top 30 of 2021

For a few personal reasons, I haven't been motivated to post my annual top songs of the year list until now. And although I have no idea how much I'll feel like writing about these, I at least wanted to archive my list because there are some really great songs here.

30. Himera - "Good Night, I Hope The Future Brings You Only The Best!"

Super cute and interesting instrumental track! Absolutely love the way this starts almost like a soft lullaby and crescendos into what feels like a bunch of warm soft blankets and pillows tucking in to surround you.

29. Troye Sivan - "could cry just thinkin about you"

The Prince of Gay Pop does it again, this time with a muted ballad that allows him to show off his beautiful voice and lyrics.

28. New Constellations - "Hot Blooded"

Gorgeous electropop jam with modern vocals, a juxtaposition that I really love when it's pulled off well.

27. Vincint ft. Tegan & Sara - "Getaway"

Really nice bouncy little dancepop tune.

26. Plasmic - "Female Fascination"

Bit of a strange little song, this one, but there's something that kept pulling me back to it. The vocals have a kind of bitchy '90s quality, and they work really well with the brilliantly catchy vocal melody of the chorus.

25. Del Water Gap - "Ode To A Conversation Stuck In Your Throat"

I feel like every year a song like this makes my list. It sounds straight out of 2005, something I'd have played on college radio. I guess part of me thinks it's cool that there are still bands making music that sounds like this, even if I only actually enjoy one out of every 10,000 or so songs. Fuckboy lyrics, but it's a cute song.

24. Years & Years - "Starstruck"

I want to love Years & Years more than I do (mostly because Olly is such a cutie!) but they tend to lean a little too heavily into that corny post-disco sound that just doesn't do a lot for me. I don't blame him, though, he's British.

23. Rasmus Seeback - "Så Længe Vi Danser"

A sad song that sounds super happy! But I don't speak Danish, so fuck it, let's dance.

22. Nius X - "Gamers"

Not much to say here, just some cute pop rock with nerdy new wave vocals!

21. Little Mix ft. Saweetie - "Confetti"

Saweetie had quite the year, didn't she? Years from now when someone is like "remember when celebrities had their own McDonald's meals?" hers is the name I'll think of first, and I'm not sure I can say why. Supremely bizarre video ft. Drag Race UK girls and also the Little Mix gals as drag kings -- not sure why this didn't hit in the US!

20. Agnes - "24 Hours"

I still can't figure out whose voice Agnes reminds me of, but it's quite powerful and I can't resist a solid dancepop diva track.

19. Superchunk - "Endless Summer"

Exactly what I wanted out of a Superchunk song release in 2021 that I wasn't even expecting!

18. Planet 1999 - "Party"

A friend sent me this and said "I know you love an open snare," and what can I say? He's correct.

17. Computerbandit - "You Are Digital"

A driving track that straddles the venn diagram of synthpop, new wave, and dancepop. Love the vocal effects!

16. Jessie Ware - "Please"

Jessie Ware continues to turn out bangers, and also to be completely absent from the Billboard Hot 100. I do not understand.

15. Rebecca Black - "Girlfriend"

This one crept up on me. I thought it was fine when I first heard it, but I found myself humming it again and again and returning to listen again. It's just a great little pop song!

14. Primo The Alien - "Do It Again"

I first learned of Primo from her vocal feature on Sunglasses Kid's "Fixing Me With Love," so I was very pleased to hear a solo track that I also loved! Her voice is so silky.

13. Kero Kero Bonito - "The Princess And The Clock"

I fuckin love KKB and you can expect to see them on this list any time they release music in the target year.

12. Cannons - "Bad Dream"

The production really sold this track to me. It's a beautiful modern synthpop track with perfect sample choices.

11. Kim Petras - "Coconuts"

Kim certainly knows what she's about these days, and I respect the hustle of releasing a summer song in December.

10. Lorde - "Solar Power"

Speaking of summer songs! The kids talk an awful lot these days about "vibes," so yeah, uh this song is all vibes.

9. The Birthday Massacre - "Dreams Of You"

TBM's 2005 album Violet might be my favorite album of that decade. It was really nice to see them return to that sound with this single!

8. The Parity Complex - "Move On Song"

What a jam!!!

7. Florrie - "Street Lights"

Not much to say here, just a pretty perfect little pop song! I do love a good prechorus.

6. Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen - "Like I Used To"

We don't get enough good pop duets these days, but maybe that just makes the really good ones that we do get even more special. I hadn't listened to either of these artists prior to this release, but they certainly seem made to work together. This is a great song!

5. The Linda Lindas - "Racist, Sexist Boy"

Early last summer, a video of a band comprising four teen girls singing in their local public library about a racist, sexist boy at their school took the Internet by storm, and I was absolutely one of the many who were captivated. These girls are fantastic and I look forward to seeing where their career takes them.

4. Ralph - "Tommy"

The dancepop jam of the year??

3. BTS - "Butter"

The most impressive thing about this is that it's only their second English-language single.

2. Thrillchaser - "Fantasy"

Synthwave remains one of my top genres these days, and this was my favorite track in that genre from last year. Absolutely fantastic!

1. Holly Humberstone - "The Walls Are Way Too Thin"

I usually know my song of the year the first time I hear it, and this was no exception. I love it from top to bottom, front to back! Everything pop music should be!