Just a Gay on ATRL Posted December 14, 2021 Posted December 14, 2021 I decided to make a spur of the moment list of my favorite songs of 2021 and came up with 90 of my favorite songs of the year. I'm going to go ahead and get started tonight. Without further ado, let's go: (entire countdown is in the spoiler below) Spoiler 90 Lana Del Rey - Dealer I adored NFR but Lana's last 2 albums as a whole didn't really connect with me and were a bit too slow for my liking, BUT Dealer gives me a nice sense of melodrama with the wailing chorus & the slow, kind of psychedelic beat has me contemplating my reality immediately. Very trippy. 89 Clean Bandit & Topic - Drive This barely sounds like a Clean Bandit song but Topic will be making several appearances on my countdown so we love an it girl with a recognizable sound. Topic beats always sound modern and fresh and I do always love Clean Bandit strings to make me cry in the club. 88 LISA - Money LISA just oozes charisma. She didn't serve anything groundbreaking here, but she did serve starpower & choreography she makes look way easier than it actually is. I can just tell how disciplined she is with her craft & I respect it. Song is fun & catchy! 87 blackbear - @ my worst This song is a bit angsty but it's still relatable nonetheless. blackbear always comes out with decent songs that are nice listens, especially for sad girl autumn. I'll take it over hot girl bummer. 86 SZA - i hate u Clearly I've been in my feelings this year (I have lol). This recent offering is nowhere near the level of absolute divinity peak SZA has to offer (like Good Days which is not here because it came out in 2020 but would've potentially topped my list if I had counted it, but... nvm). But it's still above average. It is very CTRL 2.0. 85 Benson Boone - Ghost Town I may hate this song by 2022, but it's giving Lewis Capaldi & it's that time of year. The chorus is huge & soaring, he has a great voice. I'm curious how he'll differentiate himself from the Lewis' & Ed's of the market in the future. 84 Chloe - Have Mercy The song has aged kind of poorly and fast, but it does bop and Chloe is extremely talented. I'm excited to hear her other offerings. I'm surprised how quickly it fizzled out on the charts, but maybe people had the same fast burnout with the song as me? 83 DJ Snake - SG (feat. Ozuna, LISA & Megan Thee Stallion) Kind of like Mercy, had fast burnout with me, but I do think the beat is hypnotic & it's a good workout song. It's quite obviously a Taki Taki 2.0, so I take it for what it is. LISA ate everyone else up on a platter, but Megan held her own. 82 Wale - Poke It Out (feat. J. Cole) This beat is excellent! I was surprised when I heard this, one of my favorite beats of 2021 possibly? Would be be blast to hear this song out. Both rappers delivered too. Surprised this wasn't bigger. 81 bbno$ & Rich Brian - edamame I absolutely hated bbno$ song la la la, but this proved me wrong & is actually really fun. I found this one on instagram reels. 80 Little Mix - Love (Sweet Love) One of their best songs to date. That chorus is BOOMING ear candy. Little Mix never dwells too fa from their signature sound and they've found what works best for them and keep it working. Will hear this in many gay bars throughout 2022. 79 Lil Nas X - Industry Baby (feat. Jack Harlow) I prefer Montero but this is also a bop! A good example of a song that is super elevated by its music video and would not be nearly as noteworthy without it. The song actually sounds a bit dated to me but not in a bad way, it's almost charming. It's very mid 00s which makes sense with the [redacted] production credit. Jack's feature is the best part of the song... controversial take I know! 78 Kim Petras - Future Starts Now I am just seeing this MV for the first time ever This is WAY better than the follow up single Coconuts. It's very sleek and airy, good for a windows down on a night out kind of vibe. The pretentious but fun french interpolations are cute and make it fashion. Kim also doesn't stray from her give the gays everything they want pop formula and why would she! 77 Joyner Lucas & J Cole - Your Heart I love how Joyner's verses are towards his girl, and then J Cole plays the part of his guy friend calling out his shit. The production on this is excellent and I think it really stands out against other rap songs that came out this year. One of each of their best offerings in a while imo. 76 Swedish House Mafia - Moth to a Flame (feat. The Weeknd) This has grown on me more over time actually. I missed Swedish House Mafia and I am loving that The Weeknd appears to be going in a more electronic direction... which is my PRAYER for the sound of The Dawn. Give me Starboy artRave edition. These two were a smart pairing. The Weeknd sounds good on literally anything. 75 Doja Cat - Woman Like all of Doja's songs, this is effortlessly catchy & as Doja as said herself, the 2nd verse is one of the best verses in her career. I expect it to go Top 10 in the first 3 months of 2022 and it is proving to be the little, or should I say big, hit that could! Great album intro & sets the ton for Planet Her perfectly. 74 Marshmello & Jonas Brothers - Leave Before You Love Me This is very much an attempt for JB to have their Sting "Every Breath You Take" moment... and while they did not achieve such a classic, they did give us a sweet pop song. Easy listen & I always enjoy it when it comes up. Their best post-comeback offering tbh. The harmonies in the chorus are really pretty. 73 Avril Lavigne - Bite Me Avril really took me by surprise here. Her first 3 albums are absolutely integral to my childhood, and I also loved Goodbye Lullaby, but her self-titled was trash and that gospel-inspired last one or whatever was fine but just didn't interest me. She really said oh let me let y'all back to TBDT here! This is so much fun! Hoping this song is like the rest of the album. I want pop punk angsty anger and also some epic ballads like I'm With God. 72 Anne-Marie & Little Mix - Kiss My (Uh Oh) Little Mix gave Anne-Marie's recent album the MUCH needed jolt of pop fun it desperately needed. This is catchy as hell and a sassy send off to a sore loser we all need this year. The sample is perfectly used and pretty clever, the song holds on its own without entirely relying on the sample either. This should've been bigger. 71 Sigala & Rita Ora - You for Me Covid connoisseur Rita Ora clearly got back her sense of taste just in time for this bop! It's the summer vibe we all wanted and desperately needed during another questionable year for Planet Earth. It sounds like a cool drink of water on a beach with a splash of pool party ready EDM beat. 70 Tinashe - Undo (Back to My Heart) I don't think Tinashe ever swings and misses since going independent, and that includes her forays into unapologetic pop anthems. This does not quite hit like Perfect Crime or Save Room for Us from Songs for You, but it holds its own perfectly well. More from X coming later! 69 Khalid - Scenic Drive (feat. Ari Lennox & Smino) Unexpected gem from Khalid's new EP. Absolutely love the beat & I feel like it's serving something very different from the rest of Khalid's discography. Ari Lennox is the highlight of the song for sure. Love him collabing with so many people! 68 Alan Walker & Imanbek - Sweet Dreams I love to browse the Apple Music Dance playlist and this one popped up on one of my browses. Such a great workout bop! I love my EDM dance fix every single year. 67 Becky Hill & David Guetta - Remember Becky's new album, speaking of EDM bops, was FULL of them, one of the best pop albums of the year. This is admittedly EXTREMELY generic but it was generic done well. The chorus is huge and Becky's vocals were basically born to soar over loud dance beats. 66 Post Malone - Only Wanna Be With You This one crept up on me throughout the end of this year. I found myself going back to it more than I expected. I remember the original song from my childhood but I honestly think Post made it better. His other songs this year were um interesting (@ Motley Crue) but I want more of this sound from him in the future! 65 Joel Corry, RAYE & David Guetta - Bed David Guetta strikes back! This one is also generic af but again, it's a feel good song I'm not overthinking. RAYE is always a delight & is underrated af. Joel is a snack for the eyes. This one gives me summer evening where life is good and you're bopping with the gays sipping a vodka cran, more of that in 2022 pls! 64 NEIKED, Mae Mueller & Polo G - Better Days I thought this was looking like a future Top 10 hit but it's kind of stalled since the Fall? Anyways, it's still a really good pop song & Mae is the definite highlight with her vocals. The chorus is catchy. Not much else to say on this but just imagine me nodding my head and bopping around my bedroom. 63 Mabel - Let Them Know YAS GAWD MAWMAW! This song is GAY GAY GAY and Mabel knew exactly what she was doing. Giving modern take on RuPaul's Supermodel. Could be a walkway song on Drag Race, or certainly should be a lipsync song in the future. We all DESPERATELY needed some feel good runway songs for our french vanilla fantasies this year and Mabel said "you called?" 62 Galantis & JVKE - Dandelion I love Galantis in general, and this one is very different from their past work! It's kind of an odd song at first but that's what makes it memorable. It's a simple sing-along type tune and it remains mellow throughout rather than having a big buildup/drop, which would've been unfit for this song anyway. This one makes me smile. 61 Years & Years & Galantis - Sweet Talker Late 2010s me is shaking that these two finally collaborated! I knew pop greatness was coming as soon as it was announced. Unlike Dandelion, this one has a huge sound and drop complete with violins and loud bass. It has a classic sound to it immediately. Songs like this are catnip to me. 60 Majestic & Boney M. - Rasputin Studio 54 disco realness! Yes sir I can boogie! This is an over the top dance remix of a song about Rasputin and we live for the DRAMA. TBH the song is kind of Trinity The Tuck saying "I don't know what the hell she is saying but girl I am living" energy. 59 Doja Cat & The Weeknd - You Right This song is underrated and was ROBBED of a Top 10 peak on the Billboard Hot 100. I think releasing it as the second single or whatever was a mistake and should've been saved for a winter single right around now/start of 2022. That being said the song is very early 2000s Dilemma song and even though it's about cheating it's oddly romantic? Lol but I love that Doja changed it up for this one. Also the video is gorgeous. 58 blackbear & Tate McRae - u love u A song about selfish people - was therapeutic for me in 2021! I was surprised this didn't take off later this year honestly - sounds perfect for radio and the depressing year we had. Tate fits perfectly here and adds to blackbear's angst well. 57 Olivia Rodrigo - good 4 u This is the only song from SOUR that clicked with me but this one clicked hard! It's very Avril TBDT and I didn't realize how much I missed this vibe until she came out with it. As far as I'm concerned this was the song of Summer 2021. 56 Lil Nas X - Montero (Call Me By Your Name) A song that is mega enhanced by an AMAZING music video. He really served a moment here especially with the stripper pole to hell - best MV moment of 2021 easily. The song itself is a bop and I absolutely love the production - very mysterious and seductive. 55 Wizkid - Essence (feat. Justin Bieber & Tems) Such a relaxing and romantic song. I came across this in the latter half of the year and it made me instantly feel at peace. It also sounds like nothing else out right now. I am glad it ended up going Top 10. 54 Kylie Minogue & Years & Years - A Second to Midnight I loovvvee that they collabed - so unexpected and a needed bright spot in pop this year. You can tell Y&Y truly idolizes her and the energy just radiates throughout the song and video. The chorus is an earworm. Will the US ever let songs like this smash? No - the lack of taste is homophobic! 53 Tiesto - Don't Be Shy (feat. Karol G) A song I never skip when it comes on shuffle. Karol's voice and the hynotic production all mix together into a really effortless listening experience. This is probably my favorite song Karol has done to be honest. Tiesto has also done a great job of modernizing his sound. 52 H.E.R. - Find a Way (feat. Lil Baby & Lil Durk) ATRLers are such haters of H.E.R. for no reason. She has plenty of enjoyable songs to find on her new album. This one is my personal favorite - a confidence booster anthem about persevering. Sounds amazing on loud headphones. Deserves to be a hit. 51 Charli XCX - Good Ones Charli almost never misses and the upward trend continues here. I like that this one is a little less hyperpop and she seems to be finding a happy medium between mainstream pop and hyperpop with this album so far. how i'm feeling now was a bit too chaotic for me at times. The chorus is so simple but effective. Queen of ohs ad oohs. 50 KSI - Patience (feat. Yungblud & Polo G) I was browsing for new music in the late summer-ish and came across KSI and he has some bops! This one is definitely my personal favorite - it's a great modern take on pop rock & Yungblud fits totally perfect on the chorus. This song is extremely underrated, I've never seen it mentioned on here or anywhere for that matter. 49 Ava Max - EveryTime I Cry Ava is pretty dependable on giving me what I want musically so I always turn to her music. I love that she's unapologetic towards going to dance pop music sensibilities. This one flopped but it's still a quality song. 48 Joel Corry - I Wish (feat. Mabel) Joel Corry was a name I kept checking for in 2021, so when I heard he collabed with Mabel, who I also check for regularly, I zoomed to the play button! (but not the video kind of Zoom, I'm over that one). This is exactly what I wanted in a good way! Song is "generic" but perfect as it is for that. 47 Selena Gomez & Rauw Alejandro - Baila Conmigo That chorus is gold! I could not get this one out of my head the entire year. This is Selena's best song since Revival. I hope she continues in this direction. 46 Elton John & Dua Lipa - Cold Heart (PNAU Remix) Who knew Elton & Dua would be such a great combination! This song makes me feel like I'm on a disco cloud in Xanadu, idk how else to describe it lmao. Something about it is very peaceful and relaxing. 45 Dillon Francis - Love Me Better (feat. Marc E. Bassy) (PLEASE EXCUSE THAT SCREENSHOT LMAO) I promise the song is good despite that cover. One of my most played songs for workouts of the year easily. Did not see this one mentioned anywhere else. 44 Becky Hill & Topic - My Heart Goes (La Di Da) Topic is such a great producer, & Becky a great dance/house pop musician, so honestly this collab was forced by the universe to happen. It needs to smash in Europe if it hasn't already! Her whole album was a serve. 43 Rita Ora, David Guetta & Imanbek - Big BOP. Need I say more? 42 Normani - Wild Side (feat. Cardi B) Normani did an amazing job with this song and video. Despite me being annoyed with how long she is taking for her album, I still see so much promise with the little she's released so far. This song is so different from everything else right now & I'm glad Normani did her own thing. Cardi was also a good fit for this. 41 Justin Bieber - Ghost Probably one of Justin's "prettiest" songs lol. I was surprised how much I gravitated towards this one but everything from the verses to the chorus really hits home emotionally. Some of my favorite lyrics of the year: "if I can't be close to you, I'll settle for the ghost of you" I hate to say it but Justin is good at what he does. 40 Amaarae - Sad Girlz Luv Money Remix (feat. Kali Uchis & Moliy) I came across this song pretty close to the end of the year so it's one of the last entries into my YE chart but god damn it's so addictive. The lead girl's voice is very mysterious, I've never heard anything quite like it... she kind of has the "indie girl" voice going on but it manages to not be overbearing so it works. Kali is a great addition to the remix and adds a lot. The vibe of the song is really cool and I find myself going back a lot to it recently. 39 ATB, Topic & A7S - Your Love (9PM) This was a mainstay bop throughout almost all of the year. I always eat up EDM songs like this so it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. 38 Tinashe - Pasadena (feat. Buddy) The public is MISSING OUT. This song makes me feel instant peace and want an alcoholic beverage on a beach. An ideal summer song. So glad she continues to bless with music. 37 KAYTRANDA - Intimidated (feat. H.E.R.) This is SO amazing and I don't see anyone here talking about it! Hearing H.E.R. on a house-inspired dance track is something I didn't expect to hear this year but she continues to surprise me lately. I am H.E.R.(E.) for her continuing more in this sonic direction. 36 Kacey Musgraves - breadwinner Huge highlight from Kacey's latest record and love her calling out toxic masculinity in such plain terms! The song has a very foreboding yet appropriate tone for it and makes me think of Stepford Wives where you can tell even listening that something sinister/ulterior is boiling under the surface. Which I'm sure was very intentional on her end. 35 Fletcher - Healing Much like the title suggests I used this song to heal through some emotional shit this year and the song actually helped me process. It's the musical equivalent of going out in nature to remember what's most important in life. Easily Fletcher's best work so far. 34 PinkPantheress - Pain Found out about PP through Billie Eilish shouting her out actually! And she became one of my favorite finds of 2021. I like a lot of songs from her latest album and she is serving something new and fresh imo. Here for her really breaking out in 2022. 33 Doja Cat - Need to Know One of THE sex bops of 2021 and a perfect blend of pop and rap. This song sumps everything that is right about Doja Cat and why she is such a serve in 2021 pop and hip hop music. Insanely catchy and replayable like all of Planet Her. 32 Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever I'll be honest, this is the only song I like from her new album, but on the plus side, it's the best song she's done to date. The climax of the song into a soaring emo rock ballad is everything I've been wanting from Billie and SHE FINALLY STOPPED WHISPERING! More of that, please. 31 Daya - The Difference Daya's best music has actually been served after her blow up in popularity in 2016/17, and it was actually served this year with her EP. The title track is pop perfection and doesn't get its due flowers. she has a wonderful voice for pop music. 30 Joel Corry - Head & Heart (feat. MNEK) MNEK has a nearly perfect track record with me for any songs he has either sung or written. Yet again, he delivered an addictive dance EDM pop track and his voice is just soooo pleasant to listen to. I am big fan. The "duh duhh duhh duhh" is one of the catchiest moments of 2021. 29 GIVEON - For Tonight I adore Heartbreak Anniversary and he followed it up so well here! Ideal anthem for sad girl autumn and lonely boy winter. His voice is incredible and instantly makes me feel nostalgic and emotional. Has so much promising potential. 28 Galantis, David Guetta & Little Mix - Heartbreak Anthem Little Mix really needed to serve a full throttle EDM banger like this, and they need to do more songs like this! It's a bit generic but actually in a good way, it sounds familiar. Galantis produced tracks are ones I always seek out for new music regularly. 27 Ava Max - My Head & My Heart Alright my little Aviators! Ava really delivered her best song to date with the sample of the early 00s classic Around the World (La La La) . The sample was really well utilized and evolved for the 2020s. Ava gets a lot of flack on ATRL but I could see her being a certified hitmaker for most of the 2020s to be honest. All of her choruses just hit different. 26 Daya - Bad Girl That's right Miss D has 2 entries in my Top 40 this year! This is her final entry, though. This song is criminally catchy and I could not get it out of my head . It had one of the best choruses of 2021. This would've been a huge hit in the hands of someone else. 25 Slayyter - Clouds This song barely made my list, I only found out about it like 2-3 weeks ago! But I played it so much in such a short amount of time that it made my Top 25. The production is incredible and fits perfectly on any gay's "crying in the club" playlist. 24 Doja Cat - Tonight (feat. Eve) So I know this isn't one of the more popular tracks from Planet Her, but it's truly one of the best. The early 00s R&B/pop beat mixed with Doja's ear candy vocals & a feature from Eve? I mean... right up my alley! The first verse is the part I kept playing over & over & over again the most! Sounds incredible on headphones. 23 Troye Sivan - Angel Baby Troye delivered an amazing power pop ballad and I'm not going to lie, I did not expect that! Would've fit perfectly in a romantic comedy or a melodramatic scene from a 90s movie. I want more songs like this to smash in the 20s. 22 The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber - Stay I think we're all sick of this song at this point, but it's honestly a really great pop song that deserved its huge success. I'm not surprised at how well it did considering how I addicted I was to it. And honestly Justin adds a lot to it with his contribution. 21 Swae Lee - In the Dark (feat. Jhené Aiko) Swae knows how to deliver pop perfection and managed to do it again! Was surprised this song didn't get more attention considering it was linked to a very successful Marvel movie on top of it all. Glad he looped Queen Jhene into the mix as well. Their voices are just really pleasant to listen to and a good example of autotune done right. 20 Nathan Dawe, Anne-Marie & MoStacks - Way Too Long I feel like no one noticed this song in 2021 and I don't understand! It was definitely my favorite song from Anne-Marie's new album and it is insanely catchy. The production is amazing and she sounds her absolute best/on top of her game here. If you don't know this song, please check it out! 19 Becky Hill - Last Time Favorite song from Becky's new album FULL of bops. I think this one is my favorite mostly for the vocals because Becky is belting on the chorus like her life depends on it. This song makes me feel an instantaneous jolt of energy. 18 Zara Larsson - Look What You've Done THE best song from Zara's 2021 album, and I'm really surprised it wasn't a single. And like my other 2 songs above, WHERE WAS ATRL TALKING ABOUT THIS SONG?! Maybe I missed it, but this is the melodramatic happy & sad at the time type of pop song I love. Zara deserves more. 17 Justin Bieber - Peaches (feat. Daniel Caesar & GIVEON) I was not feeling much from Justice prior to this song coming out and I was quite shook how amazing this was when it dropped. It sounds so peaceful & summery, a song that makes you instantly nostalgic for a good memory that you just recalled. This one is definitely "mood/vibe" more than any other song on this list. You listen to this when you want to be transported to a nice summer afternoon even when it's 22 degrees and winter (like it is where I'm at rn) 16 Tinashe - Bouncin I mean... just look at the talent! The creativity! That music video! Definitely a song hugely elevated by an amazing music video, but the song itself is also unique, interesting, and everything that Tinashe consistently is on a song by song basis. I'm glad this song got some attention on Tik Tok... but it still didn't get enough. 15 Kacey Musgraves - justified Gorgeous! This one is very addictive because of Kacey's easy breezy vocals. It has the airy-ness of all the Golden Hour hymns but the extra added stinge of a bitter break-up, a common theme on her latest album. I relate to the lyrics heavily. 14 Bebe Rexha - Sacrifice When I tell you I was shocked Bebe served this! I didn't expect her to delve into pop EDM earlier on in 2021 but THIS IS WHAT SHE NEEDS TO DO. Her voice is so perfect for it. Like girl wyd otherwise. This song soars from start to finish and hasn't gotten old to me at all yet. Deserved to be a hit. 13 Tinashe - I Can See the Future I was so intrigued by this song when it came out. I feel like the album cover matches the vibe of the song perfectly lol. That beat is incredible and big props to the producer, but also, of course, TINASHE! I absolutely stan her deeper vocal register that's on full display for most of this song. She is just everything I can't say it enough. 12 Riton & RAYE - I Don't Want You Please check this one yet if you haven't heard it. RAYE is like Tinashe where you pretty much know she will swing you a successful song when you see her name on the credit. I randomly found this one in new music and I see RAYE, I listen. I relate hard to the lyrics rn about wanting someone's stupid ass to gtfo, so this one is a good emotional outlet and simultaneous bop! 11 Topic & Bebe Rexha - Chain My Heart So yeah, Sacrifice wasn't even Bebe's best pop EDM delve this year! This one is literal audio crack. I can't even tell you how many times I played this. This song on headphones is an experience! She just sounds so perfect on EDM, Bebe I'm begging you, please continue in this direction. 10 Adele - Easy On Me Adele is one of my all-time favorite artists so you had better believe I was fully perched for all things related to 30. While this song doesn't take any risks, I also knew damn well Adele wasn't about to anyway. This is everything I want from an Adele ballad: beautiful piano production, soaring and rangeful vocals, and poignant lyrics. This deserves to join the ranks of her best songs to date. 9 Regard, Troye Sivan & Tate McRae - You This one really came out of nowhere to give me life! Troye has glowed up so much sonically & I now strongly look forward to his contributions to any song where I see his name. Tate also adds a lot to this song & was the first time I really noticed her. So bummed this flopped in America! (but not surprised). The production here from Regard is so full & intricate that I feel like I'm always finding new details. 8 The Weeknd & Ariana Grande - Save Your Tears (Remix) I think this one of my favorite remixes of all time... Ariana was a perfect contribution to this song and I love that she contributed throughout the whole thing & doesn't feel just inserted quick & sloppily. She adds a LOT to this, what I once thought was a cute song from AH is now one of my absolute favorite Abel songs. This combo of Ari & Weeknd is a match made in heaven & I'm glad they collaborated twice more in 2020/21. One of the best pop songs of the last couple of years. 7 Meduza - Tell It to My Heart (feat. Hozier) This entry came towards the end of the year but it came in fast & furious. I have loved Hozier's voice since he blew up in 2013/14 and when I tell I screamed internally when I found out he did an EDM collab w/ Meduza... who I also consistently love. I've never clicked play faster. Anyways this is everything I would ever want a Hozier EDM song to be. This deserves to blow tf up. 6 Kacey Musgraves - star-crossed What an INTRO! This is still my favorite song from the album of the same name from Kacey. It reminds me of 808s & Heartbreak for some reason, one of my favorite albums of all time. It's very haunting & tells you immediately you're in for a journey on heartbreak. It also immediately showed sonic evolution from GH to SC. 5 Charli XCX - New Shapes (feat. Caroline Polachek & Christine & The Queens) (I just realized this song got a MV lmao) What a combo of 3 female pop powerhouses! I think all 3 of them helped to make this song pop perfection. Caroline's verse is especially special if I had to pick one in particular. I've been playing this non-stop since it came out and have no criticisms. Loved it enough for it to become the first song in my Top 5 YE for 2021! 4 Shift K3Y & Tinashe - Love Line Tinashe, like Bebe, delved into her pop EDM bag this year, and she killed it, unsurprisingly. The beat kind of reminds me of that song that used to play in the Six Flags commercial as a kid lol, but it's also super fun & upbeat. A much needed light in what was a very dark time for me when this came out. 3 Tinashe - X (feat. Jeremih) Tinashe stans will absolutely love my Top 20 lol, this is either her 4th or 5th entry in my Top 20 alone. She was probably my most played artist in 2021 and the most consistently excellent. Besides my #1, this was one of the absolute best pure sex bops of the year. The production being so sensual & forward-thinking adds a lot to the atmosphere this song creates. But most importantly, this song oozes sex appeal. 2 Adele - Oh My God One of Adele's best songs ever instantly. It's like Adele meets Florence + The Machine & Santigold This song has so much POWER & such a hugeee chorus. I'm so excited for the video in 4 days!!! The final minute of the song makes my spirit leave my soul. I became such a "yasss kweeen slay!!" gay when this comes on lmao. 1 Doja Cat & SZA - Kiss Me More When I was making my list, it didn't make sense for anything but this to be my #1 song of 2021. I bet this was a lot of people's #1s lol, but I'll be glad to join the ranks. This is absolutely perfect pop music. Doja was clearly inspired by the likes of The Cardigans & Gwen Stefani to give us light airy, ooey gooey love song realness, but then she swoops in with a super on point & impressive rap verse in the middle! Then SZA, a goddess among us, comes in to seal the deal with a vicious FU to an ex lover that she still has some temptations towards. These 2 are a match made in heaven much like Ari & Abel. This song deserved all its success and I am PRESSED it never hit #1. Oh well it's iconic anyway. Congrats to my #1 song of 2021!
Remmy Posted December 14, 2021 Posted December 14, 2021 Dealer starting off the list "Lana's last 2 albums as a whole didn't really connect with me and were a bit too slow for my liking" Same for me... and I'd add NFR in there too, whoops Have Mercy Yeah it's just a nice lil bop, not a bad way to start off her solo discography though. Ready to see what else is on the way
TalkThatRihanna Posted December 14, 2021 Posted December 14, 2021 I Hate You already making the list Sexy Girl is so underrated on here. Have Mercy was cute for a momenT but aged for me
Mr. Loco Posted December 14, 2021 Posted December 14, 2021 MONEY is a bop... I'll probably save it for next year's best of tho
TheWayWeWere Posted December 14, 2021 Posted December 14, 2021 Dealer we love criminal bops I still bop for Have Mercy time to time, but I agree with it aging a lot I Hate U
Ewan Chaos Posted December 15, 2021 Posted December 15, 2021 Dealer is one of those songs I would have expected Lana stans to hate, so I'm glad that everyone seems to have really positive things to say about the song! Mostly nnn Have Mercy I need more time with I Hate U (why she does she release so late in the year...) but I'm sure I'll like it as I do Good Days now.
MP2K Posted December 15, 2021 Posted December 15, 2021 (edited) Agree with your comments on Have Mercy and Sexy Girl But then Have Mercy turned it around. I like Drive, first time hearing and it's a bop. Edited December 15, 2021 by MP2K
Mr. Blue_Shirt Posted December 16, 2021 Posted December 16, 2021 Yes Lisa yes Best Of list edamame & Have Mercy are massive YES (even though i agree that HM is aged for me too. But i won't skip it if it come to shuffle) i hate u is a grower for sure (thank Tik Tok lol). SZA2 better not dissapoint i swear to lucifer!
BlackoutZone Posted December 16, 2021 Posted December 16, 2021 I Hate U and Have Mercy excellence! Dealer a mixed back, sometimes I feel it sometimes I don't Sadly I hated both Lisa songs, Sexy Girl was a big mess
Alldeezy Posted December 16, 2021 Posted December 16, 2021 Yess drive ♡ when I saw wes Nelson name as a feature on that song i checked it out and ended up being one of my favourite songs by them.
Just a Gay on ATRL Posted December 18, 2021 Author Posted December 18, 2021 Update coming soon, work got really crazy this week but it's finally calmed down.
Just a Gay on ATRL Posted December 18, 2021 Author Posted December 18, 2021 80 Little Mix - Love (Sweet Love) One of their best songs to date. That chorus is BOOMING ear candy. Little Mix never dwells too fa from their signature sound and they've found what works best for them and keep it working. Will hear this in many gay bars throughout 2022. 79 Lil Nas X - Industry Baby (feat. Jack Harlow) I prefer Montero but this is also a bop! A good example of a song that is super elevated by its music video and would not be nearly as noteworthy without it. The song actually sounds a bit dated to me but not in a bad way, it's almost charming. It's very mid 00s which makes sense with the [redacted] production credit. Jack's feature is the best part of the song... controversial take I know! 78 Kim Petras - Future Starts Now I am just seeing this MV for the first time ever This is WAY better than the follow up single Coconuts. It's very sleek and airy, good for a windows down on a night out kind of vibe. The pretentious but fun french interpolations are cute and make it fashion. Kim also doesn't stray from her give the gays everything they want pop formula and why would she! 77 Joyner Lucas & J Cole - Your Heart I love how Joyner's verses are towards his girl, and then J Cole plays the part of his guy friend calling out his shit. The production on this is excellent and I think it really stands out against other rap songs that came out this year. One of each of their best offerings in a while imo. 76 Swedish House Mafia - Moth to a Flame (feat. The Weeknd) This has grown on me more over time actually. I missed Swedish House Mafia and I am loving that The Weeknd appears to be going in a more electronic direction... which is my PRAYER for the sound of The Dawn. Give me Starboy artRave edition. These two were a smart pairing. The Weeknd sounds good on literally anything. 75 Doja Cat - Woman Like all of Doja's songs, this is effortlessly catchy & as Doja as said herself, the 2nd verse is one of the best verses in her career. I expect it to go Top 10 in the first 3 months of 2022 and it is proving to be the little, or should I say big, hit that could! Great album intro & sets the ton for Planet Her perfectly. 74 Marshmello & Jonas Brothers - Leave Before You Love Me This is very much an attempt for JB to have their Sting "Every Breath You Take" moment... and while they did not achieve such a classic, they did give us a sweet pop song. Easy listen & I always enjoy it when it comes up. Their best post-comeback offering tbh. The harmonies in the chorus are really pretty. 73 Avril Lavigne - Bite Me Avril really took me by surprise here. Her first 3 albums are absolutely integral to my childhood, and I also loved Goodbye Lullaby, but her self-titled was trash and that gospel-inspired last one or whatever was fine but just didn't interest me. She really said oh let me let y'all back to TBDT here! This is so much fun! Hoping this song is like the rest of the album. I want pop punk angsty anger and also some epic ballads like I'm With God. 72 Anne-Marie & Little Mix - Kiss My (Uh Oh) Little Mix gave Anne-Marie's recent album the MUCH needed jolt of pop fun it desperately needed. This is catchy as hell and a sassy send off to a sore loser we all need this year. The sample is perfectly used and pretty clever, the song holds on its own without entirely relying on the sample either. This should've been bigger. 71 Sigala & Rita Ora - You for Me Covid connoisseur Rita Ora clearly got back her sense of taste just in time for this bop! It's the summer vibe we all wanted and desperately needed during another questionable year for Planet Earth. It sounds like a cool drink of water on a beach with a splash of pool party ready EDM beat.
witness1.3 Posted December 18, 2021 Posted December 18, 2021 Dealer, I hate u (was listening to this as I was reading your thread), Have Mercy, Love (Sweet Love), Future Starts Now, Moth to a Flame, Woman, You for Me
Lazuli Posted December 18, 2021 Posted December 18, 2021 love (sweet love) being one of LM's best songs? what am i missing industry baby and woman
TheWayWeWere Posted December 18, 2021 Posted December 18, 2021 Woman is a major banger You for Me love one of my favorite dance jams this year, Rita truly a dance queen Kiss My is one of these songs I never knew I needed in my life
BlackoutZone Posted December 18, 2021 Posted December 18, 2021 Moth to a Flame an EAT, Abel's best collab this year
Sunderland 4ever Posted December 18, 2021 Posted December 18, 2021 16 hours ago, MusicTalker said: 76 Swedish House Mafia - Moth to a Flame (feat. The Weeknd) I enjoyed this track.
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