Best Of 2021: Songs In Order Of Preference Through March 31st

Written by Iman Lababedi | March 31, 2021 6:52 am | No Comments

Rainforest – Noname – the new vanguard’s first release since last year’s best song of the year starts is this year’s best song of year, no doubt the album will put the year on its ear

Same Size Shoe – serpentwithfeet – on the strength of this song, it is safe to say nobody has ever written better about black men who love black men sexually.

Calling My Phone – Lil Tjay, 6LACK – a beautifully modulated piano based neo-R&b slash emo rap slash modern hip hop track of understated elegance

Everything I had – Sun June – The Austin, Texas indie-pop five piece band have crafted a mini miracle of mood, an austere brooder that simmers till it becomes a wall of brooding sound as it falls into the one, undoubted truth of 2021: “everything I had, I want it back”

drivers license – Olivia Rodrigo – since the first week of the year, this has been the song of 21, a heartbreaker with a singalong bridge that was has the world enthralled

Every Star Shivers in the Dark – Lael Neale – based around a drumbeat and a synth hook, Lael is on it from the beginning to the end as she emerges as a pilgrim of love, rhyming luxury and country by syllable

rubberband – Tate McRae – Tate is sadgirl pop with electronic backing and a top, highly intelligent vision of her reality on her break-up song: “And I got this rubber band on my wrist, on my wrist and I snap it every time that I think about your lips”

Tryin’ To Get To Heaven – David Bowie – Much more successful than his cover of Lennon’s “Mother,” recorded around the same early 90s vintage, on this one Bowie records the Dylan song a year after Dylan initially released it and Bowie gives it an epic sweep a la Station To Station, turning the break-up song into an epic surrender to death

Girl Like Me (feat. H.E.R.) – Jazmine Sullivan, H.E.R. – The best song on Jazmine’s neo-r&b album, has her trading lines and harmonizing with one of our great singers, Gabriella Wilson and around the two thirs way they scat and sing through a terrific bridge which makes the song

Fillin’ My Cup (feat. Little Big Town) – Hailey Whitters, Little Big Town – a superior drinking song from the country singer, rides a snappy fiddle

Off the Yak – Young M.A – if Angel Haze was masculine still wouldn’t be as good as Young. M.A., with the MC putting down the Courvoisier and a word to listen to: “three things I hate are liars, bills, and paying my taxes”

Friday (Remix) – Rebecca Black, 3OH!3, Big Freedia, Dorian Electra – the absolute hypothesis of hyperpop, they couldn’t throw any more at it

Missing Out – Syd – all the altiness of The Internet disappears on an 808 hammered r&b stupendousness

Albuquerque – Nick Cave, Warren Ellis – if the album is a bitter and a disappointment, the half way point finds cave with his powers on full beam

This Mess We’re In – Demo – PJ Harvey – Harvey sings both Thom Yorke’s parts and her own and here is a demo in case you wondering what Thom added to the song (his voice, Harvey already had the lot

Haunted – Laura Les – the 100gecs hyperpop star with a song that promises to do for hyperpop what Duran Duran did for synthpop -bring in mainstream

As a Child – Madeline The Person – glorious, sadgirl lullaby