28 December 2019

top 40 of 2019 | 40-31

40. CNCO - "Pretend"

A sneaky '80s pop sample spun into a latin pop boy band number - I'm into it!


39. Missy Elliott - "Throw It Back"

Missy made a long-awaited and promising comeback a few years ago with the insanely fun "Where They From." I, like everyone else, expected an album and a few more bangers to follow, but that sadly never happened.

Now, four years later, we got a 5-song EP led by this booty bouncer. She shadowdropped it after asking her Twitter followers to remember a time when "we all just danced and had fun," so all of this is a pretty clear nod to the Supa Dupa Fly era, and I'm not mad about it. Uptempo Missy will always be my favorite Missy, but this shit makes me wanna dance too.


38. Slayyyter - "Mine"

'90s house music presented through the lens of LA youth. This is a really well-produced track that really nails the sound it's going for, right down to those iconic Korg M1 organs.


37. La Neve - "Stability"

Sonically and aesthetically, this thing is all over the place, but it's just so goddamn queer and I love it. On the surface, this should be annoying as hell, but I cannot help but dance my ass off every time it comes on while I'm getting ready in the morning. I know this entry won't be for everyone, but hey, it is my year-end top songs list, right??

Definitely also worth watching amazing video of La Neve quitting their job in stylish fashion from a few years ago.


36. SRSQ - "Unkept"

This will be the first of a couple of appearances by Dais Records artists on this year's list. (Big thanks to my friend Ian for alerting me to their existence earlier this year!) They're producing some fantastic new wave, synthpop, and darkwave over there, and I'm very into it.

SRSQ's origin story is not a happy one: It's a pseudonym for singer/songwriter Kennedy Ashlyn, who lost musical partner Cash Askew in the tragic fire at the Ghost Ship warehouse in San Francisco in 2016. Her sadness is very much reflected in this new music, but her angelic voice shines like a beacon above the wall of gloomy synths and drum machines.


35. Code Elektro - "Cosmonaut's Dream"

I hope everyone is fully prepared for my Top 100 Songs of the 2010s list next year to be chock full of synthwave, because it was the genre that defined my decade, and there are no signs of my love for it slowing down whatsoever.

This is just a very cool instrumental track that reminded me of a slightly more polished track from the brilliant Stranger Things score.


34. Jai Wolf - "Still Sleeping"

This song fits really nicely between synthpop and modern pop. The delivery is all 2019, but it has the production sensibilities of a midtempo crush lament from 1986.


33. Mabel - "Don't Call Me Up"

Top 40 has really fallen off for me in the last two years, but there are still occasional bright spots like this. You've heard this song structure hundreds of times throughout the decade, but the production here is airtight and that chorus slaps.


32. Automatic - "Calling It"

It may start off like a Talking Heads b-side, but this goes full-on indie pop once the vocals kick in. I can't even pinpoint exactly what I love about this song so much, but I loved driving around with it on when it was really, really hot this summer.


31. Georgia - "About Work The Dancefloor"

Unf, that bassline. Really excited to hear Georgia's full LP next month, because both songs she's released from hit have been excellent.

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