best of Ewan Chaos's Best of 2023 | Done!

[Ewan Chaos]

Hello everyone! I dumped my list last year and didn't even bother ranking songs, but this year I had a little more time in advance to get most of that done so I'd like to try to do a slightly spread out reveal this year. I'll show my schedule below & post my honorable mention songs & albums that JUST missed the cut. As always, only one artist per category. Kisses!

 

Top 14 EPs of 2023

#100-76 Songs of 2023 | #50-36 Albums of 2023

#75-51 Songs of 2023 | #35-21 Albums of 2023

#50-26 Songs of 2023 | #20-11 Albums of 2023

#25-1 Songs of 2023 | #10-1 Albums of 2023

 

SONGS - 50 Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical Order)

 

Alex Anwandter | Precipicio

Andy Shauf | Wasted on You

Angel Olsen | Nothing's Free

ANOHNI and the Johnsons | Can't

Avalon Emerson | A Vision

Bebe Rexha | Visions (Don't Go)

Benny Sings | The | Only One

Boygenius | Not Strong Enough

Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding | Miracle

CC:DISCO!, Confidence Man | Chez Moi (Waiting for You) - Club Mix

Chloe | Body Do

CHVRCHES | Over

CMAT | Have Fun!

Declan McKenna | Sympathy

Felicita, Caroline Polachek | Sparlarkle (Alys)

Fever Ray | Carbon Dioxide

Freya Ridings | Bite Me

Gorillaz, Thundercat | Cracker Island

Hatchie | Dream On - Country Girl

Jenny Lewis | Psychos

Joanna Sternberg | I'll Make You Mine

Kara Jackson | No Fun/Party

Kate NV | Oni (They)

Kesha | The Drama

Kings of the Rollers, Katy B | Paradise

Little Dragon | Disco Dangerous

M83 | Fantasy

Madison McFerrin | Utah

Miguel | Give It to Me

Model/Actriz | Crossing Guard

Molly Burch | Physical

Muna | One That Got Away

Neggy Gemmy | Daydream

Niki & the Dove, The Greys | Gloria

Overmono | Calon

Palehound | Eye on the Bat

Patrick Wolf | Nowhere Game

Remi Wolf | Prescription

Rosalia & Rauw | Vampiros

Royce Wood Junior, Lucey Way | You're So F*****' Perfect

Ryan Beatty | Cinnamon Bread

SBTRKT, Toro y Moi | Days Go By

SG Lewis | Lifetime

Slowdive | The Slab

Sofia Kourtesis | Vajkoczy

Taichu | Noche de Sateo

Tei Shi | Mona Lisa

The New *****graphers | Firework in the Falling Snow

Unknown Mortal Orchestra | Meshuggah

Wild Nothing, Hatchie | Headlights On

 

ALBUMS - 25 Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical Order)

 

ANOHNI and the Johnsons | My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross

Arlo Parks | My Soft Machine

CHAI | CHAI

Daughter | Stereo Mind Game

Disclosure | Alchemy

Kara Jackson | Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?

Kimbra | A Reckoning

Kylie Minogue | Tension

Laufey | Bewitched

Magdalena Bay | mini mix vol. 3

Model/Actriz | Dogsbody

Molly Burch | Daydreamer

Nabihah Iqbal | DREAMER

Neggy Gemmy | CBD Reiki Moonbeam

Nourished by Time | Erotic Probiotic 2

Overmono | Good Lies

Roosevelt | Embrace

Slowdive | Everything is Alive

Sofia Kourtesis | Madres

Spanish Love Songs | No Joy

Susanne Sundfor | Blomi

The Japanese House | In the End it Always Does

Wednesday | Rat Saw God

Yeule | Softscars

Zach Bryan | Zach Bryan

 

Edited December 22, 2023 by Ewan Chaos

[madonnas]

Hiiii 

[JGibson]

Cracker Island + Fantasy + Over + Sympathy + Not Strong Enough 

[K$Ellie]

Miracle is a banger but it's getting overplayed here fff

love Body Do, Daydream and The Drama too

Laufey and Gemmy albums are cute but Yeule was mega robbed

[Mr. Blue_Shirt]

I'm so excited for your list this year WAIT

 

Not Strong Enough, Miracle, Body Do, Cracker Island, Vampiro are one of my favorites this year The way i truly enjoy Kimbra, Laufey and ANOHNI albums this year. Kylie's new album even though felt underwhelming compare to DISCO but man i can't help but still bopping to it!

[Ewan Chaos]

First update, then I'll comment on yall's lists!

 

Spoiler

 

23 hours ago, madonnas said:

Hiiii 

23 hours ago, JGibson said:

Cracker Island + Fantasy + Over + Sympathy + Not Strong Enough 

Particularly glad to see Over get a little love from you... I think people underrated it a lot!

20 hours ago, K$Ellie said:

Miracle is a banger but it's getting overplayed here fff

love Body Do, Daydream and The Drama too

Laufey and Gemmy albums are cute but Yeule was mega robbed

Well I am lucky to not be living in the UK/Europe nn so I get to escape the overplaying. I feel bad for Yeule because they also were in my HM list last year. And this year's album is their best imo! They will appear again tho.

6 hours ago, Mr. Blue_Shirt said:

I'm so excited for your list this year WAIT

 

Not Strong Enough, Miracle, Body Do, Cracker Island, Vampiro are one of my favorites this year The way i truly enjoy Kimbra, Laufey and ANOHNI albums this year. Kylie's new album even though felt underwhelming compare to DISCO but man i can't help but still bopping to it!

AHHHH your taste! I totally agree with Tension, cute album and I have to bop to it, but certainly below DISCO and disappointing overall with those amazing singles.

EPs - #14-1

 

 

#14: Bibio | Sunbursting

Pretty unnecessary, even though some of the songs were in the vein of his classic A Mineral Love.

 

 

 

#13: BORNS | Suddenly

Another artist who vanished and then came back. It's okay.

 

 

#12: Niki & the Dove, The Greys | This is the Music

Kind of a disappointing "first bit of music since 2016" for Niki & the Dove tbh. But at least they are still doing SOMETHING.

 

 
 

#11: Addison Rae | AR

I think this would be higher up if I bothered to listen to it more than once. It's good! But not AMAZING.

 

 

#10: Ice Spice | Like..?

The best is yet to come for her.

 

#9 Rosalia, Rauw Alejandro | RR

RIP to their relationship!

 

 

#8 The Dare | The Sex

The "controversy" around this EP and them was so stupid nn.

 

 

#7 Angel Olsen | Forever Means

A cute "here's some more!" style EP.

 

 

#6 Tei Shi | Bad Premonition

I think she struggles to have entire projects that are great, but I still really enjoy this.

 

 

#5 Patrick Wolf | The Night Safari

It's just nice that he has new music after all this time and it's good!

 

 

#4 BAMBII | Infinity Club

MASSIVE bops.

 

 

#3 Hemlocke Springs | Going... Going... GONE!

Great EP, though if it were up to me she would have slapped Stranger Danger, Sever the Blight, and an interlude or one other song here to make it a full album.

 

 

#2 NewJeans | Get Up

I've been pretty bad at keeping up with KPOP for like the past 5 years. So I'm happy to have kept my ear on the ground for this record the second I knew Erika was going to be a big part of this. Awesome EP.

 

 

#1 AMAKA | Oasis

EPOTY, enough said.

[madonnas]

OMG I totally forgot Patrick Wolf and Niki & The Dove released!

 

Your top 4 is immaculate   I also liked the Dare EP... fuck the haters!

[KasioKas]

Chloe | Body Do only an HM ouch! Don't recognise these EPs, maybe i'll give the ice spice one a shot, i'm just not a huge rap fan.

[Polgg48]

AMAKA is the best girl by far to match kaytranada production since syd

 

patrick wolf

[GreatestLoveofAll]

your taste is so electic i love it. i wish i was as varied as you 

[worldwide angel]

amaka, bambii, newjeans, hemlocke, rosi, and ice 

[Album Leak]

My sentiments exactly on the Niki & The Dove EP. Not the best but hey, at least they are still releasing music. 
Instinct still remains their best release and it's been over a decade since it's release. 

[TalkThatRihanna]

Yeah Addison’s EP was cute for a week and then I haven’t touched it since

[Remmy]

Songs HMs~ Couldn't get into Sympathy & Dream On, unfortunately. Over is cute. Same for Not Strong Enough, but I don't stan it like the critics do. Lifetime  Mona Lisa + Prescription  Visions (Don't Go), Miracle, Body Do, One That Got Away yuppp  Great bops. || Albums HMs~ mini mix vol. 3 is okay. Along with Embrace, I feel like each Roosevelt album is weaker than the last I fear. A Reckoning is suuuper overhated, but definitely not perfect.

 

EPs~ Suddenly was just okay, exactly. Hoping he'll come back harder w/ an album. AR is fine, IGIB & icbu carried it. Forever Means was a major snooze. BAD PREMONITION exceeded expectations and Get Up was a giant improvement (in my eyes) for NJ

 

[Mr. Blue_Shirt]

AMAKA snatching #1 spot iktr

 

I kinda forgot about BORNS, i guess he kinda enjoying the money he got from that old song that went huge viral on TikTok The way Addison and Ice Spice kinda releasing EP of the year like, i'm moving at every songs at the album nnn

 

RR, Forever Means, The Night Safari and Get Up are also really enjoyable listening experience too

[BlackoutZone]

This will be full of taste

 

I'm mostly surprised about BORNS, not because it's bad, but because I had no idea he dropped. Literally just remember him disappearing after allegations and I guess he just appeared back now with no noise?

[Ewan Chaos]

First update for songs/albums!

 

Spoiler

 

 

On 12/13/2023 at 11:13 AM, madonnas said:

OMG I totally forgot Patrick Wolf and Niki & The Dove released!

 

Your top 4 is immaculate   I also liked the Dare EP... **** the haters!

Yaaaaaas our shared taste! Def at least check out Patrick's EP.

On 12/13/2023 at 3:15 PM, KasioKas said:

Chloe | Body Do only an HM ouch! Don't recognise these EPs, maybe i'll give the ice spice one a shot, i'm just not a huge rap fan.

I feel bad because Body Do was the only song I liked from that album oop. Checking your sig, I think you'd like the AMAKA EP the most!

On 12/13/2023 at 4:22 PM, Polgg48 said:

AMAKA is the best girl by far to match kaytranada production since syd

 

patrick wolf

Period, let me just copy/pasting that comment as my write-up for the EP.

On 12/13/2023 at 4:35 PM, GreatestLoveofAll said:

your taste is so electic i love it. i wish i was as varied as you 

OMG that's so nice of you to say thank you

On 12/13/2023 at 7:00 PM, worldwide angel said:

amaka, bambii, newjeans, hemlocke, rosi, and ice 

PERIODDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

On 12/13/2023 at 7:05 PM, Album Leak said:

My sentiments exactly on the Niki & The Dove EP. Not the best but hey, at least they are still releasing music. 
Instinct still remains their best release and it's been over a decade since it's release. 

Funny enough, Everybody's Heart is Broken Now is still my favorite release of theirs by far, as much as I love Instinct.

On 12/13/2023 at 9:25 PM, TalkThatRihanna said:

Yeah Addison’s EP was cute for a week and then I haven’t touched it since

Right nn I mean definitely at least one or two songs that I kept!

On 12/14/2023 at 2:23 AM, Remmy said:

Songs HMs~ Couldn't get into Sympathy & Dream On, unfortunately. Over is cute. Same for Not Strong Enough, but I don't stan it like the critics do. Lifetime  Mona Lisa + Prescription  Visions (Don't Go), Miracle, Body Do, One That Got Away yuppp  Great bops. || Albums HMs~ mini mix vol. 3 is okay. Along with Embrace, I feel like each Roosevelt album is weaker than the last I fear. A Reckoning is suuuper overhated, but definitely not perfect.

 

EPs~ Suddenly was just okay, exactly. Hoping he'll come back harder w/ an album. AR is fine, IGIB & icbu carried it. Forever Means was a major snooze. BAD PREMONITION exceeded expectations and Get Up was a giant improvement (in my eyes) for NJ

 

With Roosevelt I kinda disagree! I still see his sophomore as his worst for sure, I might even like his 3rd album best just a tiny bit more than his debut. His music is kinda all... derivative of each other tho nn but I think it's still quality.

On 12/14/2023 at 6:24 AM, Mr. Blue_Shirt said:

AMAKA snatching #1 spot iktr

 

I kinda forgot about BORNS, i guess he kinda enjoying the money he got from that old song that went huge viral on TikTok The way Addison and Ice Spice kinda releasing EP of the year like, i'm moving at every songs at the album nnn

 

RR, Forever Means, The Night Safari and Get Up are also really enjoyable listening experience too

ahhhhhhh our shared TASTE.

On 12/14/2023 at 6:56 AM, BlackoutZone said:

This will be full of taste

 

I'm mostly surprised about BORNS, not because it's bad, but because I had no idea he dropped. Literally just remember him disappearing after allegations and I guess he just appeared back now with no noise?

OMG I completely forgot about those allegations dhsiohdioshidoshdhsisdo maybe he just intentionally doesn't want any noise because of that. MESS!

 

Songs - #100-76

 

#100: will.i.am, Britney Spears | Mind Your Business

I'm sorry, I just HAD to force this into my list. It's one of those songs that are so bad that they're good and the "manjobi, washidu, etc." **** is just so funny.

 

#99: Kx5 (Kaskade & Deadmau5) | Alive

This felt like a nice return to form for Kaskade, in a way.

 

#98: Susanne Sundfor | Blomi

I do miss her synth-popisms from 2015, but you know what, when a song is gorgeous like this I'll take it.

 

#97: Tainy, Arcangel, Jhayco, Myke Towers, Omar Courtz, Arca | Pasiempre

This is 2023's Safaera.

 

#96: L'Rain | New Year's UnResolution

I imagine this would be higher if I had more time with it, but fab song.

 

#95: Skrillex, Starrah, Four Tet | Butterflies

Skrillex making pretty decent bops in 2023…... OKAY!

 

#94: The Dare | Girls

This is 2023's The Girls (Calvin Harris).

 

#93: Faye Webster | But Not Kiss

Great song, but I know there's better on the horizon with the new album!

 

#92: Nabihah Iqbal | This World Couldn't See Us

The songs like this were the best on the album.

 

#91: Kaytramine (Amine & Kaytranada), Freddie Gibbs | Letstalkaboutit

I think I had higher hopes for this whole album, but this song song to keep in my summer soundtrack.

 

#90: Alex Lahey | You'll Never Get Your Money Back

Love a cheeky song like this.

 

#89: Jam City, Empress Of | Wild N Sweet

Bop! Best thing Empress Of released this year too…

 

#88: Kikuo, Hatsune Miko | My Time

Why tf is this called a Kikuo cover by Kikuo in Spotify? Anyway. Obsessed with the clown music verses, airhorn build up, and amazing beat drop that this song provides in less than 3mins.

 

#87: Juliana Gattas | Maquillada en la Cama

A recent, but great, discovery.

 

#86: Rochelle Jordan, Keys N Krates | What You Done

I'm ready for her next album!

 

#85: MJ Lenderman | Rudolph

I'm ready for his next album!

 

#84: Wednesday | Chosen to Deserve

Just a hazy rock banger that was my clear highlight from this album.

 

#83: Big Thief | Vampire Empire

I feel like I've become a Little Thiefer since DNWMIBIY.

 

#82: Nuovo Testamento | Wildlife

Cuz this WILD LIFE feels like WILD AT HEART!

 

#81: Bizarrap, Shakira | Music Sessions, Vol. 53

It's nice that a song as scathing and, kinda new, for Shakira as this is ended up doing so well commercially.

 

#80: Ice Spice, Lil Tjay | Gangsta Boo

The best is yet to come for her, but this is her best contribution to her songs/collabs so far.

 

#79: U.S. Girls | Tux (Your Body Fills Me, Boo)

I do wish the album was a little better, but I wasn't expecting U.S. Girls to drop a 6min funky shimmering disco stomper!

 

#78: Shygirl, Erika de Casier | Crush

Erika de Casier supremacy!

 

#77: CHAI | PARA PARA

The culmination of all the best parts of this album all in one song.

 

#76: Hemlocke Springs | POS

The goofiest song on the EP but also the best one?

 

Albums - #50-36

 

#50: The Drums | Jonny

Sorry for posting butt. This is a really enjoyable record! Great songwriting and fun surf pop jams.

 

#49: Fever Ray | Radical Romantics

I've usually been "eh" on their solo music... so I'm kinda shook that I like this so much!

 

#48: Geese | 3D Country

This is crazy fun. I'd like some cowboy nudes now please!

 

#47: Jamila Woods | Water Made Us

This feels a lot more like a personal, relationship record compared to her previous albums. It's a little lighter, and it totally works!

 

#46: Luiza Lian | 7 estrelas / Quem arrancou o céu?

Idk what she saying, but this was a really fun art pop record!

 

#45: Lana Del Rey | Did You Know that There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd?

It's funny how I've become a bit of a Lana stan since NFR. She deserves!

 

#44: Victoria Monet | Jaguar II

This is quite great! I may prefer part one more, but this is the rare instance where I think if the two records were combined it would make for something close to a masterpiece...

 

#43: L'Rain | I Killed Your Dog

This album is much better than her last one. Great psychedelic record!

 

#42: Aluna | MYCELiUM

Pleasantly surprised how much I liked this, given I thought her other album was cute but not amazing. It's just back to back quality house bangers.

 

#41: The Lemon Twigs | Everything Harmony

My dad stans this band. I thought their 2018 album was alright, but I'm really enjoying this a lot!

 

#40: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit | Weathervanes

Oh wow, this was even better than his last album. It's a bit on the long side, but it's a worthy album for being the best "Americana" of the year.

 

#39: Indigo De Souza | All of This Will End

Just as good... MAYBE even better than her last album.

 

#38: Yves Tumor | Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)

I wasn't really into it on first listen for some reason. But it grew and I get it more, even though it's prob my least favorite between Heaven... and Safe...

 

#37: Kikuo | きくおミク7 (Kikuo Miku 7)

This was such a fun, unexpected serve!

 

#36: Alison Goldfrapp | The Love Invention

I'll never be mad at the ladies going electro-pop/nu-disco!

[Album Leak]

I still need to really sit down and listen to blómi (the album) in it's entirety. The title track is fine, the sax definitely elevates it.

 

Fever Ray was not a serve for me, though I haven't liked any of their albums since their debut album (which was insane). There's something about late 2000s/early 2010s indie pop/electronic and alternative music that was in a league of it's own. A lot of albums I liked from that era haven't been surpassed by the artists since then. 

 

Kikuo's album sounds pretty eclectic and fun but I have a pretty high barrier of entry for liking vocaloid songs to the point I'd put them in any of my playlists. The vocaloid stuff really needs to elevate the song, otherwise you just end wishing DAMN, just give me the instrumental version or DAMN, wish there was an actual singer singing this!

[JGibson]

Mind Your Business + BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53 

[Polgg48]

The Lemon Twigs is quite slowburn i like it now too, Luiza Lian one is also solid record.

 

manjobi deserves on every users lists here, period

[Legend E]

excited for this!

 

I wish Over got more than just a HM. Dream On (Country Girl) is such a gem  One That Got Away is also a gem  

A Reckoning was a cute album, people dragged it too much. Tension is very nice. Blomi, Softscars and Zach  I still need to listen to Laufey's record.

 

Blomi, the song, making it  Hoping to see Alyosha getting some love too. 

 

Radical Romantics was awful (as is her entire discography x). Happy to see Did You Know and Jaguar II, I was especially shooketh by the latter! Happy to see Everything Harmony too  Alison slaying too  

[Mr. Blue_Shirt]

Mind Your Business is just that quick little bop. the girl that get, get it And also Letstalkaboutit, What You Done, Sessions Vol. 53 and Gangsta Boo are soo good!

 

I really need to listen to Radical Romantics and MYCELiUM again because it didn't click with me withthe first few listens. But Jonny, 3D Country, Water Made Us and The Love Invention are the opposite of it cause these album are just THAT good

 

[K$Ellie]

Mind Your Business is so bad that it's good  like you just have to laugh at the low effort sdjfhdjs

Yves and Indigo's albums were cute but I expected a bit better

Get Up so close to topping the ep list  smash after smash

AR making the list too  glad she finally got it out there

[GreatestLoveofAll]

On 12/15/2023 at 1:09 PM, Ewan Chaos said:

#80: Ice Spice, Lil Tjay | Gangsta Boo

The best is yet to come for her, but this is her best contribution to her songs/collabs so far.

Omg my sister loves Lil Tjay and she's a new ice spice stan and so this song be her **** i know it its a cute bop fr

 

[TRF.]

REINA JULIANA GATTAS IN THE SONG LIST  she's gonna take over 2024 I'm so serious...

Great lists so far!! I need to check out the AMAKA EP; I can tell it's gonna be my vibe I just don't know why I haven't gotten around it yet