As a music lover, you’d think I would own a Premium Spotify account.
But I don’t because:
- Why pay for something I get for free.
- Apple Music is integrated seamlessly into my phone.
- Apple Music is just easier to use.
So every year, I get excited for an oddly curated Spotify Wrapped Playlist and a less detailed Apple Music Replay report. But neither really speaks to why some songs are my favorite. So I thought I would create my own top 10 of my favorite musical moments from this year. A list made up of women – and a few male standouts – taking ownership of their voice and feelings while exuding all the vulnerability and confidence in the world.
Wild Side
Shoot your shot ’cause I’m bulletproof (Yeah)
Normani ft. Cardi B
Load it up and doo-doo-doo
The only former Fifth Harmony member that matters, Normani, blessed us with a single this year. Normani’s trajectory as an artist has been a bit up and down – she has a way of storming the scene with a great single and buzz-worthy video before disappearing into the night. “Wild Side” sounds like the type of music Normani should be making – the right lane for her. It is a true blue R&B song with a little nod to the one and only Aaliyah and a feature from Miss Belcalis. It hits all the marks and has the longevity to keep her momentum in 2022. And of course, only Normani could serve CHOREOGRAPHY with a mid-tempo song like this.
breadwinner
You’re gonna give it all and give it all
Kacey Musgraves
But you won’t get it back
I’m tellin’ you, it’s gonna hurt
Stay away from a boy like that
Kacey’s star-crossed is a perfectly curated album outlining the country star’s divorce. The album is sad and mourns the loss of a relationship that didn’t work out in the shadows of her success. Unlike Adele’s 30, where the breakup comes at the cost of a child, Kacey’s split is just that – a separation of two people that leaves nothing left but memories. But “breadwinner” is one of the more upbeat tracks. It is a feminist anthem that discusses the duality of men wanting successful women until that woman’s success overshadows him. It’s not heavy-handed, more so a lighthearted warning.
Oh, and this is 100% a country song/album.
4th Baby Mama
I wanna start with your mama, she should’ve whooped your ass
Summer Walker
Know you ain’t shit, but she don’t care ’cause you lit
Being someone’s 4th baby mama triggers my fight or flight. However, I imagine it’s fine when you are Summer Walker. In that case, you are mainly responsible for your baby daddy’s success. So you let him produce a few songs for the road before you air him out. That’s basically the plot of Summer’s long-awaited album Still Over It, which details her relationship with producer London on Da Track. The album concludes with a series of self-reflective songs about accepting the end of the relationship, the stand-out being “4th Baby Mama.” The song details Summer coming to the realization that she was misled and used to power her ex’s ego. It’s scathing and therapeutic, and I love it so much.
Favorite Crime
Everything we broke and all the trouble that we made
Olivia Rodrigo
But I say that I hate you with a smile on my face
Oh, look what we became
Earlier this year, I waxed poetic about Olivia Rodrigo and her outstanding work on Sour. While the album has floor to ceiling bops, I have a special place for “Favorite Crime” the second to last track. It perfectly captures the Gen Z overly-romantic and main character point of view.
Get Along Better
You said you felt something for me
Aubrey “Drake” Graham
I don’t know when
Based on the signals you send
Based on the way you apologized
When you came to see me and then
You had the nеrve to defend
Mistakes that you made at the end
Ty Dolla $ign?? And Aubrey? This song is iconic for this alone. But also, the cryptic vibe and vocals on this one are enthralling. Also, it’s one of the more lover boy-esque songs on Certified Lover Boy. I mean, a song that literally says I get along better with your friend deserves a space in the toxic bops hall of fame.
Industry Baby
Oh, let’s do it
Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow
I ain’t fall off, I just ain’t release my new shit
I blew up, now everybody tryna sue me
I’m not going to lie – I thought Lil Nas X was a quick one-hit-wonder. Not because he was untalented, but stuck under the cloud his novelty hit. But one thing I’ve learned this year is – patience. When “Industry Baby” dropped, I knew we won. Lil Nas X worked to nurture his artistry and came out with a project that I can tell he loves. “Industry Baby” redefines everything we know about a rap track – braggadocious lyrics, theatrical production, a feature from White Boy Of The Month Jack Harlow , and a risque music video but presented under a queer lens. There’s nothing like it – not from a male rapper.
On It
Nothing’s stoppin’ you
Jazmine Sullivan ft. Ari Lennox
Be the Nia to the hood Larenz Tate
Dive in it, take your time with it
Now, most would call out Jazmine Sullivan’s powerful “Pick Up Your Feelings” as the stand out from Heaux Tales. Because it is a standout song – that’s why it’s been nominated for all the awards. But I’m unserious. And I would be telling a lie if I said “On It” wasn’t the track I played the most. The song combines two of my favorite things – comedy and a vocal serve. I don’t think that was the intention, but it works when you have powerhouses like Jazmine and Ari. And in many ways, it is in line with the current trend of ridiculous R&B songs with nonsensical lyrics that just work.
All Too Well (10-Minute Version)
The idea you had of me, who was she?
Taylor Swift
A never-needy, ever-lovely jewel whose shine reflects on you
Not weepin’ in a party bathroom
Some actress askin’ me what happened, you
That’s what happened, you
Although Taylor re-released my favorite album of hers earlier in 2021, it was nothing compared to Red (Taylor’s Version). This re-release felt like a new album, in many ways, because Red is up there with folklore with matching who Taylor is – a storyteller. The 10-minute version of one of Taylor’s most famous deep cuts (not sure if it even is a deep cut at this point) had been clouded in lore for years. And it was worth the long wait. There’s something cathartic about 30-something Taylor singing about the very public and very real heartbreak she experienced in her early 20s. The song feels like a brain dump of every feeling and emotion she felt at the time. I’m grateful that we got this version because it let us relive the artistry in full. There’s no way the very cinematic and brutally honest music video would’ve been able to exist outside of the shadow of tabloid fodder if it was released in 2012.
Need To Know
I heard from a friend of a friend
Doja Cat
That that dick was a ten out of ten
High key? Planet Her could get its own list. Doja Cat emerged as a winner this year with her genre-bending bops. She can do the traditional pop song, the rap/singing, or an honest to God rap song without losing the plot. Like it all makes sense. And “Need To Know?” She is pop. She is rap. She is what the other girls have been trying to do. It’s an other-worldly earworm that has 101 puns and double-entendres that you can easily miss if you’re not paying close enough attention. Ones that you’ll be quoting for the remainder of your day
Happier Than Ever
And I don’t talk shit about you on the internet
Miss William Eyelash
Never told anyone anything bad
‘Cause that shit’s embarrassing, you were my everything
And all that you did was make me fuckin’ sad
Billie put her whole foot in this song.
Let me explain something about the RUSH of endorphins I get when I hear this song. The song captures the duality of the odd joy of being away from your partner with the rush of emotions you feel when you finally let go of a toxic person. The song slowly builds to the perfect dramatic and triumphant climax, where Billie basically lists all of the reasons why she’s probably happier away from her ex: he drunk drives, she doesn’t relate to him, he has made her moments her own, etc. The song is a rollercoaster, and you can’t help but scream the lyrics.
Words really don’t explain how good this song is and how powerful Billie and FINNEAS pens are.
2021 was a chaotic year. Which, I recognize in this day in age is an understatement. But I love these songs for being true to the artists, coming from the heart, and daring to step outside the box. It’s an inspiration, a breath of fresh air, to see people live in their truth and air out their feelings in a public space. The world could be a better place if we all felt our emotions and said how we really feel.
Here’s to 22 and new tracks to fall for!
The Storybrooke Blog 