We edge closer to the big reveal!
21. Euphoria (Kendrick Lamar):
there’s not much here that’s not been said about Drake before, but the appeal is that it’s shocking to hear jokes about Drake’s plastic surgery abs and Blackness from Kendrick’s mouth. He gets his hands dirtier than I ever thought he would. If he had bowed out like J. Cole (smart man) after Drake’s “Taylor Made Freestyle” troll job, I would have understood. But Kendrick sounds real energized throughout the song’s three phases—from channeling Ghostface’s gutting of Action Bronson by getting disrespectful over Teddy Pendergrass to busting out the Toronto accent voice work in the song’s sparkier finale. He sounds like he’s been waiting years for this moment. “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk/I hate the way that you dress,” he raps; cliche, but it works because he sounds like he really means it. (PITCHFORK)
22. Broken Man (St. Vincent):
listening to the song, we hear a female vocalist sing about being a “broken man”; in video we see long hair, a short skirt, a black bra, heels — trademarks of women and femme presenting people — but it all appears very business. Women in suits are incredibly hot, but for a long time now, women in the workplace and workforce have always been repressed and kept to the bottom of the pile. (MEDIUM)
23. Gift Horse (Idles):
totally wild and rocking core freedom.
24. Nobody Knows (Killer Mike feat. Anthony Hamilton):
Killer Mike grabs the black choir experience.
25. Classical (Vampire Weekend):
a powerful and unsettling exploration of history, power, and the narratives we create around them. Both lyrically and musically, this track showcases the band's artistic maturity and their willingness to challenge both themselves and their listeners. (STAY FREE RADIO)
26. Bad Idea (Ravyn Lenae):
cleverly deceptive.
27. You Slept On Me (Allie X):
a beat even Robyn would kill for.
28. Head Rap (Saba & No I.D.):
continuing his evolving relationship with producer No ID, Chicago rapper Saba has been taking his time rolling out their collaborative project, The Private Collection of Saba and No ID—and “head.rap” is one of the brightest tracks of the year across the board, thanks to a resounding choir of backing vocals from singers Madison McFerrin, Ogi and Jordan Ward. In the verses, Saba contemplates Black hairstyles, growing out dreadlocks and self-expression. “Searchin’ for an avenue, ways to reflect my current attitude,” he muses. Views of the world / I’m Malik to my grandma, who used to braid my hair / But I had to cut ‘em at the school / And it was Black ran, I’m just a Black man lookin’ for a good day.” No ID’s production flourishes here, too, with flutters of guitar and hand-clap percussion. “head.rap” got dropped into the world at just the perfect time. (PASTE)
29. My Golden Years (The Lemon Twigs):
It's catchy, and cheerful and feels like a self reflection for the band, looking back at how far they've come in their career, and how the lives they're living right now will be their fondest memories in many years to come. (WHEN THE HORN BLOWS)
30. Good Luck, Babe! (Chappell Roan):
while most vocalists scale up to a high note at the end of a lyric, the Missouri singer-songwriter begins each line of this chorus in her upper register before sliding down to deliver irony-drenched well wishes to a former lover in denial about their queerness. The verses are every bit as strong as the glistening chorus, all playful, pillowy synths and easygoing ‘80s beats as Roan coaxes and pouts, subtly flexing her vocal range and irrepressible personality. But on the spine-tingling bridge, Roan achieves a level of sublime pop perfection most singers spend years grasping at, spitting out savage disses (the institution of marriage may never recover from “you’re nothing more than his wife”) and howling “I told you sooooooo” before the song pivots to an unexpected, gorgeous bit of Paisley Park psychedelia on the outro (BILLBOARD)
31. Friend Of A Friend (The Smile):
with strings and psychedelia added to the mix, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood's ever-evolving side project feels as dynamic now as their day job. (THE GUARDIAN)
32. Toro (Remi Wolf):
no one does carefree pop better.
33. So High School (Taylor Swift):
a catchy pop track that explores the heady rush of youthful romance. While the song has strong pop elements, the rumored connection to Kelce and more sexually suggestive lyrics create a unique blend with her typical style. The song effectively captures the giddy, playful, and at times cringeworthy feelings of early love, with Swift's delivery adding both innocence and confident allure. (STAY FREE RADIO)
34. Asha The First (Kamasi Washington):
no one does those horn sections like Kamasi.
35. Mulholland's Dinner and Wine (Declan McKenna):
sprinkling pop magic.
36. Death & Romance (Magdalena Bay):
an alt-pop-meets-prog-rock anthem conveyed with all the gut-wrenching drama that the present moment demands. Proclamatory piano kicks things off, then drums bounce in with Tenenbaum’s crystalline vocals. “Are we too late? Are we too far?” she implores, a sentiment that’s crossed my mind more than once this year when thinking of our species’ existential crisis. Sometimes, though, sheer determination is all you have, and Tenenbaum’s delivery is achingly passionate as she assures us: “My hands, your hands / I’ll hold forever / No way I’ll break hold / No, not ever.” Tenenbaum and Lewin are masters of tension here, pulling back the instrumentation to just vocals, piano and washy ocean sounds on the bridge, then letting it all crash gloriously back in, swelling to create a euphoric, cathartic wave of sound. I’m not naive enough to suggest that a song could solve our problems, but the unadulterated joy contained in “Death & Romance” can give us a moment of respite and inspiration. After all, as Tenenbaum tells us: “I give and you give ’til it’s all that we have / You know nothing is fair in death and romance. (PASTE)
37. Motions (Glass Beach):
a slow burner suffused with crunchy guitars.
38. Walk it Off (Freddie Gibbs):
by rote now but that doesn't make it any less fascinating.
39. Alesis (Mk. Gee):
through "Alesis," Mk. gee takes us on a journey through the emotional landscapes of disconnection, longing, and the search for authenticity. The song stands as a testament to Mk. gee's skill as a storyteller and an artist, capable of weaving complex emotional themes into music that moves and inspires. (MEDICINE BOX MAGAZINE)
40. Starburster (Fontaines D.C.):
echoes the in-between spaces of ’90s and early ’00s alt-rock, threading Primal Scream with Big Beat, Beck and Garbage on a song that goes even harder than their rave-in-the-Matrix fashion sense. Vocalist Grian Chatten trades his evocative croon for a rapid-fire sequence of images (“I’m the pig on the Chinese calendar/I got a shadow like a .58 caliber/I wanna move like a new Salamander“), gasping for air during the chorus after what feels like one breathless verse after another. But those exaggerated inhalations are intended to replicate a very real panic attack that Chatten experienced prior to writing the album, and the claustrophobia only intensifies as the song progresses. (TREBLE)
