Here is our top 100 songs pt4 nos. 40-21
40 – “Go Get A Tattoo” by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes feat. Lynks (from Sticky)
“I can sing and I can dance and this might be the only chance to go outside and have a good time”
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes made one of my favourite albums of the year in the form of “Sticky” and one of the big singles from that record was “Go Get A Tattoo”. A full-on rock song with lots of energy nestled throughout it, it’s a track that I adore all the way through. Lynks’ feature is one of my favourites of the year, showcasing the best of what he can do and how versatile he can be at the same time. This whole song is fantastic and is textbook of how a feel-good post-COVID song should be made.
39 – “Through The Eye” by Rachel Chinouriri (from Four⁰ In Winter)
“It’s my cry for help. I got no one else”
Since being nominated for the Prospect Music Award in 2021, Rachel Chinouriri has been growing from strength to strength. “Through The Eye”, the lead single from her EP, “Four° In Winter” is remarkable in its craft. It’s a natural progression for Chinouriri and remarkably shows off her artistry.
38 – “It Gets Better” by Swedish House Mafia (from Paradise Again)
“It gets better, baby.”
Swedish House Mafia finally returned in July after eight years away, and the track we got was “It Gets Better” which is one of the greatest dance songs of the last twelve months. The track feels so new for the Swedish trio yet it celebrates everything we’ve come to love of them throughout their iconic reign as the real heads of the electronica music scene for many years. It’s superb and it’s great to have them back.
37 – “The Dying Light” by Sam Fender (from Seventeen Going Under)
“But I’m alone here, even though I’m physically not. And those dead boys are always there, there’s more every year.”
Sam Fender returned to the spotlight in July, two years after the release of my favourite album of 2019, “Hypersonic Missiles”. Despite his sophomore record “Seventeen Going Under” not being as sensational as his debut, it certainly has some real highlights, including “The Dying Light”. Dubbed as the sequel to my favourite song of 2018, “Dead Boys”, the song starts as a beautiful piano ballad and then turns into a gorgeous rock song that will be provoking a highly emotional cry-pit (a mosh pit where everyone’s crying), when this is performed live. It’s a gorgeous high energy song that shows the best of Fender’s true talents.
36 – “The Walls Are Way Too Thin” by Holly Humberstone (from The Walls Are Way Too Thin)
“But I’m alone here, even though I’m physically not. And those dead boys are always there, there’s more every year.”
Following the release of her critically acclaimed debut EP, “Falling Asleep At The Wheel”, Lincolnshire based singer-songwriter, Holly Humberstone’s second release of the year, “The Walls Are Way Too Thin”, taken from her remarkable EP of the same name, tackles claustrophobia and anxiety in a gorgeous indie-pop track, proving that Humberstone is the next big thing.
35 – “My Little Love” by Adele (from 30)
“I know you feel lost, it’s my fault completely.”
Adele has created one of her greatest songs in the form of “My Little Love”. As reported on BBC News, Adele’s fourth album “30” is written to explain to her child the impact of her divorce to ex-husband and father to her child, Simon Konecki, and this song encapsulates that message perfectly. From dubs of her conversations with her son to her conversations with other people explaining her feelings, this is the first time we see her real vulnerabilities in a real beautiful ballad that defies what ballads are. This song is a real masterpiece, and it’s fantastic all the way through.
34 – “skeletons” by easy life (from life’s a beach)
“Everybody ’round here’s got skeletons, one at a time, they all appear.”
Leicester’s Easy Life have been another band that has been completely unstoppable over the last couple of years. They’ve been going from strength to strength with every release they’ve put out, and “skeletons” from the band’s debut album “life’s a beach” is maybe the best song they’ve ever made. From Murray Matravers’ vocals to the incredible production, this is a masterpiece.
33 – “AHH!!” by DellaXOZ
“My head is like a washing machine, tried to wash away these thoughts, still can’t get clean.”
Since coming across this song by accident, “AHH!!” by 17-year-old 2022 Prospect Music Award nominee, DellaXOZ has been on repeat constantly. Clocking in at only one minute and thirty-six seconds, this is the shortest track on the list, but it doesn’t need any longer. It executes its sound and lyrics perfectly in that time, and the overall result is a fantastic piece that will result in DellaXOZ becoming massive in the future.
32 – “American Beauty” by Biig Piig (from The Sky Is Bleeding)
“Maybe I wanna show you what it’s like, and baby, you’re so pretty, we should keep the lights on”
Biig Piig is an artist I’ve had a mixed relationship with. Despite now loving her, I didn’t appreciate her at all when I first discovered her three years ago. But “American Beauty” from her EP, “The Sky Is Bleeding” is the Irish musician’s strongest track yet. It’s vulnerable, passionate and has a gorgeous sound all the way through.
31 – “Kid Stuff” by Sinead O Brien
“Picture a portrait of yourself and that is what you are, cropped. Master the edit.”
After surprising everyone by coming sixth in the 2021 Prospect Music Award, Irish spoken-word artist, Sinead O Brien returned with a song that completely changed up the spoken-word genre. “Kid Stuff” is lyrically sublime, performed impeccably and put together very well, making it probably the most overlooked song of the year for me.
30 – “Queen Cobra” by Artio (from Shapeshifter: So Below)
“I don’t exist though I stroke your ego, I really wanna know…”
Leeds band Artio has been constantly on my mind since I discovered them a year ago now, but Queen Cobra was a release I fell in love with the very second I pressed play. It’s formidable, it’s exhilarating, and it’s just magnificent, with Rae Brazill’s vocals being the highlight of it all.
29 – “Lipstick On The Glass” by Wolf Alice (from Blue Weekend)
“I take you back. Yeah, I know it seems surprising when there’s lipstick still on the glass.”
Wolf Alice have done it again with “Lipstick On The Glass”. The track, about restarting or rejoining a relationship, despite the betrayal that has taken it apart, is frontwoman Ellie Rowsell’s vocally strongest performance out of all three of their albums, and the entire song gives you goosebumps every single time.
28 – “Pick Up Your Burning Cross” by Sons of Kemet feat. Moor Mother and Angel Bat Dawid (from Black To The Future)
“Paid the cost, stole the fee. The crimes and the lies of a ghetto enterprise.”
One of my favourite jazz songs released this year, “Pick Up Your Burning Cross” is a testament to music everywhere, making you want to dance and admire this genre which not a lot of people give enough credit for anymore. This is more of an experience than a song, and that is a comment I don’t make very often.
27 – “Light Blue” by Snail Mail (from Valentine)
“Wanna wake up early every day, just to be awake in the same world as you”
Snail Mail’s second song on the list is a low-key love song, and it’s gorgeous. The simplicity of the song is unprecedented and showcases her lustful lyrics and remarkable vocals, with some gorgeous harmonies during the chorus. It’s gorgeous in every single way and a perfect song to fall in love to.
26 – “Seize The Power” by YONAKA (from Seize The Power)
“This power’s yours, take it.”
YONAKA are one of the UK’s biggest new rock bands, but the title track from their upcoming mixtape, “Seize The Power” crosses genres and creates an incredible feminist anthem that is up there with their best work to date. It’s quite fair to say that the power is theirs, and they took it.
25 – “ZITTI E BUONI” by Maneskin (from Teatro d’ira – Vol. 1)
[Translated] “People are talking unfortunately. They talk, they don’t know what the fuck they’re talking about.”
This song is the perfect rock song. I have no regrets about saying that. There’s a reason “ZITTI E BUONI” won Eurovision, Måneskin created something very special here. They understand this genre so well and yet were able to create something new at the same time. “ZITTI E BUONI” is the start of a brand new rock revolution.
24 – “I must apologise” by PinkPantheress (from to hell with it)
“Your paranoia, it happens all the time and that’s ’cause lying’s a big problem of mine.”
PinkPantheress is an artist that near enough came from nowhere. Having started her journey producing music in lockdown and putting it on TikTok, she ends the year as a Prospect Music Award finalist and a TikTok sensation. “I must apologise” is a phenomenal track that is produced sensationally and showcases the very best of PinkPantheress’ abilities as an artist, making me beyond excited to see what else she can do in 2022 and beyond.
23 – “The Bandit” by Kings Of Leon (from When You See Yourself)
“And they’re walkin’ around with their heads in the cloud screaming: must catch the bandit”
Kings of Leon’s first song in under five years, “The Bandit” is the definition of how to create a perfect American indie-rock banger. From the gorgeous rock undertones to Caleb Followill’s sensational vocals, I don’t know what more I can say, just listen to the song and you’ll see exactly what I mean.
22 – “Narrator” by Squid feat. Martha Skye Murphy (from Bright Green Field)
“Losing my flow and my memories are so unnatural. I am my own narrator.”
Since Squid was featured on the BBC Sound Of 2020 list, they immediately captured my interest. After coming seventh in the 2021 Prospect Music Award, they released the lead single from their debut album “Bright Green Field”, called “Narrator”, which features the remarkable Martha Skye Murphy. Squid’s understanding of sound is outstanding, and it shows even more so on this track, as both Squid and Skye Murphy create a sensational soundscape that works all the way through. “Narrator” is a stroke of pure genius.
21 – “Bringing Me Down” by Frances Baker
“Wish I was better at keeping better people near.”
The first time I saw Frances Baker was at her first ever show supporting Arlo Parks at the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham, and I was instantly transfixed. Baker’s debut single, “Bringing Me Down” is the first song she had ever made and it proves that this woman has a shit tonne of talent. It’s produced sensationally, its lyrics are gorgeous and it makes me so excited to see what else she can do, especially after being signed to Beatnik Records, the new big record label that I think everyone needs to keep an eye on… the world is Frances Baker’s oyster, and it’s ready for her to take over…
Playlist 40-21 – https://open.spotify.com/
