Starting today!!! Gonna do the same format as years past with some minor tweaks. I’ve got a list of about 50 songs to recap rather than 60, will follow that up with a proper countdown and I’ll debut a fancy new feature in between. :o I’m committed to finishing this in January rather than June so get hyped and ~watch this space~

I have NOT picked a #1 yet! But there’s one thing my last two #1s have in common with one of my faves from this year so we’ll see if that’s a deciding factor. I do know that I’ve got a beautiful song coming up first…

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Excited for this as always Jordan, your commentaries are always a joy to read <3

 

Really excited for this!!

^!!! *adds that gif to the opening post* *.*

 

Alessia Cara "Scars To Your Beautiful"

By now you would think the pop empowerment anthem has been completely overdone, that even artists with the best intentions run out of fresh ideas and instead give us the same tired cliches in a different order. Well, Alessia proved that entirely wrong, and in fact maybe the bar is still being raised. Just in this decade we've had "Firework", and then "F**kin' Perfect", and now "Scars To Your Beautiful".

I can't speak highly enough of her voice or the lyrics, and for me it's her delivery of the lyrics that stands out, from "beauty is pain and there's beauty in everything" to "no better you than the you that you are". You can hear her authenticity which is all the more impressive coming from such a young singer. As a single it easily could have gone unnoticed after "Wild Things" underperformed in the US and the UK, so surely its success so far is a testament to the message really connecting with people.

Most importantly, can we finally agree that Labrinth was right all along when he released "Beneath Your Beautiful" and people thought it should be "Beneath You're Beautiful"?? It's not that difficult, beautiful is just being used as a noun instead of beauty. It's a fair enough argument though considering how often "you're" and "your" are actually misused. :arrr:

Hi Jordan

 

Scars To Your Beautiful is rather lovely, can't say I'm the hugest fan of it because it's not massively exciting but I agree with you that her delivery of the lyrics really does make it work so well. Wild Things is definitely the best thing she's done though, so underrated! :heart:

Edited December 2, 20168 yr by Josh.

 

Cant wait to see how this unfolds BUT FIRST.... Lemme first say that Scars To Your Beautiful is really lovely glad it became a single

 

 

Great start there, I really like Scars to Your Beautiful, need to add it to my playlist so I can chart it soon actually! Probably my favourite song of hers to date.

Beyoncé "Sorry"

Ever since Lemonade was released I've had a hard time ranking my faves because the album is just so diverse. To hear Beyoncé go rock in "Don’t Hurt Yourself", then go country for "Daddy Lessons", then soul on "Freedom" and completely own all three left me in awe, much more than I anticipated from her sixth album. Since then I always felt a little guilty when the song I ended up coming back to most was actually "Sorry". It didn’t feel right because she wasn’t pushing herself vocally or genre-wise on it, but gosh darn it's just the catchiest!!

This was also the safe/obvious choice for airplay on US radio, probably more so than "Hold Up" was everywhere else. I lost count of how many article headlines I saw speculating who "Becky with the good hair" could possibly be. It will be a shame if no other Lemonade tracks make as much impact as "Sorry" and "Formation" did, but I’m not too disappointed because it’s really been all about the album as a whole, and especially the live performances which have been phenomenal. I’m guessing Beyoncé will really give Adele a run for her money at the Grammys.

 

Britney Spears featuring G-Eazy "Make Me…"

It just so happens that I’m typing this up on Britney’s 35th birthday, and at this point in her career, I’m not sure whether to consider Britney lucky (no pun intended) or unlucky. I think anyone on here would say unlucky, because it’s fairly clear she’s destined to never get another big hit no matter what she releases. On the other hand, that hasn’t stopped her from trying, and at least in the US it hasn’t stopped her from getting big initial radio support, which shows the curiosity is still there. I’m actually impressed that radio keeps giving her a chance, when they could just not bother if it’s not gonna be top 10 anyway. It’s a matter of perspective, I suppose.

As for "Make Me", her comeback single, it more or less met my expectations. The sound is very on-trend and it features an of-the-moment rapper, which on paper is silly because they already did that with "Pretty Girls". But it grew on me more than any Britney single has in a long time, and her voice actually sounds pleasant which is something I haven’t said in a while. G-Eazy doesn’t overshadow her, nor does he add much to the song at all, so in my mind she basically pulled it off on her own.

 

Bryson Tiller "Don’t"

Bryson Tiller "Exchange"

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While his debut album is from late last year, Bryson Tiller really broke through at the beginning of 2016, seemingly coming out of nowhere—or ‘Kentucky’, as others call it—to surpass the other urban artists emerging at the same time (Post Malone, Tory Lanez, Travis Scott, etc.). It was fun to watch, despite me not really getting the love for "Don’t". Apparently the song’s been out there for a while, and Bryson was still working at Papa John’s when Timbaland and Drake heard the song and got in touch with him, so at least it has a nice back story.

Second single "Exchange" was a lot more interesting to me, it actually goes somewhere while "Don’t" seems to stay in one place. I’m still trying to pinpoint what it is about him exactly, which is hard when it seems like half the song is an instrumental. Bryson just says as much as he needs to say and lets the backing track take care of the rest, and it does work. I admire his restraint, and in most cases I wouldn’t say that. That said, I can’t imagine listening to a full album of this, but loads of people have judging by the streaming numbers. We’ll see if there’s more where this came from or if Trapsoul just filled a void between The Weeknd and Drake’s albums.

Bryson Tiller love :wub:

 

Don't and Exchange are almost inseparable in my eyes. However, the lyrics to the first verse of Exchange are the most relatable of 2016 to me. Sends shivers down my spine when I hear them. Also the 'You got my soul' part at the end. Forgettable R&B to most, but its one of those songs for me now.

Make Me (Ooh) is the only thing that stands out to me so far, but I like Bryson Tiller a lot and Scars To Your Beautiful was a decent third single. Excited for more!

Sorry is fantastic probs my third favourite of hers this era after Formation and Freedom which are surperb :heart:

 

Make Me is such a return to form for Britney Spears really ignited my love for her after that now awful Pretty Girls :puke:

 

Don't is great too should have been huge!

Lots of love for Make Me... of course :wub: Britney is just so on form this year! G-Eazy doesn't add to it or detract from it, I'll agree, but I expect he helped catch the eye of some casual listeners I guess! Definitely a better effort at an on-trend song than Pretty Girls, which tired on me quickly despite Britney and Iggy being two big faves of mine.

Hi again Jordan

 

I think I must say that I prefer Don't over Exchange but both are solid tracks, the smooth R&B sound really suits him and like you said, it works despite the songs being rather uneventful. I agree that the sound of his album didn't appeal to me either but looking forward to future singles anyway.

 

I think Don't Hurt Yourself is probably my #1 track from Lemonade because the attitude on it is just incredible but she definitely delivered some career-best tracks this era including the likes of Sorry, Hold Up and 6 Inch as well. A shame that due to the Tidal only thing, her peak chart positions don't reflect her massive success :(

 

:)

Cage The Elephant "Trouble"

From one Kentucky artist to another, Cage The Elephant is still somehow going strong nearly a decade after they first broke through. There’s a lot to be said for US radio that despite how segregated each format is, it allows each station to stay loyal to its core artists even if they haven’t had a proper/crossover hit in years. This year Cage The Elephant somehow earned a coveted slot at the iHeartRadio Music Festival, which is how I learned that the singer is not very good live and sounds totally different than he does on the record. Oops.

One of my trips this summer had a combined 20 hours or so of driving, and I heard "Trouble" enough times on one station for it to grow on me. It’s not particularly instant, probably because it’s relatively slow, but the melody is simple and familiar-sounding which is what I like to hear. It even pays tribute to their one proper hit with the line "You know what they say, yeah the wicked get no rest". The amazing thing is that their label has waited a whole nine months to push another single from their album, which is finally happening in mid-January, but I’ll moan more about that later.

 

Carrie Underwood "Heartbeat"

Ah, I’ll never forget doing a serious double-take after reading that Carrie of all people was going to perform on the X Factor! It didn’t really lead to her big break in the UK or anything but that was such a cool surprise. Carrie also sang this on the Grammy Awards with Sam Hunt, and then SMASHED it on the American Idol finale this year, first singing "Something In The Water" and then doing a killer duet with Keith Urban covering a Tom Petty song.

It was very refreshing for me after I’ve been wondering if something’s been missing from her music lately that I can’t pinpoint. I really haven’t been blown away by a Carrie song since, well, "Blown Away". "Heartbeat" comes close, though, and it’s not too much of a departure from her old stuff (and certainly a lot better than "Heartbeat Song", to make the easy Idol comparison). The chorus is super pretty and worthy of stronger verses than what it has. The video doesn't match the song as well as it should either, not sure why she's all by herself but I do think she looks like Ellie Goulding in the last minute or so!

 

Daya "Sit Still, Look Pretty"

So far Daya is the queen of slow-burning hits, with two stellar singles that were decently big in America although they went unnoticed in the UK. I already sang praises to "Hide Away" last year and "Sit Still, Look Pretty" is a terrific follow-up, with a similar theme and equally unique and interesting production that really suits her. I particularly like the whistling, more so than most songs that use it. I would say whoever’s doing production for her is doing a really good job, but I’ve already heard the next single “Words” and it’s a serious step down from this.

The Chainsmokers sure came in at the right time to give Daya a much bigger smash, as I’m not sure "Sit Still" would have done as well as "Hide Away" without that extra exposure. "Don’t Let Me Down" is rather unremarkable, although it’s been her only collab so far, which I applaud her for; in fact her album has no features whatsoever. TL;DR: I’m definitely impressed with Daya, much like I was with another girl who broke through at about age 17...

 

Disclosure featuring Lorde "Magnets"

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In last year’s EOY I compared Daya to Lorde, with Daya being the slightly less serious but equally talented American equivalent. With Lorde in between albums for over three years now, it’s a relief that Disclosure snatched her to record "Magnets" while she hopefully is perfecting her own new material. It peaked for me in January of this year after making most of its real-world impact in late 2015, including an SNL performance and a #2 peak in Lorde’s native New Zealand. Too bad the UK decided one hit was enough for Disclosure this time around (it’s Sam Smith’s fault, it always is).

Collabs are rare for Lorde as well, and I’m curious to see if this one has left any hints of what to expect from her next album. It was definitely a first to see her showing her wild side in the video, to a point where it didn’t feel completely genuine...or it might just be BFF Taylor Swift having a terrible, horrible influence on her. I’m joking there, but another of Lorde’s major influences is David Bowie and her part of the tribute at the BRIT Awards was really top-notch. So Lorde could be getting all kinds of inspiration for her sophomore album. I just hope that next year is FINALLY the year we get to hear it.

 

DJ Khaled featuring Drake "For Free"

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"They don’t want me to have another anthem, so I made sure I got another anthem! " That line is quite true, I sure didn’t think DJ Khaled could ever top "I’m On One", which also features Drake, but "For Free" is so instant that I knew it was a new career peak as soon as the beat kicks in. These days anything with Drake on it is a hit, so I’m glad when it’s actually a good song in its own right. In this case I really think DJ Khaled carries it, because it wouldn’t be half as good without THAT beat.

Oddly, DJ Khaled is one of my favorite famous people at the moment, especially ever since he appeared at the VMAs wearing shoes around his neck. His larger than life personality in general is something he pulls off very well, from his posing with a lion on his album cover to casually riding a jetski in a swimming pool for a music video, plus being hilarious on the Internet and shamelessly showing off all his money. :lol: He’s still a hit-and-miss artist for me but at least here he totally lives up to his own hype.

 

DJ Snake featuring Bipolar Sunshine "Middle"

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Despite DJ Snake’s track record, "Middle" sounded like a very unlikely hit to me. It’s not in your face like "Turn Down For What" and enough of a departure from his signature sound that I’d it surpassed expectations everywhere it charted. Bipolar Sunshine had never had a hit even in his native UK, so it was wonderful to see that happen too. And it snuck in the top 10 even without being A-listed on Radio 1, which I didn’t notice at the time.

Unfortunately I’d probably rank this at the bottom of DJ Snake’s singles, but it’s just a testament to the strength of his entire output so far. I admire "Middle" for being one of the most different-sounding hits of 2016, and hopefully it’s not already completely forgotten in the shadow of "Let Me Love You". Still waiting for DJ TheSnake feat. Bipolar Angel to make the Buzzjack remix of it *.*

 

Drake & Future "Jumpman"

Like we already know, anything with Drake on it is a hit right now, so Future did the smart thing and recorded a whole album with him last year. I’ve at least heard clips of every song because they all charted on the Hot 100, and the two that stood out to me were the single "Jumpman" and the album track "Big Rings". I’ve never really liked Future aside from one or two songs, so I’m kinda biased and think he drags down most of these collabs.

The ultimate highlight of "Jumpman" came months later when Taylor Swift did the Beats 1 commercial, running on a treadmill to the song and then falling on her face *.* (I’ll stop giving her a hard time soon I promise). That made me appreciate it a little more, but ultimately I don’t expect to remember it for much longer. Drake and Future collaborate on a regular basis anyway, so I may end up loving something they release in the, er, future.

I love the format of your review Riser! I've got mild OCD when it comes to my forum posts so this is all very pleasing to my eyes lol.

 

My favorites from the A-D group:

 

Alessia Cara - "Scars To Your Beautiful"

Seriously: what. a. song. I thought the inspirational song was way beyond its' prime but Alessia definitely turned the tables on us there. This is the first time in a long time that a song actually makes me feel something so strong and her voice is really amazing. Glad you included this.

 

Britney Spears featuring G-Eazy - "Make Me…"

I have been a huge Britney fan for a long time but I'll admit this last era did not meet my expectations. I was not a fan of her newest album at all and really only found one song I like out of the couple I listened to: this one. It did have to grow on me a bit but I definitely enjoyed it even if I kind of forgot about it after a while.

 

Daya - "Sit Still, Look Pretty"

Daya has been one of my breakout stars of 2016 (along with Alessia Cara) and while this isn't quite as instant and infectious as 'Hide Away' or 'Don't Let Me Down' it's definitely a hit in my books. It got heavy rotation on radio stations here in Iceland and there's just something about her that's really likeable. Here's hoping for some more Daya smashes in 2017.

 

Disclosure featuring Lorde - "Magnets"

If you looked at my thread for 2015 you'll see this was one of my number ones for last year so I'm obviously a fan of this song. Lorde has always been very interesting to me and I agree I hope this gives us some kind of insight into what her sophomore album might bring us. She's got undeniable talent and it's a shame we have hardly gotten anything from her in the past 3 years except the Hunger Games soundtrack (which admittedly was amazing).

 

DJ Snake featuring Bipolar Sunshine - "Middle"

This one took a while to take off for me as I had added it to my playlist but didn't really take notice of it until suddenly one day at a party when it started playing and I suddenly realized I freakin' love this song lol. I love the current trendds in dance music and DJ Snake is definitely a key player in that department.

Hiya Jordan

 

Also really hoping we get Lorde's second album next year too, Pure Heroine has been one of my favourite albums in years and seeing her live was one of the best music concerts I've been to for sure. Magnets was something nice to have in between but her solo stuff is far stronger for sure! Like you said though, a big shame it didn't catch on in the charts when Omen did (although I liked that too).

 

Jumpman is quite catchy but like you say, I'm not sure I'll even remember how it goes this time next year. It took me by surprise though as I didn't expect to it enjoy it quite so much but it had some quite catchy hooks in it. Drake has of course had better this year though, Too Good being my favourite.

Hey Jordan! :D

 

I've also felt that something's been missing from Carrie's music this era, I liked the album and the first three singles went top 10 in my chart but none of them stand up to some of her older tracks, and overall I'd say it's her least good album to date. Heartbeat is my favourite song from it though :wub:

 

Sit Still, Look Pretty was a slow-burner for me too actually, not just on the Hot 100! I liked it back in BJSC but it grew especially around when the album got released and went top 10 in my chart a couple of months ago. She's definitely a very promising star and I really liked her album, excited to see what's to come from her!

Sit Still, Look Pretty is a strong pop song, leagues ahead of Hide Away for me.

 

Middle was a brill track, definitely prefer it to the Bieber collab but it did take a while to click.

 

Jumpman is quite the tune!

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the comments, just been falling behind on this so I haven't been replying. Forgot to mention my theme is picking songs that weren't A-listed on Radio 1, which is why I include some that I don't necessarily love. And I appreciate the compliment on the formatting too, it's worth the extra effort for sure :P

 

Elle King "America's Sweetheart"

I'm glad "America's Sweetheart" wasn't the first Elle King song I ever heard, because it's a poor representation of her music as a whole. In fact, when I saw her live she didn't even perform it, which makes me think she's not fond of it herself. I am fond of it to an extent, but after a song like "Ex's & Oh's" does she really need to convince anyone that she's not America's sweetheart? :kink:

The general message of the song is that Elle is proud to be different and doesn't want to change for anyone. The irony is that she's singing this while the banjo and foot-stomping mimics every other song that's already copied Mumford & Sons and Avicii, so clearly exceptions can be made when you're trying to get airplay. By the time it became a single, everyone had already moved on from copying this sound anyway, so chart-wise it didn't get very far. I would guess that she's well aware of the irony, so perhaps it was made a single against her will and that's why she left it out of her set.

 

Ellie Goulding "Something In The Way You Move"

The smash that seemingly wasn't meant to be. :( When Ellie first pushed "Army" in the UK and "Something In The Way You Move" in the US, instead of picking just one single, I thought it was a great strategy. It takes so many weeks for most songs to peak in America that by the time "Army" was over and done in the UK, this could be riding high on Billboard which would give it some automatic momentum in the UK. Alas, SITWYM stalled and missed the top 40 by three places, so that plan fell through.

Still, it had plenty of airplay here and sounded spectacular on the radio, so I think her label was wrong to just give up on it. The lyrics might be a little uninspired, but the melody is very strong and the production suits it perfectly. I still haven't listened to Delirium based on people here saying it wasn't any good, but I love all of the singles, not one weak link to be found, so there's gotta be some more gems on there. Especially with such a long tracklist :lol: