you're such a vision to see,
I used to think that The Power of Love was just a song,
but now it's got hold of me"
In the past few years I've found it increasingly difficult to enjoy music. Sitting and listening to an album fills me with anxiety that I should be doing something else to help get my house in order. I can't do something else while listening to music because I'm easily distracted. There's also been my discovery of podcasts, which monopolizes whatever listening time there is with its episodic nature (you can't let them pile up, not listened to, because...). Every year, there's a song that pulls me out of that.
In 2013, that song was "Superlove" by Charli XCX.
Disclaimers: My year end song list is poppy. There are songs and albums that I loved but aren't included here. I am counting Beyonce's late December release as a 2014 thing. When a song by an artist is in a spot, the artist's other singles I enjoyed will be included like it is a tie. There are ties. The further you get from #1, the less the rankings are set in stone. Then it's merely a collection of good and interesting songs.
1. Charli XCX "Superlove" (see also: "You (Ha Ha Ha)")
2. Disclosure "White Noise" feat. AlunaGeorge (see also: "Latch" feat. Sam Smith) - Disclosure had one of the most solid albums of the year, particularly if you love early 90s influenced house music. And I do. These guys know their dance and pop hooks.
3. Haim "The Wire" (see also: "Falling") - It was so great seeing these sisters gleefully playing their rock pop new wave rock, defying the cynics. "The Wire" in particular sounds like an odd appropriation of Shania Twain, but with more glam and swagger. I also love the incomprehensible vocals.
4. Sophie "Bipp" - Minimalist, warped pop
5. Kanye West "Black Skinhead" / "Bound 2" (video NSFW) (see also: "New Slaves") - I'm pretty sick of Kanye's sex/gender/sexuality antagonism. I was even thinking of dropping him out. If you could only beam some empathy into peoples' heads. However he knows how to turn his (partially wrongheaded) frustrations into really interesting music. The asshole:artist equation continues to play out.
6. The Saturdays "Disco Love" - "It's never winter when it's Donna Summer all year long""Baby, Baby, Baby".
7. Arctic Monkeys "Do I Wanna Know?" (see also 2012's "RU Mine?")
8. Janelle Monae feat. Miguel "Primetime" (see also Mariah Carey feat. Miguel "#Beautiful" in spite of that damned hashtag) - That Miguel loves his sepia-toned R&B. "Is that ok?"
9. Katy Perry "Roar" - During the marathon flights I took going to and from India, I was furiously listening through the "Every UK Number One Single" playlists on Emirates' in-flight entertainment system. I was pretty delirious by the time I worked up to 2013 and I believe this was the last one on the list. I definitely started to tear up when the chorus kicked in. And this is from someone who thought "Fireworks" was a cynical cash-in.
10. Katy B "What Love is Made Of" (see also "5 AM") - Dance. 90's house pianos.
12. Girls Aloud "Something New" - The farewell single of one of the best pop groups. What I love is the hammering home that they're the "leaders of the pack". Not a fan of the middle eight (the "wild side of life" bit), but that's tough in any song. Still, sounding tough on the way out as opposed to, say, Destiny's Child leaving on the whimper of "Cater 2 U".
13. Duke Dumont "Need U (100%)" feat A*M*E - has a very entertaining video.
14. Jay Z feat Rick Ross "fuckwithmeyouknowigotit" - effortless in a good way
15. Angel Olsen "Sweet Dreams" - Haunting in a Kristin Hersh way
16. Neko Case "Man"
18. Foxygen "No Destruction"
19. AlunaGeorge "Attracting Flies" (NSFW vid) (see also: "Your Drums, Your Love")
20. Thee Oh Sees "Night Crawler" - for when yr walking home, kicking a rock.
21. Swearin' "Dust in the Gold Sack" / Waxahatchee "Coast to Coast" - Since the lead ladies in these bands are twin sisters, I'm putting em in together.
23. Drake "Hold On, We're Going Home" - Maybe I start to come around on Drake? A song with less complaining than I'm used to is what did it. Not a big fan of this "good girl" stuff.
24. Rich Homie Quan "Type of Way" - CEO is what his title say.
24. Rich Homie Quan "Type of Way" - CEO is what his title say.
25. A$AP Ferg feat. Shabba Ranks, Migos, Busta Rhymes "Shabba REMIX" (see also: the original) - I very much enjoy the concept of Shabba Ranks, who was already a legend when I was a kid, instructing people to call out his name until he reaches the Hall of Fame in this remix of a song that is named after and honors him.
27. Sky Ferreira "Nobody Asked Me (If I Was Okay)"
28. David Bowie "Love is Lost - Hello Steve Reich Mix by James Murphy for the DFA"
29. Total Slacker "Sometimes You Gotta Die"
30? Ace Hood feat Rick Ross "Bugatti" - One time I didn't respond to my cousin's text. Then he asked me if I woke up in a new Bugatti. Then I learned of this serious condition.
Some of my favorite albums: Disclosure: Settle; Fuzz; Destruction Unit; Ty Segal: Sleeper; Jon Hopkins: Immunity, The Knife: Shaking the Habitual; Savages;
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666. Lorde "Royalzzz... zzz... zzz... zzzo boring... zzz. Jessie J's "Price Tag" updated and slowed-down for 2013. It's like a song that would be shown as being popular in an episode of Law and Order. But apparently I differ from the rest of the world.
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My previous years' lists are here and on my own blog at elevato.org
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