'Angel Of My Dreams' was such a brilliant debut from JADE. It sounded so unique in the charts and was a brilliant way for her to show her own identity outside of Little Mix.

 

'yes, and' is obviously a favourite of mine :wub: Ariana had left us waiting for far too long without new music and I was not expecting this to be what she finally came back with. She keeps us waiting even longer with the long intro too :lol:

 

'Training Season' was definitely my favourite from Dua in this era. I'll be interested to see if she goes for a different sound next time she releases music.

Yes what a way for JADE to make her mark solo! I'm pleased that she's been nominated for two BRITs now also, hopefully a performance to follow :wub:

 

Have just read all about your appreciation for 'yes, and?' in your EOY thread, glad you loved this return so much! The album may not have gone down the house route in full but 'yes, and?' was a fun start to it. Indeed she does :lol: I wonder how long it'll be until another new album now the acting is going so well for her.

 

Ooh glad that 'Training Season' is a snap favourite for you too :cheer: will certainly be interesting to see what Dua does next.

 

thank you for commenting <3

TOP 100 SONGS: 10-01

 

 

10. The Blinders - Always | 524 points

09. Ariana Grande - we can't be friends (wait for your love) | 543 points

08. Charli xcx - Everything is romantic | 555 points

07. Fontaines D.C. - Starburster | 580 points

06. FKA twigs - Eusexua | 591 points

05. Magdalena Bay - Cry for Me | 624 points

04. TV Girl & George Clanton - Take a Trip | 645 points

03. Vampire Weekend - Capricorn | 703 points

02. Chappell Roan - Good Luck, Babe! | 830 points

01. Charli xcx - Sympathy is a knife | 962 points :winner:

 

Manchester-based band The Blinders were brought to my attention via 6Music and what a discovery they turned out to be. 'Always' is taken from the group's third album Beholder and is a post-punk, alt-rock belter with a glorious gothic edge to the guitars. This song deals with loss through vivid imagery ("my body's on the ceiling and my head is sinking into the ground") and passionate vocals that particularly soar during the chorus. 'Always' has a black-and-white accompanying video that features lead singer Thomas Haywood running through the streets, in quite a close-up, intimate fashion. Unfortunately the band cancelled the European leg of their tour and have stated they're taking an indefinite hiatus, so who knows when we'll next hear from them. Ariana Grande released 'we can't be friends (wait for your love)' as the second single from her latest album eternal sunshine. This song took a more laidback, synth-pop turn following the in-your-face house sound of lead single 'yes, and?'. Ari veered away from 'Vogue' and instead opted for production that sounded more like Robyn or P!nk's 'Trustfall'. The synths and strings were a fitting choice to accompany her ethereal vocal performance on the song, which particularly stuns during the middle 8. 'we can't be friends (wait for your love)' can be interpreted in a romantic sense or as her relationship with the press ("you cling to your papers and pens") - which often blows hot and cold. Last year she received a lot of media coverage surrounding relationship drama and her weight, but continued to succeed in the face of that, as 'we can't be friends (wait for your love)' became her ninth #1 in the U.S. (stalling at #2 in the U.K.) and she is fresh off a 'Best Supporting Actress' Oscar nomination, so she had a point with the "wait until you love me again" line. Her acting chops impress in the music video as I remember feeling genuinely moved by the crying scenes. These visuals, which also feature Evan Peters, are inspired by the plot of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, as Ari undergoes a memory erasure process. Charli xcx boasts two appearances in the top 10 this year and the first of these is 'Everything is romantic', track #7 on BRAT. This whirlwind of a song is themed around romanticising moments in amongst the twist and turns we face. Charli states that life is a series of "winding roads, doing manual drive" but hones in on the mundane, little things like "lemons on the trees and on the ground" which may be ordinary, but are romanticised in this moment while she's on holiday. The duality of life is illustrated well through the production as it begins with gorgeous, slow-paced strings and morphs into harsh club beats. I was excited that El Guincho was on board, as I love his work with ROSALÍA and he certainly did not disappoint. 'Everything is romantic' would later get the remix treatment with the equally fabulous Caroline Polachek. 'Starburster' was chosen as the lead single from Fontaines D.C.'s latest album Romance. This track was love at first listen and became the band's first #1 in my personal chart. 'Starburster' was written about a panic attack that lead singer Grian Chatten experienced at St Pancras station. That context helps to explain the intakes of breath throughout; this feature of the song is a highly effective component for the mood and momentum. Fontaines' alt-rock roots can still be found in 'Starburster' but thrown in a blender with more hip-hop and even trip-hop sounds. I adore the rip-roaring energy of the guitars and Chatten's determined vocal performance, which is later followed by a deconstruction of softer vocals and strings, before ending on an energetic note once more. It's an enthralling 3:41 duration packed with several memorable lyrics, especially the second verse with "I'm the pig on the Chinese calendar" and "I wanna move like a new Salamander". The music video shows Chatten accidentally kicking a football into a garage, which he then proceeds to enter and discovers a door that takes him through various film studios. JADE can be seen at one point due to the crossover between her 'Angel Of My Dreams' music video and this one for 'Starburster'. This became the group's first charting single in the U.K. and has so far peaked at #57. 'Eusexua' is the title track and lead single from FKA Twigs' latest album, released just two days ago. This song has done incredibly well to finish as high as 6th in a points-based countdown as it wasn't out until mid-September; it was particularly carried by an incredible 9 weeks at #1. 'Eusexua' is a brand new term coined by Twigs to express a feeling of joy so intense that it was previously indescribable. She cites an example as being at a club at 1am and having such a great time that it's 8am before you know it. 'Eusexua' starts off in a lonely place but quickly morphs into a reassuring direction as Twigs tells the listener "you're not alone". Her vocal performance sounds revitalised and the lengthy music video feels equally transformative, as Twigs starts proceedings in an office but transports into a completely different world. The video boasts captivating choreography throughout. The production is a stunning exploration of trance and techno sounds as Twigs, Koreless and Eartheater nail the build-up of the instrumental.

 

'Cry for Me’ is track #13 on Magdalena Bay's latest, critically acclaimed album Imaginal Disk. I found this song to be a slow burner, as it debuted in my chart at #20 but would rise all the way up to #2 and stick around in the top 5 for a long time. This album track is the highest placing song in the countdown to miss #1 in my weekly chart. 'Cry for Me' is written from the perspective of a villain who is on a journey of seeking absolution, with lyrics such as "plenty of time here to nurture consequence". The group were inspired by bands like Genesis and ABBA when creating this song, particularly the latter's 'Dancing Queen', whose influence can be heard in the piano and strings. Overall it has a beautiful euro-disco sound with a satisfying build-up to the more passionate vocals towards the end. I decided to send this to the Pop Forum Song Contest 'Best Of 2024' edition on this forum and achieved a top 10 placing with it. RateYourMusic users have currently ranked this as the 4th best song of 2024 so I was one position out from matching that consensus. A dual release of 'Summer 2000 Baby' and 'Take a Trip' was the first taste of TV Girl and George Clanton's joint Fauxllennium project. I enjoy both songs but the former seems to be mopping up most of the love, while the latter spoke to me more. 'Take a Trip' opens with a refrain sampled and slowed down from 'Broward County Cops' by Young and Restless, a song I was unaware of until this borrowing. George Clanton then takes over with an incredibly smooth and dreamy vocal performance. This song is a nostalgia trip and unsurprisingly takes a look at memories from a drug-fuelled rave scene. The production is suitably psychedelic, with trip-hop and vaporwave sounds, including bongos for good measure. I haven't explored TV Girl's back catalogue too much yet (although I do love 'Lovers Rock') however George Clanton never seems to miss. 'Capricorn' was released as the lead single from Vampire Weekend's latest album Only God Was Above Us, alongside 'Gen-X Cops'. The inspiration behind this song is someone whose birth falls just before the start of a new year. Therefore, they would be robbed of experiencing much of their birth year, something we can attach a lot of significance to. This inspiration is particularly highlighted in the chorus with: "the year that you were born, finished fast and the next one wasn't yours." The song has an overarching, melancholic theme of growing older and the powerlessness that comes with it. I find the lyrics: "too old for dying young, too young to live alone" particularly evocative. The accompanying chamber pop meets indie rock production is gorgeous, with piano that feels familiar throughout the album but also an interesting distortion switch-up during the second half. The music video captures the essence of life in New York City during the 1980s, touching on the rose-tinted, nostalgic themes of younger days. 'Capricorn' would surprisingly later appear in an advert for O2. I was first introduced to Chappell Roan back in 2020 when 'Pink Pony Club' was sent to BJSC. She would later turn up in the contest several more times with other tracks from her The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess album. I struggled to get into most of these songs (although 'Pink Pony Club' would later grow) but did tip her for success in the '2024 Predictions' thread, as I thought her music had the potential to go viral and I was aware of her connections to Dan Nigro and therefore Olivia Rodrigo, which could come in handy. She indeed had quite a phenomenal year but it was all thanks to 'Good Luck, Babe!', a brand new standalone release. This was the song that finally made me sit up and take notice although was a bit of a slow burner. 'Good Luck, Babe!' is about wishing somebody good luck as they try to deny fate. It's an explicitly queer anthem as the woman in the story is in a heterosexual relationship but truly has feelings for Roan, a lesbian herself. I thought her writing really stepped up on this song and the line "you'd have to stop the world just to stop the feeling" is a particular gut punch. The production is also up my street with its synthy 80s new wave feel and stunning orchestration. I also began to appreciate Chappell as a vocalist as her delivery on the bridge and during the adlibs of the final chorus is incredibly powerful. All-in-all this is pop perfection. A music video never came to fruition so instead there is a Comic Sans-heavy trip back to the 2000s in the official lyric video instead. 'Good Luck, Babe!' would peak at an impressive #2 in the U.K. and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, her biggest hit to date. So it's congratulations to Charli xcx who takes the crown in my EOY this year with 'Sympathy is a knife'! This song is track #3 on Brat and modestly began its U.K. chart career as a #56 album track. However, it later received the remix treatment alongside superstar Ariana Grande and achieved a #7 peak. As much as I love Ari, it was always going to be difficult to top the original for me, especially when the new version would be receiving a sonic and lyrical facelift. But I did still enjoy the new "issa knife" version enough for it to boost 'Sympathy is a knife' back up to #2 in my chart, following its original #1 peak. The remixed version is more about the girls' relationship with the press, so similar themes to Ariana's 'we can't be friends (wait for your love)', whereas the original is a deep look into Charli's personal anxiety and self-doubt. 'Sympathy is a knife' was inspired by the insecure narratives created in her brain that result in Charli not wanting to be in certain situations. She also feels in competition with other women and lines such as: "don't wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend's show, fingers crossed behind my back, I hope they break up quick" were quickly speculated to be about Taylor Swift, the biggest pop star on the planet. The themes of paranoia and self-comparison are relatable and Charli's introspective, vulnerable lyrics do cut like a knife. The execution of this song has the synth-pop oomph of her previous Christine and the Queens collaboration 'Gone' but with a more harsh, hyper-pop sound. The production excitingly bubbles away throughout and hits a particularly thrilling high during the chorus, as it becomes more abrasive and compliments Charli's modulated "'cause I..." perfectly. I'm thrilled that Brat became such a cultural phenomenon last year and long may Charli keep up this creative peak.

 

---

 

Thanks to anyone who followed :heart: pleased that I got it wrapped up before the end of January again this year.

 

:winner: EOY #1s hall of fame:

2022: Working Men's Club - Widow

2023: Heartworms - Retributions Of An Awful Life

2024: Charli xcx - Sympathy is a knife

Jade's EOY 2024

01-100 ● full list

 

 

01. Charli xcx - Sympathy is a knife | 962 points :winner:

02. Chappell Roan - Good Luck, Babe! | 830 points

03. Vampire Weekend - Capricorn | 703 points

04. TV Girl & George Clanton - Take a Trip | 645 points

05. Magdalena Bay - Cry for Me | 624 points

06. FKA twigs - Eusexua | 591 points

07. Fontaines D.C. - Starburster | 580 points

08. Charli xcx - Everything is romantic | 555 points

09. Ariana Grande - we can't be friends (wait for your love) | 543 points

10. The Blinders - Always | 524 points

 

11. Billie Eilish - CHIHIRO | 519 points

12. salute & Rina Sawayama - saving flowers | 479 points

13. The Horrors - The Silence That Remains | 453 points

14. Chalk - Claw | 439 points

15. Fontaines D.C. - Favourite | 434 points

16. Dua Lipa - Training Season | 420 points

17. Caroline Polachek - Spring Is Coming With A Strawberry In The Mouth | 417 points

18. Everything Everything - The End of the Contender | 416 points (peak: #1, weeks at #1: 2)

19. Soltera & Santiago Salazar - Got No Reason To Forgive | 416 points (peak: #1, weeks at #1: 1)

20. Twin Tribes - Monolith | 415 points

 

21. Ariana Grande - yes, and? | 390 points

22. Billie Eilish - THE GREATEST | 381 points (peak: #2)

23. Halsey - Lonely is the Muse | 381 points (peak: #3)

24. Tove Lo & SG Lewis - HEAT | 380 points

25. Fat Dog - Running | 365 points

26. Floating Points - Fast Forward | 359 points

27. Charli xcx - 365 | 354 points

28. Billie Eilish - BIRDS OF A FEATHER | 353 points

29. TR/ST - Robrash | 347 points

30. Billie Eilish - L'AMOUR DE MA VIE | 337 points

 

31. Waterbaby - Butterfly House | 324 points

32. Vampire Weekend - Mary Boone | 321 points

33. JADE - Angel Of My Dreams | 315 points

34. Them Are Us Too - Floor | 307 points

35. Everything Everything - Cold Reactor | 305 points

36. Mannequin Pussy - Sometimes | 298 points

37. SPRINTS - Cathedral | 292 points (peak: #3)

38. Addison Rae - Aquamarine | 292 points (peak: #4)

39. FKA twigs - Perfect Stranger | 290 points

40. London Grammar - Into Gold | 287 points

 

41. Fat Dog - All The Same | 285 points

42. Boo - Hyper Feminine | 283 points

43. Fontaines D.C. - Sundowner | 281 points

44. Chalk - Tell Me | 279 points

45. JADE - Fantasy | 276 points (peak: #5)

46. Caroline Polachek - Coma | 276 points (peak: #6)

47. Charli xcx - Guess (feat. Billie Eilish) | 272 points (peak: #4)

48. Fontaines D.C. - Bug | 272 points (peak: #5)

49. Beyoncé - DAUGHTER | 270 points

50. Charli xcx - So I (feat. A. G. Cook) | 265 points

 

51. Ethel Cain - Punish | 260 points

52. Bat For Lashes - The Dream of Delphi | 258 points

53. The Cure - Alone | 255 points

54. Sadness - I want to be with you | 254 points

55. Taylor Swift - Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus | 246 points

56. Charli xcx - Von dutch | 244 points

57. Taylor Swift - So High School | 243 points

58. Ariana Grande - imperfect for you | 241 points

59. Temples - Day Of Conquest | 240 points

60. Taylor Swift - Fortnight (feat. Post Malone) | 229 points

 

61. Zach Bryan - I Remember Everything (feat. Kacey Musgraves) | 225 points

62. Nilüfer Yanya - Like I Say (I runaway) | 224 points

63. TR/ST - Dark Day | 221 points

64. Echoberyl - Weird Boy | 217 points

65. Heartworms - Jacked | 212 points

66. TEMMIS - ICE 579 | 207 points

67. Charli xcx - Apple | 202 points

68. Charli xcx - Talk talk (feat. Troye Sivan) | 201 points

69. Eartheater - Mona Lisa Moan | 200 points

70. Cynthia Erivo - Defying Gravity (feat. Ariana Grande) | 197 points

 

71. Sam Quealy - Cluedo | 194 points

72. Clark - Green Breaking | 187 points

73. Shygirl & Cosha - ​​thicc | 186 points

74. SWIM - The Ride | 185 points

75. Bambie Thug - Doomsday Blue | 184 points

76. Dua Lipa - Houdini | 180 points

77. ROSALÍA - Omega (feat. Ralphie Choo) | 178 points

78. Levin Goes Lightly - Liebhaber | 177 points

79. akiaura, LONOWN & STM - Destruction Age | 176 points

80. salute & Disclosure - lift off! | 175 points

 

81. Madeline Goldstein - 1996 Expectations | 174 points (peak: #5)

82. Ariana Grande - i wish i hated you | 174 points (peak: #8)

83. Tyler, The Creator - Noid | 172 points (peak: #8)

84. Vampire Weekend - Hope | 172 points (peak: #11)

85. Magdalena Bay - Image | 172 points (peak: #13)

86. Seycara Orchestral - If You Were Mine | 171 points

87. Kendrick Lamar - wacced out murals | 168 points

88. Billie Eilish - SKINNY | 161 points (peak: #10, weeks on chart: 7, weeks in the top 10: 2)

89. Ariana Grande - supernatural (with Troye Sivan) | 161 points (peak: #10, weeks on chart: 7, weeks in the top 10: 1)

90. Vígundr - Loddfáfnir | 158 points

 

91. moonvampire - cigarette burns | 157 points (peak: #10)

92. Kelly Lee Owens - Dreamstate | 157 points (peak: #13)

93. BICEP & Benjamin Damage - CHROMA 002 L.A.V.A | 156 points

94. Noah Kahan - Northern Attitude (with Hozier) | 152 points

95. Boo - Epiphany Bathing | 151 points

96. Fred again.., Lil Yachty & Overmono - stayinit | 149 points

97. Chelsea Wolfe - Dusk | 148 points (peak: #3)

98. twst - Was I Ever Alone? | 148 points (peak: #8)

99. Charli xcx & Sam Smith - In The City (DJ HEARTSTRING Remix) | 144 points

100. Ela Minus - UPWARDS | 142 points (peak: #1)

 

xxx

 

Hi there Jade!

 

Here are my favourites from your list:

 

01. Charli xcx - Sympathy is a knife | 962 points

02. Chappell Roan - Good Luck, Babe! | 830 points

07. Fontaines D.C. - Starburster | 580 points

09. Ariana Grande - we can't be friends (wait for your love) | 543 points

11. Billie Eilish - CHIHIRO | 519 points

15. Fontaines D.C. - Favourite | 434 points

16. Dua Lipa - Training Season | 420 points

18. Everything Everything - The End of the Contender | 416 points (peak: #1, weeks at #1: 2)

21. Ariana Grande - yes, and? | 390 points

24. Tove Lo & SG Lewis - HEAT | 380 points

27. Charli xcx - 365 | 354 points

28. Billie Eilish - BIRDS OF A FEATHER | 353 points

33. JADE - Angel Of My Dreams | 315 points

45. JADE - Fantasy | 276 points (peak: #5)

47. Charli xcx - Guess (feat. Billie Eilish) | 272 points (peak: #4)

48. Fontaines D.C. - Bug | 272 points (peak: #5)

56. Charli xcx - Von dutch | 244 points

60. Taylor Swift - Fortnight (feat. Post Malone) | 229 points

61. Zach Bryan - I Remember Everything (feat. Kacey Musgraves) | 225 points

67. Charli xcx - Apple | 202 points

68. Charli xcx - Talk talk (feat. Troye Sivan) | 201 points

75. Bambie Thug - Doomsday Blue | 184 points

76. Dua Lipa - Houdini | 180 points

83. Tyler, The Creator - Noid | 172 points (peak: #8)

87. Kendrick Lamar - wacced out murals | 168 points

89. Ariana Grande - supernatural (with Troye Sivan) | 161 points (peak: #10, weeks on chart: 7, weeks in the top 10: 1)

94. Noah Kahan - Northern Attitude (with Hozier) | 152 points

96. Fred again.., Lil Yachty & Overmono - stayinit | 149 points

99. Charli xcx & Sam Smith - In The City (DJ HEARTSTRING Remix) | 144 points

 

Great list overall!

 

Still need to finish my Year-End list at some point!

Hi there Jade!

 

Here are my favourites from your list:

 

01. Charli xcx - Sympathy is a knife | 962 points

02. Chappell Roan - Good Luck, Babe! | 830 points

07. Fontaines D.C. - Starburster | 580 points

09. Ariana Grande - we can't be friends (wait for your love) | 543 points

11. Billie Eilish - CHIHIRO | 519 points

15. Fontaines D.C. - Favourite | 434 points

16. Dua Lipa - Training Season | 420 points

18. Everything Everything - The End of the Contender | 416 points (peak: #1, weeks at #1: 2)

21. Ariana Grande - yes, and? | 390 points

24. Tove Lo & SG Lewis - HEAT | 380 points

27. Charli xcx - 365 | 354 points

28. Billie Eilish - BIRDS OF A FEATHER | 353 points

33. JADE - Angel Of My Dreams | 315 points

45. JADE - Fantasy | 276 points (peak: #5)

47. Charli xcx - Guess (feat. Billie Eilish) | 272 points (peak: #4)

48. Fontaines D.C. - Bug | 272 points (peak: #5)

56. Charli xcx - Von dutch | 244 points

60. Taylor Swift - Fortnight (feat. Post Malone) | 229 points

61. Zach Bryan - I Remember Everything (feat. Kacey Musgraves) | 225 points

67. Charli xcx - Apple | 202 points

68. Charli xcx - Talk talk (feat. Troye Sivan) | 201 points

75. Bambie Thug - Doomsday Blue | 184 points

76. Dua Lipa - Houdini | 180 points

83. Tyler, The Creator - Noid | 172 points (peak: #8)

87. Kendrick Lamar - wacced out murals | 168 points

89. Ariana Grande - supernatural (with Troye Sivan) | 161 points (peak: #10, weeks on chart: 7, weeks in the top 10: 1)

94. Noah Kahan - Northern Attitude (with Hozier) | 152 points

96. Fred again.., Lil Yachty & Overmono - stayinit | 149 points

99. Charli xcx & Sam Smith - In The City (DJ HEARTSTRING Remix) | 144 points

 

Great list overall!

 

Still need to finish my Year-End list at some point!

Hi Sergej :hi:

 

Great that we have plenty of crossover! Looking forward to reading the rest of your countdown.

 

thank you for commenting <3

Just giving Take a Trip a listen now and it's sounding quite nice! Has quite a relaxed vibe to it, could easily be on one of those compilation CDs from the early 2010s.

 

Thanks for posting Jade, it's been interesting following along!

Just giving Take a Trip a listen now and it's sounding quite nice! Has quite a relaxed vibe to it, could easily be on one of those compilation CDs from the early 2010s.

 

Thanks for posting Jade, it's been interesting following along!

Glad you enjoyed it! The main vocal, production and slowed down sample are indeed a relaxing combination.

 

No problem whatsoever, really enjoyed revisiting the musical highs of the year ^_^

 

thank you for commenting <3

:hi: Great read here as always and a fantastic top 5 - Sympathy is a Knife was one of the cleverer lyrical moments on brat, I was quite late to hearing Good Luck Babe! and not massively sold on her other material, but this has all the makings of a modern classic, lyrically and musically. I never got round to Vampire Weekend's album but Capricorn is beautiful (and Mary Boone further down is another really wild and weird song that I love). I did prefer Summer 2000 Baby of the two George Clacton/TV Girl songs, but I did enjoy Take a Trip as well, it's like the more morose comedown to contrast the other side. Cry For Me was my favourite I heard from Magdalena Bay as well, love the dreamy structure of the song.

 

I'm not overly familiar with FKA Twigs, but did really like Eusexua and it has a wonderfully strange video to go along with it. Speaking of great videos, We Can't Be Friends was my favourite from Ariana this year, really lovely, more atmospheric song.

 

Selected favourites from the rest of the list:

 

11. Billie Eilish - CHIHIRO | 519 points (Some great Billie picks throughout, but this would be my favourite too, even outside of the film shoutout, it had a lot of elements I loved on the album like the structure changes and genre experiments)

33. JADE - Angel Of My Dreams | 315 points (Knew one of them had it in them to really stand out, a great debut)

49. Beyoncé - DAUGHTER | 270 points (A highlight from the album, absolutely love the expoloration into opera)

51. Ethel Cain - Punish | 260 points (I've just finished her latest EP (along with her first one) and it was...an experience to say the least x very much up my street though, this was a highlight)

52. Bat For Lashes - The Dream of Delphi | 258 points (Glad to see this in someone else's EOY, it's a gorgeous dreamy song from an artist I haven't heard from in a while)

54. Sadness - I want to be with you | 254 points (probably my favourite of your BJSC entries this year <3)

64. Echoberyl - Weird Boy | 217 points (..and another of my favourite BJSC discoveries :wub:)

70. Cynthia Erivo - Defying Gravity (feat. Ariana Grande) | 197 points (The high point of the film definitely, doesn't sound quite as good without visuals, but a great moment nonetheless)

75. Bambie Thug - Doomsday Blue | 184 points (Who knew Ireland at Eurovison could be this interesting x This one stayed on my playlist for a while)

83. Tyler, The Creator - Noid | 172 points (peak: #8) (Love the chaotic structure to this, a really great comeback, another artist I need to check out a bit more)

:hi: Great read here as always and a fantastic top 5 - Sympathy is a Knife was one of the cleverer lyrical moments on brat, I was quite late to hearing Good Luck Babe! and not massively sold on her other material, but this has all the makings of a modern classic, lyrically and musically. I never got round to Vampire Weekend's album but Capricorn is beautiful (and Mary Boone further down is another really wild and weird song that I love). I did prefer Summer 2000 Baby of the two George Clacton/TV Girl songs, but I did enjoy Take a Trip as well, it's like the more morose comedown to contrast the other side. Cry For Me was my favourite I heard from Magdalena Bay as well, love the dreamy structure of the song.

 

I'm not overly familiar with FKA Twigs, but did really like Eusexua and it has a wonderfully strange video to go along with it. Speaking of great videos, We Can't Be Friends was my favourite from Ariana this year, really lovely, more atmospheric song.

 

Selected favourites from the rest of the list:

 

11. Billie Eilish - CHIHIRO | 519 points (Some great Billie picks throughout, but this would be my favourite too, even outside of the film shoutout, it had a lot of elements I loved on the album like the structure changes and genre experiments)

33. JADE - Angel Of My Dreams | 315 points (Knew one of them had it in them to really stand out, a great debut)

49. Beyoncé - DAUGHTER | 270 points (A highlight from the album, absolutely love the expoloration into opera)

51. Ethel Cain - Punish | 260 points (I've just finished her latest EP (along with her first one) and it was...an experience to say the least x very much up my street though, this was a highlight)

52. Bat For Lashes - The Dream of Delphi | 258 points (Glad to see this in someone else's EOY, it's a gorgeous dreamy song from an artist I haven't heard from in a while)

54. Sadness - I want to be with you | 254 points (probably my favourite of your BJSC entries this year <3)

64. Echoberyl - Weird Boy | 217 points (..and another of my favourite BJSC discoveries :wub:)

70. Cynthia Erivo - Defying Gravity (feat. Ariana Grande) | 197 points (The high point of the film definitely, doesn't sound quite as good without visuals, but a great moment nonetheless)

75. Bambie Thug - Doomsday Blue | 184 points (Who knew Ireland at Eurovison could be this interesting x This one stayed on my playlist for a while)

83. Tyler, The Creator - Noid | 172 points (peak: #8) (Love the chaotic structure to this, a really great comeback, another artist I need to check out a bit more)

:hi: thank you for taking the time to follow along <3 glad you appreciate 'Sympathy is a knife' and 'Good Luck, Babe!' too, was a strong year for pop. Oh I'd recommend the Vampire Weekend album to the high heavens if you get the chance, in my top 3 of 2024 only behind Billie and Charli. Amazing to see someone else on here singling out 'Cry for Me' as their Imaginal Disk fave too :wub:

 

Perverts has unsurprisingly alienated a lot (including on this forum) which I get but I did actually have you in mind as a potential fan, so I'm glad that was the case :cheer:

 

Happy that the Sadness entry struck such a chord with you and BJSC participants in general! It had been years since I was last on the podium and I did not see that level of success coming at all <3

 

Agreed that the structure of 'Noid' is fantastic, not sure if you've heard Tyler's IGOR album but I'd definitely recommend it, I didn't really get into him until 'EARFQUAKE' but that changed everything.

 

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Great #1, I prefer the remix but both are highlights from the BRAT era! Good Luck, Babe! and we can't be friends are both amazing too :wub:

Great #1, I prefer the remix but both are highlights from the BRAT era! Good Luck, Babe! and we can't be friends are both amazing too :wub:

Glad you've been appreciating Ari, Chappell and Charli too, it was a really strong year for the pop girls!

 

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My favourites from 20-11 are 'Monolith' (probably my favourite BJSC entry of yours!), 'The End Of The Contender', 'Training Season' and 'CHIHIRO', all of which also featured in my EOY, and 'Favourite' was a fine follow-up to 'Starburster', outdoing its Top 100 longevity only this week. Plenty of crossover in taste with your top 10 as I charted 7 of those songs including all the top 3, and 4 of those 7 made my EOY too: 'we can't be friends...', the aforementioned 'Starburster', 'Eusexua', and best of all 'Capricorn', beautifully arranged with a resonant lyrical theme. As for the top 2, 'Good Luck, Babe!' was the perfect song to give Chappell her commercial breakthrough and just fails to sound overplayed, while 'Sympathy is a knife' is one from Brat where it took the remix for me to revisit and fully appreciate the original, and it's perhaps the most gut-punching moment of that hyper-pop style on the album, great to see Charli rewarded likewise for the album's cultural impact. I've enjoyed your write-ups as ever, excellent stuff!

My favourites from 20-11 are 'Monolith' (probably my favourite BJSC entry of yours!), 'The End Of The Contender', 'Training Season' and 'CHIHIRO', all of which also featured in my EOY, and 'Favourite' was a fine follow-up to 'Starburster', outdoing its Top 100 longevity only this week. Plenty of crossover in taste with your top 10 as I charted 7 of those songs including all the top 3, and 4 of those 7 made my EOY too: 'we can't be friends...', the aforementioned 'Starburster', 'Eusexua', and best of all 'Capricorn', beautifully arranged with a resonant lyrical theme. As for the top 2, 'Good Luck, Babe!' was the perfect song to give Chappell her commercial breakthrough and just fails to sound overplayed, while 'Sympathy is a knife' is one from Brat where it took the remix for me to revisit and fully appreciate the original, and it's perhaps the most gut-punching moment of that hyper-pop style on the album, great to see Charli rewarded likewise for the album's cultural impact. I've enjoyed your write-ups as ever, excellent stuff!

'Monolith' is a mighty fine choice of favourite ever Jadakissnia entry *.* my own pick is probably still 'Sinking' by Somnium (a second placer from 2018) but this would be right up there, couldn't believe it when I stumbled across it - so good. Pleased to see that we have so much crossover! Agreed that 'Good Luck, Babe!' stuck the landing just right for Chappell, looking forward to what she does next. Ooh glad you appreciate the original 'Sympathy is a knife' more now post-remix <3 what a year for Charli - hopefully she cleans up at the BRITs!

 

Aw glad you enjoyed the write-ups :wub: likewise while I've been catching up with your EOY!

 

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Really enjoying this playlist! A good mix of great stuff I know from the year and stuff I don’t know.

For some reason I thought yours might be more obscure than Jim’s but actually it’s more familiar.

 

I hadn’t heard “Capricorn” before which made the Top 3 for both of you, so that feels like an important discovery. Interesting that for some bands like Horrors and TR/ST you have different tracks featured near the top!

Really enjoying this playlist! A good mix of great stuff I know from the year and stuff I don’t know.

For some reason I thought yours might be more obscure than Jim’s but actually it’s more familiar.

 

I hadn’t heard “Capricorn” before which made the Top 3 for both of you, so that feels like an important discovery. Interesting that for some bands like Horrors and TR/ST you have different tracks featured near the top!

Ooh thank you for taking the time to check out my playlist :wub:

 

I'd say my EOYs do tend to be quite alt-leaning but last year was my favourite in a while for pop music, so yeah probably more familiar favourites this time on the whole!

 

Glad you enjoyed 'Capricorn' - I would highly recommend the accompanying album in full :wub: I'm really into post-punk music so 'The Silence That Remains' scratches a particular itch for me, but 'Lotus Eater' is good too. That made my weekly chart and so did 'Slug' as well for TR/ST actually - he's such a superb talent, with 'Capitol' being the best I've ever heard from him.

 

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