Intro & Honorable Mentions | 100–76 | 75–51 | 50–26 | 25–1 | Full List | Stats & Numbers
75. The 1975 — Somebody Else
The 1975 came back this year with their album, I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it. Yes, I’m not making that up, they’re really that arty. Thankfully, the tracks on it are a bit more straightforward. ‘Somebody Else’ sees frontman Matt Healy ruminate on love and relationships (far more intimately than he’s ever done before) under a beat straight out of an neon 80s flick. The synths are warm blankets, and the guitars crackling TV noise. It’s slightly different from The 1975’s usual ware, slightly more informed by the Blood Orange brand of R&B instead. The chorus is understated in the big picture, repetitive and hypnotic, and by all means, irresistible. — raicicle
74. Britney Spears — Man on the Moon
Remember ‘Alien’, the opening track on the dumpster fire that was Britney Jean? Spears probably doesn’t, but I do — it was a surprisingly touching song about social anxiety, about feeling lost in a crowd and wanting to be left alone, and it felt uniquely personal to the singer in a way that all of the rest of the album failed to do. ‘Man on the Moon’ can be understood as an extension of ‘Alien’. Instead of finding comfort in the stars, Spears finds a lover, but an absent one and whose presence she can only feel in the quiet of the night, when “Darkness comes and love comes alive.” While the song is about abandonment and heartbreak, the song as a whole still feels optimistic, that her lover will eventually return to her as long as she keeps staring at the stars. The pseudo-French mini-liftoff she has in the bridge then truly sounds like a triumphant moment, where either her patience is finally being rewarded or her mind is sinking back into a romantic reverie. — letsallpoo
73. Childish Gambino — Redbone
‘Redbone’ is the slow jam of the year. The bass literally goops around like strawberry jam, and the rest of the song is as syrupy to match. The first half is joyful between its wah-ing guitars and tinkling xylophone. “Stay woke!” the hook begins, in a register barely recognisable as Gambino in the first place. Wokeness, love, intimacy, all themes that get interweaved on the song, and indeed the whole of Childish Gambino’s album, “Awaken, My Love!”. The second half however feels sinister in the distorted multitracked guitar harmony, in an extended jam session that pounds in a riff like monk’s chanting, before suddenly — it stops in silence. — raicicle
72. David Bowie — Lazarus
Lazarus, the biblical figure raised back to life four days after his death by Jesus. A story indeed. 2016 was the year that David Bowie passed away, an icon for basically every musician out there and quite rightly: his discography is towering, his influence unmistakable in modern music, and his version of showmanship basically writing the book on it. Just three days before his death, he released the music video for ‘Lazarus’, which stands by itself but is frankly far more chilling when you relate it to his death. He inevitably knew what was going to happen: there’s something in his eyes as he enters the closet towards the end. A nervous shuffle? Or something else? The music itself saw a release that no-one quite expected from him (but unexpected is expected with Bowie), informed by cosmic otherworldly jazz and shoegazey jams. Hell, Bowie even quoted Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly as an influence, refusing to be just a moment from the 70s. The groove is steady, simultaneously warm and ice-cold. Saxophones twist ethereal in the upper reaches of the mix. “Look up here, I’m in heaven,” Bowie sings. He needn’t worry, everyone is looking. — raicicle
71. Demi Lovato — Body Say
This seductive single written by Lovato, Simon Wilcox (‘Jealous’, ‘If I’m Dancing’), and Sir Nolan (‘Jealous’, ‘Good for You’) received minimal promotion from Lovato and her team. Shortly after the song was finished, Lovato rushed to release it, later stating that the song was exclusively released as a surprise for her fans. The track itself proved to be quite a surprise; Lovato stepped away from the expected loud, assertive vocal style that was heavily employed in her latest album Confident and instead used soft, toned-down vocals in order to effectively convey the sultry essence of the track. Such vocals and zealous lyricism were only previously witnessed in the Confident track ‘Wildfire’, but ‘Body Say’ was able to exhibit the same kind of lust with simpler production and more overt lyricism.
Lovato speaks about her body, describing herself with her body while discussing various sexual scenarios of which she desires. It is almost as if her body dictates her behaviour during sex (“If my body had a say, I wouldn’t turn away”). The meaning of the track is direct: “I want your sex.” Like the much beloved ‘Cool for the Summer’, the sensuality never takes a break within the song. ‘Body Say’ is 3 minutes and 14 seconds packed with heat and passion. —skiddos
70. Desiigner — Panda
Everything seemed to fall right into place for 19-year-old Brooklyn rapper, Desiigner, who dabbed his way through a huge year. He first released ‘Panda’ in December of 2015, but re-released it in February 2016 after signing to GOOD Music and having his song re-worked by Kanye West in The Life Of Pablo. Despite the song not following a traditional pop-song structure and all the criticisms it received for sounding like Future, it peaked at #1 on the Billboard chart and got nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards, BET Hip Hop Awards, and Grammy Awards. Desiigner says the song was inspired by the Grand Theft Auto and Fast and Furious, which explains many quotable lines like “going out like I’m Montana/hundred killers, hundred hammers” and the frequent mention of luxury cars. After seeing the panda emoji and an X6 car outside, he noticed that their colors resembled one another and made that the focus of the song. Now, just about everyone knows the iconic “I got broads in Atlanta” line and you can be sure to hear ‘Panda’ at every party you go to. Regardless of if you enjoy the song or not, no one can deny Desiigner’s fun-loving charisma and energy or his sense of humor around his meme-worthy ad-libs. Hope you killas understand me. — eklxtreme
69. DJ Snake — Let Me Love You [feat. Justin Bieber]
Hopefully, tropical house is on its way out. But it doesn’t hurt to have a few more good songs before it fizzles out. In the vein of the likes of ‘Where Are Ü Now’ or ’Sorry’, we see a producer utilise Justin Bieber’s tones to soundtrack a moody, downbeat EDM-inspired pop song, and ‘Let Me Love You’ is genuinely quite a good effort. One may note that the hook sounds basically like what Maroon 5 copied on ‘Don’t Wanna Know’, but DJ Snake pretty much does it better, since he and Major Lazer basically started the whole trend of copycats by releasing ‘Lean On’. It’s familiar territory for sure, but it’s certainly as good as you can get with this genre, wistful, and equally suited for the party and the accompanying afterparty. — raicicle
68. Dua Lipa — Blow Your Mind (Mwah)
Rising pop starlet Dua Lipa has proven her potential with a slew of singles from her upcoming self-titled album. ‘Blow Your Mind (Mwah)’ is infectious and full of effervescence. Unlike most of the recent confidence anthems, Lipa uses cheeky lyricism to refer to her perseverance. The song uses sass instead of braggadocio. Lipa uses the onomatopoeia (“mwah”) to add to the silliness and sassiness of the song. The song is her way of addressing her doubters — she doesn’t care if people do not accept or agree with her, she will continue to be herself. Lipa blows a kiss to people who shame her for pursuing music or question her authenticity. The bouncy synths, heavy drums, and charming kisses make a song that can brighten up anyone’s day. If you’ve ever had doubts about this pop singer, this youthful electropop song is guaranteed to blow your mind. — skiddos
67. FRENSHIP — Capsize [feat. Emily Warren]
American electronic music duo, consisting of James Sunderland and Brett Hite, team up with American multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated songwriter and vocalist Emily Warren for their breakout duet hit, ‘Capsize’. This track ruled the Spotify charts for months on end (275M views as of now), is certified gold in four countries, and platinum in Sweden. This track is only FRENSHIP’s second single off of their Truce EP, and if this is a good indication of their quality in the future, they’ll be huge. To me, this is one of the few genuinely good pop duets in years, with stellar production, an amazing melody, and so many different layers that trump the likes of its far more basic competitors, such as The Chainsmokers’ ’Closer’. One of the most interesting things about this song is how different the vocalists on this song sound compared to most mainstream singers. Emily Warren’s voice is exotic and unique, and it’s used so well on the hook of this song in pure vocalization. The male voices in this song are also so emotive and contrast masterfully with Warren’s. This is exactly how a duet should be; both of the artists involved have their chance to shine, and they complement each other perfectly. — SkyBlade79
66. Meghan Trainor — NO
‘NO’ is essentially a rework of every 90s pop song you have ever heard in your life. The chainsaw synths at its start recall Backstreet Boys’ ‘Everybody (Backstreet’s Back’ except set to the tune of the piano stabs of Britney Spears’ ‘…Baby One More Time’. The melody recalls Destiny’s Child; the harmonies, the Spice Girls; the title and the attitude almost a direct callback to TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’. All the song is missing is an MTV logo on the album cover and an actual feature from one of the less successful members of NSYNC, and we would have effectively accomplished time travel in 2016. While Meghan Trainor does not make her callbacks subtle by any means, it is a pretty good effort at channeling that era and, in the best way, a far cry from the likes of ‘Dear Future Husband’. The spoken hook of “My name is no, my sign is no, my number is no” is an anchor in the song, and it finally feels as if Trainor has written a song that channels the spirit of girl power in the vein of TLC’s or Destiny’s Child’s biggest hits without feeling demeaning. The phrase ‘guilty pleasure’ is likely to be thrown around this song, but there’s plenty of argument for it to not be as guilty as you think it is. — raicicle
65. MØ — Final Song
MØ absolutely broke out into the mind of the public last year. ‘Lean On’ was her chance, and she’s not letting that pass by quietly. MNEK-produced ’Final Song’ keeps up with what many people loved about ‘Lean On’, between her unique voice and the joy found in euphoric dance-y pop that she so suits. It’s propulsive, fuelled by a weird super-two-step beat, filled with MØ’s Danish energy and nuance, and bouncey as a trampoline. Quite thankfully, it’s not MØ’s final song, because she’s doing pretty well. — raicicle
64. Porter Robinson & Madeon — Shelter
In an electronic music world slowly shifting away from high-speed house bangers towards a slower, reflective, and more sincere sound, alt-EDM producer Porter Robinson and French nu-disco connoisseur Madeon quickly emerged as genre-pioneers with the release of their respective debut albums, Worlds and Adventure. Both albums were praised as sparks for an EDM renaissance; melodically and lyrically, they possessed a certain sense of nostalgia and emotional awareness that electronic music notoriously lacked. 2016 saw the release of ‘Shelter’, a unity of the two artists and a dream collaboration for devoted fans on both sides. At first listen, Shelter predominantly features Madeon’s signature touch; thumping, four-on-the-floor drum sampling, glossy synth chords, and reverb-soaked vocals are at the forefront of this pulsating track. However, Porter Robinson’s distinguishable sound is found within the inner workings; the infectious high-pitched vocal sample is undoubtedly his contribution, and the wistful yet hopeful chord progression is reminiscent of something off Worlds. Despite this, the lyrics are where the greatest connection between both artists lies. “I know I’m not alone, you’ll be watching over us until you’re gone,” Madeon sings in a whispered tone, evoking the same sense of emotional reassurance and poignancy found in both Adventure and Worlds. The melding of these two similar yet unique styles leads to a powerful collaboration that is among both producers’ best work. — bluehxrizon
63. Tinashe — Superlove
The fact that Tinashe released the perfect summer song at the fucking end of August is the perfect symbol of her career, but so be it. Aquarius (and honesty, Nightride as well) largely kept Tinashe lurking beneath a shimmering surface, but ‘Superlove’ is her breaking out and taking the beach by storm. There’s much to love about the song: the glacial synths that open the song and keep it afloat, the rapid-firing beats that build in intensity, and Tinashe herself, propelling everything forward through sheer force. This is Tinashe at her most sugary sweet — her most commercial, if you will — but ‘Superlove’ still showcases all the reasons why she deserves so much more. — letsallpoo
62. Young Thug, Travis Scott — Pick Up the Phone [feat. Quavo]
It’s lit! This song is so good, both lead artists had to put it on their albums: JEFFERY and Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight, respectively. ‘Pick Up The Phone’, a Frank Dukes- and Vinylz-produced party anthem, is about Thugger, Travis, and Quavo calling up their girl. The song is extremely bouncy and catchy; it’s really fun to sing along with Travis making phone rings, “LIKE BRRRRRR”. Young Thug brings a verse that’s full of his typical energy and his usual memorable lines. The highlight of this particular verse is probably, “Got screws in my mouth, I’m just preppin’ it / I’m fucking this cash, I’m not celibate”. Finally, Quavo’s verse also brings tons of memorable and witty quotes (This is actually his highest charting song as a solo artist, separate from Migos). He half-sings and half-raps the lines, “Birds in the trap sing Brian McKnight/Percocet and Codeine please don’t take my life”. This line gave Travis the inspiration to name his album. Then he delivers my favorite set of lines of the entire year: “Girl you’re so cute and your ass is nice/Drinkin’ on four and I’m shootin’ dice/Wrist polar bear, Klondike/And I’m loving all races, hell nah don’t discriminize”. Literally ended discriminization. When will your fave? — FuckUpSomeCommasYeah
“Young Thug, Travis Scott - Pick Up the Phone [feat. Quavo]”
61. Alicia Keys — In Common
R&B queen Alicia Keys teased fans many times between her albums Girl on Fire and Here — with five singles in between the album releases. However, Keys kicked off the new era with the song ‘In Common’. A welcome departure from her previous R&B sound, the hypnotic song had much more tropical and dancehall vibes, with touches of Latin and African music. This is unsurprising, considering that Alicia worked with Grammy Award-winning hitmaker Illangelo, who had previously worked with the likes of The Weeknd, M.I.A. and Drake. On a separate note, the aesthetics for her new era were on-point. Combinations of black and white, complimented by Alicia embracing her black heritage and style. — Kaphox
59. Coldplay — Hymn for the Weekend
With ‘Hymn for the Weekend’ comes a message so unabashedly positive that it could have only ever come from the mind of Chris Martin. “Life is a drink and love’s a drug,” he sings in the verses, making the chorus’s “got me feeling drunk and high” far more PG than it otherwise would be. Cheesy universality is standard Coldplay fare, so it is instead Beyoncé and producing duo, Stargate, of Rihanna fame, that bring something new to their sound. In recent years, the band have been no stranger to a female duet (with features from Kylie Minogue, Rihanna, and now both Beyoncé and Tove Lo), and they manage to make it work pretty much all of the time. The presence of a name like Beyoncé, and a greater pop sound than ever, doesn’t do much to change the band dynamic however, and the song features some of the more prominent, dynamic guitar and bass parts in their discography. It is certainly the pop touches that make the song however — the horn-filled, R&B-inspired pre-chorus as Beyoncé harmonises with Chris Martin rattles with a genuinely convincing trendiness not oft associated with Coldplay. — raicicle
58. D.R.A.M. — Broccoli [feat. Lil Yachty]
(writeup coming soon)
— raicicle
57. Hannah Diamond — Fade Away
2016 saw PC Music star and professional image maker Hannah Diamond keeping up with her trend of releasing one or two songs per year with Fade Away. With such a small discography (‘Fade Away’ is Diamonds seventh solo song), it’s really easy to recognize that unrequited love is a big theme for her. When you listen to all of her solo songs back to back, it’s really impressive how many creative angles Diamond can tackle this issue. Fade Away continues her exploration into unrequited love. In this song, she talks about a breakup with a person who’s given up on the relationship. “Maybe you’ve given up. Maybe it’s just my luck.” But Hannah Diamond doesn’t want to give up on it begs him to stay. “Wish we could talk things through. Wish I could click undo.”
Another theme we see glimmering through Diamonds discography is how technology affects human connectivity. She sings, “I thought I’d be/the picture saved on your screen/Now it’s of something else/what does that even mean.” The production of ‘Fade Away’ sounds cold and sterile but vocally Hannah manages to sound really warm and sweet. Yet we can hear how hurt she is. It’s like she’s trying to maintain composure when all she wants to do is cry. It’s bizarre how someone so consistent with imagery and themes hasn’t released an album yet. Hopefully 2017 will be the year Diamond releases a full album instead of teasing us with glimpses into her strong artistic vision. — alternativeoxygen
56. Major Lazer — Cold Water [feat. Justin Bieber & MØ]
(writeup coming soon)
— raicicle
55. Miiike Snow — Genghis Khan
Before 2016, indie group Miike Snow — a trio composed of two Swedish producers and an American singer, with two studio albums under their belt dating as early as 2009 — was unknown to the public. As the year comes to a close, Miike Snow is still unknown to the public; but, odds are, people have heard ‘Genghis Khan’ somewhere, whether it be in commercials, or through play on alternative radio. Using one of the most confusing metaphors in recent pop music memory, ‘Genghis Khan’ peaked at #7 on the US Alternative Songs Billboard chart, and was accompanied by one of the most memorable videos of the entire year. Every element of the song comes together perfectly to create a stellar indie-pop jam. From the extremely catchy hook to the whistling “do do do”s throughout the song, it’s as if it was engineered to get stuck in your head. Even the primary metaphor- “I get a little bit Genghis Khan”- is so perfectly perplexing that it has a certain allure about it, so much so that, as a listener, one can empathize with the singer without even understanding what the meaning of it is. The song paints a picture of a jealous, irrational lover who is conflicted in his wants and desires, and the complexity in just the meaning alone is enough to take this song to another level; when the layered, piano-driven production is added as well, it all comes together to form one of the most popular alt-pop songs of the year. — ffourthofjuly
54. Nick Jonas — Close [feat. Tove Lo]
‘Close’ is a sultry, brooding subversion of the pop ballad. Its opening fuzzy, distorted steelpan hits takes the place of what would usually be a piano, and evokes yet another steelpan duet in Drake’s and Rihanna’s ‘Take Care’. Where Drake and Rihanna’s track found its unease in Jamie xx’s inspired use of a Gil Scott-Heron sample, ‘Close’ opts for an altogether more minimal beat, a synth that sounds like a ticking clock and a chorus that undulates back and forth like a rocky ocean. Nick Jonas works on the track just fine, but it’s Tove Lo that really shines on the moody production, her nuanced accent piercing through the fog of hall reverb. — raicicle
53. Solange — Don’t Touch My Hair [feat. Sampha]
(writeup coming soon)
— raicicle
52. Tegan and Sara — Boyfriend
The scenario at the heart of ‘Boyfriend’, about the closeted lover of a protagonist frustrated with hiding their relationship, is more convoluted than what belongs in such a featherlight pop song. And it is unmistakably a pop song; the bubbly riffs are delicious, and the undercutting synths are Carly-esque in their unrelenting cheeriness. But the effervescent production masks genuine heartbreak (which is also Carly-esque), where being treated “like a very best friend” is a pejorative when there’s potential for more. ‘Boyfriend’ is about a uniquely queer experience, a sad one at that, and its explicitness — which is thematically significant, considering the song’s frustration with hiding true feelings — still feels refreshing in today’s pop landscape. The duo themselves used to write songs in the second person in order to avoid pronouns; their refusal to hide their feelings here makes the song all the more powerful. — letsallpoo
51. The Weeknd — Party Monster
This monster of a bop begins with haunting synths that signify Abel’s presence; wherever he is, he’s there for all of the bitches and all of the blow. He’s already let you know that he’s the shit with the previous track ‘Starboy’, and in ‘Party Monster’ he is taking the listener to a state in which his fans are all too familiar with. Throughout this dark, creeping track, Abel is switching his tense from the night before to the morning after a with a girl he picked up at a strip club. He wants the listener to know that he’s “good”… “great”, even, but the end of this track reveals that he might not be as chill as he convinces himself to be. After he searches through his house checking that the bitches he brought home had not stolen from him, an uncredited Lana Del Rey provides seeping, sultry “Paranoid”s along with Abel who seems to be facing the downsides of a life filled with money, drugs, and girls. This track is a classic Weeknd staple; it gives us his various exploits alongside a dark, solemn vibe that reaches its peak with the Queen of Sadness, Lana. ‘Party Monster’ is Abel’s way of placing into Starboy his signature self-destructive behavior and exploits while also giving a peek into his disgruntled psyche, peeling back a layer of Starboy and giving depth to his character. — superr_rad
Intro & Honorable Mentions | 100–76 | 75–51 | 50–26 | 25–1 | Full List | Stats & Numbers
