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Next batch, hot off the presses.
80. Tanner Adell “Going Blonde”
Country music is a great medium for storytelling, and after Tanner Adell connected with her biological brother and learned more about the mother who gave her up, she wrote this song as a way to process those emotions.
79. Franz Ferdinand “Night Or Day”
I did not know Franz Ferdinand was still making music! Their last album was in 2018, and after a lineup change with a new drummer (a lady!), they got back in the studio. I was in Brooklyn to see FLO last year when the advertisement for FF’s concert popped up, so I was curious what their music would sound like. For better or worse, it sounds just like it did when they first came out, so I guess if it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it.
78. Infinity Song “Sinking Boat”
The Boyd siblings continue to build more and more buzz with their special brand of 70s soft-rock harmonies, and if they keep making music, you can be pretty sure that they’ll pop up on my Year End list every time.
77. FLO “Bending My Rules” (Vevo Live)
“Bending My Rules” was not one of my top songs from FLO’s last album, but when they did this live version for Vevo, I quickly changed my mind. I love a girl group who can harmonize outside of the studio.
76. Ecca Vandal “CRUISING TO SELF SOOTHE”
Rocking out from Melbourne by way of South Africa, Ecca Vandal has done a little rap, a little electronica, and a little punk over the past 12 years or so. “Cruising” is firmly in the rock camp with a throwback pop-punk vibe.
75. JENNIE “Filter”
Of all the BLACKPINK solo projects, JENNIE’S surprised me the most. It was cohesive, but still eclectic, and there are four or five songs I could have put on this list, but it’s the tempo switching back and forth on this one that makes it a little extra-interesting.
74. Hot Milk “90 Seconds to Midnight”
Manchester power-punk band Hot Milk isn’t your run of the mill rock band. Lead singer Hannah “Han” Mee has a masters in politics, so when you hear a reference to Rousseau or lyrics about the crush of capitalism, that’s why.
73. Mikayla Geier “piano in the sky”
A few years ago, Mikayla Geier quit ballet (she’d been studying at the Kirov Academy in DC) because of the strain on her body, and she pivoted to music. What she thought was just a cute little ditty in her bedroom caught on and landed her a prime spot opening for Marina and the Diamonds this past fall.
72. Major League DJz “Come With Me” (feat. Jorja Smith)
South Africa’s Major League DJz have been ambassadors for Amapiano for about a decade now and their blend of house and afrobeats with Jorja Smith floating over the track was a great addition to the catalogues of both acts.
71. Alex Warren “Ordinary”
Listen. I know how many people hate this song. I think the hate is forced because he got famous as an annoying TikToker (Hype House anyone?) and “bro-pop” is just easy to hate on in general. This song is really well produced though, and whether you think his vocals sound bored or not, he has a really cool timbre that fits really well with this brand of stadium pop.
70. Rochelle Jordan “Sum”
Renaissance got a little sister last year. Toronto’s Rochelle Jordan released an album of modern disco from top to bottom, and just like Beyonce’s album, you can put it on shuffle and have a party wherever the needle lands.
69. Maëlle Taina “Got Lost Again”
Born in France, Taina has that plaintive quality to her voice so common in a lot of French chamber-pop. Maybe it’s something in the baguettes.
68. Kehlani “Folded” (Remix feat. Brandy)
I love how Kehlani worked the hell out of this record. She promoted “Folded” every which way for months like an old school 1993 roll-out and then we got an entire EP of remixes with a different R&B star on each version. I’ll admit: Brandy is doing too much! This song doesn’t even call for all that! But I love how extra she is, and nobody can really do it like Ms. Norwood. That’s my rider and I’ma stick beside her!
67. Zach John King “Lose You”
A few years ago, Zach made the pivot from indie rock to country (he was the frontman for a rock band all through college), and even though the instruments are the same (guitar, drums, white dude with a mustache), this flavor suits him much better. After a few indie releases, he finally signed a major deal in Nashville last summer, so he’s sure to pop back on the radar with a bigger budget.
66. Jersey “Ghost of What Could Be”
Jersey is just two brothers from France making electronic music DJ’ing together, but from the way they refuse to post a regular picture of themselves, you’d think they were created in a lab somewhere. But I can confirm they’re real — I went to one of their shows in Brooklyn last year where the crowd was a bunch of straight white people jumping up a down.
65. Samara Joy “Three Little Words”
The Best New Artist Grammy curse does not apply to Samara Joy. After winning in 2023, her current Grammy total hit six over the weekend when she grabbed her third award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Samara Joy first performed this standard back in 2019, but an official recording and release last year warrants inclusion on the list.
64. LE SSERAFIM “Come Over (Funk Remix)”
I’ll be honest — K-Pop girl groups are not hitting the way they were ten years ago. There are too many artists and too many of them are devoid of musical identity. There’s nothing separating one group from the next other than weird standoms who know every intricate detail about the members. As such, LE SSERAFIM, usually good for a bop, had to remix this song fiddylem times to drum up some interest. I don’t know that this version necessarily says “funk” to me, but it’s definitely an earworm.
63. Shamea “Neva Had”
Real Housewives Music alert! Most of the Bravo music is just a joke for grabbing cash, but every once in awhile they cast a performer who just needed platform to jump back into something they loved before family and adulthood got in the way. “Neva Had” is Auntie Music somewhere between Fantasia and Xscape. And I am an Auntie.
62. Vella “All My Love”
In the grand tradition of Duffy, Joss Stone, and Amy Winehouse, Vella is the latest white girl singing big soul notes over retro beats, and I hope that means the trend is circling back around.
61. Jack Harlow “Tranquility”
Jack Harlow should have been a joke rapper — a flash in the pan akin to Vanilla Ice. And maybe he is to some people, but Vanilla Ice could’ve never written anything this introspective about his place in music while being realistic about how people view him and his talents. There are some fire bars in here and it kinda makes me root for him to continue exceeding expectations.
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