual writhe of her previous work but crisper, blacker, more aggressive, like a fist clutching at your heart.

 

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, Dawn Richard - for more gossamer sensuality sodden with despair.
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04 |

King |

Years & Years |

 

 

Instant pop thrill. I was already big on Years & Years after seeing some astonishing early live gigs, and we heard this song, and it was glorious, but nothing can prepare you for the spirited haze of the song on record. Olly Alexander's vocals soar, pushing towards that irresistible chorus. That vocal refrain trills, laying out the ceremonial carpet for the king to spin onto, a neverending call to freedom and joy.

 

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, Adam Lambert - for more blazing synthpop euphoria.
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03 |

White Light |

Shura |

 

 

A dream, both in the sense that it is an utterly gorgeous song and that it feels like something nestling in your subconscious, a whispered, magical echo of something just forgotten. The synths glitter softly, never overwhelming the soft, sweet vocal, and even when it clatters a bit more loudly, it still feels subdued, ghostly. It's an undefinable, mysterious plaything of a song, melancholy enough to provoke tears but hopeful enough to strengthen your resolve. Just something really special.

 

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, Sabella - for more rich, sweet vocals leading a soft, sweet song.
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02 |

Run Away With Me |

Carly Rae Jepsen |

 

 

From the triumphant saxophone announcement, I am weak at the knees. Absolutely, a perfect pop song - beautifully paced, effortlessly voiced, euphoric joy and hope with an undercurrent of sadness at her own naivety. There are so many indelible moments, from the hold-your-breath drop after the first chorus to the echoes of the title bursting into the chorus to oh my GOD that gorgeously layered middle-8 to the irresistible chants at the end. Run away? I'm already there waiting for you, Carly.

 

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, Krista Siegfrids - for more BOUNCE.
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01 |

Slowly |

Susanne Sundfør |

 

 

"We have different heartbeats but all the same heartbreak..."

 

Sometimes, writing about music is easy - my bullshit can roll off my fingers quite easily. But sometimes, writing is fucking hard. Finding the words to express how much this song means to me is quite hard, because the emotions it instils in me aren't connected, as is so often the case, to any real life drama or heartbreak or excitement. I relate to this song, I think, on a level of pure emotionality that eschews reality - it's almost spiritual. From the moment it begins, with the wispy echo coming off Susanne's vocal like misty morning air, 'Slowly' feels elemental. It feels crystalline, with the production giving her vocals a protective border with this echo, as it her emotional fragility is guarded by the effect, but this also serves to distance her and make her tremulous cries more heartbreaking. She thought it was going to last forever, but it isn't, and she isn't ready for that protection, be it the vocal effect or the embrace of her lover, to drop away. As the song builds, her voice strengthens, as she seems to crack through something and find that her loneliness and solitude isn't unique and that she may have found her kin, and the song fades away into, perhaps, forever. And for me, it can go on forever, the endless loop of getting ensnared in this song's smooth, icy, virtuosic grip catching me all too often.

 

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, Susanne Sundfør - for more of this impeccably crafted album.
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And that's it! Hooray, I finished it before February arrived. Thank you, thank you, if you commented or read and especially if you took a new favourite away from any of my choices or recommendations. Here's the full list, and I'm off to read yours now.

 

50 | Bitch Better Have My Money - Rihanna

49 | Hourglass - Disclosure feat. Lion Babe

48 | Lost and Found - Ellie Goulding

47 | Make Me A Bird - Arcane Station feat. Marianne Hekkilæ

46 | No Words - Erik Hassle

45 | Warrior - Laura Marling

44 | America - XYLØ

43 | Drive - Halsey

42 | in time - FKA twigs

41 | My Gun - Tove Lo

40 | I’m In It With You - Loreen

39 | Baby Love - Petite Meller

38 | One Last Night - Vaults

37 | Hula Hoop - Brenmar feat. UNiiQU3

36 | Apart - Kasper Bjørke feat. Sísy Ey

35 | Pyramids - Noonie Bao

34 | Sorry - Justin Bieber

33 | Savages - Marina & the Diamonds

32 | Hopscotch - Emmelie de Forest

31 | Can’t Feel My Face - The Weeknd

30 | You Don’t Own Me - Grace feat. G-Eazy

29 | Perfume - Ji Nilsson

28 | BITE - Troye Sivan

27 | Confident - Demi Lovato

26 | Keep It Movin’ - Serayah & Yazz

 

25 | Dancing On Glass - St. Lucia

24 | King Kunta - Kendrick Lamar

23 | Bandit - Justine Skye

22 | Here for You - Kygo feat. Ella Henderson

21 | Paper Light (Higher) - Loreen

20 | World Princess part II - Grimes

19 | How Deep Is Your Love - Calvin Harris & Disciples

18 | I’ll Wait For You - Iris

17 | Be The One - Dua Lipa

16 | Player - Tinashe

15 | Lean On - Major Lazer feat. MØ & DJ Snake

14 | Decay - Tove Styrke

13 | American Oxygen - Rihanna

12 | Under the Shadows - Rae Morris

11 | Flesh without Blood - Grimes

 

10 | Somebody to Love - Kacey Musgraves

09 | Queen of Peace - Florence + the Machine

08 | Can’t Deny My Love - Brandon Flowers

07 | Slumlord - Neon Indian

06 | Nights Like This - W. Darling

05 | Better - Banks

04 | King - Years & Years

03 | White Light - Shura

02 | Run Away With Me - Carly Rae Jepsen

01 | Slowly - Susanne Sundfør

Just popping in to say I've loved following this and glad you finished it! You have an amazing writing style that really makes me want to listen to the songs in question if I don't know them! That is the case for the number 1, but Run Away With Me and White Light are both really great, and King is pop perfection.

 

Also great to see some love for America and Make Me a Bird, both amongst my favourite entries of the year, fantastically dark and distinctive.

HELLO. I will be messaging soon for a proper update (my timehop shows me I came down exactly 2 years ago for a weekend of fun :( where does the time go~) but YAY for some appreciation for 'American Oxygen'. We might be the only two people that properly appreciate it <3

 

Really happy to see Carly doing so wonderfully here, although missing out on the top spot in albums and singles :nono: She made last year so incredible for me musically, when it wasn't a wholly vintage year for me away from her. There is a lot, as usual, that I will need to listen to and familiarise myself with but what I do know, I love so a brilliant countdown (and read!) for me throughout.

I have also been reading through David, I guess I've been drawn in by the concept of extra songs being sneaked in (and I spotted Goodbye Tomorrow in one of those, hurrah), I'm having to check out the ones where I know and like only one of the pair.

 

Wonderful #1, I love the entire album, Delirious is the one that stood out to me the most but Slowly is definitely one of the next strongest.

So happy to see Kacey Musgraves here! I don't think her album matches the quality of her debut but it's still great and 'Somebody To Love' is indeed a highlight. Also hugely in love with 'Queen Of Peace', 'Nights Like This', and 'Run Away With Me' in your top 10, and I've just come across 'Dancing On Glass' in the past couple weeks and am really enjoying it. This was a fantastic read!
  • 2 weeks later...
A stellar top 10 (and those write-ups are great too, certainly put any of my efforts to shame :lol:), Run Away With Me/Slumlord/King are my faves!

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