The Best Songs of 2019
2019 was the year of internet infamy, with viral videos inspiring the second coming of the one-hit wonder. From chart-smashing newcomers like Lil Nas X and Ariana Grande, to boundary-breaking alternative acts like FKA Twigs and Charli XCX, the year was dominated by genre-blind ambition and previously unheard-of representation.
Here are some of the tracks that defined 2019. Check out the top 20, and listen to the full playlist (100 of 19) below.
1. Tove Lo: “Glad He’s Gone”
Fresh off a Grammy nom for best music video (Tove’s first), the lead single from Sunshine Kitty is a bold bop about moving on, making friends, and getting down.
The hook is insanely infectious, with a newfound lightness riding on synth beams and cheeky lyrics. The positivity sounds effortless coming from Tove, once deemed “the saddest girl in Sweden,” playing into a long-developing acoustic sound within her discography.
It’s the catchiest song of 2019, and an exciting new trajectory for the prolific singer-song writer. The slick and simple acoust-electric production hints at what’s yet to come in pop music.
2. Clairo: “Bags”
“Can you see me using everything to hold back?” 21-year-old pop prodigy Clairo lulls over washed-out guitar and idiosyncratic piano strikes. The production reflects the introspective admission—in “Bags,” and throughout the entirety of her debut album Immunity, Clairo wrestles with the desire to maximize the music, opting instead for restraint, diluting each song to its most necessary parts.
The result lets every lyric shine a little brighter, each strum hit a litter harder, each swell and sink of sound that much more noticeable. With songwriting this nuanced, that’s a good thing.
3. Grimes, i_o: “Violence”
Grimes is no stranger to big beats. Between influential alt-pop classics like top song of the decade “Oblivion” and the pounding bass beats of the Janelle Monáe collaboration “Venus Fly,” the pop auteur knows her way around finding pop in the most unlikely of places.
In “Violence,” the beat starts out heavy. It’s a refreshing contrast to her light, fairylike voice, one apparent throughout many of her biggest hits, but the secret weapon of “Violence” is the breaks within the beats—a deadpan “and I like it like that, and I like it like that,” that becomes one of the most satisfying pop moments of the year by the song’s end.
The nonchalant badassery of such a simple-yet-powerful line, stomping over futuristic space-house synths, sounds like a new definition of self-liberation through Grimes’ mystic ultra-flex polymer light filter.
4. Charli XCX, Christine and the Queens: “Gone”
Charli XCX and Christine and the Queens have been cranking out pop hits for the past few years, and unlock fresh territory on their groundbreaking collab, “Gone.” “I feel so unstable, fucking hate these people, how they making me love,” they declare over new-wave synths that swing so hard it feels like a gut punch. They’re feeling lonely in the most crowded spaces, feeling societal and gendered pressures close in on themselves.
In the video for “Gone,” they’re chained to. It sounds like a danceable meditation of today’s culture; like two pop super-forces finding a sweet spot of chemistry and complexity. By the time the immediately present synth waves digitally break down into an irresistible glitch section at the end of the song, it’s clear.
This sounds like the future.
5. HAIM: “Now I’m In It”
HAIM wastes no time with “Now I’m In It,” dancing on guitar strums within the first three seconds as airy vocals find space between the rhythms, breaking it up between interesting staccato lines and flowing declarations of “I’ve been trying to find my way back for a minute,” before the strums break into a gloriously jubilant flow of seamless strumming and vocal acrobatics.
Much like pop prodigy Jack Antonoff’s work in some of pop’s biggest forces in the past few years, the HAIM sisters find room in the empty spaces. The pause between syllables is both affecting and infectious, playing with and against the heavy instrumentation before taking a soft piano’s cue to break down with crystal-clear harmonies. It finds its way back, between the beats of percussion and swells of crowd noise, to a final run of layered vocals, ending in the same guitar strum from the start—only a little brighter.
6: Kim Petras: “Icy”
“Icy” is Kim Petras’ new coming. The buzzing bass behind Kim’s velvety voice, reflective of The Weeknd’s global hit “Starboy,” plays perfectly against the slick, confident airiness that has become Petras’ brand. Nearly every line is an earworm, with cheeky lines like “really you did me a favor / turned my heart into a glacier,” adding onto the ice-slick image of a relationship ending in ice.
The vocals on “Icy” are arguably the best Petras has ever turned in, climaxing with notes as sharp as icicles layered together with unmatched pop precision. Even Kim’s trademark “woo-ahh” sneaks into the last 30 seconds, making way for the arrival of pop’s newest force.
7. Wet: “Trust No Man – Acoustic”
Kelly Zutrau’s voice is deceptive. It’s soft and simple at first, only growing to reveal a fluttering emotion through effortlessly tapered runs and flawless vibrato. The broken heartedness of “Trust No Man” filters through the meandering guitars and hollow piano.
“In the end you’re gonna need somebody / Better try before you lose that body,” Zutrau sings over steady strums that sound like dust particles floating in light. You can almost hear her looking down as she sings, but she doesn’t make a fuss of her emotion. Introspective lyricism has always been Wet’s strength, and when it’s paired with such incessantly humble instrumentals it only comes off stronger.
9. FKA Twigs: “cellophane”
“Didn’t I do it for you?” FKA Twigs begins over lonely piano on “cellophane,” the lead single from MAGDALENE and freshly crowned best song of 2019. Twigs’ voice is one of the most powerful in any genre, shapeshifting from minimal pop to soaring opera, finding room for trap beats and haunting vogue somewhere between.
“cellophane” is Twigs’ magnum opus. The ethereal instrumental is unlike anything in pop today, sounding at once fragile and overwhelming, always in conversation with Twig’s vocal shifts. The song’s progression from dejected introspection to growing strength breaks with a piercing repetition of the opening line, finding a pulsating beat as Twigs’ voice breaks apart.
What makes “cellophane” so memorable, beyond its vocal perfection and genre acrobatics, is its flexibility. Twigs finds strength in vulnerability, finding entirely new ways to narrate both as separate and similar states. It’s the rightful closure to MAGDALENE, a body of work that dares to celebrate and question what makes us truly strong.
10. Lana Del Rey: “Mariners Apartment Complex”
Melancholy is Lana Del Rey’s playground. The classic rock undertones of “Mariners Apartment Complex” give it a natural nostalgia, but the lyrics within Lana’s first single of Norman Fucking Rockwell! Push the song over the top.
Compared to Del Rey’s earlier work, “Mariners” is a natural evolution of sounds, but a complete reversal of lyrical narrative. Lana’s earlier days, permeated with bad boys and daddies, have given way to a role reversal—“I’m your man,” she refrains throughout the song.
“They mistook my kindness for weakness / I fucked up, I know that, but Jesus / Can’t a girl just do the best she can?” she sings, before realizing and declaring her power in vulnerability like Twigs.
“Mariners Apartment Complex” begins with clarity, both in the production and placement within Del Rey’s greater catalogue, but eventually blurs into new progressive positions. The narrative changes with the instrumental, acoustics reverberating and noisily repeating as the conversation turns inward. Lana has evolved, with an elastic strength and redefined romanticism.
By the time the last whispered line of “Are you ready for it?” concludes, it’s clear this one’s a classic.
11. Broods: “Falling Apart”
“There's a hole in the head / There’s a hole in the heart / There's a hole in the wall / That wasn't there in the start,” electropop duo Broods begins on their matter-of-fact report on relationships. It doubles as a timely narrative, as well.
The progression, from beautifully layered harmonies to pared-back postulation, is effective as a pop earworm or cathartic real-world realization.
In an era of uncertainty, in both relationships and regional issues, it’s sometimes refreshing to admit that things are falling apart.
12. ROSALÍA, J Balvin, El Guincho: “Con Altura”
The rise of La Rosalía continues.
With “Con Altura,” the global genre-crossing smash collaboration between icon J Balvin and consistent Rosalía collaborator El Guincho, new age flamenco collides with reggaeton.
Let’s get right to it—no language barrier can outweigh the irresistible beat of “Con Altura,” a playful Latin beat that dances in tandem with Rosalía’s Catalan inflection. The track continues Rosalía’s tradition of redefinition, broadening her influence and audience as a result.
13. Mark Ronson, Angel Olsen: “True Blue”
Mark Ronson’s latest album, Late Night Feelings, is all about finding release from heartbreak. In “True Blue,” the LP’s clear standout, Angel Olsen’s retro-tinged voice pairs incredibly and unsuspectingly well with Ronson’s maximalist futuretro sound.
The kickback drumbeat marches beside the sorrow-soaked narrative, longingly described by Olsen, playing off her vocal ascensions as an anchor of persistence. It also doubles as a danceable footnote, finding a similar space of dancefloor liberation pioneered by queen of house-beat-heartbreak Robyn.
14. Tierra Whack: “Only Child”
Get ready for Tierra Whack. After last year’s groundbreaking Whack World, a collection of one-minute vignette tracks, Whack proves she can handle full-length records with ease.
Her flow is unmatched, effortlessly creative and always finding room for mischievous wordplay and sonic switchups. Whack continues perfecting her taste for unique hip-hop hooks on “Only Child,” inventing a new form of rap-speak acting as the song’s hook. She doesn’t take herself too seriously, yet manages to surpass most of today’s rap artists with unparalleled wit anyways.
“You must be the only child because you're so stingy
I just wanna go buck wild when you don't defend me
I been on the fuckin' prowl, I been countin' Benjis
You done turned my heart so cold, I should work at Friendly's
(Ain't shit sweet)”
15. Charly Bliss: “Young Enough”
Guppy was one of 2017’s best albums, and Charly Bliss has only found more clarity since. The Brooklyn high-octane power pop group, led by vocalist Eva Hendricks, continues developing their distinct sensory lyricism with swells of energy and building tension on album standout “Young Enough.”
“Do you remember running barefoot against the dark? / I elected to drown in you // And when the sidewalk ripped up our frozen feet / I can't protect you now if I couldn't save you then”
The song crescendos in an electric, washed-out rasp before fading out with insistent bass beats and energetic, daggering piano strikes. It’s the perfect title track for their follow-up to Guppy, marking an exciting evolution for a rock band like no other.
16. Jade Bird: “I Get No Joy”
For being 21 at the time of recording “I Get No Joy,” English singer-songwriter Jade Bird practically bursts through the stereo with a raspy energy reminiscent of some of the most powerful classic rock crooners.
The most memorable part of the track, the rapid-paced shout-speak constructing the chorus break, marks Jade Bird’s arrival as an effortless talent with voice beyond her years.
17. Mahalia: “Do Not Disturb”
The irresistible opening of “Do Not Disturb,” a swinging beat behind picturesque lyrics sung with Mahalia’s confident swagger, paint a picture of contemporary R&B.
The pop-inflected genre is defined by the likes of Mahalia, the velvet-voiced prodigy releasing collab tracks like “Simmer (feat. Burna Boy)” and “What You Did (feat. Ella Mai).” The effortless runs are smooth as silk, with an earworm hook linking modern tech with relationship woes. It’s smart, self-determined, and surely the future.
18. Terror Jr: “Yamaguchi”
“I love a little public rejection / Not used to fighting for affection,” The American pop-duo Terror Jr begins on their tongue-in-cheek beat down track, “Yamaguchi.” And, yes, it is referencing that name—the connection comes in the figure skater’s iconic movement, likening it to a turnaround attitude at the end of rejection.
“360, Kristi Yamaguchi / Flip the script, make that shit a movie”
19. Mura Masa, Clairo: “I Don’t Think I Can Do This Again”
An outright challenge towards any critics of Clairo’s versatility, this Mura Masa collaboration highlights each artist’s talent—Mura Masa’s beat-driven instrumental experimentation, Clairo’s delicate voice distortions and declarations—with an energetic clarity.
The music video acts as its own visual art piece, pairing hypnotically well with the track’s narrative.
20. Lizzo: “Juice”
2019 was the year of Lizzo. Her two biggest songs, “Truth Hurts” and “Good as Hell,” weren’t even first released this year—but that hasn’t stopped their ascension to the top tiers of the Hot 100, including her first #1 with “Truth Hurts.”
On “Juice,” the new wave funk-pop cut from Cuz I Love You, Lizzo is doing what she does best—effortlessly announcing confidence over clever beats and memorable, quotable lyricism.
If “Juice” has its chart-topping moment a year from now, it would only be cause for celebration. Genuine talent like Lizzo’s is hard to come by.
Here’s to a new decade! Stay mighty.
Photos, left to right: Kevin Kane (Getty) / Philip Cosores / Senia Lopez / Martin Cooper (Atlantic Records) / Foraggio Photography