10. "The Man" - Aloe Blacc
Yes, I'm aware of what I said about this song. It's boring. It's not very strong lyrically. But I also recall myself praising Aloe Blacc's voice, and really, his voice is what sells this song. I enjoy listening to it because Blacc sounds so sure of himself when he tells us that he's the man. It's enough to make you believe him. Not only that, but his voice is really pleasing to the ear. With a whole bunch of ear poison this year, this is just the song you need as an antidote. You da man, Aloe Blacc.
Yes I am, yes I am, yes I am
Okay, let's not get carried away here.
9. "Bailando" - Enrique Iglesias ft. Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona
I expect the odd Spanish song to make its way on the Year-End chart once in a while, especially now with the growing inclusiveness of society. But none have ever struck me quite like this one, and maybe it's just because there weren't as many fun-sounding songs this year. But this got me dancing. And I don't even speak Spanish outside of what I learned from Dora the Explorer. But this song makes me want to dance all the same. So, Bailando! Bailandooooo!
8. "Ain't it Fun" - Paramore
Speaking of fun, I don't think Paramore's ever been more fun to listen to. This song is not only a catchy tune, but it's also deliciously sarcastic and mean. And let's face it, I have a bit of a mean streak, and this song hits it. The gospel singing becomes more and more out of place the more I listen to it, but I really don't care. The rest of this song more than makes up for it. I mean, just listen to it! Ain't it fun!
7. "Habits (Stay High)" - Tove Lo
Yeah, this is probably one of the more obvious picks, but I don't pick songs to throw you for a loop. I pick songs because they're damn good. This is damn good.
It's probably the most out-there party-themed song I've heard. There have been songs as of late that have criticized common themes in pop music, most notably Lorde, but this song is different even from those. It's not really a song criticizing the party life. It's simply a narrative. Yeah, remember when those existed in music? The song tells a story of a girl who is so heartbroken that she has to binge on Twinkies, get high, and party all the time to forget about her ex-lover. And it's told beautifully, through Tove Lo's powerful voice and the dark music. It's a musical masterpiece. However, there were six songs I admired more. Never said I was an elitist.
6. "Happy" - Pharrell Williams
Yeah, yeah, the #1 song in America last year, another obvious choice, boo hoo, get over it. This was the #1 song for a reason: it's probably one of the most uplifting songs you could hear. And it's also a song I thought I was going to get tired of quickly. But no, "Happy" stuck with me throughout the year and I didn't regret it one bit. Pharrell brings such energy to the song that you can't help but tap your foot along each time. It truly is a masterpiece of pop, if only for the more earwormingly catchy aspects. And hey, isn't that all that a pop song needs? Well, maybe the Top 5 have more to offer, but a song just getting by on being relentlessly happy, that's pretty damn good. You should be happy, Pharrell. I am too.
5. "Team" - Lorde
Now it took me a little while longer to hop on the Lorde bandwagon than most, but she truly is the goddess of indie rock that we were looking for. Fed up with modern pop music, Lorde gave us "Royals" and now she gives us this, in which she's kinda over being told to throw her hands up in the air. So there. And you know what? I can criticize Lorde all I want, but I'm pretty sure that she won't care. And not in the sense of "I'm rich and I can do whatever I want" (ahem) but in the sense of "this is who I am, and if you don't like it, that's fine." It's a respectable attitude to take, and I see it constantly in her music. The fact that she's just recently turned 18 is impressive as well. I had no idea of her age when I first encountered her, and it's reassuring to know that we have girls like her to take the future of pop music to whole new levels.
4. "Rather Be" - Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne
I did have some criticisms of this song when I first looked at it, and those criticisms still stand. It's too busy and unfocused at some parts. But at least there was effort put into this, rather than succumbing to old tropes like Calvin Harris did this year. And overall, the effort pays off. I like Jess Glynne's vocals, I like the instrumentation despite its flaws, and I like the overall uplifting message the lyrics have.
When I am with you
There's no place I'd rather be
It's just a fun song to listen to, and I can never fault a song for being fun, especially when it's so smartly composed. Kudos to you, Clean Bandit. Let's hear more from you in 2015.
3. "Bang Bang- wait, seriously?!
Okay, how did this sneak onto my list?
"Bang Bang" - Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj
Okay... this one might require some heavy explanation.
I don't know, overall it's just a fun song to listen to. It delivers exactly what it promises, a bang banger to satisfy your stupid pop music craving. It's like a good Katy Perry song; it's mindless, but it does make you pay attention. There are a lot of flaws with this song, probably the most of all the songs on my list. But I can overlook those flaws to find an enjoyable listen, even if the song is stupid. This wasn't so much of an explanation as an admission of guilt, was it? Oh well, either one works. Bang bang away!
2. "Problem" - Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea
Was this seriously a surprise to anybody? I pretty much fell in love with this song the moment I first heard it, and gushed over it appropriately. So I don't even know what else to say here. Everything about it works. It's a pop masterpiece. I'm just reiterating what I've already said. More so than the other entries, I mean.
Well, let's get to my number one pick, which I didn't even review this year. The reason for this had to do with the fact that it crept into the Year End chart at #97, so it wasn't a huge enough hit to fall under my radar. But when I looked over the entire list, I knew it had to be my #1 hit of the year. And if I had to describe it in one word, it would be "redemption".
1. "0 to 100/The Catch Up" - Drake
Remember "Started from the Bottom"? That awful song that made me finally give up on Drake ever embracing his true potential as an artist? Yeah, well, talk about night and day with this song. This is everything "Started from the Bottom" should have been. Introspective, tight, emotional, and relatable. Drake turns from my perpetual punchline into a contender for one of the best rappers of the decade. The lyrics here are some of the best I've heard, and definitely the best I've heard from Drake. He talks about having to grow up quicker than most kids, his understanding of people thinking he's fake, and even admission to his own faults. I get Drake now. I totally understand Drake as an artist now. One song can have that much power. Don't ever think otherwise.
And with that, we say goodbye to 2014, and hope for even bigger and better things this year! My blog is now averaging about 25 views per day, something I'm stoked about! I thank all my readers for your support, and I hope it continues throughout this year.
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