2012 Bimestrial Report #6:
89. Bat for Lashes, “All Your Gold”
Because when I can see myself in a song it usually hurts.
90. Big Bang, “Fantastic Baby”
Because of all the moving parts.
91. Lee Hi, “1, 2, 3, 4”
Because shoo-be-doo-be-wop-doo-wop.
92. Dawn Richard, “’86”
Because stillness is a move.
93. Alicia Keys, “New Day”
Because crashing snares never hurt anyone.
94. Leslie Grace, “Day One”
Because she’s edging closer to my dream of R&Bachata.
95. Gepe, “En La Naturaleza (4, 3, 2, 1)”
Because indie reggaetón should be encouraged.
96. Nicki Minaj ft. Cassie, “The Boys”
Because LOL Drake.
97. Ke$ha, “Only Wanna Dance With You”
Because two great tastes taste great together.
98. Mystikal, “Hit Me”
Because I don’t refuse to listen to James Brown either.
99. Scott Walker, “Epizootics!”
Because I’m this person too.
100. Katy B ft. Iggy Azalea, “Light As a Feather”
Because when I can see myself in a song it usually hurts.
2012 Bimestrial Report #5:
70. Sky Ferreira, “Everything Is Embarrassing”
Because everything is.
71. Future, “Turn On the Lights”
Because it’s the best male-sung love song all year.
72. Gaby Amarantos, “Ex Mai Love”
Because I still believe in Brazil.
73. Ivy Queen, “Peligro de Extinción”
Because the accordion makes me weep.
74. Nelly Furtado, “Parking Lot”
Because it jangles all the right nerves.
75. Carly Rae Jepsen, “Tiny Little Bows”
Because gratitude is the only appropriate response.
76. AlunaGeorge, “Your Drums, Your Love”
Because I loved electropop in 2002 and so do they.
77. JLS, “Hottest Girl in the World”
Because whether or not nature abhors a Timberlake-shaped vaccum, I do.
78. Tim Culpepper, “Pourin’ Whiskey on Pain”
Because it’s just unnatural enough.
79. Ane Brun, “These Days”
Because not enough pop is as wintry as this landscape.
80. Chad Valley ft. Glasser, “Fall 4 U”
Because the evocation of the title is not misplaced.
81. Emel Mathlouthi, “Ma Lkit”
Because the Arab Spring is no respecter of seasons.
82. Becca ft. MI, “No Away”
Because the Ghana-Nigeria axis is endlessly fascinating.
83. Namcha Chiranat ft. Southside, “Fine Fine Fine”
Because T-pop is the undiscovered country.
84. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, “Fashion Monster”
Because Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.
85. Bruno Mars, “Locked Out of Heaven”
Because the Police are one thing, but Squeeze are another.
86. Lil B, “California Boy”
Because apparently I am a caricature.
87. Gain, “Bloom”
Because I am definitely a caricature.
88. Solange, “Losing You”
Because who even am I, or anyone else.
2012 Bimestrial Report #4:
51. Jessie Ware, “Wildest Moments”
Because dispassion is the kindest method of breaking down.
52. Liars, “No. 1 Against the Rush”
Because their last song I loved was “Mr. Your on Fire Mr.”
53. Angel Haze, “New York”
Because clear eyes, full hearts can’t lose.
54. Major Lazer ft. Amber Coffman, “Get Free”
Because sine-dub will not leave me be.
55. Diamond Rings “I’m Just Me”
Because I’m learning how to inhabit.
56. Carrie Underwood, “Blown Away”
Because we’d all like to believe in a just universe.
57. Little Mix, “Wings”
Because a big bright sassy strut is just what I needed.
58. Sam & the Womp, “Bom Bom”
Because the “We No Speak Americano” well is apparently inexhaustible.
59. Wye Oak, “Spiral”
Because the coruscant edge of her voice does things to me.
60. Blur, “Under the Westway”
Because Dave Rowntree does a great Hal Blaine.
61. Wynter Gordon, “Stimela”
Because I’m a sucker for Exciting New Directions.
62. Disclosure ft. Ria Ritchie, “Control”
Because I’m a sucker for pretty glitch-pop.
63. Le1f, “Wut”
Because never have light loafers sounded so heavy.
64. Psy, “Gangnam Style”
Because successful memes are indistinguishable from successful pop.
65. Taylor Swift, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
Because dudes suck.
66. Kendrick Lamar, “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
Because I’ve been waiting to fall in love with an Internet-hyped rapper.
67. Antony & the Johnsons, “Cut the World”
Because sometimes the canon still works.
68. Jhené Aiko, “3:16am”
Because feeling bad never sounded so good.
69. Cat Power, “Nothin’ But Time”
Because I could use the hug.
2012 Bimestrial Report #3:
32. Carly Rae Jepsen “Call Me Maybe”
Because late is better than never.
33. Kat Graham “Put Your Graffiti on Me”
Because both the melodic percussion and the central metaphor fit.
34. Twin Shadow “Five Seconds”
Because an Orchestral Rick Springfield in the Dark is something to be.
35. Norah Jones “Miriam”
Because murder ballads are better when they’re sleepy.
36. Icona Pop “I Love It”
Because believable gleefulness is all too rare.
37. Cherri Bomb “Too Many Faces”
Because they’ve got my number.
38. Dead Sara “Weatherman”
Because they’ve got all our numbers.
39. Beatriz Luengo ft. Shaggy & Toy Selectah “Lengua”
Because twee is not an exclusive copyright of English.
40. Lila Downs ft. Totó la Momposina & Celso Piña “Zapata Se Queda”
Because respect your elders.
41. Titica ft. Ary “Olha o Boneco”
Because she has no fucks to give, and needs none.
42. Haaya “Shway Sexy”
Because plastic Arabic disco is a great pleasure.
43. JJ Project “Bounce”
Because velocity is a higher truth than rap or rock.
44. G.NA “2HOT”
Because I don’t hear barrelhouse dubstep anywhere else.
45. Azealia Banks “Liquorice”
Because we’re all rooting for her.
46. Alpoko Don “Get My Paypa Dog”
Because authenticity is still the best simulacrum.
47. Nina Sky “Heartbeat”
Because there are never enough great songs called “Heartbeat.”
48. Belinda “En El Amor Hay Que Perdonar”
Because the radio is still doing its job.
49. Frank Ocean “Pyramids”
Because ambition on the scale of The-Dream is appreciated.
50. Charli XCX “You’re the One”
Because it took me till now to realize what she’s up to.
2012 Bimestrial Report #2:
13. Kwes, “Bashful”
Because the chorus is downright Shakespearean.
14. Jessie Ware, “Running”
Because the acid guitar is only the flourish at the end of a perfect sentence.
15. Santigold, “Disparate Youth”
Because the only thing better than aping M.I.A. is surpassing her.
16. Rye Rye, “Boom Boom”
Because not enough people recognize how candy-colorful Baltimore is.
17. Justin Bieber, “Boyfriend”
Because “say hello to falsetto in three, two, swag” is both dorky and awesome.
18. Pegasvs, “El Final de la Noche”
Because night ends in many different ways.
19. Lianne La Havas, “Lost and Found”
Because there is such a thing as heartbreak in the world.
20. Chairlift “I Belong In Your Arms”
Because there is such a thing as joy in the world.
21. Ren Harvieu, “Open Up Your Arms”
Because this is how you use strings in a pop song.
22. Kindness, “That’s Alright”
Because someone had to remind us.
23. Nicki Minaj ft. Beenie Man, “Gun Shot”
Because it’s a reminder of the value of inhabiting many distinct selves.
24. B. Traits ft. Elisabeth Troy, “Fever”
Because house music will never die.
25. Miguel, “Arch & Point”
Because Prince no longer insists on being Prince.
26. Death Grips, “I’ve Seen Footage”
Because “Run-D.M.C. produced by Liars” is a capsule history of testosterone.
27. Alabama Shakes, “Hold On”
Because we should all be so certain of our selves.
28. Melanie Fiona, “Watch Me Work”
Because we’ve needed this since En Vogue left.
29. Dawn Richard, “Bombs”
Because it betters both Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
30. Fiona Apple, “Every Single Night”
Because appropriating Native American music is easier to get away with.
31. Neneh Cherry & The Thing, “Dream Baby Dream”
Because the baritone saxophone is a healing sound.
2012 Bimestrial Report #1:
1. Lana Del Rey, “National Anthem”
Because when she sings “God you’re so handsome,” she sounds annoyed.
2. Sleigh Bells, “Comeback Kid”
Because I still hear those final notes as an electric piano.
3. Sharon Van Etten, “Serpents”
Because not enough music intends to conjure those storms.
4. Grimes, “Oblivion”
Because she quotes Del Shannon’s most Elizabeth Fraser-like utterance.
5. Perfume Genius, “Hood”
Because the girl-group rhythms make up for the plaintiveness.
6. Zebra Katz ft. Njena Reddd Foxxx, “Ima Read”
Because “Zebra Fucking Katz” is consonant with my favorite profanity.
7. Lianne La Havas, “Forget”
Because skeletal funk is always more difficult than it sounds.
8. Cassie, “King of Hearts”
Because the la-la-las tip the scales from R&B to Scandinavian electropop.
9. Usher, “Climax”
Because it’s the most cleverly-written pop song in nearly a decade.
10. Lil Chuckee, “Wop”
Because Little Richard.
11. Brianna, “Marilyn Monroe”
Because she is a connoisseur of mouth sounds.
12. Gorillaz ft. James Murphy & André 3000, “Do Ya Thing”
Because I don’t know about you but I’m ready for early-00s nostalgia.
