all songs considered best of 2019
. RD. Don’t forget the knee-slide. When to play it: When you’ve told the gremlins in your head to get fucked. Bow down. “I see you so uncomfortably alone / I wish I could show you how much you’ve grown,” she tells her younger self, compelling the listener to understand that, yes, you may mourn your past life, but with age comes a more assured sense of identity. Over twinkling pianos, distorted drums and several buzzing synths, a non-rapping Tyler – with a little help from a jittery. Shouting commands about the place like a boss, Simz also reminded us just how pioneering she is, setting herself apart from any other rapper in the UK. One of the best songs Haim have ever written. By Carl Wilson. Interviewed for his NME Big Read back in September, AJ told us that he embraces eclectic influences, a result of listening without prejudice in his younger years. The UK’s political hydra has grown a new, more fearsome head in the weeks following the track’s release, but ‘Deal Wiv It’ feels even more relevant post-general election, because in a place of hopelessness, it’s the sound of your happy-go-lucky mate telling you to pull yourself together. We thought they would like it, but we didn’t think it would do what it did.”, This is indicative of Billie’s year. TS, When to play it: 2am at The Crow’s Nest at Glastonbury on the hottest weekend of the year. All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen shares his favorite new songs of the week including an ambient track from Sufjan Stevens, solo work from Phish's Page McConnell, Squirrell Flower and more. Singing in Catalan for the first time, Rosalía mockingly praises the lavish lifestyle of the rich and famous. Georgia’s fantastic single served as a refreshing reminder that one brilliant song can change the trajectory of an artist’s career. Filled with lyrics so silly they’re brilliant (“She’s sparkling like a fresh glass of Perrier / She’s happy like my birthday”), several scoops of funk and topped off with a sprinkling of sugary hooks, it’s a sweet sonic treat. Wowee zowee indeed. Don’t remember this year for the nonsense, remember it for Rosalía and Billie Eilish’s rehabilitation and reinvention of pop, for the homegrown rap powermoves of Little Simz and Stormzy and powerful positivity from Lizzo and Michael Kiwanuka. It’s notable that longtime fans didn’t decry the band for enlisting a sort-of nativity school choir to belt out the poppy hook to the ‘Knot’s most commercial cut to date. HM. You worth way more than a Birkin”. Offsetting aggressive delivery with minimalist production that thrusts every vocal crack to the fore, ‘Boss’ showed off Simz’ toughest side. “I used to be free / I used to be seventeen”. Arguably, that’s resulted in the future punk sound crystallised in this collaboration with hottest-of-the-hot producer Mura Masa, a man who’s been going through his own artistic existential crisis, pivoting from electronic music to guitars. Over sombre sounds and killer lines such as “Used to arch my back for you and now I’m your arch-nemesis”, Whack took aim at someone who’d done her wrong with the resigned sorrow of someone who did want to work it out really, whatever she said on the track. “I wanted to be his hope when he was feeling hopeless,” she said. Simplicity is scary, perhaps, but it sure makes the message hit home. she tells her younger self, compelling the listener to understand that, yes, you may mourn your past life, but with age comes a more assured sense of identity. They interpolated lyrics from their 2013 album ‘Modern Vampires Of The City’ (“I don’t wanna live like this, but I don’t wanna die”), but Ezra and the gang took that sentiment to far groovier places. Special guest Burna Boy’s laidback delivery is the key ingredient here, as he raises a toast to both he and Dave for making it “to the top right now”. In a nutshell: A euphoric, pulsating pop song set to make this Domino-signed singer a star. 2019 was the year that Simz finally got her due. ‘Only Child’ was the first in the series, and also her first song to surpass one minute in length. ‘Dead Girl In The Pool’ however, is a straight-up summer bop about the wreckage left behind after a highly destructive house party. This is the album’s most succinct and razor-sharp moment, which makes it even more devastating when Zachary Cole Smith intones: “Children lead the cry / You sold them all away / Blankenship.” TS. It’s there in the gorgeous, sun-drenched instrumentals, the. A euphoric slice of pure pop perfection, ‘About Work The Dancefloor’ arrived after a muted response to the singer/drummer’s self-titled 2015 debut album, and began to gather pace across the year, remaining on the A List at Radio 1 throughout the summer. Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated? As you grab your placard and start marching for change. Getty Image. e-dye t-shirts on a blissful Spring afternoon. “I don’t care about genre.” That’s why one of the logos bearing his name emulates the gnarly font beloved of grizzled metal bands while ‘Ladbroke Grove’ sees him honour UK garage. The distorted echo of her screaming “stop fucking with my heart” set the cocky tone for the whole song, which in turn represented the north London rapper’s whole mission statement. The UK’s Top 40 biggest songs of 2019 have been unveiled, and Lewis Capaldi takes the Number 1 spot with Someone You Loved. When to play it: When your life is falling apart but the school play starts at 6pm. While ‘Deal Wiv It’ doesn’t slap you round the chops with its message, we learn plenty about social mobility, tall poppy syndrome and personal politics as we join Slowthai bimbling through his day. As sleazy as a night spent huffing glue with The Cramps, ‘Monsoon Rock’ sounded like a pub fight and left you feeling like you’d been battered in a moshpit. All Rights Reserved. TS. she sings, remembering old haunts that have since disappeared. The lo-fi wunderkind is beloved for her raw and honest tales of teenage anxiety, depression, lust and queerness. Body positivity made great leaps forward in 2019 and this jubilant track’s message of loving and embracing yourself felt like a victory lap for the movement. by: UPROXX Music Twitter June 5, 2019. We’ve all been there, babes. Let’s remember 2019 for being a year of bangers, belters and bops and these 50 utterly stupendous tunes. Our 113 best songs of the 2010s are ranked below, in descending order. The Scottish singer-songwriter’s big … It should have happened with 2017’s unfairly overlooked concept album ‘Stillness In Wonderland’, but the world finally caught up with ‘GREY Area’, which was nominated for the Mercury Prize. You gotta start bumping your head as soon as that impaling bassline vibrates through you. Its Korean title translated to ‘A Poem For Small Things’ and the lyrics celebrated “the things you’re interested in, the way you walk or talk, and every little trivial habit of yours” over melodies that would make even the most mundane of days seem like a dream. Get excited for losing your shit to this when she tears up the road next summer, in the year that she’s already dubbed as the dawn of ‘World In Red’. We'll be sharing 'Wow' moments every morning and updating our SXSW 2019 playlist with the best … Speaking to NME this year, Matty Healy said ‘People’ was written as the band fled a US show in which Matty had spoken out against gun violence and there were concerns for his safety. Meanwhile her cool, casual delivery made the whole thing feel like reconnecting with a long lost friend – familiar but totally exciting. ” she rapped at one point, before UK soul singer Cleo Sol’s velvet vocals soared through the chorus: After you’ve turned off your read receipts. “It’s deep mate,” goes a lyric in this outrageously fun, beat-fuelled, boot-boy punk stomper. Part of Ronson’s divorce-inspired album of sad bangers, title track. Billie was similarly confused. 'Gone' — Charli XCX & Christine and the Queens. It’s there in the gorgeous, sun-drenched instrumentals, the Lou Reed-referencing bassline and the bright lyrics. Yet, somehow, this song went to Number One. When to play it: In the grip of your next hangover. Milionària’ will. It’s this positivity that permeates the song. 1. Squid do. When to play it: After you’ve turned off your read receipts. That line was the backbone of this devastating masterpiece, in which she detailed the aftermath of a relationship that played out under the scrutiny of an unsupportive public, her heartbreaking retelling played out over sparse piano and a lethargically beatboxed rhythm. Share; Tweet; W here a song comes from, and how it becomes a hit, is more muddled than ever. “I don’t have much in terms of money now / I don’t have material gifts for you,” Georgia sings, instead offering an invitation to join her on the dancefloor in utter bliss. This is a marvellous, unifying anthem that says ‘no matter what’s got you down: you can do this’. While … Do Not Sell My Personal Information Well, there are the barely-audible vocals, the muddy bassline and that final third, where the song tears itself in two with a headache-inducing beat-switch. Playing out like Bruce Springsteen gone desert rock, ‘Seventeen’ sees Van Etten pay homage to her adopted home of NYC, where she’s lived for the past 15 years. It’s this positivity that permeates the song. AJ Tracey is an outward-looking artist who can’t be pinned down to one style, which is perhaps why he’s had such a successful 2019. Who else is making music that sounds this old-school and ultra-modern, this stripped back but lush, this abrasive yet likeable and warm? The London rapper’s third album ‘Grey Area’ gave us her take on the omnipresent theme of self-love, reclaiming the word “selfish” and twisting it into something positive. There’s a twinkle in his eye when he rolls out good-natured boasts (“, ), half-serious, half mucking about. The momentum was so strong, in fact, that Georgia delayed the release of her second album ‘Seeking Thrills’ (now due in January) to let the momentum bubble up even further. Uncluttered and fiercely independent, ‘Boss’ summed up everything great about Simz’s third album. If the ballsy ad didn’t get your attention, the EP’s opening song ‘Milionària’ will. “. The 15 Best Music Podcasts Of 2019. To bring some joy to your big shop on a Sunday. set the cocky tone for the whole song, which in turn represented the north London rapper’s whole mission statement. “My childhood was small, but I’m gonna be big,” it not only sounded like a mission statement from a soon-to-be-huge band, but also served as a rally cry to any downtrodden kid who needs some hope to cling to. KS-W. When to play it: Courtside at an LA Lakers game, of course. When to play it: Any time you have an existential crisis about Britain’s future. Thanks … The result is something with so much energy it’s like drinking Monster in a moshpit, a Parklife-like stream-of-consciousness with precise comic timing and heaps of nutter-on-the-loose attitude, as if the spirit of Keith Flint were haunting the studio. Like the album, ‘Big’ is specific but universal, informed by Irish poetry dating back centuries but refreshed for a new era. Curled up in a duvet of shame on New Year’s Day. When to play it: Whenever you’re feeling, erm, arch. 1 hit single in the U.S. and sixth in the U.K. The Best Songs Of 2019 10. When frontman Grian Chatten bellowed “Dublin in the rain is mine” as a torrent of guitars joined the drums, he set the tone for one of 2019’s best debut albums. To prove you’ve got better moves than LeBron. ‘Motivation’ bulldozed the internet with trumpets, a persistent loop of sharp notes and a video featuring. Words: Jordan Bassett, Rhian Daly, Charlotte Krol, Sam Moore, Hannah Mylrea, Thomas Smith, Dan Stubbs, Andrew Trendell, Kyann-Sian Williams. , Whack took aim at someone who’d done her wrong with the resigned sorrow of someone who did want to work it out really, whatever she said on the track. RD. Basically, the aural equivalent of that app that makes your phone photos look like hazy polaroids. Why? It was simple, perfect and potent. For four minutes a song can take you out of this world and into another one, a better one, and fuck knows we could all do with a bit of that after the global trashfire also known as 2019. EU Privacy Preferences, BILLBOARD is a registered trademark of Billboard IP Holdings, LLC. Anderson .Paak’s extremely welcome return to form was signposted early on with ‘Ventura’’s horn-tastic lead single ‘King James’. Part of Ronson’s divorce-inspired album of sad bangers, title track ‘Late Night Feelings’ captured the sensation of a heart in turmoil, chasing after partners who’ll only hurt it more. You gotta start bumping your head as soon as that impaling bassline vibrates through you. © 2021 Billboard Media, LLC. When to play it: As you’re racing after the partner you’ve just erroneously dumped. SM. “When we were making that song, me and Finneas thought nobody was going to care about it. In a nutshell: A rousing battle cry that set the Dublin punks on the way to huge things. The tumbling drums and that meticulously crafted bridge – which apparently took Tyler nine (!) “I see you so uncomfortably alone / I wish I could show you how much you’ve grown,”. When to play it: Drunk at a party, surrounded by old friends who bellow the lyrics back at you. By now, you've no doubt been exposed to the annual onslaught of year-end "best of" lists as well as plenty of roundups of the best songs and albums of the A look back at all our favorite songs and albums from 2019, from Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift to … RD. Tom Smith, Find it on: ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’, Key lyric: “My mommy likes to sing along with me / But she won’t sing this song / If she reads all the lyrics / She’ll pity the men I know”, When to play it: When all the lights go off and the monsters under your bed start grumbling, In a nutshell: Move aside, the rest – 2019’s swaggering bovver boy has something to say. In the club, dancing on your own (and loving every second). RD. When 2015’s ‘White Iverson’ positioned him as a country loving rap outlier? A) in the car with your friends or B) bawling away to yourself in the shower. but there’s someone outside that caught my eye”. Oh, and the meme-ready “Duh!”, before the song’s wobbly post-chorus wig-out. Subtly gloomy but still gorgeous. Listen to our best songs of 2019 below. ), several scoops of funk and topped off with a sprinkling of sugary hooks, it’s a sweet sonic treat. RD. “I’m finally holding onto letting go,” heartbroken frontman Corey Taylor roars, the sort of meaningless Slipknot lyric that makes you want to fire up the JCB and drive into a wall. Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated? “I knew I liked the song a lot, but I had no idea what to expect,” she told, in a recent interview. Courtside at an LA Lakers game, of course. / Just like I knew I would,”, Julia Cumming sang with a great big eye roll on the title track of stellar EP, When you’re chugging $3 beers with Judith Butler and. . In which Kevin Parker’s yacht sailed into view and our trusty psychedelic captain decided to ride the sex-funk ocean. Fontaines had set their stall out across two years with a handful of promising, scrappy early singles, but it was on ‘Big’ that they announced themselves as a band to really believe in. Think Happy Mondays’ ‘Step On’ meets Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’. Vote For Your Favorite Albums Of 2019 : All Songs Considered It's list ... in an upcoming episode of All Songs Considered. Like Arctic Monkeys, these guys are pros at changing their style but retaining their identity – there must be something in the water in Sheffield. The duo traded brilliantly honest lyrics that tackled social anxiety (“I feel so unstable, fucking hate these people / How they’re making me feel lately”) over the stuttering production, which perfectly fuses Charli’s avant-pop sensibilities and Christine’s funk-flecked sound. Children lead the cry / You sold them all away / Blankenship.”. on. Young women blurring genres, global artists pushing boundaries and a rapper playing with a meme made the most exciting tracks of the year. Don’t forget the knee-slide. The 20 best songs of 2019. “the things you’re interested in, the way you walk or talk, and every little trivial habit of yours”. When to play it: When you’re off out on the chirpse. Along with the Northampton rapper’s ascent, we’ve seen him pushed and pulled in a musical tussle between the dirgy trap of his youth and his increasing flirtation with the punk scene – including a close association with Idles. HM. ‘Deal Wiv It’ dropped just last month, and the way it’s smashed its way to the top spot in our Songs Of 2019 list reflects Slowthai’s unstoppable rise in 2019, a year in which he released a Mercury-nominated debut album, slayed the festivals and became an anti-establishment icon. ‘Psychodrama’’s is one of the most compelling debut albums in recent years, a fact largely secured through Dave’s vivid and unflinching story-telling. ‘Motivation’ bulldozed the internet with trumpets, a persistent loop of sharp notes and a video featuring that basketball trick. Her debut album, ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’, My mommy likes to sing along with me / But she won’t sing this song / If she reads all the lyrics / She’ll pity the men I know”, When all the lights go off and the monsters under your bed start grumbling, ‘Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost (Part 1)’. Catchy and furious in equal measure, ‘Big’ is a song to feel invincible to, and when Chatten yells. A high-octane bridge between the rave-ups of Charli XCX's past and the sleek robo-pop of her present, "Gone" is the best Charli of both worlds. The Biz premium subscriber content has moved to Billboard.com/business. The 15 Best Music Podcasts Of 2019. TS. “I don’t have much in terms of money now / I don’t have material gifts for you, ” Georgia sings, instead offering an invitation to join her on the dancefloor in utter bliss. Dive right in. she pleaded over ‘80s synth-pop, unable to deal with just how painfully attractive her beau was. ‘Got To Keep On’, the finest song from stunning ninth album ‘No Geography’, saw the Brothers try their hand at a little disco number, twistingchucka-chucka guitars and adding Chic-sized bell rings into the song’s chorus. Who needs the Spice Girls to make new music when you’ve got ‘Hit The Back’? As you pinch the complimentary bar of soap from a fancy hotel. Key lyric: “Finally my heart slipped / Finally I found something new”. “I like everything,” he said. The 54 Best Songs of 2019. Drunk at a party, surrounded by old friends who bellow the lyrics back at you. December 11, 2019. Tyler recruited Solange for the multi-layered disco march of this ‘IGOR’ cut, on which he muses on a fractured relationship. With a funky fucker of a bassline, Balaeric vibes and heavenly synths worthy of New Order, this was peak Foals, the Oxford dons artfully turning doom into disco. “Don’t give that boy the pussy if you know he ain’t worth it / Ain’t you learnt yet? On this highlight from her solo album ‘Pang’, former Chairlift singer Caroline Polachek relayed the feeling of being under attack from a super fit partner. When you need to giddy up and spur yourself on to success. Back; Art & Culture Home; Live from the Freight & Salvage; Santa Rosa Symphony on the Air; Suffrage Stories; Event Calendar When to play it: As the light at the end of the tunnel comes into view. Now Posty’s as ambiguous as, well, country rap, a genre he helped to usher into the mainstream. ‘Seeking Thrills’, which is due out in 2020. over melodies that would make even the most mundane of days seem like a dream. Released on the day of the Global Climate strike in September, it sees the New York group chastise coal magnate Don Blankenship for his role in the destruction of the planet. / Just like I knew I would,” Julia Cumming sang with a great big eye roll on the title track of stellar EP ‘King Of The Dudes’. Six pints deep, when you’re sort of heartbroken but also having a ball on Hinge. © 2019 Billboard Media, LLC. Wednesday, December 11, 2019 by All Songs Considered (NPR) Share Tweet Stay tuned in to our local news coverage: Listen to 90.7 WMFE on your FM or HD radio, the WMFE mobile app or your smart speaker — say “Alexa, play NPR” and you’ll be connected. When to play it: When you’re chillin’ in Dubai. Yet ‘Vossi Bop’ is anything but lightweight, its PM-baiting lyrics are words to live by: “. Play it when: You’re cruising the city in the height of summer. Don’t send me photos, you’re making it worse,”. Stealthy. Dan Stubbs, Key lyric: “I went to the pub and asked for a pint for three quid/ He said it’s a fiver, well that’s gentrification, you prick”, When to play it: Headphones on and pounding the pavements with a two-litre bottle of cheap cider in a blue plastic carrier bag. “When we were making that song, me and Finneas thought nobody was going to care about it. Will Richards. In ‘Love Song’, Lana Del Rey made one of the most deeply romantic songs of her career so far – albeit one still coursing with her trademark undercurrent of darkness. There is nothing purer than the perfect song. 2019 was the year that Simz finally got her due. Named in honour of the much-worshipped NBA star Lebron James, .Paak pays homage to both the baller and NFL player-turned-social-activist Colin Kaepernick on this triumphant track, while also railing against police brutality and Donald Trump’s bullshit border wall. Uncluttered and fiercely independent, ‘Boss’ summed up everything great about Simz’s third album. When to play it: When you’re giving yourself carpal tunnel syndrome while swiping through Tinder. TS. Like the album, ‘Big’ is specific but universal, informed by Irish poetry dating back centuries but refreshed for a new era. Though Caribou – aka Canadian producer Dan Snaith – has been keeping a low profile for the last five years, he’s been pumping out banging tunes under a different moniker, Daphni. All Songs Considered hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton countdown NPR listeners' favorite songs of the 2010s.The Top 25 Listener Picks:1. The song’s propulsive beats, growling guitars and ‘80s synths gave a punchy backdrop to Van Etten’s letter written to her 17-year-old self. “This is the morning after, my mind is such a disaster,” mourns Ulven, “but there’s someone outside that caught my eye”. And ‘People’, beneath the filth and the fury, demanded care for one another in the most boiled-down, basic, so-simple-even-Donald-Trump-could-understand-it terms, and therein lies its genius: “People like people / They want alive people / The young surprise people / Stop fucking with the kids”. When to play it: Whenever you want to feel invincible. Note that if a source ranks more than the s… reckless rave at the inevitable oncoming apocalypse. On the way to the casino in your best threads. As her hangover and recollection of the night before turns into an existential crisis, Ulven starts to question reality and her own mortality as, to her horror, she discovers that the watery corpse is in fact…. When to play it: When you’re chugging $3 beers with Judith Butler and Debbie Harry in the dive bar. When you’ve told the gremlins in your head to get fucked. SM. The 50 Best Songs of 2019. RD. Or wherever you actually live; Stoke, Milton Keynes, etc. When to play it: In the first fearful – but exciting – days of a new crush. This year’s ‘Sizzling’ EP was the best yet, with its triumphant, hip-shaking title track soundtracking raves and late night festivals all summer long. Tame Impala‘s first new track in four years made for a hazy, disco and piano-house indebted comeback. Facebook Twitter Flipboard uproxx.it. The album’s opening track is a four-minute distillation of this life-affirming majesty, all shimmering Danger Mouse production, unchained backing vocals and clattering percussion. Did I just walk in on some circle jerk shit? (Full disclosure: that happened and it was legendary. ‘Frail State Of Mind’ demanded self care. “This is the morning after, my mind is such a disaster. ), Nervous energy defined ‘Bags’, on which Clairo relayed the anxiety that comes with beginning to feel feelings for a friend but not knowing how they’ll react. This rolling, bass-led track is a defiant statement of intent, Simz reminding us, simply and powerfully, that she’s a “boss in a fucking dress”. You’d be hard-pressed to disagree when he shrugs that he’s a “. Keep up with our coverage of SXSW 2019 by subscribing to All Songs Considered. “You can send a diss / I will never write back”. Need help remembering what came out in 2019? When to play it: When you want to revel in coming out of a relationship better off than your shitty ex. ‘Got To Keep On’, the finest song from stunning ninth album. ‘Old Town Road’ stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 weeks. Brazen lyrics are accompanied by Rosalía’s trademark nu-flamenco sound, infused with skittering club beats and synthesiser licks. RD. Ever tried to be a better person? By. Charli XCX’s 2019 album ‘Charli’ was bursting with banging pop tunes, but it was her collaboration with Christine and the Queens that shined the brightest. She didn’t so much rip up the rule book as write her very own, detailing the blueprint for the next decade of pop music. When to play it: As you pinch the complimentary bar of soap from a fancy hotel. Photo: Matthew Stone. The king of UK rap’s comeback came loaded with expectation, and he responded with an effortless ode to letting loose with a little dance and a tipple. Yet, somehow, Billie was similarly confused. It’s notable that longtime fans didn’t decry the band for enlisting a sort-of nativity school choir to belt out the poppy hook to the ‘Knot’s most commercial cut to date. SM. DIIV’s ‘Deceiver’ is a bleak album. By picking up exactly where you left off if, I don’t wanna live like this, but I don’t wanna die, ”), but Ezra and the gang took that sentiment to far groovier places. RD. When to play it: If you need to get out of a funk – fast. RD. “Used to arch my back for you and now I’m your arch-nemesis”. Remember when Post Malone seemed like a niche concern? The once-in-a-generation star’s bonkers smash hit.