It always seems like this time of the year goes by so quickly; all of the holiday excitement makes way for New Years Day in what usually feels like the blink of an eye. So even though December isn’t quite halfway over, it’s not too late to start thinking about what made 2011 great. Adele was just named Billboard’s Artist of the Year – in fact, she made history as the first female singer to be named top artist, have the top album (“21”), and have the top single (“Rolling in the Deep”) as well. And publications everywhere are making their own lists of the best albums, songs and music events of the year. But we want to hear what YOU think. What songs caught your attention this year?
Read on for Time magazine’s top 5, and then get your own critic hat on:
1. Florence + the Machine, “No Light, No Light”
In another context, this “No Light, No Light” could be the sound of a religious revival. Florence Welch’s rich voice has never sounded better than on this track; her fervent, even rapturous, lamentations about her partner’s lost lost resonate like requests for salvation made by a faltering believer with arms raised to the sky. “Heaven help me, I need to make it right,” she wails but gets no reply. Replete with harps and a tribal drum beat, “No Light, No Light” operates as a plea for salvation that will soon have you running to your deity of choice.
2. Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”
Sometimes you hear a tune and you just know that it will last; that in twenty years you’ll be scanning the radio dial, and the singer’s opening wail will find you again, accentuated by a kick drum and beat so recognizable that they feel like an old friend. That song — one of them, anyway — will be Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” The British singer’s passionate retort to a man who has hurt her is one of the boldest, bluesiest ballads ever written. Since its release last winter, “Rolling in the Deep” has become pervasive, appearing on Glee, on The Voice — even John Legend covered it. It’s the story of two people who “could have had it all,” but one of them threw it away, leaving the listener aligned with the wounded one (that would be Adele). Adele’s voice is in top form here, alternating between high and low notes smoothly and quickly, just as she switches between mournful and vengeful emotions. Anger and resentment never sounded this catchy.
3. Mayor Hawthorne, “A Long Time”
With just one song, the 32-year-old Detroit DJ-turned-singer has reinterpreted the Motown sound. “A Long Time” is an ode to Hawthorne’s hometown, about how Barry (Gordy) and Henry (Ford) built up the Motor City only to see it come crashing down. “We’ll return it to its former glory,” Hawthorne promises, “But it just takes so long.” Given the state of the economy right now, his words could easily apply to entire country. But it’s hard to feel downtrodden with a beat this funky — “A Long Time” is practically begging to be accompanied by Soul Train-type dance moves.
4. Jay-Z and Kanye West, “Otis”
5. Nicki Minaj, “Super Bass”
Nicki Minaj is the rare female artist making headway in a hip-hop world still largely dominated by men; Kanye West and Drake have both featured her on their albums only to find that her snarled guest raps outshine their own. She largely cages her wild side on her own debut album Pink Friday, but one exception is the peppy “Super Bass.” Here, Minaj spouts bubbly raps so fast that they’d even make speed-rapping titan Busta Rhymes do a double-take. With a simple refrain — “You got that boom ba-doom boom, boom ba-doom boom, super bass” — Minaj has found a way to mold her savagery to fit pop music’s standards. The way her voice switches from a coquettish coo to a violent roar in that first verse belies what would otherwise be just another soft, innocent pop song.
OK, ready to sound off? Head to our Facebook page and give us your two cents. What are the best – and worst – songs of 2011?
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Image Courtesy of http://www.killerhiphop.com/jay-z-otis-lyrics-kanye-west/
Suzy S.