I said pretty much everything I wanted to say about the year on my worst list. TLDR: The tides are changing and it feels like Gen Z is the new arbiter of popularity. I just want to write about the songs I like!
One caveat before we begin, though; not all the songs here made the US Year-End list. This is a more general list of hits, from both the US and around the world. I do this for the best list only because
A) I find it easier to catalogue songs I like (since they’re on my playlists)
B) I want to introduce you to songs you might not have paid attention to if you only watch the Hot 100 and its year end list.
Let’s go!
NUMBER TEN
About this one, I ain’t gon’ say too much.
NLE CHOPPA – CAMELOT (US peak: #37; New Zealand peak: #10)
There really isn’t much to say about this song. It’s yet another trap banger, but this one just goes HARD.
The beat is anchored by a strong, dark bass piano melody, and unlike Money by Cardi B, the piano here isn’t aggressively staccato and, while it is the most prominent part of the beat, it isn’t 90% of it like on Money. The melody is extremely infectious as well. And the beat knows when to drop out or change at the right times. The eight bass kicks at the beginning when it begins to kick into gear get you hyped, and the drop out soon after at “YOU A LOBSTER” accentuates the humour there. The synth melody also carries the beat when the bass drops out, adding a mellower part to this otherwise aggressive banger and accentuating the lyrics in those parts.
Choppa’s flow is good, and he changes it at the end, but I love the lyrics. They convey the basic image of “I will kill you if you step to me” but there’s also quite a bit of punnery and wordplay going on in here. “Bring a n**** chills like I work at Baskin-Robbins / I love Batman, but a young n****a robbin'” is my candidate for couplet of the year.
In conclusion, Camelot is a fun and aggressive banger that always lifts my mood.
NUMBER NINE
Post Malone? More like POP Malone nyucknyucknyuck
POST MALONE – CIRCLES (US YE: #62)
Post Malone was crowned by Billboard as the biggest artist of the year, and he kinda deserves it. He’s shown such monumental improvement from his debut back in 2016. White Iverson and I Fall Apart, the two big singles from his debut album Stoney, both stunk. Beerbongs and Bentleys, the followup, showed quite a bit of improvement. Better Now, Rockstar, and Candy Paint are all good songs, I’d argue. Then came 2019 and Hollywood’s Bleeding.
I still haven’t listened to the full thing but I really should, especially if this song is on it. Circles is one of Post’s poppiest songs to date, and while that would typically brand him a “sellout”, one must remember that selling out isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially when the artist gets better!
If you told me this song came from the 80s or 90s, I would believe you. It’s a bit of a throwback, since mellow pop songs like this don’t tend to be hits anymore. Is it weird that I could see this song on a lite rock/AM rock station? The trap elements are practically non-existent here, relying on a faded acoustic riff and a very strong kick-snare pattern, as well as a simple bassline. It feels warm, but the airy synths add a layer of coldness to it. “Seasons change” is the perfect phrase to kick off the chorus, because it really does capture the feeling of late summer in autumn, as the leaves begin to turn.
It kinda reminds me of Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills, and Nash, one of my favourite songs of all time. Of course this song isn’t as good as Southern Cross (it’s only #9) but anything that reminds me of that masterpiece is a clear winner in my book.
NUMBER EIGHT
This is the most relaxing hit of the year.
KHALID – BETTER (US YE: 20)
A mumbling vocal delivery is not an automatic negative. It can be done well, or poorly. And Khalid is the epitome of mumbling done well. His vocals melt into the beat, creating a seamless, flowing mass that kinda wraps around you.
This is the kind of song that you play when you’re out on the town at night. It’s dark, but it’s not dreary. It’s happy and celebratory, carefree sounding even.
The deep bass groove and the trap skitters carry you like waves on the ocean. If I did have to describe listening to this song in one phrase, it’s like you’re lying in a warm bubble bath with your eyes closed. It’s a big, warm, hug of a song that always makes you feel relaxed and happy. “Nothing feels better than this” indeed.
NUMBER SEVEN
Pop songs are supposed to be two things: simple and catchy. And this song just might be the simplest and catchiest of any on the list.
ELLIE GOULDING FT. SWAE LEE – CLOSE TO ME (US YE: #58)
Firstly, 58 is one of my favourite numbers so that’s automatically a plus.
This song has one single melodic element and rams it into your face as much as possible. There is one hook and the entire song is just that hook over and over again. But somehow, it doesn’t sound forced at all. “CLOOOOSE TO ME” is the best two seconds of music in 2019.
I don’t have much to say about this besides it’s incredibly catchy and it just hits the hook as hard as humanly possible. It feels gigantic and I guarantee it will absolutely kill live.
NUMBER SIX
A dumb song is not necessarily a bad song.
With this in mind, I give you one of the dumbest songs I have ever heard.
Y2K & BBNO$ – LALALA (CANADA YEAR-END: #44)
The lyrics are asinine.
The flow is basic.
The beat is simplistic.
And yet, it all works.
This song is proof that a song can be greater than the sum of its parts. The beat does a lot of carrying, and I mean A LOT. If this song was an instrumental, it would still be on the list. I’m just a sucker for that kind of Spanish guitar lick.
The other reason this song is here is our vocalist, BBNO$. A fellow man from the Cah-Nah-Dah, he just sounds like he’s trying so hard in this song. Emphasis on “trying” because he’s not succeeding. But the repetition and simplicity combined with a catchy beat just drill themselves into your brain, creating an earworm of a song that will never, ever leave your brain.
I feel dumber every time I listen to this song but I don’t care. It’s like one of those deep-fried memes that makes no sense but still makes you laugh.
NUMBER FIVE
Goddammit, this song was SO CLOSE to making the US Year End list.
TYLER, THE CREATOR – EARFQUAKE (US PEAK: #13; ISRAEL YE: #40)
Who knew that a song with only fifteen [intelligible] lines could be so emotionally gripping and powerful? EARFQUAKE’s real strength is in Tyler’s vocals, which he is pouring every single ounce of his soul into. He sells it all so well.
And the lyrics themselves are also great. The double entendre of “fault” meaning blame and the scar an earthquake makes is clever.
Speaking of lyrics, Playboi Carti.
Anger body rock
Won’t give fuck bout nothin’
And life up my lore
I might call my lawyer
Lo, go set me up
Bitch, don’t set me up
I’ll retaliate
We cryin’ at the club
And she weakening
Like we’re vegan
Oh my god,
I’m not tennis
One of these lyrics is correct. I’m not telling you which one it is.
The bridge is the peak of what mumble rap can be at its best. The [real] lyrics are completely unimportant, so it’s not a bad thing that they’re in back-of-the-router-speech. The lack of intelligible lyrics also puts your focus on the beautiful, bright piano line, which I believe is played by Tyler himself. It adds to the lovestruck aspect of the song but also sounds like it’s having a bit of fun near the end, brightening the mood.
Then once the bridge ends, we jump back into “Don’t leave, it’s my fault” and the mood whiplash just…works. Mood whiplash is incredibly difficult to pull off, but Tyler captures both melancholy and excitement here, and that is a daring feat.
NUMBER FOUR
Ah, Taylor. Is there anything you love more than being inconsistent?
TAYLOR SWIFT – LOVER (US PEAK: #10; CANADA YE: #96)
I can’t think of any other time an artist made one of the best and worst hit songs of a year, on the same album nonetheless.
This song just feels nice and warm. The lush country-inspired instrumental is again like a big hug and a blanket. It’s the kind of song you would play when you’re sitting by a fire and the radiant heat warms you up in the winter as it’s snowing out. [Coincidentally that’s the exact weather out right now, as well as a warm fire].
It’s just so calm and wonderful. I almost wish this song was released later in the year, since it would really fit for around Christmastime. It’s a Christmas song in its everything but lyrics [apart from the opening line] and lack of sleigh bells. And unlike most Christmas songs, I love this song so much. It’s passionate in all the right ways.
NUMBER THREE
Scratch what I said about Better, this is the most relaxing hit of the year.
PEDRO CAPO – CALMA (BOLIVIA, CHILE, COLOMBIA, COSTA RICA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, PANAMA, PARAGUAY, PERU, PUERTO RICO, URUGUAY PEAK: #1)
I know the version with Farruko is the more popular one, but shut up, this is my list. Also, wow, that’s a lot of countries.
In comparison to Lover, which is the perfect relaxing winter song, this is the perfect relaxing summer song. [I suppose Circles would be for autumn and Better for spring]
This song gives the impression of lounging on the beach without a care in the world, nothing on your mind but the crashing waves and the heat of the sun. In other words, this really is the perfect song of the summer. In a perfect world this would have ruled the season.
NUMBER TWO
So the last two songs were relaxing and perfectly seasonal. So what could be better than those two? How about the most intense hit of the year?
BLAKE SHELTON – GOD’S COUNTRY (US YE: 53)
Where the fuck did this come from? Blake Shelton is one of the grandmasters of bro-country, what suddenly made him decide to make an apocalyptic-sounding song about how hard it is to be a farmer?
This song really does sound apocalyptic. It namechecks The Devil Went Down To Georgia, and this song makes me believe that the Devil himself is upon us, fire and brimstone are falling, the seventh seal has been broken, and the trumpets are sounding. We were all in love with dying and we were doing it in Texas. It’s a southern-fried apocalypse and we’re all becoming grits.
And as dark as this song is, it’s possibly even darker than you realise. Either it’s a fiery apocalypse, or a boring one. You may be trapped in God’s Country, tilling the land until you die. No chance to go to the big city and get a job there. No chance to go to university and break out of your religious upbringing. You were born a farmer and you will die as a farmer.
Regardless of which type of apocalypse this truly is, it’s hellish and this song absolutely kicks all amounts of ass. If Left 4 Dead 2 came out this year, I guarantee this song would soundtrack the trailer. This song is completely badass and it makes you feel like a badass, ready to slay monsters, demons, or zombies with your pitchfork as the best guitar solo I have heard on a charting song in years plays. It’s the most kick-ass song of the year, without question.
Before we talk about what could possible be better than this, let’s go over some honourable mentions.
MUSTARD & MIGOS – PURE WATER (US YE: #55)
Top Ten Anime Redemption Arcs
I don’t know what makes this broken merry-go-round synth sound amazing despite Mi Gente still sounding horrible. Either way, UNH!
POST MALONE – WOW. (US YE: #5)
This is the second-dumbest song of the year behind lalala, and it’s still great. If I didn’t already have a Post Malone song and lalala on the list, this would have a spot.
PINKFONG – BABY SHARK (US YE: #75)
I have no strong feelings on this song, I just think it’s absolutely fucking hilarious that this was one of the biggest hits of the year.
SHAWN MENDES – IF I CAN’T HAVE YOU (US YE: #29)
This is a good pop song that exists. Look, it’s generic but it works.
DADDY YANKEE FT. SNOW – CON CALMA (CANADA YE: #29)
Of all the Spanish-speaking artists that cross over to the Anglophone mainstream in the US, Daddy Yankee is by far the best. It also helps that this song samples one of my guiltiest pleasures, Informer by Snow.
Fuck Katy Perry though.
SAWEETIE – MY TYPE (US YE: #77)
Nicki Minaj is now completely irrelevant and the world is better for that fact.
JOJI – SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK (NEW ZEALAND PEAK: #4)
If I told you a few years ago that Filthy Frank would become a balladeer and get on the Hot 100, you would not believe me. I’m only putting this in the honourable mentions because it has a faint chance to make the 2020 year-end list in the US, assuming it rises and all the stars align. If it does, you better believe it’s going to be in my top 3.
And now, for the song that beat the most intense hit of the year as well as three of the most relaxing songs I have ever heard.
NUMBER ONE
I have next to no introduction for this song. It’s by the biggest breakout star of the year, Lil Nas X, with a sample from a rock song. It’s got a short runtime but it’s got a lot packed into it.
No, the other one.
LIL NAS X – PANINI (US YE: #40)
Yes, this little unassuming number is my song of the year. It’s absolutely filled to the brim with fantastic hooks and it’s a bigger earworm than lalala.
The squawking synth melody and the whistling intro anchor an amazing production job from Take A Daytrip. But the part that everyone instantly remembers is the Nirvana sample. It’s such an inspired sample, too. The words “say to me what you want from me” are basically the arc words of the song.
The lyrics are the shining part, and the real reason this song is #1. I can’t think of the last time I heard a song so candidly deal with the challenges of newfound fame and the hipster fans who would rather you stay underground.
It is a funny feeling when you want an artist to become big after being a fan while they’re underground. I was a fan of Portugal. The Man before Feel It Still became huge, and I followed that song up and down the charts. Granted, I didn’t know about them for very long before FIS blew up, but I still liked them. They haven’t had sustained success so I don’t quite know the feeling of being a longtime fan of a hitmaker.
But I do understand what these fans can want. They want a special status among all the fans of an artist, since they were there from the start, but they also want the artist to get huge. This catch-22 is described well as “Thought you wanted me to go up / Why you tryna keep me teeny?”
And Lil Nas X is fed up with this. “Just say to me what you want from me”. Be honest, cut the bullshit. WHAT DO YOU WANT? Do you want me to be big or do you want me to stay underground? Lil Nas X knows the answer. He wants to be big. “I got fans finally, ain’t you wanting them to see me?”
He also calls out the fans that want him to stay small on their hypocrisy. “I thought you want this for my life, for my life / Said you wanted to see me thrive, you lied” You never see blunt attacks on one’s “fake” fans like this.
And here’s where the genius of the sample comes into play. The original lyrics of Nirvana’s In Bloom, where the sample comes from, are “He’s the one who likes all our songs and likes to sing along / Likes to shoot his gun, but he knows not what it means”. This song flips the sample on its head. Instead of criticising the new fans, it criticises the old ones. It’s such a ballsy move to sample Nirvana and then invert the message. It’s perfect.
Disguising this song as a romantic relationship song is also clever. Panini is the name of the girlfriend of Chowder, a character from the cartoon of the same name. To these “fake” fans, this song might just be what it says on the tin; a funny song about cartoon love.
This song has so many layers to it, all wrapped up in under two minutes. It’s beautiful, and that’s why it’s my favourite hit song of 2019.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
You know how I said God’s Country is the most intense hit of 2019? I lied.
#0 – RAMMSTEIN – DEUTSCHLAND (GERMANY, HUNGARY, SWITZERLAND PEAK: #1; GERMAN YE LIST: #20)
It’s truly heartwarming that a metal song can hit #1 on the pop charts in at least three countries in the world.
Deutschland is Rammstein’s big comeback single, after an excruciating ten-year absence. Rammstein is one of my favourite bands and I am so glad they are back. Their new album is my favourite of the year, and this song is by far the standout.
The first word that comes to mind when describing this song is “epic”. It truly is. It begins with a synth riff and a guitar line that builds and builds and builds, with a powerful drum, until…
DU.
Till’s glorious baritone breaks through and you’re instantly reminded of Rammstein’s biggest song and their closest thing to a crossover, “Du Hast”.
I will put the translation of the lyrics.
“You
Have cried a lot
Separated in spirit, united in heart
We
Have been together for so long
Your breath is cold, your heart in flames
You (you can, you can, you can)
I (I know, I know, I know)
We (We are, we are, we are)
You [plural] (You stay, you stay, you stay)”
Let’s break this down.
Germany has had a very long and very tumultuous history. It was separated into countless tribes in antiquity and the time of the Roman Empire, then the countless disunited states of the Holy Roman Empire, and in the latter half of the 20th century it was split into East and West. Germany has only existed in its current incarnation with its current borders since 1990.
Then, after the lowkey first verse, the song completely explodes with a cry of
“DEUTSCHLAND! (Germany)
My heart in flames
I want to love you and condemn you
Germany, your breath is cold
So young and yet so old
Germany!”
That third line is the key to this song. This song is not a love letter and Rammstein are not a nationalist band, no matter what Neo-Nazis like to believe. Rammstein has always been left-wing.
However, while this song is not nationalistic, I would argue it is patriotic. To me, patriotism is loving your country but also wanting to improve it. Rammstein do not want to forget the horrors of the past. They want to love their country, but they can’t.
“I
I never want to leave you,
One can love you
And want to hate you”
This cements the thesis of the song: They want to love their country but they cannot give it their full love.
Then the tension begins to build. Instead of another chorus after the second verse, we get this:
“Presumptuous, superior,
Take over, hand over,
Surprise, invade”
In German, all those words begin with the prefix über-. This is a beautiful piece of wordplay regarding Germany in WWII, and it gets better.
During WWII, Germany saw itself and its people as superior to others, which is presumptuous.
Germany took over its neighboring lands, such as Poland and France. The Germans were said to have handed over the country to the Nazis. Blitzkrieg is a tactic of surprise invasion.
Then, the ultimate bombshell.
“Deutschland, Deutschland, über allen”.
This line is by far the most important and most controversial lyric Rammstein has ever written.
The national anthem of Germany is the third verse of a song called “Deutschlandlied” or “The Song of Germany”. The first verse begins with the line “Deutschland über alles” [Germany above all]. In the time it was written, in 1841, Germany was only recently unified and the idea of “Germany above all” was a reference to the will for unification. The Nazis coopted this line to refer to nationalistic support for their fascist regime and the idea of Germany leading the new world order. In modern times, “Deutschland über alles” has been heavily tainted in Germany, hence the use of the third verse of Deutschlandlied for the anthem.
But note that the line in the Rammstein song is “über allen“, and not “über alles“. This is a very important distinction. “Alles” means all. “Allen” means everyone. This ironically makes it sound more fascist, but it fits with the theme of the song and the preceding lyrics describing Germany in WWII.
After this atomic bomb of a line, we get a slightly extended chorus.
“Germany, your love is a curse and a blessing
Germany, I cannot give you my love”.
Here Till plainly admits it. He cannot love its homeland due to the horror it has inflicted upon Europe and the world.
“You [singular]
I
We
You [plural]
You [sg] (superior, unecessary)
I (Ubermenschen, weary)
We (The higher you climb, the further you fall)
You [pl] (Germany, Germany, above everyone)”
We get the repetition of the pronouns, which I believe are a nod to “us vs them” rhetoric which is popular in nationalist and fascist discourse.
The words in the fifth and six lines again all begin with über-. “Übermenschen” is a term from Friedrich Nietzsche that originally meant a well-read, well-behaved man (similar to the idea of jūnzǐ in Chinese philosophy) but was co-opted by the Nazis to refer to the superior race.
The phrase “The higher you climb, the further you fall” could refer to Germany reaching great philosophical and technological heights before it all came crashing down in WWI and WWII.
We then get the extended chorus again before a wailing singer comes in, and the intense metal music suddenly stops and gives way to a short, quiet, reverb-tinged piano outro.
Deutschland is an absolute tour de force of a song, a solid “fuck you” in the face of a rising tide of nationalism both in Germany and abroad, and it is one of my favourite songs of all time. I am so glad Rammstein released this song, and I am so glad they released another album. Deutschland by Rammstein is far and away my favourite hit song, and favourite song period, of 2019.
Thank you for reading. Here’s to a great 2020!
Felix the Croc 