Tag: Best of

Some of My Favourite Songs of 2018 – In No Particular Order

Hey, it’s me… I’m back!

Yes, it’s been over a year since my last post.  But as I sit here in my sweatpants on New Year’s Day, I thought it might be fun to revisit some of my favourite songs of the year.  That, and someone mentioned they liked my 2017 list. (Hi, Michelle!)

When I saw that Robin Skouteris had released his always-epic year-end mashup, my first thought was “I don’t know about pop music this year…” But then, upon listening, I realized that there were some pretty darn good songs that came out – some of them are in his mashup, and some didn’t make the cut. I also realized that Ariana Grande kind of ruled the music world this year – and I’m totally OK with that. (As the kids say, I stan for Ariana.)

Anyway, without further ado, some of my favourite tracks of 2018 – and no, they’re not all Ariana Grande. So let’s start with this one:

Dance to This – Troye Sivan feat. Ariana Grande

Hey, technically this is Troy Sivan FEATURING Ms. Grande.. So it’s not an Ariana song by definition.

This understated (and underrated) song was my unofficial “song of the summer” – it has an easy flow and the best 80s-style drum break (at 2:45)  since, well, the 80s. Ariana and Troye also seem to be having fun – and I kind of love the idea that they’re besties.  And speaking of summer songs…

Rosette – Single for the Summer

This one was seriously under the radar (as evidenced by the 1213 views of this video on YouTube), and that’s a shame. It’s got a bit of a retro dance groove that I dig – this song makes me want to drive faster than I should. It’s an excellent companion piece to Semi Lovato’s “Cool for the Summer.”  What is it about bending rules for the summer, anyway?

Kim Petras – Heart to Break

As far as bubblegum pop goes, this may be my favourite song of the year. It’s just plain fun, and catchy as all get out. I can’t remember where I first heard this song, but it instantly became a new favourite.  Kim Petras is definitely an artist to watch, as she’s a trailblazer… She’s a bonafide pop princess – and she’s also an out and proud trans woman.

Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right

I’ll admit, mostly due to its being overplayed, I REALLY don’t like “All About That Bass.” For that reason, it’s taken me a while to get into Meghan Trainor.  However, this summer she released “Let You Be Right”, a fun neo-disco number that bubbles and percolates… And I think anyone who’s been in a relationship can relate to the theme.

Ariana Grande – thank u, next

C’mon, you knew this was coming…

Everyone has their opinion on Ariana Grande – some love her, some can’t stand her, and some can’t understand what she’s saying – but there’s no denying that “thank u, next” was a bonafide pop culture juggernaut this year. The single came out of nowhere (it wasn’t part of her recently-released “Sweetener” album), and it became her first #1 song (I was surprised about that, too.).

And then the video dropped.

While we all know that “novelty” videos can really suck if they’re not done well, but Ariana NAILS it. The recreations of some of Ariana’s favourite movies (Mean Girls, Bring It On, 13 Going On 30 and Legally Blonde) are spot on… But even more impressive is the number of cameos, Easter eggs and other details that make this video so much more than it initially seems.  If you have 12 minutes, this video breaks down most of them – it’s really pretty mind blowing.  Jennifer Coolidge is amazing, Kris Jenner is actually pretty funny, and Jonathan Bennett seems to have not aged a day, reprising his role as Mean Girls’ Aaron Samuels.

aaron samuels
Hair pushed back or not, he still looks sexy as all get-out, 14 years later.

Add in Troye Sivan, and “thank u, next” ended 2018 with a bang.

There are other great songs that came out this year (some of them don’t even include Ariana Grande), and they also deserve some love.  Honourable mentions include:

  1. Diana Ross’ return to the charts with a mashup remix of Upside Down/I’m Coming Out 
  2. Celine Dion poking fun at herself in both the video for “Ashes”(from Deadpool 2) and a brilliant, hilarious commercial for her new kids’ clothing line.
  3. Betty Who’s new take on the “All Things” theme song from “Queer Eye.”
  4. Shawn Mendes looking adorable (and sounding smooth as silk) in the very grown-up “Lost in Japan”
  5. 90s throwback Juliana Hatfield paying tribute to the legendary Olivia Newton-John with an album of covers. Some covers work better than other, but her version of “A Little More Love” is the highlight of the album.
  6. Miley Cyrus proving (once again) that she’s more than a punchline (and that she is, indeed, a major talent), with the Mark Ronson collab, “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart”  and a kick-ass cover of Ariana Grande’s “No Tears Left to Cry” 

So, it turns out 2018 produced a fair bit of pretty great music – here’s to even more in 2019!

 

 

My Top Songs of 2017, featuring MUNA, Dua Lipa and Tove Lo

Tove Lo, Muna and Dua Lipa are NOT characters from the new Star Wars Movie. They made my favorite songs to listen to in 2017.

As 2017 draws to a close, it’s time to look back at some of the things that made my year awesome – including my favourite music.

Some highlights – Carly Rae Jepsen brightened our summer with Cut To The Feeling, Kesha roared back, and Demi Lovato (with Jax Jones) continued to slay. Oh, and Katy Perry took a great, dark diss track and made ones of the worst videos of all time.

But three songs totally rocked my world this year – and the three artists behind these songs have some things in common – they didn’t get nearly enough airplay or attention in North America, and their names sound like they could be characters in Star Wars.  They all have a neo-disco vibe, too… But that’s just kind of my jam.

So, without further ado, here are the three songs that I’ve had on constant repeat for 2017. Full disclosure: Some of these songs were released before 2017, but hey, this is my list and I can do what I want.

3. Muna – I Know A Place

So, the song was released in 2016, but the video came out in 2017… So it totally counts.

In case you haven’t heard of Muna, they’re a trio from LA… But they have a very European sound to me. Like, I could tell you they’re from Ireland and you’d totally believe me.

At any rate, this song gives me hope for humanity.  Lots of pretty awful stuff happened in 2017 – from Las Vegas to Manchester and beyond.  And if I wanted a moment to dream of a better world, this song helped me get there.  It’s all about recognizing the humanity in each other, and creating peace through understanding.  We’re a long way from this idealism, I know.  But this song has a message of hope and peace.

It also reminds me of a time in my life that I cherish – my mid-twenties – when going out dancing with friends would make the world disappear for a few hours, and unconditional friendship love flowed all around.

“If you want to go out dancing, I know a place…”

One of my friends from that time in my life passed away suddenly this year and, although I doubt she knew of this song, the message of love reminds me of her.  This one is for Moni.

2. Dua Lipa – Blow Your Mind (Mwah)

In the latter half of 2017, Dua Lipa broke out in North America with “New Rules” , and it’s a damn good pop song. But for my money, “Blow Your Mind (Mwah)” is the single that, well, blew my mind.

Dua Lipa is from England by way of Kosovo. And her music is Hotter Than Hell, if you ask me.

It’s the sixth (!) single from her self-titled album, and it has a driving beat that I can’t get enough of. The chorus rocks my socks, and the build-up to it is the stuff that pop perfection is made of.  Bonus points for using the f-word in a way that is organic, yet punctuates the lyric perfectly.

If my life had a soundtrack, this song would be featured heavily. It is the definition of “strut-worthy.”  It’s the kind of attitude and self-confidence we wish we could all possess.

Dua Lipa deserves to be a major worldwide star. Let’s hope that 2018 treats her well.

1. Tove Lo – Disco Tits

Warning: This video is not quite suitable for all audiences.  There’s some language some may find offensive, and some PG-13 scenes.

My favourite song of the year comes to us courtesy of Tove Lo. Ms Lo is from Sweden, home of other artists I love, including ABBA, Robyn, and (to follow the “rule of three”) Roxette.

Many people will know Tove Lo from her hit single “Talking Body”  and that time she did a super sexy duet with Nick Jonas.

But then on September 1, she released “Disco Tits” on Spotify – and then it disappeared. A lot of Twitter users (OK, me) freaked out.

Luckily, it was back online in a week, and I went back to obsessing over the somewhat random lyrics and the amazing production.  It’s not a deep song, but I loved it.

Tove Lo has said the song is “losing yourself with your new found love” – the whole “love is a drug” thing.  But holy crap, the songs just drew me in and I couldn’t get enough of it.

And then the video came out.

Unlike Katy Perry’s “Swish Swish,” the video for “Disco Tits” actually improves on the song.  To channel SNL’s Stefon, this video has everything:

  • A muppet puppet with his own talk show
  • Self-referential mocking of Tove Lo’s unique name (and the fact that Americans don’t get it)
  • A dramatic, non-musical break (Although who orders barbecue sauce with fries?!)
  • Simulated Muppet puppet foreplay, sex and dancing
  • a “blooper” at the end

I mean, LOOK AT THIS.  THIS IS AWESOME.

discotitsvideo-1507216864-compressed

The video is ridiculous, and just adds to the awesomeness of the song.  Sure, it’s not Shakespeare.. But it makes me happy.  And isn’t that one of the things music is meant to do?

Thanks, Tove Lo!