Best in Music 2017
2017 was another great year in music. Here are my favorites...
3. I Cannot Sleep at Night by K.I.D. - This song is funky and tongue-in-cheek funny. I mean, talk about unique, this is purely awesome. It's experimental and fresh, and clearly, the artist is having a lot of fun with this song.
8. Best Friend by Sofi Tukker (featuring NERVO and The Knocks & Alisa Ueno) - This is a unique song, with a lot going on, and it all works. Great sounds and a lot of fun.
13. It's You by Molly Kate Kestner - Usually I limit songs on this list to one per artist, but damn, this girl needs an album. Too many great singles out there.
19. Ocean by Goldfrapp - The tension in this song as it builds is insane.
23. Where It Stays by Charlotte OC - A haunting and powerful performance.
10 Best Albums of 2017
1. Hopeless Romantic by Michelle Branch - There are so many amazing songs on this album that it's hard to pick a favorite. After struggling to get new music out from her label (her last effort West Coast Time was never released), Branch get s real winner out there that's hard to ignore. Fresh pop sounds, full of themes of love, loss and regret, this is an album for everyone, and proves how much Branch has matured as a songwriter. Easily the best album of the year.
Key Tracks: Hopeless Romantic, Best You Ever, Fault Line, Heartbreak Now, Temporary Feeling, Carry Me Home
2. reputation by Taylor Swift - People may love dragging her name through the mud and debating her personal life, but Swift is one of those artists who knows how to adapt to survive, much like Madonna did throughout her career. Shedding any trace of the pure country artist, Taylor embraces the sketchy reputation she's been given, with an album full of in-your-face pop music. It's edgy, even harsh at times, and experimental. The lyrics are clever and thoughtful, and anyone who says otherwise can go listen to another Katy Perry album that sounds just like her last one.
Key Tracks: ...Ready For It?, Look What You Made Me Do, Gorgeous, Don't Blame Me, Delicate
3. From the Outside by Hey Violet - Tapping into the frustrations of youth and channeling it into snarky commentary, sassy lyrics and anthems for millennials, Hey Violet is the punkish-pop band that we didn't know we needed. Edgy and relevant.
Key Tracks: My Consequence, All We Ever Wanted, Where Have You Been (All My Night), Brand New Moves, Guys My Age
4. Can't Curse the Free by Jetty Rae - Singer-songwriter Jetty Rae has created an album full of beautiful, gentle songs with strong imagery. The songs have an ease to them that's undeniably catchy and lovely. This album just feels effortless.
Key Tracks: Another Town, In the Garden, Still Gotta Fight It
5. Starflower by Jennifer Paige - Like Michelle Branch, Jennifer Paige was a pop singer from the 90's (you might remember her huge hit Crush). Her comeback has been a long time coming, and Paige has done it as if she never left, returning with a mature sound, that nevertheless is catchy as ever.
Key Tracks: Forget Me Not, Devil's in the Details, Like a Bomb
6. BLUE LIPS (Lady Wood Phase II) by Tove Lo - These pulse-pounding frenetic songs from Tove Lo are hard to ignore, even when they're a little chill compared to what she usually puts out there. Lo isn't afraid to play with sound, and is always entertaining. A song like Disco Tits might have you scratching your head, but you can't deny that it has your attention.
Key Tracks: cycles, stranger, don't ask don't tell
7. Bruises by Dia Frampton - This subdued album has a dreamlike quality to it that's beautiful and unearthly. The songs here may not be in-your-face pop anthems, but they are powerful in their own right, with lovely strings accompanying Frampton's unique voice for spellbinding sounds.
Key Tracks: Golden Years, White Dress, Gold and Silver
8. Bishop Briggs EP by Bishop Briggs - Briggs has an amazing, strong voice, which is showcased perfectly on this album. Lots of clapping to the beat and soaring vocals give this album a gospel feel that stands out from anything else out there.
Key Tracks: The Way I Do, Wild Horses, Dead Man's Arms
9. Skin&Earth by Lights - Lights seemed to perfect her sound with Midnight Machines, an acoustic, stripped-back version of album Little Machines, but she seems to have found the best of both worlds on Skin&Earth. Slow songs showcase the strength of her songwriting and voice, while others pack a punch with fast-paced pop sounds. The result is a more balanced album that has something for everyone.
Key Tracks: Savage, Magnetic Field, Almost Had Me
10. Somewhere in Between by VERITE - VERITE has a mature pop sound that will satisfy those looking for unique music, as well as those looking something fun to dance to. This album has a fresh, fun feel to it that stands out.
Key Tracks: Phase Me Out, Floor, Nothing
Honorable Mentions
Avalon EP by Gabrielle Aplin
For You EP by LEON
Inside a Dream EP by Echosmith
30 Best Songs of 2017
1. You Should Talk by FLETCHER - A great beat, fantastic refrain, and I love the kind of casual accusation. Best song of the year.
2. Prom Queen by Molly Kate Kestner - This song sounds like an instant classic. Familiar, yet fresh and impactful. And damn, this girl has a strong voice.
4. NOW by Grace Mitchell - Fast-paced, with a cool retro vibe, and different aspects to the song, NOW kind of has it all.
5. Game Changer by Erica Cooper - This song is just a lot of fun. The chorus is pure joy.
6. Partyin' Is Such Sweet Sorrow by Tristen - With a strong retro vibe, this is a catchy-ass pop song.
7. I'm Alright by Shania Twain - Talk about raw. Shania bares all in this emotional song shedding some light on how she felt amid the affair we all read about. Best country song of the year by a long shot.
9. Let Go by Alex Maxwell - I love Alex's voice. This song is pretty subtle, but it gets better the more you listen to it. A real triumph.
10. I Can't Fall in Love Without You by Zara Larsson - A ballad with a real punch to it. Accusatory, tragic, and moving.
11. I Got You by Bebe Rexha - A confident, infectious song. Bebe Rexha is going to be big.
12. Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift - An experimental pop song that's fun, bold and still catchy as hell.
14. All We Ever Wanted by Hey Violet - Now this is an anthem.
15. Heartbreak Now by Michelle Branch - Branch knows how to craft a damn good love song.
16. And I'm Leaving by Leslie Clio - This had to be one of the catchiest refrains of the year. Empowering and bold.
17. Green Light by Lorde - A really well-crafted pop song by Lorde, which is what we've come to expect from her.
18. The Devil's in the Details by Jennifer Paige - Jennifer Paige's comeback has been interesting, but she proved with this song that she's still talented at creating pop songs, like this gem.
20. If I Was Dead by Brooke Bentham - That guitar chord makes this song. Beautiful and haunting.
21. Buttons by Sara Hartman - This song has great momentum, and is just a sunny, great song.
22. The Way I Are (Dance with Somebody) by Bebe Rexha (featuring Lil' Wayne) - One of the better dance songs of the year, despite me cringing by the incorrect grammar usage.
24. Don't Let Me Down by Joy Williams - A convincing, emotional ballad.
25. Be the One by Dua Lipa - This song single-handedly created a gay icon. And you can see why.
26. Drive You Mad by Amy Shark - A lot of raw emotion in the performance of this catchy song.
27. We Could Run by Beth Ditto - Most of this song is just Beth Ditto singing "we could run," but she does it so damn good. The girl has some lungs.
28. Kicks by Au/Ra - Great refrain, and great lead into it. Fun song.
29. Control by Shadowlark - Subtle and catchy at the same time. Demonstrates perfect...control? Sorry.
30. If My Name Was Whiskey by Carly Pearce - I went through a country phase when I was younger, and the good songs are harder and harder to find. The lyrics are both good and bad, clever and cheesy, but the overall package is one of the best country had to offer this year.
Honorable Mentions
Be Real by Phoebe Ryan
Crying in the Club by Camila Cabello
Fetish by Selena Gomez (Featuring Gucci Mane)
Man Didn't Walk On the Moon by Nerina Pallot
Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby by Cara Salimando
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