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megaeralwrites · 1 month

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I owe a massive debt of gratitude to M. Lamar Keene--he was one of my key sources of inspiration and information while writing The Shabti. Tragically, Keene died of AIDS in the 1990s. I didn't learn about that until I listened to the podcast Fake Psychic shortly after I finished drafting my book, and I had to take a couple days to grieve. He was a unique and fascinating person, and I hope he found some measure of the peace he spent much of his life searching for.

For more footage of Keene (and some of his Camp Chesterfield colleagues), check out this rare video.

#the shabti #ghost stories #historical fantasy #queer fiction #2024 debuts #writing community #lgbtqia books #supernatural thriller #m/m romance #lamar keene #spiritualism #spirit medium #the psychic mafia #queer history #lgbtq history #fake psychic #gay history #aids crisis

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cultsandcrafts · 11 months

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Martine Rose’s version was the copy 🤫

#martine rose #Kendrick Lamar #hillbillies #keen #Kanye #ye #hat #vintage #distressed #reconstruction #deconstructivism

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altamontpt · 11 months

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NOS Primavera Sound 2023 - Dia 1

O primeiro dia do Primavera Sound 2023 foi uma espécie de warm up para os seguintes. Muita chuva, muita música e um extraordinário cometa sonoro sintetizam esta primeira data.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Para a décima edição do Festival Primavera Sound, acrescentou-se mais um dia à tradição. Quatro em vez de três. Embora esta primeira data tenha sido mais curta em termos de concertos (uma espécie de warm up para o que decorrerá até sábado), a verdade é que o cabeça de cartaz era de peso. Mas já lá chegaremos, uma vez que é sempre boa ideia começar por onde se…

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#Alison Goldfrapp #Baby Keen #Beatriz Pessoa #Georgia #Holly Humberstone #Kendrick Lamar #nos primavera sound #nos primavera sound 2023 #The Comet is Coming

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kingcbras · 6 days

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part ONE of what I think cobra Kai teen fighter characters would listen to, today is EARLY season 1 part 1.

MIGUEL DIAZ

In the early episodes of Season 1 before Miguel found Cobra Kai, he was probably into some upbeat pop tunes, like Shawn Mendes or whatever was trending that he knew, you know, something to lift his spirits. He might also have vibed with some hip-hop, like Drake or Kendrick Lamar, for those days when he needed to feel a bit tougher after days of getting bullied.

ELI MOSKOWITZ

As for Hawk, well, he was definitely diving deep into a range of soft punk to indie , like Green Day or Jonathan Coulton. TWP, or some random game/ TV theme , songs that he played on a level non stop that he can't get out of head That geek energy suits him, don't you think? He probably cranked up the volume to drown out any negativity coming his way.

ROBBY KEENE

Robby, on the other hand, was all about that hard rock life. Picture him jamming out to bands like Metallica or Guns N' Roses or very very very hard metal and rock , you know, something with a bit of edge to match his personality while watching girl shake their ass on the computer with his friends and steal and skateboard.

DEMETRI ALEXOPOLOUS

Demetri strikes me as more of a classic pop that features game creators songs kinda guy. Maybe he was tuning in to some Queen or cg5 , getting lost in those timeless music while he games or playing dnd.

AISHA ROBINSON

Aisha might have had a diverse playlist, but I can see her enjoying some R&B and soul music, like Beyoncé or Marvin Gaye. Something smooth and empowering to remind her of her worth.

SAM LARUSSO

Now..... Sam, she seems like she'd lean towards indie pop or alternative rock, maybe listening to artists like The 1975 or Florence + The Machine. Something a bit introspective yet catchy.

KYLER , BRICS , ETC.

Kyler and his crew, well, they're probably all about that mainstream rap and hip-hop, like Travis Scott or Migos. You know, whatever's hot on the charts to keep up with their image.

YASMINE & MOON

And Yasmine and Moon, hmm, they might be into some trendy pop music, like Taylor Swift or Billie Eilish, keeping it current and stylish... And hitting their bongs.

#hawk cobra kai #cobra kai #miguel cobra kai #yasmine cobra kai #moon cobra kai #demetri cobra kai #kyler cobra kai #bricks cobra kai #cobra kai list

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kicksaddictny · 9 days

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King Kendrick

In the annals of hip-hop history, clashes between titans have always stirred the collective imagination of fans worldwide. But in the contemporary era, few face-offs have generated as much anticipation, hype, and controversy as the legendary showdown between Kendrick Lamar and Drake in "Not Like Us."

Released amidst a storm of speculation and heightened expectations, "Not Like Us" instantly became a battlefield where two of the genre's most influential figures squared off. Kendrick Lamar, hailed for his introspective lyricism and uncompromising authenticity, faced off against Drake, the Canadian superstar known for his melodic hooks and versatile flow.

From the opening bars, it was evident that "Not Like Us" was not just another rap skirmish; it was a declaration of artistic dominance. Kendrick Lamar's razor-sharp wordplay sliced through the track like a blade, delivering a barrage of potent verses that showcased his unparalleled storytelling prowess and keen social commentary.

But Drake, never one to back down from a challenge, unleashed his own arsenal of verbal dexterity and sonic innovation. His verses were characterized by trademark wit and infectious charisma, proving once again why he stands as one of the most commercially successful artists of his generation.

As the battle raged on, each artist took turns delivering knockout blows, trading lyrical jabs with precision and finesse. The tension reached a fever pitch as fans and critics alike debated who would emerge victorious in this clash of titans.

In the end, it was Kendrick Lamar who emerged triumphant, his victory solidified by the sheer force of his artistic vision and unwavering commitment to his craft. His verses cut deep, resonating with audiences on a visceral level and cementing his status as one of the greatest wordsmiths of his generation.

But perhaps the true winner of "Not Like Us" was hip-hop itself. In a genre often plagued by petty feuds and manufactured beefs, Kendrick Lamar and Drake's battle was a testament to the power of artistic expression and healthy competition. It reminded us that at its core, hip-hop is about pushing boundaries, challenging norms, and elevating the culture to new heights.

As the dust settles and the echoes of "Not Like Us" reverberate through the halls of hip-hop history, one thing is clear: Kendrick Lamar's victory was not just a triumph for himself, but for all those who dare to defy expectations and carve their own path in the world of music.

#kendrick #kendricklamar #kicksaddict #rap #compton #drake

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bandhyukoh · 1 year

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[Hypebeast] Essentials: Oh Hyuk

Disclaimer: This interview belongs to Hypebeast. November 26, 2022. By Yonghwan Choi. (Original Korean version)

For our latest installment of Essentials, Hypebeast Korea speaks with South Korean multi-hyphenate artist Oh Hyuk. As the leader, singer, and guitarist of the indie band HYUKOH, he has had a tremendous impact both locally and globally through cross-boundary collaborations with various artists and individual projects. Oh Hyuk is also a member of 다다DADA多多, a creative collective and label that has been developing a variety of playful collaborations across apparel and F&B. Inaugurated into HB100 back in 2017 as an individual artist, he appears in Hypebeast 100 once again this year as a member of 다다DADA多多.

Behind Oh Hyuk’s multifaceted career is an intriguing personal history. He was born in Korea and grew up in China where he graduated from an international school, making him trilingual in Korean, Chinese and English. He then entered the Department of Arts at Hongik University, the most prestigious school for arts in South Korea while working retail at Vans.

Oh Hyuk decided to become a singer at an early age but his parents were against his dream. In an effort to convince them, he auditioned for the most prominent music agencies in South Korea and got accepted by them all, but ultimately declined them all due to creative differences — going on to form his own band. Having shown a keen sense of fashion in many different ways, he eventually captured the attention of the iconic designer, Virgil Abloh, leading to a number of collaborations.

Join us below as the 29-year-old multi-hyphenate runs us through his picks including special collaborations, personal collectibles, and musical equipment. Items such as shoes signed by Abloh and custom Matthias amplifiers show Oh Hyuk as an individual and reflect his experiences as the frontman of HYUKOH and a member of 다다DADA多多.

Maison Martin Margiela “0,10” Artisanal Military Field Jacket Tanker

This is my favorite jacket. It’s an artisanal Maison Martin Margiela piece from the early 2000s based on military field jackets. I bought it about 5 or 6 years ago at a famous Japanese vintage clothing shop called LAILA TOKIO. I carry the jacket with me whenever I travel and I’ve worn it so much that one of the four signature stitches under the neckline on the back has worn out, but I like it as it is now.

Shin Murayama x HYUKOH Face Mask

This is the work of Shin Murayama, a Tokyo-born mask designer based in New York who has collaborated with many famous artists such as A$AP Rocky and Kendrick Lamar. We worked together several times, and this mask is the first one we made together. Knowing that I like Polo, he reconstructed a Polo vintage cap into a signature mask. There are four versions for each member of HYUKOH. The design is very unique so I mostly wear it for performances or photo shoots. We worked with him again later on the outfits for through love in which Shin Murayama, Virgil Abloh, and HYUKOH worked together.

Off-White Out of Office Sneakers Signed by Virgil Abloh

The first time I met Virgil was at Coachella in 2019. I was introduced to him at the site and he contacted me later. From then on, we started working on several projects together. I remember when our EP was released, he shouted us out. We made music for the Louis Vuitton SS21 show in Shanghai and he made the costumes for our online world tour. Each project was released at a different time, but they were carried out almost simultaneously. He also gave me special gifts, and this is one of them. I heard the news of his passing while we were working on so many things together, so I was incredibly shocked and upset of the news.

Apple AirPods Max, AirPods Pro, Teenage Engineering M–1 Headphones

I usually use AirPods Max, AirPods Pro, and Teenage Engineering‘s M-1 Personal Monitor Headphones to test and monitor my music in various conditions. With popular noise-canceling headphones and earphones, I can check my music from the perspective of ordinary listeners. With headphones from a completely different style, I’m able to check the overall volume. It all becomes a reference when adjusting the sound. The AirPods Max in particular was a gift from former Apple designer Eugene Whang, a Korean American industrial designer who played a key role in designing the AirPods Max.

Teenage Engineering Silver TX-6 Field Mixer, Cables

This little mixer is another Teenage Engineering device I use. I purchased it because I was trying to make my work environment more simple and partially because it looked so cute. Considering the size, the spec is quite impressive. You can use it as an audio interface for recordings, and every function from faders, effects to EQs is available. It also supports up to 6 channels of stereo and 12 channels of mono. It hasn’t been that long since I bought it, so I’m still studying how to use it well. I also always bring a Porter bag full of cables because I often work outside. All the cables are Teenage Engineering products too.

Apple iPad Pro

I carry an iPad instead of a laptop as a way of simplifying my work environment these days. Since the introduction of the M1 processor, the iPad is enough for most of my music works. I can do MIDI work without difficulty and even sample-based work is more intuitive and easier because it’s touch-based. I mainly use three programs: Cubase, Pro Tools, and Ableton.

Tom Sachs MacBook Bag

As I do design work at 다다DADA多多, I study a lot about fabrics and materials. While researching, I discovered a fabric called Dyneema which is flame-retardant, waterproof and used for ballistic armor and fishing line. Soon I found a bag made of Dyneema on the Tom Sachs website and purchased it. These days I only bring my iPad, mixer, and headphones, and they all fit compactly in this one bag, so I carry it around often.

Busan International Film Festival ID Card

I served as a music director for a feature film titled The Dream Songs this year. DQM, who was the cinematographer and a friend of mine, introduced me to the director. As this was my first music directing experience, I had great fun and excitement. Since I am a fan of Johnny Greenwood, a guitarist of Radiohead and film music composer and have always been a film lover, I used to think ‘this kind of music could be good in this scene’ while watching movies. I was quite proud that I could make scores for the first time and was invited to the Busan International Film Festival as a music director. I want to do it more in the future.

Sacred Card Holder, CLAUSTRUM Ashtray

It may be difficult to identify at first glance, but these are a card wallet and an ashtray. I bought the ashtray from a shop called Eliminator in Daikanyama, Tokyo. I first visited there about six years ago. The owner is so cool and her items are unique, so we talked a lot and got to know each other. Since then, it has become a regular place I visit whenever I go to Japan. The first thing I purchased there was the ashtray.

This compact metal wallet is from a brand called Sacred, which mainly makes utility items. The first time I saw it was at Kyobo Bookstore, Korea’s largest bookstore chain, and I decided to purchase it because I thought it would be great to pair it together with the ashtray which features a similar design.

Dunlop Picks, Self-made Pick Holder

The metal pick holder was made by me and a close friend of mine 10 years ago while I was a college student. I was going to buy a pick holder at the time, but the available ones were all made from plastic and I didn’t like them. I wanted a weightier metal case that fits in my hand. My close friend was majoring in sculpture, so I designed it and asked him to make it. A lump of iron was added to make it heavier. It works like a magazine. When you remove a pick from it, a new one comes up from the bottom. I use Dunlop picks — usually a 0.73mm thick pick for acoustic guitars and 1mm ones for electric guitars.

Kaweco AL Sport Fountain Pen, D’heygere Pen Charm

The pen on the left is made from metal similar to my pick holder. It’s easy to carry and I like its weight and size. The other pen on the right is a keychain made by replacing the cap of a BIC pen with a metal one. It’s made by D’heygere, a Paris based accessories brand that 다다DADA多多 collaborated with. They make unusual and fun accessories I like.

D’heygere x 다다DADA多多 Fortune Ear Cuff, Rice Necklace

These are jewelry pieces made by 다다DADA多多 and D’heygere. I think it was a good collaboration that wittily reflects Asian elements. The ear cuff is made of jade, and after the D’heygere collaboration, we made several more collaborative items with the theme of the stone, such as BE@RBRICKs and skateboards. The necklace on the other hand, is made with rice grain-shaped pearls. I find the combination of these two themes fun.

Mexican Opal Ring

The Mexican opal in the middle of the ring has a story. I fell in love with opals when I saw a picture of a large Mexican opal a few years ago, so I went around the jewelry stores and got my hands on a rough stone. I entrusted it to an acquaintance for processing, but soon forgot about it as I got busy with world tours. After 3 years, I suddenly remembered and went to look for it. They gave me another opal with a similar design, saying they couldn’t find the one I had entrusted and the opal then was commissioned to a friend who completed the current ring. It’s a ring that I’m especially attached to because of the bizarre process.

Leatherman Raptor Shears, Knipex Pliers Wrench XS

I really like tools. The one on the left is Leatherman‘s emergency scissors I recently bought. These are for paramedics who need to cut patient’s clothes or objects in case of an emergency. I haven’t been put in that situation, but I wanted to have it because the build quality was so good. The one on the right is a wrench from a German tool brand called Knipex. It’s small in size, so I usually carry it around and use it when changing guitar strings.

Custom Matthias Headphone Amp

Since we frequently record at different locations overseas, the monitoring conditions are often different each time. One time we recorded a song at the Funkhaus, which is Nils Frahm’s analog studio in Berlin, Germany. There, I found a headphone amp custom-made by Matthias. We experienced the performance of the amp and liked it so much that we asked Matthias, the producer of it, to make one for us.

We like vintage German music equipment a lot such as Neumann instruments from the pre-unification era and Matthias is an amazing analog gear engineer. He knows how to handle all of them and even restore them in detail. He also can custom-make analog equipment to our specifications. For the amp, we chose the material of the casing, the gold color panel, and the knob designs, and we also requested the numbers to be engraved in Chinese characters. Additionally, the port configuration for the amp is optimized for all four of our members to listen in at the same time.

#hyukoh #ohhyuk #oh hyuk #hyuk #t: interview #hypebeast #f: hyuk #gear #i included a link to matthias' insta post with more details on the amp

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curiousb · 2 years

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The Smith Family Album: Volume VII

Graduation finally comes around for the Kellynch Hall residents, and everyone passes their finals - just. There’s just time for one last spat between Walter and Anna over Bennet’s affections, before everyone departs for their new lives.

It doesn’t change anything though, and after graduation, Anna and Bennet move in together, finding themselves a rather trendy apartment in nearby Sanditon. (Such a pair of exhibitionists!)

Their first guest in their new home is Anna’s sibling, Louisa, who is keen to get the recent graduates’ advice on their academic ambitions.

Bennet and Anna are as passionate about each other as ever, but neither sees any need for their relationship to be exclusive, at least for now.

I don’t consider my Sims’ LTWs fixed until after they graduate/age up to adult, so I ignore them until then - after all, how many of us really knew at the age of 13 what we wanted to do with the rest of our lives? I also almost always reroll the LTW that the game automatically assigns to them, as it’s usually either inappropriate, dull, or both - although with @lamare-sims’ fabulous LTW Chooser, I’m hoping that will now be a thing of the past. :)

Bennet’s stats:

~ Gemini 4 / 3 / 9 / 6 / 6

~ Adventurous / Athletic / Bookworm / Good Sense of Humour / Natural Cook

~ OTH: Fitness

~ Favourite Colour(s): Red / Orange / Blue

~ Aspiration: Romance / Fortune

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Athletic / + Blonde Hair / -Fatness

~ Major: Biology (2.5)

~ LTW: Wellness of Body & Mind (one of @lamare-sims’ fantastic new LTWs)

Anna’s stats:

~ Aries 3 / 8 / 7 / 4 / 3

~ Brave / Devious / Night Owl / Irresistible / Schmoozer

~ OTH: Sport

~ Favourite Colour(s): Pink

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Romance

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Adventurous / + Athletic / -Daydreamer

~ Major: Biology (2.2)

~ LTW: Have 15 Simultaneous Lovers (I’ve changed the default number for my own game)

#sims 2 #gameplay #merybury #de bourgh university #sanditon #anna smith #bennet tilney #walter wentworth #louisa willoughby #louie willoughby #kellynch hall #smith family

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dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram · 1 year

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“The double snub merely reinforced what has become common sense: The voting bodies of awards shows routinely ignore groundbreaking Black or brown artists in favor of seemingly apolitical white ones. Harry’s House is pretty good — catchy, dreamy, and solidly built. But it’s not about anything except himself. Beyoncé’s Renaissance and Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti are odes to specific communities and histories; they have cultural allegiances and political points of view. They are more interesting and adventurous because of it. But when it comes to the Grammys, the palatable neutrality of an album like Harry’s House, which is raceless only in the sense that it operates in a white, Western tradition without saying so, always wins.”

I thought this Buzzfeed article made some interesting points about Harry, Bad Bunny and Beyoncé’s albums.

I didn't think it was that insightful anon. There were lots of one liners that showed that this was the sort of culture writing that I don't enjoy. If you're going to make an argument that something should win based on artistic merit, it's very unwise to preface that with an argument . I also found describing Harry's claim that there was no best in music 'lacklustre' a deeply weird potshot - in an article that can't even chose which of two albums they thought was best. And an indication of how unserious they were.

But I also think I disagree with the basic argument - or think it's simplifying in an unhelpful way. I think that music that builds on a particular culture and makes the artist's relationship to that culture and the world clear can be incredibly powerful. But there are all sorts of ways that artists have related to themselves and the world. This article comes pretty close to stan logic of 'these people are making art right therefore they're the best'

I think the role of the self and the world in art and the role that race plays into the sort of album that people can make and get recognised for - are both far more complicated than this article suggests. As someone who mostly listens to political music and evaluates music through politics - I would still strongly object to the idea that "But it’s not about anything except himself" is a legitimate criticism of an album. Many people have made great albums that fit that criteria. (Incidentally I also don't think it's true - one of my criticisms of Harry's House is that it is not sufficiently about himself - and that how keen he is to make his music opaque).

I also think the ommission of Kendrick Lamar from this argument is very odd. If you're going to talk about the great albums that are probably better than Harry's house why would you leave it out? Except to make an over simplified argument.

I think it should be taken as an obvious truth that Harry won over Beyoncé and Kendrick and Bad Bunny because of his race (although the role of language needs to be highlighted as a separated and related issue). I have no problem with the idea that Bad Bunny or Un Verano Sin Ti are better than Harry's House. Or that one of the reasons they are better because they engage with cultural influences in a way that is very specific. But I think the argument tries to generalise beyond that - and that's where it loses me.

#I'm not sure why #I'm getting so many basic articles about the Grammys #I mean my analysis is part of the problem with the whole situation #is that there's nothing to say beyond the very obvious #and that's why so many basic articles are being written #But I'm not sure why they gain so much traction in fandom

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briankeene · 1 year

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Dead Sea - First Time In Audio

For the first time ever, DEAD SEA is now available as an audiobook, narrated by Ron Butler and available via Audible and Apple!

First time in audio! In 2003, Brian Keene's The Rising revived horror's dormant obsession with zombies. In 2007, Brian Keene's Dead Sea knocked that obsession on its ass....

The city streets are no longer safe. They are filled instead with the living dead, rotting predators driven only by a need to kill and eat. Some of the living still struggle to survive, but with each passing day, their odds grow worse. Some survivors have fled, frantically searching for a place to escape, even briefly, the slaughter around them. For Lamar Reed and a handful of others, that safe haven is an old Coast Guard ship out at sea, with plenty of water between them and the zombies. These desperate survivors are completely isolated from the dangers of the mainland. But their haven will soon become a deathtrap, and they'll learn that isolation can also mean no escape!

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thelensofyashunews · 25 days

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EVILGIANE & SLIMESITO SHARE NEW SINGLE "DESIGNER DRUGZ"

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Fresh off a 2024 GRAMMY“Best Rap Performance” nomination for his work on Kendrick Lamar & Baby Keem’s “The Hillbillies”, Surf Gang founding member evilgiane and the prolific rapper Slimesito have just shared their new single "DESIGNER DRUGZ" from the duo’s highly-anticipated EVILSLIME collab mixtape – out on 5/3. The announcement arrives on the heels of evilgiane’s January mixtape #HEAVENSGATE VOL. 1, which boasted features from the likes of Rx Papi, 454, Bear1Boss, Nettspend, and Slimesito himself – it was instantly met with critical acclaim from The FADER, Stereogum, Hypebeast and Pitchfork, who gave the project a score of 7.3, praising the producer for "inviting hyper-regional talent to slide over a collection of exquisitely fine-tuned beats that position him as a superproducer in the making". Slimesito is fresh off a European tour that spanned across 7 countries, and the forthcoming tape follows his recent single "Pray 4 Me" (feat. Trippie Redd). Defined by colorful production and playful lyricism, "DESIGNER DRUGZ” is a spirited outing that sets the stage for the duo’s first joint tape. An enigmatic mainstay in the world of underground Hip-Hop since the 2010s, Slimesito’s full-length link-up with evilgiane has been teased and highly-coveted – ”DESIGNER DRUGZ” finally sets the stage, serving as a high-energy track bolstered by a carefree hook (“I feel like Pablo, man, the way that I’m dabbing / I’m off designer drugs, they match with my fashion”), while Slimesito’s melodic flow is a strong complement to evilgiane’s dreamy sonic landscapes. Their first joint outing since #HEAVENSGATE VOL. 1 cuts “INFORMANTS” and “LIL WAYNE”, “DESIGNER DRUGZ” is a compelling introduction to the the pair’s EVILSLIME project, while also serving as a joint catch-up to the innovative production work that’s turned evilgiane into the game’s in-demand producer and Slimesito’s fabled stature.

The lead single for his second project of 2024, evilgiane’s latest release showcases why The FADER recently hailed the producer for his “woozy beats (part New York drill, part digital cloud rap) [that] have served as a springboard for inspired singles byKendrick Lamar (‘The Hillbillies’ with Baby Keem), Earl Sweatshirt (‘Making the Band (Danity Kane)’), and Playboi Carti (‘Sights’ with A$AP Rocky).” Still riding the momentum from a breakout year that saw him land two Top 20 records in Pitchfork’s ‘Best Songs of 2023’), evilgiane is continuing his ascent into the upper-echelon of producers. Blending elements of Drill, Electronic and Jersey Club music into his distinct utopic soundscapes, evilgiane has carved out his own lane with a production style that Stereogum recently hailed as “changing the sound of hip-hop”. Alongside working with some of rap’s biggest name’s, his other recent production credits include collab tapes with 454, Matt Ox, Serane and John Glacier, as well as “Luv The Tour” off the deluxe version of Veeze’s critically-acclaimed debut album Ganger. All of evilgiane's past collaborations have led to the highly-anticipated release of EVILSLIME, a compelling exhibition of his visionary production and keen ability for inspiring artists to step out of their creative comfort zone. With evilgiane continuing to morph various internet sub-genres and sounds into idyllic soundscapes with ever-expanding reach, the EVILSLIME rollout embodies the fruitful ascendence of both evilgiane's forward-thinking sonics and Slimesito's mythical raps.

EVILSLIME – Tracklist 01. DESIGNER DRUGZ 02. RIGHT OR WRONG 03. BANDOLEROS 04. MONA LISA 05. TOP FLOOR (feat. K$UPREME) 06. MAKE IT HOME 07. BRUISE WAYNE 08. 12 02 93 09. TOP KAPO 10. NO STRESS 11. DR. EVIL

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lavvviiinawillllliammm · 1 month

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Guyana Honduras Hungary Indonesia Jordan Kiribati Madagascar Mongolia Netherlands Nicaragua Philippines Rwanda

Ignace Red Greenwood Pascagoula Lamar Louis Grand Red Keene Jersey West Las Cheektowaga Harlem jellyfish vicinities improprieties overdramatic bereavements weds witchcraft dispenser witchery crucial gage impenetrable cake prefab defaulter uninvited swarm torchbearers refiner appro

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cyarskaren52 · 5 months

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Rollingstone Logo

100 - 8180 - 6160 - 4140 - 2120 - 1

YEAR IN REVIEW

The 100 Best Songs of 2023

Lana, Drake, Miley, Tyler, and many more

BY ROLLING STONE

DECEMBER 1, 2023

KYLIE MINOGUE RACED back to the center of the dance floor with a viral smash. A surprise Shakira track broke the internet. Sexyy Redd owned every summer DJ set. And NewJeans rode a drum-and-bass beat to pop heaven. It was a massive year for música Mexicana and Afropop, for noisy guitar bands, left-field hip-hop, and fearless country storytelling. Taylor Swift had a pretty good year too.

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Stormzy feat. Fredo, ‘Toxic Trait’

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U.K. rap scion Stormzy didn’t let the year go by without giving listeners a reminder as to why he’s one of the biggest artists in the world. “I’m the black Kate Bush,” he raps. The song rides a menacing U.K. drill rhythm reminiscent of the type of marauding production Pop Smoke, and more recently Ice Spice, made popular in the states. Meanwhile, Stormzy’s in perfect form, rapping the kinds of boasts you get to rap when you’re at the top. But it’s not all braggadocio, Stormzy’s taking stock of his toxic traits, they just happen to carry a hefty price tag. —J.I.

Katie Von Schleicher, ‘Cranked’

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Someone let Katie Von Schleicher down, but she’s doing her best to forget it on this highlight from her delightfully titled, even-more-delightfully composed A Little Touch of Schleicher in the Night. “Oh, once it’s gone, it’s beautiful,” she sings as six violins and violas and a pair of saxophones assist her rose-colored revisionism. Exquisitely melancholy chamber pop can feel like a lost art these days. Not when Katie’s in the house. —S.V.L.

BLP Kosher and BabyTron, ‘Mazel Tron’

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You’d be forgiven for thinking rapper BLP Kosher was something from an SNL skit. The South Florida MC is keen on referencing his Jewish faith in his raps and has a clear sense of humor that extends even to his inventive hairstyle. But as a rapper, Kosher’s sensibility is closer to his fellow Gen Z rap favorite BabyTron, known to spin densely packed cultural reference in his raps. It’s why the two make such a perfect pairing on “Mazel Tron.” The track is an extended display of BabyTron’s dexterity, but BLP Kosher very much holds his one, effortlessly sliding slick references between his rap’s infectiously bouncy cadence. The song’s video was inescapable for some time on TikTok, and rightfully so, you sort of have ot see it to believe it. —J.I.

Seventeen, ‘Super’

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For their victory-lap single “Super,” Seventeen found inspiration in the supernatural tales of Chinese mythological figure Sun Wukong. Finding his journey a fitting metaphor for the group’s persevering eight-year career, members Woozi, Vernon, and S.Coups (alongside Pledis hitmaker Bumzu and Filipino-Canadian producer August Rigo) embedded images of flying clouds and magical staffs into a drum-heavy EDM anthem that evokes militarism through Jersey club rhythms. As the boys chant, “I love my team/I love my crew,” it’s a proud affirmation of how Seventeen reached their current success: There’s strength in the collective. —M.H.K.

Allison Russell, ‘The Returner’

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The mood on Allison Russell’s 2023 album, The Returner, is quite light compared to 2021’s Outside Child and often feels downright celebratory and joyful. The title track is a soulful groove that never seems in a hurry, just drifting happily along with little pockets of electric guitar, piano, and some truly gorgeous string work. “If you think you’re alone/Hold on — I’m coming,” Russell sings at one point, a chorus of voices chiming in behind her as she promises to help you along. Put it on when you need a little lift, or really for any reason at all. —J.F.

Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar, ‘The Hillbillies’

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While Baby Keem spent much of the year starring on Kendrick Lamar’s Big Steppers Tour, fans hungry for a sequel to his bestselling 2021 album, The Melodic Blue, made do with this vibrant sequel to their “Family Ties” collaboration. “We gon’ fuck up the world/Excuse me but is that your girl?” they boast on “The Hillbillies,” an EvilGiane production defined by the duo’s frizzy flows, slowed-and-chopped samples, goofy ad-libs, and Jersey club vibes. It’s a fun track that reaffirms their partnership as a place of comfort for the globe-trotting Lamar, and a spotlight for his younger cousin on the come up. —M.R.

The Beths, ‘Watching the Credits’

LINDSEY BYRNES*

The Beths are power-pop ninjas on parr with Big Star and Cheap Trick. “Watching the Credits,” from the expanded edition of their 2022 album, Expert in a Dying Field, is a song about trying to direct your life as if it was a movie, fixing the stuff in post you didn’t quite get right in the moment. The irony is that such formal mastery and invention is at the heart of what these New Zealanders do so well. “Watching the Credits” is power pop as grand orchestration, and more proof that few bands pack in the cleverly turned hooks with such joy. —J.D.

Young Thug feat. Drake, ‘Oh U Went’

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Even from behind the wall, Young Thug gave the people what they wanted this summer. On “Oh U Went,” a single from his Business Is Business album, Thug unfurls his boundless vocals over an enchanting mesh of keys and a soigné vocal sample. The lyrics don’t stray much from him asking rhetorical questions in a laundry-list format, but he does it with such a compelling presence that it doesn’t matter. Drake follows up with a fiery verse where he lets us know, “I got more stones than a cemetery/I got more streams than y’all in February.” Drake and Thug have an impeccable chemistry, which is why many fans hope Thug can come home to keep the streak going. —A.G.

Margo Price, ‘County Road’

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The centerpiece of Margo Price’s Strays is a devastating six-minute ode to the past. While it’s technically about her late friend who died of colon cancer, lines like “Hey kid, where ya goin’ with those brand new wheels you got?” could also apply to a younger Price — a musician who struggled for so many years before she finally got her due. “I wish I could have back what I didn’t know were the best years of my life,” she sings, over the kind of piano and pedal-steel combo that brings you to tears. According to Price, she does, too. “It gets me choked up,” she said. “Every time I play it.” —A.M.

Indigo De Souza, ‘Smog’

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“I just sit down and shut up,” Indigo De Souza sings, “I hope they don’t notice me.” That’s gonna be tough when you’re making relentlessly catchy songs like this. The North Carolina indie-pop artist delivers ambivalence you can bob along too on “Smog,” building from worried verse to explosive chorus as she turns tension into transcendence, singing “I come alive in the nighttime,” over a geyser-like synth whir and low-fi dance-pop thwump. She’s so rattled by the rush of her own epiphany you’d think she was the first person who found freedom in the wee small hours. —J.D.

Central Cee and Dave, ‘Sprinter’

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If American hip-hop listeners had any aversion to U.K. rap in the past, Central Cee’s recent run has firmly put those qualms to rest. The London MC is responsible for a spree of viral tunes, including last year’s “Doja,” which featured a hook so infectious Doja Cat herself took notice. This year, Central Cee teamed up with fellow U.K. rap heavyweight Dave, firmly introducing the world to their region with the short-and-sweet EP Split Decision. That project’s standout single, “Sprinter,” is a case study in what makes both rappers so compelling. With an almost literary knack for storytelling, Cench and Dave trade braggadocious quips about the life of a young bachelor in their prime. —J.I.

Beyoncé, ‘Cuff It (Wetter Remix)’

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Beyoncé’s Renaissance era has been the gift that keeps giving, or at least keeps giving everything other than visuals for the album. “Cuff It (Wetter Remix)” arrived alongside the icon’s stadium tour announcement and reimagined the original album track with the sensual and sultry undertones that paint the rest of the record. Over an interpolation of Twista’s 2009 hit “Wetter,” Beyoncé delivers plush, pitch-perfect harmonies and affixes an extra verse that finds her rapping about just how lustful she’s feeling in case it wasn’t clear already. —L.P.

Ayra Starr, ‘Sability’

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Ayra Starr is the Afropop princess that can do it all — she can cut soaring vocals; she can make curt and playful tracks; and as her breakout hit, “Bloody Samaritan,” and most recent single, “Sability,” show, she’s got a knack for steamy dance music too. “Sability,” a made-up word pulling from West African pidgin and meaning the ability to sabi — to know what’s up — is Starr’s ethos. Fittingly, she flips a sample from a beloved hit by Congolese Soukous singer Awilo Longomba in a way that marries Gen Z cool with timeless rhythm to creates a union all her own. —M.C.

Skrillex, Fred again.., and Flowdan, ‘Rumble’

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“Yo, listen, you here that? Killas in the jungle,” warns British rapper Flowdan on “Rumble.” Initially a collaboration with British producer Fred again.., “Rumble” eventually became a breakout cut from Quest for Fire, one of two albums Skrillex released within days of each other, as he announced his return to the front of the EDM pack. The track wobbles with bass drops, dread vibes, and chirpy sped-up vocals from Elley Duhé — a killer party in the jungle, indeed. —M.R.

Dua Lipa, ‘Houdini’

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How does one follow up the disco phenomenon that was Future Nostalgia? If you’re Dua Lipa, you call up Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker and former PC Music artist Danny L Harle. The final product is an edgy, clubby slice of psychedelic-pop heaven. Lipa likens herself to the escape artist the song is named after, warning her lover that she’s a slippery paramour to hold on to. It’s all accompanied by a meaty beat that is certain to get anyone on the floor. The centerpiece of the track, however, is the tempo switch toward the end, leading to an electrifying synth solo that makes this much more than just your average dance-pop bop. —B.S.

Big Thief, ‘Vampire Empire’

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This is Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker with the gloves off, her heart-starved warble cutting through a raggedy grandeur Big Thief are able to wield as effectively as anyone this side of Planet Waves era Bob Dylan. “I wanted to be your woman/I wanted to be your man/I wanted to be the one that you could understand,” she sings as the music seems to ascend and come unglued at the same time, perfectly mirroring lyrics about physical desire and fulfillment so intense it’s almost deliberating. One of this decade’s very best American bands has rarely sounded so intense. —J.D.

Quavo feat. Takeoff, ‘Patty Cake’

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Throughout 2023, Quavo paid tribute to Takeoff, his nephew and costar in the Atlanta trio Migos who was murdered in November 2022. He honored him at events like the 2023 Grammy Awards and joined a group of anti-gun violence activists for a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus. Quavo also included Takeoff’s voice on several songs from his second solo album, Rocket Power, such as “Patty Cake.” Produced by DJ Durel and TheLabCook, it opens with horn-like fanfare and Takeoff’s familiar stentorian voice. “I made an M today, thank God, it’s time to celebrate,” Takeoff proclaims as Quavo laces the former’s bars with ad-libs, re-creating their famed magic once more. —M.R.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, ‘Cast Iron Skillet’

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On this song, Jason Isbell turns memories of a pair of neighborhood tragedies from his North Alabama youth into a parable about the dark pitfalls and embedded close-mindedness of small-town folk wisdom. As he unfolds the devastation of bigotry and violence over its three minutes, each aphorism (“don’t ask questions; just believe it”) takes on a new, deeper level of disorientation. The result is one of Isbell’s most profound pieces of storytelling, up there with “Elephant,” “Cover Me Up,” and “Outfit” as a song he’ll be remembered for decades from now. —J.Bernstein

Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro, ‘Vampiros’

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Few pleasures in contemporary Latin music compare to basking in the electricity of Rosalía’s furious rapping. Culled from a three-track EP celebrating her partnership with neo-reggaeton star Rauw Alejandro, “Vampiros” thrives on the Spanish diva’s exuberance and a menacing synth line that pushes the tension forward relentlessly. The track’s tribal drums, exotic ambient collage in the bridge, and sudden ending evoke the bravado of Motomami — Rosalía’s visionary masterpiece. —E.L.

Reneé Rapp feat. Coco Jones, ‘Tummy Hurts (Remix)’

Renee Rapp and Coco Jones

HUNTER MORENO*

Mean Girls star Reneé Rapp’s debut full-length, Snow Angel, was one of 2023’s standout pop releases, its biting lyrics and indelible hooks surrounded in dense, rewarding production. This rework of “Tummy Hurts,” a sparse ballad about the conflicted pit-of-stomach feelings conjured by a miscreant ex finding a new boo, brings in R&B belter Coco Jones for an exacting verse that adds heat to the song’s complaints about “boys being boys.” —M.J.

Luke Combs, ‘Fast Car’

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Thirty-five years after Tracy Chapman first released her ballad about speeding away from a bleak existence, she became the first Black woman to have a Number One country song as the sole writer, and then became the first Black songwriter to win the CMA Award for Song of the Year. Luke Combs, of course, helped revive “Fast Car,” recording an exquisite (and faithful) version for his album Gettin’ Old. But the country star knew the credit all goes to Chapman: When Combs won Single of the Year at this year’s CMAs, he started by thanking her by name for “writing one of the best songs of all time.” Fans just now being introduced to the song tend to agree. —J.H.

Omar Apollo, ‘3 Boys’

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Among Omar Apollo’s stacked discography of soul-pop ballads about unrequited love, “3 Boys” is one of his most smoldering and tortured. Over swirling steel-guitar licks and doo-wop-inspired background vocals, the singer-songwriter questions non-monogamy during a time when it’s more popular than ever, asking: What good is being able to have multiple partners if you’re still hung up on one person? Though it’s an intimate take on a modern problem, Apollo’s nostalgia-inducing palette and emotive R&B vocals make his heartbreak sound eternal. —M.H.K.

Karol G and Shakira, ‘TQG’

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Two vengeful baddies come together on “TQG,” singing to their shitty exes over an ominous reggaetón beat produced by Ovy on the Drums. The song opens with a tinge of sadness from Karol G, before the Colombiana’s haunting vocals join Shakira as the duo embraces the fact that perhaps te quedó grande la bichota. These bichotas were just too big and good for their past lovers. Karol told Rolling Stone she asked Shakira to join the track after hearing her song “Monotonía.” “Listening to that story and where she was at, the song ‘TQG’ made a lot of sense,” Karol said. “She loved it.” —T.M.

MJ Lenderman, ‘Knockin’

“Knockin’” has been (sorry) knocking around the MJ Lenderman catalog since 2021, when it was released as a very low-fi demo. Even then, the song’s sweet, slightly weird brilliance was clear, as Lenderman used a characteristically offbeat reference to golfer John Daly’s bizarro cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” as a jumping-off point for a simple, tender love song. Most crucial, though, is Lenderman’s assured vocal performance. When “Knockin’” completes its own roundabout circle, with Lenderman’s own half-cover of the Dylan original, it’s delivered not with a croon, but a ragged howl.—J. Blistein

Carly Rae Jepsen, ‘Shy Boy’

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Over a decade after “Call Me Maybe,” CRJ is making the best music of her career, and lots of it, which probably isn’t the narrative too many people had in mind back in 2012, except maybe Jepsen herself. “Shy Boy” is a wonderful highlight off The Loveliest Time, an LP of top-shelf leftovers from her 2022 album, The Loneliest Time. Carly sings about getting a her shy boy to come out of his shell, head downtown, and hit the dance floor over a heaven-sent disco groove that exemplifies her gift for putting her own fizzy, spin on classic pop sounds. —J.D.

Doja Cat, ‘Paint the Town Red’

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She sure did. This fuck-the-haters anthem, a global chart-topper that continued smashing glass ceilings for female rappers, is built on a juicy sample of Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach’s everlasting “Walk on By,” flipping the original’s sentiment with even more shade than The Stranglers. With her chirpy sneer darting between the sample’s signature trumpet notes, Doja Cat defends her hairstyle and social-media swag, and owns her current reputation as a “demon lord” with such giddy pleasure, we’re bracing ourselves for a cover of “Sympathy for the Devil.” —W.H.

Paramore, ‘This Is Why’

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Hayley Williams and her razor-sharp band made paranoia and agoraphobia sound like a blast in the oddly danceable title track to their first album in six years. Propelled by a Blondie disco beat and some Space Invaders guitar tics, “This Is Why” finds Williams spelling out all the reasons she refuses to leave the safety of her four walls. In short, because it’s a shit show out there. Live, “This Is Why” is somehow even more powerful, thanks to the magnetic stage presence of Williams — arguably the best frontperson of 2023. —J.H.

Sexyy Red, ‘Skeeyee’

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When one decides to describe breakout St. Louis rapper Sexyy Red’s appeal, they could pontificate on her pension for subverting patriarchal sex standards, or they could just simply belt “SkeeYee!” at the top of their lungs. Together, producers Tay Keith, DJ Meech, and BanBwoi‎ crafted Sexyy the perfect high-octane canvas for her song of the summer contender, where her effortless charisma, braggadocious lyrics, and a fun call-and-response hook coalesced to become a mainstay at the peak of any DJ set worth a damn. —A.G.

Megan Moroney, ‘Sleep on My Side’

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That this album track — buried on the country singer’s impressive debut, Lucky — never even became a single didn’t stop fans from zeroing in on the 26-year-old country singer’s standout sing-song tearjerker. “Sleep on My Side” is a classic country lament, but Megan Moroney delivers this dark tale of someone who’s had enough of their no-good cheating partner (who doesn’t even like John Prine) with an almost cheery “over it all” disaffection that somehow makes the sad song even sadder. —J. Bernstein

Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny, ‘un x100to’

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Bad Bunny embraced the promise of música Mexicana early: In 2019, he jumped on Natanael Cano’s prickly corrido “Soy El Diablo,” putting a spotlight on the growing movement. This April, as these sounds ballooned into an even bigger global phenomenon, he joined forced with the rising outfit Grupo Frontera for “un x100to,” a wistful cumbia hit haloed with heartbreak and longing that flew to Number One on Spotify’s Global chart. The song starts with the Frontera frontman laying down a silky, sorrowful verse, and soon, Bad Bunny steps in to brood in his distinct baritone. Together, they strike a perfect balance — and score yet another triumph for música Mexicana’s nonstop ascent. —J.L.

Kylie Minogue, ‘Padam Padam’

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There is a moment right before the chorus in “Padam Padam” (titled after Kylie Minogue’s onomatopoeia for the sound of a beating heart) where she speaks the word with a question mark: “Padam?” Then she gets her confidence: “Padam, Padam, I hear it and I know … I know you want to take me home.” But before she feels the bliss of true love, it’s that moment of hesitation — the hair-raising, goose-pimply half second when she doesn’t trust the padam-padam to be her ticket home with her lover for the night — that helps an otherwise Kylie-by-numbers dance-pop song transcend into something sexy and special. —K.G.

Taylor Swift, ‘Is It Over Now?’

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Part of the joy of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) was revisiting the unabashed, euphoric pop from the era, and the vault tracks are no exception. We noted in our review that all five vault tracks are her best yet, but one must give a standing ovation to the magic that is “Is It Over Now,” a song that manages to pack in more imagery in three-and-a-half minutes than even a great novelist could work into an entire book. Takeout coffees! Snowy accidents! Models! Unbuttoned blouses! This one has it all. Last but not least: those grandiose, gorgeously glossy synths. —A.M.

Chappell Roan, ‘Red Wine Supernova’

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Songs about lust at first sight can often capture the dizzying highs, but rarely is an artist bold enough to show the salivating stupefaction that’s actually involved. Enter Chappell Roan. “Red Wine Supernova” is a queer hookup anthem as unabashed and libidinal as you can get. It’s the pop equivalent of the cartoon wolf who can’t stop smashing his head with a hammer while watching a sexy cabaret singer. Its glamor is messy and relatable, punctuated with vibrator puns and the most blissed-out, dumfounded distillation of what wanting to fuck is really like: “Baby, I will cause I really want to.” —J. Blistein

Davido feat. Musa Keys and Latto, ‘Unavailable’

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It takes exactly 33 seconds to get this song stuck in your head. That’s how irresistible the chorus is from Davido, the Afrobeats hitmaker. The chorus alone would be enough to put the track on best-of-2023 lists. But then Davido starts to glide over that rhythm, with Amapiano’s signature synths gurgling underneath. Finally, Latto comes in over the top — and that’s when you know the track is with you forever. And the sounds of Johannesburg and Lagos and Atlanta have become one. —N.S.

SZA feat. Doja Cat, ‘Kill Bill (Remix)’

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“Kill Bill” has become the signature single from SZA’s landmark 2022 album, SOS, a raging success on the charts and the epitome of what makes Solana Rowe one of this generation’s greatest songwriters. She consistently manages to roll contemporary pop culture, personal turmoil, and scathing critique (often of herself) into brief, engrossing worlds of color and truth. This year’s remix is opened by a vivid scene of revenge rapped by Doja Cat, whose classic hip-hop sensibility unearths the boom-bap base of “Kill Bill.” —M.C.

Latto feat. Cardi B, ‘Put It on Da Floor Again’

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Cardi B shows up on Latto’s already tantalizing record “Put It on Da Floor” for a revamped remix that dumps an ocean’s worth of gasoline on an already-blazing fire. The Bronx rapper’s signature one-liners stack up within seconds and include some hall-of-fame level entries, like the homage-paying declaration, “I’m sexy dancin’ in the house, I feel like Britney Spears,” and the flooring takedown, “Got her lurkin’ on my page before she feed her kids.” It’s a record that calls for maximum volume in both the car and the club in order to match the blown-out bass that thumps, especially as Latto declares: “Big Latto, Big Bardi, it’s a real bitch party.” —L.P.

Mannequin Pussy, ‘I Got Heaven’

Manequin Pussy

CJ HARVEY*

When Mannequin Pussy first showed up about 10 years ago with invitingly titled tunes like “Clit Eastwood” and “Pissdrinker,” their songs went off like hardcore nail bombs. But in the style of classic noise bands like Hüsker Dü or Sonic Youth, they’ve kept getting better and better at writing heroically great songs with real emotional clarity without losing any of their outsider fury. The verse on “I Got Heaven” is streamlined violence, the chorus is downright angelic, and singer-guitarist Marisa Dabice’s demand to be taken seriously as herself for herself is punk-rock wisdom at its most inspiring. —J.D.

Boygenius, ‘Not Strong Enough’

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The indie supergroup’s full-length debut has no skips, but you can’t help but go straight to this highlight every time. With a title that nods to Sheryl Crow and exhilarating riffs inspired by Frank Black, it’s the song on The Record with the most communal effort by Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker, and one of the greatest songs in the boys’ catalog. “The two wolves inside us can be self-hatred and self-aggrandizing,” Bridgers told us this year. “Being like, ‘I’m not strong enough to show up for you. I can’t be the partner that you want me to be.’ But also being like, ‘I’m too fucked up. I’m unknowable in some deep way!’” —A.M.

Miley Cyrus, ‘Flowers’

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The lead single from Miley Cyrus’ Endless Summer Vacation captures that moment when post-breakup depression shape-shifts into acceptance of a new reality. Over hazy guitars and synths, Cyrus muses on a relationship gone south (“we were right, ‘til we weren’t,” she recalls, summing up months of fights and tears in rueful, succinct fashion) but then, as the music gets more muscular, she rediscovers her inner strength. “Flowers” had staying power because it told the type of love story that often gets overlooked —the romance one has to kindle with themselves in order to survive. —M.J.

The Beatles, ‘Now and Then’

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The chorus says it all: “Now and then, I miss you.” The final complete song with input from all four Beatles was recorded now (with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in the past couple of years), and it was recorded then (with John Lennon’s original Seventies demo tape and some guitar George Harrison added in the Nineties). And it captures a unique longing each Beatle has felt. Whether or not Lennon was singing about his fab former bandmates is immaterial since they perfectly latched onto his yearning, adding to a bittersweet and beautiful capstone to one of rock’s greatest legacies. —K.G.

Victoria Monét, ‘On My Mama’

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It’d be tempting to call “On My Mama” a throwback, with its blaring horns, live bass, and declarations of looking “fly.” But a more apt description for would be: timeless. The verses are catchier than most choruses; the chorus has this little pause in it that forces your shoulders to dip; and the lyrics (“I’m so deep in my bag/Like a grandma with a peppermint”) keep the song fresh after a couple dozen listens. Victoria Monét has been known for years as one of the industry’s best songwriters. Turns out, she saved the real classics for herself. —N.S.

Billie Eilish, ‘What Was I Made For?’

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True to form, Billie Eilish turned existential trauma into one of the year’s most flooring songs in “What Was I Made For.” It poignantly capped Greta Gerwig’s socioemotional blockbuster Barbie. But while soundtracking a huge cultural moment, “What Was I Made For” also spoke to concerns Eilish has raised about herself–about her sense of her own femininity, and about feeling more like a commodity than a soulful person to the world around her. These crises are set against Eilish’s ephemeral, glassy lilt and devastatingly sparse piano. turning the feeling of being disconnected from oneself into art that connected with millions.–M.C.

Lil Yachty, ‘Strike (Holster)’

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There aren’t a lot of people you could say had a better 2023 than Lil Yachty. The 26-year-old rapper firmly solidified himself as one of music’s major players, dropping a rock album, a slew of viral hits, and a podcast to boot. All the while one song, made famous by a clip of Yachty’s sister singing the hook, stands out as a singular achievement. “Strike (Holster)” felt like a culmination of Yachty’s admirable explorations. His patient, slow-rolling cadence makes for a certain magic over the song’s glittery production. “Strike like I missed it, strike like I hit the pin/Strike like I’m not goin’ to work, strike, strike,” he raps, managing to pantomime the sound of a protest. —J.I.

Olivia Rodrigo, ‘Get Him Back!’

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There’s nothing Liv loves more than a double-entendre. Except, maybe, revenge, which she gets plenty of on this Guts highlight. She flips from both meanings of “Get him back” so quickly it all morphs into one blissful pop-punk rager, and it’s all the proof you need that this is a 20-year-old pop star who is having the time of her life — heartbreak is just a footnote. Plus, “get him back” contains the best couplet of the year: “I wanna key his car/I wanna make him lunch.” —A.M.

NewJeans, ‘Super Shy’

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NewJeans have been enjoying viral hits for awhile, but “Super Shy” was a breakthrough for the Korean girl group, reaching Number Two on the Billboard Global chart. It might’ve deserved even better: The song is one the purest pop thrills of the year, with a dreamy melody; a bright drum-and-bass beat; and Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein sharing crushed-out lyrics you can’t help but sing along with. In true K-pop fashion, the accompanying music video is just as captivating, with synchronized choreography that experiments with the Seventies disco style waacking. —K.K.

Shakira and Bizarrap, ‘Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53’

PEDRO COLMEIRO*

Nothing could’ve prepared the world for the grenade Shakira dropped with her off-the-cuff collaboration with up-and-coming 24-year-old Argentine producer Bizzarap. The rising star had been teaming up with a host of Latin artists over the past several years, creating sessions with them performing over one of his original beats. Getting a legend like Shakira was a major coup, and it was just the fire she needed to write and record her most explosive music yet. Over the course of the electro-pop track, she takes aim in playful but absolutely not subtle ways at her ex Gerard Piqué, calling him out for cheating on her. It broke the internet so much that it gave Shakira her first Top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100 since 2007’s “Beautiful Liar.” —B.S.

Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves, ‘I Remember Everything’

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“Strange words come on out/Of a grown man’s mouth when his mind’s broke,” Bryan sings on “I Remember Everything,” displaying the kind of emotional realism that’s at the heart of his songwriting. The highlight of Zach Bryan’s breakthrough self-titled record was this understated gut-punch duet with Kacey Musgraves. The details do most of the talking on this remembrance of summer romances past: a pawned ring, an ‘88 Ford, sandy hair. But it’s Bryan’s and Musgraves’ complementary vocals, the former providing the melodrama and the latter singing with her guarded reservation, that best tell this story of two lovers who remember a far-gone summer fling all too well. —J. Bernstein

Lana Del Rey, ‘A&W’

CHUCK GRANT*

“A&W” is maximum Lana Del Rey: a sweeping, seven-minute epic that follows the sunburned, SoCal folk rock she’s perfected on recent albums back to the hip-hop-inspired pop productions of her early discography. That musical scope is paired with a narrative that’s no less ambitious — vulnerable and lurid, nostalgic and hopeless, funny and utterly bleak. “A&W” tells a story, paints a picture, communicates something ineffable about sex, identity, perception, power, exploitation, girlhood, womanhood, and class. s. And the bow tying it all together? The name of classic root beer brand, “A&W” used as shorthand for “American Whore,” because no one bends American iconography to their will like Lana Del Rey.. —J. Blistein

PinkPantheress feat. Ice Spice, ‘Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2’

Ice Spice and PinkPantheress

MIA TERESA*

“Being Gen Z ‘It’ girls of the internet era, I feel like we had a lot in common, even though we’re from two completely different places,” PinkPantheress said of herself and Bronx rapper Ice Spice. Assembled via DMs and co-produced by Mura Masa, their remix of the British singer-songwriter’s “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” reflects the duo’s rising stock in the Zeigeist with a fluffy blend of hyperpop energy and 8-bit melodies. Pink’s winsomely girlish voice floats over the beat, while Ice Spice’s boasts add necessary edge. The result feels like it belongs in a time capsule for life in 2003.–M.R.

Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma, ‘Ella Baila Sola’

YOUTUBE

As música Mexicana scaled new heights this year, the cultural phenomenon became impossible to ignore — and its chart-busting success is one of the biggest and most global music stories of 2023. Perhaps no song captured the movement like “Ella Baila Sola,” the standout sierreño by breakout group Eslabon Armado and newly anointed star Peso Pluma. The first strums of a prickly requinto clear the way for a burst of chugging charchetas and trombone that give the song a rich, rounded sound that hooks into the listener immediately. That, paired with the contrast of Eslabon’s silky verses and Pluma’s gritty rasp, meant instant ubiquity: After getting a boost on TikTok, “Ella Baila Sola” quickly dominated the charts, becoming a global Number One on Spotify and landing in the Billboard Hot 100’s Top Five — the latter a history-making feat that only proves the full power of música Mexicana. —J.L.

CONTRIBUTORS: Jon Blistein, Jonathan Bernstein, Tim Chan, Mankaprr Conteh, Jon Dolan, Brenna Ehrlich, Jon Freeman, Andre Gee, Maya Georgi, Kory Grow, Will Hermes, Christian Hoard, Joseph Hudak, Jeff Ihaza, Maura Johnston, CT Jones, Michelle Hyun Kim, Kristine Kwak, Ernesto Lechner, John Lonsdale, Julyssa Lopez, Angie Martoccio, Tomás Mier, Larisha Paul, Clayton Purdom, Mosi Reeves, Brittany Spanos, Noah Shachtman, Simon Vozick-Levinson

IN THIS ARTICLE:

Beatles,

Beyonce,

Billie Eilish,

Boygenius,

direct,

Drake,

Lana Del Rey,

Lil Yachty,

Miley Cyrus,

NewJeans,

Peso Pluma,

Shakira,

Taylor Swft,

Victoria Monét,

Year in Review

MUSIC

MUSIC LISTS

By Taboola