TwistedElegance's Top 50 Singles of 2014

[TwistedElegance™]

Welcome to my annual countdown of the year's best.

50. My Silver Lining First Aid Kit
Like the contents of a time capsule buried in some mythic past, Sweden's First Aid Kit share an elusive magic genuinely unique in current pop. The Americana folk of My Silver Lining is tangily veined with humbly plucked guitar, rich in surreal innocence and full of sweetly turned melancholy. The duo confirm their position as intelligent songwriters with emotive phrasing and poignant lyrics that are at once chilling and insightful. Their grounding in country-influenced roots music provides an assertive base of traditional sounds, highlighted in this intense, almost claustrophobic tale.

49. Wrote a Song About You MNEK
Stacked against the beefy dance-pop singles dished out by his mates Gorgon City, Duke Dumont and Rudimental (some of which he featured on), Uze Emenike's solo offerings were always going to be in danger of appearing sluggish by comparison. In truth, debut single Every Little Word kinda did, but on Wrote a Song About You he emerged a slick, smooth, Sam Sparro-ish crooner with a beautiful tone that almost buckles beneath the emotional blur of aching realism. As with most house records these days it's naturally faultless, but ultimately the singer-songwriter's voice (particularly during the cloud-busting final chorus) breathes life into what is currently a heavily-plundered genre.

48. Everytime Broods
The debut album by Broods has been somewhat overshadowed by the success of fellow New Zealander Lorde's Pure Heroine, despite being a similarly accomplished, indietronic affair. Indeed, it is also helmed by Lorde's songwriting partner Joel Little. Everytime is dense and inventive, made up of a laidback hip-hop beat and peppered with synth bursts. But the core is Georgia Nott's robust voice and the manner in which it tracks emotions to their source.

47. Tribe Theophilus London feat. Jesse Boykins III
With one critically acclaimed album already under his belt and Kanye West having exec-produced his second, Theophilus London is hot. This, therefore, is the perfect time to take stock of his electro hip-hop fare. Clever and animated, Tribe is the thumping close cousin of 2011's equally infectious Last Name London on which the Trinidadian-born rapper established his biting, moody magnificence. If you don't get it, it's maddeningly scatterbrained. If you do, it's a party waiting to happen.

46. Let Go Isis Salam feat. Kruse & Nuernberg
Getting somewhat obscured in the music industry shuffle, Isis Salam has yet to achieve the success promised by this aggressive house cut. Echoes of Inner City and Adeva contribute to the slightly leftfield, club-like atmosphere as the Nigerian-born rapper spits with feisty vigour, wringing every thumping beat to the last drop. Hamburg duo Kruse & Nuernberg add authenticity and clever choices to Salam's skilful delivery which deserves to find a willing audience among dance music fans everywhere.

45. i Kendrick Lamar
When Kendrick Lamar first charted on the Hot 100 in 2012, he was identified as one of the leaders of the new school, distinguished from contemporaries such as Drake, A$AP Rocky and Schoolboy Q by his air of slight oddness. It's easy to see why, as he gets the idea that many lovers of hip-hop feel there's no point to the rhymes without melodies to die for. What he actually is, is more blurred and it's down to his willingness to experiment with sound. The first offering from his third album continues this trend, governed by the imperatives of West Coast hip-hop and carried along by his impressively concise rapping, yet pieced together with a large helping of musical accordance - this time in the form of That Lady, a hit for the Isley Brothers in 1973. The fog of nostalgia conjured up by Lemar and producer Rahki is superb, with the Compton MC sounding breezy, passionate and imaginative throughout.

44. In The Lurch Antemasque
Antemasque's slap, bang, wallop approach to songwriting has served them well on the incendiary four-piece's debut album. From the moment the prowling bass and buzzing guitars explode in a furious cacophony of riff and percussion on In The Lurch, the band's gripping aura of menace is established with a thundering panache. Made up of members from At The Drive-In and The Mars Volta, Antemasque also roped in Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to play bass on the track, enhancing the band's collision of funk, punk and prog rock. It leaves a bitter, disorientating taste, but there's no denying this hits almost every spot available.

43. Good Mistake Mr Little Jeans
Named after a bit character in Wes Anderson's cult classic Rushmore, Norway's Mr Little Jeans conquered 2014 with her kooky-cool debut, Pocketknife. The artwork and title suggested slick, perfectly programmed pop and that's exactly what we got. But if it all sounds unrelatable, fear not, for the album's snagging hooks, inventive textures and flickers of humour gradually thaw the technological front with each listen, chiefly on the feverish Good Mistake. Where she goes from here remains to be seen but this was an impressive arrival.

42. Throw It Down Dominique Young Unique
From the expeditious delivery of Throw It Down's first verse, it's clear that the woman born Dominique Lashawn Clark is as brazen as her peers, namely Rye Rye and Iggy Azalea. The song sees trap collide with dance, producing a startling soundclash that's as crisp as it is frenetic. Producers DJ Fresh, Benga and The Invisible Men add engine room power to the track but even they are no match for Dominique's bulldozing rhymes. Riotously enjoyable.

41. Yellow Flicker Beat Lorde
Pure Heroine established Lorde as the kind of unorthodox talent that prompted reviewers to describe her as a maverick - and they're right. The teen's contributions to two Hunger Games soundtracks have been similar genre-defying reflections of her diverse musical interests. These are not just angular finger-snap singalongs à la Royals, but rather Shirley Manson-style anguished art pop. Musical boundaries remain intact rather than blur on the magnificently dark Yellow Flicker Beat, but what makes the song absorbingly versatile instead of hotchpotch is Lorde's direct, pretence-free approach, her unifying outsider's vision and the quality of writing throughout.

40. You Ruin Me The Veronicas
By rights, they should be out of here. But The Veronicas have two significant strengths. The first, their songwriting, is clear to anyone smitten by Untouched from their previous record, Hook Me Up. The second is their ability to surprise and delight fans despite the huge void attributed to label conflicts which ultimately led to the shelving of their third disc under Warner Music. That's right, in the time since the Brisbane twins' last album Janet Jackson has released twice, gone on two tours and starred in as many films. Things could be worse - and in more ways than one, given that wagering a comeback on a piano ballad is about as unsound as you will get in today's music market.

39. Don't Tell 'Em Jeremih feat. YG
Seems like we've been here before. Don't Tell 'Em is not quite the step forward Jeremih needs if he wants to be perceived as anything more than a sex-starved lothario, but with the DJ Mustard-produced track earning the R&B star his third Top 10 hit he's probably not bothered. Thankfully for us, he has a knack for seasoning his singles with a satisfying montage of sounds - here it's the perky force in his voice and the sly interpolation of Snap!'s Eurodance classic Rhythm Is a Dancer. YG's bawdy rap isn't needed, but couched in such luxurious aural surroundings it's easy not to notice.

38. Head Up High Oh Land
Though love, loss and wasted years are singer-songwriter staples, the brutal, hair-tearing passion of Oh Land's brilliant Earth Sick album displays a self-belief rarely heard. Now four albums in, her signatures are all over everything from the pure and thrilling harmonies and backing vocals to the aerated sounds at the back end of Head Up High. And so tangible is her emotion here that it's almost possible to hear the tears rolling down her cheeks as she stomps through its almighty chorus. It may be that nobody is going to like Oh Land who doesn't already, but this is a song full of vaulting ambition and finds the Danish singer and producer in her element.

37. Talk Is Cheap Chet Faker
There's abundant character in everything Chet Faker does. Having set the agenda on last year's sterling Flume collaboration Drop The Game, the Melbournian kept the ambient times rolling on Talk Is Cheap, the highlight of his excellent Built On Glass album. The spirit of great jazz and even Motown artists is evoked by the first chorus, but it's Faker's simple, raw songwriting and self-belief that so clearly spells success. He chases themes of solitude and regret through a variety of textures from shuffled percussion to bluesy sax, stirring in its simplicity. Talk Is Cheap shows his skill in investing electronic music with great pathos and a kind of solemnity.

36. Let It Go Idina Menzel
Having clocked up nearly 20 years on Broadway, Idina Menzel's leap to the Hot 100 (Top 5 to be precise) was quite a surprise. Harking back to the good old days when big Disney movies produced big Disney soundtracks, Let It Go soared in more ways than one thanks to songwriting duo Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who poured their imagination into Frozen's glittery centrepiece. It would be easy to discredit the song's broad appeal to banality but in truth it shares the same gene-pool as any other stocky ballad out there. Plus, the widescreen atmosphere of the large-lunged Menzel adds depth and texture which is sorely lacking from Demi Lovato's pop treatment.

35. Down On My Luck Vic Mensa
As claims to fame go it's slender, but Vic Mensa was a founding member of short-lived indie band Kids These Days. They released one album before splitting in 2013, and since then the Chicago rapper has found his own voice and toured with J. Cole. Boasting mellow harmonies and a thick, pounding beat, he's accessible and fearless on Down On My Luck, his debut single. But the punchy simplicity of Mensa's lyrics are the high point here which, despite being set against a club track lend a real level of warmth and intimacy. It's also compulsive stuff.

34. Two Weeks FKA twigs
Suitably unimpressed after spending time as a backup dancer for Kylie Minogue, Taio Cruz and Jessie J among others, FKA twigs chose to approach music from the opposite end of pop's spectrum with a set of alternative R&B-laden EPs which this year gave way to her debut album. At first, it jars: the mixture of lush trip-hop with breathy, over-syllabled vocals is initially disorienting. But, gradually, such despondency proves to be her trump card. It doesn't always work, but on Two Weeks her and producer Emile Haynie's panoramic vision is ambitious, impressive and, utimately, cohesive.

33. My Offence Hercules & Love Affair feat. Krystle Warren
Fame and commercial success evidently matter little to Andy Butler, the man behind Hercules & Love Affair. The nu-disco project's third album is an even more dangerously playful take on matters, with the delightfully obscene My Offence in particular centred around the word 'cunt' and its documentary-style video comprised of performers from New York's gay community discussing how the term is used to lavish praise rather than hurl vitriol. Of course, no song could survive on profanity alone so the win here lies in the ragbag elements of funk, spacey dance and cracking disco vocal that is as technically accomplished as it is musically compelling.

32. Rather Be Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne
The ingredients - blips and beeps, violin and lyrics like "As long as I am with you, my heart continues to beat" - sound unpromising. But Rather Be is smeared with the influences of classical/dance heirarchy ranging from Mozart to SBTRKT, and it shows in their honeyed FM irresistibility. Forget the annoying video and the fact that their name is a translation of the Russian term for "dirty bastard", this is fine crossover house music that combines sounds both ancient and modern, and a monstrous hook few dance hits could rival this year.

31. 2 On Tinashe feat. Schoolboy Q
Her single name suggests a trajectory about to outstretch similar in fashion to other R&B sweet things of the past ten years like Amerie, Cassie or Ciara. Because it's not like they didn't smash as hard as 2 On with their own signature tracks. But despite their best efforts, one undeniable edge Tinashe has over them and countless others is a crackerjack album. With her smooth, sweetly seductive vocal firmly to the fore, she works through a set of predominantly slow and steamy numbers, all clipped beats, luxurious melodies and even a Janet sample for good measure. Although nothing stands out quite like the bodacious 2 On. Framed by a snappy DJ Mustard beat and graced by an in-form and filthy Schoolboy Q, the song's unanticipated high point actually comes courtesy of a clever reworking of Sean Paul's dancehall classic Gimme The Light, replete with accent and all.

30. 90s Music Kimbra
A loose-limbed multifaceted collection of sounds, Kimbra's wondrously exuberant 90s Music is about as far removed from Somebody That I Used To Know as you could get. On her second album The Golden Echo, the New Zealander displays a dedication to expanding the already elasticated boundaries of her indie pop bubble. 90s Music strikes out in a scattershot of operatic directions, using the kicking drums and pounding bass as an anchor to bolt down the experimental vocal and musical callisthenics on show. Amid the craziness she even manages to namecheck her favourite artists of the decade from MJ and Mariah to Nirvana and TLC. This is pure audio sculpture.

29. Talk Too Much Andy Bull
Sounding like a collision between Jake Shears and a Bee Gee, Andy Bull's flighty vocals pirouette over his brilliant album, Sea of Approval. Lovingly orchestrated, Talk Too Much is a fine portrait of the Sydneysider's eclecticism which finds him at his blunt best, almost antagonising a partner with the line "I heard you crying to yourself, I pretended I was asleep." A similarly acerbic tone hovers above, but it's the arrangement which triumphs. The rousing organs, offbeat cleverness and involving theme should be enough to put this multi-layered grower high on any must-hear list.

28. Don't Wanna Dance MØ
Previous releases from Danish singer-songwriter MØ have seen her likened to Lykke Li and Grimes in terms of her tone and minimalist delivery. The difference is MØ's Top 40 sheen and the endearing quiver in her voice. Don't Wanna Dance is the fifth and most accessible single from her debut No Mythologies To Follow. The addition of Motown-style arrangement adds a new dimension to her work as the song wanders from psychedelic kitsch to the kind of retro pop perfected by Amy Winehouse. The result is a captivating trip. MØ's vocals are joyous and the lively, coming-of-age hopelessness dreamed up here makes for a provocative experience.

27. Love Never Felt So Good Michael Jackson
Familiar MJ themes of love and happiness bleed into Love Never Felt So Good which, while not on Don't Stop Til You Get Enough's towering level, still does well to recall the shimmering wizardry of his pre-Thriller solo efforts. The legendary performer's masterful charm which was painfully lacking from 2010's Michael is in full uninterrupted swing here, playing to his strengths rather than aping them like too many posthumous releases do. True, not every attempt on Xscape is so successful, but this is an oddly satisfying curio.

26. Stoned Macy Gray
Having kissed success goodbye some time ago, people could be forgiven for thinking Macy Gray had farewelled music altogether. After all, her last two releases were covers records which, while being commercial non-starters, also implied she was creatively bankrupt. In truth, she was all out of ideas some time ago with singles like Sweet Baby, She Ain't Right For You and Finally Made Me Happy unsubtly suggesting she has spent the better part of the last 10+ years trying to recreate her vintage-tinged classic I Try. There is no such resemblance here, with the R&B eccentric sounding thoroughly revitalised. Stoned is excellent: concise and hauntingly melodic, at times dark and mysterious, but still so cheekily "Macy." Doubters should tune in again.

25. Busy Earnin' Jungle
Jungle make a far from comforting, modern soul sound. Following Chase & Status and Rudimental out of London, the seven-piece act was founded by lead members Tom McFarland and Josh Lloyd-Watson before expanding their numbers for the sake of live performances. Their debut album is a hugely impressive example of psychedelic dance blues, a mix that might easily be unique. Backed by hefty bass, whirring keyboards and animal sounds, the quality and texture of Busy Earnin' makes a mockery of the simplicity of the tools used. Their songwriting, too, is equally without frills, opting instead for a winning calm directness. Straightforward, but oddly addictive.

24. Brain Banks
Banks has added a rich, raw dimension to the alternative pop scene. Her debut album has the deep-bass fluidity of R&B-style production, the grooves and hooklines loaded with an edgy sense of controlled outrage. All twirling melody and hypnotic rhythms, the theatrical murkiness of Brain is excellent, with its spacious bridge pitching the singer into an almighty chorus: a sea of woah-oh-oh chants and gurgling bass. But best of all is Banks's voice, creating a sound that is bigger on the inside than its sparse outer shell as it flits between tremulous intimacy and monstrous howl.

23. A Love Divine Saskwatch
Rising, swooping and teetering like a love song only a true screw-up could write, A Love Divine earns points for sheer singalong fury alone. The brittle rock track is wide-eyed and transcendental throughout its short two minutes and forty-one seconds, with lead singer Nkechi Anele's voice sounding rich yet ghostly, leaving little doubt it could tear out hearts as she sings with cracked intensity while her eight-piece band snake around every hollered note. Offering the essence of rock - racing guitars, pounding drums and screeching vocals - Saskwatch's glory is here for all to appreciate.

22. Just One of The Guys Jenny Lewis
Quality is assured from a woman that can boast the tag of modern day Stevie Nicks. And certainly, her third album The Voyager is a finely crafted slab of adult-oriented rock. Beck-produced lead single Just One of The Guys finds the jangle pop princess meditating on depression ("I've been the only sister to my own sorrow") and insecurity as she approaches 40 ("I'm just another lady without a baby"). The single may dazzle with its jovial video (featuring a breakdancing Kristen Stewart and Anne Hathaway) but it has turned out to be one of her most succinct and expressive songs, summing up a bunch of conflicting emotions with a beautifully edgy, lonely-sounding backdrop.

21. No Rest For The Wicked Lykke Li
The glamour Lykke Li craves has a price, and No Rest For The Wicked is a sharply poignant example of the Swedish singer-songwriter's consistent subtext - pleasure, so assiduously longed for, is always tainted by pain. The lead single from her third album is built around a smoky-blue chord change which cradles a luscious melodic line, accentuated by a sullen bassline and spectral tinkling piano. She still sings like the worst is never far away, but as always there is depth in more than just subject matter.

20. Magic Coldplay
Coldplay's march of progress - from U2 impersonators to stadium-rockers in their own right - shames their contemporaries. Ghost Stories, their follow up to 2011's outstanding Mylo Xyloto, is an exercise in consolidation which sees them experimenting with electronica and EDM, but never ditching any of their signature traits. Warm in sound and longing in sentiment, Magic possesses a woozy beat that weaves through Chris Martin's torch-song vocals which soar with melancholy while displaying a sure grasp of the band's time-honoured forms: rock, ambience and power pop. Nothing here is revolutionary, although the quality of workmanship is undeniable.

19. Hideaway Kiesza
With EDM on the wane, house is now more appreciated and widely available than ever, thanks to the ascendance of dance acts like Disclosure, Azealia Banks and Duke Dumont. Canada's Kiesza Ellestad wrote, recorded and mixed Hideaway in under two hours with producer Rami Samir Afuni, and that tremendous sense of urgency is palpable throughout its four short minutes. But sticklers for the genre will tell you no deep house is complete without a full-throated diva behind the wheel, and that's Kiesza's ace in the hole, as the acoustic version of Hideaway and her stripped down cover of '90s classic What Is Love can testify to.

18. Running To The Sea Röyksopp feat. Susanne Sundfør
One of music's more enigmatic outfits, Royksopp's career has burned on a slow fuse. Yet this ostensibly mysterious electronic/downtempo track turned out to be one of their most approachable offerings. Opening with lonesome piano and Susanne Sundfør's eerie pronunciation, Running To The Sea finds the duo playing subtle variations on past highlights whilst flirting with a big pop chorus. Bolstered by luminous production and a mammoth pulsing beat, the lead single from their final album soon erupts into a frenzy of drums and melody, proving that a crossover dance record doesn't have to hold back on manic, eviscerating noise. And Sundfor's jumbo vocals are a reminder that 'epic' need not be a dirty word in pop.

17. Uptown Funk Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars
Let's not be coy: this song sweats Prince. Uptown Funk is a vibrant statement of dance-rock intent so lively that you'd swear the '80s icon was belting it out himself. Sounding impossibly bigger and brassier than previous collaboration Locked Out of Heaven, Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson outplay themselves without taking away any of their edge. The result blends their familiar influences with a bold take on classic post-disco songcraft, emphasised to explosive effect by the pair's brashness and charm. If only all imitators got it so right.

16. Chasing Time Azealia Banks
Not since the days of Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim and Lauryn Hill has female rap been in such great health, with a wave of MCs leisurely mapping out the post-Nicki Minaj terrain. Azealia Banks has already made her name in specialist circles with a string of EPs, mixtapes and singles and her enthusiasm for lifting a variety of sounds and influences has carried over to an excellent first album which ranges brightly from thrashy cut-ups such as Yung Rapunxel and Heavy Metal And Reflective to party-perfect alternative dance like Chasing Time. Banks certainly isn't afraid to mix-n-match styles, here favouring the Italo house trimmings of the late '80s, but cramming them up against her impetuous rhymes. Diverse and impressive.

15. Don't Ed Sheeran
While Justin Timberlake's creativity has hit the skids, there is still inspiration to be found in his earlier work, as illustrated by Ed Sheeran's absurdly catchy Sing. Like much of Timberlake's early solo work, it was crafted alongside the ever-present Pharrell Williams. Yet despite the super producer's triumphant past year-and-a-half, for my liking the song failed to dispense more than a momentary sugar rush. Follow-up single Don't, despite being less commercially prosperous, was unquestionably more pleasurable. Unraveling over a modest Benny Blanco beat, Sheeran's candid depiction of how a girl (rumoured to be Ellie Goulding) stomped on his heart managed to breathe new life into the most tired of pop themes. The clincher, however, is the song's chorus. Understated yet harsh, it borrows its melody from Lucy Pearl's shamefully overlooked Don't Mess With My Man, one of the best R&B dance jams of the 2000s.

14. Fancy Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX
When it comes to progress, rap gives off mixed messages. I'm reminded of an interview with Ludacris I once read in which he spoke about the necessity for hip-hop artists to innovate. That you can't stay one-dimensional or your audience will outgrow you. Given his output of late it's obvious his own evolution peaked some time ago, but I've found the principle still applies to the genre as a whole. Develop, grow, and embrace. Which is why I find myself invariably confounded on the subject of Iggy Azalea. By all accounts, this white girl from Mullumbimby with a bogus accent and fake struggle warranted the collective side-eye, but to still be the source of contention this far in feels a lot like bandwagoning. Glaring comparisons to Eminem were foreseeable, but without his aptitude she quickly proved harmless, so I ask: what's the big deal? There is no threat here, just another pop star. And what a mighty pop punch she delivered in Fancy. Hopelessly formulaic yet an irrefutable delight, it encompassed all the makings of a glorious earworm, deservedly being named Billboard's Song of the Summer.

13. Say You Love Me Jessie Ware
Endorsed by Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, if there is any justice Jessie Ware will be a star as big as them one day. Gifted with a gorgeous voice, a real talent for melodic twists and a powerful lyrical frankness, the achingly desirous Say You Love Me bodes well for both her future and the future of Sade-style soul pop. Lo-fi in production, the intimate atmosphere and simple guitar make Ware's melodies and burning lyrics even more effective as she paints incisive pictures of love and the fear of being alone. Co-written with Ed Sheeran, the striking ballad is reminiscent of his own Give Me Love. The end result is destitute and supremely depressing, but you're somehow left with the feeling that she will be nothing but fine.

12. Only Love Can Hurt Like This Paloma Faith
Here, Paloma Faith finally quit dabbling, put her heart on her sleeve and reincarnated herself as a convincing hybrid of '60s blues balladeer and Top 40 star. Dramatic, uneasy, but ultimately rather gorgeous, she flaunts her pure pop skills all over this howler which, despite her skyscraping vocal, never falls into the obvious trap of bombast. No easy mission given the fact it was written by Diane Warren and would slot comfortably into the catalogues of Mariah or Celine. Beautiful and bittersweet, Only Love Can Hurt Like This confirms Paloma as one of the most vital and emotive voices of the decade.

11. Habits (Stay High) Tove Lo
Immediacy has always been an abiding virtue of pop music. Whereas some Top 40 tracks are the equivalent of new shoes, pinching for a week or two until they finally arrive at that bedroom-slipper familiarity, others can feel like old friends straight out of the wrapper; bright, catchy, and instantly welcoming. Tove Lo's Habits is one such record. Beyond the insta-charming hooks of both verse and chorus, the song's not-so-secret weapon lies in its gobsmackingly honest lyrics ("Pick up daddys at the playground, how I spend my days now") - a treat completely lost on fans of the less gratifying yet oddly more successful Hippie Sabotage remix. Nevertheless, Habits was a bold step for a new artist and, happily, it worked unreservedly.

10. Let Me Down Gently La Roux
Breaking up is hard to do. It's also no picnic for your fans as anyone waiting on the music well knows. In the five years since crashing onto the scene with their impuslive variety of synthpop and new wave, the duo known as La Roux have halved, leaving Elly Jackson to carry the brand alone. Casual followers won't know the difference given the twosome operated under a Goldfrapp-like guise anyway - she the face, he the invisible producer - but enthusiasts will note the bullheaded determination in Jackson's voice this time around. Written with ex-member Ben Langmaid prior to their split, Let Me Down Gently is as big and bouncy as their signature hit, Bulletproof, but underscored with the kind of dispirited longing that pricks at the tear ducts. Its heart, though, is Jackson's icy delivery. The Londoner weaves an evocative tone over the track which proves she has been the obvious key all along, while the ending brings a brief yet ingenious encounter with a saxophone that keeps the mix simmering into the night. Now if only she and everybody else at Polydor would quit sleeping on Sexotheque.

9. Dark Horse Katy Perry feat. Juicy J
Katherine Elizabeth Hudson knows her pop immensities. After the almost insupposable achievements of her Teenage Dream era - six number one singles, a Grammy nod for Album of the Year, a 3D movie - the challenge to do it all again was about as overwhelming as it gets in the pop world, and evidently that's why Prism was such a washout. Humdrum singles Unconditionally, Birthday and This Is How We Do were so insipid that I would have cheerfully traded them in for three releases as dumb and farcical as Roar. Because, although it rammed its point home with zero subtledy, underneath it was still a solid tune. This can only be said for two other moments on Prism; '90s throwback Walking On Air (a smash-in-waiting) and the staccato drama of Dark Horse. Inspired by 1996 film The Craft, of all things, Perry wrote the track from the perspective of a witch warning a man not to fall in love with her or she would be his last. But forget all that, at its core it is an irresistible trap-pop confection, brimming with icy synths and hooks that soar. So while it's a shame the album requires similar shocks to hold the attention properly, it has always been the way that good pop needs light and shade to grow up. Preferably light as dark as this.

8. You Don't Know What To Do Mariah Carey feat. Wale
Decidedly out of step with current trends despite the likes of Hit-Boy and Mike Will Made-It applying their talents to the dreadfully titled Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse, there clearly persists in Mariah Carey a yearning to recapture the evanescent spark of the 1990s and, in particular, the albums that put her up there with Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston and Madonna as a serious pop act. It is, on one hand, a philosophical collection of songs befitting a survivor (The Art of Letting Go, Camouflage) and, on the other, an attempt to reacquaint Mariah's music with artistic depth (Meteorite, Heavenly). For the most part, it works, and it's thanks to the proven chemistry between Carey and longtime producer Jermaine Dupri. Along with Bryan-Michael Cox the duo engineer a magic similar to 2005's still glorious The Emancipation of Mimi without ever coming off as if they're trying to. The set's best example is the marvellous You Don't Know What To Do. Neat and precise, her voice is given wider opportunity to flourish than on the album's other uptempos, with its killer intro even bordering on cocktail jazz. Wale's grainy verses tip the balance superbly, and when their pop/rap fusion comes off it sounds intriguing, exciting and genuinely new.

7. Chandelier Sia
Following five years as one of the industry's most in-demand songwriters, 2014 saw Sia move to a bigger forum with a slicker delivery and production than ever expressed on her pre-star albums. Still covering the same agit-pop pose, 1000 Forms of Fear reamins sharp and to the point, via well-observed lyrics and beautifully-honed melodies - never moreso than through her colossal vocal performance on Chandelier. Seemingly amid a torrent of high-quality female singers who are leaning between alternative and pop (Lorde, Janelle Monáe, even P!nk), Sia's songs maintain a quality and distinction through their simple arrangements and her emotional conveyance. Initially I was turned off - even irritated - by Chandelier, but its irresistible hook has made it one of my most repeat-plays for some time.

6. I'm Not The Only One Sam Smith
From BRIT Critics' Choice Award-winner to the top of the US charts in under six months, Sam Smith was a bolt out of the blue. Yet the success of In The Lonely Hour is easy to read in retrospect, especially to those who were already familiar with his song-stealing turns on hits from Naughty Boy and Disclosure. In ways that reflected Amy Winehouse's Back To Black and Adele's 21, his debut album took a poignant, heart-on-sleeve journey through young love, with the Londoner wailing over wistful R&B Pop arrangements. In spite of the song's characterless title and routine video, I'm Not The Only One is a riveting, unpretentious record, bristling with soul music's stirring energy but also imbued with a subtlety that in such a short time has become Smith's trademark. Sensitive but robust, I'm Not The Only One is as deliciously melancholic as 2014 got.

5. Crying For No Reason Katy B
After an impressive debut in 2011's breakbeat-heavy On a Mission and the searing brilliance of its short-but-sweet follow-up, Danger EP (featuring the criminally ignored Diplo x Iggy Azalea collaboration Light As a Feather), Kathleen Brien took the best chunks of each to deliver her second album, Little Red. Gushing with the same emotive cross-breeding often attributed to Robyn, Crying For No Reason single-handedly exemplifies the Heartbreak On The Dance Floor subgenre. Opening with a consciously moody piano lick, it's merely seconds before the track is in feverish full swing, every throbbing drumbeat and overwrought line culminating in the best electro-ballad this side of We Found Love.

4. Partition Beyoncé
There is burning ambition behind Beyoncé's recent career arch. Aside from the game-changing album release, her sound palette has broadened to include everything from chillwave to trap, and samples as far-reaching as a French-dubbed version of The Big Lebowski. There are darker and more universal forces at play here than before and she is all the better for it. Inhabiting the most self-assured freedom we've yet to encounter in her music, the sexual connotations of Partition's lyrics paint Beyoncé as a concupiscent prima donna whose lust knows no moral boundary, with the initial "Take all of me, I just wanna be the girl you like" feeding upon itself throughout until her demands almost sound like a threat. Cushioned by a powerfully rolling groove, it makes for an intoxicatingly disturbing effect that is little less than stunning.

3. Brooklyn Baby Lana Del Rey
It's hard to listen to Brooklyn Baby without wondering what it would have sounded like had it been released as a duet with Lou Reed as intended. Sadly, the rock legend passed away right as they were scheduled to meet. The end result, though, is still wickedly enchanting. As demonstrated on Born To Die and Paradise, Lana Del Rey's songs succeed as moods as well as tunes, carving her own unignorable niche along the way. Brooklyn Baby continues the tradition of finely crafted indie pop ballads like Video Games, American and Young And Beautiful, brimming with a sparkling, delightful melody and heartache harmonies.

2. Ain't It Fun Paramore
The amended Tennessee trio's upward curve continues. After the punchy fun of last year's Still Into You, Hayley Williams and co. kept the reinvigorated times rolling with the fourth single from their self-titled album. Since leaving founding members Josh and Zac Farro behind, the group has discovered tunes and melody on an entirely new level, even winning over non-fans who'd stuck them firmly in the shouty and rubbish camp. Anthemically tough and fearsome, Ain't It Fun has more intoxicating peaks than any single has a right to own. Taking the best aspects of alternative and rock, the song is a thoroughly disciplined slice of pop punk with no nasty additives, piled high with beefy riffs, searing tunefulness and even a gospel choir. A lifetime of stadium-hopping surely beckons.

1. Monument Röyksopp & Robyn
Whilst not quite as rewarding as a full-length studio release, fans hungry for Robyn since 2010's trio of mini-albums, the dazzling Body Talk series, were no less appreciative of new music from the ever-dependable Swede. Do It Again, a joint EP with Norwegian downtempo kings Röyksopp, certainly filled a void. But if portion-size was the concern, fears were swiftly doused once listeners took in Monument and Inside The Idle Hour Club - a staggering ten minutes apiece. Granted the latter is an instrumental, however its indispensability among the set is demonstrated on first listen. But if we've waited for anything in the last four years, it's Monument. Spellbindingly diverse, it's a haunting, smoky, late-night treasure, divided between the electronic duo's languorous backdrop (its velvety, barely-there beat) and flashy adornments (pan pipes, the outro's saxophone solo) but unified by Robyn's lonely wail. Not only does it tide fans over nicely until the next LP, but it puts Röyksopp & Robyn one confident step ahead of the atmospheric pretenders.

Runners-up:

Stay With Me - Sam Smith
Boom Clap - Charli XCX
Ghost - Ella Henderson
Move That Dope - Future feat. Pharrell & Pusha T
Beggin For Thread - Banks
Outside - Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding
Easy Rider - Action Bronson
Sunshine - Flight Facilities feat. Reggie Watts
Lookin Ass N*gga - Nicki Minaj
Faded - Zhu

Thanks for reading.

[jarrylf]

Great list Matt,

 

I think for me I'd make a top 20 if I made 1 lol, hell being real maybe top 10, 2014 has been a really shit year for music IMO, and everybody I depended on saving this year of music....either didn't come at all or frankly failed....except a few...specifically Bruno.....Uptown Funk is the MOST hype I've gotten over a song IN A VERRRRRY LONG TIME LOL.

[Reyna ♔]

41. Yellow Flicker Beat Lorde 

36. Let It Go Idina Menzel

32. Rather Be Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne

27. Love Never Felt So Good Michael Jackson

24. Brain Banks

20. Magic Coldplay

17. Uptown Funk Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars

15. Don't Ed Sheeran

14. Fancy Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX

4. Partition Beyoncé

2. Ain't It Fun Paramore

Yes!! I was hoping to see where/if these made the list. I look forward to these every year since I've been here. You always give me quite a lot to catch up on before the year is out. I've been feeling so "meh" about 2014, but this gives me hope that maybe there's a lot of gold that I just simply missed instead of it being as bad as I thought.

[HollyHood]

YAAASSS @ Monument!!!

 

Make a space

For my body

Dig a hole

Push the sides apart

 

(Skimmed through the list, will have a proper comment later)

[Rock & Roll Hall of Game]

Mariah top ten...

[Utopia]

34. Two Weeks FKA twigs

33. My Offence Hercules & Love Affair feat. Krystle Warren

21. No Rest For The Wicked Lykke Li

17. Uptown Funk Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars

16. Chasing Time Azealia Banks

13. Say You Love Me Jessie Ware

...

4. Partition Beyoncé

 

 

[Utopia]

I really can't stand Chandelier, something about it gets on my nerves (the whole album does actually).

 

Where are Fountain, Chasing Kites, Tap your Glass or blue Blue? 

 

[bu.]

Slay!! Amazing list. Let me go download some of those songs though.

 

 

PS - OOP Poor Taylor Swift ! 

[hotboy06]

"Monument" at it's rightful place.  But I already knew that.

[ray.]

lemme perch. 

[RedSimba]

Glad to see MC in the top 10 where she belongs Love #45, #27, and #16 as well.

[jarrylf]

Glad to see MC in the top 10 where she belongs Love #45, #27, and #16 as well.

ANDY! Have you heard Uptown Funk yet?

[RedSimba]

ANDY! Have you heard Uptown Funk yet?

I plan to preview the ones I haven't heard, but that one does sound promising judging from TE's description!

[jarrylf]

I plan to preview the ones I haven't heard, but that one does sound promising judging from TE's description!

Mannnn if you liked Treasure (like I knew you would) you're gonna go bonkers (yup....that's what I said) over Uptown Funk!

[Aquaria]

I could care less about any of these songs when your writing about them is just

Girl

[TwistedElegance™]

Great list Matt,

 

I think for me I'd make a top 20 if I made 1 lol, hell being real maybe top 10, 2014 has been a really shit year for music IMO, and everybody I depended on saving this year of music....either didn't come at all or frankly failed....except a few...specifically Bruno.....Uptown Funk is the MOST hype I've gotten over a song IN A VERRRRRY LONG TIME LOL.

 

Thank you. There was definitely a dip this year for me too but overall I was happy.

 

Yes!! I was hoping to see where/if these made the list. I look forward to these every year since I've been here. You always give me quite a lot to catch up on before the year is out. I've been feeling so "meh" about 2014, but this gives me hope that maybe there's a lot of gold that I just simply missed instead of it being as bad as I thought.

 

Aw, thanks. It's been a year of ups and downs for me too. Hopefully you'll find some things you love in there. 

 

YAAASSS @ Monument!!!

 

Make a space

For my body

Dig a hole

Push the sides apart

 

(Skimmed through the list, will have a proper comment later)

 

 

Mariah top ten...

 

That's the only thing you notice? Sam Smith is up there too.

 

 

Roll up your partition, Jorge.

 

I really can't stand Chandelier, something about it gets on my nerves (the whole album does actually).

 

Where are Fountain, Chasing Kites, Tap your Glass or blue Blue? 

 

 

As I said, I couldn't stand it either but in a pretty short time I grew to love it. The fact that it sounds kinda wretched actually has something to do with it.

 

I don't think I know those! 

 

Slay!! Amazing list. Let me go download some of those songs though.

 

 

PS - OOP Poor Taylor Swift !

 

Thanks, Bu!

 

Tbh I'm kinda loving Blank Space. But not enough to include her. She needs a time out after Shake It Off.

 

"Monument" at it's rightful place.  But I already knew that.

 

Where else? 

 

lemme perch. 

 

OMG you're alive.

 

Glad to see MC in the top 10 where she belongs Love #45, #27, and #16 as well.

 

Yep! Waiting on your list, too.

[TwistedElegance™]

I could care less about any of these songs when your writing about them is just

Girl

Thanks, Roc. I think.

[bu.]

 

Thanks, Bu!

 

Tbh I'm kinda loving Blank Space. But not enough to include her. She needs a time out after Shake It Off.

 

 

I'm going to be honest...it came on the car radio yesterday and I bopped to it

 

I'm so happy to see Banks on there

[TwistedElegance™]

I'm going to be honest...it came on the car radio yesterday and I bopped to it

I'm so happy to see Banks on there

Blank Space or Shake It Off?

[bu.]

Blank Space or Shake It Off?

 

Blank Space . Shake it Off grew on me too but I still think she needs to fuck off chasing hits with shit and go back to making great music..

[TwistedElegance™]

Blank Space . Shake it Off grew on me too but I still think she needs to fuck off chasing hits with shit and go back to making great music..

Well drag her then! But I concur. It's just too poppy. And I love pop.

[Rock & Roll Hall of Game]

That's the only thing you notice? Sam Smith is up there too.

Yep! Waiting on your list, too.

Yes BC every year you throw in a Waldo aka the song that's hidden and doesn't belong anywhere near a top ten list... And by the looks of it.. I found him. I noticed Sam in there Brought the list some credibility

Spoiler alert: Mariah will be in the top 5

[TwistedElegance™]

Yes BC every year you throw in a Waldo aka the song that's hidden and doesn't belong anywhere near a top ten list... And by the looks of it.. I found him. I noticed Sam in there Brought the list some credibility

Spoiler alert: Mariah will be in the top 5

But it's my Top 10.

[Rock & Roll Hall of Game]

But it's my Top 10.

Stop putting Easter eggs in your lists if you don't want members to find them

It's either that or...

Alcohol Were you impaired in any way while composing this list?

[TwistedElegance™]

Stop putting Easter eggs in your lists if you don't want members to find them

It's either that or...

Alcohol Were you impaired in any way while composing this list?

You hated that album before you pressed play.

Bitch! No. But I did smoke weed for the first time last month.