thoughtsmadnessandmusic-blog

[thoughtsmadnessandmusic-blog]

My Top 50 Songs of 2017

Rules and disclaimers:

No more than five songs per artist, and no more than two songs from the same album/EP. Features count as a song for each named artist. I will try to link the songs to their headers where possible. For songs fifty through twenty-one there will be a short quip; the top twenty will have a more detailed discussion.

This list is subjective, as should be obvious. If you don't like this years, maybe you’ll like next years. In the interest of sharing cool tracks, I will list some honourable mentions that didn’t make the list as I heard them too late for consideration. Some songs (and their videos) contain explicit lyrics and imagery.

 Honourable Mentions

Wolf Alice – Yuk Foo

Chromeo – Juice

Rina Sawayama – Alterlife

Sampha – (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano

 50. Tyler, The Creator – I Ain’t Got Time

The percussion on this track, especially the first half, is just sublime. Shout out to the random shakers on the chorus.

49. Syd – All About Me

From one member of Odd Future to another, this song somehow straddles the line between chill and hard, and pulls it off.

48. T-Pain & Lil Wayne – Listen To Me

Who would have thought sampling the ‘Oompa Loompa song’ would sound so hard?

47. Belly – Man Listen

Belly makes some hype music, but his rhyming on this first verse should not go unnoticed. Quality track, with a catchy melody.

46. HAIM – Nothing’s Wrong

The “tell-t-tell me” in the background of the chorus is one of the best things to happen in music this year.

45. Kacy Hill – Hard To Love

The swell of this song, combined with a chorus that only grows larger each time you hear it, makes for 80s infused pleasure.

44. T-Pain & Lil Wayne – Heavy Chevy

This song is just so, damn, southern.

43. Kacy Hill – Arm’s Length

Kacy Hill’s vocal performance on this track is exceptional, and that chorus hits like a truck.

42. Calvin Harris – Slide (Ft. Frank Ocean & Migos)

If you had told me at the start of the year that Calvin Harris would produce some of the smoothest tracks of the year, I would have called you insane. But, here we are. I’d like to give a special shout out to that pitched up vocal sample for being everything that’s right in the world.

41. Travis Scott – Butterfly Effect

The catchy chorus here is accented perfectly by the switch up for the rap verse, which may be my favourite part of the track.

40. Vince Staples – BagBak

Vince Staple’s fusion of electronic music with hip-hop adds a constant sense of movement to a track dripping with political critique and comments on racial inequality.

39. Action Bronson – The Chairman’s Intent

Action Bronson always comes through with constant bars, flow and charisma, so throwing in a catchy refrain is just putting the cherry on top.

Highlight: “I started clapping when the chef brought the duck to the table

Uh, that shit was shining like an angel”.

38. Syd – Body

I’m not sure I fully appreciated how smooth, and sexy, this song was until I began planning this list. The whole track is coercive, and the break down after the chorus serves to let you settle in before the ride continues.

37. Raekwon – My Corner (Ft. Lil Wayne)

First and foremost, I’d like to address the fantastic snare that anchors this track. Secondly, I’d like to remind everyone that Wayne murders his feature, with a flow that just glides through rhyme after rhyme.

36. Lorde – Green Light

Yes, this song is making damn near every list, and with good reason. Lorde’s imagery is superb, and the way this song builds musically is something to behold.

35. DJ Khaled – It’s Secured (Ft. Travis Scott & Nas)

Travis Scott’s hook is phenomenal, anchoring Nas’ vivid lyricism and capitalising on the hype of the instrumental. Maybe we need Travis Scott on more Nas songs?

34. Gucci Mane – Curve (Ft. The Weeknd)

Gucci and The Weeknd suit each other so very well, creating a song that never stops flowing, and revels in its debauchery.

33. Sabrina Claudio – Unravel Me

Alright, why did I have to discover Sabrina Claudio through Spotify radio? How is this track not being plastered over every R&B fan’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts? If I hadn’t found this song so late in the year there’s a good chance it would have landed higher on this list. What a beautiful track.

32. Japanese Breakfast – Machinist

The first time I heard this song is by far my favourite ‘what the fuck’ moment of the year. Add a saxophone solo on top and you have a fantastic track.

31. Lady Gaga – The Cure

I can’t get this chorus out of my head and I don’t want to. Now, that may be aided by the fact that I picture Lady Gaga dancing like an 80s robot while delivering the lyrics, but I can live with that.

30. Cam’ron – D.I.A.

This is some classic Dipset, from the beat to Cam’ron’s nonchalant dismantling of every other rapper’s brag.

Highlight: “50 keys in the tub, that's a real bird bath”.

29. Stormzy – Cold

I love how dramatically hard this beat is, and Stormzy’s refrain “I've been cold the whole season, I should call my next one "Freezing"” is such an excellent, tongue in cheek, cap on the chorus.

28. Injury Reserve – Boom (X3)

Is this the hardest chorus of 2017? Yes, yes it is.

27. Future – Comin Out Strong (Ft. The Weeknd)

Honestly, at this point we need a Weeknd x Future project. The Weeknd is his usual, swaggering self, and Future comes with some surprising intensity and entertaining adlibs.

26. Stormzy – Big For Your Boots

Combine Stormzy’s raw personality on the mic with another catchy hook, and you have a track with insane replay value.

25. Rick Ross – Trap Trap Trap (Ft. Young Thug & Wale)

This song is plain hard. Rick Ross’ change up in flow and voice on his first verse hit perfectly, and Young Thug’s personality complements the track superbly. Throw in some great bars from Wale and you get one of the best trap tracks of the year.

24. N.E.R.D – Lemon (Ft. Rihanna)

The production on this track is incredible, and words can’t describe how badly I want a straight up rap album from Rihanna.

23. The Killers – Run For Cover

The lead single from ‘Wonderful Wonderful’ hits with a fantastic chorus and lyrics that attack the current (or constant) political climate. I’d be remiss to not acknowledge how much this song reminds me of “When We Were Young”, one of my favourite Killer’s tracks.

22. Young Thug & Carnage – Homie (Ft. Meek Mill)

Wait, one second, I might have to revisit my comment on the hardest chorus of 2017... Even if Young Thug does sound like the Cookie Monster.

21. Vince Staples – Big Fish (Ft. Juicy J)

I do love a Juicy J chorus, not to mention a beat with a groove like this. Place a smooth flow from Vince Staples on top and you’ve got a track that will always move your head.

20. Frank Ocean – Chanel

This song has already received accolades from many publications, and the symbolic use of the Chanel logo to frame Frank Ocean’s exploration into the duality of things is surprisingly powerful. Yes, Frank Ocean is a fantastic writer, but this track serves to demonstrate how the mainstream, both in terms of pop culture and music, can be explored and appropriated to analyse deeper social issues. More than that, the fantastic second verse where Frank Ocean belts his lungs out is one of the most cathartic moments in music this year, and serves to remind the listener of how excellent a vocalist he is.

19. HAIM – Want You Back

HAIM’s ‘Want You Back’ was one of the tracks that grew on me the most this year, it’s infectious, 80’s infused sound constantly weaving its way back into my rotation. It’s a song that builds, starting stripped back, and minimalist, before exploding into the chorus with layered vocals, percussion, and some impressively effective vocal samples. There is a certain swagger to the verses here, tying the personality of the band with the sound they create, giving the track it’s smooth movement, and self-assurance. Yes, the relationship is over, but this song is sure in its desire for it to return, and knows it will succeed.

18. A$AP Ferg – Plain Jane

This song is so very addictive. A straight up flexing anthem, ‘Plain Jane’ lands this high on the list for Ferg’s impeccable use of flow. For this kind of track to be effective it needs an MC to bring confidence, swagger, and mic presence that owns the beat and owns who they are. A$AP Ferg executes this perfectly, gliding along the beat to hit all the right points alongside the percussion, and flipping his flow just enough on the chorus to provide a catchy break. It’s a comfortable, commanding presence, accented by a hard beat that is just that bit quicker, and more rhythmically consistent, than the typical trap affair.

17. Lorde – Perfect Places

If any song on this list could be said to have captured what 2017 felt like as a year, especially how it felt for the younger generation, this was it. ‘Perfect Places’ is a masterful display of song writing, diving headfirst into the need for escape in a world that is constantly hammering at our doors. Yes, it deals with the timeless insecurity of becoming a young adult, but more than that it acknowledges the “graceless”, constant nature of it all. There is a distinct helplessness to it all, and as heroes fade what else is there to do but search for an escape? And that’s just the lyrics. The gorgeous production hits like a wall on the chorus, and the synth that accents the refrain is simply stunning. The defining moment of the track, however, is the smallest. Lorde’s mouthed, clicking trigger, where the metaphorical gun that is this song is cocked before exploding into the chorus.

16. Young Thug – Relationship (Ft. Future)

‘Relationship’ contains one of the most exactly crafted choruses of the year. Young Thug begins it, providing his trademark charisma and vocal inflections, and singing in a way that is evidently building to something. Then the beat drops and hits exactly on the first line from Future, signalling the change to more euphoric lyrics from the artist. The rhymes that follow are consistent, but it’s that rising melody that Future provides that will get stuck in your head for days. Once some solid, quotable verses are added, and this song is full of quotable lyrics, it’s back to the chorus, and back to one of the best moments in music this year.

15. PLAZA – Personal

There’s nothing like some good, autotuned debauchery. Plaza’s ‘Personal’ is a vibe; a constant, wavering scent of smoke on the air, smoke that rests deep in your lungs. It’s the taste on your lips the next morning, and the broken, bleary smile given before an early departure. Indeed, it’s the OVO sound through and through. PLAZA flows over the beat smoothly, providing a simple, catchy refrain, that epitomises the song, and the mindset of lust over reason. The song is accepting of this, acknowledging that perhaps the pursuit of carnal pleasure is not entirely good or bad, but simply feels right.

14. Drake – 4422 (Ft. Sampha)

To call this a Drake song seems disingenuous. Even if it was part of the ‘More Life’ package, this is a Sampha song, albeit one fitting of the Drake catalogue. A gorgeous vocal performance from Sampha, ‘4422’ is beautiful in its simplicity. It’s a track that resonates due to its blatant need for any amount of commitment that is not forthcoming. Why? We don’t know. No one knows, because sometimes these moments, and feelings, are inexplicable hunches. They are the twists of the stomach, when we know what feels right, and what doesn’t, but we can’t reconcile the issue and so slip into anxious turmoil. Sampha knows this, and he wants it to end, if only they could meet halfway.

13. Drake – KMT (Ft. Giggs)

I could not stop listening to ‘KMT’ this year. It’s just such an easy, catchy listen. The beat is your standard trap banger, albeit those on beat drums in the introduction are somewhat unique and build the tension excellently. For that matter, the strings themselves are catchy and tension inducing as well. At the end of the day, however, the reason this song is up so high is because it’s just so damn fun to listen to. The lyrics are quotable and often silly or over the top. The flows are catchy, yes, even the ones borrowed from other rappers. Furthermore, Giggs’ voice and adlibs suit the track perfectly, and it all builds to one of the most hype listens of the year. Trust me, if you want to have some fun, crank the speakers and just let yourself be taken away by this track.

12. Kendrick Lamar – HUMBLE.

How much really needs to be said about Kendrick’s ‘HUMBLE.’? The track that cemented Kendrick as the biggest name in rap sees him step into a lane more pop orientated, but yet still viciously lyrical. The beat, courtesy of Mike WiLL Made-It, is not quite the normal trap affair, focusing instead on a staccato piano line that in a lot of ways reminds me of the more simplistic, yet catchy, early 2000s hip-hop beats. It hits perfectly, and Kendrick steps into it with ease, diving in and out of the beat with one of his catchiest flows yet. To top it off the song is filled with quotable lines that you have no doubt seen plastered all over social media, and with good reason. This song is tongue in cheek fun, with just a hint of a more serious edge to it, and I love it.

11. Jay-Z – The Story of O.J.

The best way to experience this song is with the phenomenal video (linked in the title above) which does a remarkable job of conveying the ideas of the track. A journey into the mindset of a fiscally responsible Jay-Z, ‘The Story of O.J.’ attempts to address the need for wise financial decision making to pull people, especially those discriminated against, out of the world they find themselves in. Yet, throughout it all, Jay-Z makes it clear that no matter the success he, or others around him, might experience, they will still be seen in the same, racist light. For a song that attempts to offer hope it is a bitter taste, suggesting that although over time things will change, for now the colour of your skin will still alter people’s perception of you. All of this is delivered over an immaculate beat from No I.D., complete with an incredible sample and tight, punchy drums.

10. PLAZA – Run This

The way this track builds is nothing short of brilliant. It opens up with PLAZA lamenting his interactions with a girl, his reverb soaked voice echoing over stuttering synths. And then the hats come in, and you know those incredible kicks are about to hit. Those three, perfectly timed kicks, hitting on the start of his line like a truck. The track then builds further, the element of ambition and desire slipping into PLAZA’s vocals, the melody switches up, and further synths come in. But then the song pauses for the briefest of moments, the chorus hits, and PLAZA slips into one of the catchiest melodies of the year. It’s flawless, intoxicatingly arrogant, hype, and so very replayable.

9. Bob Dylan – Making A Liar Out Of Me (Rehearsal)

When Bob Dylan released a new bootleg series, I knew there’d be something good on there, and I wasn’t let down. ‘Making A Liar Out Of Me’ is Dylan at his poetic best, delivering line after line of vivid images and scathing critiques. Of much debate is who this song is aimed at. Is it a lost lover? A politician he had faith in? Higher ups in the church that have been abusing their position of power? God, and Dylan’s faith itself? Or, even, Dylan himself? Yes, this track comes from Dylan’s Gospel era, but it’s using that hint of Christianity to inform it’s critique, to build a pastiche of this person who has horribly let him down. I could simply paste the whole song’s lyrics here and leave you to make your own peace with the track, and in essence that is what I’ll do, but I’ll leave you with a personal highlight of mine:

“Well I say that, that ain't flesh and blood you're drinking

In the wounded empire of your fool's paradise

With a light above your head forever blinking

Turning virgins into merchandise”.

8. dvsn – Conversations In A Diner

I’m unsure how many people would have chosen the closer off dvsn’s ‘Morning After’ to land this high on their year end list, but more certainly should have. It is a beautiful end to a stunning record. The vocal performance from Daniel Daley is gentle, delicate and absolutely embodies the love he is attempting to convey. ‘Morning After’ was an album about struggling to keep a relationship going, and to capture those moments of perfection that remained, and this song is a heartfelt promise to continue trying. It’s an exceptionally mature end to the album, accented by some beautiful piano and a perfectly timed choir.

7. Jay-Z – Bam (Ft. Damian Marley)

This is straight up, uncompromising, old school, braggadocios Jay-Z. Over a beat that contains another excellent sample and fantastic drums (shouts out to No I.D. once more), Jay reminisces on the actions that lead him to where he is today. It’s an acknowledgement of the ego that allowed him to succeed, and it contains some of the most vivid images and best lines on ‘4:44’. Damian Marley’s feature is superb, fitting well with the sample, and his charisma builds off Jay’s perfectly. The highlight of the track for me is the superb transition from chorus to verse, where Jay shouts over the last line of the chorus: “Fuck all this pretty Shawn Carter shit n****, HOV”. It brings so much energy to the track and stylistically harkens back to ‘Public Service Announcement’ off ‘The Black Album’.

6. Roy Woods – Instinct (Ft. MadeinTYO)

A track that came out very late in 2016 on Roy Woods’ ‘Nocturnal’ EP (and thus qualifies for this list), I rediscovered the song when the music video dropped earlier this year. Up until that point I hadn’t realised how fantastic the drop on the first verse was, but Roy Woods going crazy in the video certainly opened my eyes. From then on this track was inescapable for me; I’d keep starting it off, listening to those intro lines from Roy Woods, and waiting for the drop. To this day, when that kick hits, and the flow switches, I can’t help but move. It’s the rhythm of this track that really leaves it sticking in my mind, from Roy’s upbeat, braggadocios lyrics and flow, to MadeinTYOs more laid back, controlled cockiness. Throw in a few more quotable, sometimes ridiculous lines (You ain’t got sauce like I got sauce”), and you easily have one of my favourite tracks of the year.

5. dvsn – Body Smile

Another gorgeous song by dvsn, ‘Body Smile’ sees Daniel Daley once more flexing his vocal chops to make up for the things he has done to break his lover’s heart. Of course, he’s not going to make up for them simply by singing, he’s going to make up for it with a night of, apparently, the most passionate, loving sex, ever conceived (no pun intended). Perhaps that is a ridiculous sentiment, but then, in an album dripping in the raw physicality of a relationship, it makes perfect sense. It’s about marrying the emotional with the physical, recognising sex as capable of being more than just enjoyable, but rather as being an honest, unhindered expression of love. That’s just the context of the song. The production itself is slow, ebbing and seductive, culminating in a stellar vocal performance on the final chorus. Then there’s the pre-chorus, which contains one of my favourite vocal melodies and rhythms of the year, with the way it slinks through each word, as if Daniel Daley is trying to skip through the wrongs, but proceeding to get more and more caught up on his mistakes. Yet, all of this song culminates in the last two lines of the chorus, where Daley stops belting, the instrumentation dies down, and we get a beautiful, seductive, pleading falsetto. It’s stripped back, raw, and honest, just as the song is supposed to be.

4. Bleachers – Don’t Take The Money

Jack Antonoff had a big year, but amongst all his writing for other artists he found time to record an exceptional pop song of his own. ‘Don’t Take The Money’ is an undeniable anthem, painting the stress of being in a relationship with vivid metaphors and a mammoth chorus. It attempts to deal with the constant anxiety that comes from being in a relationship, especially, perhaps, when it is not going so well. What if this incredible person disappears? What happens to me? What if they take the metaphorical money and run? It’s an uncertainty fuelled track that acknowledges the incredible nature of love by recognising how fragile it is. Then there is the fantastic, aching production, that grows into a huge, passionate chorus. The percussion, and use of bells, accents it all so well, and it’s the moments when the instrumentation calms that you notice just how textured it is.  

3. The Killers – Tyson vs Douglas

There is so much I want to say, or feel I could say, about this song. First, I want to make it clear how great the instrumentation is. The driving guitar and dramatic synth; the way Brandon Flowers voice screams out the chorus. The sheer size and blatant anxiety of the chorus. It all feels cinematic, as if capturing that final punch and replaying it again and again. But, that’s not really the point. The point is that in front of that TV set was a generation of boys realising their heroes, and, perhaps, father figures, were not invincible. In a world that can be so absurdly masculine, they were witnessing just how fragile it all really was. And that’s not to say it’s bad, but it is a loss of innocence. A realisation that their father, or hero, is fallible, and that sometimes they will break down. They will lose. They will cry. This is a world outside of the conception of a child, and here it is happening in front of them, again and again. It’s a feeling of helplessness because it acknowledges how little control anyone can have over the world around them. In the bridge Brandon Flowers sings “you said it was nothing, but maybe you’re wrong”, because he realises it wasn’t nothing. Every boys view of the world changes when they see their hero, or father, fall, and this song perfectly captures that moment. Incredible.

2. Kendrick Lamar – DNA.

It’s so rare to see a rapper absolutely snap on a track, and on ‘DNA.’ Kendrick lets loose. A track that deals with everything that Kendrick believes makes both him who he is, and makes every other person on the planet what they are, DNA. is a vivid portrayal of the complexities of black culture and the way it is perceived. This idea is demonstrated just before the beat switch, when Kendrick samples a comment from Geraldo Rivera in which he claims that ‘this is why I say that hip hop has done more damage to young African Americans than racism in recent years’. An idea, that aside from being utterly ridiculous, serves as ammunition for a vicious final verse from Kendrick in which he berates the cheapening, and pigeonholing, of black culture, and makes it clear that who he is is something to be proud of.

1. Carly Rae Jepsen – Cut To The Feeling

‘Cut To The Feeling’ has been my number one song of the year since the day I heard it. No other song released this year is so euphoric, so infectious, so bouncy, or so downright undeniable. It provides moment after moment of highlights, and is quite possibly the best produced track of the year. The song starts simply enough, a nice, catchy clap rhythm, building to the vocals, but as soon as the vocals start, everything begins growing. The kicks come in, and Jepsen delivers some staccato vocal melodies with their assistance, before disappearing into a shuddering, building ‘oh’. An ‘Oh’ that takes us to a chorus. The chorus. The kicks hit, the synths and bass swell, and Carly Rae Jepsen sings her damn lungs out. The melody is shoutable, it’s catchy, and its rhythm matches every jump you’ll be making as you dance along. It’s the second half of the chorus that really drives it home for me, where somehow the song grows even larger, and Jepsen sings “I wanna play where you play with the angels”, hitting the word ‘angels’ in the most, well, angelic way possible. Yet, every line delivered in the song hits perfectly, so for me to even highlight them is almost unnecessary. That’s what this song does so very well, every musical aspect is in complete harmony. An outstanding effort in pop music, and without a doubt my top song of 2017.

[thoughtsmadnessandmusic-blog]

My Top 50 Songs of 2016

Rules and disclaimers:

No more than five songs per artist, and no more than two songs from the same album/EP. Features count as a song for each named artist. I will try to link the songs to their headers where possible. For songs fifty through twenty-one there will be a short quip; the top twenty will have a more detailed discussion.

This list is subjective, as should be obvious, and contains exactly forty-nine hip-hop, R&B or pop songs. That number may be too high for many people, but I am one man with tastes that are slowly widening. If you don't like this years, maybe you’ll like next years. In the interest of sharing cool tracks, I will list some of my favourites from other genres (that just missed out) at the end of the list. 

Some songs present on this list contain explicit language/videos/artwork that may be confronting or offensive.  

 50. Hudson East – Woman’s Intuition

Reminiscent of PARTYNEXTDOOR’s early work, Hudson East crafts a track that is both catchy and a smooth R&B grind.

49. YG – Who Shot Me?

Paranoia and storytelling? Check. West coast sound? Check. Tight as hell bridge? Check. Bass? Check. Bass?! Check. BASS?!! CHECK!

48. Without You Ft. Rapsody – Anderson .Paak

A smoothly balanced song, with those old school funk/soul flavours evident in all of Anderson .Paak’s work, and a Rapsody verse that steals the show.

Highlight: “Heard your mama cheated on ya daddy, you just like her”.

47. Day Ones Ft. Novelist & Leikeli47 – Baauer

Really, this song is just stupidly hard, especially the chorus.

46. Hercules – Young Thug

Young Thug is known for his vocal delivery, but there’s something extra charismatic and catchy about it on this track. The way he changes his inflections, and accent on the chorus, really catapulted it onto this list.

45. Lake By The Ocean – Maxwell

This is old school, sensual R&B, and I adore it.

44. Mind Games – Banks

The mood and melodies are intoxicating, with lyrics that detail a complex enough relationship to actually sound realistic.

43. VEGAS – ABRA

This song really, really grew on me. The busy nature of the production, and the swagger on ABRA’s vocal delivery, create a kind of unpredictable confidence that fits well with the lyrics.

42. Desperado – Rihanna

The sound of this song sits somewhere in the realm of R&B, but it’s got a distinctive rollick to it driven by Rihanna’s vocals and the dirty bass, which feels especially appropriate given the lyrical content.

41. No Problem Ft. 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne – Chance The Rapper

This song is just utterly ecstatic and a joy to listen to.

Highlight: “Codeine got me movin’ slower than a caterpillar race”

40. Fuck With Myself – Banks

This song is a bit demented, and the video is downright creepy, and it absolutely works. I didn’t know demented swagger was something I needed in music, but there you go.

39. What’s It Gonna Be? – Shura

This is supreme 80s pop reinvented for the 21st century.

38. No More Parties In LA Ft. Kendrick Lamar - Kanye West

All that’s needed for this track is the highlight:

“I know some fans thought I wouldn't rap like this again

But the writer's block is over, emcees cancel your plans”

37. Summer Sixteen – Drake

The song is filled with what am I now dubbing ‘Drake quotables’, and I like Drake quotables. The beat switch is also fantastic.

Highlight: “Why would I put on a vest? I expect you to aim for the head”

36. Like Home – JOY.

I love some modern, alternate R&B, or whatever we’re calling it these days, and JOY. nails the vocal melodies on this track.

35. Let It Bang Ft. Schoolboy Q – A$AP Ferg

Both A$AP Ferg and Schoolboy Q drop killer, intense verses, and I especially love how aggressive Schoolboy Q sounds.

34. Yamborghini High Ft. Juicy J – A$AP Mob

This song is stupidly catchy and has an incredible video.

33.  Nobody – PARTYNEXTDOOR

The track with the best production on P3, and some of PARTY’s catchiest flows.

32. Trust Nobody – 070 Shake

This track is hard, not simply because of the typical trap production, but due to its brutal refrain and heavy imagery.

Highlight: “Cause I don't really trust no, trust no

Trust no one, unless you give me your soul”

31. Still Here – Drake

There was a time, just after Views released, that I couldn’t stop playing this song. Drake’s flow is just so damn catchy and easy to sing along to.

30. Better Than Me Ft. Carly Rae Jepsen – Blood Orange

This song is here because of how moody and fragile of a track it manages to be, but to properly dig into the lyrics I suggest going to Genius and looking at Dev Hynes’ (Blood Orange) explanation.

29. Sneakin’ Ft. 21 Savage – Drake

On this track, Drake’s tight flow combines with a bunch of quotable, catchy lines, and a good feature with some great adlibs, from 21 Savage.

Highlight: “Got my Spanish ting convinced that I know Spanish

Really, when she get to talking I don't understand it”

28. Cash Machine – D.R.A.M.

This song is absurdly fun. D.R.A.M.’s ability to convey enthusiasm and happiness, and to just embrace his goofy personality, makes for joyous listening.

27. Round Whippin’ – A.CHAL

This song fits perfectly in the lane of modern R&B meets trap, with a catchy hook, and a beat with a enough grunt to hit hard.

26. Wicked – Future

I’ve seen this popping up in a lot of year-end worst lists, and I couldn’t disagree more. That mumbling chorus is catchy, fitting of the track’s aesthetic, and the transition into the first verse, with the switch in flow and intonation, is one of my favourite moments in music this year.

25. On My Grind – Tunji Ige

The pre-chorus into chorus on this track is so, damn, perfect. Both parts are uniquely catchy, with the chorus itself providing the climax, as it should, by capitalising on the pre-chorus’ build up, and bringing the lyrical content to its logical conclusion.

24. Digits – Young Thug

This song provided the most surprisingly apt modern commentary on consumerism, through a mindset that is completely understandable given the political and social climate.

23. Listen Hear – Maxwell

Honestly, the guitar on the chorus is one of the sexiest sounds I’ve heard all year.

22. What The Fuck Right Now Ft. A$AP Rocky – Tyler, The Creator

I’m just exceptionally glad someone decided to flesh out Freestyle 4. Tyler’s flow fits the beat so well, and A$AP Rocky’s adlibs are phenomenal.

21. All Nite Ft. Vince Staples – Clams Casino

Clams’ production on this track is so infectious, and Vince Staples brings exactly the right flow to sit within the beat.

20. Groovy Tony – Schoolboy Q

When I was talking about ‘Let It Bang’ earlier I noted how I loved Schoolboy Q’s aggressive verse, and Groovy Tony takes that aggression and turns it into an entire track. The production is gritty, filled with little vocal flourishes, and the constant ‘blank face’ refrain scattered throughout the track serves as a mechanism to signal changes in the intensity of Schoolboy Q’s delivery. The lyrics themselves are vivid and as gritty as the delivery, serving to pull the entire track’s aesthetic together. Note, I have included the single version here as it was the one I had on repeat for a large portion of the year.

19. Inside The Mattress – Future

I know a lot of people considered Future’s run last year to be his best, but I thought this year was just as good, if not better. ‘Inside The Mattress’ is the catchiest track off ‘Purple Reign’, with one of the best hooks Future has written. The lyrical content is not new to Future, but at the same time it focuses more on the weight of his position as a leader for his team. This slight difference in nuance keeps the content from growing stale, but I’m not going to lie, it’s the catchiness of the track and how easy I find it to go back to that lands it this high on the list.

18. Fade Ft. TY Dolla $ign & Post Malone – Kanye West

I’ll be honest, it wasn’t until I came back to ‘The Life Of Pablo’ later in the year that I realised just how good this song was. The production is exceptional, with the samples providing a distinctive flavour not really found anywhere else in music this year. The drop (for lack of a better word) is so oddly fitting, and indeed that description in and of itself makes it a microcosm of the album. Kanye West’s and TY Dolla $ign’s performances are excellent, but the highlight for me is the feature from Post Malone, where he belts his lungs out and carries the song to its climax.

17. Kung Fu Ft. Pusha T & Future – Baauer

You know, I would never have expected two Baauer tracks to make my top 50, but then, I wasn’t expecting him to produce two trap songs. The beat here isn’t even especially bombastic, instead the energy comes from the Pusha T and Future’s delivery. Indeed, Future’s hook contains one of his most energetic performances of the year, complete with catchy refrain and suggestive imagery. Pusha T, naturally, waxes lyrical about dealing cocaine as only he can, starting with one of my favourite lines of the year: “the coke game is my sport, welcome to the wide world of snort”. He continues on as you would expect, but due to the short length of the track it stays concise. Kung Fu never overstays its welcome, and to this day remains a song I can easily play again and again.

16. Devastated – Joey Bada$$

This song is infectious. It’s both ecstatic, yet able to convey a consistent vibe that doesn’t require the listener to start dancing. It’s a bright song, carried by a fantastic flow that seems to walk with the beat. It plays alongside the instrumentation, letting the listener feel the progress, and feel a part of the narrative. The chorus is catchy and exuberant, and the instrumental itself masterfully provides extra flavours through hints of guitars and synthesisers, and smooth transitions. One of the catchiest songs of the year for me, that consistently makes me smile and move.

15. Come and See Me Ft. Drake – PARTYNEXTDOOR

I love how smooth this track is. It’s understated. It lies in a pocket where your head is gently nodding, and your fingers clicking. PARTYNEXTDOOR’s vocals slip through light melodies that seem to simply float above the instrumental. The beat itself is, in many ways, a softened, slower trap beat; something not especially unusual in modern R&B. It’s effective in setting an atmosphere and then holding it, and indeed, nothing ever disturbs the mood of this track. It delivers exactly what it wants to, with Drake showing up simply to add a light rapper’s touch to the track, one that suits his voice and stylings perfectly.

14. Body Language – Carly Rae Jepsen

It really is a shame I didn’t get around to checking out Carly Rae Jepsen’s last album, ‘Emotion’, until this year, because there are some very deserving songs that missed out on last year’s list. Jepsen has a knack for writing pop songs with an 80s vibe, something I tend to adore in pop music, but her greatest strength is her fantastic ear for melody. The verses on Body Language have the most bounce I heard on a pop song all year. They slide. They make you want to get up and skip incoherently. The pre-chorus builds with tension, adding a different flair, just as catchy as the first. And then the chorus drops, and things switch into a different, more 80s feeling vibe. It’s a pop climax in the most exact way. The production is fantastic, with the bounce of the drums setting the tone for the rest of the track. Superb.

13. Party Monster – The Weeknd (I’m gonna give an epilepsy warning for this video)

Look, I’m a sucker for The Weeknd at his most debaucherous, especially when he throws in that element of rap cockiness. It’s a style he has perfected, and ‘Party Monster’ is another fantastic entry in the genre. The sing-song rap flow The Weeknd employs continues to be catchy, and is particularly suited to the production. When the chorus fades out and the song winds into the drop, the sing-song style really comes to life, with the hard-hitting verse that follows providing a nice counterpoint to the chorus. The chorus itself has a fantastic melody, it’s movement carried by the rhythm of the vocal performance rather than the percussion. It still exudes confidence, but this is a calmer, more self-assured confidence, as opposed to the brashness of the verses. This is another song I find especially easy to come back to, and as such it earns its place at number thirteen.

12. Fly Shit Only – Future

At one point, earlier in the year, this was a strong chance of landing at number one. As it turns out, a lot of great songs came out this year, and this track faded in prominence. However, that doesn’t change the fact that this is one of the best tracks Future has ever written. The production is not your typical trap affair, with guitars and synthesised scratch, wah-wah, sounds forming the basis for a beat that never seems to stop moving. The two-part chorus contains an absolutely fantastic flow for the first half, that never fails to get me nodding my head. On top of that, the line: “only one who’s going out the country, gotta keep a translator for the models”, has to be my favourite boast of the year. For me, this song has never stopped being fun.

11. We The People… - A Tribe Called Quest

This song does protest unlike any other track released this year. It shifts between sarcasm, irreverence, and depictions of reality with ease. The parody of the chorus serves as the centre point for Q-Tip and Phife Dawg’s dismantling of the absurdity of the system, and indeed that’s what this song does best. It points out the ridiculous nature of the situations we find ourselves in, and the conversations we find ourselves having. Place this on top of a smooth beat, with great sampling, and you have a track that I can easily see standing the test of time.

10. Redbone – Childish Gambino

I don’t even know what to say about this song. I was not the only one who didn’t expect Gambino to go in this direction, and to do it in the manner he did was utterly incredible. This song contains his best vocal performance, completely shifting the way he normally sings to properly create the aesthetic he desired as an artist. Yes, there were some production tricks used on the vocals here, but nowhere near as many as one might think (as can be seen if you watch his live performance of the track here). The lyrics here straddle the line between relationship talk and social commentary, building on metaphor to create a duplicity in meaning that I love. Throw some incredible, funk-soul production on top of that, and you have a track I cannot stop listening to.

9. Gwan Big Up Urself – Roy Woods

I am not a dancer. I want to make that perfectly clear because no track, ever, has made me want to move as much as this did when it came out this year. It nails that new generation of pop-dancehall sound we have seen on the charts recently. The use of patois is appropriate, not simply contextually, but in the way that it adds both rhythm and texture to the track. The production is breezy, building a chill vibe that easily carries you away, successfully evoking the image of Jamaica (or similar) in the listener’s mind. Roy Woods’ vocal delivery is charismatic, fun, and a joy to badly sing along to. This was probably the song that made me the happiest this year.

8. Fare Thee Well – William Fitzsimmons.

I said it last year, and I’ll say it again, William Fitzsimmons simply makes beautiful music. The guitar on this track is gorgeous, and Fitzsimmons’ smooth vocals are wonderfully prominent in the mix. The backup vocalist provides a gentle companion to Fitzsimmons, building the atmosphere and adding another layer of emotion to the track; one that emphasises the ‘we’ in the lyrics. Indeed, the lyrics themselves are hauntingly poignant, striking up a conversation around the fragile, temporary nature of life and regret. Honestly, the word beautiful is so easily overused, but it is the only word that really matters when describing this song.

7. Fever – Carly Rae Jepsen

I present to you, the greatest pop chorus of the year. I’m not even sure where to start with the damn thing, it’s just that perfectly executed. I suppose it comes in the verse and pre-chorus, where things are indeed much sparser than many of the other tracks on ‘Emotion Side B’. But this space is what allows the song to build, with that passionate, staccato pre-chorus creating the energy and tension. And then the chorus drops. The bass and kick drop, and they are heavy, and sultry, and moving like a river beneath the synths and the vocals. And the vocals. The vocals contain the same swagger as the instrumentation, the same movement, and they convey just the right amount of stop and start for every little moment to hit and hold perfectly. But then, the first chorus ends, suddenly. It’s just a glimpse before the ecstatic second and third times around that really allow the song to climax. It’s all part of the ebb and flow of a pop song that sees itself as a whole, driving toward ecstasy, and reaching it.

6. Low Life Ft. The Weeknd – Future

Everything I said about The Weeknd on ‘Party Monster’ is applicable here, but I would add that I like his flow on this even more. The chorus, too, feels more like a climax than that on ‘Party Monster’, not that either are choruses in the typical, climactic sense. Future’s flow and personality are taken up another notch on this track, brought out, perhaps, by the chemistry between he and The Weeknd. Given the subject matter the two artists tend to focus on, the collaboration makes far too much sense, and the execution is flawless. The aesthetic on this track is oh so coherent, filled with the little flourishes and adlibs that really take a song to the next level. I would also like to give a shout-out to the production, and especially Metroboomin’s continued role in making great trap music. Really, what lands this song so high is that it absolutely achieves what it sets out to, and is damn catchy in the process.

5. Down Girl – Roy Woods

Every aspect of this track is catchy. If this song was a disease humankind would be wiped out within the week. The chorus is phenomenal, easily chantable, and filled with lines that assumedly found their way all over timelines. Of course, that’s because the content is so easily relatable for a younger generation in search of trust and validation that so often goes unrequited. Sure, the lyrics certainly aren’t mature, but they are superbly fitting for the song and the world that inspired them. On the production side of things, the way the beat swells is further reason for addiction, and when combined with those tight clicks and snares the rhythm just carries you away. Another song that is short and to the point, it has ludicrous replay value and will have you snapping your fingers until they are raw.

4. Starboy – The Weeknd

The rhythm on this song is outstanding. Everything about this track flows to the snares. Everything about this track oozes swagger. ‘Starboy’ is a river with a current that is constant, unending, and supremely catchy. The lyrics are braggadocios, yet self-aware and, on occasion, deceptively poignant. The Weeknd’s flow is matched to the rhythm, and his performance is immaculate. Of course, the chorus deserves a mention for that drop halfway through. That drop elevates this song to another level of intensity, providing a climax that doesn’t seem likely to occur when the chorus starts. Maybe I could say more, or go into further detail, but this is already a hugely well received song that I’m sure many critics have waxed poetic about. For me, as I lover of a great rhythm, the rhythm alone earns this track its place.

3. Fire & Desire – Drake

When Views first dropped I loved how distinctive this song was on the record, but I didn’t realise that I would grow to love it as much as I do. I just talked a lot about rhythm with ‘Starboy’, and rhythm in ‘Fire & Desire’ is just as crucial. However, here it is a seductive, slow, grinding rhythm, with a huge clap that counts the time. Drake’s vocals are smooth, but mixed and processed in a different way to how we normally hear him, drawing a bit on the sounds of Chief Keef, and more autotuned heavy, trap artists. This is most assuredly a sung song, but it’s a song where even the vocals seem like they are grinding, not simply the beat. The production is gorgeously smooth, with the vocal snippets at the beginning reminiscent of much of Drake and 40’s earlier work. At the time of writing, Fire & Desire is my most played song of 2016, and I don’t see that changing.

2. Do It Well – dvsn

Another entry on this list that falls under the smooth, sensual R&B banner, and this may just be the sexiest one. Daniel Daley’s vocal performance is flawless, dripping in atmosphere and uncompromising in the mood it evokes. The production from Nineteen85 has some of the most beautiful little flourishes in it, accompanied by a perfect ebb and flow in instrumentation, with a chorus that stands out, but doesn’t overdo it. Indeed, the strength of the production is its ability to complement Daley’s vocal performance. The lyrics themselves travel down a rabbit hole well explored by Drake and The Weeknd; the singer’s love for a stripper. However, here there is a note of escapism, and a need for unfulfilled closeness. Indeed, the refrain “you’re the only therapy I know” is a heavy line, ripe with desire and loss. This song is deceptively gorgeous, and I cannot stop myself from playing this song the whole way through once it starts.

1. Angela – dvsn

Angela is the most beautiful song to have come out this year. The production is incredible, delivering a more old school style of R&B, complete with gorgeous use of horns and swelling strings. The piano provides a constant accompaniment to the vocals, softly pushing the song along, and delicately holding together the atmosphere. The vocal sample from ‘Angeles’ is a stroke of genius, emerging for the chorus and inspiring the prevailing mood of the track. Yet, as incredible as the production is, Daniel Daley’s vocal performance is something else entirely. Without a doubt, the best vocal performance I heard all year, Daley stretches from the bottom of his range to the top, from soft caressing through to passionate belting, and every note is sheer perfection. The lyrics themselves hold to a more old school styling, complete with nature evoking imagery and a focus on love and the complexities of a relationship. When I first heard this song I was floored, and somehow that feeling has never disappeared. Yes, dvsn are finishing first and second on this list, and they utterly deserve it.

 Other Highlights

Punk Rock – Sleep In The Heat – PUP

Dancehall – Man a Murdera – Popcaan (I actually can’t find the exact genre for this online, but this is what I found it under on Spotify).

Contemporary Jazz/Art Rock – Rest In Pleasure – Esperanza Spalding

Indie Folk – On My One – Jake Bugg

Best Rap Verse (Not On The List) – THat Part (Black Hippy Remix) – Kendrick Lamar’s verse