My completely subjective, utterly mainstream and shamefully limited take on the best singles of the past year. All apologies to any great songs that were ignored or forgotten.
1. "Call Me Maybe" Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen's bubblegum ode to a sudden crush took 2012 by storm, spending nine weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and sending all of America into a lovestruck frenzy of sing-alongs, covers and parodies. But beneath the zeitgeist was a truly great song driving this cultural sensation. Jepsen's euphoric flurry of sweet synth strings and delightfully dorky come-ons once again demonstrated teen-pop's brilliant potential to capture the intensity of life's extremes, as refracted through young love. Ain't that crazy?
2. "Climax" Usher
Amidst an extended foray into lifeless dance-pop, this slinky, muted electro-R&B ballad was a welcome return to form for Usher. Playing on the title's double-entendre, he laments a dying relationship in a sexy pillow-talk tone that served as a potent reminder of what a powerful, expressive tool his voice can be. It's a triple-entendre if you consider that "Climax" might just be the best song of his 18-year career.
3. "Some Nights" fun.
"We Are Young" may be the Grammy-nominated #1 hit, but breakthrough trio fun. proved their mettle with follow-up "Some Nights," a pop symphony of grand scope and even grander ambition. Its series of moving parts—a sonic wall of a cappella harmonies breaks into pounding drums, a tinkling piano and then Auto-Tuned warbling—plus searching (and somewhat obtuse) lyrics made for a deeper, more rewarding experience with each subsequent listen. That's a risky, and immensely gratifying, recipe for avoiding one-hit wonder status.
4. "What Makes You Beautiful" One Direction
A decade after the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync disappeared into the annals of pop history, boy bands experienced a mini-comeback, highlighted by the cheeky British lads of One Direction and their undeniable "What Makes You Beautiful." It may be a fluffball of sunny guitars and puppy-dog platitudes, but there's nothing wrong with cheerfully innocent declarations of love done right. Don't roll your eyes; resistance is futile.
5. "Somebody That I Used To Know" Gotye ft. Kimbra
Is there a more unexpected monster smash in recent memory than Gotye's seething kiss-off to a former lover? Almost defiantly quiet and contemplative, it was the polar opposite of the flashy Eurodance anthems dominating pop radio early in the year, making its two-month reign at the top of the charts a remarkable triumph of emotional earnestness. Never underestimate the power of a xylophone hook and a chorus so aching you can't help but be moved to wail along.
6. "Push and Shove" No Doubt ft. Busy Signal and Major Lazer
Guitarist Tony Kanal called it "our 'Bohemian Rhapsody,'" but "Push and Shove" was the most No Doubt-y song on No Doubt's first new album in 11 years. Not that it doesn't take some valuable cues from Queen's famously wacky and beloved rock opera. Shooting from bouncing dancehall verses to a power-pop chorus towering with heavy passion, all of which dovetails by track's end, it's a wild (and wildly satisfying) ride.
7. "Thinkin Bout You" Frank Ocean
This year's buzziest artist deserved the heapings of acclaim for brilliant songs like "Thinkin Bout You," a raw confession of unrequited love. Though simpler and more straightforward than most of channel ORANGE, Frank Ocean makes this one sting with the power of his vivid vocal performance, which perfectly encapsulates his pain with its practiced casualness and moments of piercing falsetto. It's as though he opened his heart and poured all the hurt directly onto record, breaking yours in the process.
8. "Free" Haley Reinhart
Many an American Idol alum has been swallowed by the popstar machine, but season ten's growly, soulful third-place finisher, Haley Reinhart, remained refreshingly true to her old-school spirit on an accomplished debut album. Melding jazzy stylings with radio-friendly songwriting, lead single "Free" was its magnificent peak, especially the blissful, soaring chorus. What a shame it was completely ignored by mainstream audiences.
9. "Little Talks" Of Monsters and Men
In the latter half of the year, indie-rock stylings made a strong resurgence, suggesting pop music's next big trend. The best of the bunch was Icelandic band Of Monster and Men's whimsical, propulsive "Little Talks," which dazzled with its tender coed harmonies and blasting trumpet. Juxtaposing melancholy storytelling—that of a woman talking to her recently deceased husband—against energetic, six-piece revelry, it's a gorgeously cathartic swirl of pain and joy.
10. "Mercy" Kanye West ft. Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz
It didn't make a knockout first impression, but this chilling, thrilling bit of crew rap was a grower. Its dingy, laid-back vibe offered a striking soundscape and splendid summer counterprogramming: Kanye West and friends casually spitting boastful punchlines over a tense, unnerving beat and hauntingly distorted dancehall hook. Big Sean's opening verse is crackerjack stuff for anyone who loves a good ass pun.
11. "The A Team" Ed Sheeran
Coffeehouse jam session gone dark and gritty, delving into drug addiction and prostitution. As a tragic reality slowly unfurls from the lilting beauty of Ed Sheeran's acoustic melody, it's like a sucker punch to the gut, in the greatest possible way.
12. "Gold on the Ceiling" The Black Keys
Good old-fashioned rock and roll: grubby, stomping, manic, awesome.
13. "Want U Back" Cher Lloyd
With mountains of charisma, Cher Lloyd makes her bratty demands for an ex's affections seem utterly charming. Uh!
14. "Beez in the Trap" Nicki Minaj ft. 2 Chainz
Over a beat so sparse it's almost nonexistent, Nicki Minaj lays down swaggering boasts. In a year defined by her failures (flop singles, lackluster pop-friendly efforts, a truly terrible Grammy performance), this was one moment worth remembering.
15. "Ho Hey" The Lumineers
A gentle slice of folksy rock that lifts the spirits with its understated joy, punctuated by celebratory cheers of ho and hey.
16. "Madness" Muse
This stuttering, burbling brooder stuns with its slow build toward a heavenly climax. The five-minute prog-rock trip will leave you feeling not just moved, but entirely shifted.
17. "Adorn" Miguel
So gleefully retro it sounds like Miguel stepped right out of the Temptations singing this relaxed, groovy celebration of his woman.
18. "Too Close" Alex Clare
In which dubstep grew up, combining with Alex Clare's blue-eyed soul to deepen the emotional portrait of his ultra-hip break-up track.
19. "Feel So Close" Calvin Harris
An airily ascendant house confection that feels bigger than the dance floor—electro spiritual uplift boiled down to one simple verse.
20. "Wide Awake" Katy Perry
Lush and surprisingly mature—both sonically and emotionally—"Wide Awake" provided the perfect conclusion to Katy Perry's never-ending Teenage Dream era and one of the best, most honest moments of her career.
21. "Springsteen" Eric Church
Warm orchestration and bittersweet reminiscences create a nostalgic ballad that indeed "sounds like a memory" you never knew you had.
22. "Locked Out of Heaven" Bruno Mars
His alluringly urgent Sting impression—howling in tortured ecstasy over a dubby reggae-pop jam—gave Bruno Mars his best single yet.
23. "Feel Again" OneRepublic
Ryan Tedder let loose and found some soul in this white-boy gospel revival love song.
24. "Sweet Nothing" Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch
Florence Welch is such an incredible performer of music that her throaty howl can make any song come alive with pain and heartbreak, but she gets a great assist here from a deeply emotional EDM track by über-producer Calvin Harris.
25. "Thrift Shop" Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz
Melded humor and hip-hop in impressively legitimate fashion, sustaining a witty concept (and wildly danceable staccato saxophone beat) without ever resorting to ironic winks at the listener.
Honorable mentions: "This Kiss" Carly Rae Jepsen; "I Knew You Were Trouble" Taylor Swift; "Bad Girls" M.I.A.; "Call My Name" Cheryl Cole; "It All Belongs To Me" Monica and Brandy
Best album track: "Turn Me Up" Carly Rae Jepsen
I didn't get to listen to nearly enough new albums in 2012, but my favorite by far was Carly Rae Jepsen's Kiss, a veritable garden of '80s-tastic pop delights. This fizzy tune about ending a relationship over the phone was the standout—and a hit just waiting to happen—with its fantastic chorus of cheesy-genius wordplay ("I'm breaking up with you/You're breaking up on me").
No comments:
Post a Comment