40 best songs of 2016 (so far): FKA Twigs, Angel Olsen, Bat for Lashes, Selena Gomez, Radiohead, Rihanna
Is the year already halfway over? That went fast. But I guess time flies when you're constantly discovering new music. Here's a look back at the best songs I've experienced so far this year, from giant pop hits by the likes of Drake, Rihanna, Zayn and Justin Timberlake to songs that never had a prayer of charting.
Best June singles: Angel Olsen, Bat for Lashes, Beck
40. White Lung, “Below”
This is a shimmering anthem that builds to a fiery climax after wandering in through a dreamy haze of ethereal chorused guitars. Mish Barber-Way has called this track her “Stevie-Nicks-meets-Celine Dion ballad,” and you can definitely pick up some Nicks in the quieter parts but it’s hard to imagine her shouting the bridge with the punkish intensity Barber-Way invests here in wailing, “You know this means nothing if you go die alone / They’ll bury your beauty / Transient living stone.”
39. David Bowie, “Girl Loves Me”
“Where the f—k did Monday go?” That’s a sentiment plenty of music fans had to be feeling on Tuesday, Jan. 11 after devoting their Monday to the task of mourning Bowie’s unexpected passing. Unlike several tracks on “Lazarus,” that line wasn’t meant to be connected to the public art of dying. The news of his passing just happened to break very late on a Sunday. It’s a haunting electronic ballad with lyrics that draw on both Nadsat, a language created by Anthony Burgess for “A Clockwork Orange,” and Polari, a form of slang favored by London’s gay club scene in the ‘70s. It’s not so much about the meaning of those individual lyrics, though; it’s more about the feeling the record conveys.
38. Beyonce, "All Night"
The penultimate track on "Lemonade" is a soulful ballad that sets the tone with reverb-drenched guitar, the first of several retro touches, including a call and response with gospel-flavored backup singers. Lyrically, it finds Beyonce willing to forgive after spending the bulk of the album rubbing Jay Z's nose in his assorted indiscretions where the world can see him squirm. "Nothing real can be threatened," she tells him. "True love breathes salvation back into me / With every tear came redemption / And my torturer became a remedy." And then she signs off with the simple, devastating declaration, "How I missed you, my love."
37. Charli XCX, "Vroom Vroom"
This British avant-pop sensation warned us that her followup to "Sucker" would be "the most pop thing, and the most electronic thing" she'd ever done. And "Vroom Vroom" definitely lives up to that promise, setting the tone with a vocal-fried purr of "Let's ride" before following through with an effervescent synth groove from producer Sophie. As infectious as it is, though, "Vroom Vroom" keeps things interesting, pulling you back from the forward momentum of that synth hook by downshifting tempos for the verse, where she half-raps lyrics as loopy as "Lavender Lamborghini, roll up in a blue bikini," "All my friends are princesses, we keep it whipped and creamy" and "Ice cubes on our tongues because we like to keep it freezy." What really seals the deal, though, is the chorus hook, where Charli slips into her silky upper register for a bittersweet delivery of "All my life, I've been waiting for a good time, a good time." And that's exactly what this futuristic track delivers.
36. Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna, “This is What You Came For”
They're back in the club. And the third time may not yield a hit as massive as the nine-times-platinum “We Found Love,” but it’s a charm regardless, exploring both sides of Rihanna’s vocal range, from sultry lows to silky high notes on the chorus hook while Harris rides the house beat like a man who knows exactly how to keep a dancefloor packed and moving. This one topped the iTunes charts in 15 countries for a reason. The hooks are undeniable, much like the beat, and that vocal is classic Rihanna, from the opening pout of “Baby, this is what you came for.” In its 10th week on the charts, it's No. 4 with a bullet.
35. Kanye West, “Famous”
If you haven’t heard this song, there’s still a fairly decent chance you’ve heard about this song. You know, the one in which he infamously raps, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b---h famous”? West was called out on the carpet for misogyny on this one, when it fact it isn’t nearly as dehumanizing as that line about your Hampton spouse on “Yeezus.” The difference is it’s Swift, and we're not even sure that Hampton spouse exists. But here’s the thing: We all know he’s just talking darkly comic trash while assuming the role the media has cast him in since that night at the MTV Video Music Awards. You know, the night when Kanye stormed the stage while Swift was accepting the award he thought Beyonce should have gotten. Why? Because he knows it made him famous, too. And here’s the other thing: It’s just a great pop record, from Rihanna’s vocal hook to that well-chosen sample of dancehall legend Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam.” Despite the bad publicity, the song debuted and peaked at No. 34 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
34. Mitski, “Your Best American Girl”
This ballad sort of seeps into your consciousness, a delicate whisper that kicks in on the chorus with chugging distorted guitars and feedback like some great lost relic from the golden age of “This is how Nirvana did it.” Meanwhile, Mitski sings with conviction and vulnerability of coming to terms with the fact that she may not be a fit for the love she says is both “the one” and “all I ever wanted,” setting up the song's most devastating moment: "I think I’ll regret this,” a line that’s punctuated with a feedback solo. In an interview with NPR, Mitski explained, “When you love someone, and care about them, you want what's best for them and it's always the hardest thing to realize maybe you aren't what's best for them, how hard you try.”
33, Kanye West, "Ultralight Beam"
This could be the most acclaimed recording of the year. And it's easy to hear what the critics were thinking. A gospel-flavored changeup from his more antagonistic fare — see "Famous" — it ushers you into "The Life of Pablo" with a sample of a young girl testifying, "We don't want no devils in the house." Then The-Dream takes the spotlight to soulfully wail "I'm tryna keep my faith," which Kanye follows with "We on an ultralight beam / We on an ultralight beam / This is a God dream." And this time, the God isn't Yeezus. "Deliver us serenity," he pleads. "Deliver us peace / Deliver us loving / We know we need it." The production is stunning, boasting guest spots by Kirk Franklin and a gospel choir, Kelly Price, whose singing gives me chills, and Chance the Rapper. But what ultimately matters is the timeliness of Kanye's message. It's as timely as "To Pimp a Butterfly" was in 2015. Or "Imagine" and "What's Going On" back in '71.
32. Sheer Mag, “Can’t Stop Fighting”
I can’t tell where the punk ends and the power pop begins on “Can’t Stop Fighting,” a track that recalls the early days of New Wave, when the pop guys learned to sneer while the punks worked on fashioning suitable pop hooks. But the opening beat is an obvious nod to the Ramones and the vocals couldn’t be more punk. Christina Halladay sets the tone with an urgent delivery of “Paloma walks home at night from the maquiladora/ Eight days later, no one has saw her,” a reference to a rash of unsolved murder in Juarez, Mexico, where hundreds of working-class women have been murdered on their way home from factories.
32. Kanye West, “Real Friends”
This single was hailed as a welcome return to the form of his earliest work, and it’s certainly warmer than “Yeezus,” more willing to share the emotions that drive that giant ego. It goes beyond letting his vulnerability show. He sounds wounded here, setting the tone with a melancholy reading of a verse that asks “Real friends, how many of us? / How many of us, how many jealous? / Real friends, it’s not many of us / We smile at each other, but how many honest?” The real strength of “Real Friends,” though, may be Kanye’s unexpected willingness to hold himself accountable for being just as guilty. “I couldn’t tell you how old your daughter was,” he admits, “Couldn’t tell you how old your son is.”
30. James Blake, “Modern Soul”
This single definitely lives up to the promise of its title, setting an achingly soulful falsetto delivery from Blake against an atmospheric backdrop that offsets sparse piano with a clattering percussion loop and other distracting production techniques you never would have found on Al Green’s greatest hits. But Green could have had a field day with that melody. And if the sonic clutter is disorienting, so are the feelings he’s out to convey here.
29. Kongos, “Take It From Me”
Could "Take It From Me" be the single that builds on the breakthrough these Paradise Valley brothers enjoyed in 2014 when a three-year-old single called “Come With Me Now” became their double-platinum calling card? It sure does feel that way. Written by Jesse, the drummer, who also sings lead vocals, the song tops a pulsating dance beat with a commanding accordion riff that's sure to speak to anyone who came on board with that big single, a chant-along chorus, a pitch-shifted vocal hook, hiccups in all the right places and a brilliant slide-guitar lead. "Take It From Me" has been part of the live set for a while now, but the studio version sounds more like a pop hit. They’ve refined what worked and added elements that lend a more contemporary vibe to the proceedings while Jesse reflects on how our egos can take on a mind of their own until “you're hypnotized, your feet follow your shoes / It's kinda like a cigarette smokin' you.”
28. Kendrick Lamar, “Untitled 02”
This track finds Lamar at the top of his game after ending the year as the most acclaimed recording artist of 2015 with “To Pimp a Butterfly.” Stylistically speaking, it sounds like what it is — an outtake from those sessions. In a good way. The man's delivery is flawless, a four-minute journey down the rapper's stream of consciousness over a loose-limbed jazz-funk groove, reflecting on his rise to fame against the backdrop of reality in Compton. "Get God on the phone," he raps. "I just got a raise / Spent it all on me ... / Pimping and posing / Look what I drove in / Having these hoes and / I know that I'm chosen."
27. Chairlift, “Moth to the Flame"
This could be the year’s most contagious electro-pop moment. But the vocals are what ultimately makes this such an instant classic, from the pouty singing itself to what’s destined to be called the year’s most captivating spoken hook (by me, for sure, but possibly some other people, too). At the end of each chorus, the music stops and a female voice says, “He’s that kind of man, mama.”
26. Rihanna, “Higher”
“Higher” is an unexpected shot of richly orchestrated soul, with Rihanna belting out the chorus with more passion than most singers who get praised for belting out their choruses with passion. It helps that the lyrics are great, from the opening line. “This whiskey got me feeling pretty,” she sings. “So pardon if I’m impolite / I just really need your ass wit’ me / I’m sorry ‘bout the other night.” And what makes it even more effective is the way she slurs the lines as though this whiskey really got her feeling pretty.
25. Beyonce, "Formation"
Remember when she did this at the Super Bowl? Apparently, some people didn’t like the costumes but the song itself is an intriguing new direction — a gritty, provocative track with Beyonce singing, at times, in a raspy, low-pitched whisper, setting the lyrical tone with "Y'all haters corny with that Illuminati mess / Paparazzi catch my fry / Am I cocky fresh?" She’s always cocky fresh and maybe more so on “Formation” as she makes her way through lyrics as compelling as "I like my baby in baby hairs and an Afro / I like my negro nose with Jackson 5 nostrils" and "earned all this money but they'll never take the country out me." It’s the sound of Beyonce embracing her Blackness at a time when #BlackLivesMatter has become both a rallying cry for social justice and a lightning rod for White resentment in the Year of Trump. And yet, the most quotable line is "When he f---s me good, I take his ass to Red Lobster." The other days, they go to Arthur Treacher’s.
24. Rihanna, "Needed Me"
This anti-romantic anthem is one of the edgier moments on her latest album, musically and lyrically. The production is dark and futuristic, slinking along at an ominous crawl as Rihanna brushes off a lover with an attitude that would destroy most men on the receiving end.. “I was good on my own,” she begins. “That’s the way it was / You was good on the low for a faded f—k / on some faded love.” She doesn’t need his white horse or his carriage. She got what she wanted, and now it’s time for him to get his own damn cab ride home. It's No. 7 this week on the Billboard Hot 100.
23. David Bowie, “I Can’t Give Everything Away”
It makes sense that the final track on David Bowie’s final album, “Blackstar,” would also be the final single released from the album, a haunting reminder of what we lost when Bowie died within days of the album’s release that feels more like an existential meditation on the afterlife than he may have intended. It’s a breathtaking ballad recalling his work in Berlin to the point of directly referencing the harmonica part of “A New Career in a Town” from “Low” in the opening moments. There’s a wistful quality to Bowie’s vocal on the verses as he sings of “seeing more and feeling less / Saying no but meaning less,” but there’s a hint of desperation in the way he sings the chorus, pleading “I can’t give everything away.” And that vocal is brilliantly complemented by two amazing solos played by jazz musicians – Donny McCaslin on a beautifully expressive sax break and Ben Monder playing Bowie home with the stunning majesty of his overdriven guitar lead.
22. Chainsmokers featuring Daya, “Don’t Let Me Down”
They stormed the charts in 2014 with a novelty single called “#Selfie,” the “Valley Girl” of Generation Selfie. This song isn’t nearly as amusing. Nor is it supposed to be. It’s a bittersweet ballad with pouty lead vocals from Daya and a killer synth-and-bass hook on the chorus. After 21 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100, it’s still hanging strong at No. 3.
21. Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla, "One Dance"
Amazingly enough, this is the first time Drake has EVER topped the Billboard Hot 100, where it's now in its sixth non-consecutive week. It’s an upbeat dance song, riding a tropical house beat on an ode to the kind of connection two people who meet on the dancefloor are likely to have. It features a prominent sample of the Kyla single “Do You Mind?,” slowed down to deliciously soulful effect. Also, if Hennessy isn’t paying for that product placement on the chorus hook, these are dark days for capitalism and greed. And you know that’s not true.
20. Speedy Ortiz, “Death Note”
“How many times do I have to say it?" pleads Sadie Dupuis on the singalong chorus hook of this headbanging rocker, the first song released from their “Foiled Again” EP. “How often can I say it until you believe? They're all love letters / These are all love letters / To me.” In the process, Dupuis and her bandmates have sculpted a musical love letter to the art of overdriven feedback. It feels like they’re channeling everything that was great about Dinosaur Jr. and Juliana Hatfield in the same intoxicating breath. Dupuis says the single is “named after the anime, which is about an evil supernatural notebook that causes the death of anyone whose name is written inside of it. The song is about writing through your depression as a way to get better, and how in that way a death note can be kind of love letter to yourself.”
19. Beyonce, "Sorry"
Several songs from "Lemonade" have charted. This is an actual single, following "Formation," the once she dropped in time to steal the Super Bowl from Coldplay. The "Sorry / I ain't sorry" chorus" sets the tone for a song about seizing control of a bad situation, middle fingers up, hitting the club with her girls while ignoring his calls, on the prowl for calculated payback sex. "Stop interrupting my grinding," she tells him, when he calls her crying with his lame excuses. But the song's most damning moments is the last part of the final verse. "I see them boppers in the corner," she sneers. "They sneaking out the back door / He only want me when I'm not there / He better call Becky with the good hair." This one peaked at No. 11 and has held on longer than the other tracks from "Lemonade."
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18. Nick Jonas, “Close”
The Jonas Brother Most Likely To Succeed Without the Other Two has finally lived up to that title with a breakthrough album that spawned two multi-platinum dance hits, “Chains” and “Jealous.” “Close” is the first song we’ve heard from the post-breakthrough album, “Last Year Was Complicated.” And it’s a stunning soul-pop triumph with a killer chorus hook, state-of-the-art production and a spotlight-stealing guest appearance by the great Tove Lo, whose delivery of “Space is just a word made up by someone who’s afraid to get too close” does much to underscore the genius of that lyric. Also, Jonas really brings his A-game on lead vocals. It peaked at No. 14 and was certified gold.
17. Fifth Harmony feat. Ty Dolla $ign, “Work From Home”
A finger-popping electro-pop anthem to soundtrack couples staying home from work to do a different kind of work, Fifth Harmony's first single from their second album since finishing third on “The X Factor” is well on its way to becoming one of this year’s biggest pop hits, going double platinum while giving them their highest-charting entry on the Hot 100 yet — No. 4. And the sexual innuendos are ripe for summer break. They set the scene with the narrator sending her boyfriend nude photos at work and by the second verse she’s promising “ain’t no getting off early” from the work she has in mind. Madonna would be proud.
16. Beyonce, "Hold Up"
Setting the tone for a clearly wounded yet defiant portrait of the problems she’s been having in her marriage with a sample of the Andy Williams easy-listening classic “Can’t Get Used to Losing You?” That’s brilliant. And the airhorn at the end of each line only makes it that much better. But then, everything about this song is brilliant, from the production (by Diplo, Beyonce and Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig) to Beyonce’s assertive delivery. She pleads “Can’t you see there’s no other man above you? / What a wicked way to treat the girl that loves you” on the chorus hook while serving notice on the verses that she is not going down without a fight. “How did it come down to this?,” she wonders. “Going through your call list / I don’t wanna lose my pride but I’m-a f—k me up a b---h.” Then she turns her attention to Jay Z, adding “Know that I kept it sexy and know I kept it fun / There’s something that I’m missing / Maybe my head for one.” Apparently, Father John Misty wrote the lyrics. He is one of 16 people with a writing credit on this single, after all. But even if it took to village, there’s no questioning the raw emotion bleeding through that vocal track, from the hint of a pout in her voice on “What a wicked way to treat the girl that loves you” to “What’s worse, lookin’ jealous or crazy? Jealous or crazy? Or, like, being walked all over lately, walked all over lately? I’d rather be crazy.”
15. Justin Timberlake, "Can't Stop the Feeling!"
This infectious retreat from the loftier ambitions and sophistication of those “20/20” albums is the sound of JT having fun while indulging his love of all things Michael Jackson. And it helps that the bass line pops like it was written on the way home from a party where the DJ just kept spinning Chic songs all night and no one seemed to care because they were too busy waving their hands in the air. But Max Martin and Shellback, the single’s producers, ease into the funk on a bed of atmospheric synths and snapping fingers as Timberlake sets the scene with an opening verse about “this feeling inside my bones” that “goes electric wavy when I turn it on.” Which only makes it that much more effective when the groove kicks in. Even the lyrics sound like they were custom-made to be the soundtrack to your favorite summer memories — if your favorite summer memories tend to feature smiling faces on the dance floor. It hit the charts at No. 1 was certified platinum within a month of its release.
14. Ariana Grande, “Dangerous Woman”
The first single from "Dangerous Woman" makes the most of Grande’s vocal range over a smoldering old-school R&B groove (cut in 6/8 like an old James Brown song). Of course, it was probably written to capitalize on that range, the way she slips into her upper register at the end of each line on the verses. And when she starts wailing along with herself on “Something ‘bout you makes me feel like a dangerous woman” two or three choruses deep? It’s both a stunning show of force and a great way to add a new hook to the hook. There’s also a soaring lead-guitar break that sounds like the producer said, “Just do what Prince would do.” It peaked at No. 8 on Billboard's Hot 100, going platinum.
13. Zayn, “Pillowtalk”
If making songs that sound like this is what led Zayn to bail on British heartthrobs One Direction, I can see that. It’s hard – if not impossible – to picture One Direction recording a smoldering slow jam whose chorus hook includes the lines “A place that is so pure, so dirty and raw / In the bed all day, bed all day, bed all day, f—king in and fighting on / It’s our paradise and it’s our war zone.” It’s closer to something Miguel might have done as a sequel to “Coffee.” And he has the voice to pull it off. The singer told the Sunday Times: “Everybody has sex, and it’s something people want hear about. It’s part of everybody’s life, a very BIG part of life! And you don’t want to sweep it under the carpet. It has to be talked about.” This one spent one week at No. 1 but it's holding strong — No. 20 after 19 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100.
12. Rihanna, “Work”
It isn’t often that a single turns up on my monthly countdown while it’s topping Billboard’s Hot 100, but this one did. A moody dancehall-flavored ballad with a minimalist approach to constructing a groove, making excellent use of empty space, it features Drake as the sensitive lothario he plays so well. “If you had a twin, I would still choose you,” he tells her. “I don’t wanna rush into it, if it’s too soon / But I know you know you need to get done, done, done, done.” And by done, he means exactly what you think he means. The man is as subtle with sexual innuendo as Joey on “Friends.” The emotional investment here is all Rihanna, and she nails it. And by nails, I do not mean what Drake would mean. This triple-platinum smash spent nine weeks at the top of Billboard's Hot 100.
11. J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, “Old Kanye (Remix)”
Most people who hate on Kanye West are just reacting to their own perception of the hip-hop icon as a shameless egomaniac without a shred of self-awareness. They’d have a hard time imagining West being able to laugh at himself, but that’s exactly what he does on “I Love Kanye,” an a cappella highlight of “The Life of Pablo” that this remix does a brilliant job of fleshing out to sound more like a Kanye record than the Kanye record, adding one more punchline to the mix. They even added a vocal hook that sounds like his Auto-Tuned vocals on “808s & Heartbreak.” But what ultimately matters are the lyrics. They’re hilarious, made all the more enjoyable by the playful delivery and self-referential shenanigans. At one point, he raps, “I hate the new Kanye / The bad mood Kanye / The always rude Kanye / Spaz in the news Kanye / I miss the sweet Kanye / Chop up the beats Kanye / I gotta say, at that time I’d like to meet Kanye.” He used to love Kanye, he continues. “I even had the pink Polo / I thought I was Kanye.” I don’t know how a person could continue hating on the man after hearing this record. But maybe that’s just me.
10. Charles Bradley, “Changes”
In which a 60-something soul man takes the Black Sabbath songbook to church and sings their greatest ballad like his heart is breaking right there in the studio. Because his heart is breaking. Right there in the studio. As the singer explained in a statement, "I think about the lyrics very closely when I sing 'Changes' and get emotional. It makes me think of my mother and the changes in my life since she passed away." It’s an awe-inspiring reinvention that manages to feel like it was beamed in from the golden age of soul while underscoring what a great song “Changes” always was. And really, what more could you want from a cover?
9. Beck, “Wow”
He picked up Album of the Year at last year’s Grammys for the mellow gold of “Morning Phase,” his most subdued release since “Sea Change.” But like “Dreams,” the first song he released after winning the Grammy, “Wow” is much closer in spirit to the Beck of “Odelay,” riding a syrupy funk groove while drifting down the stream of consciousness. “My demon's on the cell phone to your demons,” he raps in a verse that couldn’t be more quintessential Beck. “Nothing's even right or wrong / It's irrelevant / Elephant In the room / Goes boom / Standing on the lawn doin' jujitsu / Girl in a bikini with the Lamborghini shih tzu.” As much as it recalls the spirit of his early records, though, the trap beats make it clear that he still knows exactly where it’s at. In fact, he tried to get a Chance the Rapper guest spot on the track, but nothing ever came of it. Oh well, there’s always the remix.
8. Ty Segall, “Candy Sam”
This track from “Emotional Mugger” is the sort of fuzz-guitar-fueled psychedelic rocker Segall’s always does so well, from the squealing bent-note solo that ushers you into the proceedings to the outro, where squealing electric guitars are replaced by whistling and “la la las” over the strum of acoustic guitar. Meanwhile, Segall sings for his candy, which may not be actual candy given the psychedelic nature it all. This song has making the rounds for several months now. Segall even played it on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in February. It’s here by virtue of a brand-new music video.
7. Rihanna, “Kiss It Better”
There are obvious echoes of Prince’s glory days informing nearly every aspect of this soulful slow jam, from the tone on that guitar lick that opens the record to the vocal blend on the “What are you willing to do?” part. It’s a moody track, with Rihanna convincing her ex to “kiss it better,” brushing off the complications with “Who cares when it feels like crack?” and overruling his objections with “Man, f—k yo pride / Just take it on back, boy, take it on back.”
6. Radiohead, “True Love Waits”
They’ve been doing this bittersweet ballad in concert now for than 20 years and included a version on “I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings.” The first official studio recording is as understated as the version featured on “I Might Be Wrong,” which was just Yorke alone on acoustic guitar and melancholy vocals. But the minimal ambient touches they’ve added for “A Moon Shaped Pool” only heightens the sense of desperate yearning in Yorke’s vocal as he begs his lover not to leave after setting the tone with “I’ll drown my beliefs to have your babies.”
5. Bat for Lashes, “Joe’s Dream”
Natasha Khan sets the tone for this suitably dreamy track with a trembling delivery of “There’s a tear in my lover’s eyes / He’s at my window / It’s a gloomy night,” while the drummer does his best impression of a beating heart and the guitarist gets lost in the watery reverb. This song really hits its stride, though, on the chorus hook, where the singer gives her upper register the wheel while soulfully confiding, “I am falling in love." It's a breathtaking, beautiful vocal that cuts directly to the bone when she pulls out of that chorus with a question. “But what does it mean, the bad things that I’ve seen?” And the haunting sense of atmosphere does much to underscore the details as more is revealed in a second verse that draws you in with “He saw angels at his bedroom door / And a body on the checkered floor.” This is exactly the sort of emotional mood piece Bat for Lashes have always done better than just about anyone else.
4. Selena Gomez, “Hands to Myself”
This is the sexiest track the former Disney Channel star has done, the sparse production pushing her sultry delivery of the lyrics straight into your ear with no real filters, a trembling pout of “Can’t keep my hands to myself / No matter how hard I’m tryin’ to / I want you all to myself / You’re metaphorical gin and juice.” Max Martin produced it with Mattman and Robin, but those stripped-down verses feel more like the Neptunes in the ‘90s than the sort of thing one might associate with Martin. The best part is when it sounds like the song has just ended with one last reminder that she can’t keep her hands to herself, but then she brings it back in with a brilliantly phrased, “I mean, I could but why would I want to?” This one peaked at No. 7, going platinum in the process.
3. Nots, “Entertain Me”
Imagine filtering the free-form psychedelic jazz of “Eight Miles High” through the willful abrasion and urgency of early post-punk while the singer urges you to “Entertain me / Tell me what you see” in a seven-minute maelstrom that threatens to swallow her whole but can’t. It’s a violent record for violent times. As Natalie Hoffman, the woman sneering “Entertain me,” has explained: “The lyrics reflect the cyclical, distorted nature of the song, addressing different facets of the grotesque horror show going on in American politics and how they are portrayed - the rise of Trump, the reality-TV-like nature of American news, the almost-forced compliance of the viewer, and the for-profit-constructed ‘right’ of the viewer, the consumer, to require constant entertainment in order to participate, and to live.”
2. Angel Olsen, “Shut Up, Kiss Me”
In which Olsen lets whatever inner punk she has inside her take the wheel on a reckless throwback to the girl group era that somehow reminds me of Elvis Costello writing for the Shangri-Las. Which is to say it’s perfect, a shambling mess of a Brill Building classic that starts with her pouting the words to a single distorted guitar. “I ain’t hanging up this time,” she begins while allowing the final word to linger for a good three syllables. “I ain’t giving up tonight-high-height.” It’s a slow-burning build to the chorus hook, which Olsen’s bandmates bash out with the primitive brilliance of Neanderthals discovering the joy of music (or maybe the Troggs) as she demands that you “Shut up, kiss me, hold me tight” with just the right amount of swagger. The request is undeniable. Unless you don’t like rock and roll (in which case we must never speak of this again).
1. FKA Twigs, “Good to Love”
It was a very soulful month. This atmospheric ballad goes trembling through FKA Twig's upper register while praying for the healing it would take to give her love away to a new lover after being hurt too many times. “It's not your fault that I'm loved to my limit,” she tells him. “I've had plenty so I know you're mine / If only a prayer would make your touch so I'd feel it / But I'd be wasting time.” It’s a breathtaking vocal that somehow sounds more wounded than the words themselves. And she has never sounded more accessible while retaining the sense of adventure that made her music matter in the first place.
Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Twitter.com/EdMasley