Unbelievably, this marks my 10th year of making an end-of-year top tunes list, and I’m not sure if that highlights a sense of diligence on my part or a sense of boredom while waiting for Christmas to come in.
This year I’ve again assembled a list of 40 tunes that have taken me through the year, one that’s had many ups and downs but altogether has been a good one, marking my last full year before finally admitting I’m in my mid-twenties. It’s always amazing how much of a year can be summed up by the songs that were shuffled through my Spotify in that time, and I hope it provides a sense of that as well as introducing some tunes that went under the radar.
40. YUNGBLUD & Halsey – “11 Minutes” (feat. Travis Barker)
Starting us off on a merry road with a dark tune about a romance turned bad, this track from YUNGBLUD and Halsey is very addictive. It tells the tale of a relationship where there’s not enough time for one another, but one where both realise the heartbreak it’s causing. Both artists do well in the vocals here, while the drums bring in a crescendo of emotion around it all.
39. Mark Ronson – “Late Night Feelings” (feat. Lykke Li)
Coming out with a new album towards the end of last year allowed Mark Ronson to show yet another side of his impeccable musical talent. These tunes, featuring heartbreak at every turn, were low-key, but very catchy and stacked with great vocal talent and Ronson’s intimate knowledge of making melodies to match that. This is one of the best on there, with a slightly dark take on obsession and the not too unfamiliar urge to call someone you’re thinking of and the battle within about whether it’s the right thing to do.
38. Sigala & Becky Hill – “Wish You Well”
British dance music has always relied on amazing female vocalists to drive home the emotional message behind the songs, and no-one has done better at this in recent years than Becky Hill. Here again she manages to deliver a stellar performance as Sigala’s unique talent at making melodies turns what could have been a very run-of-the-mill track into one of the catchiest and most successful of the year.
37. Billie Eilish – “all the good girls go to hell”
The first of a couple of appearances from Billie Eilish on the list, this one is perhaps the most simple single she’s released so far. It follows a somewhat ordinary structure, but with her unique vocal style it still sounds different from other songs you’ll hear on the charts. There’s notable comparisons to be drawn with Lorde, and in the same dark, broody teenage style from her first album “Pure Heroine”, but this message seems suitably refreshed for 2019, and in songs that appear later there’s a significant departure from that too.
36. 5 Seconds of Summer – “Youngblood”
Boyband tunes aren’t normally my thing, but there’s something so catchy about this stripped back song that makes it an exception. It’s not too gushy and still hits home with a message, and has a chorus that’s very memorable too. All-in-all it does it’s job well, and I played it enough to warrant its spot here on the list.
35. Little Big – “Skibidi”
The internet is amazing, as it allows you to discover tunes from around the world you’d never have dreamt of hearing, and courtesy of a viral video, “Skibidi” is one of those. It’s a pretty simple pop song, but coupled delightfully by a sense of fun and whimsy, delivered by a rather mean-looking Russian frontman. If you haven’t seen this video, it’s worth checking out for the Soviet-style Macarena, but also for a catchy-as-hell tune too.
34. Ava Max – “Sweet but Psycho”
The latest in Albanian diaspora making it big in pop music this year was Ava Max, whose tunes seem to be almost a perfect mix of Lady Gaga’s old catalogue but with a Eurovision flavour. “Sweet but Psycho” was her first big hit and has the benefit of having a chorus that’s such an earworm and incredibly simple to get that almost everyone will know of it. It’s fun and manages to tell a story as such, so in my book it’s a good pop song.
33. Ariana Grande – “breathin” (2018)
Coming from last year’s “sweetener”, this is a song that grew on me a lot. On the face of it, it’s a clear nod to the anxiety that Ariana felt after the Manchester bombings of 2017, but there’s more to it than just that – it’s a song about keeping on even though the world is sitting on your shoulders. Coupling this message with some great hooks and a drum beat that keeps on ticking through the whole song and it stands as one of her best releases.
32. Jax Jones & Tove Lo – “Jacques”
These two are almost the perfect collab, with Tove Lo’s raw delivery and Jax Jones’ ability to put a fun beat to almost everything. Playing out the story of one-night stand, it’s fun, it’s cheeky and manages to do quite a lot of different things for a pop song in terms of the musical styles featured. Really underrated and always worth a listen.
31. Steve Aoki – “Do Not Disturb” (feat. Bella Thorne)
Back in February I was able to indulge my younger self by going to see Steve Aoki at the Barrowlands, and despite the unmistakable feeling that I was too old for it I had a lot of fun. Of the new songs there, this one stuck out to me – featuring a Disney star in Bella Thorne following the Miley Cyrus path into pop culture – as one that is typical of his type of music but also shows a mellower side too.
30. Katy Perry – “Never Really Over”
I believe Katy Perry may be the only artist to appear on this list that also featured on my original one back in 2010, and in many ways this song marked a return to form after several misses in the last few years. It’s a more classic pop song, but one laced with heartbreak and modern synths, so while it does have the elements of classic Katy that were so good back in the day, it doesn’t sound too forced at the same time.
29. Nina Nesbitt – “The Best You Had”
While Lewis Capaldi might have been the Scottish musician that got the most attention this year, the one we really should have been listening to was Nina Nesbitt. Her new album shows she is perhaps the best vocal talent to have come from our shores in many years, and her songwriting is infinitely more diverse and exciting too. This one is a perfect take on the scorn of a jilted lover and the painful feeling of being hurt but still ready to go back into it if the moment came by. Try listening to this and comparing with other tunes and seeing just how incredible this performance is, and you’ll see what I mean.
28. Kygo – “Higher Love” (feat. Whitney Houston)
Having gone off the radar for a couple of year, Kygo resurfaced bringing a modern twist on this classic from the 80s. Using cover vocals from the late Whitney Houston and remastering it as a fun, upbeat dance song for the 2010s was a masterstroke – and it sounds just as fresh as anything that came out this year.
27. Jax Jones & Ella Henderson – “This Is Real”
Another excellent Jax Jones tune here, this time bringing in Ella Henderson who is a very much underrated vocal talent. There’s a fantastic contrast her between the slower and more low-key verses and the anthemic quality of the chorus, and it’s all tied together beautifully by Henderson’s vocals and Jax Jones’ talent in matching them with perfect melodies.
26. Marshmello – “Here With Me” (feat. CHVRCHES)
It’s incredibly bittersweet that this is CHVRCHES’ biggest hit so far, but on a song by a DJ whose connections to various unsavoury rappers was called out by the band and released a torrent of hate towards them. The song itself makes potent use of Lauren Mayberry’s beautiful voice, conveying the sort of angst that’s meant to be felt through the song while keeping a flavour of CHVRCHES music through a somewhat alien type of record for them.
25. Tiesto & Mabel – “God is a Dancer”
Tiesto pops up every now and again these days with very different tunes, almost unrecognisable on first listen, but he always manages to find talent and make a brilliant dance song with them. With Mabel riding the crest of her popularity, this is a nice and dark dance song that has such a good rhythm through it and is perfect for a night out.
24. Riton & Oliver Heldens – “Turn Me On” (feat. Vula)
Much like Kygo, Oliver Heldens is one of my favourite dance artists who had kind of disappeared for a few years before unleashing this on us. Teaming up with Riton, who has taken over the mantle of someone who can create amazing dance beats, they created this cracker – based on a 1980s sample but adding some power to it. I love the way the bass hits in the drop here, and the way the vocals build the tension in the lead-up to it, and can only hope this is the first of many collabs between these two.
23. John Gibbons – “A Spaceman Came Travelling” (feat. Nina Nesbitt) (2018)
This year’s sole Christmas entry comes as a cover of Chris de Burgh’s interplanetary effort from decades ago. Nina Nesbitt provides her fantastic vocals across the tune, bringing a soft lullaby quality to it, while the simple dance beat underneath brings the song to a new level. It was underrated last Christmas when it came out, but definitely one of the better “new” Xmas tunes to be released for a while.
22. Diplo – “Give Dem” (feat. Kah-Lo)
The ever-prolific Diplo released an EP earlier this year with some old-school tracks on it and this one was the pick of the bunch. Kah-Lo has been noted for her work with Riton in recent years, and here again she manages to grasp the feel of the melodies and delivers her party-starting mantra throughout the song. It may be 2019, but this song shows old-school house at its best.
21. Mark Ronson – “Find U Again” (feat. Camila Cabello)
I’m a big fan of Camila Cabello and her feature on this Mark Ronson track is so so good. The way her voice seems to quiver with the longing she’s meant to feel is so powerful, and she manages to staddle both the falsetto verses and the more melodic chorus perfectly. The song also features lots of quirky vocal changes that add further intrigue.
20. Au/Ra & Camelphat – “Panic Room” (2018)
One of the things that attracts me to a song most is the way in which it creates an atmosphere, and “Panic Room” is a perfect example of this. Everything about it is designed to be a little unsettling, with the simmering beat, the haunting vocals and the random dark synths drawing in. It’s a great piece of songcraft and one that’s ideal for the dancefloor too, so it’s a win-win.
19. Post Malone & Swae Lee – “Sunflower” (2018)
Post Malone may be one of the biggest artists in the world right now, but he’s not someone whose work really cuts through for me, but this is one exception. It’s quite a simple love song at its core, but its low-key delivery and basic imagery make it hit home all the harder. A really good song, and almost certainly the best ever Spiderman soundtrack song.
18. Sigrid – “Mine Right Now”
Sigrid’s debut album “Sucker Punch” was one of my favourites of the year, bringing together a range of songs about young love and heartbreak and delivering them with perfect pop beats and towering vocals. This is one of the best on the album, showing Sigrid at her best vocally while she espouses the feeling of enjoying what is here in the moment before fleeting romances flees.
17. Ariana Grande – “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored”
This song feels like it puts the Ariana-coined term “big dick energy” into practice, as she swaggers through and talks about stealing someone away from their girlfriend. There’s a lust and a confidence all wrapped up in there, as well as the sort of longing she has that calls like a siren. The tune is slow, it’s calming, and it’s always really satisfying to listen to.
16. Billie Eilish – “bury a friend”
This was the first Billie Eilish song I’d heard, and what struck me about it was the fantastic way in which it created an atmosphere. Using strange noises, such as dentist drills, makes you feel unsettled, so much that you feel almost comforted by the lullaby chorus. While obviously in the darker reaches of her music, it’s not hard to see why this was so interesting and received such attention, and provided such an addiction in an era where chart music can be so bland.
15. Duke Dumont x Gorgon City – “Real Life” (feat. Naations)
Marking the return of two British bastions of the mid-10s deep house craze, this tune brings the best of that genre back. Each step of the song feels slightly different from the verses to the chorus, and it’s excellent in the way it builds through that all, then brings it back to a groove. It’s incredibly catchy and proves how simple music can have a lot of depth to it.
14. Sigrid – “Never Mine”
In many ways this song is an antidote to “Mine Right Now” from the same album, with a much simpler tune but one falling deeper for someone than they feel about you. The deep synths bubble along nicely and it feels very much like an early CHVRCHES tune, and altogether they make up the ingredients of a great song.
13. Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – “Señorita”
The old duet isn’t so much in style these days, but these two might well have brought it back with this raunchy Latin hit. There is a palpable chemistry in the way the song goes back and forth between the two and the song feels very natural in the way it flows. Normally I find Mendes to be quite annoying to listen to, but here those sharper (whinier) edges are softened out, and Cabello’s raw appeal complements that brilliantly.
12. Charlie XCX – “1999” (feat. Troye Sivan)
This is a pure, fun and nostalgic song – taking us back twenty years and making everyone think about how bloody old they are now. What it does so well is to somewhat mimic the song structures that were so popular back in the late 90s, featuring so many hooks it wouldn’t be fair to name just one, and a turn from Troye Sivan that adds an extra punch to the onslaught of memories. It’s worth checking out the video as well and seeing how many references you can get too.
11. Ciara – “Thinkin Bout You”
While Ciara probably never got as famous as her Justin Timberlake collaboration “Love, Sex, Magic” might have suggested, this track proves she still has talent in abundance. The message is fairly simple, the constant question of whether someone else cares about you as much as you do about them, but it’s delivered with such a longing as a funky groove plays out underneath that it leaves you singing along and repeating it over and over.
10. Ariana Grande – “Boyfriend” (feat. Social House)
In terms of honesty, starting a song with “I’m a motherfucking trainwreck” is up there – but it sets the scene for a quite fun but emotional tune perfectly. The song is about two people who know they can’t be together, but still want to maintain an exclusivity, but does so with a tongue-in-cheek nature that makes it even more relatable. The beat behind the song is the real highlight, elevating the song to something more memorable.
9. Mabel – “Don’t Call Me Up”
Marking the best of the year from this great new talent, “Don’t Call Me Up” is essentially a toned-down and more sassy version of Lady Gaga’s “Telephone”, but it is executed with such confidence that you’d be forgiven for thinking Mabel’s the one that had been a the top of the charts all decade. Everyone can relate to the song and it creates an easy feel-good feeling no matter where you are.
8. Sigrid – “Don’t Feel Like Crying”
For a popstar who’s still at the end of her teenage years there’s an incredibly maturity in Sigrid’s song-writing, but one that is always aimed at creating upbeat tunes. This is a classic of the genre, as she takes a break-up tune and sprinkles her fairy dust on it, turning an experience of slumping on the sofa into one of going out and having a great time. One that really spoke to me this year and one that still leaves room for the heartache you feel, but still tells you things will be okay anyway.
7. Clean Bandit – “Mama” (feat. Ellie Goulding)
I really love Clean Bandit, and one of their most endearing qualities is that despite making music for the masses they can still return to their roots and deliver the slightly weird but deeply emotional cut as well. This one may feature a megastar but the way the song’s put together goes all the way back to their first album New Eyes where they first put together a range of tracks that used instruments in new and interesting ways to make everyone pay attention.
6. Jax Jones, Marin Solveig & Madison Beer – “All Day and Night”
This was my favourite dance song of the year, mixing interesting verses that build brilliantly along with Madison Beer’s vocals, euphoric drops from Martin Solveig and an overall production quality that shows why everything Jax Jones touches turns to gold. It’s immensely replayable and manages to tap into the EDM of earlier this decade, whilst making it more friendly to a pop audience and still doing things in a unique way. I couldn’t get enough of this and would highly recommend popping it on repeat for a while.
5. Ariana Grande – “7 rings”
As much as the titular song from the album “thank u, next” broke the internet and was a worldwide sensation, in many ways “7 rings” was the best song that came from it. For Ariana, normally known for her saccharine music and personality, this was a nod at the strength and “BDE” she has too – showing her flashing her cash and living the life. What’s most impressive about it is that it sounds perfectly in tune with her all the same though, and she even manages to rap parts of the song in a way that would push the likes of Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, showing she’s got that club in her bag as well.
4. Lizzo – “Truth Hurts” (2017)
Despite being a couple of years old, “Truth Hurts” in many ways is Lizzo’s mission statement – it’s a breakup song, so you know there’s elements of sadness, but everything in this song is about how she deserves to feel fantastic still. Her mix of singing and rapping is perfect, swinging in between both effortlessly and playing with the beat of the song perfectly. It’s a nigh-on perfect song for making you feel happy, and one that’s not been far away from any playlist this year.
3. Lizzo – “Juice”
Lizzo’s first tune to make it big over here exploded on our radios like a ball of overwhelmingly positive energy and I don’t think it’s left me since. The throwback to the 70s Motown feel mixed with modern references, packed with upbeat horns and a singer that knows how to turn every note into a smile – it’s got everything you’d want in a pick-me-up tune. I find it hard to listen to this without a full-blown grin, and I’m pretty sure most people are the same – in a time where we need it, this is a prescription for a smile.
2. Billie Eilish – “bad guy”
As far as a statement of intent goes, “bad guy” is phenomenal, and when you consider it comes from a 17-year-old who wrote the song with her brother, it’s even more impressive. This song was everywhere this year, and it’s simple earworm dug into the brains of millions and had them hooked on the melody and the sing-speak, ASMR-style vocals. It’s got a raw magnetism to it that attracts the listener and then keeps them stuck until the final bridge. It’s dark, it’s evil-sounding, but you want more – and as far as Billie Eilish is considered, that’s exactly what she was looking for.
1. Zara Larsson – “All the Time”
My favourite song of this year comes from Zara Larsson, and what this song represents to me is almost the perfect pop song. She’s always had an amazing voice, and it really carries through this emotional tour-de-force, set on top of a bouncy and addictive beat.
The song as a whole is an undeniable bop, but it’s real strength lies in it’s simple delivery of a simple message – of missing someone and wondering if they miss you too.
For me it brings together a lot of feelings from throughout the year, and even manages to reference a visit to New York as well, so it’s quite symbolic in that way, but when you add everything the song has going for it it’s an absolute gem and one I’ve not been able to stop listening to for months.
Thanks for reading, you can find the full playlist to listen through here below: