Songs of the Year (2017)
As we ring in the new year with celebratory cheers, overzealous themed glasses, or maybe even some fireworks, it's a good call to remember some of the best singles 2017 threw at us. We've heard every genre produce memorable tracks, from the hard-hitting bass of sleek dance beats to the raw lyrical power of alternative folk crooners. Let's take a look back (in a somewhat generalized order) at the best of 17.
If you'd rather just listen to them on the go, there's a spotify playlist here.
71 Best of 17: Songs of the Year
1. cycles / disco tits – Tove Lo
It's maddeningly difficult to pick a song of the year, but it was hard to stop playing "disco tits" anytime friends got together. Or when feelings were down and in need of a jolting pick-me-up. Or when there was literally any walking distance to be covered. It's just a good, concise 3 minutes and 44 seconds of dance-pop euphoria. Tove experimented with new sonics on the lead track off her latest set, BLUE LIPS, and the gutsy move paid off. The distorted opening vocals fall into the hard-hitting bass beat, a contrasting pitch-clap track morphing between the powerful vocals. Intermittent almost-piano synths layer the beats with punchy hits, introducing the incredible sifting synth that builds the chorus. The combo sounds like a metronome if it transformed into a liberated electro-thunderstorm.
"cycles," the sparse, synth-laden confessional appearing in the latter half of LIPS, sees Lo at her most vulnerable. There's a recurring theme beginning to assert itself throughout her albums–a constant chase for soaring highs and inevitable lows. She feels the same history repeating itself with every new relationship, but doesn't have the capability of controlling or changing it. It's an airy track that hits hard, her cool vocals building along the instrumentals to a forlorn shriek.
2. Green Light / Perfect Places – Lorde
The rumbling piano run leading into the explosive chorus of "Green Light" sees Lorde reveling in the post-breakup stage of rebuilt exuberance, her synesthesia lending itself lyrically and musically as she waits for the green light to move on. With startling, biting lines like "she thinks you love the beach, you're such a damn liar," Lorde is open and emotive as ever.
Song of the summer "Perfect Places" must be mentioned, if not for its masterful pure pop precision, then for its sheer danceability. It should have been the hit of the year, but it shines on its own as a jewel in Lorde's recently Grammy-nominated Melodrama all the same. Pop doesn't get much more perfect than this.
3. New York – St. Vincent
It's not just an incredible song, but an incredible music video. The bold visuals of "New York" match the raw, emotional fearlessness of St. Vincent's standout track from MASSEDUCTION, one of 2017's strongest albums. The lyrical wordplay is incredible, ironic lines often blending into witty puns. Annie Clark (St. Vincent) is mourning loss, wielding expletives as a sign of endearment and closeness–she makes us feel the empty spaces with each piano strike and disconsolate lyric.
4. The Weekend – SZA
There's a more than legitimate argument for any song off SZA's debut album, CTRL, to hold this spot. The Grammy-nominated LP has so many standouts: "Supermodel," "Drew Barrymore," "Love Galore," to name a few. The sultry nuances of "The Weekend" aren't cheap attention-grabs, but honest reflections on what it's like to love openly in the 21st-century according to SZA. She's introspectively questioning the decision as reckless, but sees awareness of the situation as potentially empowering–trashing the idea of a man being the nucleus of any woman's life choices.
She's the most Grammy-nominated woman of the year, and rightfully so.
5. New Rules – Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa, rising Brit sensation with a distinctive deep voice and killer looks, nabbed the breakout breakup anthem of 2017 with "New Rules." Propelled to notoriety by way of its perfectly matched aesthetic video going viral, it’s the widespread party anthem of the year and even throws in some great advice to go along with its clever beat drop and soaring chorus. It's worth noting that she was the first solo female to top the UK charts since Adele in 2015, her clever pop senses just now starting to catch fire here in the US.
6. Faking It (Radio Edit) – Calvin Harris, Kehlani, Lil Yachty
So underrated. Calvin Harris really showed up for his latest album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, this incredible standout proving the title true with its funky beat that shapeshifts around Kehlani's misty-powerful vocals. There's even a hint of violin to sneakily pair with the crisp percussion hits. It's hard not to vibe with the unique synths, and totally lose it when the beat kicks into the latter half of the chorus. The video aesthetic matches such unabashed, unashamed energy.
7. Appointments – Julien Baker
Julien Baker can send shivers down your spine with a listen of her latest full length, Turn Out the Lights. Her soft voice can build to impossible highs, all the while detailing her personal lows to devastating effect. The themes prevalent in the set range from reconciling depression and mental illness to sexuality and spirituality, making for a raw and provocative grouping of flickering, airy tracks. "Appointments" is not neccessarily better than any other on the album, exhibiting Baker's strength as an artist. It does, however, serve as the starting point for the incredible personal arc of the album, a desperate search for some semblance of hope in the darkness.
8. Take Me – Aly & AJ
They're back. After ten long years, the sister-duo of Aly and AJ Michalka have arrived with a new retro sound, with "Take Me" worthy of a spot in any solid 80s movie soundtrack. The vocals are airy, the vintage synths hitting especially hard as the song goes on and the voices turn to giddy shrieks. It's a lush descent into dreamy retropop that's at once refreshing and successful.
9. Mystery of Love / Visions of Gideon – Sufjan Stevens (Call Me By Your Name Soundtrack)
Call Me By Your Name, a dreamy and exceptionally-executed film vying for Oscar glory, brings to the masses an incredible book and memorable soundtrack. Set in summertime Italy, the nuanced, all-encompassing love story is notably difficult to capture through music. Sufjan Stevens manages just that, with three fresh tracks on the motion picture soundtrack. "Mystery of Love" and "Visions of Gideon" do well in capturing the idyllic setting, enveloping passion and heartbreaking reality of the six-week summer romance. It's a film you don't want to miss, with a soundtrack to fit perfectly.
10. Bad Liar – Selena Gomez
I'd be lying if I said I didn't find the utterly ingenious use of a Talking Heads guitar sample in a 2017 pop song the single catchiest piece of pop music in 2017. The hook here? What hook? The whole damn song is a hook! The just-over three and a half minute track isn't trying to be anything it's not, Gomez utilizing her breathy voice to its fullest potential on this unabashed pure pop hit (with a cheeky video starring several Selenas, too).
11. Otherside / Slip Away – Perfume Genius
12. What If I Go – Mura Masa & Bonzai
13. DQ – Charly Bliss
High-octane bubblegum rock never sounded so good. The four-piece, Brooklyn-based group smartly contrasts heavy-hitting pop-rock with lead singer Eva Hendricks' sugary-sweet voice. With sharp-witty lyrics like "I laughed when your dog died / It is cruel, but it's true" and "Does he love me most now that his dog is toast?" Charly Bliss doesn't take things too seriously, concocting a perfect mix of nonchalance and explosivity.
14. Winterbreak – MUNA
15. Need You – Allie X, Valley Girl
16. Hard Times – Paramore
17. I Dare You – The xx
18. Super Far - LANY
"I'm in love with someone, but I'm not sure / She can love someone back the way they love her," sings LANY frontman Paul Klein on "Super Far," a glossy alt-pop hit waiting to happen. LANY has been steadily rising up the alternative scene with tracks like "ILYSB," another airy track with a sleekness so smooth you could glide on it.
19. Hard Liquor / Harbour – SOHN
20. And Saints – Sleigh Bells
Sleigh Bells' latest album, Kid Kruschev, made the top ten of the Mighty Albums of the Year with songs such as "Blue Trash Mattress Fire" and "Florida Thunderstorm." "And Saints," a hauntingly desolate track with equally impactful guitar and piano interspersed throughout, exemplifies Sleigh Bell's fearless sound experimentation, a sound slightly poppier than previous offerings. The stuttering keys at the end of the song pair eerily well with the creepy music video visuals. "
21. Weakness / A Little Pain – Margo Price
22. Nobody’s Fool – Shakey Graves
A gravelly voice does a soul some good. When I looked up the lyrics to cross-reference the track, I seemed to be the only view the page ever had. Don't let the low numbers fool you–Shakey Graves has a memorable voice and makes the most of his selective, strummy instrumentals. "That's the one thing they don't teach in school / You ain't nobody's fool," he muses in the final run. The track stirs imagery of rolling clouds over sweeping fields, a nostalgic tune that sticks up for itself.
23. Blood and Muscle - Lissie
Lissie, the talented singer-songwriter with a folk-tinged past and raspy voice, is back with an altered sound. It's still endearing and centered around her voice, but the production feels a bit sleeker when compared to, say, the forlorn vocal dynamics of "Ojai." Her last album, My Wild West, was a tour-de-force of musicianship and unique vocal flare. She's in full form here, however, strong ahead of her next album, Castles, due early 2018.
24. 1800-273-8255 – Logic, Khalid, Alessia Cara
25. Never Be the Same – Camila Cabello
26. Adeline – alt-J
27. Praying – Kesha
28. Scary Love – The Neighbourhood
29. Faded Heart / I Don’t Want U Back – BØRNS
"I sleep better than every / Night you were lying next to me / Don't wanna see your face / You need to face the facts / I don't want you back," sings California-based BØRNS, an alt-pop force who's tracks are more often than not tinged in an eternal sunshine. This is his poppiest sound yet, but the single synth hits nestled within the aforementioned verse prove he's stronger than ever heading into his sophomore album.
30. Say My Name – Tove Styrke
31. The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness – The National
32. Crowded Places – BANKS
33. Turn My Heart to Stone – MØ
34. The Cure – Lady Gaga
35. Want You Back – HAIM
36. Wicked – Mansionz, G-Eazy
37. love gang – Whethan & Charli XCX
38. Alaska – Maggie Rogers
39. COPYCAT – Billie Eilish
Pop up-and-comer Billie Eilish commanded 2016 with the memorable "Ocean Eyes," her 14-year-old talent jumping out of the lyrics and shining through the vocals. If the acoustic version of "Copycat" doesn't exhibit her raw talent, I don't know what does. She's playful yet apathetic, creating a clear-cut pop song worth singing to.
40. For What It’s Worth – Haley Reinhart
41. Bad At Love – Halsey
42. Tell Me You Love Me – Demi Lovato
43. Miss You (Nick Talos Remix) – Gabrielle Aplin
There's a beachy bittersweetness to this smart remix of Gabrielle Aplin's "Miss You." It's an adventure in tempo and intensity, fading in and out in waves of EDM. Horns accompany an already lush instrumental, the crisp bass cuts blending into Aplin's crystal-clear meditative vocals. The spirit of the song dances like no one's watching.
44. Love So Soft – Kelly Clarkson
45. Pray – Sam Smith
46. Everybody Knows – Kimbra
47. I Love You Always Forever / The Valley – Betty Who
48. HUMBLE. – Kendrick Lamar
49. Stay – Zedd & Alessia Cara
50. Groupie Love – Lana Del Rey, A$AP Rocky
It feels like you're falling into the beat of "Groupie Love," a gleefully hallucinogenic highlight of Lana Del Rey's strong LP, Lust for Life. There's a vibrancy to the way Lana's voice drips over each new line, drawing you further into her world of music festivals and endless love.
51. Don’t Kill My Vibe – Sigrid
52. Slow Down Love – Louis the Child ft. Chelsea Cutler
53. Call It What You Want – Taylor Swift
54. Sleepover – Hayley Kiyoko
55. Passionfruit – Drake
56. Diving – Bridgit Mendler, RKCB
Bridgit Mendler isn't your average ex-Disney triple threat. She's already established a record of good pop music, especially in last year's Nemesis EP. She's experimenting with a mellow EDM sound on "Diving," a dreamy ode to closeness in love. She deserves more success, and should rightfully get some if she keeps turning out bops like these.
57. Redbone – Childish Gambino
58. Blood in the Cut – K.Flay
59. Beautiful Trauma – Pink
60. Malibu – Miley Cyrus
61. Sit Next to Me – Foster the People
62. From the Dining Table – Harry Styles
63. Don’t Leave – Snakehips & MØ
64. Thunder – Imagine Dragons
65. Feel It Still – Portugal. The Man
66. rockstar – Post Malone & 21 Savage
67. Thorns – Bonnie McKee
Bonnie McKee has penned hits for the likes of Katy Perry and Kesha, 10 of her collaborative tracks hitting #1 in the US and UK. She's got a great solo career of her own, with last year's exceptional Bombastic EP proving she's an underrated force to be reckoned with. The sweet hook of "Thorns" sticks with a repetitive thwack, further proving it's time people knew who McKee really is,
68. Despacito (Remix) – Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber
69. Hold on to Me – Tsörf
70. Get Some – Ghosted, Kamille
71. Certainty – Temples
Check out the playlist for these certified bops at (songs of 17).
Until next time, stay mighty and happy new year!