It's been an insane high quality year for music singles, so much so that in another year, these first 20 songs could have been much higher. Sixteen of the artists are here for the first time: always a marker of great competition of the talent around. Here we go:
81. Heart (The Weather Station): in a late-album highlight, she sings over an aerodynamic rhythm, her falsetto swooping between each substratum of percussion like a small bird navigating the floors of a mansion. It is a rare moment in her songbook where you can tune out the lyrics and just get lost in the music. In fact, Lindeman herself does precisely that in the final moments, humming a wordless refrain as her band glides along. (PITCHFORK).
82. The Gnashing (Deafheaven): much more firmly in the shoegaze realm than perhaps they’ve ever been, Deafheaven provide ascendant, reflective riffs to back up George Clarke’s singing (yes, again!). “Embrace the gnashing / I know what this costs us / I know it’s exhausting you,” he tenderly beseeches, in what is perhaps a meta plea to long-term Deafheaven fans who are unsure about their cleaner direction (probably not, though). Following a hushed and atmospheric interlude, Deafheaven carry this plea up to the highest heights, where they are greeted by a scorching hot guitar solo, just to put a bow on proceedings. (BEATS PER MINUTE)
83. Call Me A Fool (Valerie June): June strings out her heart about losing control of herself in love.
84. 24 Hours (Agnes): clearly borrowing from Gaga and, more importantly, prime Swedish pop luminaries, is a damn good look for Agnes as she transcends on this infectious pop ditty.
85. The Beachland Ballroom (Idles): noted to be “the most important song on the album” by frontman Joe Talbot, lyrically it focuses on a subject matter that has emerged across IDLES’ discography: anxiety. However, Talbot’s vocals truly stand out upon this release when combined with such lyrics – particularly in the case of the song’s closing pain-tinged shouting of “damage, damage, damage…”. When paired with the haunting fusion of synths and the occasional piano riff, it marks for a song certainly echoing many listener’s sentiments as the often-isolating winter months approach. (THE EDGE SUSU)
86. Kingdom (Joy Crookes): you can hear the mature multi-nationalism in Crookes’ voice (she’s only 23) and her production here successfully marries Brit pop and, yes, reggae in a way that puts others to shame.
87. Crying (Pom Pom Squad): arguably the best track on the record; it’s an old-timey, indulgently depressed anthem with great quips (“If I’m a bitch/ At least someone is”) and just flat-out complaints (“Naturally, I’m alone again”). It’s like the whole song is sung in one drawn out, dramatic sigh. (STEREOGUM)
88. Measure Of A Man (FKA Twigs feat. Central Cee): it sure feels and sounds like a James Bond soundtrack peppered with Twigs trademark theatricality.
89. Bloody Future (Kilo Kish): Kish mentions the future several times but here is an exploration of a conflicting past and her arrival to the here and now.
90. Jackie (Yves Tumor): from its opening wail of feedback to its final fade of reverb, the song is a battlefield of lovesick dissonance — the guitars frolic and weep in turns, and the drums remain crisp even as they crash. Yves Tumor searches the carnage for hints of life and answers not forthcoming. "These days have been tragic, I ain't sleeping, refuse to eat a thing," they sing in a voice that is somehow impassioned yet stony, like agony gnawing just beneath the surface of an impenetrable cool. (NPR)
91. How Can I Help You (Self Esteem): “‘How Can I Help You’ is one of the first songs I wrote for the second album,” Self Esteem said about her new single. “After touring the first record and most weeks being told that I am underrated or intimidating I just felt very fed up. I guess I’ll be eternally angry for the way as a woman unless you’re sweet, nice, settled, and quiet, you’re considered ‘different’ and ‘difficult’. (NME)
92. Hold Yourself (Tune-Yards): reaches out by turning back inward and centered around Garbus’ powerhouse vocals, the gauzy, bass-heavy beat ballad delivers a potent message of self-empowerment: The sins of our forefathers are in our own hands, not anyone else’s. An album ago, this might have come off as didactic, but it doesn’t here because Garbus is talking to herself, as well as a child she says she can’t have. “We all have trouble being brave enough to turn the page,” Garbus acknowledges. (PITCHFORK)
93. Process (H.E.R.): sounds like the right balance of stoned and message.
94. Emotion (Molly Burch feat. Wild Nothing): features indie dream-pop mainstay Wild Nothing; though the song’s grooves may remind listeners more of Toro Y Moi, as it effectively evokes the exhilaration that comes with unfettered positive emotion. (BEATS PER MINUTE)
95. Your Body Changes Everything (Boy Harsher remix) (Perfume Genius): the original version of the track had too dramatic a production value but here, with Boy Harsher’s involvement, Hadreas just wants to kick up his heels at the club. It’s elevation, baby!
96. Clementine (Wet): maybe it’s the season but Kelly Zutrau’s soothing vocals hits just right.
97. I’ll Be Okay (Why Don’t We): lost amid the cloying boy band-mania comes a smart ditty from a band that may actually be starting to find grown legs.
98. Somebody Was Watching Over Me (Robert Plant & Alison Krauss): unusually crunchy from the duo but there’s an undeniable edge here that works wonders.
99. Family (Jordan Rakei): "I wanted to hit my vulnerability barrier and be really honest," says Rakei about the new track, which is reflective of his journey over the past couple of years in therapy. "It’s about my parents’ divorce in my mid-teens but still having love for them no matter what." (VARIANCE)
100. Application/Apparatus (Parquet Courts): infuses the personal with embracing of mechanical technological gains.
