25. boygenius: Satanist (boygenius)
Why this song: On paper, a song called "Satanist" looks bad, but each singer in this indie supergroup asks if you'd like to be various things, including a nihilist and an anarchist. The group is comprised of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus, who have all had varying levels of success as solo artists but found the perfect recipe to earn top song honors from media outlets like Spin, NPR, and Vice to name a few. They first got my attention when they performed on SNL and I liked it, so here they are.
24. corook: if i were a fish feat. Olivia Barton (Single)
WTS: As corny and overdone as this song was, it's still really catchy, short, and sweet. It's an earworm for sure.
23. Lil Durk: All My Life feat. J. Cole (Almost Healed)
WTS: It's the 2023 version of Nas' "I Can" if it was set in Chicago.
22. Mom Jeans.: Alameda County Fair (Single)
WTS: The winner for the band that I really got into this year was Mom Jeans. This is their first appearance on the list but certainly not their last.
21. Hawthorne Heights: The Storm (Lost Lights EP)
WTS: This song is very early to mid-2000s and the nostalgia factor is so appealing to me.
20. Coi Leray: Players (COI)
WTS: Look there's a reason this beat has been sampled from "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash or "Been Around the World" by Puff Daddy and it's because it's a certified banger. She's definitely inspired more by the latter but it's a fun one to not listen to around the kids.
19. Blink-182: More Than You Know (One More Time...)
WTS: This sounds like it could have easily been on untitled or Neighborhoods (the good songs on that record) and it gave me much more confidence about what this album would sound like after the first two singles.
18. Real Friends: I'm Not Ready (There's Nothing Worse Than Too Late)
WTS: If you read the last list then you already know that I've been loving Real Friends since they came onto my radar 10 years ago. Of the pop-punk revival bands, this is easily my favorite and it's thanks to their emotional choruses and catchy hooks that make it work.
17. Armani White: GOATED feat. Denzel Curry (Road to CASABLANCO)
WTS: This song had me at "Lookin' like Bane in a beater." Denzel Curry's fingerprints were all over the 2022 countdown so any song that he's contributing to in 2023 is getting my attention. This is nerd rap covered up by hooks and beats. In another part of the song, he compares himself to Josh Brolin because of his different colored diamonds because Thanos is GOATED.
16. boygenius: Not Strong Enough (boygenius)
WTS: Very rarely does my taste overlap with people that decide what makes really good music and this song was in the middle of our Venn diagram. All three vocals are beautifully mixed together with each getting a chance to shine throughout.
15. Foo Fighters: Rescued (But Here We Are)
WTS: This song is a weird blend of three different eras of the Foo Fighters in one song. Some parts are from There is Nothing Left to Lose, there's a mix of In Your Honor, and finally a dash of Sonic Highways. It's just a big song from arguably one of the few big rock bands left that still puts out new music.
14. Mom Jeans.: What's Up? (Wassup Single)
WTS: This song entered my thoughts and I feel violated. Also, this is the alternate mix to their song "Wassup" and it is far superior.
13. Blink-182: Dance With Me (One More Time...)
WTS: I wanted to hate it because it is incredibly immature but then it got stuck in my head and I remembered that I'm still immature.
12. Mom Jeans.: clown (Bear Market)
WTS: Another remix of a song that wasn't as good as the version they re-released.
11. The Story So Far: Big Blind (Single)
WTS: If Real Friends is my favorite Pop-Punk revival band then The Story So Far is a close second. If this is indicative of what the rest of their new album will look like, I anticipate a lot of appearances on the 2024 list.
10. Lupe Fiasco: SentRock (Single)
WTS: This is just an extended metaphor with birds mixed with children being interviewed about what their favorite birds are. It might be terrible to many but I cannot stop bopping to this, especially with headphones.
9. Doja Cat: Paint the Town Red (Scarlet)
WTS: Recommended by a student who is obsessed with Doja Cat, I was immediately drawn to the weirdness and the color palate of the video. That led to a successful penetration of this earworm into my brain, which I then shared with the wife and now we spend a good portion of washing dishes humming this song.
8. Olivia Rodrigo: Can't Catch Me Now (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Soundtrack)
WTS: I have not seen the movie yet but I have listened to this song plenty of times. She's literally putting out music that I would've pretended to publically hate in 1997 but listened too in my room in secret. Now, I don't care and I think this song is lovely.
7. Can't Swim: Nowhere, Ohio (Thanks, But No Thanks)
WTS: I am a sucker for anything with Ohio in the title. Then, Can't Swim put out this song very early in the year and it did not leave heavy rotation for the remainder of 2023.
6. KennyHoopla: Marry Kill F***// feat. Travis Barker (Blink and You'll Miss It//)
WTS: A super catchy, but very NSFW, tune amped up by Travis Barker's drumming. KennyHoopla snuck in a 50 with his other song, but this song has been living in my brain since the first half of 2023 and I find myself trying to sing it at the most inappropriate times.
5. Neck Deep: Take Me With You (Single)
WTS: Inspired heavily by Blink-182, this time, Neck Deep has joined the "Aliens Exist" club with their song about wanting to be abducted because Earth sucks.
4. Yellowcard: Hiding in the Light (Childhood Eyes)
WTS: This record was rough but this song is peak Yellowcard.
3. Drake: Search & Rescue (Single)
WTS: A great song for headphones, a bassline that soothes, and a weird part that is just a clip from Keeping Up with the Kardashians. I could not get enough of this song especially when I was trying to wind down for the night. In fact, it was the second-most-played song on this list. What's number one you ask?
2. Noah Kahan: Dial Drunk (Stick Season: We'll All Be Here Forever)
WTS: Why, it's this song that clocked in at number one by a landslide. Some in this house prefer the Post Malone remix, but I'll stick with the original. Noah Kahan was the top-played artist in the Pool household thanks to this song and 2022 favorites "Stick Season", "All My Love", and "Northern Attitude." Kahan continued the streak of SNL performers that I enjoyed when he made his appearance alongside host Emma Stone's fifth hosting appearance.
1. Bring Me the Horizon: AmEN! feat Lil Uzi Vert and Glassjaw (Single)
WTS: Though I'm the only person in the house to listen to this chaotic mess, it certainly got a lot of playtime in the car. I love the weird choices that BMTH take in their music and this was one of two collabs with Lil Uzi Vert (though . his verse could be committed despite his Human Centipede reference). The cherry on this song was the addition of Glassjaw's Daryl Palumbo to the anarchy. "So tell all your friends, this is the end of everything!" I couldn't have said it better Oli.
No comments:
Post a Comment