212- Azealia Banks
Azealia Banks combines hip-hop swagger with a musical theater background to make an addicting little track. She’s got a multiple personality dynamic here which reminds me of Nicki Minaj, except Banks is genuinely cute. Her lyrics seem like gibberish to me, but she delivers them with passion, and it sure sounds cool over a bouncy beat. The music video perfectly reinforces the song’s appeal.
Belong- Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Fuzzy power chords and a simple little keyboard riff form a wall of sound on this rousing outcast anthem. The dreamy verse vocals are as melodramatic as they are catchy, keeping the energy high for all 4 minutes. By the time the chorus hits, I can’t resist the passionate major-key melancholy.
Beth/Rest- Bon Iver
I’m not usually a fan of slow synth-based 80s ballads; I think they manage to be both cheesily over-the-top and boring at the same time. But apparently Bon Iver disagrees. The keyboard intro sounds like it was lifted from a contemporary Christian worship song, yet Bon Iver manages to get the emotion without the kitsch. Even the familiar little lead guitar and sax solos can’t shake the sincerity of this album finale.
Burn- Killer Mike
The retro, angry, funk of the background vocals provide a melodic energy to support Killer Mike’s political fumings. His flow is only decent, and his lyrics are meh at times, but he’s smart and his radical opinions catch my ear. I like how his fury is squeezed into a slowly delivered chant in the refrain of the song. It’s a healthy reminder that racial injustice persists in the US.
Codeine- Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
The meaningless angst the singer reveals in the opening lines let you know this isn’t pop-country radio fodder, even if the production value is too crisp and contained to be cutting edge. The violin provides a beautiful accent to the helpless melancholy of the lyrics, where the singer seems to shrug and sigh as a long relationship dies.
Gangsta- Tune- Yards
Funky, raucous collection of sounds spill out over an exotic beat. It all sort of falls apart and slows down around the 2 minute point, then spontaneously comes back together with a bang, only to exit with what sounds to me like a clarinet played out of tune. These guys are like a more upbeat and happy version of the Dirty Projectors.
Good Feeling - Flo Rida
I especially love Etta James sample as the hook, but the whole song is ideal pop candy. Flo Rida’s filler-rap maintains the energy between soaring refrains, and the Mcdubstep bridge sounds like genuine Skrillex to me.
Huzzah (remix)- Mister Mutha Fucking Exquire ft. Despot, Danny Brown, Das Racist and EL-P
This guy has the gall to complain about the low quality of the deals he’s being offered from major labels, while he seems to be trying to break all their rules. His misspelled, deliberately offensive moniker makes him both unfit for radio and difficult to google, and the chorus of this song glorifies drunk driving, of all things. But then again maybe thats a good tactic to get attention these days. Anyway, awesome song. My roommate and I watched this music video about a trillion times. MMFE managed to get some of the hippest, most talented rappers around and put them in a video that amplifies their charisma.
Marvin’s room- Drake
According to Drake, we live “In a time where it’s recreation to pull all your skeletons out the closet like Halloween decorations”. He does exactly that on this heartfelt drunk dial anthem, where he manages to be pathetic, arrogant, and likeable all at the same time. Like Kid Cudi, he makes effortlessly catchy hooks, which are enthralling even though the singer sounds a little bored.
No Church in the Wild (ft. Frank Ocean)- Jay-Z and Kanye West
Frank Ocean steals the show on this collaboration, which doesn’t touch the greatest works of the two headliners. His mournful vocals cruise while an ominous beat rumbles underneath. Yeezy and Hova get in to some pretty deep stuff on the verses here, too. I needed RapGenius to catch all the references.
Novacaine- Frank Ocean
This one is probably my favorite song of the year. The whole song is catchy with aching earnestness, where Frank exposes the emptiness in the high life. Add a hypnotic beat and sparse keyboard notes, and it will keep you in a trance for 3 minutes.
Party Rock Anthem- LMFAO
These guys take contemporary pop music about as seriously as it deserves. With ridiculous rap verses and the ultimate cheesy chorus, Party Rock Anthem gets annoying pretty fast, but that’s pretty much the point. I sincerely love the instrumental hook, which is silly and effective at the same time. Sadly, I still haven’t figured out how to do the shuffle from the music video.
Shame- Jill Scott
Multiple hooks, a funky groove, and ridiculously catchy background vocals make for an irresistible single that draws heavily from the past. Its hard to believe it came out in 2011, since its so real, but so different from anything else going on.
Someone Like You- Adele
Adele added some variety to pop radio this year with her soulful, piano driven ballads. She takes her simple, powerful emotions and takes them into soaring, powerful choruses. I don’t usually sing falsetto at the top of the lungs along with the radio, but when I do, its because Adele is on.
SuperBass- Nicki Minaj
The sickly sweet chorus and the unique verse delivery made this song stick out on the fairly homogenous pop radio cycle.
Under Cover of Darkness- The Strokes
Like Modest Mouse, the Strokes’ album quality is tapering off while the singles get catchier and poppier. A lot of the Strokes old strengths are on this song, but its a slightly new sound too. The bass line is cool, and the simple guitar licks are powerful. Add in some good old rousing desperation and we’ve got indie rock magic.
Virgin- Manchester Orchestra
If the creepiness doesn’t make you shudder, you will at least laugh at the over-the-top drama, delivered without irony. An assertive minor-key chant forms the chorus while a synchopated verse rambles while the tension builds for the next climax.
Weekend- Smith Westerns
This 50s/60s-influenced indie pop rock gem sticks out because of its funky guitar hook. The washed out sound and dreamy vocals place it squarely in 2011, while the simple lyrics and positive mood give it some charm.
What You Need- The Weeknd
Like Drake and Frank Ocean, the Weeknd uses R&B to explore the dark side of modern materialism and the ideal of fame. Here we get the down-tempo, atmospheric version, where cutting edge electronic producers meet team up with a talented young vocalist. “What You Need” is silky smooth, as appealing as it is sinister.
Yonkers- Tyler the Creator
As the de facto leader of one of the overnight sensation Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, Tyler has put every depraved corner of his soul on display for public viewing, and yet remains an enigma. He is an outcast among outcasts, reportedly preferring to keep to himself on tour. Of all the gruesome violence that OFWGKTA graphically described, Tyler’s verses probably creeped me out the most. While most of their material came off like depraved teenage humor taken to its ultimate extreme, Tyler seemed to take the gore a little too seriously. But this track was relatively tame for him, less violent and more simple insanity. A great synthesizer riff stands in for a hook, and a scratchy beat, sparse piano chords, a lazy bass track, and the slow pulse on a snare drum come in at different times to reinforce the mounting tension in the song.
Azealia Banks combines hip-hop swagger with a musical theater background to make an addicting little track. She’s got a multiple personality dynamic here which reminds me of Nicki Minaj, except Banks is genuinely cute. Her lyrics seem like gibberish to me, but she delivers them with passion, and it sure sounds cool over a bouncy beat. The music video perfectly reinforces the song’s appeal.
Belong- Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Fuzzy power chords and a simple little keyboard riff form a wall of sound on this rousing outcast anthem. The dreamy verse vocals are as melodramatic as they are catchy, keeping the energy high for all 4 minutes. By the time the chorus hits, I can’t resist the passionate major-key melancholy.
Beth/Rest- Bon Iver
I’m not usually a fan of slow synth-based 80s ballads; I think they manage to be both cheesily over-the-top and boring at the same time. But apparently Bon Iver disagrees. The keyboard intro sounds like it was lifted from a contemporary Christian worship song, yet Bon Iver manages to get the emotion without the kitsch. Even the familiar little lead guitar and sax solos can’t shake the sincerity of this album finale.
Burn- Killer Mike
The retro, angry, funk of the background vocals provide a melodic energy to support Killer Mike’s political fumings. His flow is only decent, and his lyrics are meh at times, but he’s smart and his radical opinions catch my ear. I like how his fury is squeezed into a slowly delivered chant in the refrain of the song. It’s a healthy reminder that racial injustice persists in the US.
Codeine- Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
The meaningless angst the singer reveals in the opening lines let you know this isn’t pop-country radio fodder, even if the production value is too crisp and contained to be cutting edge. The violin provides a beautiful accent to the helpless melancholy of the lyrics, where the singer seems to shrug and sigh as a long relationship dies.
Gangsta- Tune- Yards
Funky, raucous collection of sounds spill out over an exotic beat. It all sort of falls apart and slows down around the 2 minute point, then spontaneously comes back together with a bang, only to exit with what sounds to me like a clarinet played out of tune. These guys are like a more upbeat and happy version of the Dirty Projectors.
Good Feeling - Flo Rida
I especially love Etta James sample as the hook, but the whole song is ideal pop candy. Flo Rida’s filler-rap maintains the energy between soaring refrains, and the Mcdubstep bridge sounds like genuine Skrillex to me.
Huzzah (remix)- Mister Mutha Fucking Exquire ft. Despot, Danny Brown, Das Racist and EL-P
This guy has the gall to complain about the low quality of the deals he’s being offered from major labels, while he seems to be trying to break all their rules. His misspelled, deliberately offensive moniker makes him both unfit for radio and difficult to google, and the chorus of this song glorifies drunk driving, of all things. But then again maybe thats a good tactic to get attention these days. Anyway, awesome song. My roommate and I watched this music video about a trillion times. MMFE managed to get some of the hippest, most talented rappers around and put them in a video that amplifies their charisma.
Marvin’s room- Drake
According to Drake, we live “In a time where it’s recreation to pull all your skeletons out the closet like Halloween decorations”. He does exactly that on this heartfelt drunk dial anthem, where he manages to be pathetic, arrogant, and likeable all at the same time. Like Kid Cudi, he makes effortlessly catchy hooks, which are enthralling even though the singer sounds a little bored.
No Church in the Wild (ft. Frank Ocean)- Jay-Z and Kanye West
Frank Ocean steals the show on this collaboration, which doesn’t touch the greatest works of the two headliners. His mournful vocals cruise while an ominous beat rumbles underneath. Yeezy and Hova get in to some pretty deep stuff on the verses here, too. I needed RapGenius to catch all the references.
Novacaine- Frank Ocean
This one is probably my favorite song of the year. The whole song is catchy with aching earnestness, where Frank exposes the emptiness in the high life. Add a hypnotic beat and sparse keyboard notes, and it will keep you in a trance for 3 minutes.
Party Rock Anthem- LMFAO
These guys take contemporary pop music about as seriously as it deserves. With ridiculous rap verses and the ultimate cheesy chorus, Party Rock Anthem gets annoying pretty fast, but that’s pretty much the point. I sincerely love the instrumental hook, which is silly and effective at the same time. Sadly, I still haven’t figured out how to do the shuffle from the music video.
Shame- Jill Scott
Multiple hooks, a funky groove, and ridiculously catchy background vocals make for an irresistible single that draws heavily from the past. Its hard to believe it came out in 2011, since its so real, but so different from anything else going on.
Someone Like You- Adele
Adele added some variety to pop radio this year with her soulful, piano driven ballads. She takes her simple, powerful emotions and takes them into soaring, powerful choruses. I don’t usually sing falsetto at the top of the lungs along with the radio, but when I do, its because Adele is on.
SuperBass- Nicki Minaj
The sickly sweet chorus and the unique verse delivery made this song stick out on the fairly homogenous pop radio cycle.
Under Cover of Darkness- The Strokes
Like Modest Mouse, the Strokes’ album quality is tapering off while the singles get catchier and poppier. A lot of the Strokes old strengths are on this song, but its a slightly new sound too. The bass line is cool, and the simple guitar licks are powerful. Add in some good old rousing desperation and we’ve got indie rock magic.
Virgin- Manchester Orchestra
If the creepiness doesn’t make you shudder, you will at least laugh at the over-the-top drama, delivered without irony. An assertive minor-key chant forms the chorus while a synchopated verse rambles while the tension builds for the next climax.
Weekend- Smith Westerns
This 50s/60s-influenced indie pop rock gem sticks out because of its funky guitar hook. The washed out sound and dreamy vocals place it squarely in 2011, while the simple lyrics and positive mood give it some charm.
What You Need- The Weeknd
Like Drake and Frank Ocean, the Weeknd uses R&B to explore the dark side of modern materialism and the ideal of fame. Here we get the down-tempo, atmospheric version, where cutting edge electronic producers meet team up with a talented young vocalist. “What You Need” is silky smooth, as appealing as it is sinister.
Yonkers- Tyler the Creator
As the de facto leader of one of the overnight sensation Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, Tyler has put every depraved corner of his soul on display for public viewing, and yet remains an enigma. He is an outcast among outcasts, reportedly preferring to keep to himself on tour. Of all the gruesome violence that OFWGKTA graphically described, Tyler’s verses probably creeped me out the most. While most of their material came off like depraved teenage humor taken to its ultimate extreme, Tyler seemed to take the gore a little too seriously. But this track was relatively tame for him, less violent and more simple insanity. A great synthesizer riff stands in for a hook, and a scratchy beat, sparse piano chords, a lazy bass track, and the slow pulse on a snare drum come in at different times to reinforce the mounting tension in the song.
