Favorite Songs of 2009: It's Not Fair!
Another calendar is about to close, which means it's time for a new Favorite Songs of the Year list.
I started a preliminary playlist back in middle November with the hopes that at least two or three additional tracks would make the cut before January, just to give the lineup a tad more variety.
No such luck.
This year's roster is heavy — like, embarrassingly heavy — on electropop artists. It's weird for me to notice the trend. I blame it on living in Britain, where pop music in general remains a venerated genre.
This was a year when I found myself drifting away from many of the indie folk acts and singer/songwriters who had dominated my headphones for the better half of the decade. New material from Neko Case and Sufjan Stevens, two former favorites, didn't make the final list, nor did several other artists that I expected to be there (Wilco, Rosanne Cash, Monsters of Folk, even Mary J. Blige).
Instead, a quick peek at iTunes tells me that my most often played track of the year was "One Day" by the Juan Maclean. Really? How'd that happen?
As with years past, I'm not being a total stickler for release dates; I know a couple of the tracks technically hit in 2008, but they registered on my radar in '09. So there.
Here's the playlist, in no particular order. And here are the previous years: 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005.
1. "Not Fair" – Lily Allen
I couldn't get enough of this song in 2009. Country twang + off-color lyrics + Lily's angelic vocals = sheer brilliance. Plus, the video is exceptional, with a cameo from Porter Wagoner (!).
2. "Bulletproof" – La Roux
La Roux's catchy debut was easily one of my favorite albums of the year, and one of the few that I listened to on repeat. The video for this song reminds me of a level in Super Mario Galaxy.
3. "Million Dollar Bill" – Whitney Houston
I know, I know. It's just too easy to hate on Whitney, and it shocked me how vicious some folks were about her new album. "Bitch can't sing!" "She looks busted!" "Her dress fell off!" Well, enough with all the vitriol, OK? Admittedly, the comeback has had some issues, and yes, the album is fairly one-note, with way too many "look at me, I survived my struggle" anthems. But not this song, which deserves a place up there with some of the greatest Whitney tracks of all time.
4. "One Hundred Million Years" – M. Ward
I said before that 2009 was a year when I stopped listening to much folk. The new M. Ward is a glaring exception, the kind of album on which every track is a keeper.
5. "Teeth" – Lady GaGa
I'm shocked — shocked, I tell you — that this song ended up on my favorites list. I was a slow convert to the GaGa gang; I stupidly predicted that she would be a one-hit wonder. Then came singles like "Paparazzi" and "Poker Face" and I had to chew on my toes for a while. For me, this song is just so weird and unexpected, more like Shania Twain with lyrics by Anne Rice. I'm dying for HBO to catch wind of the song and use it in the promo spots for season three of "True Blood."
6. "One Day" – The Juan Maclean
As I said before, my number one most played song of the year. Crazy. It makes me think of Human League.
7. "Clean Up Woman" – Leela James
Poor Leela. She keeps trying, but nothing seems to work out -- not yet anyway. Her effort for '09 was an album of covers, which sort of smells of desperation. Still, I loved this version of Betty Wright's "Clean Up Woman," and also found myself singing along to "Baby I'm Scared of You."
8. "Heartbreaker (ft. John Legend)" (Laidback Luke Remix) – MSTRKRFT
Such an interesting combination of vocals and synths. Makes me excited to see what this group does next. (The album version is a lot more mellow, but I love the pounding energy of the remix.)
9. "Heavy Cross" — Gossip
Beth Ditto and co. are on everyone's best-of lists this year. They deserve the acclaim. I didn't love the entire album, but "Heavy Cross," "2012" and "Pop Goes the World" were definitely keepers.
10. "Day 'N Nite" (Crookers Remix) – Kid Cudi
At the last minute I almost switched this track out with Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness." Either way, one to watch.
11. "Sexy Bitch" (f. Akon) – David Guetta
When we visited America in May, every other gay man I talked to was gagging over that damn David Guetta/Kelly Rowland song. You know the one. But for my money, this was the standout track on the album. I just love how silly the lyrics are: "I'm trying to find the words to describe this girl without being disrespectful; Damn, girl, you're a sexy bitch." (Call me crazy, Akon, but I think you need to try harder.)
12. "Please Don't Leave Me" (Digital Dog Club Mix) – P!nk
First heard in '08, but it was the remix and the video for this one that had me hooked. The video is an amazing homage to "Misery." Seriously.
13. "Dance Wiv Me" – Dizzee Rascal f. Calvin Harris
Apparently this was released in the UK in '08, but I didn't catch it until it showed up on Calvin Harris's "Ready for the Weekend" this summer -- hands-down one of my favorite albums of the year. "Stars Come Out" almost made my list and "I'm Not Alone" got played a few times too many in our flat this spring.
Honorable mentions:
"Lala Song" – Bob Sinclar; "New in Town" – Little Boots; "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" – Alicia Keys; "My Girls" – Animal Collective; "I Do Not Hook Up" (Bimbo Jones Club Mix) – Kelly Clarkson.
Happy New Year!
I started a preliminary playlist back in middle November with the hopes that at least two or three additional tracks would make the cut before January, just to give the lineup a tad more variety.
No such luck.
This year's roster is heavy — like, embarrassingly heavy — on electropop artists. It's weird for me to notice the trend. I blame it on living in Britain, where pop music in general remains a venerated genre.
This was a year when I found myself drifting away from many of the indie folk acts and singer/songwriters who had dominated my headphones for the better half of the decade. New material from Neko Case and Sufjan Stevens, two former favorites, didn't make the final list, nor did several other artists that I expected to be there (Wilco, Rosanne Cash, Monsters of Folk, even Mary J. Blige).
Instead, a quick peek at iTunes tells me that my most often played track of the year was "One Day" by the Juan Maclean. Really? How'd that happen?
As with years past, I'm not being a total stickler for release dates; I know a couple of the tracks technically hit in 2008, but they registered on my radar in '09. So there.
Here's the playlist, in no particular order. And here are the previous years: 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005.
1. "Not Fair" – Lily AllenI couldn't get enough of this song in 2009. Country twang + off-color lyrics + Lily's angelic vocals = sheer brilliance. Plus, the video is exceptional, with a cameo from Porter Wagoner (!).
2. "Bulletproof" – La Roux
La Roux's catchy debut was easily one of my favorite albums of the year, and one of the few that I listened to on repeat. The video for this song reminds me of a level in Super Mario Galaxy.
3. "Million Dollar Bill" – Whitney Houston
I know, I know. It's just too easy to hate on Whitney, and it shocked me how vicious some folks were about her new album. "Bitch can't sing!" "She looks busted!" "Her dress fell off!" Well, enough with all the vitriol, OK? Admittedly, the comeback has had some issues, and yes, the album is fairly one-note, with way too many "look at me, I survived my struggle" anthems. But not this song, which deserves a place up there with some of the greatest Whitney tracks of all time.
4. "One Hundred Million Years" – M. Ward
I said before that 2009 was a year when I stopped listening to much folk. The new M. Ward is a glaring exception, the kind of album on which every track is a keeper.
5. "Teeth" – Lady GaGa
I'm shocked — shocked, I tell you — that this song ended up on my favorites list. I was a slow convert to the GaGa gang; I stupidly predicted that she would be a one-hit wonder. Then came singles like "Paparazzi" and "Poker Face" and I had to chew on my toes for a while. For me, this song is just so weird and unexpected, more like Shania Twain with lyrics by Anne Rice. I'm dying for HBO to catch wind of the song and use it in the promo spots for season three of "True Blood."
6. "One Day" – The Juan Maclean
As I said before, my number one most played song of the year. Crazy. It makes me think of Human League.
7. "Clean Up Woman" – Leela James
Poor Leela. She keeps trying, but nothing seems to work out -- not yet anyway. Her effort for '09 was an album of covers, which sort of smells of desperation. Still, I loved this version of Betty Wright's "Clean Up Woman," and also found myself singing along to "Baby I'm Scared of You."
8. "Heartbreaker (ft. John Legend)" (Laidback Luke Remix) – MSTRKRFT
Such an interesting combination of vocals and synths. Makes me excited to see what this group does next. (The album version is a lot more mellow, but I love the pounding energy of the remix.)
9. "Heavy Cross" — Gossip
Beth Ditto and co. are on everyone's best-of lists this year. They deserve the acclaim. I didn't love the entire album, but "Heavy Cross," "2012" and "Pop Goes the World" were definitely keepers.
10. "Day 'N Nite" (Crookers Remix) – Kid Cudi
At the last minute I almost switched this track out with Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness." Either way, one to watch.
11. "Sexy Bitch" (f. Akon) – David Guetta
When we visited America in May, every other gay man I talked to was gagging over that damn David Guetta/Kelly Rowland song. You know the one. But for my money, this was the standout track on the album. I just love how silly the lyrics are: "I'm trying to find the words to describe this girl without being disrespectful; Damn, girl, you're a sexy bitch." (Call me crazy, Akon, but I think you need to try harder.)
12. "Please Don't Leave Me" (Digital Dog Club Mix) – P!nk
First heard in '08, but it was the remix and the video for this one that had me hooked. The video is an amazing homage to "Misery." Seriously.
13. "Dance Wiv Me" – Dizzee Rascal f. Calvin Harris
Apparently this was released in the UK in '08, but I didn't catch it until it showed up on Calvin Harris's "Ready for the Weekend" this summer -- hands-down one of my favorite albums of the year. "Stars Come Out" almost made my list and "I'm Not Alone" got played a few times too many in our flat this spring.
Honorable mentions:
"Lala Song" – Bob Sinclar; "New in Town" – Little Boots; "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" – Alicia Keys; "My Girls" – Animal Collective; "I Do Not Hook Up" (Bimbo Jones Club Mix) – Kelly Clarkson.
Happy New Year!
posted by TRAYB at
10:39 AM
1 Comments:
Great list, Tray!. I did a best of the decade at my blog. Have you heard Beth Ditto's song Cruel Intentions with Simian Mobile Disco? Brilliant stuff. Happy New Year.
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