best of TheWayWeWere Best of 2023: FINALE

[Tsareena]

lapsley album was really cute but it didn't click as much as her first two for me

 

you knew, coocool, demons, manjobi

[Brandon]

𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚 & 𝐋𝐅𝐓𝐎𝐒 

[Renzo_]

Karma + Love From The Other Side 

[TheWayWeWere]

 

 

T O P  5 0  A L B U M S

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42    Anne-Marie | UNHEALTHY
"We can be strong one day, but not tonight"
The way she becomes more and more insufferable and embarrassing every freaking time before album release and then when you listening to the album you found out she still has an ear for pop-worm hits. Wtf, Anne-Marie? The way she teased this album with awful **** like Sad Gurl or Psycho and that cringe album cover is unforgiving. And the fact that 2/3 of album is practically unlistenable mess.. 'Anne-Marie’s true control of the narrative is via honest intercommunication; UNHEALTHY realises it a little too late, perhaps impeded by the poor decisions that appear to be hers' (c) The Line of Best Fit 
highlights: HAUNT YOU, EXPECTATIONS, UNHEALTHY, YOU & I

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41    Kim Petras | Problématique
"He treat me like a hoe, take me to Rodeo, he know I need a lotta Gucci, Fendi, Prada"
I...just need to know what exactly happened and why this wasn't released on time and why she butchered her major-label debut album with this one in the vault It's perfectly crafted strong pop record with some of the best pop hooks of recent years, I really love the feeling of bubblegum pop meshing with some french inspirations. The only 'problematique' thing with it for me - she lost momentum with its release - I waited until 'Feed the Beast' release to listen the l3aks, was hit by them, and then she releases them officially like 3 months later Messy, but kinda iconic.
highlights: Problématique, Je T'Adore, Born Again, Dirty Things

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40    Rita Ora | You & I
"Held onto my angels by giving the devil a break"
Rita became the new victim of "Katy Perry's curse", I guess? But while she has maintained her hot looks and stage presence, she somehow lost her ear for hits Almost everything she released in the last 2 years is faceless dance garbage, and even though the releases of "Praising You" and "Don't Think Twice" were promising enough, 'You & I' is mostly faceless elevator music...but in the form of ballads now. I hope she moves on from this album and era fast, and finds another bunch of great producers/writers for her next record, because this is not the tea, sis.
highlights: Love Die Repeat, Waiting for You, Girl in the Mirror, Rest of My Life

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39    Shania Twain | Queen of Me
"I think it's funny you think you make all the rules"
Shania's "post hiatus" records suffers from a lot of problems, mostly - they kinda lost the charm and confidence of her magnum opuses. Maybe it was because of her disease or voice problems, Idk. But with this new album it feels like she finally found her sound and voice again. She sounds confident, fun, playful, meaningful and confident. Yeah, it's not gonna be one her classics, but it's strong on its own. 
highlights: Brand New, Inhale/Exhale AIR, Queen of Me, Got It Good

 

 

T O P   1 5 0   S I N G L E S

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126    Paloma Faith | How You Leave A Man
"Make him really understand"
'Infinite Things' was a big step-down in her mostly stellar discography, and lead single to her new album is really promising one. Soul-crashing, energetic, personal, angry anthem that advises listeners to leave unfaithful relationships and never look back. Maybe not her personal best, but great start to a new era. 

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125    Shania Twain | Giddy Up!
"Not a soul on the road, but the road is home"
Kinda mindless easy-listen country bop, but so uplifting, sentimental and ear-worming. 

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124    Mahalia | Terms and Conditions
"You're walking away and I like the sound of it"
This is so 90s r&b with a fresh twist and I LOVE IT. 'The song, co-written with her good friend RAYE, is all about Mahalia setting boundaries for her love life. We get the feeling that she’s been put through the ringer when it comes to love based on her socials and catalogue, but she’s done with all that. With a beat that teeters between pop and R&B with a bit of hip-hop sass thrown in for good measure, she lays things out in no uncertain terms' (c) SoulBounce 

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123    KAROL G, Shakira | TQG
"Y que te quedó grande La Bichota"
Great latin bop that relies on heavy drums and minimalistic production, I really like their chemistry through the song. And I'm especially happy with the success this single got. 

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122    Bree Runway | THAT GIRL 
"I can't push your brand if it's not six figures"
'Produced by PC Music’s Easyfun, the song transports you to catwalks and pheromone-filled nightclubs with a thumping, bass-heavy beat. She oozes enough it-girl sauce to let you borrow some for two minutes' (c) Pitchfork

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121    Taylor Swift | Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version)
"You search in every model's bed for something greater"
It's great and probably the best vault track from album.. but I just can't stop thinking that I don't believe that song was created in 2014 for original album  

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120    Lana Del Rey, Jon Batiste | Candy Necklace
"We've been actin' pretty restless, dancin' like the young and restless"
One of the pure highlights from album, and what a delight that she finally filmed a GREAT music video again  

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119    The Weeknd, Ariana Grande | Die for You
"You hate that you want me, hate it when you cry"
Well, maybe not as good and effective as "Save Your Tears Remix", but they cleary have some chemistry and it's still pretty beautiful and intimate.  

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118    RAYE | Ice Cream Man.
"How God damn dare you do that to me, really?"
This is so honest and gutwrenching. Most vulnerable track on the album.

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117    Låpsley | Dial Two Seven
"I got nothing to lose, you can count on me"
One of the most interesting and boppest song from album. '...a highlight, starts off sounding like stepping onto a balcony on a summer morning and feeling the sun on your face. By the time the catchy chorus hits, it’s not hard to imagine yourself clinking glasses and dancing on a beach somewhere close to the equator' (c) TheSkinny

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116    Sigrid | The Hype
"Was I not the girl you signed up for?"
I'm honestly hate how she wasted one of her best songs on one-off EP (which did not live up to the hype, lol). But this song is pop at its best - the production is so clean on this it's kind of crazy and those drum'n'bass influences are infectious.

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115    Troye Sivan, PNAU | You Know What I Need
"I can't leave you, the world will keep on turning"
PNAU is so underrated, they really can create someting so infectious and groovy, not tiring, uplifting and etc. Production is top-notch, and Troye sounds amazing here.

 

[TheWayWeWere]

12 hours ago, Kiss It Better said:

not Yuna making this year's list  it was such a nice album and has some gems but agreed with OP, her slicing it into 5 EPs was not the serve she thinks it is 

I barely listened to separate EPs last year  

[KasioKas]

20 minutes ago, TheWayWeWere said:

 

I liked DFY remix quite a bit, but purely for Ari of course, and wish she was featured in the outro.

Icecream man is def the most vulnerable, and the story and performance live is equally gut wrenching. This woman has been through so much i'm so happy for her deserved success now

[JGibson]

138-127: Love From The Other Side + Mind Your Business + Karma + DJ Play A Christmas Song  

126-115: Giddy Up! + Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)  

[Alldeezy]

Kim + Rita in albums

 

that girl + Candy necklace + die for you + Ice cream man + YKWIN

[Legend E]

I am sorry but the album update just got worse and worse the more I scrolled  Shania is a queen tho, but the album was disappointing

 

Giddy Up! is cute tho!

 

Is It Over Now? is great (and was definitely written recently)

 

Ice Cream Man  

[rvx]

Die For You + Is It Over Now? 

[Renzo_]

Is It Over Now?

[TheWayWeWere]

 

 

 

T O P   5 0   A L B U M S

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38    Victoria Monét | JAGUAR II
"Once he think he touched my soul I'll be back out here solo"
Well, this one was a huge grower for me. It wasn't such a stellar listen to me unlike Jaguar 1, mostly because of pretty low start and overall not-so-strong first part of the record. But with the success of On My Mama and her Grammy's hype, I decided to give this album a chance and found a lot more than I did on the first listen - it's lush, soulful, sensuous, shining, luxurious, warm, old-school in a good way record. I'm really happy she found the success and appreciation, she's amazingly talented and I really like her vision of the product. 
highlights: Alright, Hollywood, I'm The One, Good Bye

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37    Sophie Ellis-Bextor | HANA
"It's so very human to live as if nothing will end"
'HANA is a quirky and observant addition to the Ellis-Bextor discography, mixing dark and light themes to create one of her most intriguing works to date' (c) TheLineOfBestFit. I feel like this is almost perfect combination of pre-2007 pop retro Sophie and post-2014 indie folk Sophie. I think this is the album when almost every fan of hers will find a favorite. Yeah, there are some boring moments and some low-points, but there's also a lot of energy, interesting sounds, lyrics, colorful music and instruments. 
highlights: A Thousand Orchids, Breaking the Circle, Hearing in Colour, Beyond the Universe

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36    Alison Goldfrapp | The Love Invention
"Only love can make the beat divine"
'Head First' was one of the my most favorite records by Goldfrapp, so Alison's solo stuff being more pop and upbeat than their usual stuff was fine with me. 'The Love Invention is a creamy, clubland dessert with pronounced notes of nu-disco, synth-pop, and other savory electronic flavors' (c) Albumism. Yeah, album suffers sometimes of being kinda one-tone and one-dimensional, but every time you'll find a new favorite, every time you'll find some nuance you didn't heard before. Really great, thrilling solo debut. And can I say how good she looks? I can't believe she's almost 60. 
highlights: In Electric Blue, Love Invention, The Beat Divine, Fever (This Is the Real Thing)

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35    Doja Cat | Scarlet
"You look like a butter face, butter body, butter toes"
This album and era were so promising with amazing visuals and her ear for a hits...but in the end we got messy album cover, a lot of promises and not stellar album Welp. This album is very 50/50 for me, like there's some great potential in some songs, but also there's not a lot of replay value. And also I just can't listen to this album the same after someone here pointed about EVERY FREAKING SONG on album having the SAME SCTRUCTURE 'Hook-Verse-Hook-Verse-Hook'
highlights: FTG, Gun, Agora Hills, Attention

 

 

T O P   1 5 0   S I N G L E S

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114    Gwen Stefani | True Babe
"We're old news, but you're new to me"
I just hate her for finally releasing a great single and disappearing right after It's such a great combo of her rock roots and newer pop sound. WHERE THE **** THE ALBUM GWEN 

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113    Say Lou Lou | Waiting for a Boy
"I'm bored by your music that echoes down the hall"
I can't ******* believe they're finally BACK The song is amazing, ethereal, athmospheric, striking and etc - as usual, but GALS CAN Y'ALL BE A LIL BIT FASTER I mean, only 2 songs through the year, the other one being a cover...  

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112    Everything But the Girl | Nothing Left To Lose
"Kiss me while the world decays"
One of the most surprising comebacks ever, I mean, it's been 24 years And judging by this song, its production, Tracey's voice and overall freshness along with powerful beat all over it - it feels like they're never leave the music scene. Flawless.  

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111    Carly Rae Jepsen | Shadow
"The architecture of this connection is your reflection"
'Sweet, a cosy morning melody - you listen to this while making coffee in the kitchen on your day off. The soft whispery vocals are a nice hug' (c) Boshemia. Maybe not the highlight from the album but obviously the notable one.  

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110    Róisín Murphy | Fader
"They won't choke the life out my vain jokes"
'Fader is the album’s most triumphant moment ... Murphy sings of holding onto love for as long as she can, death be damned. In doing so she isolates that track’s chorus and blares it like a personal motto: Keep on!' (c) Pitchfork

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109    Taylor Swift | "****!" (Taylor's Version)
"In a world of boys, he's a gentleman"
Nnnn I kinda expected something different judging by the title alone But I really love dream-pop sound and overall athmosphere. 

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108    Empress Of, Rina Sawayama | Kiss Me
"When I breathe I'm breathing life into our wings"
Empress Of is basically one of the best pop makers right now Production is sick and melody along with the chorus are like musical honey. 

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107    Jessie Ware | Hello Love
"I had my mind made up on no more crying"
This is kinda the song I want to hear when I die it's so lush and gorgeous. 

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106    Mahalia | Bag of You
"I don't wanna slip up and get lost without you"
Very cozy soulful and sentimental cut from Mahalia. This song is just full of passion and love, you can't get enough of it.  

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105    The Weeknd, Future | Double Fantasy
"Baby girl, I'm the only one who knows this side of you"
'The Idol' was...maybe the worst thing television ever produced but at least the music was good (almost ). I think Future does lazy job here, but overall it's well produced bop and hits hard sometimes. 

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104    Janelle Monáe, Seun Kuti, Egypt 80 | Float
"I'm countin' my blessings, we ain't stressin'"
A definition of a grower. I didn't really get into this song when this was released. Especially since it's her weakest lead single. But once I heard it in the context of the album - it finally got me. It's simple, carefree, fun, uplifting queer anthem. 

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103    Rina Sawayama | Frankenstein
"All I want is to feel beautiful"
I found a new breath of life in album after the release of the music video and new performances with this particular song.  

 

[TheWayWeWere]

19 hours ago, Legend E said:

I am sorry but the album update just got worse and worse the more I scrolled  Shania is a queen tho, but the album was disappointing

I thought about that too   my taste is a mess sometimes

[JGibson]

True Babe + Sl*t! 

[Legend E]

1 hour ago, TheWayWeWere said:

I thought about that too   my taste is a mess sometimes

and it happened again because how dare you put Scarlet above those three amazing albums  

 

I am so happy to see Nothing Left To Lose, what a masterpiece  

 

****! is great. Hello Love is one of the best songs on TFG. Frankenstein  the Eurovision song that never was  

[rvx]

Carly Rae Jepsen + Everything But The Girl 

[Alldeezy]

scarlet

 

Rina + Gwen + Carly

[MusicLoverDude]

Taylor and Madison

[worldwide angel]

jaguar II and frankenstein  

[TalkThatRihanna]

The Rita and Anne dragging

 

Kiss Me is such a boo indeed

[Brandon]

𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲 & 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐞 

[Kiss It Better]

Jaguar II + Scarlet  the former is too low though 

 

Double Fantasy Hello Love is such a heavenly song 

[Renzo_]

Nothing Left To Lose, True Babe, Sl*t! 

[TheWayWeWere]

 

T O P   5 0   A L B U M S

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34    Birdy | Portraits
"Are we gonna make it out?"
With 'Portraits' Birdy returns to her pop roots, bringing her stunning voice "to the fore on her misty-eyed, Kate Bush-inspired fifth album". Really strong pop record with some of her best songs ever (both "Ruins", especially), very confident and exploratory. I feel like this is one of her most diverse records, where everyone can found something you'll like. It feels sometimes as mixed bag, and you feel like she didn't knew where she wanted to go with it, but I really appreciate her effort to evolve and find her sound.
highlights: Ruins I, Ruins II, Tears Don't Fall, Automatic

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33    Paramore | This Is Why
"I'm livin' in a horror film whеre I'm both the killer and the final girl"
Well.. Idk, I think the lead single overshined entire album for me. There's nothing close to it tbh. Yeah, there are some great songs here and there, maybe even career-highlights, but I also feel like there's not so much replay value and not enough TRACKS (I know short albums tends to be better, but I feel like this one lacks of 2-3 more songs for better experience). Overall it's greatly written and produced, probably their most mature record yet. Happy for their return, especially since I never got into Hayley's solo stuff. 'Paramore have successfully remoulded the cornerstones of their music not only for the new times we find ourselves in, but also for a personal evolution, and maturity evident across This Is Why' (c) ClassicRockMagazine
highlights: You First, Crave, Figure 8, Liar

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32    Icona Pop | Club Romantech
"Naked bodies everywhere - I'm okay, you can stare"
One of the biggest surprises personally for me - after string of boring one-off singles, Icona Pop delievered strong dance record 10 years since the debut. It's fast-paced, fun, loud, energetic and  infectious. I mean, even previously released songs sounds better in terms of this record. 'Club Romantech flows like a well-curated DJ set, and by imagining the club night of their dreams, Icona Pop prove they've still got EDM-pop down to an art' (c) AllMusic
highlights: **** We Do For Love, Stick Your Tongue Out, Stockholm At Night, Need You

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31    FLO | The Lead - EP
"Tell me, how can I relate if you don't communicate?"
I know this doesn't really belong to 2023, but I actually listened to it first in January, so I decided to give them a place here. This brilliant lil introduction to the band, which showcases their talent, amazing voices and harmonies. With a lot of nostalgia vibe, 00s r&b sound and addictive beats. 
highlights: Not My Job, Summertime, Cardboard Box, Feature Me

 

 

T O P   1 5 0   S I N G L E S

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102    Mitski | Star
"That love is like a star, it's gone"
It's just so gorgeously arranged and produced, very dreamy and the building through the song till the end is amazing. I can feel stars falling all over this song.

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101    Aly & AJ | With Love From
"I’m getting older over and over"
This is so nostalgic, so full of soul and comes right from the heart. I really love 70s americana vibes all over the song. 

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100    Sophie Ellis-Bextor | Lost in the Sunshine
"We're gonna let the hours slide and keep the good times going"
A stellar summery song, along with the beautiful Italy-filmed music video it gives you the glimpse of the hot romantic perfectly sunny day.  

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99    Harry Styles | Satellite
"Don't you know that I am right here?"
This was my pure favorite from the album, so I'm so happy (and actually suprised) this was released as a single. And music video is perfectly beautiful and captivating.

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98    Rita Ora | You Only Love Me
"All the pain, it fades away, when you say it right"
This is..cute, I guess? This is a good dance pop song, but I hate how it never builds up because it's so freaking short  

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97    Kali Uchis | I Wish You Roses
"With pretty flowers can come the bee sting"
This is the song that finally opens me to her music! This is so layered, beautiful, lush, sultry and sensual. It's so full of sex and divine. 

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96    Zara Larsson, David Guetta | On My Love
"You're the one thing I can't escape"
This is one of the biggest growers of the year - I actually deleted the song after the first hearing, but when I watched the music video and read about the context, this kinda fell into my heart. I still think this needed a little more "punch", but it's still very loveable bawp and Zara's vocals are perfect for these kind of songs.

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95    Kylie Minogue | Hold On To Now
"Can you just imagine magic taking control?"
I know it's one of the favorites from album for almost everyone, but even tho I like it too, I find it a bit repetetive and reductive? Like, the best parts of Tension are the ones where she explores something new. This one sounds like it could be on almost any albums of her since 2004  

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94    Dawn Richard | Babe Ruth
"Got more nuts than niggas out here"
THE best track from her latest EP, it hits so hard and combines everything I love in Dawn, her unique energy, dance, r&b and hip-hop vibes in just 4 minutes whew 

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93    Tove Lo | Elevator Eyes
"Our positions always sittin' in the back of my heart"
I really love this lo-fi electronic vibe, it's very chill and sexy at the same time. Great addition to an album. 

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92    Fall Out Boy | Hold Me Like a Grudge
"I guess I'm getting older 'cause I'm less pissed"
Easily one of the top songs from album. It manages to sound new, but at the same time, it would fit perfectly on any of their 00s albums. '...quintessentially Fall Out Boy' (c) AscribeMagazine. 

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91    Olivia Rodrigo | vampire
"I've made some real big mistakes but you make the worst one look fine"
The first part was a bit too slow, but the building and the final is freaking epic Amazing return, even though it sounds right from her debut album mostly. 

 

[TheWayWeWere]

15 hours ago, TalkThatRihanna said:

The Rita and Anne dragging

this was practically me listening to Rita's album: