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Bit forward!
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Another twenty before I kick off the top ten and get you all very very excited.
http://i.imgur.com/0OLlgCH.png #30 - "Lush Life" by Zara Larsson Spoiler: This has technically not yet been released in the UK, and given her slow-burning success on that MNEK track you would think that a song this excellent will also (eventually) smash, but I am feeling pessimistic. Perhaps it's too summery for this time of year. Perhaps people won't care about a Swedish popstar as much as they should (see: Robyn, Icona Pop). Perhaps people are terrible. #29 - "Kiss & Tell" by Ciara Spoiler: I don't think this was even a single. What the fuck, Ciara? This is probably the 2nd best thing she's ever done (after Body Party). #28 - "Kamikaze" by MØ Spoiler: In what was the year's best "you scratch our back, we'll scratch yours" moment, the ever-unGooglable MØ managed to secure an excellent Diplo production in return for her feature on the song of the summer. It doesn't seem to be shifting records at all but then what does? #27 - "Body Talk" by Foxes Spoiler: When she appeared as an uncredited singer in Doctor Who, after a pretty dull debut album campaign, I pretty much wrote her off entirely. Then she goes and has one of 2015's famous pop turn-arounds. It's not quite the miracle Drew is trying to make it out to be but it is pretty bloody good. #26 - "Runaway (U & I)" by Galantis Spoiler: I get to be a bit smarmy here and say that I remember hearing its debut play on Radio 1 and instantly loved it and beat everyone to it, sorry, so go home. Obviously, Jack_ had already made a thread about it a month before, so I can't boast too much. This is a bit of an anthem isn't it. #25 - "No More Tangles" by John Grant Spoiler: No studio copy on YouTube, smh. It contains the lyric "no more tangles, no more tears, no more reindeer games from narcissistic queers", which really is my approach to TiBB lately. #24 - "Pretend" by Seinabo Sey Spoiler: If someone were to ask me "what is your thing, Shaun?", my answer would be "this sort of dark-pop (the defining song of which was V V Brown's "The Apple"), tied into a music video in my head that consists of voguing all over the place with a girlfriend like a scene from Broad City." And, what do you have it, that thing exists! And it is ****ing fantastic. #23 - "Fourth of July" by Sufjan Stevens Spoiler: So the whole of his album this year was about the death of his mother, and this song seemed the most moving lyrically - it documents being with her as she died, and is just a terribly sad blend of childhood sentiment and bleak grief. At the same time, it's quite beautiful (the idea of someone nicknaming their son "my little Versailles"). For personal reasons (the other parent), it stuck with me. #22 - "Jealous" by Nick Jonas Spoiler: Again - never expected to enjoy something done by a Jonas Brother (unless it was a scene from his TV show where he's ****ing a bloke, obviously), and yet here we are. I hear the remix is better but who has the time? The standard is more than fine. #21 - "Leave A Trace" by CHVRCHES Spoiler: I'm not entirely convinced this is my favourite track on the record, it's probably just the one I've heard the most and therefore will remember the most. That said, what a lovely memory. #20 - "Black Lake" by Björk Spoiler: I can occasionally be a sucker for some dramatic strings. #19 - "I Really Like You" by Carly Rae Jepsen Spoiler: Even I, a man who makes very few mistakes, can initially hate a song that turns out to be excellent. "6 reallys? How dumb!" I sneered, before delving into something a bit pretentious (probably). Then Tom Hanks happened and questions were raised, it begun to stick around in my head, and by listen number 10 it became a case of "how long until it's listen 100?" Answer: not very long at all. This song has ruined lives with how good it is. #18 - "Baby Love" by Petite Meller Spoiler: Every year the UK tends to adopt a European pop song that it will briefly fall in love with but not enough for it to be a hit. Last year was Saint Motel, this year was this. The video is striking in terms of appearance, choreography and setting, but the song is just incredibly uplifting and catchy. #17 - "WTF (Where They From)" by Missy Elliott & Pharrell Williams Spoiler: The best (and most unexpected, really) comeback of the year. The music video is as daring and dazzling as they always are from Missy, her choreography is still on point, and the Miley Cyrus shade is real. The Pharrell bit lets it down a tad, but if that saves it from being a total flop then no worries. #16 - "Coffee" by Miguel Spoiler: The uncensored version has the subtitle "(Fucking)", and it's not really hard to see why. There probably isn't a man making sexier music right now than Miguel. #15 - "Let It Happen" by Tame Impala Spoiler: It's hard to nail the middle ground between "catchy" and "trippy" but Tame Impala are pretty much the best at it. It's eerie, moody, unsettling and marvellous. #14 - "The Scene Between" by The Go! Team Spoiler: With every The Go! Team album comes an underrated, incredibly cheerful-sounding lead single that just seems to make every worry seem immaterial. The video is cute too. In a "VHS tape advocating you joining their environmentalist cult" way. #13 - "Flesh Without Blood" by Grimes Spoiler: Well it's in my avatar and signature for a reason. After a brief moment of worry that she'd sell out and go for the trap route as she did on 'Go', she returns with a more Grimesy killer track (that is to say: it's weird, the vocals are difficult to pick up, and the backing is bewitching). #12 - "Love Me Badder" by Elliphant Spoiler: A lot of songs were released this year that were intentionally written for Rihanna. Her rejecting this (along with Zara Larsson's "Lush Life") may just well be the worst decision she's ever made. Granted: there is still room for Elliphant to "do an Iggy" and become super-entitled, dumb and annoying in her rise to fame (along with some tiring "She's white why has she got a patois accent?" comments I'm sure), but so long as this the output from her I am a fan. #11 - "What Kind of Man" by Florence + the Machine Spoiler: Listening to this on headphones (whilst, presumably doing something mundane like the shopping) turns everything into a frightening music video in your head. Or maybe just mine. But when the drums and guitar kick in after the intro it just becomes phenomenal. This would be an excellent lip-sync for your life on Drag Race. |
Right then. Let's do this.
#10 - "When We Were Young" - Adele Obviously, 'Hello' was the big hit and a pretty excellent comeback but seemed to be missing something. It was big and overstated and windswept and exciting, but I generally prefer my Adele to be sombre and understated and reflective. This was the best side of that Adele on '25' and might just be her best song yet. |
#9 - "Sorry" - Justin Bieber It may be quite telling that the best Justin Bieber song doesn't actually have him in its video. Whilst he is still a bit of a prize tit from time to time, as most popstars are, this is still the best #1 single of the year and there isn't really any arguing against it. |
#8 - "Lifted Up (1985)" - Passion Pit The critics kinda turned their backs on Passion Pit this year which is a little bit baffling since the album was of almost equal quality to their other two. They are probably the best at producing joyous electro/pop music and I shall heart them forever. (feel free to actually comment that makes this seem much less pointless) |
WWWY > Sorry tho :worry:
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Passion Pit make me realise life is worth living.
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(I understand smithy </3)
#7 - "The Blacker the Berry" - Kendrick Lamar (Sadly not on UK YouTube which is a recurring theme) It's excellently produced, viciously political and another compelling series of voices and thoughts from the best man in hip hop right now :clap2: (I say this as if I'm super-informed on hip hop don't I?) |
#6 - "Strange Hellos" - Torres On the face of it this sounds like the average output of Hole in the mid-90s and that is a fair comparison: it's angry, it's grungey and it's very female, but there's something about the lyrics that's just super dark and nasty and fun. The introduction - where she references a bitch she hates having a mum whose illness means she forgets her name, the kind of "taking off my earrings" lines in the chorus, but most of all the screaming towards the end just make it powerful. |
#5 - "Realiti" - Grimes I'm not sure if I prefer this version or the album's (which has a slightly longer intro and a generally bouncier vibe to it), but I do know that I prefer it to Flesh Without Blood. The chorus in particular - with her singing about climbing mountains as the music does just that - flows amazingly and just showcases her ability to make something both catchy and confusing. |
I prefer Flesh Without Blood but both are holy songs so :clap2:
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#4 - "Here" - Alessia Cara It was a sleeper hit in the US and it looks set to do the same, uh, here. It's sitting pretty at #36 on iTunes right now and I would hope it should eventually chart at somewhere mildly satisfying like "#15". The Portishead sample (which itself was a sample) is inspired and the perfect cool backdrop to an endless flow of everything that is wrong with house parties (and I hope you're taking notes Locke, because this will be me this time next week - "next to the boy who's throwing up 'cause he can't take what's in his cup no more".) It'd sound whiney but she luckily possesses a gorgeous voice. |
#3 - "No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross" - Sufjan Stevens For a while this was the only real candidate for song of the year for me (and I accept that on TiBB this won't be a popular sentiment). For me I guess the track is about being unable to find comfort in his religion (he's quite Christian I believe), or anything in particular, when his mum died. It's kinda blunt by Sufjan standards - the whole "fuck me, I'm falling apart" bit is a touch surprising - but the whole classic, simple, pure nature of the track is lovely. |
#2 - "Run Away With Me" - Carly Rae Jepsen I would imagine that even ABBA can no longer sleep at night knowing that they didn't write this pop masterpiece first. It is just excellent. That 80s throwback saxophone caving into a mellow foot-tapping verse that just builds and builds into that chorus? With lyrics that adorable? Ridiculous. |
-wets pants-
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:flutter: No.1 must be mind blowing to topple this under-rated (thankfully not on this forum) masterpiece.
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#1 - "Loud Places" - Jamie xx & Romy In the absence of a proper 'The xx' comeback (even their second album falls drastically short of this track's standards), the pair teaming up for a couple of tracks on his excellent solo album this year was a very nice remedy indeed. Her voice on this is probably the most calming thing I have ever heard, and the whole way it just rattles along with bottles clinking against each other, a small brush of house music influences, and the gradual introduction of a bit of a gospel choir, clapping enthusiastically, just turns the whole thing into a bit of a religious experience for me (which I know is silly but shut up and let me have my fun). |
ohh i'm listening to that now and i'm loving it on first play :flutter:
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It reminds me of the everything but the girl 'Missing' a bit :)
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I'm copying your music taste from now on, Shaun.
I'm sick of having S Club on repeat. |
Both ways are fine Braden
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Thank you for doing this Shaun I have as always discovered about a dozen tunes I never knew I needed in my life
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