2017 is almost over and can I just be the one to say “Good for us.” This year was a storm of heartache, heartbreak, and heartburn. I was saddened by the news and current state of affairs. I ate too much and drank too much. I had crushes to be later crushed by. It happens, but it doesn’t stop life from moving or going.
Lots of female singers and I don’t hate it
So, here’s a random list of songs or artists that got me through 2017. No order at all because Top 10 playlists are so 2015.
-Kesha- Rainbow (whole album)
Let’s learn to let go, have a rainbow, hop on a spaceship, wearing nothing, but your boots for Kesha. Of course, I was going to start it off with the album that I still get me choked up. Her live performance was amazing, but I gotta say “Rainbow” still gets me through these days. Her purity in this album was how I am going into 2018. Someone who has learned and grown from their life. I can’t wait to see what she has planned for 2018.
-“Crowded Places” by Banks. Argh! Do I need to say anything else? This song was one of my most played songs. Some days it made me sad and feel alone, and that was ok. Then there were days where it made me feel like life was going past and I was watching my friends succeed, which made me happy. This is just all the “feels.”
-Dua Lipa, but not “New Rules.” Hear me out! I have been a huge Dua Lipa fan before her album. I regret not going to her show because I didn’t want to go alone. I admit my sins, and it will not happen again. Now, favorite Dua Lipa songs… well her two songs I love. “Thinking About You” was the song I would listen to in the rain walking home from the subway. I was in an HBO show and looked amazing every time I listened to it. It just fit perfectly and felt like I could sing the whole thing perfectly. Now the important song “IDGAF.” Yes, when the album first came out, I remember calling “New Rules” being her hit because no one I talked to knew about “Blow Your Mind (Mwah).” Anyways, if you don’t feel like a million dollars after “IDGAF” you’re not listening. I could blast this song forever.
-Who the hell is Betty Who? Well, she released an amazing album called “The Valley” and provided my dance power. “You Can Cry Tomorrow” is the song I want to be played after every breakup and trauma between. I want to sing this song on the dance floor while looking at my friends in slow-mo looking amazing in a bomber jacket from Asos. Ok, I might have done that a lot in 2017.
-Kacy Hill. Oh, my goddess Kacy Hill. I waited so long for that album and she did not disappoint. Her voice of angel got me through so much! “Like A Woman,” “Cruel,” and of course “Hard To Love” are songs I told people about and only a few listened. Of course, when they did they told me “Ok, she is good.” She is most likely one of my favorite artists of 2017. Her Instagram gets me through the days because she is demonstrating not a brand, but an art.
-Verite! My baby girl Verite. Somehow I became a fan before I knew her. I only knew a few songs by her aka when I saw Betty Who, Verite was an added bonus. She played “Underdressed” and I was sold. Waited so long for the album to drop and I loved it. “Somewhere In Between” is my sad indie song that makes me feel like I am moving to NYC with just a bag and a dream. Also, a huge broken heart that will let me succeed. “Nothing” is the song I want to dance around my living room with a bottle of wine…once again I totally did that this year.
-Terror Jr.
I don’t even know how I discovered Terror Jr. or where they came from. All I know is I have been addicted to their dark, purple, twisted songs. I can’t pick one because I just let all their songs play and I don’t get tired. Their teen, angst, stylized songs make impossible for me to compare them to others. "Holding Your Tongue"
-SZA
AH! Can I just say Sza’s album was surprising for me. Her soulful, thoughtful, relatable songs just got me. I felt like she was speaking or rather singing to me. “Drew Barrymore” was my ending to my movie. Her vibes of just being brutally honest made want to go up to her and tell her how beautiful she is and say “thank you.”
-The song “Rollercoaster” by Tank and The Bangas. Oh, how Tank will always have a place in my heart. This song is the most honest moment. You want to feel that love feeling all the time even though you don’t understand why we put ourselves through it over and over again. You gotta get back in line to experience it again. Also, one of the best moments was getting on stage with them and dancing and grabbing the best selfie of 2017. Thank you for the hugs and the dances in case you guys read this!
-Kelela, I see you! Ok, I sent her first album “Hallucinogen” to so many people I have just gotten “This is weird.” I replied by not replying because they did not understand the perfection that Kelela is. (Another person I regret not seeing) “LMK” was one of those hidden gems that I didn’t know was being released. Then people started telling me about her? I wanted to say “Um, told you about her months, even years ago.”
-“Better Than I Used To Be” Mat Kearney. Oh, my Mat Kearney how I still listen to you after all these years! This song came out at the exact right time. It is simple. It is Mat Kearney. It makes me happy. It makes me believe in love and that I will have memories of falling in love one day.
- I gotta thank my sister for telling me about MUNA. “I Know A Place” is that song I need and want to be played every time I am getting ready to go out. Cause I need someone by my side
-“Strangers” by Sigrid. Your dancing got me Sigrid and your non-stop dance beats mixed your cinematic voice got me. Ok, another song and video I recreate daily.
-"Love Me Tender" by No Frill Twins. I randomly discovered them on Youtube. They easily became one of my top songs of 2017.
-"Cycles" by Tove Lo. I saw Tove Lo last year. It was a fun show. Now I am wishing this album was released before then because "Cycles" is the most brutally honest song.
-Her mixtape "Pop 2" is stunning and magical, but let's talk about the song that got me into Charli XCX. "Boys" is a magical pop song that everyone loves.
Now it is is time to get sad!
-Lorde. My dearest Lorde. Your album is perfect. Everyone has their song, but "Liability" just gets me and understands me. It is a perfect way to end this party year. Falling in and out of love with myself. Finding myself and then misplacing my mind again.