best of Pedro's 2017 Rules: Singles! (10-1) - All set and done!

January 12, 2018

Deja Vu could've been Shakira's best MV. :weeps:

Imagine Shakira and Prince Royce having more chemistry scenes. :weeps:

Me Enamore is great too. :clap3:

I'm praying that Bebe will be doing stuff like IGY again, but seeing how MTB succeeds, she might follow that trend now. :weeps:

Love So Soft + Havana + New Rules + LWYMMD. :clap3:

Well, Angel is one of the better songs on their album, so I'm glad you choose it for the #1 spot. :clap3:

January 12, 2018

9 hours ago, Pedro said:

The final set is finally here! It's time for you to get to know my ten favorite singles of 2017!

10. Camila Cabello - "Havana (feat. Young Thug)"

I always believed that Camila Cabello would do it big and be extremely successful... Not with this song though! It's not like I don't like "Havana" (duh, it's in my top 10) but I wasn't prepared for the huge takeover and I never thought this type of latin americanized Pop would do wonders and dominate the world in such a short period of time as it did. On top of that, it was such a natural hit! "She did that!" and she truly deserves all of the success she got and keeps on getting. "Havana" is sexy, catchy and unique!

4th and last appearance from Camila Cabello.

1st and only appearance from Young Thug.

09. Shakira - "Perro Fiel (feat. Nicky Jam)"

Seriously, only Shakira to make me appreciated reggaeton as I truly dislike it. Shakira's tone is extremely sexy and has always been that way but in "Perro Fiel" it is even more as she kind of drags the words she is singing all the time. I also love her Colombian accent and the way she pronounces a few words really drives me crazy. As for Nicky Jam, I am not a big fan of his tone or even accent but all I need is Shakira, so... Lastly, "Perro Fiel" can come off as a bit basic (just like every reggaeton song) but, yeah, Shakira... Again. She elevates every song she touches.

2nd out of four appearances from Shakira.

1st and only appearance from Nicky Jam.

08. Kelly Clarkson - "Love So Soft"

Do you know the meaning of "delivering"? If not, ask Kelly as she delivered a complete masterpiece. The first few times I heard "Love So Soft", I wasn't obviously crazy about it as it is a big break of patterns for the original American Idol. Nonetheless, with time, I started feeling it more and more to the point I'd have to close my eyes each time she did the big notes towards the end. The soul, the life and the effort she has put into this song breaks any boundaries. Up until today I am in love with this masterpiece.

1st and only appearance from Kelly Clarkson.

07. Taylor Swift - "Look What You Made Me Do"

I don't hate Taylor Swift but that doesn't mean I don't think she is completely overhyped and overrated which she is. Besides, she is sneaky and a complete actress of her famous persona. I am more of a fan of artists who are honest and real. With all this being said, when I first heard "Look What You Made Me Do", it had me fuming as I wanted to hate it but I was being slayed at every new verse, beat and second. Sometimes less is more and this minimalistic underground production proves it. Everything about this song is pure perfection.

2nd and last appearance from Taylor Swift.

06. Fifth Harmony - "He Like That"

I can't believe I wasn't able to find an official single version without "French Montana Remix" as this entry is obviously referring to the original version. Anyway! The GP did Fifth Harmony so wrong this era. I know "Down" wasn't exactly impressive but "He Like That" was fresh, fun, original and such a different sound for them. On top of that, all of the girls had space to shine and to sing their lungs out. I also am aware that the reason this underperformed the way it did has to do with their management but I truly believe that the GP doesn't really love Pop Fifth Harmony that much. Anyway, up until today, I love this song and I still bop to it. Damn, girls!

3rd out of four appearances from Fifth Harmony.

05. Shakira - "Me Enamoré"

Seriously, Shakira is capable of turning the world upside down and people will still support her. I love it! While we all know Spanish music is in right now, not all forms of it are and for Shakira to score such a big hit with a Pop Dance Spanish song means something... Means she is the damn Queen. "Me Enamoré" received a lot of bad criticism when it was released. People accused her of bad lyricism but I will always support her. Not only "Me Enamoré" has a contagious happy feeling but most people don't speak Spanish and her basic vocabulary in it make it easy for everyone to sing along. Shakira is intelligent y'all, you're not.

3rd out of four appearances from Shakira.

04. Prince Royce & Shakira - "Deja Vu"

And here is Shakira's last entry in my Best Of 2017. While I truly love her sexy Spanish in "Perro Fiel" and the contagious happiness that "Me Enamoré" gives me, her slower tunes end up always touching me the most. "Deja Vu", though, is not a regular a ballad or whatsover. It is a bachata production and the first time Shakira jumped into the genre. Overall, the song gives us romance, sensuality and sadness. In it, Shakira (and Prince Royce) sing about how hard it is to forget someone you love and the way they talk about it is impeccable: "Tú me abriste las heridas que ya daba por curadas con limón, tequila y sal". I mean?

1st and only appearance from Prince Royce.

4th and last appearance from Shakira.

03. Dua Lipa - "New Rules"

Duh! If there's any Best Of that didn't place "New Rules" within their top 10, it's destined to flop and to be accused of an atrocious taste. I am kidding (or maybe not). Dua delivered one of the best songs of the year. "New Rules" started smoothly and exploded. The best part? She needed no huge name in it or a Urban vibe attached to it. "New Rules" is Pop at its best and has some of the best lyrics of the year as well. The rhythm is infectious, the vocals are so easy to listen to, the concept is so out of this world and don't get me started on the video. She has announced new rules, let's see which ones she brings in 2018. Thanks for the inspiration, Dua!

1st and only appearance from Dua Lipa.

02. Bebe Rexha - "I Got You"

Ah! Bet you didn't see this one coming, did you? We were just talking about Pop Perfection with Dua's "New Rules" and we continue on that same topic. Bebe delivered the best Pop song of the year, hands down. While she released the song in late 2016, it only truly became relevant (for me to give it a listen) during 2017 and once I heard it, I could never forget it. It contains all of the elements that build a fantastic Pop song (the beat, the pace, the vocals...) and, besides its hypnotic beat, it has some great lyrics: "Tell me what you're thinkin', always over thinkin'". Ahhh! It's perfect! I wish it had performed better though.

2nd and last appearance from Bebe Rexha.

01. Fifth Harmony - "Angel"

And for the second year in a row, Fifth Harmony go home winning the Singles Chart. While many may question themselves if "Angel" was indeed a single, it truly was. Not only it was performed at the VMAs, it got a music video and it even got Airplay. Well, the song is such a fresh vibe for Fifth Harmony and each day I am more confident it should've been the first single of the album. This trap-pop production is brilliant and, just so you know, it was released in my birthday which gives it a more special feeling. Besides its production, all of the four girls slay: Dinah dropping the F word, Lauren's adlibs through the end, Ally's rap and Normani's intro... Damn! That is what I call a song.

4th and last appearance from Fifth Harmony.

Special Mentions

While putting together this Best Of, I realized I forgot to mention two 2017 releases which I am not forgetting to mention.

Best Of Videos: Major Lazer - "Run Up (feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR & Nicki Minaj)"

What a phenomenal video. I had it on the list and I probably deleted it accidentally. It would've made the top 10.

Best Of Albums (Special Mention): Evanescence - "Synthesis"

Well, it would've appeared as a special mention solely but I still couldn't finish this without mentioning it.

Thank you so much for supporting my Best Of 2017.

See you next year!