Best Songs of 2023 (20-1)
Part three of my list of best songs of 2023!
20. Ruston Kelly - “Hellfire”
CW: Heavy themes of depression
I had a rough April in 2023. My abuela just passed away, the deadline for my thesis was rapidly approaching, and everything that could have gone wrong in the final hour pretty much did. There was a point near the end of the month when I started to doubt myself and whether or not I was worth anything. This is a big reason why The Weakness stuck as one of my favorite albums of the year. In a way, it was comforting to have a song that was as deep in the weeds as I am. Ruston went through much worse than I did, but I still felt the same weight and despair that lay beneath a song like “Hellfire”. The twinkle of the synths beneath the hazy echo of Ruston Kelly’s voice was such a perfect fit for a song that slowly burned like a fading candle. It’s one of the most depressing songs on the album. One where among the guitars drowning in reverb and thumping percussion, Ruston Kelly sings about a numb disassociation from himself. Slowly giving up and letting the hellfire freeze the world around him. Wishing he was someone else, just so the constant pain would just stop.
I think for a few years this kind of deeply depressing music didn’t resonate with me as it had in previous years. Part of it is just generally being in a better mental state, but I also didn’t have as many nights where I felt myself sink into my own sadness. Hate to say it, but I did fall back into that state a few times. The self-doubt, the imposter syndrome, the belief that you’ll never be good enough so just leave me alone and let me wallow in my misery. But the secret ingredient to this song is its outro. There are no new lyrics, but the bridge takes the conceit of “So what? Oh well”, and starts to scream it. Suddenly, the song bursts into this acoustic firestorm of brighter chords and cathartic yells from Kelly. Almost like a burst of energy brought him back to life, and ending the song on a fuzzy guitar solo that sounds more triumphant than anything else in the song. The Weakness is about giving in to weakness and hitting rock bottom, but it’s also about climbing out of it in any way you can. And I choose to read that final “oh well” as a moment of endurance. We’ve reached the bottom, we’re not in a good place right now… oh well. Let’s keep going.
19. Janelle Monae ft. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 - “Float”
It took me a while to realize what the best rap song of the year was. Mostly because it came from an album that wasn’t a rap album. Not that that’s new for Janelle Monae, they’re as talented of a rapper as they are a singer and visionary. But I think the reason this one shines above the rest is that it feels like the big victory lap after one creating of pop music’s greatest trilogies. The Age of Pleasure isn’t meant to be as ambitious as the ArchAndroid albums, it’s meant to be a fun summer party full of great vibes and free love. So starting with Seun Kuti’s incredible ensemble of horns with Egypt 80 blasting as Janelle Monae proclaims that she is not the same person they used to be is a great start to the party. “I used to walk into the room head down, now I float”. All the burdens they held onto for so long are gone, and now she can command the world so easily that she floats into the room. I am in awe of how well the horn ensemble plays off of Janelle’s confident, fire-spitting flow. She spends her verses reflecting on the moments where they found true inner peace. Breakfast with friends, enlightening conversations, and embracing their brazen sexuality and fluidity (in both sexual partners and gender).
Janelle has always had that kind of fierce confidence, but there’s something more delightful and euphoric about their happiness in this song. She delivers every line with so much beaming energy, that nothing can ruin their mood or keep her from growing and glowing. Little line deliveries in the two verses are so infectious they get me feeling confident and ready to conquer the world. I found that confidence sorely lacking from the rap industry this year, especially as they’ve started pulling from old, scrapped demos and rejected songs to fill up space on their supposed “new” albums this year. More than half of Travis Scott’s Utopia, an album that’s been built up for five years, were just rejected songs from Kanye West’s Yeezus and Donda 2 sessions. That’s literally not his best foot forward. That’s just cowardice. Give me more victory laps like “Float” and artists who care about themselves and their art like Janelle Monae. Maybe then mainstream rap can have a good year again.
18. Lana Del Rey ft. Bleachers - “Margaret”
I don’t get Lana Del Rey. I’ll be upfront with you, even in the albums I like of hers, I’ve always felt at a distance with her music. I think it’s just an experience I don’t relate to or want to relate to. But I don’t hate her. Her newest album at least taught me to empathize with her and see the person beyond her aesthetic indulgence. Part of how I got there had to do with Lana allowing herself to open up about her relationship with femininity, love, and family. Did you know there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd? is a really sad, self-reflective album that has Lana confront things about herself and the archetypes she embraces, and how that translates to her inner desire to truly settle down, find love, and start a family. She doesn’t get there at the end of the album, but “Margaret” feels like a real turning point for her. It’s a wedding song dedicated to Jack Antanoff and his now-wife, the titular Margaret. Despite the gorgeously soft opening, the snowy waltz of the piano, the orchestral swell of the strings and woodwinds, and Lana’s soft, pretty voice, the song itself is kind of silly. Lana is writing this song with her shirt inside out, Jack and Margaret’s first conversation jokes about jumping off the building they’re standing on, Jack Antanoff as the vocalist of Bleachers describes being in love like his head is on fire… and all that is kind of beautiful.
For as much as the romantic life can be painted with soft glances and perfect moments, it matters just as much that the people involved have that chemistry together. And that chemistry takes on so many different forms, no matter how messy, imperfect, and weird it is. Lana is watching two of her best friends find love within one another, and the way she patiently celebrates it by dedicating this heartwarming song to them is so kind and wonderful to me. I love the way she sings “When you know, you know” in a higher pitch during the bridge, before reminding the listener to not give up. Because when you know… you know. It’s a simple idea, you’ll know when you’re in love and things are gonna turn out okay. But it’s so very true. The unspoken beauty of this song is that Lana doesn’t know what love is for herself yet. But she knows it for her two friends, and that joy they share will be one that she hopes to find one day. And when it happens… she’s gonna know. In the meantime, join the party! Celebrate the love these two share with one final waltz and a delightful saxophone outro.
17. Noah Kahan [ft. Post Malone] - “Dial Drunk”
I saw something special in Noah Kahan last year when “Stick Season” first started blowing up. Maybe a part of it was living in Vermont at the time and actively living that small-town, East Coast life that he described in that song and others on the album. But I also felt that in the same year when Zach Bryan was getting a lot of attention for acoustic, homegrown lyrics, Noah Kahan was on the path to becoming an underdog in mainstream folk music. Sure enough, I heard that potential realized when he released a deluxe of Stick Season and led off with “Dial Drunk”. Easily the best song he’s ever made, and one that gradually became one of the best sleeper hit songs of the year. “Dial Drunk” is considerably faster paced than something like “Stick Season”. Reminiscent of the quick banjo strumming, hollerin’ anthems that Mumford and Sons became popular for, “Dial Drunk” is Noah Kahan at his absolute messiest. Noah can be very passive-aggressive and kinda preening in his music, which to me is part of the appeal. He indulges in his selfishness juuuust enough to keep him from being too clean of a reliable narrator. “Dial Drunk” throws that out the window for a drunken bender in the middle of the rain, cursing out his ex and trying to claim that he’s totally over it guys, but failing at every possible angle.
I love the amount of detail that goes into this drunken breakdown, one that ultimately lands him in a cop car giving the officers his ex’s number as an emergency contact. I don’t need to explain why that is a psychotic thing to do, and the song makes it clear that Noah is NOT in the right state of mind to try to contact his ex like that. You’d think that would make this song insufferable, but Noah just had to pair it with one of the best choruses of the year. A cathartic yell of pain and heartbreak, spiraling with every word and slowly realizing he is not coming out as the better person in this scenario. He can convince himself that the cops are empathizing with his struggle and the lack of grace his ex is giving him, but the more they interrogate Noah the more they realize he’s a danger to himself and maybe his ex was right to hang up on them. It’s a messy, messy song, but that’s what’s so endearing to me! It’s the kind of unambiguous story that keeps you from empathizing too much… while also having smart enough writing to know anyone can arrive at this scenario at their very worst. You’re sure as hell not singing this chorus ironically. All this before I even mention Post Malone’s remix of the song, which has grown to be my favorite version. His frantic verse where he’s even less morally gray with the wasted rasp in his voice sells the very real possibility that this is not his first time being arrested for being a self-destructive, drunken idiot. Plus, his harmonizing with Noah on the chorus RULES!!!
16. Amaarae - “Disguise”
One of my absolute favorite song runs in any album this year was “Counterfeit” to “Sociopathic Dance Queen” on Fountain Baby. The whole album was full of jams, but all those songs back to back to back to back was such a perfect moment of pure club elation, and “Disguise” is the crown jewel. The watery intro into the elegant harp stroll and Amaarae’s flowing coos, all paired up with the blocky tropical percussion and unbelievable string section is some of the best mixed and blended production I have ever heard this year. It feels aquatic the way the atmosphere just washes over you, perfectly fitting Amaarae’s high-pitched voice. It’s as if you’re drowning in the same perfect vibes as her, finding the right partners to spend the night with and yearning for that higher moment of pure satisfaction that you’ve been looking for all night.
The chorus is hypnotizing, keeping you moving to the beat while the mesmerizing chant of “with these eyes I know, with these eyes I know, I know” keeps you in the song’s grasp. Above all else, the highlight of the song is the STRINGS. Holy shit, MASSIVE props to the instrumentalists who made up this string ensemble. Their subtle, yet potent backing in the first half makes up so much of this thick, aquatic atmosphere, and then they start ramping up in the second half with higher notes and a rapid melody that makes the emotion of the moment feel all the more powerful. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing when those strings started popping off in the second chorus. It’s such a small change, but one that immediately stood out to me and got me completely invested in the song. I listened to “Disguise” countless times throughout the summer. It was a go-to song when I just wanted to bask in the sun and live those tremendous vibes.
15. Lil Yachty ft. Teezo Touchdown - “the ride-”
Heh. Welcome back, Lil Yachty. Many years ago I put a song from his otherwise terrible “debut” album Teenage Emotions on my best songs of 2017 list, and pretty high too! “Bring It Back” stood out to me because while I didn’t like him trying to play the hard trap banger game, I kind of admired his jab at a pure pop love song. The soft and shimmery prom aesthetic worked with his husky voice, what can I say? It makes sense that the next time he’d make my list is with another genre pivot, although “the ride-” is a very different beast than “Bring It Back”. A delightful mix of psychedelic rock and R&B with soaring guitars, stomping percussion, and twangy synths that trill across the multicolor sky. Lil Yachty and Teezo Touchdown have terrific synergy with each other, with Yachty playing the more relaxed and vibed-out personality and Teezo being the more romantic and passionate voice. Their voices trail across the thick production and never lose momentum. This isn’t a fast-paced song, but the careful tempo and constantly shifting production choices still feel like a casual stroll out on the highway. Though maybe one with a dangerous amount of drugs involved. But I think that’s what makes it so perfect! It’s a drug trip where somehow, everything is in control, and you find yourself sucked into the relaxed, lovestruck emotions of the two men and go along with the ride.
This came out pretty early in the year, so it was bound to be one of my most played songs, but I couldn’t stop coming back to it even months after I moved on from the album. It’s just a perfect song to put back on when you want to relive the aurora borealis of funky bass and drugged-out melodies. That moment where Yachty and Teezo yell “THAT’S WHY I NEED YOU HERE JUST BY MY SIIIIIDE!!!” alone is worth the revisit. It feels like such a cathartic moment between all the self-loathing and flickers of depression in the lyrics. You get so lost in just feeling good and enjoying the moment that you almost forget what you’re escaping from, and how the ultimate solution is just someone to come along with you on this crazy journey.
14. Ruston Kelly - “Michael Keaton”
CW: Themes of domestic conflict
For those who don’t know, Ruston Kelly is the ex-husband of Kacey Musgraves. The two make truly amazing music, and while it sucks that their marriage didn’t work out, Kacey has made it clear that she and Ruston have no bad blood and split amicably. But based on stuff that the two have sung about post-divorce, it starts becoming obvious why the two broke up. I’m not one to analyze the relationship of two people I’ve never met, but they still put a lot of that relationship, past and present hurt, in their music, and I can’t help but hear it every time they do. A lot of what Kacey sang on “I Remember Everything” seems to describe Ruston to a T, and when you listen to a song like “Michael Keaton”, you start to hear echoes of how Ruston treated Kacey and how he might be more of a danger to himself than others around him. The concept of the song is about Ruston getting way too high on weed at 3:35 in the morning, to the point where he just starts blurting his thoughts out loud. “What if Michael Keaton killed himself in Multiplicity? Would that be genocide?”. On the surface, it’s a goofy question thinking way too hard about the logistics of a movie that just so happens to come across his mind, but the rest of the song is so concerning that it starts getting uncomfortable.
He lashes out at someone, presumably a partner, snidely mocking their entitlement and claiming that they’re being overdramatic without really considering what they’re going through. I dunno, if my partner told me that my crying was “killing his vibe”, I’d be pissed! But when Ruston is having this crazy high where his filter just completely goes away, it’s hard to keep his more cynical, shitty thoughts quiet without potentially losing yet another romantic partner. It really escalates in the final chorus, where he starts getting even more aggressive and threatens to set the entire house on fire. Suddenly this pretty funny drug trip turns into a concerning realization that he’s going through way too much right now, and every person he tries to get close to will only see that when he’s at his most vulnerable. So the song ends with him coming down from the high, another love lost, and Ruston, in a sick twisted way, feeling relieved after getting all those thoughts out. Might seem insane to say, but something about this chaotic song that reveals Ruston at his worst self and just shedding all pretenses of growth he’s had over the past couple of years… it’s more relatable than I think many are comfortable admitting. I think this year especially, where I reached such a hard limit with prevailing attitudes in my circles and the social media places I visited, I had so many negative, shitty thoughts that I just wanted to scream out into the void. Even if the end result won’t be pretty.
13. Tainy ft. Bad Bunny - “MOJABI GHOST”
Bad Bunny released an album this year that I enjoyed, but didn’t love nearly to the same extent I had Un Verano Sin Ti. Bunny himself was a lot more sour on it, starting beefs and talking shit when he didn’t need to, and the trap production just didn’t hit the same way his reggaeton stuff usually does. And yet, even in what I consider an off-year for him, he still ends up crazy high on the list of my favorite songs this year anyway. Although the credit for “MOJABI GHOST” really has to go to Tainy, who created this stellar synthpop beat. A wobbly melody that reverbs from one ear to the other and the steady beat that keeps driving and never loses momentum build up this incredible atmosphere of bursting colors and expensive memories. I could see the wasted party girls throwing their drinks up to the sky out the roof of their car to this song. The song’s composition is ultimately pretty simple, but it comes together so perfectly to make one of the catchiest, most vibrant songs of the year.
Bad Bunny carries his weight as well, bringing his signature energy as he goes through the party lifestyle unable to mend his broken heart. The chorus is so perfect, listing all the different things he does to get over her. Smoking, drinking, fucking, but none of it gets her off his mind. Nothing new for Bad Bunny, of course, he can brag about all the cars he owns and the women he pulls all he wants. But at the end of the day, he’s one big romantic softie. And you can feel that mix of debauchery and melancholy in the song that keeps the vibe fun and upbeat while still being just moody enough to get you in your feelings. Again, it’s a deceptively simple song, but all the elements come together and work so unbelievably well! I listened to this song obsessively during the summer, it was perfect for my vacation playlist. I didn’t think Tainy could even top the crowning jewel of this album, but hearing him get incredibly close and give me one of my favorite songs of the entire summer was such a treat.
12. Rory ft. Phonte & BeMyFiasco - “Otherside”
Speaking of favorite songs of the summer. Usually, there’s a point in April when I listen to a song, and from there, I know immediately that the summer is on its way. R&B is one of my favorite summer genres in general, so when “Otherside” came on and that catchy drum loop started playing, bringing in the sun-soaked synths and funky bass along with it, I instantly fell in love. This song is so CLEAN. All the instruments come together so well, but they never overpower the steady beat or get in the way of Phonte or BeMyFiasco’s vocals. They build up just slowly enough to get in your head and cruise along the phenomenal chorus and even better vibes. Phonte’s delivery is as soft and forlorn as I’d want it to be. Yearning for a deeper connection and a love worth living for. You can tell neither partner is quite ready to commit to one another, but the chemistry and intensity of their attraction to each other is strong enough to make it happen anyway.
BeMyFiasco’s cooing and soft vocalizing sinks you into the slick beat, she’s easily the highlight of the song. All love to Phonte and the seamless way he drops the title of the album into the song, but BeMyFiasco has such a gentle seduction in her voice that’s both playful and sultry. You fully understand why Phonte is so keen on winning her over, and she’s playing into it just enough to be her own person while still being open to where this magic carpet ride will take her. Beyond anything else though, this song is just pure vibes from front to back. I loved putting this on during sunny days and just letting the chorus and beat take me away into that bright blue sky. While there are songs that I listened to during the summer that are higher on the list, I’m comfortable calling “Otherside” the song of the summer. I can’t wait to listen to it all over again when the next summer rolls around.
11. Zach Bryan - “East Side of Sorrow”
CW: Themes of PTSD and addiction
After these past two years, I’m positive that Zach Bryan is going to be one of the most legendary artists of this decade, regardless of whether he continues getting mainstream success or not. He may get promotional help from a major label, but his artistic input has been all him, and it’s a massive reason why he’s been able to defy all preconceptions of a successful artist in the current century. Nothing on Zach Bryan or Boys Of Faith blew me away as much as “Something In The Orange” or “Burn, Burn, Burn”, but what impressed me most about Zach Bryan this year was his ambition in the production of his self-titled album this year. He handled the production all by himself, and rather than sticking to the campfire acoustics of his early albums, he took a step further into Bruce Springsteen-esque stadium anthems and more propulsive Southern rock. “Overdrive” was the first sign of this new ambitious sound for Zach Bryan, but it was “East Side of Sorrow” that truly hit me where it hurt. An honest reflection of his time in the Navy, slowly realizing that the patriotic righteousness he felt when he was eighteen was only leading him to experience some of the worst hurt imaginable. Not helped by his mother’s eventual passing and relationships that were increasingly unstable.
The song gallops into this fury of guitars and drums, leading to a tremendous hook where Zach Bryan pleads with God for an answer and gets one. The brief motivation he needs is to keep going and power through the pain. When the chorus suddenly unveiled that military trumpet blasting one of the most triumphant melodies I’ve ever heard, my heart stopped. It’s such a note-perfect moment where that motivation to keep going suddenly hits, and you can feel all the pain that came from Zach’s trauma quiet down, even for a moment. The second verse even shows that growth within Zach, comforting a friend going through their own hard times. Particularly when the friend’s brother might’ve been lost to addiction and PTSD. Zach seems conscious of the many things that could have brought him there, including the pressure of the Navy that nearly broke Zach during his time there. Zach ends the verse assuring the friend that he could come on home, mentioning that Turnpike Troubadours are even writing songs again. The choice to specifically highlight Turnpike Troubadours is gutting when you know why they initially stopped in the first place. As I mentioned during “Chipping Mill”, Evan Falkner was going through his rock bottom and was able to climb out of it, even recovering relationships nearly lost. Quite a fun coincidence that Zach and Turnpike dropped on the very same day, giving us songs to get through our days and look ahead to the brighter sun.
10. Chappell Roan - “Red Wine Supernova”
Queer joy is one of my favorite feelings in the world, and it’s one I’ve come to experience many times this year. There’s a lot to be scared about as an openly queer, trans person, but I rarely feel as alive and purely happy as I do when I’m in an environment where I can be my gayest self and be accepted and loved by my peers having their own moments of queer joy. I mentioned this in the “After Midnight” segment, but part of the reason why I connected to Chappell Roan so quickly is that I related to her story of finding true happiness in her queer, gender-nonconforming expression. Especially after being chained to her obedient, rule-following adolescent years. Queer people with religious trauma recognize each other. She sounds truly like herself on The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess, and “Red Wine Supernova” is a truly affirming moment of pure, unfiltered, queer joy.
The enthusiastic strum of the guitar into the thrumming synths is pure pop goodness, and that enthusiasm follows through in Chappell Roan’s voice as she describes an elating meet-cute between her and a gorgeous girl at the club. It’s not made clear whether this spark is forever or just for the night, but the chemistry and sexual tension between the two are so incredibly strong and exciting that it doesn’t matter. We’re gay, we’re into each other, we’re crazy horny and we wanna see what happens! It’s a connection that honestly doesn’t happen nearly as much as many queer girls would like, so when you find that connection and it feels like it’s going somewhere, the feeling is unreal and exciting. Once again, pure, unfiltered, queer joy. And the best part is that this song is RIDICULOUSLY horny. It’s not super twee or concerned with that soft, cottagecore aesthetic. It will have the other girl straight up ask if they wanna fuck and Chappell Roan will bring her sex toys along so they can squeak the bed together. It’s not overly kinky or freaky or anything, but I still love how crass this song can be, and how much of this spark of romance is mostly just hormones acting up. But again, when it brings you this much joy and the vibes of the song are so incredibly wonderful and gay, what’s there to complain about?
9. Grupo Frontera & Bad Bunny - “un x100to”
Fun fact! With the exception of 2021, every year this decade so far I’ve made a best songs list, and Bad Bunny made the Top 10 in all of them. “YO VISTO ASI” in 2020, “Otro Atardecer” in 2022, now “un x100to” in 2023. But it wouldn’t be fair to credit Bad Bunny as the driving force behind “un x100to”, which is Grupo Frontera’s song first and foremost. An absolutely lovely ballad mourning over a breakup and scrolling through your photos until your phone is down to one percent. I mentioned this earlier but one of the main appeals of Mexican regional music is how much the emotion of these songs is so dramatic and romantic, which plays incredibly well with both Payo and Bad Bunny’s crooning. They sing with so much passion behind the well-balanced guitars, the gentle conga rhythm, and their signature accordion which gives the song so much personality and warmth. Even if the song is sad and pouring its heart out for their ex, you can see the huge smile on everyone’s faces as they sing this absolutely brilliant chorus.
This song is so comforting to me. Familiar instruments keep the song danceable without losing its subtle melancholy, the stellar wordplay in the Spanish language that most English speakers won’t catch but the sound is so pleasant regardless, and the song ending with a sweet little accordion solo as one of the members in the back shouts “Y esto es… Grupo! Frontera! Y el compa Bad Bunny!” never fails to make me smile. I want to highlight that last part too, because I think it’s essential in understanding why this song and the genre as a whole means a lot to me. It would have been so easy for this to be a Bad Bunny song with Grupo Frontera. Just another bigger artist in the industry capitalizing off a growing wave. But Bad Bunny is playing on their level, singing their melodies and hopping on their production. The mixing is cleaner, sure, but it’s still quintessentially cumbia norteña. Bad Bunny is their guest, and they welcome said guest with open arms. Which is pretty close to how Mexican communities tend to treat each other, and bullshit is very rarely if ever tolerated. Mexican regional music might not be as big of a genre as pop or rap beyond a few select artists, but I don’t think that’s what the best in the genre wants anyway.
8. Luke Combs - “Fast Car”
So… why do I make these lists anyway? Writing about one hundred songs over one or two months would probably sound exhausting to most people. I mean, yeah, it is. But I love doing it because I love music and the impact it has on me every year. I love going back to previous years and rediscovering music that I loved at the time, I love seeing other people talk about their favorite music and how it impacts them. Music is in many ways a time capsule, and I find our relationship to the art that resonates with us most in our lives to be one of the most human things you could have. Luke Combs has said in interviews that “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman was one of the first songs he remembers being a favorite. It stood out to him when he heard it play in his dad’s car, and when he began pursuing music himself, it was one of the first songs he ever taught himself to play. Songs like “Fast Car” are christened as untouchable classics, but they wouldn’t get there if it weren’t for people like Luke Combs who developed a special bond with it. One that reminds him of why he loves music and why he loves performing it.
And you can hear that love and passion for the music throughout his cover, which became a monster hit this year. The production is ridiculously faithful to the original. The exact chords, the production sticks with most of the same instruments save for a little more steel for that country flair, and of course, Luke Combs takes the role of the character at the center of the story that Tracy Chapman did all those years ago. There was a small, but not insignificant amount of social media discourse that had an issue with a straight white man like Luke Combs being successful with a cover of a song by a queer black woman. Not helped by this song only getting recognition by the Country Music Association now and the song itself peaking higher on the Hot 100 than the original (which doesn’t really mean anything when way fewer people consume music now than they did in 1988, but that’s a different conversation). While I do understand and even agree with the systemic issues that allow Luke Combs to succeed with this song, I can also hear someone who respects and loves the song he’s covering when I hear it. He doesn’t oversing it, he doesn’t try to give it a modern twist, and he doesn’t even change the lyrics to be more fitting of his perspective as a male. Is it a bit straightforward? Sure, but it’s “Fast Car”. One of the best songs of the 80s. One that captured the struggle of barely getting by and wanting to run away with people to live an impossible, but perfect life. I’m not looking for a cover to improve this song, I just want it to capture the same whimsical, but tragically honest magic of the original. Luke Combs nailed it.
7. Aidan Canfield - “We’re Young, Alright”
I was really impressed with what I was hearing from Aidan Canfield when I first listened to his album, but it wasn’t until I got to the title track that I realized he was something special. I will never tire of songs that count down to the instrumental drop. The cheer right before the burst of guitars and drums leading into a triumphant little intro is enough to get me on my feet. The trick of this song is that it keeps its euphoric bursts of emotion close to its chest. Even after that exciting intro, the first verse pulls back into more of an acoustic fair. The drums go quiet, and the song focuses mainly on Aidan Canfield describing the memory unfolding before him. I don’t think it’s hard to guess that I’m a HUGE sucker for songs about enjoying youth and living in the moment, and this song captures that incredible feeling better than I’d ever expect from someone just starting. When it does jump back into that thrilling chorus, the guitars roar, and the drums rumble against Aidan’s impassioned battle cry, you can feel the intense nostalgia and euphoria of the moment. “I don’t wanna waste away another day slowly getting older” is such a great lyric to headline your chorus with. Getting so into the moment, so invested in your current relationships, and just enjoying life so deeply that you never want it to end.
I’ve heard this kind of song many times, especially from his influences like Zach Bryan and Bruce Springsteen. But what makes Adian Canfield’s declaration of “We’re young, alright!” stand out to me is just how much I can tell he means it. There are no corners cut or shoehorned elements in this song. Every instrument, every lyric, and every passage of this song is given so much importance, and the energy never lets up even when the song is holding back. It’s all one big build-up to that explosion of youthful energy you can only get when you’re young, in love, and not quite burdened by the hardships of the world waiting for you. The world in general has gotten pretty bleak with an uncertain future and corrupt powers that seem to only be getting stronger. So for someone like Aidan to still find that euphoria of living and enjoying life, it’s kind of magical. Like nothing in the world matters more than the friends you have and the girl who defines your world. There’s a bit of anxiety for the future and what will happen after this moment ends, but that’s an issue to tackle tomorrow. Right now, at this party where everyone’s got their own stories, all that matters is tonight. And tonight, we’re living the best days of our lives.
6. Tainy ft. Jhayco - “FANTASMA | AVC”
I am in awe of this song. I wasn’t initially that interested in Tainy’s big producer-led album with all these reggaeton artists guest starring like a Metro Boomin or DJ Khaled album, but when “FANTASMA | AVC” dropped and completely blew me away on first, second, third, fourth and fifth listen, Tainy suddenly had my full attention. I’d already become pretty fond of Jhayco through his collaborations with Bad Bunny, but he really impressed me by tackling this song all on his own. Just the intro, with that twisted little theremin and the gradual build of echoing synths and shuffling drum machines, building to a burbling bass, and finally the beat drop is so… alien. Which is on purpose, of course. DATA is built on a lot of sci-fi aesthetics, but Tainy nailed it with how bizarre the synth tones and atmosphere of this first half are. I can almost envision the spaceship this was produced on. Jhayco’s nasal howl is such a great fit for this beat too. He put his ALL into this song, yearning at the top of his lungs as he desperately calls for a lost love to come back to him and make it all feel better again. This chorus is unbelievable. Despite all the strange noises and tones, the reggaeton beat manages to pierce through and keep the energy going, coming in strong and fading out gracefully when it needs to pull back. Jhayco and Tainy have GREAT synergy with each other, it feels like every production choice is deliberate and perfectly matched. The stakes are so satisfyingly executed, that there’s not a single moment in this first half that takes me out of what an incredible song this is. Somehow, it gets even BETTER.
Halfway through, the production starts beeping and blooping into this slower, hazier transition before snapping back into focus with a sharper, tight synth bass beat and pitched-up echoey vocals. The song from then on becomes a much groovier, heavy-hitting banger that keeps up the weird space atmosphere but brings it all together for one of the catchiest dance beats you will ever hear this year. Jhayco’s flow is on point, the beat switch doesn’t overstay its welcome or halt the momentum (if anything it enhances it), and the desperate yearning for that relationship to reignite turns into a frustrating back and forth where Jhayco realizes how much of this on-and-off relationship is not worth it. This beat switch alone turned this from a great song into an honest-to-God masterpiece. My ears LIT UP hearing how perfectly “FANTASMA” shifted into “AVC”, and since then I have become OBSESSED with the song and all of its incredible work. I honestly can’t decide which beat I like more, and I kind of don’t want to! Both sides are fantastic on their own, but it’s the marriage of the two together, how they complement one another, and how they build on each other’s ideas that makes this such ear candy for me. In a less competitive year, I think this would have been my song of the year.
5. Spanish Love Songs - “Haunted”
CW: Heavy themes of deep depression
Spanish Love Songs began 2020 in a dismal mental state. The stress of barely getting by and feeling like you have no escape from the damage that late-stage capitalism has done to you and your friends. Especially as some of your friends decided they’d rather die than continue suffering through the hell they were in, it colored their masterpiece of an album Brave Faces Everyone in a bleak and horrifyingly realistic light. And that was before the pandemic even happened. Normally I’m averse to this kind of doom and gloom, cynical, hopeless kind of music, but Spanish Love Songs’ secret is that they never actually lose their optimism. Even at their worst, they try to break out of the cycle and find reasons to live, even if it’s small and probably fruitless. You gotta have something to fight for, lest you lose yourself to a hollow shell of who you used to be. “Haunted” is the most natural evolution of that desperate optimist arc. As Dylan Slocum watches a friend go through complete disillusionment and deep depression over the state of their life and the loss of their hopes and dreams. Dylan extends a hand to let him know he’s not alone and he understands what he’s going through. It’s that optimist shining through again trying to help someone find a reason to keep going, even when everything around them is falling apart.
The shift from the emo sound of their previous album to a brighter arena rock sound is exactly the switchup this band needed. The band is in top form, delivering a memorable hook and triumphant guitar chords that keep you from being swallowed by the darkness around you. Dylan’s words in this song are touching to me because he never shies away from the reality of what’s happening. But he still desperately wants them to know how much he wants them here and alive. There’s nothing wrong with him, he’s just understandably lost as everything he was taught to believe in growing up was a lie. When talking about “This Isn’t Helping”, I mentioned how being overly nice and optimistic with someone who is deeply cynical and defeatist won’t help them get out of it. That’s why Dylan aims for empathy and understanding rather than trying to fix anything. He’s there to help, he’s there to talk if everything starts feeling like too much. Even if it’s a temporary moment of relief, it’ll still be a victory if he’s able to wake up tomorrow and keep going. These kinds of songs affect me, to begin with, but they especially resonated with me as someone who has seen friends fall into this kind of mindset. This belief that things will never get better and that no one around them is here for them. I wish I could help them, and give them the brighter and kinder future they deserve. The least I can do is be here for them. “When you’re feeling like a ghost, will you come haunt me? Please come haunt me.”
4. Ruston Kelly - “Breakdown”
CW: Heavy themes of depression and personal anecdotes
Ah geez. I don’t like getting too personal on these lists. I tended to overshare when I was a teenager and I’m never looking for sympathy when I open up about the things I go through. But it’s kind of impossible to avoid it with “Breakdown”. It’s too late now, I already alluded to what’s been going on with me during the “Hellfire” entry. At first, I thought that song was going to be the one that stuck with me from The Weakness. But “Breakdown” pretty quickly became the song I became most attached to, both as a song and emotionally. “Breakdown” is one of the more upbeat songs on the album. The lead instrument is a chipper acoustic guitar driving into the bounce of the drums and a brighter melody in the chorus that could easily pass as one of those whimsical, wind-soaring mountain pop songs that were kind of popular around 2012-2013. But the song itself is still pretty dark, where Ruston Kelly describes being on the brink of a mental breakdown and feeling like he has nothing left to lose. And yet, he still finds the strength to keep going and fight through the pain. He’s not about to break down or give in to those demons that have been keeping him down for the past couple of years. In an album full of regret and moments of vulnerability, it’s inspiring to hear those strings build up in the bridge and for Ruston to jump into his falsetto when singing, “I don’t wanna let you doooowwn…”.
But this song means a lot more to me than that. As I mentioned earlier, April was a rough month where a lot of things happened at once, and that creeping dread of self-doubt was the loudest it had ever been for me. At one point when I was struggling with my thesis, I had been listening to “Hellfire” over and over feeling like I wasn’t good at anything and all my hard work was going to be for nothing in the end. But at some point, I had to snap out of it. Friends were encouraging me, I was figuring out things little by little, and I was getting pretty sick of feeling miserable for myself all the time. That’s when “Breakdown” started getting played a lot more often for me. It was my motivation to keep working, find the best exit for the hole I put myself in, and finally get to the end of the two best years of my creative and social life. I’m not about to end this chapter of my life on a low note. “I don’t wanna let you doooowwn”. Just an entry earlier I mentioned that I usually don’t like these kinds of doom and gloom songs that wallow in their misery without some element of trying to break out of the cycle. I think that’s why this ended up winning over “Hellfire” for me. It’s a song that speaks more to me and how I pull through my lowest moments. I don’t always have it great, but I’d rather say I fought through it and came out the other side okay rather than give up and just accept that I’m a failure. I have the degree to show for it after all.
3. Olivia Rodrigo - “bad idea right?”
Alright, no more depressing shit. Time to get back to the BANGERS. I really liked “vampire”, but I wasn’t sure if GUTS was going to be more of the same from SOUR until I heard a song that wasn’t trying to recapture the “drivers license” moment. I already knew Olivia could pull out a theatrical, melodramatic ballad with bigger stakes. I wanted something to show me she’s really in it for the long haul. If she’s going to follow in Taylor Swift’s footsteps, she’s going to have to establish herself beyond the pop drama spectacle that put her on the map in the first place. “bad idea right?” was the song I was waiting for. Do you know how I mentioned pumping my fist and yelling “YYEEEEEAAAHHHHH!!!” when I first heard “White Horse”? Same thing happened with “bad idea right?”. Immediately kicking off with a thick guitar line, Olivia goes on about an ex she’s been thinking about and trying to see if she can sneak out of his party to go hang out at his place. Olivia’s acting ability comes out in full force on this song, sing-talking with so much attitude and little inflections that invest me like a friend telling a really good story. Except in this case, it’s Olivia contemplating fucking her ex out of boredom and fighting every single red flag trying to convince her not to do it. The pre-chorus utilizes Olivia harmonizing with herself, a ramp-up in the percussion, and some brighter guitars peeking in, all before the slow and gradual build-up of Olivia Rodrigo trying to talk herself out of this. Finally, the music stops, and she defeatedly utters, “fuck it, it’s fine”, and the best chorus of the fucking year kicks in. Holy FUCK.
Olivia and a thousand voices all shout at once lying to the audience that she just wants to see a friend again, even though her honest voice admits she just wants to fuck him because she’s horny and bored. Olivia really plays into the immature young adult persona that’s smart enough to know when she’s being played, but naive and emotionally driven enough to let it happen for a fleeting moment of respite. Speaking as a young adult with a lot of people I consistently think about hitting up out of horny boredom, I have been in this scenario a concerning amount of times. I love how the song feels like a constant monologue trying to justify her shitty decisions and repeatedly failing to do so. It’s not so much condescending to this attitude, nor is it glorifying it. It’s just messy and brash in a way that a lot of college and young adult relationships tend to be. The production mirrors this perfectly too. The driving pop-punk swirl of guitars and drums is reminiscent of The White Stripes. Chaotic and sporadic, just like the swarm of comments and concerns in Olivia’s conscience. And just like “get him back!”, the writing on this song is genuinely funny! I think that’s why the song doesn’t feel like it’s mocking Olivia or encouraging her behavior. She delivers these lines and this chorus with her tongue firmly in her cheek. It makes the song so much fun to sing along to and relate to, but not too much. Lest you have to confront the voices in your own head whenever you think about that one hookup who never texted you back, but the sex was REEEEALLY good and you desperately want to see them again. But fuck it, it’s fine, right?
2. 100 gecs - “mememe”
Some will probably look at this song being here and think, “Wait, this came out in 2021”. It was on the album released in 2023, 10,000 gecs, which is why it’s here, but I did originally first hear and love this song in 2021. I even considered it for my year-end list that year! But I don’t think I understood this song until now. I mean, I still don’t. I’m not supposed to. “mememe” is a screed against people who never took Dylan Brady and Laura Les seriously. “You’ll never really know anything about me” is repeated at nauseam throughout the song, through the gecs signature abrasive and glitchy production. But this time, it’s mixed with more rock and punk sounds that blast through your speakers on the chorus. By all accounts, the chorus is just a blast of noise and fuzz as every instrument explodes at once, peaking the mix and completely losing whatever melody or groove it was trying to have. Which is BRILLIANT. Especially when this song has so much lashing out and abrasive pushback against people who pretend to know them but never put in the effort to actually understand them. One of the most notable things about this song is that Laura Les’ autotune and pitch-correction has been considerably toned down on this song, allowing her real voice to shine through. It’s not hard to connect the angry lashing out of this song and the idea of not “knowing” someone to being trans and dropping the facade from people who refuse to fucking get it.
And there is why this song hit me so much harder this year than it did back in 2021. I’ve mentioned throughout the list that I’ve begun to be more outwardly genderqueer and more assertive in being seen as nonbinary rather than retreating into boymode. Granted, I’m not flashy in my expression nor do I make it obvious how I identify, but I still tell people and have markers that indicate to others as to who I am. Some people do put in the effort to see me as such. Others are still working on it. But the moments where I keep feeling disrespected or seen as my birth gender have started to grate on me a little. Strangers, I don’t care, but when I tell people and they just don’t acknowledge it or actively ignore it, this song screams louder and louder in my head. Maybe it’s a little petty, but that anger and frustration are still real. And it can extend to other parts of myself too and how I’m treated by people around me. That cacophony of noise, these angry thoughts, this feeling of being condescended to or being made small, it BURNS. And it makes this loud, obnoxious hook, these taunting lyrics, everything about it speaks to me. It hits on a feeling that I don’t even like having out in front of others very often. The angry, vindictive, prideful side of me that I need to protect myself. I can’t name a lot of other songs that hit that spot for me. This was my song of the year for a good while. When I thought about songs I could revisit over and over again while still reliving that special connection, not a lot of them came up as quickly as “mememe” did. Again, I first heard this in 2021. And two years later, I’m here calling it my second favorite song of the year, and one of my favorite songs of the decade. A few months ago, it would have topped this list. Except…
1. DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ - “Honey”
I never intended to listen to DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ’s critically acclaimed, three-hour-long album Destiny. For one… it was three hours long. I can deal with albums that cross nearly two hours, but three??? That’s so much to get through in one day, and I don’t like listening to albums in pieces. I’d rather get the whole experience right then and there. But every other week, my Discord friend group compiles a playlist of songs we all want each other to listen to, and after a week of listening we all submit rankings of the songs from best to worst, culminating in a results reveal that’s always fun to be a part of. One of these playlists ended up having two DJ Sabrina songs on it, “Honey” and “Brave”. “Brave” was pretty immediately a standout to me (an honorable mention for this list), but “Honey” took its time to grow on me. The first time I heard it, I enjoyed it but thought it went on too long and didn’t really resolve. Second and third listen it started to grow on me. By the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth listen, I slowly began to realize this was one of the best songs I had ever heard. DJ Sabrina takes together a bunch of different samples and sets them to music, usually pieces that span over several minutes and transition into other songs to make her projects like one massive song. That’s why “Honey” ends so abruptly, it’s meant to transition into other songs on the album.
The song itself opens up Destiny, so the first thing you hear is this gentle little guitar rhythm and some shining keys. Voices start coming in as the music builds and builds, almost as if you’re traversing into a busy city and all the voices are different people you walk by living their own lives. I can’t name any of the samples used on this song, but they’re integrated so beautifully. The song progresses through such a natural, gentle pace. The instruments build and bloom at exactly the right moments, every element slowly seeping itself into the mix. From the sampled vocals of another song to the waning presence of a steel guitar and the bongo-like rhythms underneath all these sounds. Right when you think it’s about time for the song to move on, the production changes ever so slightly and adds a new vocal presence. Several phrases get repeated like “One more time!” and “Woo!”. I love the occasional appearance of a sort of hypeman who calls other people to join in and essentially leads the charge through the rest of the song. Every new refrain feels bigger and more important. Just the journey of this song is incredible to witness, and it reminds me of some of my favorite moments from artists like The Avalanches, Spunkshine, or even Jamie xx. Four minutes in we’re still getting new voices and refrains, including the enthusiastic howl to the moon and the most glorious saxophone of the year. I love the guy passionately singing “YOU MY BABY!!! YEAH YOU ARE!!!”. At the five-minute mark, when the howl comes back and the song explodes right back into the refrain, I feel a wave of emotion that I can’t describe. It’s almost… pride. Watching a work of art fully come together and deliver a familiar sound in its absolute best form. All the elements of the song come together for one triumphant moment. And that wave just keeps coming every time the refrain comes back, when the saxophone soars and the trumpets blast across the mix. I have teared up to this song multiple times because I’m so overwhelmed by how fucking beautiful it is. This is what art was made for. This is the kind of incredible work you get out of a creative spirit and a drive to create. No matter where the inspiration comes from. Whether it’s a simple melody or a voice line that sticks out to you. When it all comes together… It’s glorious.
I finally listened to the album. I began with “Honey”, as it’s the first song on the playlist. I basked in its glory as I had many times before, and when the song would usually abruptly end, it transitioned into “The Rhythm”, which expands the song into one final coda. The refrain continues, the horns keep blasting, the vocals start singing new words, a new voice raps about “the rhythm”, and the song once again transitions into another. “Destiny Begins”, a one-minute and twelve-second outro where the song fully resolves and introduces you to the world of Destiny. Suddenly, the one thing keeping this song from being my song of the year goes away. There is an ending to this song, and it’s a gorgeous masterpiece of a finisher. It introduces you to the album and what to expect from it. Even if the album never gets close to “Honey”, it’s still the most I’ve ever enjoyed an album opener in my many years of following music. It just makes me happy about everything. About art, about the humans who make it, about the shared love for art that me and my friends have for it, about the possibilities and potential of great art. Everything. The funny thing is, I didn’t even put this at #1 in that playlist ranking. I put it at #3 because I wasn’t sure if I liked it over two songs I’d already formed memories and connections to.
Guess I did put it at #1 eventually.