Hello everyone, I hope everyone enjoying the holidays with their families, loved ones, or by themselves. This year felt like last year but we were able to go outside, even though I wasn't going out that much anyway. This year in music was better than last year, It had to do with artists being able to tour now and promote their albums with some covid restrictions being lifted. It's that time of the year again, YEAR-END LISTS! We are going to kick off with my favorite tracks of this year. I'm not gonna write about every song that I enjoyed this year but I will write about the ones that stuck out to me the most. You're also gonna see the word "Tik Tok" a lot here so apologies in advance. As a bonus, I made a playlist too! the link will be down below. Anyways let get right into it!
Pain by pinkpantheress
pinkpantheress had a breakout year and easily is the best new artist of this year alone. Not is much known about her, she is from the united kingdom, a college student studying film, and was working on some music since her early teens from being in a band and producing music via GarageBand. The song "Pain" blew up on the infamous app we all know way early in the year and she started getting tons of attention off 20 seconds snippets of her working a song a day while she had free time from school. She got signed that summer and dropped her debut album. The song "pain" was the 2nd single she released and this is the one. Songs remind of old sega or Atlus games, it would fit perfectly for menu music or a level or area in the game for the production alone. The track makes me do the shoulder shuffle every time this comes on. Her music is short as fuck I'll admit but it just works. Young people making music outta their bedroom has been a great thing so far in the music scene with the whole world still being upside down, getting people more creative being stuck. I hope she continues her hot streak man, she's fantastic at what she does.
HEAVEN by 454
454 is another one that came up and blew up out of nowhere. The only thing I know about him is that he is from New York via Florida and that when Frank Ocean launched his brand, he linked 454's debut album on the website. His music is very different from what I hear nowadays. He raps with sped-up vocals, not like those chipmunk vocals but more at 1.25 speed and it sounds hypnotic and catchy. His lyrics deal with a range of emotions of dealing with love and tragic moments in his youth, "Late Night" was one of his early singles and he rapped about the passing of his father.
He took his music career seriously when he moved to New York with his girlfriend and the world being under lockdown. "HEAVEN" is one of the deep cuts of the record, it's my favorite track here. I felt like I was floating in the sky, the production has that feeling of a young lean or a blade track, that's probably why dude's music so much right now. In the song, he talks about what I mentioned early about moving into a new city with his girl on a whim and how much he loves her, that she is his ride or die chick through the up and downs. He brags about her spending a bag on him and how he wants to take a trip to Utah to see the lakes. He's different on how he does his music but I fuck with it and you should give it a chance if you're open-minded.
TSU by Drake
Yeah, I love this fucking song. a lot. I know "Way 2 Sexy" and the lesbian song were the bigger songs from CLB, and people love tracks like "No Friends in the Industry" or "Pipe Down" but god this track is amazing, and my favorite of that album. It is a pretty standard Drake song about meeting a stripper and telling her 'I'll save you" god, he does embrace the memes huh? I love the way he flows on here, production has a bit of bounce but has the light night drive feel to it. The hook sold me on this, the "Not Around" shit gets stuck in my head and I catch myself singing that shit in the shower at work. When the beat switches into verse 3 in like a chopped and screwed production, it still sounds great. I get why he added this though, even though a part of me wished he kept the track as is when it leaked last year. I'm grateful he kept the track on the album cause man I can gush about "TSU" all day.
Life of the Party by Ye and Andre 3000
Wait I know what you're thinking, "Why nOt OfF tHe GrID?!" look. I know. It's a great track Fivo went insane on that. Come on though, We never hear that much Andre nowadays so I had to put this one on here. The history of this is pretty hilarious now as I am writing this. Before Ye and Drake had made up, they were still issues between the two. On an episode of OVO Sound Drake got ahold of a song by these two, it was gonna be on Donda but got cut last-minute cause Andre was cursing a lot and Ye's verse was a diss to Drake. Andre even apologized to Drake cause he had no clue it was gonna be this type of song, he just wanted to make a tribute to his moms.
Ye reworked his verse and officially a deluxe version of Donda and this song as a single with the curse words still intact. Andre killed his verse, shit made a grown man cry. Asking Miss Donda has she had seen his mom up in heaven and asked her a few questions. There is even a point towards the end of his verse questioning his faith, rapping about should I smile even though things haven't gone my way or take loved ones away? He reminds optimistic and he should keep going, the troubles he's dealing with and that it will return some good faith for him.
Ye new verse is trying to win Kim and divorce bars. He talks about dealing with the fame in the last decade and how he wants to run away in exile again. It's better than demo verse but there isn't much to say about his contributions to his verse, to be honest. Andre stole the show. Glad this song got to see the light.
All Too Well (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift
Taylor has been rereleasing her albums from back in the day due to all her masters from her old label being sold off. Honestly been enjoying these albums thus far. She was someone I wasn't into for a long time but since last year when she wanted to make folk albums, I appreciated her work. "All Too Well" has been highly regarded as her best song of all time, the original is great don't get me wrong but her new version, man I love this.
Her updated version is more subdued, the instrumental and melody switch the feeling with drums instead being mainly backed by a guitar, and she rewrote most of the lyrics. She sounds more angry and bitter towards her ex instead of bittersweet and remembers the good times. She sings about tragedy too, that's why I like her new version more. You can feel what she going through plus a lot has happened since the original came out. This song also has three other versions besides the OG. We got the short version, a live studio version, and a ten-minute version from the vault. The ten-minute version is personally the best in my opinion. I can't stand songs that are more than five minutes long, especially solo songs. This works however, it flows really well. You don't have a down moment or having you go "damn this is still going?" I think she got one or two more records I think she might be redoing so I'm looking forward to how she switches those tracks up with this sound she's been messing with in the last year.
Smokin out the Window by Silk Sonic
"THIS...BITCH..GOT ME PAYING HER RENT!, PAYING FOR TRIPS!" is my favorite few seconds of any song this year. Anderson and Bruno coming together to form Silk Sonic make the most sense. their music has great nostalgia of music from the '60s-'80s from funk to soul and jazz. Bruno is a way bigger artist than Paak but Paak has been around for a while, grinding to where he is at now. I know I didn't write a review of this record but if you wanna know my thoughts right quick. It's a good record, the album has the aura of collab albums nowadays, it sounds like it was recorded in a studio session or two, and another major issue is that we have been waiting for this record for what felt like forever, I think would hit different if it came out in the summer instead of fall/winter.
"Smokin' out the Window" was the better single to me, got way more spins than "Leave The Door Open" or "Skate". This has the summer drive, perfect weather music vibes. The two sing and flow with each other together back and forth like two MCs. The Adlibs from both men are great. I smile every time this song comes on. Not sure if their project is going to keep going but I do hope both guys keep working with each other cause the chemistry is there and they bounce each off other with ideas for their next album. Please get Bruno on some Knxwledge production.
range brothers by Baby Keem ft. Kendrick Lamar
TOP OF DA MORNIN' TOP OF DA MORNIN' TOP OF DA MORNIN' HOLD ON.....this shit is the goofiest song I've heard this year. The cousins finally released something together on Keem's debut album. When this shit first made the rounds, I thought this was fake. When you heard the full song in context, it's a fucking trip and a ride to listen. I know this album and song has critics saying "Why is Keem making Kendrick do weird songs now?" for some odd I love this season outside of the memes it spawned. The beat switches and the flows and voices are the best things about this. Lyrically Keem talks about his upbringing and the success he's been getting in the last couple of years. If you ignore the goofy nature of this and the whole album in general, songs are pretty dope. Took me a bit for the whole album to grow on me. It makes me curious if Kendrick is going to do the same sound and style like his little cousin is doing or do his own thing. Whatever it is, it's gonna get the people talking.
good 4 u by Olivia Rodrigo
What can I say? We all have our guilty pleasures. I know her music is not in my demographic but have you ever heard those songs on the radio or tik tok over and over again, at first you can't stand it but you ended up liking it? This was that song. Gen Z pop has grown on me in the last two years cause maybe been I opened minded about it, thanks to my younger siblings. What I like about this and Olivia's music, it reminds me of early Paramore meets Taylor Swift. I love how calm she is on her verses and then when the hook comes in and the energy just hits. Upbeat ad high-energy track where the lyrics sound like they could've been on a sad breakup ballad. She said in interviews it was gonna be a piano-heavy but last minute she wanted a song where people can dance to. It blends pop-punk and emo rock so well. I'm glad the younger generation is embracing the early 2000's pop, I'm wondering who's gonna the 10's pop sound in another decade from now.
If you want to know my favorite song of the year, it is this one. Drakeo was released from jail a year ago and went on a good run of albums this year. There were rumors that Drakeo and the man himself Drake had a song, I was pretty hyped to hear that news. The Drake co-sign can be a shaky thing for many artists, others rise, a lot fall but Drakeo had been building a buzz and a movement since 2017, which is impressive cause he was locked up for most of that time. It leaked, hype grew but was worried this might not see the light of day. It did get released when he dropped his new mixtape and, damn I love this song. Drake is only on the hook but it works and it's my favorite hook of the year. He did steal the show and it became his own song but Drakeo held his own. Drakeo talks about his desires with a girl and it's smooth as hell, what is also smooth is the slow place synth production. It fits for a club record, late-night drive, or a kickback with friends. I know it came out in the winter and it sounds better with warmer weather but it fits with the cold. Yeah, this is my song of the year.
What other songs I was into this year: Gum and Dazegxd were heavy in my rotation, tracks like "Expensive Taste", "Sendin' My Luv", "Gurl", "bad 4 us" and so many more. Their music reminds me of Jet Set Radio and a lot of amvs. They get played a lot when I'm reading manga, it sounds nerdy but their style of music makes the fight scenes more epic to me.
Yeat really blew up on tik tok this year. "Sorry Bout That" and "Money Twerk" is all heard from that app, glad I downloaded that app this year cause I did discover a lot of shit. Yeat style is very odd but it works. Even some of the bigger names like swae lee was copying his whole flow in a new snippet Lee he posted, so his name is getting out there.
Zack Fox "fafa" is great. I just remind when people were mad about pitchfork giving his album like a 5, it's a meme album, chill out everyone. The Hornet's own Miles Bridges is pretty decent at being an NBA player who can rap. He was featured on another fellow Michigan rapper Babytron album, Miles did his thing on the track "Lavar Ball".
Speaking of Michigan, that scene is growing and growing. Since99 was someone I couldn't take seriously. He looks like a frat bro and he raps with a deep, monotone voice. He had a good year, he got to work with Kenny Beats and dropped a mixtape that was pretty solid. "Heaven's Gate" got many spins for me. The funniest thing about this track is the hook is a whole god damn 16 bars. Funny lines like "Shout out my Aussies, 'Ello Mate" or "Do I step out in da bob or da minion" made me laugh pretty hard if you don't know the second line it's from a stupid meme.
On the non-side hip-hop of things, I enjoy Jack Antonoff being passed around by the pop stars again. He worked with Clairo for her new album that dropped in the summer, she was someone I wasn't into but I like what she did here. "Bambi" was of my favorites, she questions to keep her music career and she sounds like she talking about her ex but in reality, the lover is the music industry. She wants to move on and she did, but she wants to reflect on the past of her music. The track and whole album are solid and it hits better since the weather is now cold, album got the vibe from it cause of the album cover.
The final track I want to talk about is something. Something is the perfect word to describe it. It came out last year but It blew up for how wacky the song is. "American tteroristt" by RXKNephew is the wildest and funniest I heard in forever. RXK is from New York, I was familiar with another oddball rapper RX Papi, they have done tracks together. His style reminds me of Lil B but Nephew can keep up with the beat. The whole song is like a skitzo just talking about conspiracy theories, Adam and Eve, god, his grandma, and many other things for ten minutes. You just have to listen to this shit, it's a trip man. Me just talking about it doesn't do it justice.
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