Eeveelution Posted December 20, 2019 Author Posted December 20, 2019 (edited) 10. Kilo Kish - "Bite Me" industrial hip hop Why it's here: Kilo Kish keeps getting better. Last year's Mothe EP was great but this year she really outdid herself with Redux. The pièce de résistance of the the project is "Bite Me", an experimental hip hop banger. I love how this bop is not content to stay in one place, shifting gears for the bridge and then once again for the outro, the real payoff of the whole song. Best Lyrics: "sick of that song? oh well!" Best bit: when it spirals out of control in the last 30 seconds Listen: "Bite Me" 09. Erika de Casier - "The Flow" ambient pop, smooth soul, alt r&b Why it's here: This was always the song on Essentials that grabbed the most. Kind of an outlier on the album with its amorphous structure and indecipherable lyrics, and leaning more into soul and bossa nova than 90s r&b. She really invented mumble-pop here. It's so good! Best Lyrics: "as the sunset cools / we can wake up for the moon / in purple and blue" Best bit: that long intro, the way the song just takes its sweet time to get going Listen: "The Flow" 08. Big Thief - "Not" indie rock Why it's here: A live staple for years, when Big Thief dropped this in August it instantly became one of their most iconic songs. Many songwriters go to great lengths to describe exactly how something is, how something feels. But the power in "Not" lies in the fact that Adrianne Lenker never bothers to say what it is she has in mind, instead presenting a laundry list of things it is not, with each piece of imagery somehow more striking than the last. Best Lyrics: basically all of it, but especially "not the fire lapping up the creek" Best bit: the crack in Adrianne's voice as she sings "it's not the hunger revealing, nor the ricochet in the cave." Listen: "Not" 07. Angel Olsen - "Tonight" art pop, baroque pop Why it's here: Angel Olsen's All Mirrors is full of string laden melodrama, but its quiet centrepiece is "Tonight", an understated song where Angel cherishes her freedom after a breakup. It's a the one that resonated with me most from the first listen and is arguably the most beautiful song in a career made up of beautiful songs. Best Lyrics: "And it's not because I don't love / Just don’t have time to explain /All the things you think you've come to understand / about me" Best bit: the swirling string outro Listen: "Tonight" 06. Carly Rae Jepsen - "For Sure" synthpop Why it's here: Right at the end of Dedicated is one of Carly's best songs to date. She goes full art pop on "For Sure" with its formless structure and experimental sound design, full of tribal handclaps and chanting. The repetition in the song makes it impossibly catchy, but the way the production constantly shifts throughout means it never feels static. Also love how it captures that bittersweet feeling of knowing a relationship is over, but also that there is a tiny chance it could work out. Best Lyrics: "6 in the morning / can I hold you?" Best bit: I WAS THINKING WE WERE OVER dadadadadadadada Listen: "For Sure" 05. (Sandy) Alex G - "Gretel" indie folk, indie rock Why it's here: A lot of indie rock lately is predictable, but Alex G thankfully didn't get the memo. "Gretel" is full of intricacies and details, the sticky guitar riff, the weird pitched vocals, the blurry layers of instrumentation. It all helps to make his twisted take on the classic fairy-tale one of the most addictive singles of the year. Best Lyrics: "I don't wanna go back / nobody's gonna push me off track" Best bit: the chorus, and the fact that he only sings it once. Listen: "Gretel" 04. Weyes Blood - "Andromeda" art pop, psychedelic pop Why it's here: Andromeda is big wide open galaxy, and Natalie Mering perfectly conveys this with the song's vast, spacey expanses. I hadn't been a fan of her music previously, but she really won me over with her inventive chord progressions and one of my favourite vocal performances of the year. Best Lyrics: "treat me right, I'm still a good man's daughter" Best bit: that slide guitar riff after each chorus Listen: "Andromeda" 03. Lana Del Rey - "Love song" art pop, singer/songwriter Why it's here: Lana's songs are not known for their subtlety, characterised by their dramatic strings and fatalistic lyrics about the end of america and ****ty men. However, "Love song"'s strength lies in its simplicity. With little more than some spare piano chords and Lana's gold spun melodies it manages to be one of the best songs on NFR! and of the year. Best Lyrics: "grab my waist, don't waste any part" Best bit: the way the music falls away around her vocals during the final moments of the song Listen: "Love song" 02 . Big Thief - "UFOF" indie folk Why it's here: Many big Thief songs are deserving of this spot: Betsy, Orange, Jenni... but I'd have to go with the very first song we heard from them this year. "UFOF" shines with some of the best songwriting on its parent album with urgent chord progressions and lyrics that are open-ended and full of memorable imagery. Best Lyrics: "I don't need any other friends / The best kiss I ever had is the flickering / Of the water so clear and bright" Best bit: the second verse. Listen: "UFOF" 01. FKA twigs - "mary magdalene" art pop, alternative r&b Why it's here: The singles run leading up to Magdalene was impressive, but she saved the best song for the album. The centerpiece and title track to Magdalane is a journey, moving from ambient verses to the sensual chorus to the glitchy breakdown. "Cellophane" is beautiful and "Sad Day" is a big bop, but this is the track that encapsulates everything that is so good about Magdalene. A perfect song. Best Lyrics: "I know where you start, where you end / how to please, how to curse" Best bit: the build up of tension until 4:15 when that life-changing outro begins. Listen: "mary magdalene" Edited December 20, 2019 by Eeveelution
Eeveelution Posted December 20, 2019 Author Posted December 20, 2019 So we have finally reached the conclusion of my best of 2019. Thanks everyone for commenting and I'll make sure to keep following everyone else's. I'm now gonna start my best of the decade countdown where I will reveal my top 100 albums and more!!!
Lazuli Posted December 20, 2019 Posted December 20, 2019 i only dont know 9-10 big thief slaying adrienne's vocals really was a highlight for not, i didnt know her voice could do that tonight love song as your nfr pick but oh well mary magdalene tbh it's kind of on the lower half of the album for me, but the diary of a song video made me appreciate it a lot more!
K$Ellie Posted December 20, 2019 Posted December 20, 2019 Great picks for Angel, Carly and Weyes although I prefer Movies but both are excellent love song isn't one of the songs I use from NFR but it's alright mary magdalene #1
TheWayWeWere Posted December 20, 2019 Posted December 20, 2019 mess, I kinda forgot about For Sure it's actually snaps a bit, that bit is everything Love song nice to see some praise for it Mary Magdalene
Mark Rih Posted December 20, 2019 Posted December 20, 2019 Love Song is great but as you know my fave NFR track is panned California
Body Electrician Posted December 20, 2019 Posted December 20, 2019 An amazing top 10 Not, Tonight, Gretel, Andromeda, UFOF and Mary Magdalene deserve particular praise Love song was my most hyped song from NFR after the snippet but it's probably one of my least listened to on NFR? Still an incredible song though
Remmy Posted December 20, 2019 Posted December 20, 2019 Kilo is on my list of artists to explore in 2020 (probably Jan or Feb) Mmm I love a song that spirals out of control! Andromeda is cute. Love song Tonight is pretty. For Sure Not one of my Dedicated highlights but it is a cool and new sound from her. Interested to see what's gonna make and miss your decade lists
Pink Matter Posted December 21, 2019 Posted December 21, 2019 I've got Erika queued and am always here for new Kilo so I'm gonna make sure to listen to those soon. Gonna check out Angel and Weyes sometime soon as well. Love Song is an interesting choice (glad we're mixing it up). I'll say this much; I think the reason why you like it so much is why it's one of the songs I play the least but also what I think makes it an objectively great song. It's a simple love song that pulls all the necessary heart strings and evokes all the feelings it's designed to evoke. But for me, there's almost not enough going on to engage me. Not sure if that makes sense lol On another note, mary magdalene is a wonderful #1
World Eater Posted December 21, 2019 Posted December 21, 2019 as for the albums, quite predictable but absolutely deserving top 5 For Sure and The Flow are rather middle-tier sings from respective albums for me, but other than that, many points have been made with your song list On 12/20/2019 at 2:00 PM, Eeveelution said: Best bit: the build up of tension until 4:15 when that life-changing outro begins. say it LOUDER sister
bluth Posted December 22, 2019 Posted December 22, 2019 gretel really does something to me, especially those plucks of the guitar around the 2:00 mark. mary magdalene is fantastic, i replayed that glitch breakdown before the final chorus so much when i first heard it. poor lp1 Xcited to see ur decade
ATRL Moderator Tsareena Posted December 23, 2019 ATRL Moderator Posted December 23, 2019 the flow. we stan a classic opener. not For Sure whew Andromeda, Love Song, UFOF, Mary Magdalene no. 1 shook. talent
Ewan Chaos Posted December 23, 2019 Posted December 23, 2019 The Flow is an excellent pick for Erika. Even tho the album is flawless, it would have been great to have seen one or two more tracks along the vein of it with the kinda bossa nova, chill lounge production. Not is GREAT! Tonight is the BEST ANGEL PICK! For Sure is a VERY interesting pick for Carly but I can totally appreciate that. Andromeda & Gretel are great albeit safe picks for these two. Interesting Lana pick! UFOF is talent, of course, and mary magdalene is like my second favorite from her album so I am very happy to see that as a top pick (and to see you distributing a bit of the love outside of just Lana Banana or twiggy).
ATRL Moderator madonnas Posted December 23, 2019 ATRL Moderator Posted December 23, 2019 BITE ME AHH! Nice Out is better, and that's that! Interesting #1 pick, but it's a better #1 pick than Cellophane!
theblackestday Posted December 23, 2019 Posted December 23, 2019 Hey queen! Girl you have done it again, constantly raising the bar for us all and constructing your top 10 songs flawlessly. Little For Suresters let's BOUNCE!!! () I knew you stanned MaMa, but did not expect it to be your number ono eek () Great countdown honey xx let me catching up on your decade list
Eeveelution Posted December 23, 2019 Author Posted December 23, 2019 First part of my best of decade albums out. Spoiler On 12/20/2019 at 1:08 PM, Lazuli said: i only dont know 9-10 big thief slaying adrienne's vocals really was a highlight for not, i didnt know her voice could do that tonight love song as your nfr pick but oh well mary magdalene tbh it's kind of on the lower half of the album for me, but the diary of a song video made me appreciate it a lot more! Yes Love Song, it's top 3 on the album Adrianne is a SINGER. On 12/20/2019 at 2:04 PM, K$Ellie said: Great picks for Angel, Carly and Weyes although I prefer Movies but both are excellent love song isn't one of the songs I use from NFR but it's alright mary magdalene #1 Movies is beautiful but Andromeda is just On 12/20/2019 at 2:46 PM, TheWayWeWere said: mess, I kinda forgot about For Sure it's actually snaps a bit, that bit is everything Love song nice to see some praise for it Mary Magdalene I forgot about dedicated, but not for sure On 12/20/2019 at 3:15 PM, Mark Rih said: Love Song is great but as you know my fave NFR track is panned California california grew on me lately, your mind! On 12/20/2019 at 4:05 PM, Body Electrician said: An amazing top 10 Not, Tonight, Gretel, Andromeda, UFOF and Mary Magdalene deserve particular praise Love song was my most hyped song from NFR after the snippet but it's probably one of my least listened to on NFR? Still an incredible song though i was so hyped for love song after the in your car snipped and for me it didn't disappoint :grimes: On 12/20/2019 at 8:22 PM, Remmy said: Kilo is on my list of artists to explore in 2020 (probably Jan or Feb) Mmm I love a song that spirals out of control! Andromeda is cute. Love song Tonight is pretty. For Sure Not one of my Dedicated highlights but it is a cool and new sound from her. Interested to see what's gonna make and miss your decade lists Yes get into Ms Kish! Her production is something else. On 12/21/2019 at 2:07 AM, Navyofbadgals said: Andromeda taste On 12/21/2019 at 3:00 AM, Pink Matter said: I've got Erika queued and am always here for new Kilo so I'm gonna make sure to listen to those soon. Gonna check out Angel and Weyes sometime soon as well. Love Song is an interesting choice (glad we're mixing it up). I'll say this much; I think the reason why you like it so much is why it's one of the songs I play the least but also what I think makes it an objectively great song. It's a simple love song that pulls all the necessary heart strings and evokes all the feelings it's designed to evoke. But for me, there's almost not enough going on to engage me. Not sure if that makes sense lol On another note, mary magdalene is a wonderful #1 I think you'd really like Erika tbh, let me know what you think! That's fair enough, I just love how stripped back it is. It makes it hit hard for me. On 12/21/2019 at 4:45 PM, World Eater said: as for the albums, quite predictable but absolutely deserving top 5 For Sure and The Flow are rather middle-tier sings from respective albums for me, but other than that, many points have been made with your song list say it LOUDER sister 21 hours ago, bluth said: gretel really does something to me, especially those plucks of the guitar around the 2:00 mark. mary magdalene is fantastic, i replayed that glitch breakdown before the final chorus so much when i first heard it. poor lp1 Xcited to see ur decade right I literally play that part over and over sometimes. ready for your lists! 21 hours ago, Tsareena said: the flow. we stan a classic opener. not For Sure whew Andromeda, Love Song, UFOF, Mary Magdalene no. 1 shook. talent yasssss 20 hours ago, Ewan Chaos said: The Flow is an excellent pick for Erika. Even tho the album is flawless, it would have been great to have seen one or two more tracks along the vein of it with the kinda bossa nova, chill lounge production. Not is GREAT! Tonight is the BEST ANGEL PICK! For Sure is a VERY interesting pick for Carly but I can totally appreciate that. Andromeda & Gretel are great albeit safe picks for these two. Interesting Lana pick! UFOF is talent, of course, and mary magdalene is like my second favorite from her album so I am very happy to see that as a top pick (and to see you distributing a bit of the love outside of just Lana Banana or twiggy). That's true, but I love how it's kind of an outlier. Maybe she should explore that sound for album 2! Tonight... we're on the right side of history. 19 hours ago, Madame X said: BITE ME AHH! Nice Out is better, and that's that! Interesting #1 pick, but it's a better #1 pick than Cellophane! Hot take but Nice Out is my least fave on the EP 8 hours ago, theblackestday said: Hey queen! Girl you have done it again, constantly raising the bar for us all and constructing your top 10 songs flawlessly. Little For Suresters let's BOUNCE!!! () I knew you stanned MaMa, but did not expect it to be your number ono eek () Great countdown honey xx let me catching up on your decade list thank you this year didn't have any obvious sotys jumping out a la venice bitch but a few weeks i was listening Mary Maga and was like 'wait.... this is soty ?'.
jose168 Posted December 26, 2019 Posted December 26, 2019 On 12/20/2019 at 8:00 AM, Eeveelution said: 10. Kilo Kish - "Bite Me" industrial hip hop Why it's here: Kilo Kish keeps getting better. Last year's Mothe EP was great but this year she really outdid herself with Redux. The pièce de résistance of the the project is "Bite Me", an experimental hip hop banger. I love how this bop is not content to stay in one place, shifting gears for the bridge and then once again for the outro, the real payoff of the whole song. Best Lyrics: "sick of that song? oh well!" Best bit: when it spirals out of control in the last 30 seconds Listen: "Bite Me" 09. Erika de Casier - "The Flow" ambient pop, smooth soul, alt r&b Why it's here: This was always the song on Essentials that grabbed the most. Kind of an outlier on the album with its amorphous structure and indecipherable lyrics, and leaning more into soul and bossa nova than 90s r&b. She really invented mumble-pop here. It's so good! Best Lyrics: "as the sunset cools / we can wake up for the moon / in purple and blue" Best bit: that long intro, the way the song just takes its sweet time to get going Listen: "The Flow" 08. Big Thief - "Not" indie rock Why it's here: A live staple for years, when Big Thief dropped this in August it instantly became one of their most iconic songs. Many songwriters go to great lengths to describe exactly how something is, how something feels. But the power in "Not" lies in the fact that Adrianne Lenker never bothers to say what it is she has in mind, instead presenting a laundry list of things it is not, with each piece of imagery somehow more striking than the last. Best Lyrics: basically all of it, but especially "not the fire lapping up the creek" Best bit: the crack in Adrianne's voice as she sings "it's not the hunger revealing, nor the ricochet in the cave." Listen: "Not" 07. Angel Olsen - "Tonight" art pop, baroque pop Why it's here: Angel Olsen's All Mirrors is full of string laden melodrama, but its quiet centrepiece is "Tonight", an understated song where Angel cherishes her freedom after a breakup. It's a the one that resonated with me most from the first listen and is arguably the most beautiful song in a career made up of beautiful songs. Best Lyrics: "And it's not because I don't love / Just don’t have time to explain /All the things you think you've come to understand / about me" Best bit: the swirling string outro Listen: "Tonight" 06. Carly Rae Jepsen - "For Sure" synthpop Why it's here: Right at the end of Dedicated is one of Carly's best songs to date. She goes full art pop on "For Sure" with its formless structure and experimental sound design, full of tribal handclaps and chanting. The repetition in the song makes it impossibly catchy, but the way the production constantly shifts throughout means it never feels static. Also love how it captures that bittersweet feeling of knowing a relationship is over, but also that there is a tiny chance it could work out. Best Lyrics: "6 in the morning / can I hold you?" Best bit: I WAS THINKING WE WERE OVER dadadadadadadada Listen: "For Sure" 05. (Sandy) Alex G - "Gretel" indie folk, indie rock Why it's here: A lot of indie rock lately is predictable, but Alex G thankfully didn't get the memo. "Gretel" is full of intricacies and details, the sticky guitar riff, the weird pitched vocals, the blurry layers of instrumentation. It all helps to make his twisted take on the classic fairy-tale one of the most addictive singles of the year. Best Lyrics: "I don't wanna go back / nobody's gonna push me off track" Best bit: the chorus, and the fact that he only sings it once. Listen: "Gretel" 04. Weyes Blood - "Andromeda" art pop, psychedelic pop Why it's here: Andromeda is big wide open galaxy, and Natalie Mering perfectly conveys this with the song's vast, spacey expanses. I hadn't been a fan of her music previously, but she really won me over with her inventive chord progressions and one of my favourite vocal performances of the year. Best Lyrics: "treat me right, I'm still a good man's daughter" Best bit: that slide guitar riff after each chorus Listen: "Andromeda" 03. Lana Del Rey - "Love song" art pop, singer/songwriter Why it's here: Lana's songs are not known for their subtlety, characterised by their dramatic strings and fatalistic lyrics about the end of america and ****ty men. However, "Love song"'s strength lies in its simplicity. With little more than some spare piano chords and Lana's gold spun melodies it manages to be one of the best songs on NFR! and of the year. Best Lyrics: "grab my waist, don't waste any part" Best bit: the way the music falls away around her vocals during the final moments of the song Listen: "Love song" 02 . Big Thief - "UFOF" indie folk Why it's here: Many big Thief songs are deserving of this spot: Betsy, Orange, Jenni... but I'd have to go with the very first song we heard from them this year. "UFOF" shines with some of the best songwriting on its parent album with urgent chord progressions and lyrics that are open-ended and full of memorable imagery. Best Lyrics: "I don't need any other friends / The best kiss I ever had is the flickering / Of the water so clear and bright" Best bit: the second verse. Listen: "UFOF" 01. FKA twigs - "mary magdalene" art pop, alternative r&b Why it's here: The singles run leading up to Magdalene was impressive, but she saved the best song for the album. The centerpiece and title track to Magdalane is a journey, moving from ambient verses to the sensual chorus to the glitchy breakdown. "Cellophane" is beautiful and "Sad Day" is a big bop, but this is the track that encapsulates everything that is so good about Magdalene. A perfect song. Best Lyrics: "I know where you start, where you end / how to please, how to curse" Best bit: the build up of tension until 4:15 when that life-changing outro begins. Listen: "mary magdalene" This top 10 is so iconic I wish it was mine. Love every track, bravo tastemaker king.
thecptz Posted December 27, 2019 Posted December 27, 2019 omg we love a love song stanning. should've won the album survivor tbh anyway, i'm gonna listen to erika's. hope i like her!
Eeveelution Posted December 27, 2019 Author Posted December 27, 2019 19 hours ago, jose168 said: This top 10 is so iconic I wish it was mine. Love every track, bravo tastemaker king. thank you bb 3 hours ago, thecptz said: omg we love a love song stanning. should've won the album survivor tbh anyway, i'm gonna listen to erika's. hope i like her! tea! yas get into Erika, lmk what you think!
thecptz Posted December 28, 2019 Posted December 28, 2019 7 hours ago, Eeveelution said: thank you bb tea! yas get into Erika, lmk what you think! finished listening to erika the album is so beautiful and her lyrics...whew my favorites prob are intimate and photo of you but i need to listen to it again
Jorge Posted December 28, 2019 Posted December 28, 2019 Congrats for the #1 Lana At #3 Carly Rae Jepsen // I'll have to listen to the others Please, Don't Forget to comment on my Top 100 Countdown
Eeveelution Posted December 28, 2019 Author Posted December 28, 2019 13 hours ago, thecptz said: finished listening to erika the album is so beautiful and her lyrics...whew my favorites prob are intimate and photo of you but i need to listen to it again The taste Yes I love her lyrics!
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