20. Loote - "Your Side Of The Bed"
The lyrics and vocal delivery on this one are, to me, its biggest detriments -- but their shortcomings are ultimately irrelevant because the production is fantastic. It's no secret that I'm a sucker for a proper meshing of electric guitar and synth riffs.
19. NOTD & Bea Miller - "I Wanna Know"
Two Swedish high schoolers who know how to bedroom-produce teamed up with a booming-voiced young lady (and former The X-Factor contestant) and the result a modern pop banger that just kinda works. Hard to believe this one didn't even crack the Hot 100!
18. Lady Gaga - "Hair Body Face"
All of the attention paid to the soundtrack of A Star Is Born has focused on the country-pop ballads. Gaga wrote some amazing material for her pop-star persona, and everyone needs to stop glossing over it and/or sleeping on it this instant!! Frankly, you're all being VERY Jackson Maine about it!!
Gaga is the best at reminding us that we can dance and feel feelings at the same time, and nowhere on this album is that displayed more than on this track, about the insecurity that comes with being in a relationship with someone whose friends don't like you.
17. Netta - "Toy"
This is the first year I've gotten into the Eurovision Song Contest as it was actually happening, and I'm honestly not sure what I've been doing for the past 31 years while I wasn't paying attention to it. This song was the instant favorite of both my only two Eurovision-obsessed friends and me, and lo and behold, sweet lil Netta ended up winning! She even got to come to America and perform this on the Today Show!
A song about the #MeToo movement performed on only a sampler/looper. Who says I'm only into being retro?
16. Marianas Trench - "Rhythm Of Your Heart"
I know exactly three things about Marianas Trench:
- They are Canadian
- They look like they are from 2006 and work at GameStop
- I would probably hate literally all of the rest of their songs
But you know what? That's fine, because this track is amazing.
15. Shawn Wasabi - "SQUEEZ"
What is not to love about Shawn Wasabi? He writes some of the catchiest pop melodies I've ever heard, he has beautiful bright green hair, loves video games, is always smiling, and tweets about his big ass. Like Netta, I love artists who choose pieces of modern technology as their primary instruments (a Midi Fighter 64 in Shawn's case). He's definitely the reigning king of both midi controllers and Bleep Pop(a-pop pop).>
14. Mikolas Josef - "Lie To Me"
The other song from this year's Eurovision that made my list, this one easily wins my award for the year's best lyrics. Some examples:
- "I know you whomp-bomp-a-loo-bop on his wood bam-boom / But you were still seeing me and well he didn't even knew"
- Then it got heavy, mom I'm feeling home already / But steady plenty mothafuckas wanna eat my spaghetti
I mean dude...yes.
13. Glades - "Not About You"
Glades are an indie trio that met in college in Sydney, Australia and just released their debut album (which, incidentally, sports my favorite album art of the year). This is undoubtedly a modern pop track, but there's something deliciously and undeniably 1987 about it, and I just love it.
12. Troye Sivan - "My My My"
Troye is on full display in all his goofy glory in this video, with a strut that rivals that of Jagger or Morrissey and a swagger exudes a confidence that we hadn't seen from him until this moment. His first EP and album were still very much in his reserved, private, bedroom YouTuber persona, so it's great to see him finally peacock out into the queer nerd we've all always wanted him to be.
11. Janelle Monae - "Make Me Feel"
Speaking of becoming a queer icon, hey Ms. Monae! This is one of the best albums of the year, led off with a single that is probably the last-ever Prince song, and hoo boy are there purple fingerprints all over this thing. She's just so damn cool and so sexy, and this track would make somebody shake their shoulders at their own funeral.
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