best of MLD's Best of 2023 (Songs 40-31) + Best of my 20s (170-161)

[Legend E]

I don't think I ever accused you?

 

Long Live and Fine Line are the best here  

 

[Kiss It Better]

Agora Hills 

[Renzo_]

Long Live

[Alldeezy]

Barbie World + Agora Hills + Paint The Town Red 

[MusicLoverDude]

MLD's Best of 2023 

50 - 41 

 

50. Kelly Clarkson - Lighthouse

 

 

Sometimes being a judge in a game can expose you to new music in a good way. @Legend E submitted this song during one of the rounds and it was the best song by Kelly I had heard in a long while. I work in a grocery store so I'm a bit overexposed to her basic stuff (especially since her and P!nk get a lot more songs in the rotation than Avril does). But it was great to hear a good ballad from her again. It didn't sound basic. Hopefully Vons doesn't add this to their rotation, or if they do, hopefully it's not overplayed. 

 

49. Kesha - Eat the Acid

 

 

So yeah, I liked this a little bit more than Fine Line. I just like the experimentation better here, especially since it involves acid, so it makes a lot of sense. Hopefully now that Kesha is free from RCA and Dr. Luke, she can become an independent queen.

 

 

48. Cassadee Pope - Wasting All These Tears (Cassadee's Version) 

 

 

My freshman and sophomore years of high school had a lot of Hey Monday listens in it so to learn that Cassadee returned to pop punk/rock music this year REALLY made me happy. While I loved her country pop stuff too, I never was into it as much as the Hey Monday stuff and for years I'd continuously go back to Homecoming, How You Love Me Now and other tracks from them. Wasting All These Tears was always Cassadee's best pop country song and of course her most successful single. So when Cassadee released a pop punk version of this song this year in honor of the 10th anniversary, I was excited. And it did NOT disappoint. I'm so glad to have this version of the song now. We still have one more song from Cassadee coming so stay tuned. 

 

47. Ariana DeBose - This Wish

 

 

So starting with the Barbie movie, I started going to the movies again, as frequently as possible, since I'm a working dude. Wish was among the movies I got to see and in my honest opinion, it's a movie that pays a nice homage to Disney's legacy while still being a good story. And this song is the best song on the soundtrack. I relate to it and it's the most anthemic of everything. The film deserved to do better and it definitely deserved to chart on the Hot 100 because this is better than all the Encanto crap. 

 

46. P!nk - Runaway

 

 

The second of three P!nk songs on my list is now here. This one deserved to be a hit, even if it steals its name from the superior I'm Not Dead track. P!nk actually sounds alive here. Just sucks that it didn't even chart anywhere. 

 

45. Lauv - Steal the Show

 

 

Elemental was one of the other movies I saw this year. It was really good and made me cry at certain points (if you know, you know). I'm glad it became a sleeper hit. The main theme song here was also really cute and well, Lauv can be hit and miss with me but this song matches his cute nerdy adorkable self so I was all for it. 

 

44. JORDY - Story of a Boy

 

 

When I was 18, I went through hits from my younger years that I missed. Absolutely (Story of a Girl) which was a hit when I was 6 years old back in 2000, was one of them. Pop rock is my roots so yeah, I loved it instantly. So for us to get a gay interpolation of it 22 years later was amazing. JORDY seems like a ray of sunshine and I love that he isn't some skinny or muscular gay, he's just in the middle. Like, I relate to that so much. I like his personality more than his music at the moment, but this song was a great flip and the video was also cute (plus the homage to Nine Days as well). Sending all good vibes to JORDY as he's now independent.

 

43. ILLENIUM f. All Time Low - Back To You 

 

 

We have made it to the 2nd of 3 entries from ILLENIUM. This one being his collab with All Time Low. Emo pop punk and EDM/dance pop colliding especially when it is a sad song like this, it just all fits. You clearly can tell he wants to drown out his sadness, which makes the production even feel stronger because I totally get all of it.  

 

42. Olivia Rodrigo - love is embarrassing 

 

 

The highest album bomb cut from GUTS. And it's because I relate to it. Love truly is embarrassing. And so are crushes. Love is embarrassing and love sux. 

 

41. Paramore - Running Out of Time

 

 

Just short of the top 40, we have the final Paramore track. Easily the best single of the era. Just a good feel for their previous eras and yeah, it's a vibe.

[Legend E]

Very happy to see Lighthouse here and I am glad to hear that my entry in TABS made you stan this hard. If you want other recommendations from Chemistry (assuming you have not heard the album), let me know  

 

Eat The Acid is great. Wasting All These Tears is such a throwback  I did not listen to her new version though

 

P!nk has been horrid this year

[JGibson]

Running Out Of Time + lighthouse + Wasting All These Tears (Cassadee's Version) 

[Alldeezy]

Wasting All These Tears + Back To you

[worldwide angel]

eat the acid and love is embarassing   

[MusicLoverDude]

MLD's Best Of My 20s

180 - 171

 

180. Sabrina Carpenter - Nonsense (2023)

 

 

Remember, I was 29 during this year, so songs from this year will also be part of this retrospective. Nonsense is this first song from this year to appear. I'll save most of my write-up for this song for the main list, but what I will say is that, I like to have fun and this is a fun light-hearted song.

 

179. Lady Gaga - Hold My Hand (2022)

 

 

Most of Gaga's entries on this list will be her soundtrack songs, just a fair warning. I never liked ARTPOP and I was mid on Joanne, so Chromatica and ASIB are the only eras I really liked her in during my 20s. And this song. I really liked the arena rock vibe of this. The editing on her voice in the beginning and the ending are what keep this song from being higher in this retrospective, but we have better Gaga songs coming up later. 

 

178. Ariana Grande - 34 + 35 (2021)

 

 

Only Ariana can make a song as goofy as 34+35 and still sound awesome on it. The positions era gets overhated on here and I will say, it was one of my favorite eras to experience during my 20s. Certainly made the pandemic better. 

 

177. Gabby Barrett - I Hope (2020)

 

I certainly did not expect a song from an American Idol revival season to have such a massive hit. Nor did I expect to play the song as much as I did during 2020/2021. But I mean, the pandemic left me a lot of room to get into this song and for a long while I was REALLY into this song. Apparently I listened to this over 1,000 times according to my Last FM   But anyways, this song is venomous and it really does GO off. Frankly, it's her only interesting song so, she had her moment and she faded away again. 

 

175. Katy Perry f. Nicki Minaj - Swish Swish (2017)

 

 

Wow, the Witness era was such a moment in time. I'm probably the only person that still enjoys Swish Swish on this site, but oh well, that kinda fits my character tbh. Anyways, always loved the video and this song. I'm glad Katy is in a better head space now. This is the only Witness song to make this retrospective but we still have Katy songs from her other eras that coincided with my 20s on the way. 

 

175. Echosmith - Get Into My Car (2017)

 

 

If you ever wondered what type of music Vons will play while you shop there, I can tell you that they REALLY love to play Echosmith. While most of their songs are just whatever to me, this particular actually REALLY got my attention the more I heard it at work. This is the ONLY song from work that I've actually played on my own time. Had I been listening to this in 2017, I would have been into it at that time too. This song is just so cool and atmospheric with the dance pop and pop rock elements combining. I'd rather ride in the car to it than get groceries with it. But anyways, I definitely could have had this on my 2017 rotation and while I only discovered this within the past year, it's a song that absolutely is the definition of a hidden gem. 

 

174. Tinashe f. Schoolboy Q - 2 On (2014)

 

 

Hi @ZORBIT . I don't hate Tinashe like you think I do. Anyways, I have good memories with 2 On and I casually enjoyed Aquarius back in my early 20s. Tinashe really did deserve better in her career but at least she can release music when she wants to now. 2 On is still that bop and Schoolboy Q is the main reason this is lower. 

 

173. Taylor Swift - cardigan (2020)

 

 

folklore was THE moment of 2020 while we were all in quarantine. So, make no mistake when I say that this won't be the only time a folklore track appears here. Taylor's songwriting was hard to forget here, as I'd often be singing "I knew you, try to change the ending Peter losing Wendy" multiple times over the years while at my job. Taylor simply just has better songs from this era plus her other eras charting higher in my list. 

 

172. Fifth Harmony - Sledgehammer (2014)

 

 

Fifth Harmony's only appearance on this retrospective is my favorite song by them. It was a dance pop jam that allowed everyone to sound great, and this song aged better than Miss Movin' On, and I have an easier time jamming to this than anything from 727 or the Camila-less album. That simple. 

 

171. Selena Gomez - The Heart Wants What It Wants (2014)

 

 

I remember when this song dropped. That monologue at the beginning of the video for this broke my heart </3. But I also know how hard it is when you know someone is treating you badly but your feelings and emotions get in the way. That BRIDGE is one of her best as well. I'm glad Selena is in better spirits now. 

[JGibson]

cardigan + Nonsense + Swish Swish + I Hope + Hold My Hand 

[Brandon]

𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 

[Alldeezy]

nonsense + 34 + 35 + Swish Swish + 2 On + Sledgehammer + The Heart Knows What I Wants

[Renzo_]

Running Out Of Time + love is embarrassing

[TheWayWeWere]

THWIW is such a classic

Swish Swish should've been a hit tbh

[MusicLoverDude]

MLD's Best of 2023

40 - 31 

 

40. Lana Del Rey - Say Yes To Heaven

 

 

I'm not really a Lana person. But on occasion she releases a song I click with. This ended up being one of them. I indeed said yes to this song.

 

39. PinkPantheress & Ice Spice - Boy's a Liar Pt. 2

 

 

 Not really a PinkPantheress person either. But this remix was cute. 

 

38. Sabrina Carpenter - Feather

 

 

Hot take: All the success Tate McRae is getting right now should have gone to Sabrina. Sabrina released the better material this year. Feather is a song that grew on me quite well over the course of the year and well, if you played ATRL Song Contest then you'd know @Julia Fox wouldn't shut up about it. Can't blame him though when this song SERVES. 

 

37. Taylor Swift - Hits Different

 

 

When you finally release the target exclusive everywhere, it's a good thing. This song reminds me a bit of older Taylor sound wise but updated to current Taylor and her songwriting is still great. 

 

36. Lady Gaga - Bloody Mary

 

 

Even though I was a little monster in high school, I slept on this particular song. It grew on me thanks to the virality. Cute and dark bop from her. 

 

35. David Archuleta - I'm Yours

 

 

I'm a millennial so I remember when David originally had his moment in the spotlight. Crush was a cute song that actually holds a lot of nostalgia for me now and I even really loved one of his other songs from his debut. Not to mention his appearances on iCarly and Hannah Montana were also fun. So for him to come out of the closet 14 to 15 years later and start serving the gay bops was actually amazing to see. This song is pure fire and I hope we get more from him soon.

 

34. Selena Gomez - Single Soon

 

 

I'm a Selenator so I mean, this song was going to grow on me quick no matter what. It's a bop. But I mean, as someone that has been single for all but two months of their life so far, this song can be kind of weird to listen to. Like, Selena is able to get any guy she wants while I struggle to even get a guy to reply back to me on dating apps so I mean...some of us just end up being single for months, to years on end because they get as many chances to experience love and romance freely like Selena does. Still, a bop. 

 

33. Miley Cyrus - Used To Be Young

 

 

Miley's release dates this year were very much a play taken out of the Taylor book. Releasing Flowers on the same day as Liam's birthday and now releasing Used To Be Young on the 10 year anniversary of her iconic and infamous VMAS performance. While I wish the production was better and I wish Miley's vocals were slightly better, I do like the triumphant feel of this song. Miley got through whatever she was dealing with back in those days and while I can't say I'm a Miley stan anymore, I stood by her during all that stuff back in 2013 and I know that she's a stronger person now. 

 

32. Tove Lo - I Like U

 

 

ATRL Song Contest has its perks. You do get to discover new jams, even if they are from this year. @Psycho submitted this in a 2023 round and well, it grew on me a LOT after first getting exposed to it. The Eurodance vibe of this plus the catchiness of the chorus just won me over. Genuinely shocked it landed this high but you know what, Tove Lo did THAT!

 

31. Cassadee Pope - People That I Love Leave 

 

 

Cassadee went OFF with this song as well. We need that pop punk album now Cassadee. GIVE IT TO US!!!!!!

[MusicLoverDude]

MLD's Best of my 20s

170 - 161

 

170. Ariana Grande - POV (2021)

 

 

 

One of Ariana's best ballads. It deserved more success than it got. 

 

169. Adele - Easy On Me (2021)

 

 

 

I'm not an Adele stan or anything, but the two releases she had during my 20s were when she struck gold. Easy On Me is still great two years later. 

 

168. The Chainsmokers f. Daya - Don't Let Me Down (2016)

 

 

The Chainsmokers had several good bops honestly during the mid to late 2010s. This is one of them. Daya's best performance, hands down. 

 

167. Kygo & Selena Gomez - It Ain't Me (2017)

 

 

Selena had a good year with EDM collabs in 2017, and we'll be talking about the other one MUCH later in this list. This is Kygo's best collab and the nostalgia for this one just grows stronger with each year. 

 

166. Billie Eilish - bury a friend (2019)

 

 

I've always been a sucker for darker pop and this Billie song is no exception. The dentist screwdriver thingy being recorded for this song is amazing and this song is just pure dark epicness.

 

165. Taylor Swift - Karma (2023)

 

 

I credit Midnights for helping be part of the light that helped me pull myself out of the dark tunnel I was in last year. The music from it came when I needed it. I'll go more into why I like Karma more on my main list. For now, it lifts me up. That's all I'll say. 

 

164. Carly Rae Jepsen - Talking To Yourself (2022)

 

 

The best single from The Loneliest Time did that!

 

163. Olivia Rodrigo - good 4 u (2021)

 

 

The Misery Business daughter did that. The cheerleader outfit is iconic.

 

162. BLACKPINK - Lovesick Girls

 

This callback to early 2010s pop deserved to smash. My favorite song by BLACKPINK ever.

 

161. Beabadoobee - Together (2020)

 

 

Gonna give Beabadoobee some flowers here because this particular song went off with me, probably because we were a year away from Avril's return to pop punk so this felt like a close enough sound to that. It's another song that got me through the pandemic and while I don't really listen to this much anymore now that Avril is back, this song still goes off three years later and deserves recognition. 

 

 

 

[Alldeezy]

say yes to heaven + boys a liar + feather + single soon + bloody mary

 

POV + don't let me down + it aint me + talking to myself 

[JGibson]

2023: Say Yes To Heaven + Feather + People That I Love Leave + I like u + Bloody Mary + Used To Be Young 

 

20s: good 4 u + bury a friend + Karma + Easy On Me 

[Renzo_]

good 4 u  One of the best songs of the decade so far.

[Legend E]

I actually like Hold My Hand! 2 On and Cardigan are masterpieces tho  

 

 

Say yes To heaven and Bloody Mary  

 

Talking To Yourself is SUCH a masterpiece  

[KasioKas]

omg that Lauv song is lovely I like him but didn't hear this yet

Agreed re:feather it's such a cute pop song, sooooo ariana coded

Tori's 'Cut' should be higher 

[Brandon]

𝐁𝐨𝐲'𝐬 𝐚 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐫 

[TheWayWeWere]

Single Soon was such a disappointment

It Ain’t Me on another hand  still so fresh 

pov  I can’t believe she scrapped the music video tho

Hits Different > Karma