Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

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Romain
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Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Romain »

It's time to start a new topic!

Talk about your favourites or disappointments here!

I start with Wax Tailor, who, in his latest album, has several excellent songs : Just a Candle, Everybody, Shining Underdog, Déjà Vu are all very enjoyable.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by rumpdoll »

My first Top 10 candidate was already released on the 1st of January.
Ja, Panik is back again after many years with the excellent "Apocalypse or Revolution". There will be an album, too in april probably
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Rdwdbob »

I just discovered Skyway Man last night on the Metacritic site. They gave the latest release an 88. Listened to it and was blown away! The problem is they have a release date of January 8, 2021 and the iTunes store in the US has it listed as October 23, 2020. Maybe the worldwide release just happened? I'm going with that as this one absolutely needs to be recognized right now this year! The album is 'The World Ends When You Die' and the track 'Did Ya Know Him?' is in my heavy rotation list.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Holden »

The first song I've added to my songs of 2021 playlist is "Chemtrails Over the Country Club," which is even better than "Let Me Love You Like a Woman,: in my opinion.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Rob »

Rdwdbob wrote: Sat Jan 23, 2021 4:22 pm I just discovered Skyway Man last night on the Metacritic site. They gave the latest release an 88. Listened to it and was blown away! The problem is they have a release date of January 8, 2021 and the iTunes store in the US has it listed as October 23, 2020. Maybe the worldwide release just happened? I'm going with that as this one absolutely needs to be recognized right now this year! The album is 'The World Ends When You Die' and the track 'Did Ya Know Him?' is in my heavy rotation list.
It's a 2020 album, as it was indeed released in October, digitally. The physical release happened on the 8th of January indeed, which is perhaps the reason most publications only notice it now? It shouldn't be, but apparently that's how it goes.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by poorpete »

I was finishing up my yearly mix I make my friends and wanted to share "Ju$t" which is great but I'm not a fan of how suddenly the song ends. De La Rocha scream raps one second and then it just stops at the end of his verse, making transitioning to the next song difficult. So I was overjoyed that they added a remix a few weeks ago that gave the chorus one more go.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=fKU_K ... ture=share
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Pauler »

My favorite 2021 song so far has to be "Pick Up Your Feelings" from her excellent new EP Heaux Tales. Her vocals are absolutely unbelievable.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by mileswide »

poorpete wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 2:55 am I was finishing up my yearly mix I make my friends and wanted to share "Ju$t" which is great but I'm not a fan of how suddenly the song ends. De La Rocha scream raps one second and then it just stops at the end of his verse, making transitioning to the next song difficult. So I was overjoyed that they added a remix a few weeks ago that gave the chorus one more go.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=fKU_K ... ture=share
That is an improvement on the original, they should do more club-friendly tracks! The Mexican Institute remix of ooh la la is an upgrade as well- I do rate El-P but I wish he varied his beats more (even though I know DJ Premier produced ooh la la).
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Schüttelbirne »

Some additional stuff I didn't talk about in the albums thread (because it's not on albums yet, obviously):

Ja, Panik | "Apocalypse or Revolution" -> Song of the year for me at this point. Incredible and atmospheric. If the album is like this, I will be a very happy pear.

Black Country, New Road | "Track X" -> Madly excited for the album. Judging from what they've released, it's gonna be great.

Arca ft. Oliver Coates | "Madre" -> very classical 10 minutes track, almost baroque in its mood (I mean the actual baroque, not Baroque Pop which has nothing to do with baroque)

Whispering Sons | "Surface" -> hard post-punk, a lot of fun

Randi Pontoppidan & Thomas Buckner | "Hide" -> don't listen to it, you won't like it, I swear it. I think it's wonderfully weird, but I won't listen to the album because I don't think I could take it for longer than four minutes.

Snowpoet | "Roots" -> jazzy pop, very pleasant

Additionally, some stuff from the Weekly Chart I liked:

Viagra Boys | "In Spite of Ourselves"
Basic Bitches | "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"
Danny Elfman | "Sorry"
Julien Baker | "Hardline"
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Nick »

The new Iceage single, "Vendetta", sounds like 90s era Primal Scream covering "Sunshine Superman". Naturally, I'm liking it a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrW11MpeKqg
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Nick »

My new SOTY so far, Kero Kero Bonito's "The Princess and the Clock". I like this side of KKB a lot more than the stuff off of Time n Place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncBPcx4RdbE
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by poorpete »

Can't tell if the new Bruno Mars / Anderson Paak song will take over the world or just my life, but I love the joy exuded here. I was hooked the moment Paak smiles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adLGHcj_fmA

(and the fade out!)
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Chambord »

My Top 10 so far:

1 Black Country, New Road - Opus
2 Julien Baker - Hardline
3 Kings Of Leon - The Bandit
4 Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage
5 The Weather Station - Parking Lot
6 Shame - Born in Luton
7 Wolf Alice - The Last Man On Earth
8 Julien Baker - Favor
9 The Weather Station - Atlantic
10 Cassandra Jenkins - Michelangelo
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Post by Bruno »

poorpete wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 12:35 pm Can't tell if the new Bruno Mars / Anderson Paak song will take over the world or just my life, but I love the joy exuded here. I was hooked the moment Paak smiles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adLGHcj_fmA

(and the fade out!)
YES!
This songs is really great, one of my favourites of the last years for sure.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Wisnu Tirta Aji »

Raissa Anggiani's latest single, "Losing Us.", especially for her voice, always reminds me of those solo women acts: Kate Bush (especially for singing her ballads), Sydney Sierota (of the American Rock band, Echosmith; which was Sydney Sierota's vocal nearly closest to Raissa Anggiani's vocal), Tori Amos (especially for her piano tune), and other stuff about solo women acts.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Wisnu Tirta Aji »

poorpete wrote: Fri Mar 05, 2021 12:35 pm Can't tell if the new Bruno Mars / Anderson Paak song will take over the world or just my life, but I love the joy exuded here. I was hooked the moment Paak smiles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adLGHcj_fmA

(and the fade out!)
Inspired by the end of ?'s "Blind the Wind" (aka "The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet")? This power ballad was getting viral since 2019 and still popular until now!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zPGf4liO-KQ

Or inspired by the nostalgia of the music of those old songs, especially for the 1970s?
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Holden »

The new Lil Nas X track is pretty fun, and has good production and really strong vocals. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and with all the buzz I bet it hits pretty high come EOY
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by rumpdoll »

The new Jenny Hval (as Lost Girls) - Menneskekollektivet is generally fantastic, but the second half of Love, Lovers is something else ... wow

Also Wu-Lu - South: I wouldn't mind a new trend of mixing Hip Hop with guitars if it sounds like that
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Schüttelbirne »

A very preliminary list that would probably look completely different tomorrow. I have about 120 songs in my 2021 playlist and the 40 below are the highlights. There's some that I need to get accustomed to more, of course and on a different day I might choose different stand-out tracks from the albums. I noticed that there's a lot of long tracks here...
The Top 10 is pretty great and will certainly make the EOY list.


1 | Ja, Panik | „Apocalypse or Revolution“ [madly excited for the album next month]
2 | Whispering Sons | „Surface“
3 | Noname | „Rainforest“ [thanks to mileswide for this one!]
4 | black midi | „John L“
5 | Snowpoet | „Roots“ [I know this was released last year, but it wasn‘t on my list then, so I‘ll just bend time]

6 | The Underflow | „Gethsemani Night“
7 | Sibusiso Mash Mashiloane | „Sabela Uyabizwa“ [wish more of the album was like this]
8 | Suho Meso | „An Important Message to Every Man and Woman in America Losing His or Her Hair“
9 | Alexander Hawkins ft. Evan Parker & Riot Ensemble | „Optimism of the Will“
10 | Work, Money, Death | „Dawn“

11 | Cameron Graves | „Sons of Creation“
12 | Fikir Amlak & Brizion | „Higher Level“
13 | Empyrium | „Über den Sternen“
14 | LICE | „Arbiter“ [this is scathing]
15 | Show Me the Body | „Rubberband“

16 | Arlo Parks | „Caroline“ [is the whole album like this? If so, I might listen to it, because this is great]
17 | William Parker | „Paintings in the Sky“ [great vocal jazz track, 10 minutes]
18 | Five the Hierophant | „Fire from Frozen Cloud“
19 | Punkt.Vrt.Plastik | „Fraustadt“
20 | Fire! | „A Random Belt. Rats You Out.“

21 | Niels Munk | „Beginning Laboratory Blues“
22 | The Underflow | „An Optimist Declines“
23 | Black Country, New Road | „Opus“
24 | Gojira | „Born for One Thing“
25 | Kìzis | „Redbody“

26 | Empyrium | The Three Flames Sapphire“
27 | Ja, Panik | „Backup“
28 | Chris Potter | „Southbound“ [looking forward to the album]
29 | Punkt.Vrt.Plastik | „Natt Raum“
30 | Deathgoat | „Chainsaw Abortion“ [greatest song title of the year so far]

31 | Lost Girls | „Menneskekollektivet“
32 | Five the Hierophant | „Leaf in the Current“
33 | Susie Ibarra ft. Claire Chase & Alex Peh | „Talking Gong“
34 | Kìzis | „Side of the Road“
35 | Black Country, New Road | „Instrumental“

36 | Genesis Owusu | „Centrefold“ [really not sure about the standout track, this might change]
37 | Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi | „Calling Me Home“
38 | Nick Cave & Warren Ellis | „Hand of God“
39 | Alexander Hawkins ft. Evan Parker & Riot Ensemble | „Indistinguishable from Magic“
40 | Arca ft. Oliver Coates | „Madre“
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Edre Depeche Head »

Here are my Top 10 of each month so far with all the best of the best being bolded.

JANUARY

1. Arlo Parks - Hope
2. Saweetie - Best Friend (feat. Doja Cat)
3. Jazmine Sulivan - Lost One

4. Martin Gore - Capuchin
5. Juice WRLD - Bad Boy (feat. Young Thug)
6. Kenny Elrod - Whenever You're Gone
7. Shame - Born In Lutton
8. Royal Blood - Typhoons
9. Martin Gore - Howler
10. Jazmine Sulivan - Pick Up Your Feelings

FEBRUARY

1. Julien Baker - Favor
2. JPEGMAFIA - Panic Room!
3. Julien Baker - Heatwave
4. Kero Kero Bonito - The Princess and the Clock

5. Post Malone - Only Wanna Be With You
6. Dua Lipa - We're Good
7. Julien Baker - Hardline
8. Nothing Nowhere - Death
9. Julien Baker - Faith Healer
10. Julien Baker - Bloodshot

MARCH

1. Wavves - Sinking Feeling
2. Laura Les - Haunted
3. No Rome - Spinning (with Charli XCX & The 1975)

4. Death From Above 1979 - NYC Power Elite Part I
5. Benny The Butcher - When Tony Met Sosa
6. Lil Nas X - Montero
7. Brockhampton - Buzzcut (feat. Danny Brown)
8. Do Nothing - Uber Alles
9. Silk Sonic - Leave The Door Open
10. Do Nothing - Glueland
Last edited by Edre Depeche Head on Thu Apr 01, 2021 11:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Gillingham »

rumpdoll wrote: Wed Mar 31, 2021 6:38 am The new Jenny Hval (as Lost Girls) - Menneskekollektivet is generally fantastic, but the second half of Love, Lovers is something else ... wow
Agree! Especially with your statement about Love, Lovers' second half. It blew me away.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Arsalan »

"Shy Away" by Twenty One Pilots is my SOTY so far.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Jackson »

After a slow start to the year, the last week or two saw a bunch of excellent songs released IMO:

Jessie Ware - Please
Wolf Alice - Smile
Black Midi - Slow (Loud)
Little Simz - Introvert
Doss - Strawberry
Jordana feat. Magdalena Bay - Push Me Away
Squid - Pamphlets
Burial - Space Cadet
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by prosecutorgodot »

Edre Peraza wrote: Thu Apr 01, 2021 2:05 am 7. Brockhampton - Buzzcut (feat. Danny Brown)
Hell yes, best feature of the year.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by BleuPanda »

The new collaboration by Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen might end up being my song of the year.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Jackson »

BleuPanda wrote: Fri May 21, 2021 3:30 pm The new collaboration by Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen might end up being my song of the year.
Certainly seems like the buzziest song released in a while. On my first listen it was a little too close to a Springsteen pastiche for me; the riff after the chorus even sounds similar to Born to Run. Still love to see two big artists in their prime teaming up like this.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Holden »

Lil Nas X released another track today, "SUN GOES DOWN." His second winner this year, in my book. I've pretty excited for the eventual release of this album, assuming that's what these singles are leading up to.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Chambord »

My Top 15 so far:

1 Black Country, New Road - Opus
2 Julien Baker - Hardline
3 Black Midi - John L
4 Kings Of Leon - The Bandit
5 Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen - Like I Used To
6 Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - Carnage
7 The Weather Station - Parking Lot
8 Shame - Born in Luton
9 Wolf Alice - The Last Man On Earth
10 Squid - Narrator
11 Dry Cleaning - Strong Feelings
12 Black Midi - Chondromalacia Patella
13 Julien Baker - Favor
14 The Weather Station - Atlantic
15 Cassandra Jenkins - Michelangelo
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Schüttelbirne »

I was thinking about doing a 2021 songs tournament this year, similar to the one last year. I would start it once the armada of polls cools down a bit (certainly after the Eurovision thing has finished), but I wanted to ask if people were even interested.
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Post by andyd1010 »

Schüttelbirne wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:52 pm I was thinking about doing a 2021 songs tournament this year, similar to the one last year. I would start it once the armada of polls cools down a bit (certainly after the Eurovision thing has finished), but I wanted to ask if people were even interested.
I'm interested!
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Jackson »

Schüttelbirne wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:52 pm I was thinking about doing a 2021 songs tournament this year, similar to the one last year. I would start it once the armada of polls cools down a bit (certainly after the Eurovision thing has finished), but I wanted to ask if people were even interested.
For sure! This was a lot of fun last year.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by mileswide »

Schüttelbirne wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:52 pm I was thinking about doing a 2021 songs tournament this year, similar to the one last year. I would start it once the armada of polls cools down a bit (certainly after the Eurovision thing has finished), but I wanted to ask if people were even interested.
I'm sending a flotilla of support for this idea! Yes, in other words 👍
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Holden »

mileswide wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 4:31 pm
Schüttelbirne wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 1:52 pm I was thinking about doing a 2021 songs tournament this year, similar to the one last year. I would start it once the armada of polls cools down a bit (certainly after the Eurovision thing has finished), but I wanted to ask if people were even interested.
I'm sending a flotilla of support for this idea! Yes, in other words 👍
Just curious, would you wanna run an albums tournament (with maybe half as many albums as songs) concurrently? It be interested in both!
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Post by mileswide »

Holden wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 6:18 pm Just curious, would you wanna run an albums tournament (with maybe half as many albums as songs) concurrently? It be interested in both!
I wouldn't want to run the albums tournament unless you meant to @ Schüttelbirne? A simple list format for AOTYs so far like you did halfway through last year might be more viable.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Schüttelbirne »

I agree with mileswide that a simple poll would make more sense for albums. I would also be willing to run it. I'll start the thread soon, if nobody has any objections.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Holden »

Schüttelbirne wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 7:54 pm I agree with mileswide that a simple poll would make more sense for albums. I would also be willing to run it. I'll start the thread soon, if nobody has any objections.
Sounds good! Excited!
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Listyguy »

Lorde released a new single today, "Solar Power" (with an album supposedly coming later this year). It's a nice song, I think I need to listen to it a few more times before saying anything else (however, I was a big fan of "Green Light" from the first time I heard it).
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Holden »

Listyguy wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:47 pm Lorde released a new single today, "Solar Power" (with an album supposedly coming later this year). It's a nice song, I think I need to listen to it a few more times before saying anything else (however, I was a big fan of "Green Light" from the first time I heard it).
I’ll say it grew on me after a couple listens. Definitely not as powerful as her other big singles, but that also doesn’t seem to be the point.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Jackson »

Holden wrote: Fri Jun 11, 2021 3:30 pm
Listyguy wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:47 pm Lorde released a new single today, "Solar Power" (with an album supposedly coming later this year). It's a nice song, I think I need to listen to it a few more times before saying anything else (however, I was a big fan of "Green Light" from the first time I heard it).
I’ll say it grew on me after a couple listens. Definitely not as powerful as her other big singles, but that also doesn’t seem to be the point.
The George Michael vibes have been cited in a number of reviews and the similarity to Freedom stood out to me instantly upon first listen.
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Post by Nassim »

Jackson wrote: Sat Jun 12, 2021 12:09 am
Holden wrote: Fri Jun 11, 2021 3:30 pm
Listyguy wrote: Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:47 pm Lorde released a new single today, "Solar Power" (with an album supposedly coming later this year). It's a nice song, I think I need to listen to it a few more times before saying anything else (however, I was a big fan of "Green Light" from the first time I heard it).
I’ll say it grew on me after a couple listens. Definitely not as powerful as her other big singles, but that also doesn’t seem to be the point.
The George Michael vibes have been cited in a number of reviews and the similarity to Freedom stood out to me instantly upon first listen.
I got more of a Screamadelica vibe on my side !

I think Billie Eilish won that first duel of New Pop Overlords, neither song got the ear catching power of their earlier hits, but Lost Cause works better as a whole, sets the mood better and, aside for Lorde's Tribe Called Quest reference, is a bit more memorable.
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Dan »

I've been catching up on music from 2021 this month. The 25 songs below are my favourites from what I've heard so far. Quite a few of them are actually from earlier than 2021 but (I think) they meet our usual eligibility criteria for year-end forum lists where it's OK to include songs from a previous year, and I'm including those songs as I only became aware of them this year.

1 | Celeste | Stop This Flame
A song about not giving up that reminds me of Florence + the Machine at their most rousing; but the style here is more R&B-focused with elements of upbeat jazz thanks to the repeated minor-key piano passage. And when Celeste belts out the chorus while strings are added to the music, it gets euphoric.

2 | Japanese Breakfast | Be Sweet
I love how bright this song sounds right from the get-go: an irresistible bass groove starts things off and is soon supported by glowing synths and funky guitars; and above this Michelle Zauner sounds like she is singing to us from some serene place in outer space. The chorus sounds less like it's from outer space and more like conventional dance-pop to me, but it all somehow works together effectively.

3 | Little Simz | Introvert
This song is definitely part-introvert, with poignant, reflective lyrics about identity, social injustice and political awakening. But with those military-like drum rolls and larger-than-life, cinematic orchestral arrangements happening in-between it's also a rallying cry to stand up to the injustice. I don't like to use the word "epic" often, but I think it's an apt description for the production here.

4 | Christine Salem | Tyinbo
It's easy to get lost in the laid-back rhythms and vibe of this song - as well as Christine Salem's deep voice - but don't be fooled by the tranquility as it is actually a protest song about domestic violence against women. The music style here is a genre from Réunion called maloya, and the song has an even more powerful impact now that I know maloya is predominantly performed by men.

5 | San Salvador | La Liseta
San Salvador is a group of six Occitan speakers who use minimal percussion (other than their hands) and rely on their voices to create high-energy polyphonic singing. This is the longest track on their album La grande folie but it’s the one that I feel showcases their technical singing ability and flair for climactic build-up the best.

6 | Arlo Parks | Caroline
In this song, Arlo Parks narrates the scene of a couple arguing in a London café. We don't know what happened before or after this argument, but the story is told so engagingly and the accompanying music has such a hazy warmth that by the end of the song it feels like I have gone through quite a lot of emotions with this couple.

7 | For Those I Love | I Have a Love
A spoken-word track filled with grief and anger by For Those I Love, real name David Balfe, about his best friend who took his own life. The alternative dance beats feel like light at the end of the tunnel after an intense period of trying to make sense of his loss.

8 | Mdou Moctar | Afrique Victime
I've been a fan of North African desert blues for many years now, but Mdou Moctar's latest album stands out from others because of the elements of psychedelic rock and hard rock. This is arguably the most exciting track on the album.

9 | Doja Cat feat. SZA | Kiss Me More
The biggest hit and most commercial song on my list, this track about kissing may not have a lot of lyrical depth but has an abundance of catchiness to make up for it. Similar to Doja Cat's hit from last year, "Say So", it is breezy, sunkissed, disco-influenced dance-pop combined with R&B and hip hop, and it is a sound that she has made her own.

10 | Jungle | Keep Moving
Speaking of disco-influenced music imbued with the sound of summer, "Keep Moving" is a joyous return from Jungle.

11 | Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augistine | Reach Out
Sufjan Stevens goes back to gentle, intricate indie folk here, this time accompanied by Angelo De Augistine, whose equally tender voice suits him beautifully.

12 | Feu! Chatterton | Monde nouveau
Delightful déjà vu of melodic 90s nouvelle chanson française and 80s synthpop.

13 | Little Simz | I Love You, I Hate You
Another Little Simz song with raw lyrics, impressive production and clever use of samples. This time the subject matter is her relationship with her estranged father. It all sounds less intense than "Introvert", possibly because she wants to express her anger towards her father while not ignoring the love she feels for him... and it's no less impactful. If the first singles are anything to go by, then I have high hopes for Little Simz's upcoming album.

14 | St. Vincent | Down
The idea was for the song to be a revenge fantasy. It turned out to be one, but fortunately rather than being an aggressive song it ended up being a fun synth funk track echoing 70s psychedelia and glam.

15 | Sharon Van Etton & Angel Olsen | Like I Used To
Two leading female indie stars collaborate to create a dense track that wouldn't be out of place on a Bruce Springsteen heartland rock album.

16 | serpentwithfeet | Same Size Shoe
This R&B/neo-soul track by serpentwithfeet, real name Josiah Wise, about the contentment he feels after finding a man who fits him in all the right ways radiates warmth.

17 | Nick Cave & Warren Ellis | White Elephant
Seemingly inspired by the death of George Floyd and protests about monuments associated with racial injustice ("A protester kneels on the neck of a statue / The statue says, 'I can't breathe' / The protester says, 'Now you know how it feels' / And kicks it into the sea"), it mostly has a solemn tone until it suddenly transforms into stirring, uplifting church-like music in the end.

18 | Lucy Dacus | Thumbs
Another song about an estranged father, this track with its haunting, minimalist arrangement tells the story of the singer supporting her friend while they meet her father in a bar. She is so upset by this encounter that she declares, "I would kill him if you let me".

19 | Cassandra Jenkins | Hard Drive
I never thought I'd have two spoken-word tracks in one list, but never say never, right? Cassandra Jenkins recounts tales of unexpected interactions with strangers over minimal, jazzy instrumentals. It sounds more and more profound everytime I listen to it.

20 | Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert & Jon Randall | Waxahachie
Of all the gorgeous country and folk songs on the trio's album "The Marfa Tapes", this is the one I like the most. I could listen to them playing this around a campfire every night.

21 | Daniel Knox | Fool in the Heart
Piano chords repeatedly rise and fall beautifully while Daniel Knox's baritone sounds both grand and understated.

22 | Lord Huron feat. Allison Ponthier | I Lied
A break-up song influenced by 60s country music where both people admit that they haven't been truthful about their intentions and that they are relieved about their marriage dissolving. Ghostlike vocals and instrumentals hover over the scene, creating an other-worldly atmosphere, while at the same time there's a sense of carefree detachment.

23 | Adeem the Artist | Reclaim My Name
An Americana/country album about queer identity isn't something you hear every day, but it is a topic that Adeem the Artist addresses in a sincere and thought-provoking way on their album Cast-Iron Pansexual. To me, the album's closing track, "Reclaim My Name" is the most touching. In the song, Adeem recalls painful memories associated with their identity and expresses a desire to comfort their younger self: "I've been trying to build a machine / That can convert shame into celebration / I'll go back in time and reclaim my name".

24 | Arooj Aftab | Mohabbat
"Mohabbat" is an Urdu song poem that has been performed many times before. Arooj Aftab's version is more restrained than usual - she subtly blends elements of Pakistani classial music with gentle guitars and elongates the notes she sings to create an accute sense of longing.

25 | Joy Oladokun | Breathe Again
A touching ballad about the singer's internal battle between light and darkness. The melancholic piano and strings highlight the precarious point she has reached of either continuing to bend or breaking apart.

...will keep us together.
Henry
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Henry »

Dan wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 12:58 pm 6 | Arlo Parks | Caroline
In this song, Arlo Parks narrates the scene of a couple arguing in a London café. We don't know what happened before or after this argument, but the story is told so engagingly and the accompanying music has such a hazy warmth that by the end of the song it feels like I have gone through quite a lot of emotions with this couple.

9 | Doja Cat feat. SZA | Kiss Me More
The biggest hit and most commercial song on my list, this track about kissing may not have a lot of lyrical depth but has an abundance of catchiness to make up for it. Similar to Doja Cat's hit from last year, "Say So", it is breezy, sunkissed, disco-influenced dance-pop combined with R&B and hip hop, and it is a sound that she has made her own.

11 | Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augistine | Reach Out
Sufjan Stevens goes back to gentle, intricate indie folk here, this time accompanied by Angelo De Augistine, whose equally tender voice suits him beautifully.

14 | St. Vincent | Down
The idea was for the song to be a revenge fantasy. It turned out to be one, but fortunately rather than being an aggressive song it ended up being a fun synth funk track echoing 70s psychedelia and glam.

15 | Sharon Van Etton & Angel Olsen | Like I Used To
Two leading female indie stars collaborate to create a dense track that wouldn't be out of place on a Bruce Springsteen heartland rock album.

17 | Nick Cave & Warren Ellis | White Elephant
Seemingly inspired by the death of George Floyd and protests about monuments associated with racial injustice ("A protester kneels on the neck of a statue / The statue says, 'I can't breathe' / The protester says, 'Now you know how it feels' / And kicks it into the sea"), it mostly has a solemn tone until it suddenly transforms into stirring, uplifting church-like music in the end.
Great descriptions!!!

I am looking forward to listening to each of the above tracks that you described so well and I applaud the brevity of your descriptions as well.

Well done sir.

Thanks!
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Dan
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Dan »

That's very kind of you, Henry. I hope you'll find something that you like among the songs you are not familiar with. I've certainly made plenty of discoveries from your lists through the years.
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sonofsamiam
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by sonofsamiam »

Great seeing the call out for Introvert, Dan ... that was a track I was bummed did not make the cut for the mid-year songs poll.

My faves so far...

black midi - John L: This is just batsh*t crazy stuff, where the band take their template from Schlagenheim and turn it up to 11. There is so much going on in this, and the part of me that loves both dense production and unbelievable playing gets very geeked out. Meant to be played LOUD.

Little Simz - Introvert: Speaking of playing loud and exceptional production... Dan summed it up very well, I will just add that this is hip-hop track of the year for me so far, and I'm very much looking forward to the album.

Spellling - Boys at School: Still grappling with ignoring the hype and trying to listen to the whole album without bias, but this track is quite amazing. It has aspects of "Movies" in the way it employs arpeggios and builds, though this is more sinister and more prog.

San Salvador - La Grande Folie: Took a couple of listens to really hit, but I'm always so happy when something completely defies and then exceeds my expectations.

Fucked Up - Year of the Horse, Act 4: The band dive into full-on prog-opera on this album, and the finale is also the (very long) highlight. This is many parts in one, but extremely satisfying, and I love it when bands take hugely ambitious risks like this.

Mdou Moctar - Afrique Victime: The best guitar music has been coming out of Africa for some time now

Dean Blunt - the rot: A lovely track to close Black Metal 2, this may be my favorite by him

Floating Points, Pharaoh Sanders & London Symphony Orchestra - Promises, Movement 6: The gorgeous climax of this excellent collaboration
Future Critic
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Future Critic »

Here's a very rough ranking of my 20 favorites of 2021 so far:

01. Like I Used To, Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen
02. Solar Power, Lorde
03. The Last Man on Earth, Wolf Alice
04. Be Sweet, Japanese Breakfast
05. Renegade, Big Red Machine and Taylor Swift
06. I Lied, Lord Huron
07. Hope, Arlo Parks
08. Save Your Tears, The Weeknd
09. Hold on to Me, Lauren Daigle
10. Delicious Things, Wolf Alice
11. Hot & Heavy, Lucy Dacus
12. Please, Jessie Ware
13. Let Me Love You Like a Woman, Lana Del Rey
14. Hardline, Julien Baker
15. Hurt, Arlo Parks
16. How Can I Make It OK?, Wolf Alice
17. Smile, Wolf Alice
18. Triple Dog Dare, Lucy Dacus
19. White Dress, Lana Del Rey
20. Driver's License, Olivia Rodrigo
Nick
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Nick »

The new Weeknd song “Take My Breath” is an automatic shoo-in for my top 3 songs of the year. Fantastic Italo disco throwback.
Pauler
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Pauler »

Nick wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 10:46 am The new Weeknd song “Take My Breath” is an automatic shoo-in for my top 3 songs of the year. Fantastic Italo disco throwback.
Also the newest Song of the Week at Stereogum!
Pauler
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by Pauler »

I know a lot of attention has been given to "Be Sweet" by Japanese Breakfast, but my personal favorite has to be "Slide Tackle" from the same album. The tasteful use of horn reminds me of Kaputt by Destroyer and the driving momentum of the instrumentation is so gorgeous. The nasal singing of Michelle really works wonder here too: beautifully wistful

https://open.spotify.com/track/5ksM8r8u ... 2aa5ed4daf
ColmD
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by ColmD »

As with previous years (maybe not last year?!), I have trawled through various sites (acclaimed and unacclaimed, music and arts sites and general websites and blogs) and came across 46 in all for the best songs of 2021 so far.
The top 20 or so songs by mentions are:

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, and Silk Sonic - Leave the Door Open,
Doja Cat Featuring SZA - Kiss Me More
Japanese Breakfast - Be Sweet,
Lil Nas X - MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)
Cardi B - Up
Justin Bieber feat. Daniel Caesar & Giveon - Peaches
Olivia Rodrigo - Drivers License,
Polo G - Rapstar,
BTS - Butter
Megan Thee Stallion - Thot Shit
Saweetie feat. Doja Cat, Jamie & CHANMINA - Best Friend
SZA - Good Days
Jazmine Sullivan feat. H.E.R. - Girl Like Me
Olivia Rodrigo - Good 4 U
Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen - Like I Used To
Cassandra Jenkins - Hard Drive
Drake Featuring Rick Ross - Lemon Pepper Freestyle
Jazmine Sullivan – Pick Up Your Feelings
Nicki Minaj featuring Drake and Lil Wayne - Seeing Green,
St. Vincent - Down 
Willow Smith featuring Travis Barker – Transparent Soul

If I limit it so sites that are acclaimed and other music/arts/entertainment focused, the top songs are similar (top 15)

Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, and Silk Sonic - Leave the Door Open,
Doja Cat Featuring SZA - Kiss Me More"
Japanese Breakfast – “Be Sweet”
Cardi B - Up"
Lil Nas X, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”
Polo G – “Rapstar”
SZA, "Good Days"
IDK and Offset - Shoot My Shot"
Jazmine Sullivan – “Pick Up Your Feelings”
Jazmine Sullivan feat. H.E.R., “Girl Like Me”
Justin Bieber feat. Daniel Caesar & Giveon, "Peaches"
Olivia Rodrigo – “Drivers License”
Saweetie Featuring Doja Cat - Best Friend"
Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen – “Like I Used To”
Willow Smith featuring Travis Barker – Transparent Soul
Young Thug and Gunna - Ski"
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andyd1010
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Re: Songs of 2021 Discussion Thread

Post by andyd1010 »

ColmD wrote: Fri Aug 27, 2021 5:41 pm As with previous years (maybe not last year?!), I have trawled through various sites (acclaimed and unacclaimed, music and arts sites and general websites and blogs) and came across 46 in all for the best songs of 2021 so far.
Thanks for putting this together ColmD! I'm excited to check out the unfamiliar ones after I get my all-time list together. I discovered a lot of favorites from this in 2019 and missed it last year.
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