Best Hit Songs of 2021 (3/4)
Come on over, I'll adore you.
Consider this the start of my absolute favorite hits this year. Aka, the ones that will make my year-end Top 100 favorite songs, hits or otherwise. When I do have to talk about them again, it’ll be really brief, so this is where you’ll get the more in-depth reasons as to why these songs ruled my year.
family ties by Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar
I feel kind of bad for Baby Keem. He’s slowly coming into his own as an artist, but he keeps getting overshadowed by his more famous cousin. Sure, the whole point of Kendrick being here is to give Baby Keem more attention, but everyone has been analyzing Kendrick’s verse on this song while ignoring the first half of “family ties” cuz it’s not Kendrick. I want to give Baby Keem the credit he deserves because even without Kendrick’s verse, this song still slaps! Baby Keem isn’t as sharp of a writer, but he makes up for it with creative flows and fun little moments that remind me of Kendrick whenever he makes a comedic voice change. That relentless nasal flow should be annoying on paper, but Keem has the tenacity to never let up or doubt himself, and I admire that! Especially cuz he sounds great over both the army of trumpets and the swirling strings that come in midway through the song. Of course, I say all this and have to face the fact that yeah, Kendrick’s verse is still the song’s crowning achievement. I can’t help it. Kendrick is the best rapper alive and his knack for clever lyrics and catchy flows are always going to captivate me no matter what he does. My favorite part of Kendrick’s verse isn’t the witty writing (though “Show my ass and take y’all to task, multitask like Megan, brother” is one of my favorite lyrics of the year), but that Kendrick embraces more of his deeply underrated comedic side. It’s a goofy verse, one with dorky voices and silly punchlines about the pandemic and dunking on the rappers who blew up while he’s away. But it’s not threatening or pushing it too far. It’s playful! The best part of the song is right at the end when Baby Keem comes back and trades bars with Kendrick to close out the song. They have legit great chemistry together, and every time it comes on, there’s a little part of me that lights up with excitement.
Best Two Seconds: “Let me jump in this bitch (let me jump in this bitch!)”
THAT’S WHAT I WANT by Lil Nas X
Controversial opinion, but Lil Nas X is really good. I hope this song keeps doing well into the new year, cuz it’s the catchiest hit out right now. Now that Lil Nas X proved himself with his debut album, a song like this comes incredibly naturally to him. It’s short, as usual, but I feel like it makes up for all of it through one of the most anthemic and fun hooks of the year. One bursting with life and excitement as Lil Nas X craves the rush of a relationship. One that can be as fun to experience and go through life with as it is to get in the bedroom and commit sins against God. It’s not a naive song, obviously, but its eagerness is so charming that anyone who’s been looking for “real love” can really connect to it. That moment right at the end of the chorus where Lil Nas X chants, “that’s what I fucking want!” is one of the most cathartic and liberating moments of the year. And I can tell you firsthand, it KILLS at karaoke. Also, this is very much me thing, but the fast-paced borderline pop-rock groove, along with Ryan Teddar’s backing vocals on the hook and the flamboyant energy of it all reminds me way more of Marianas Trench that it probably should. Honestly, if Josh Ramsay ever decides to cover this song, I would LOVE to hear it!
Best Two Seconds: “THAT’S WHAT I FUCKIN’ WANT!!!”
love nwantiti (ah ah ah) by Ckay [ft. Joeboy & Kyami Eugene]
As I said before, I am in full support of this rise in popularity that dancehall and Afrobeat have gotten in the United States. Out of all the hits we’ve gotten, “love nwantiti (ah ah ah)” was immediately my favorite, and has quickly risen the ranks to become one of my favorite songs of the year. It’s really nice to have a big dance song that isn’t meant to exhaust you but focuses on the rhythm and atmosphere to get you in the mood and vibe with the club. The textured African beats are so soothing and sensual that you feel compelled to move your body to the immaculate vibes of the song, maybe even strut your stuff over to someone who catches your eye. The guitar mixed with the percussion is so, so nice! The chorus is especially great, giving that sort of effortless charisma that adds to the atmosphere rather than distracts you from it. I find myself constantly singing along to this song whenever the chorus comes on, maybe even dancing along to it if no one’s looking. And I love songs that have that subtle magic to them as you listen to them. You don’t have to think too hard, but you don’t have to turn your brain off either. Just let the vibes take you wherever you need them to.
Best Two Seconds: “Come and make a bad guy sing aaaahhhh, ahhh ahhh ah ah ah.”
WUSYANAME by Tyler The Creator ft. Youngboy Never Broke Again & Ty Dolla $ign
Another year, another snub for Tyler as Billboard’s radio-centered formula refuses to accept that this was a hit. Huge shame about this one too, because it should have and arguably did rule the summer. CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST is an album about infatuation and luxury, and “WUSYANAME” is probably the most representative song for that (save for the album’s best song but we’ll get to that another time). It’s shorter than it should be, but it makes the most for its entire length with a delightfully flirty verse from Tyler against the splashes of bright synths and jingling percussion. It sounds like the feeling you get when sunbeams are glowing on your skin and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. Tyler’s excitement and bravado are incredibly charming even though the words make it sound like he’s kind of blowing it. I always adore the way he opens the song with a pick-up line as blunt as “You look malnourished”. And from there it builds into this train of thought to just convince her that Tyler is worth more than the boyfriend she has back at home, and though he goes through all this trouble to flirt with her, it takes him until the end of the verse to actually ask for her name. It’s adorable while still showing just how much of this relationship is based on the surface. Perfect for a summer fling with lots of potential, but maybe not built to last. Also, controversial opinion, but Youngboy’s verse is just as good. He has the same frantic charm that Tyler has and I like how he tries to deflect and say the money isn’t important to him when it clearly is. Again, it’s that constant train of thought that’s looking for the best words to win this girl over without giving away the game. This is bound to be a summer staple in the coming years.
Best Two Seconds: “AUUGGHH YOU LOOK MALNOURISHED!”
telepatía by Kali Uchis
When I was prepping my list of the best albums of last year, I decided to quickly check out some albums I had been putting off but still had some interest in before I began writing the list. One of them was Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios), an album I liked a lot, but still felt was missing one final push to make Kali Uchis as great as I know she’s capable of. At the very least, it spawned my favorite song of hers to date, “telepatía”. Which, out of nowhere, a few months later, suddenly got MASSIVE streaming traction and became one of the biggest sleeper hits of the year. It didn’t even have a Tik Tok trend at first! People just discovered it and realized it was an excellent song! And they’re right! What I love about “telepatía” is how well it plays into Kali Uchi’s strengths. Kali has a very soft, sensual voice, so she always works best in light, boppy production, or lush ballads. “telepatía” does a great balance of both, painting a pink landscape of dreamy synths along with some pretty string sections. The track moves at a brisk pace, skipping through the clouds as Kali Uchis goes back and forth between English and Spanish and describes the euphoria she feels over the long-distance love she feels over the phone. It’s a very sexual song, but it’s done in a very understated, yet intimate way that gets you just as blushy and nervous. Especially when Kali Uchis is so confident in her delivery that you’re convinced every word is drenched in bliss. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
Best Two Seconds: “You know I got a lot to SAY!”
4 Da Gang by 42 Dugg & Roddy Ricch
A while back I saw an article pondering if Machine Gun Kelly inspired artists like Trippie Redd and Lil Uzi Vert to start implementing rock elements into rap music, which was met with universal derision. I think in general this is another case of a writer assuming that all you need to do to make a rock song is throw in an electric guitar and call it a day. The reality is rock has always been a big influence on trap, it just isn’t outwardly obvious. “4 Da Gang” is one of those songs that makes it very obvious that it’s a rap-rock anthem with its generous sample of “No One Like You” by the Scorpions. But even without that sample, “4 Da Gang” embodies so much of the rock aesthetic and what it means to be a “rockstar” that this would have gone off even if they didn’t go with a direct sample. Part of the appeal of being a rockstar is its aggressive recklessness, indulging in your worst habits, and living on the edge because you are that fucking cool. That sort of thing translates so naturally to 42 Dugg’s lifestyle of drugs, cars, sex, and violence. His slimy flow sounds incredible against the raving guitars and bullet-like trap percussion, and I love whenever the bass hits on the downbeats to make the song even more headbang-worthy! This song is the pure definition of a banger. Anthemic hook, thrilling production, Roddy Ricch sounding as sharp as ever (I LOVE how he responds to people wondering about his hiatus by implying he was too busy having sex with their bitch. That cracked me up), and great synergy between Dugg and Roddy in the chorus to make this feel more like a team effort. It’s shameless in its nostalgia, but it’s the kind of indulgent shamelessness that’s endlessly fun anyway.
Best Two Seconds: “Me and 42, pullin’ up, twin Bentleys!”
Shivers by Ed Sheeran
As much as I liked “Bad Habits”, I knew Ed Sheeran had a better single from = in him somewhere. “Bad Habits” was just for the lead single, surely he can make an even better pop anthem that deserves to rule the whole world, right? Yeah, he did. “Shivers” is quite possibly his best pure pop song to date. Maybe even better than “Don’t”! Okay, I’m not sure I’d go that far, but I do absolutely LOVE how this takes Ed Sheeran’s usual wife guyisms and translates it into something more fun and dance-ready. The fluttering guitars and sweeping horns alongside Ed Sheeran’s infectious energy make this one of the catchiest songs he’s ever made. As someone who has worked in retail that played Ed Sheeran a lot, if I heard this song come on at work I’d be ecstatic! There’s so much joyous energy in this song that never lets up! There’s so much color in the ways he describes the little moments he shares with his partner, and it’s in a way that never feels corny or forced. It’s so incredibly easy to like and get swept up in its big romantic gestures.
Best Two Seconds: “And when they say the party’s over then we’ll bring it right back!”
Have Mercy by Chlöe
I’ve heard rumblings of pop music going through a 2000s revival in the near future, and I think “Have Mercy” is the song that fully kicks it into gear. Yeah, the rise of pop-punk in the mainstream definitely had a lot to do with it, but those were more pastiches trying to adapt to modern times rather than a straight throwback. “Have Mercy” sounds EXACTLY like the kind of R&B that blew up in the 2000s. Honestly, if I didn’t know this came out in 2021, I would have assumed this was from 2007. It’s an era of R&B that I feel has gone underappreciated if you’re name isn’t Beyoncé, and I like hearing it come back in this bouncy, raunchy, fun little distraction from one half of Chloe & Halle. They made my favorite albums of last year, but it seems they’re both currently striving in their own ways. Halle is prepped to play Ariel in the live-action The Little Mermaid next year, and Chloe managed to make a hit that’s surpassed all of their other hits as a duo. You can tell they’re protogés of Beyoncé, but “Have Mercy” doesn’t feel like it’s in Beyoncé’s shadow. Chloe brings her own flavor of flirty, yet assertive dominance that leaves the men who crave her bent out of shape. She has the attractive aura to draw you in, but she’s also cold enough to leave you intimidated in a thrilling way. Murda’s beat on this song is also phenomenal. Not only does it capture the flash of 2000s R&B, but it jumps around with Chloe’s voice incredibly well leading to an excellent rhythm and so many great little moments I can’t help but move along to. I wasn’t confident in including this song on the list because I wasn’t sure if it was going to keep growing into next year, but I’m likely going to associate it with 2021 more anyway. Might as well share the love.
Best Two Seconds: “Lord! Have mercy!”
Rumors by Lizzo ft. Cardi B
I have no clue what happened with “Rumors”. I get the joke is that Lizzo can’t have any hits from her new music and it has to be at least two years old for it to blow up, but I was certain this was going to be way bigger than it ended up being. Obviously, it was a hit, I wouldn’t be including it here if I didn’t think it was, but the moment disappeared too fast. “Rumors” deserves so much better than that. Lizzo in general deserves better than what the world gives her. Of all the celebrities to get endless hate from assholes and people pretending they aren’t assholes, Lizzo gets a horrifying mix of fatphobia, racism, and sexism for simply enjoying life and wanting to feel good about herself. Seeing comments about her makes me so angry, especially coming from progressives who claim to support these groups but can’t stand how “loud” Lizzo can be. Normally I wouldn’t bring this kind of thing up, but it’s also essential in understanding why this song is such an underrated gem. It’s essentially one big victory lap against all the social media hate she gets, and she delights in reminding them that she’s better than they are. She will proudly flaunt her sex drive and own her natural beauty because her body isn’t anyone’s business but her own and the guys she’s fucking, and that includes your man. Cardi being here is also a delight. This is easily the most I’ve liked her as a feature in a long time, giving that same glamorous spite against her own haters try to hurl at her. There’s something so liberating about Lizzo admitting that sometimes the comments get her, but at the end of the day, she learns to love herself and appreciate the good in her life. She doesn’t need these assholes, she’s gonna be just fine. The blasting trumpets and g-funk synth work wonderfully together! They remind me a lot of the Ghostbusters theme, actually. Bouncy, fun, and incredibly triumphant. It’s a pure delight, and though I wish this song went farther than it did, I know Lizzo is just happy to be herself. I am too.
Best Two Seconds: “No I ain’t fuck Drake… yet!”
drivers license by Olivia Rodrigo
This song has aged strangely in the span of a year. I think it’s just because we saw Olivia Rodrigo rise so fast beyond this song that looking at it now feels so distant. She’s done better than “drivers license”, which in itself is a miracle when the song is this good. And it’s great in very subtle ways too. Like how the sounds of a car bleed into the production and mimic a patient drive through the suburbs. The production slowly builds with a monotone piano, some handclaps, a droning synth that sounds like a car powering down, only for the piano to kickstart a melody as soon as the pre-chorus starts. A swell of the strings builds to the chorus, and as soon as you think we’re about to hit a high point, there’s a sudden moment of quiet as Olivia stews in her sadness. It’s one of the best-composed #1 hits I’ve ever heard. On the instrumental alone, this song is a feat in musical storytelling. But it gets better when you hear the story that actually goes along with this instrumental. The story of Olivia finally getting her driver’s license, a monumental moment in a teenager’s life, but feeling empty and sad about it as she realizes the boy she was gonna drive with has long left her for someone else. The betrayal and disappointment in Olivia Rodrigo’s voice is so pronounced, especially as her voice goes from a soft whisper to a pained yell. Is it teenage melodrama? Yes. But it’s teenage melodrama that’s no less heartwrenching and difficult to process. I think the reason so many people connected to it, regardless of age, is because the core emotions of lost potential resonate within everyone. Those little moments you wish you could experience are just no longer feasible. And the mere sight of what could have been is enough to tear you apart. The bridge is still one of the absolute best payoffs of the year. Every emotion floods towards her all at once, and she’s left with the reality that despite her anger, frustration, and sadness, that she still loves him. And that realization brings her down so much that she blurts out, “I still fucking love you” with the most genuine intensity I’ve ever heard in an f-bomb on a song. And I say this as someone who at this point is so numb to the word I barely notice it when it pops up in media I consume anymore. It’s a marvel of a song, but one that fell a bit to the wayside as the year went on and we got more hits that wowed me just as much. Even from Olivia herself.
Best Two Seconds: “I still fucking love you babe!”
Kiss Me More by Doja Cat ft. SZA
It’s taken me a while to be fully convinced of Doja Cat’s potential, but this is the song that finally won me over. The perfect blend of Doja Cat’s sugary pop side and her aggressively horny, yet still charming rap side. My biggest issue with “Say So” is that I felt that as nice as the groove sounded on the surface, it felt too thin and unsupported to really drive the rhythm and it made the song feel lightweight as a result. “Kiss Me More” fixes that issue by giving the percussion more texture and more of a chance to flesh out the beat beyond its default melody. That way it can do fun stuff like the short notes on “Can you”, before kicking into the guitar groove on “kiss me more”. Plus, the best part of “Say So”, its sugary sweet candy-coated atmosphere, transfers over much better to this more dreamy, infatuated sound that’s blissful like a cotton candy cloud. The biggest improvement on all fronts comes from Doja Cat and SZA. Doja Cat’s flighty singing works so much better when she doesn’t have to stick to that breathy falsetto. Letting her sink back down to let her gruffer, but cutesy voice to flirt with the listener adds so much more personality and charm to her singing! Plus the faster tempo allows her to be a bit skippier with her flows, especially on the rap verses that don’t feel too intrusive or out of place. Her lyrics describing the ways she wants to make out with the listener is equal parts romantic and thrilling. I love the straightforward detail she puts into describing that intimacy without coming off as gross or over the top. It feels genuine, and SZA’s additional vocals are the perfect fit to make this song even sexier. This is exactly what I wanted out of Doja Cat. I didn’t want the next Nicki Minaj, I didn’t want lightweight mediocre pop that was only good because the drums hit on every downbeat, I wanted floaty sex jams from an artist with immense potential to be one of the defining artists of the 2020s.
Best Two Seconds: “I feel like fucking somethin’! (SOMETHIIIIIIN)”
I Was On A Boat That Day by Old Dominion
It’s actually kind of alarming that Old Dominion is one of the best heavy-hitters in Nashville right now. I’m not sure what happened for them to get really really good, but ever since “One Man Band” and “Written In The Sand”, they’ve uncovered a really nice niche as laid-back beach dudes taking life easy and enjoying the moment. It’s a huge far cry from their introduction as the leftover scraps of bro-country before Nashville moved into boyfriend country territory. That said, “I Was On A Boat That Day” still has a bit of that douchiness you saw in songs like “Break Up With Him”. Unlike that song though, there’s something more charming and carefree about how callously Old Dominion treats their ex. The song starts out with the lyric “I remember it like it was yesterday, cuz it was!”, a genuinely funny joke that tells you exactly where this song is going. Throughout the song, Matthew Ramsay just delights in soaking the sun and moving on from his ex, who may or may not be distraught with their recent breakup. Either way, he doesn’t care. He’s just relaxing on a boat! On the surface, this song has no right to be this good. It’s such an annoying concept that paints Ramsay as a neglectful jerk. And yet, Ramsay’s jovial vocals alongside the brisk guitar and surprise accordion are so much fun that I find myself completely buying into the pettiness. It’s the musical equivalent to that meme where a card slotted into a shelf that says, “Loss of a Loved One” has a picture of a dog with a sombrero saying “Adios!” on it. It’s so stupid and even a bit morbid, but you can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all! He was drunk with a skunk, eating lunch with a cross-eyed bear! You’ve been there before, haven’t you?
Best Two Seconds: “The river was rollin’! I was gettin’ my float on!”
Hell Of A View by Eric Church
I remember listening to “Hell Of A View” for the first time last year and thinking, this has potential as Eric Church’s next big mainstream hit as a lead artist. It made sense in my head. It’s got that same nostalgic wonder that “Springsteen” had and Eric Church had recently gotten a profile boost as the biggest stars in Nashville have cited him as their biggest influence. I think Eric Church is going to be remembered as one of the pioneers of country music, right up there with Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, and Meryl Haggard. It’s well-deserved too, as he continues to make some of my favorite country songs of their given year. “Hell Of A View” is no exception. This song is so easy for Eric Church to make, yet it’s because it’s so easy for him that it always turns out excellent. It’s a song about falling in love and owning the reckless, adventurous side of yourself. Think of the bad boy archetype, but instead of breaking rules, he just teeters on the edge of danger in order to make the most of his life. There’s something so comforting about the image of holding a partner and looking at a long vast view. Just being able to experience that moment together. The destination is what makes the journey worth it. With the way this song’s brisk guitars and triumphant hook bellows across the cliff, it’s an anthem that resonated with me more and more with every listen. One of Eric Church’s best, yet somehow, not even the best of his music this year.
Best Two Seconds: The pianos building into the final chorus.
Thot Shit by Megan Thee Stallion
Similar to Cardi, I always find it hard to actually name a favorite Megan song. I just like her a lot, more than Cardi! She has such a fun personality that still has the dominance to make you give in to her every demand. But then again, she’s so good that it’s hard to name a song that fully stands out to me as her best song. “Thot Shit” changed that pretty handily. It doesn’t do much to deviate from Megan’s formula, it’s just the best version of it. I want Lil Ju to produce every single one of Megan’s songs from now on. He knows exactly how to produce a beat that’s as brazen and aggressive as Megan while still having the bounce in its step to make her music perfect for ass shaking. Megan flaunts her success and sexuality to the people who want to bring her down, shutting them down by simply being herself. What isn’t there to love about Megan, anyway? She’s a fun-loving, charismatic woman advancing her studies while still finding the time to have fun with the many guys she sleeps around with. The best part is, this is all on her own accord. There’s no reason to disapprove of the way she presents herself because it’s just the way she likes to treat herself. Besides, when you have the ass she does, it’s hard not to stare at yourself in the mirror and feel pride over your body. The fact that she has fun doing this is exactly why “Thot Shit” is such a delightful song. It’s Megan doing what she does best; being Megan Thee Stallion.
Best Two Seconds: “I’m the shit, per the Recording Academy!”
MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) by Lil Nas X
I’ve been a big fan of “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” as early as July 9th, 2020. Mostly because that was when Lil Nas X teased this song for the first time on Twitter. I remember hearing this snippet and thinking, “Oh yeah, this is it. This is the song that’s going to make Lil Nas X more than the ‘Old Town Road’ guy”. And I was right! Not only was “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” a revolutionary moment for pop music, but the song itself is one of the catchiest, most fun songs of the year. What enraptured me in that first snippet remains in the official release. A snappy guitar rolic and Lil Nas X’s flirty charm are enough to get you wrapped up in the world of Montero. It’s filthy, certainly dangerous, but it’s also just as enticing and liberating. Lil Nas X shouting at the top of his lungs about shooting kids in a guy’s mouth is the kind of catharsis you can only get when you’re proud of your identity and your lifestyle, no matter how many prudes gawk and winge at you. I’ve heard some people claim that the song is even better when you know how squeamish it makes conservatives and homophobes, but I don’t think that’s what it is. I think what makes it work is that it’s rebellious in a way that unites the people who understand you. You’re winning a fight that the other side is losing, and they’re losing BAD. Who the hell do they have? Tom MacDonald? Aaron Lewis? They fucking suck. “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” isn’t trying to prove anything. It’s just being itself, which is the most subversive thing you can be.
Best Two Seconds: “TELL ME YOU LOVE ME IN PRIVATE!!!”
You Should Probably Leave by Chris Stapleton
“You Should Probably Leave” is deceptively good. This wasn’t initially a favorite of mine on Starting Over, but once it became a single, I latched on to it pretty immediately and have been hooked on it since. The smokey guitar playing a steady rhythm is so simple, yet effective! This song doesn’t really have any strong dynamics, nor does it show off in the way other songs on this album do. It just presents itself as is; a fun, flirty fling where the chemistry is undeniable, even if both partners are terrified of falling in love. This song’s tone is super lighthearted and flighty, but you can still feel the tension in the air as the strangers in question are more and more drawn to each other. I love how irresistible Stapleton depicts this relationship. Just the right amount of hesitance while still having the detail to be genuinely exciting. Plus, the way he quietly describes the morning after, where Stapleton has fully fallen in love with the person he slept with, is such a perfect payoff to end the song on. It’s like he’s fully accepted that what he’s been trying to avoid this whole time has caught up to him, and now he dreads the idea of this person leaving because he just wants to be with them forever. It’s that kind of detailed storytelling that makes Stapleton stand out above the rest. Absolutely wonderful!
Best Two Seconds: “And weeee both knooow where this is gonna lead…”
Quicksand by Morray
Morray is one of my favorite newcomers this year. For as bleak as trap could be this year, it was great to have someone who can confront the hardships of the hood while still having a fun, jovial attitude to seem like a likable guy. The easy comparison in his content is to Rod Wave, but he actually reminds me more of Roddy Ricch, with quick flows and firm confidence where you can tell every word was deliberate and perfectly in place. That’s impressive for a rapper who only debuted this year! You can tell he knows he’s the shit, and the way he plays around with the bouncy, guitar-driven beat makes for some of the catchiest moments in trap music this year. I just love the way the chorus comes in like a one-two punch! So many great rhymes and metaphors, and they’re all so memorable and fun! Just the mere sentence, “Betty Crocker showed me how to bake a cake, bruh” is such a unique lyric so full of charm and personality! Plus, I like hearing Morray talk about growing up poor and finding ways to survive without the riches! He does it in a way that’s certainly sad and unfortunate, but you can also tell he’s well-put enough to take charge and take care of himself and his family. He made some enemies along the way (Which sadly seems to include Rod Wave), but he’s willing to take it in stride as he advances his own career. What draws me the most to “Quicksand” is just how likable it is. How likable it is as a song, how likable of an artist Morray is, I just love coming back to it and getting caught up in its energy! One of my favorite debut singles in recent memory.
Best Two Seconds: “Betty Crocker showed me how to make a cake, bruh!”
Racing Into The Night (Yoru Ni Kakeru) by YOASOBI
Note: The music video is age-restricted due to depictions of self-harm and suicide. You can watch it here if you’re over the age of 18.
This probably should have been on the best list last year, considering that’s when it was actually a massive hit in Japan. But in my defense, this song has been so monumentally massive in Japan that it’s still in the Top 20 right as I’m writing this! It’s their very own “Blinding Lights”! What a song it is, too! YOASOBI are a vocalist/producer duo making some of the most vibrant and adventurous pop music out right now. This song in particular has been one of the biggest universal hits in the world over the past two years. It’s easy to see why too! Anyone who’s a fan of jpop will easily fall in love with the lively melodies and explosive bombast! This song is a marvel in composition. The fast-paced piano and the racing guitar already sound great opening up the song, but Ikura’s bubbly vocals excel this song to the next level. So many wonderful little melodies and moments that light me up whenever they come on! The whole song feels like one big journey through so many bright colors and unknown landscapes. Each is more gravity-defying and ethereal than the last. Translated, the lyrics tell a story of a relationship constantly floating on rocks, but still reaching out for each other and trying to make the good moments work. For as difficult things can be for them, there’s still a rush to the relationship that makes them want to race into the night hand in hand. It’s a euphoria that’s as tense as it is liberating, and the music captures that PERFECTLY. Especially thanks to the insane key changes that happen midway and toward the end of the song. Absolutely delightful!
Best Two Seconds: The piano flurry heading into the final keychange
Leave The Door Open by Silk Sonic
Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars are the kings of 2021. It makes so much sense! Bruno Mars as the flashy Vegas showman and Anderson .Paak as the dirtier, but just as flashy and charming summer star working together on a big 60s-70s R&B throwback album? How could it not be absolutely incredible!? It’s actually kind of insane that a song like this didn’t even make my final Top 10 for hits. Though, in all fairness, not only has this been that great of a year for music, but I feel like “Leave The Door Open” is the kind of song that sneaks up on you rather than one that hits you immediately. Obviously, it’s fantastic, but it’s a song whose payoff makes the entire song. Not that .Paak’s verses aren’t great, but they’re meant to get you in the mood for a great night. The rich, luscious production settles you in and gets you interested in the two men currently seducing you. .Paak has some great moments, including the back and forth he has with the backing vocalists and that great little ending to the second verse where he describes all the magic he wants to make with you along with the string accents (“We should be kissing! Cuddling! Rose petal in the bathtub! Girl let’s jump in! It’s bubblin’!”). But I have to be honest, Bruno really is the biggest draw of the song. The pre-chorus is incredible, building up to a more elegant climax that immediately captures your attention, before slowing things down for the beautiful chorus. But each time, you can tell there’s more waiting for you, and the second the bridge hits and you finally get that satisfying burst of love with the string section and Bruno’s vocal flexing, it’s as if everything you’ve been waiting for has been answered. And you’re left with one of the best climaxes of any pop song this year. It goes from an 8/10 to a 10/10 in one fell swoop.
Best Two Seconds: “IMMA LEAVE THE DOOR OOOOOOOOOPEN BABY!”
Skate by Silk Sonic
That said, even though “Leave The Door Open” has the strongest high points, I tend to prefer a song that’s consistently perfect all the way through. Not gonna lie, of all the songs to be screwed over being big hits, this one pisses me off the most. This should have been released so much earlier in the summer! Had this dropped in May or early June, it would have dominated the summer! How could it not? It’s a fun, flirty little jam with a Stevie Wonder-like joy in its atmosphere as .Paak and Bruno make memories with this girl through fun times at the skate park! The charisma both artists ooze out of every word is so effortless and delightful! I love hearing the way these strings swell across the fluttery guitar and bright, sunny synths. Plus, it’s exactly the kind of cheesy romance I fall head over heels for. The kind of infatuation that makes every memory feel like the happiest moment of your life. You can tell everyone who worked on this song had a blast making it, and it’s that shining energy that makes this such a perfect summer song. A permanent addition to my summer playlists.
Best Two Seconds: The string melody on the pre-chorus
Levitating by Dua Lipa [ft. Dababy]
For the first time in several decades, the #1 song of the Billboard year-end is going to be a song that never actually went to #1. That’s more a sign of Billboard’s failure to balance their formula enough so that the most consumed song reigns at the very top (something that happened a lot this year), but I think it speaks more to how longevity plays into pop music nowadays. Realistically, this should not have been as huge as it was. Future Nostalgia seemed to be ending its singles run after “Hallucinate” failed to go anywhere, relying on a hail mary remix with a then-famous rapper to hopefully breathe new life into the song. Though they couldn’t predict that the rapper would go on to eat his own tail and cause Dua Lipa to completely disassociate from him, it actually worked better than I think anyone could have imagined! It helps that “Levitate” itself is an incredible song. One of the liveliest and most memorable songs of the disco revival, with one hell of a groove and Dua Lipa’s effortless talent delivering one of the catchiest hooks, maybe of all time! You’d think it’d be perfect on its own, but Dababy adds a whole new level of hype to the song that I truly believe made it better. Dababy has always been a fun, charismatic rapper. His goofy persona and bright smile confidence is perfect for a song as celebratory and fun as “Levitating”, thus we get one of the most memorable guest verses in recent memory. Dababy himself fucking sucks and he deserves to have his career ethered for his unacceptable comments, but I can’t fully divorce him from “Levitating” because he’s such an integral part of what makes it so special. No other song gives me the same euphoria as when Dua Lipa starts building up to the final chorus, everyone rising in volume, and right before the peak, Dababy adlibs, “LET’S GO!”, and right after the title drop, the groove kicks in and we get one hell of a chorus to go out on. It’s a fucking magical moment. For a long time, it was the best two seconds in pop music all year.
Best Two Seconds: “Come on, dance with me (LET’S GO!), I’m levitating!”