There had been quite a number of artists I love who released new albums this year but for this list I am going to exclude the indie artists I like because well, I'm not sure anybody would recognize them. I would have loved to include the non-single songs too but so other people can relate to this, I've decided to keep this limited to officially released pop songs for this year. But enough talk, let's get this countdown rollin'!
12. Rihanna - "Diamonds"
I make it a habit to be updated about the biggest pop stars because I always want to be the first to hear their next singles and with this one, I really did not like it the first time I heard it. I was greatly puzzled about how midtempo it was for a first single by Rihanna. It sounded like a B-side song, but well, I suppose Rihanna has grown too popular that she can make almost any song work. This is a grower though, just like some of her previous singles. It took a while before its awesomeness sunk in. And when it did, I realized that I like it enough.
11. One Direction - "One Thing"
Err, I feel a bit shy about admitting this but I do like One Direction because they have some of the catchiest songs in pop. I like the acoustic version of this song better and I don't even have a copy of the album version. And yeah, I've been fantasizing about playing this on my guitar and singing it to someone. Great song. One of those which stick immediately after the first listen.
10. Pink - "Try"
This isn't a mind-blowing hit from Pink but I like it still because of the lyrics. Although it's laudable from an artistic perspective, I don't really like what she did in this song's video. For me, this song is best heard coming from the heart and well, I think the video took out some of the vulnerability. When I play this song loudly I feel like falling on my knees. pleading in anguish. I can relate to this song well. Ehem.
9. fun. - "We Are Young"
I had goosebumps when Rhay first had me listen to this song. It was just... wow. And mind you, the song still wasn't famous when she shared it to me. To mark that moment, I had this song included in my mixtape "Revelations" and this was released about a month before it topped the charts. Glee still beat me to it though since they found and sang it first. Also, another one of those indie songs finally doing well in the charts, possibly following after the footsteps of Foster the People. Will indie still be indie if they became too popular? A disturbing thought.
8. Ellie Goulding - "Lights"
I already knew of this song way back last year and I was somewhat disappointed when it was re-released. I suppose Ellie Goulding wanted to break into the American market. My fave part of this song is when that drum bass kicks in towards the last. I can feel that boom rebounding in my chest. A very different sound from the other more common pop songs. Glad she's adding some variety to the radio at least. Great artist.
7. Jessie J - "Domino"
I've been seeing Facebook raves about this song for a couple of weeks before I first heard this on MTV and my initial reaction was... meh. I thought she was trying too hard to craft a hook and that it sound too samey with other songs. It took several immersions in this song before I began to see that it was really good and now everytime I play this record I feel all sparkly and glittery as if I was having the most euphoric moment of my life. Never fails to make me feel good.
6. Adele - "Set Fire to the Rain"
In my book, nothing beats "Someone Like You" (which topped my list list year) but this is certainly my second favorite Adele song. I heard she already released it last 2011 in the UK but then it only became popular here and in the States this year. This is another one of those effectively "feely" songs, it can bring you to that particular moment. I can almost feel that rain. "My hands, they were strong. But my knees were far too weak." Too apt for me. Too apt. I believe I did listen to this song repeatedly while I was walking home under a light drizzle. F na F lang ang peg!
5. Karmin - "Brokenhearted"
I knew of this song at least a month before it gained a lot more airplay and I was the first to announce it so in Facebook. It did not get any likes though. When I first heard it on the radio, I was immediately hooked though I thought it was a Ke$ha song. Right away I looked it up and kept playing it on loop for days. I just couldn't get enough of it. I dance to this song too. On my own. Too bad it didn't make a bigger impact in the charts. Pure pop bliss.
4. Katy Perry - "Part of Me"
This song isn't exactly spectacular or innovative when it comes to its hook but there's something about the Max Martin quality of it which makes this one of those near-perfect pop songs. Calculated, but ruthlessly effective. One of those songs which make you think that you knew about it, maybe sometime in your past life, even before you heard it. And yeah, I remember that night when this song kept me awake. I couldn't stop listening to it! Not my fave Katy Perry song but definitely one of her best.
3. Carly Rae Jepsen - "Curiosity"
I admit that I've been skeptical about Carly Rae Jepsen, both with the success of "Call Me Maybe" and her credibility as an artist. But the next thing I knew, that song was being played everywhere and her album, "Kiss", when it was released garnered positive reviews from critics. So when I looked up the other songs there, "Curiosity" was hands down, the standout track for me, although to be honest, her songs sound samey. "Curiosity" was actually released in an EP after "Call Me Maybe" so even if it didn't really hit the airwaves here, it was eligible for this countdown. I highly recommend this to all pop fans. This is a gem. She sorta reminds me of M2M here and us pop fans need our dose of wee-inducing tweeny pop every now and then. Clever lyrics too, in this song.
2. Ke$ha - "Die Young"
I get the feel that many people do not really consider Ke$ha as a true artist because, well, she sounds very trashy, and her autotune does not do her any singing favors. But there's something about her self-penned melodies which really radiate that sense of reckless abandon. Her songs just bring to mind those rave parties where you throw up in the end. I was one of the first to hear this since I was waiting for it and with "Die Young", I think Ke$ha has found that balance. It's still very her, but I get the feeling that she thought well about this. And the touches of guitar brought her a touch of maturity. Trashy she may be but sometimes you do feel like being trashy for a change. And of course, this was the song we danced to in Stereochem and that feeling I got in the end of our number when the unanimous applause of the crowd in that event drowned us? That moment is sealed in this song.
1. Taylor Swift - "Begin Again"
Like last year, the song which topped my list is one which I can relate to very well. There were weeks when I played nothing but this song. As in. Nothing else. And it will be no exaggeration if I say that I've played this more than a hundred times already. There's something about the lyrics of this song which make me feel like I could have written it. Something about its simple melody which struck me to the core and yeah, this made me cry. Some songs may make us dance. Some may make us tap our feet. But these songs which touch our hearts... These songs are the ones which last for the rest of our lives.
"But on a Wednesday in a cafe, I watched it begin again..."
My anthem of the year.
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