Moron Police – Pachinko Pt. 1
Moron Police’s self-titled eleven-minute opus is everything you’d want it to be. A massive comeback for this band after their many hours in the studio, blistering through different hooks and grooves that are just as infectious as the last. The main part of this song is classic Moron Police, with soaring guitars and an infectious hook that calls to mind those anime openings that inspired much of A Boat On The Sea. But throughout the song you’re taken through so many twists and turns, where guitars get heavier, tempos change, little additions are added to make the song even more fantastical. The lyrics themselves are wacky as hell, touching upon imagery such as the devil turning you into a penny dispenser or a bizarre flamenco interlude where the band declares they want to be a pretty boy. Certainly playing into the band’s sense of humor, but also their whimsy. It kind of reminds me of Pinocchio, oddly enough. A fantasy journey where our main character follows a strange path and goes through all these strange transformations and experiences. But I find this all the more endearing, especially as the energy and catchiness of this song never lets up for any of its eleven minutes. There’s a new chorus added in the second half of the song, a chipper and floaty little ditty where the title of the album is dropped. “My name is Pachinko, I sing the flamenco, My songs are something you can never forget. I’m gonna be married among the stars.” There’s something so beautiful about that chorus. It’s so silly, but so deeply earnest. The added chime of the piano really does a lot to make it feel all the more spectacular. A beautiful end to such a bizarre, monumental song.

MOLIY & Silent Addy ft. Skillibeng & Shenseea – Shake It To The Max (FLY) [Remix]
While the pop stars, rappers and country artists struggled to make truly great hits this year, almost all of them got easily outlapped by a surprise hit from dancehall artist MOLIY making one of the catchiest songs of the summer. Silent Addy’s beat is brilliant. The thump and click of the percussion as wavy, deep-toned synths, peppered with gang vocals is hypnotizing to listen to. It’s in some ways a bit eerie, especially with the tone of those synths being so minor key and swampy. But the rhythm gets stuck in your head easily, especially paired with the fantastic hook from MOLIY. She described it as wanting to remake Rihanna’s “Pon de Replay” and I think she nailed it. The flirty sultriness in her voice is enough to pull you into the dance floor and shake that ass to this equally enticing beat. This hook is actually just a smaller part of the original song, but the remix brings it front and center which I think was a great idea. It’s the easy highlight of the song. That’s not to say Skillibeng and Shenseea don’t bring their A-game too. Shenseea has the better verse, but the way it bounces between the both of them and then comes back to MOLIY on the third verse makes it feel like you’re traversing the dance floor and meeting these different energies that keeps you moving. Skillibeng’s repetition of “Badman she love” and Shenseea’s “Classy! Real bad gyal, mi get nasty!” replayed in my head throughout the whole year.

Playboi Carti – HBA
Here’s the thing, right? I tend to enjoy rappers who are very intentional in their writing. Those willing to construct stories in their albums and songs. Provide astute commentary or even just impressive and creative punchlines. I may have preference for these types of rappers, but what if sometimes, a rapper I tend to like less makes an undeniable banger? And I revisit it more than pretty much every other rapper on this list? Because that’s what “HBA” (formerly known as “Hoodbyair”) is to me. This technically came out in 2024, but I never got to it until it was officially on MUSIC, in which I proceeded to be kind of obsessed with it. I am so drawn in by the thick, eerie atmosphere that pulsates like an alien heart, interspersed with aggressive snares and synths that move in waves as a spooky voice sample flickers in the beat like a fading light. I’m normally not a fan of Carti’s lower register, but his harsher tones and sporadic flow go a long way in making this song incredibly catchy and unpredictable. You’ll occasionally catch memorable lines like “Buffie the body! My bitch got body, yeah Buffie the body!”, “It’s not my world… it’s Mali’s world.”, and the strangely Transylvian way he proclaims, “All of my friends, dead”. The whole song is this deeply fascinating adventure that showcases the true strengths of both Carti as this enigmatic rapper and the uniqueness of his beat choices (another stellar showing from Cardo, who produced my favorite rap song of last year). Towards the end of the song, Carti ends the song with a worn, but relaxed, “Now I can finally sleep” before going on for juuust a few more bars. I found it oddly potent. I think about that line a lot.

Atomiste – Until The Spark Fades Out
I found this song kind of randomly at the beginning of the year and it really stuck with me ever since. I’m a huge sucker for these kinds of dynamic, elaborate ambient tracks with unique instrumental blends, and Atomiste’s experimental jazz, big band, and electronic project fits that bill in a way that utterly mesmerized me. “Until The Spark Fades Out” begins with this soft murmur of the organ, punctuated by the thrums of a cello. It quickly transitions into this more driven passage with dusty drums and a twinkling piano that pitters and patters over the spacious atmosphere. The instruments in this song are produced so clearly and beautifully. The way it swells and blossoms makes you truly believe a full orchestra was playing this, but the fact that it’s composed, recorded, mixed, and mastered all by Atomiste themselves is ridiculously impressive. The song builds through its central piano, eventually anchored by a quieter, more secure piano melody in its underside as galactic synths and the burgeoning brass section gives the song enough weight to really feel the song’s enveloping power. By the time the flutes start leading the main melody, which is a gorgeous and memorable one that embodies the whimsy and terror of the unknown, the song has hit its stride and every development from then on feels grander than the last. Every instrument swirling around that central melody, joined together beautifully through every note and every progression, it’s magnetizing.

Chappell Roan – The Giver
It occurred to me after making that best hit list that I didn’t include “The Subway” on it anywhere, the song most people would consider Chappell Roan’s signature song of 2025. And look, I like that song a lot, that outro is incredible. But I think in that song’s popularity, it’s left “The Giver” in this odd black sheep spot in her discography. Less successful, less acclaimed, less popular. Well I’m here to say that is a crying shame, because “The Giver” feels like more of a complete package for me. The fiddle that joyfully leads the pack in the post-chorus, the backing vocals that give Chappell’s voice a Sheryl Crow-type charm, the accompanying banjos, drums, and steel that are… admittedly shoddily mixed in the studio version, but sound AMAZING in the SNL live performance. All this packed into an incredibly fun and wild song about how much better Chappell Roan is at pleasing women than those handsome cowboys who are all look no action. You can tell Chappell is having a blast with this song. She may not be from the South or deep in the culture of country music, but you can tell she has a lot of love and passion for it. It’s legitimately one of the best stabs at country a pop star has ever done, knowing exactly what the song’s appeal is while still putting her own twist on it. Quite frankly, I don’t think any pop or country hit this year came close to how much fun this song is, which is why it’s such a shame to see it so overlooked in comparison to some of Chappell’s other songs. In my eyes, it’s the best hit song of the year.

Toby Fox – Hammer of Justice
^{(It’s also worth watching the boss fight for the full effect)}
The secret boss of Deltarune Chapter 4 is less of a boss and more of a sparring match between Susie and the old man who turns out to be a powerful axe-wielder. Obviously, the subversion of the old shopkeeper in Undertale being this goofy, but formidable warrior is a crazy twist, but as you fight him you realize how much of his strength is based on wits and wisdom. You won’t be able to hit him until Susie listens to his metanarrative monologue about the story and Susie’s role in it, taking in the old man’s wisdom in real time until she figures out exactly how to defeat him (a misdirect that forces his guard down and leaves him open to attack). I bring all this up in what’s supposed to be a song analysis because that context really elevates what is already a kick-ass song. The opening notes that call back to Undyne’s battle theme in Undertale (another fight with a formidable warrior) immediately grabbed my attention the first time I heard it. I love the way the song’s instruments go from this epic orchestral feel with strings, pianos and woodwinds, only for the second half to suddenly introduce more folkish sounds including banjos, pan flutes, to even a jaw harp that twangs and bounces around the track like a grasshopper. All those combine into such an incredible, heroic sounding melody that blares in full force while you’re fighting the old man, truly feeling like a battle for the ages (even though all you're doing is trying to cut a stubborn old man’s hair). Also check out this ridiculous YTPMV of this song that brings Future and The Amazing World of Gumball into the world of Deltarune. How do you come up with this shit?

Caroline Spence – Confront It
I opened the new Caroline Spence album and almost immediately my heart shattered into a million pieces. It’s almost cruel of her to start with a song this devastating. Caroline reflects over a relationship where she feels so undervalued and underappreciated but can’t bring herself to be honest about it. This devastating guitar and piano combo play over Caroline’s gentle voice, describing these little moments and expectations that tear her apart inside, yet she’s constantly avoiding even thinking about it. Every time that sad or angry thought pops into her head, she just pushes it away and insists that she’s fine. “I don’t like the way you only like me when you want me” is such a heartbreaking lyric. You desperately want her to break out of this pain, truly live for herself and accept that she’s in an awful situation. By the end of the song, Caroline finally comes to terms with it. The bridge followed by the final chorus, which changes the lyric from “I’ll do anything but confront it” to “I guess I’ll confront it”, but only after two attempts to just say the former again, really brings home how difficult this is going to be for her. But it’s a necessary step, and you end the song hoping she’ll be able to find herself again.

Cole Chaney – Alone?
Cole Chaney made his big return to studio recorded music with his best foot forward. While I loved hearing “Spirit” get the full band treatment, I was most excited to hear what new music Cole Chaney had up his sleeve, and pretty immediately he blew me away with this behemoth of a song. The intro builds up with a gentle guitar riff, followed by the flutter of a mandolin and the gentle weep of a fiddle. From there the band slowly begins to form, with Cole Chaney coming in alongside the drums, singing about being lost and empty, contemplating his own loneliness as he finds himself willingly isolated and withdrawn. But Chaney seems to be doubting himself as his questions of “can I be alone?” sound more and more pointed, more considerate of someone who seems to be wanting to show him the light and guide him through it. The production builds and builds into something grander and more beautiful, the melodies and chords slowly rising like the sun in the east. The 3:30 mark is when this song starts building towards its shining moment. The refrain of “I feel you, walk with me, tell me am I crazy” crescendos higher and higher, until that ultimate question of “Or could I be alone?” allows the drums and fiddle to burst with this incredible and satisfying melody. The song explodes into this bright and mesmerizing passage that closes the song and calls into question whether you can truly make it through this life alone. Such an incredible ending that knocked the wind out of the me the first time I heard it. The production is perfectly paced, Cole Chaney proved he’s still got one of the most powerful voices in Appalachia, and the wait for his follow-up truly felt worth it.

Mac Miller – Funny Papers
Full disclosure, I know Balloonerism has existed in some form for years now, but I was never into Mac Miller enough to know about it until it’s official release. So, I heard everything on this album for the first time this year, including “Funny Papers”. Even knowing that Mac would lean in this direction for his music much later down the line, I was still struck by how much “Funny Papers” affected me right away. A gorgeous piano plays into the story of someone who drove off a bridge after his divorce, blasting their wedding song as he crashed into his demise. It leads to the incredibly harrowing lyric, “Everything quiet but the music”. Mac’s very dejected delivery is one that feeds on the melancholic vibe of the song, but the way he tells these stories and reflects on his own life is met with just as much bemusement. The idea of seeing someone’s life and death in “the funny papers”, like it’s a wacky comic you’ll find as a reprieve from all the news you see on that newspaper. You come to realize as the song progresses that it’s as much about Mac’s insecurity about his own life and where it’s going. Whether his success will be celebrated or dismissed in the funny papers amidst his poor life choices. But it doesn’t feel like a self-pitying wallow as much as it does an acknowledgment of how fleeting life can be. Something that rings more harrowingly when you hear the lyrics wondering if God will take him to the other side or how he never thought people died on a Friday when that’s exactly what happened to Mac. But I don’t think this song is sad so much as it’s just living things out. Sitting in that perfect melancholy where you wonder if anything you do matters, but you still do it anyway. “I ain’t an innovator, just a motherfuckin’ illustrator”. This song really moved me during a time when I felt more listless and emotionally drained than ever before. It was good company to have a song that understood that mental purgatory and at least tried to make light out of it.

Moron Police – Giving Up The Ghost
Everything surrounding Moron Police in between this album and The Stranger and the High Tide has been leading up to “Giving Up The Ghost”. A lot was riding on the band on not just following-up their masterpiece A Boat On The Sea, but on being able to save this band after the tragic passing of their drummer, Thore Omland Petterson. Thankfully they not only succeeded in bringing in another terrific album and getting huge amount of fan support for it, but they honored their drummer throughout the album and namely through this final song. One big epic goodbye with huge hooks, blaring guitars, and huge passages where it feels like everything comes together back to one place. The riff that opens the song is a great headrush to get you into this final stretch, and the guitar solo that slows down the song in order to really bring in that huge, finale feel is perfectly paced. Sonde Skollevoll’s massive vocals bellow and roar throughout the song’s many parts, and it all builds into this absolutely glorious, six minute song that has the band at their best and most anthemic. The cherry on top is the final drum solo, which is actually a recording of Thore made before his passing. One final tribute to their late band member who was deeply important to the band and their development, and as much as a part of this album even beyond the grave.

Saor – Rebirth
Saor was my gateway band into black metal, a genre that most people would assume I have no interest in. But I remember being blown away by the way this band combined the ferocity of black metal with the elegance of Celtic folk in 2016’s Guardians. So much so I wasn’t sure if the band would ever top that album again. And yet, Amidst The Ruins brought me right back to that shock and awe I felt listening to Guardians for the first time. I guess you can argue for any of the songs off this album to be represented here, but the one that stuck with me the most was easily its closer, “Rebirth”. It doesn’t waste any time getting into those chugging riffs, soaring flutes and volcanic drumming. It’s such a rush to kick off the song, but it gradually shifts gears as more instruments come in, more vocalists try to pierce through the noise with their guttural howls, and subtle melodic shifts that never feel exhausting. The strings coming in by the four-minute mark, delivering a gorgeous melody to bring some light into the guitar’s darkness, is so cool and exciting. This song is constantly moving, constantly presenting new ideas and progressions and movements. One of the closest things you can get to simulating a roller coaster in song form. And yet it’s what happens at the eight-minute mark that elevates this from awesome to transcendent. It seems as if the song is about to end, but a shredding electric guitar rips within the silence, and suddenly vocals come in from Ella Zlotos, singing a beautiful Celtic melody as the rest of the band plays around her. The music is slower, but triumphant. The drums deliver the incredible scale of this song as the guitars burn around her; violas and cellos hop in to make this song even more stunning. If that wasn’t enough, the bagpipes come in to close out the song. What an incredible marriage of the power of black metal and the traditional beauty of Celtic folk. Perhaps the best composition the band has ever made.

Flummox – Always Something Going Down
This was the song that played in my head on repeat every time I saw more political bullshit in the news. “There’s always something going down”. At some point you grow numb and exhausted over the deluge of bad news and bullshit, especially stuff you knew was going to happen when Trump was elected president again and he gradually destroyed jobs and further enabled wars that we have no business sticking our noses in. The righteous fury of this song that’s as bemused as it is angry over the constant state of the world is the exact catharsis I needed whenever I felt myself getting drawn back into the doomscroll cycle. It helps that the song has such ferocious, blaring guitars delivering punchy riffs and imposing scales. That screech where Alyson yells “DOWN… DOWN…. DOOOOOOWWWWWN!!!!” feels especially cathartic, for as much as she knew this would all happen and she knows it’s a constant way of life to see this onslaught of constant bullshit, it still infuriates her seeing those kids in cages and seeing the rich steal from the poor. All she can do is let that anger free. I especially love the song’s final call to action, “The battle always rages, so let’s all burn it to the ground”. Ultimately while dismissing all of this as “something going down” may come off as complicit or lying there and taking it, the real goal is to realize this shit is only going to continue and ruin our lives until the systems that enable it all burn to the fucking ground. Maybe then things can finally stay up.

billy woods ft. Bruiser Wolf & SADHUGOLD – BLK XMAS
You know, normally I’d think of Bruiser Wolf as a very goofy and fun guy dropping the funniest bars of the year. An excellent rapper to be sure, but one where you’d think I know what to expect when he shows up. And yet, he completely turns the tables on us in billy woods’ “BLK XMAS”. Suddenly his jovial bark sounds sinister over these discordant pianos. The way he bears his teeth through the words, “My [guy], nightmaresss!” is kind of uncanny. He’s certainly not saying anything funny. He’s describing these terrible scenes of families left in poverty and people losing themselves to drugs because it’s the only thing that can keep them from killing themselves. Scenes that Bruiser himself has experienced and seen firsthand, all of it horrifying. It makes hearing him describe it as “A thriller, if you can pay the rent” even more skin-crawling. The mere luxury of somehow being entertained watching people get evicted. Bruiser can’t even bring himself to depict all of this after living it. I mainly highlight Bruiser Wolf’s part as a brilliant moment of dark comedy, but billy woods’ verse is just as unsettling. He describes a family being forced to evict right before Christmas and leave behind many of their belongings because they simply can’t fit it into what little transportation they have. One by one, the neighbors who are also living under this cruel system that forced this family to leave everything behind start rifling through their stuff and salvaging whatever they can find for themselves. It’s a horrifying scene, but what choice do they have? They can’t afford any Christmas presents. Under these conditions, it’s not personal, it’s just survival. The system of poverty brought on by late capitalism forces people who are otherwise impoverished and oppressed to take drastic measures, even if it sacrifices their remaining dignity and moral code. When you see these people and their condition, conditions caused by a system built against them, how do you respond to something like this? Are you going to view them as immoral animals? What would that accomplish?

Metro Boomin & DJ Spinz ft. Young Dro – WTF Goin
I don’t think people appreciate Metro Boomin’s throwback summer mixtape enough. Maybe that’s a conversation for the album’s list, but for as much 2000s nostalgia has become a fixture in the current pop culture, it’s incredible to hear a song like “WTF Goin” and learn that it was made in 2025. The digitized keys and synth horns blast over the classic trap snare beat, Young Dro flexing with all the confidence and swagger of classic mixtape legends like Gucci Mane and Juicy J, the mix of hard and sung bars where you can tell Dro is having the time of his life making this song, it is an utter delight. It’s ultimately a very simple song, but every little detail about it makes my brain explode into fireworks. The specific timbre of the synth horns tickles my brain every time I hear them. Young Dro himself does such an incredible job on the song. It’s a competitive year for rap performances this year, but if someone called Dro the MVP of this tape and maybe rap in 2025 as a whole, I would absolutely champion this take. Above all else this song is so FUN! The grandiose scale of the production, the memorable hook you can scream out of your car, it ended up dominating the second half of my summer. The song I would put on when I just wanted to listen to something that made me feel like a million bucks.

Jim Legxacy – i just banged a snus in canada water
“i just banged a snus in canada waters” is a moment of triumph for Jim Legxacy. The build-up to the hook with gunshots and a twinkling piano melody after the radio announcement-esque monologue at the beginning of the song sounds like an ascent into greatness that feels all the more pronounced by the opening lines, “HAD TO MAKE MONEY ON THE STRIP!/I CAN’T LET THEM DO ME HOW THEY DID ME AS A KID!” Jim Legxacy used to be homeless and resorted to gang activity to survive and make ends meet (hence the name of his previous album). But he doesn’t let his newfound fame and success keep him from forgetting the ones back home and what it took for his comeup to pay off. Hence the power in that phrase, “I can’t let them do me how they did me as a kid”. No one’s gonna take advantage of Jim now, he’s gonna live and make art on his own terms, and the people will listen. This is all delivered on top of a tremendous beat, with gunshot drum accents, skittery hi-hats and that gorgeous piano climbing and falling on top of sampled singing voices and Jim’s own voice repeating “I know this, I know this” to himself. It’s arranged so beautifully, one of the best rap beats of the entire year. You can feel the pain in those flashes of gunshots along with the success and celebration in the vocal samples. I always knew it would come to this, but this song cements Jim Legxacy as one of the most promising artists in the entire global industry, not just in rap or the UK scene.

Clipse ft. Kendrick Lamar & Pharrell Williams – Chains & Whips
It’s too easy. The return of Clipse with a Kendrick feature where they lay it all on the line and deliver one of the best bangers of the decade. It’s so fucking easy, and of course it works. “Chains & Whips” is an absolutely brutal song where Pusha T, Malice, and Kendrick Lamar embrace their sickest selves and take shots at the many people they’ve had issues with over the years. Pusha T’s nasty takedown of Jim Jones, Malice’s contempt for those who allow wealth to completely subsume them and their humanity, and of course Kendrick fresh off his beef with Drake and the rap industry at large. All three of them deliver all-timer performances, with Kendrick adding this song to his hall of fame of rap features where he steals the show. The seething contempt in his voice towards those who doubted him as he takes the throne by force, refusing to accept their words now that he’s at the top and they have something to gain through his endorsement. Kendrick knows he’s the king now, but rather than be humble and thoughtful like he was in his past, he’s fully embraced his power and will do what HE wants with it, whether the doubters like it or not. “Therapy showed me how to open up, it also showed me I don’t give a fuck” is as concerning as it is badass. But I also have to give credit to Pharrell for delivering what might be the best beat he’s ever made. The industrial stomp of the percussion alongside the horrifying guitar thrums and rumbling bass is so menacing and imposing. It gives these rappers plenty of space to deliver their verses with as much sneering villainy as they can muster. Even his vocal contribution where he delivers a refrain of realizing you’ve lost God but the Devil has you in his grasp adds yet another menacing angle to this monster of a song.

Celestaphone & Dealers of God – Moscovium
I want to reiterate that this list is in a very loose order, but as of February 2026 I am confident in saying “Moscovium” is the best rap song of an incredibly strong year for rap music. Starting with this fucking deranged beat, consisting of an extraterrestrial synth that whirs and warbles across wobbling keys, burbling bass and Celestaphone’s demented rapping that trails and drifts with a twisted snarl. Celestaphone rants and raves through near indecipherable trains of thought full of political references and resentment over the bullshit propaganda that surrounds our everyday life. He spits so much venom at not just the corrupt politicians and rich shitheads who stomp on people at every turn but snidely mocks the trendy items that only serve to further their propaganda under our noses. The more you really listen to Celestaphone though, the less this sounds like a rant from an insane person and more a desperate plea for people to recognize how fucked everything is as he’s increasingly close to reaching his breaking point and truly going insane. The last person who hasn’t been taken in by the cult, whatever form that’s taking in the current moment. On top of being obsessed with this wacky, alien beat, I am really struck by how much of this song is driven by its pure, emotional distress and how it echoes through the song. It might be the most apt song to describe what politics, and social commentary has felt like in 2025. Feeling on the brink of insanity while things get obviously worse and the only things we can latch onto are empty trends. Yeesh.

PinkPantheress – Tonight
One thing I thought about touching on in that “best list” was the discourse around there being no “song of the summer”. Truth be told I can’t stand how the internet talks about the song of the summer. You shouldn’t be waiting for Billboard or TikTok to tell you what the song of the summer is, you should be looking for it and experiencing it yourself. Besides, we did have a song of the summer. It was “Tonight” by PinkPantheress. I’ll go even farther and say it’s the best pop song of the year, period. Nothing came close, not even the actual hit pop songs we had this year. The way this song opens with that string sample (which happens to be from Panic! At The Disco, of all bands), only for the song to burst into thick bass thumps, galactic synths and PinkPantheress’ silly adlibs genuinely makes me feel like I drove lightspeed into space. Mesmerized by the full, elaborate, phenomenally textured production that keeps up a perfect tempo and an unforgettable hook. Pink’s soft flirty voice suddenly has a confident edge to it as she coerces you into sex, full of the cutesy infatuation metaphors she’s always been good at but adding on some more forward and sultry coos in the pre-chours. She’s head over heels for you, but truth be told you’re also obsessed with her. A mutual attraction on the dance floor where you’re on equal playing fields, and if that thumping bass doesn’t reflect your heartbeat the closer you get to the bedroom, the shooting star-esque synths flying in the air certainly do. Every time I play this song through my speakers, feeling the room rumble every time that intro plays, hopelessly watching as my body moves along with the groove, it feels like I’m experiencing the magic of the dance floor all over again. I heard this song multiple times at queer parties this year, in fact. And each time it beckoned me to let myself loose and dance along.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Deadstick
I’ve officially marked an important milestone in music nerdom called “started getting into King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard”. I’ve always been interested in their music, I even enjoyed a side project from one of their members, The Murlocs, but the band themselves had such a daunting discography that it’s taken me a while to really get into them. But much like “Tropic Morning News” did for me and The National, I was so blown away by “Deadstick” that I had to finally take that next step and start listening to King Gizzard albums. The song begins with what is by a country mile the best horn section of the year. A whole cavalcade of blasting trumpets blasting over the wailing guitars, a wicked saxophone that travels throughout the verses, trombones and tubas filling up the lower end to give the song more meat, everything in tandem with King Gizzard’s usual, yet still massively impressive guitarwork makes for one of the most exultant songs I heard all year. It’s as chaotic yet cartoonish as a crashing plane that barely manages to scrape out of its tailspin alive would feel like. I could feel the joy in my heart leap with every guitar riff, every harmonized trumpet, every little solo that peppers the song, and the different yelps and chirps from each band member as they take the lead on the mic. That huge cathartic yell at the end of the song as it all comes together into one last romp ends the song on a pitch-perfect note. I cannot get enough of this song. Every time I came back to it, I loved it more than the last time. Even as I listened to Phantom Island and enjoyed it, nothing on that album got half as many plays from me as “Deadstick” did. I genuinely considered if it might just be the best song of the entire year. But it can’t be. Not this year.

Flummox – Siren Shock
It’s been a rough year. It’s looking to continue to be rough for this new year. I think that kind of reflected in how all over the place and emotionally confused this list is. I’ll always be looking for joy in difficult times, but let’s be honest- sometimes you need to scream. Let that shit out. Let those shitty, ugly, horrifying emotions go before they take you over. That’s what drew me to “Siren Shock”. That opening bass guitar riff with so much snarl and gruff rushes into the clashing drums and wailing electric guitars in a way that’s savagely captivating. Alyson describes this frankly horrifying relationship where the two are constantly at each other’s throats. The song outright opens with the lyric, “Electrified suicide”, and then goes on to describe a spark so intense it’s like a baby putting a fork in the wallsocket. Alyson’s imagery is so vivid and intense, amplified even more by the chaotic production consisting of brutal riffs and explosive melodies. Yet, for as awful as everything Alyson describes sounds, she sings it with so much frenetic enthusiasm. Deliriously horny and desperate for this masochistic, toxic relationship despite all the signs that it is slowly and utterly destroying her. The way this song progresses, the way it shifts gears into this jauntier, dance punk interlude at the two-minute mark, the stickiness of these hooks and riffs, everything about it is relentless and dare I say joyous. Every emotion that flows through this song’s veins shrieks like a banshee, especially in its final moment where its chorus is repeated one more time with Alyson’s banshee shrieks and then leads to a full-on battle cry as the final riff plays out the song in all it’s fucking glory. This is what cements “Siren Shock” as my song of the year. This unbelievable moment where everything comes together into one explosive finale. Every intense bit of anger, lust, joy and fury bursts from Alyson’s throat. Every instrument comes together to deliver this enormous riff, and when it’s all over, it pops and slowly fades out into one last hit to end the song. An adrenaline rush I couldn’t feel anywhere else. One that took my own swirling emotions and gave them a catharsis that still leaves me breathless even after the fiftieth time I’ve heard it.

Fuck. I needed that.

BONUS 5: Tatsuro Yamashita – SPARKLE

“Siren Shock” is my song of the year, that much is still true. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best song I’ve heard this year. Mostly because this is the same year I listened to Tatsuro Yamashita’s FOR YOU, considered one of the pinnacles of Japanese city pop and also one of my new all-time favorite albums. That album is also the best album I heard all year, and with it comes a song that has dug its talons into my skull all year. “SPARKLE” opens up the album with an immediately catchy guitar riff, followed by the roll of a drum and the rising cries of trumpets. When the song truly kicks off, everything comes together perfectly. That irresistible riff, a slap bass that gives the song a funky punch, the horns that give the song a stronger body, and Tatsuro Yamashita himself who comes in with so much passion and joy. Every little moment of this song is perfect. Every riff, every solo, every instrumental flourish whether it’s the accent of the horns or the backing vocalists who echo Yamashita’s words and give this song this huge, celebratory vibe. You can only imagine the bright sun and ripples in the ocean that gave inspiration to this song. It’s become an immediate summer staple for me, a joyous song to listen to when I’m enjoying everything life has to offer. None of Tatsuro Yamashita’s music is on streaming platforms, this video is the only official upload from this album on Youtube. But it alone convinced me that I needed to hear more from this guy and this album, and you know what? Buying that CD was worth it. Now I’m in the midst of listening to a bunch more city pop albums just for another taste of music like this. It’s been incredible.

I fucking love music.

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Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4