Daily Playlist — Top 200 Tracks of 2017 (120–101)
The fifth part of our Best of 2017 series
120. Perfume Genius — “Valley”
“Valley” is a song about suffering, and wondering when everything comes to an end. It is a graceful, pulsing tribute to another lost soul, a friend named Michelle. The Guardian described the song, saying, “Valley is haunted by the thought that sorting your life out doesn’t necessarily make it easier: ‘How long do we have to live right, before we don’t even have to try?’”
119. Dagny — “Wearing Nothing”
“Wearing Nothing” is about more than just wanting to be naked with someone. It’s about wanting to be completely bare with someone and be as close as possible both emotionally and physically. The song captures attention with its shimmering melody and thumping beats, but its real weapon is the funky bass line and guitar riffs.
118. Run The Jewels — “Legend Has It”
Pitchfork says about the track: “On ‘Legend Has It,’ a non-stop rapathon, there aren’t any raps about puppeteer presidents, no mentions of revolution; it just feels like an act of resistance.”
117. Blondage — “Stoned”
“Stoned” is a bright, summery, and cool piece of electronic pop, packed with thumping bass and auspicious auto-tuned goodness.
116. Future — “Incredible”
On the song, Future raps in a warbled Auto-Tune over a bassline and a keyboard riff, steeping in a budding relationship so pure he sounds ecstatic as he repeats the title over and over.
115. Lorde — “Homemade Dynamite”
At the height of the home party, Lorde becomes slightly self-deprecating. “Homemade Dynamite” utilizes the titular image to depict the on-going house party (bangers) and having a blast with someone new but at the same time, the “dynamite” symbol is also auspicious, auguring that the relationship will ultimately be torn apart.
114. The xx — “Replica”
Their latest album is their fullest sounding to date, undeniably having taken some risks after the huge critical success of Jamie xx’s solo album In Colour. “Replica” works as a meta-commentary on the state of the band. “Feels like the song’s already been sung,” Oliver sings. “Replica” is very xx, but at the same time it doesn’t sound exactly like any of their previous songs.
113. Sonder — “Too Fast”
The R&B slow jam “Too Fast” was written by Faiyaz — the voice of Sonder — and dives into the stresses a 20-something might encounter. The Fader reviews: “Faiyaz sings with deliberate calculation, soulfully laying down lyrics packed with harmonious introspection. It’s almost as if he’s singing in a whisper on tracks that explore living a fast-paced life.”
112. Downtown Boys — “A Wall”
“A Wall” is a knowing nod of acknowledgement that a wall is just a structure, and not a solution to larger prejudice. So when Downtown Boys’ vocalist Victoria Ruiz screams on the f-bomb-laden track, she’s asking us to confront the oppression and white supremacy that allows for the wall to exist.
111. Dirty Projectors ft. D∆WN — “Cool Your Heart”
While he seems to be dealing with his heartbreak with a sledgehammer on the majority of Dirty Projectors, Longstreth is so much more forgiving on this track, cooing over the soft, off-kilter beats.
110. LCD Soundsystem — “american dream”
The song is one velvety, languid slow jam, serving as the backdrop for James Murphy to sing in a frail falsetto over and over as mid-life crisis takes over him. He wakes up after a one night stand, contemplating his age and his life, and if the “american dream” is even realistic to someone like him.
109. Jessie Reyez — “Gatekeeper”
“Gatekeeper” confronts sexism and misogyny in the music industry and was based on Jessie Reyez’s past experiences with an abuser. Delivering her vocals differently on the verses and the chorus, the singer creates a powerful juxtaposition to put the message across.
108. Yellow Days — “A Little While”
Seventeen-year-old Yellow Days aka George Van den Broek sings with a warm, raspy voice over drum grooves and synths. The track feels decidedly anachronistic, like it’s right out of the 20s with the retro vibe, but the house-inspired backbeat and the 80s synths gives it a modern exterior.
107. Trippie Redd — “Romeo & Juliet”
While the new Trippie Redd mixtape is rather poorly structured, “Romeo & Juliet” proves his hook-making and confessional writing ability.
106. Slowdive — “Star Roving”
In “Star Roving,” Slowdive pick and choose elements from their past works, allowing them to bask in the benefit of their hindsight. Also, by distilling elements of their prior selves, they have avoided one of the biggest pitfalls — recycling without renovating.
105. Nilüfer Yanya — “Baby Luv”
Built around a simple guitar accompaniment, “Baby Luv” is just as raw as the live version when it was first performed. The song is about “suppressing your feelings and not being able to feel the normal things like joy and pain,” bringing an earnestness and sadness not present in her previous works.
104. Rae Sremmurd — “Perplexing Pegasus”
Pitchfork commends Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi: “[They] are a two-man circus celebrating carefree living to the fullest, back-flipping through verses.” Mike WiLL Made-It continues to reimagine what a Rae Sremmurd song can sound like, backing his proteges with an elaborate drum pattern, augmented with glitchy cymbals and hi-hats.
103. Radiohead — “Man of War”
Among the previously unreleased track on OKNOTOK, “Man of War” is the one that fits in with the original track listing. Opened with the guitar sound found in tracks like “No Surprises,” the song follows with a dreamy bassline and a depressed beat. By the end of the song, the track is bellowing with edgy guitars similar to that of “Electioneering.” It ends calmly, coming to a full circle just like the message it’s conveying.
102. Kesha — “Woman”
You would think that a song written in response to Donald Trump’s pussy grabbing comment should be serious. In contrary, Kesha is having fun on the track, embracing the OTT side of her persona. At the beginning of the female-empowerment anthem “Woman,” she gives her co-writer a command to shut up, before taking charge. She laughs through the second verse, while exclaiming ruthlessly in the chorus over a funky country/rock instrumentation. On the female-empowerment anthem spectrum, there’s Meghan Trainor on one end and the Knowles sisters (Beyoncé and Solange) on another. Thankfully, “Woman” is definitely more “***Flawless” than “All About That Bass.”
101. Father John Misty — “Ballad of the Dying Man”
On the this track, Tillman’s Father John Misty persona takes on a pathetic character: the Dying Man, a sneering critic and cultural connoisseur. Despite this character’s insufferable attitude, “Ballad of the Dying Man” is warm and inviting with lovely chorus and arrangement, treating the character with skepticism and sarcasm, but also sympathy in the man as a fellow human.
