Number 10
This may be somewhat controversial, but I'm not ashamed to admit that I like Coldplay. I was surprised that they made the Year-End Hot 100, as I thought that they would be drowned under the sea of other artists that were popping out hit after hit after hit, but here they are.
10. Paradise - Coldplay
Paradise is a turning point for Coldplay. It's the point in which they started making more exciting music. Before, Coldplay songs were slow and lyrical, but that's a period that's over. Now they make grand epics! That's what this song is. It's Coldplay pumping their music up to eleven. At the same time, they keep the poetry in their lyrics that makes their fans love them so much, but now it's epic! One might even call it borderline operatic, with its lyrics coming to seem almost like a narrative.
Number 9
Ah, yes. Bond. James Bond. I've talked about Skyfall, my first Bond, already. If you haven't seen it already, go do that. Anyways, for that film, they gave the theme song to Grammy winner Adele. And what a theme song it is!
9. Skyfall - Adele
Adele has the perfect voice for a Bond theme, and she doesn't waste it. It starts out quiet and ominous, before reaching its peak after the second verse. The lyrics tie in subtly to the film, in ways that you only notice once you've seen the film. However, when it comes down to it, it's Adele's voice that makes this such a wonderful experience. The tone is perfect, staying in tune with the music and always conveying the mood perfectly. The tone is vibrant and lustrous, and overall the experience is perfectly fitting for a Bond film.
Number 8
Dance crazes are wacky. So is Korea. What happens when you mix them together?
8. Gangnam Style - PSY
If you don't know what this is, then you must have been living under a rock for half of the year, because this was everywhere for the past few months. I couldn't be happier. Gangnam Style is fun. It is more than fun, it is the perfect encapsulation of fun. It combines a catchy beat with a silly tone and a memorable chorus to amazing effect. It's a very fun song to dance to, and it's just so amazingly silly. In a way, it comes to be a clownish parody of these dance songs due to just how over-the-top it is. How could one resist?
Number 7.
Here's one that is definitely past the cut-off date. This song is presently on its chart climb, but it still deserves the spot.
7. Ho Hey - The Lumineers
This has been a very weird year for pop music. I mean, folk-rock? That's not something that we're used to here. However, I have to say that this song deserves its popularity. The guitar highly compliments the singer's voice, and the regular shouts of "Ho!" and "Hey!" help keep the steady tempo, and contribute to its universal appeal. The final step to making this a classic are the lyrics, which tell a touching tale of a man trying to move on after a breakup but finding that he can't/ It's all so beautiful when it comes together, and I hope this band continues to find success.
Number 6
Kanye West has been having a good decade so far, with three best-selling albums, yet only one single really became a hit up here in Canada, and even then it was only from his collaboration album with Jay-Z. It's a crying shame, but at least we got this.
6. Niggas in Paris - Kanye West and Jay-Z
Kanye and Jay-Z have a perfect dynamic. Despite their differences, every collaboration they do turns out fantastic. This is no exception, possibly being their best. While on the surface it seems to just be another bragging song, it's more than that. It's THE bragging song. This is Kanye and Jay at the peak of their game, unstoppable forces of power that won't even be brought down by an army of a million haters, and it's awesome. Really, it's hard to say anything else about this. It's just this gigantic rap song that showcases two great rappers at their best. The duo doesn't even need to try to create a work of such sheer awesomeness as this, so we must wonder-what would happen if they did get into their zone, as they call it?
Number 5
One of the new names of 2012 is "fun." That's actually their band name, right down to the lowercase f and period. Despite their silly name, their music is actually very good.
5. Some Nights - fun.
I've already talked about this song, but I haven't truly gone over why it's amazing. It's a grandiose display of complex emotions and thoughts that come together in such a way as to be beautiful. It tells no story, it's just a collection of the thoughts going through Nate Reuss' head, but it all comes together so spectacularly. Musically, fun. is reminiscent of Queen. The resemblance is uncanny, and they're almost as good. The song has this intensity to it that many hit songs lack, and yet still manages to capture the melancholy nature of the thoughts presented. Quite simply, a stunning example of modern music.
Number 4.
K'Naan is a shining jewel of an artist among the drudge of Biebers and Hedleys in Canadian music. He is also one of our only popular rappers. In any case, he always has interesting topics to rap about. This year, however, he made his masterpiece.
4. Hurt Me Tomorrow - K'Naan
In "Hurt Me Tomorrow", K'Naan spins the narrative of a man who's having relationship issues. The problem is, this man is hard to feel sympathetic for. The song starts with promises that the protagonist will talk about the relationship issues, but it soon becomes clear that he has no intention of following through with them. The way it's presented rather clearly displays the lack of sincerity to the promises, yet the hook is still filled with emotions that we can relate to. This conflict between the genuine emotions of the chorus and the avoidance of the verses creates a fascinating dynamic, developing the protagonist's character extremely well, and more properly delivering the final message. Not something that you often see in pop music, is it?
Number 3.
Drake had two hits this year, but only one was worth listening to. The thing is, he's good when he creates pop love songs, but falls flat when he tries to be "gangsta". Also, he made YOLO, but I think that this song more than makes up for that.
3. Take Care - Drake ft. Rihanna
Take Care is one of the most touching songs that I have ever heard. The way that Drake understands the relationship that he's talking about makes it seem like more than just something he made for the sake of making it. It honestly seems like a sincere relationship, and a very healthy one at that. If you ever wonder why Drake has such a large female fanbase, this is why. Of the many, many people who continue to pump love songs into the market, Drake is the one that seems the most like he truly understands. I may sound like a broken record, but that's what it comes down to. It's a touching, sincere love song about an immensely healthy sounding relationship. The only question is, why doesn't Drake make more songs like this?
Number 2
Gotye, while fairly successful in his home country of Australia, has only had one hit in North America. It was the number one hit of the year, and he's never touched it since. Yet, unlike many other one-hit wonders, I can't see this one being remembered poorly in five years.
2. Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye ft. Kimbra
For the second year in a row, the number one hit was taken by a talented foreign songwriter who doesn't conform cleanly with what we consider mainstream. While Adele may have fit somewhat into the charts, Gotye doesn't really make sense as a hit. The only way I can think of for why this became as big as it did was a sign of the general public recognizing quality songwriting. There isn't much to say about this song that hasn't already been said, but here's a go at it. This song is not a simple depiction of why an individual's ex did them wrong, it's a complex conflict with both sides having justified arguments. Both individuals are easy to empathize with, and there's no true answer to the conflict. Simply a masterpiece.
Number 1.
Being an independent blog making this list, I obviously don't want to be predictable. "Somebody That I Used to Know is an obvious choice for number 1, but I think that there's one that I like more, and for that, we must go to a British singer named Alex Clare.
1. Too Close - Alex Clare
"Too Close" is a fairly recent sleeper hit that I was following quite intently when I saw it on the Canadian Hot 100. I was so glad when it passed number 20, and then stayed there for a couple weeks. First of all, I was excited that dubstep was charting, let alone so high. At the time, I was unaware that "Bangarang" had gotten so big. However, there's a reason why I love this song. The actual dubstep doesn't start until the chorus, but the verses have a very solid beat as well. The intense synths and the even drum beat worked very well to underline Clare's singing. When it gets to the chorus, the bass drop has the same effect. Speaking of Clare's singing, it's fantastic. He has been compared to a male Adele, and that's pretty accurate as far as his voice is concerned. However, whereas Adele sings about breakups and horrible things that her boyfriends did, Alex Clare sings about how he's unsure about his feelings for some girl. The lyrics put his internal torment on full display, like a window into his soul. But the greatest part is how the beat and the vocals synthesize so perfectly to create the discordant feeling, as ironic as that may be. If there's only one song released all year that I will be coming back to time and time again, it's "Too Close" by Alex Clare.
Well, the year's almost over. Check back to see if I missed anything, or wait until my final list, the Top 10 Movies of 2012.
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