2019: The Year In Music

2019 – Hong Kong protests China’s undemocratic rulings, Algerians protest their president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Sudanese protest their president Omar Hassan al-Bashir, Chileans protest inequality, Iraq protests its government, Iran protests fuel subsidies, and elsewhere Bolivia, India, Nicaragua and Russia all partake in “The Year of Protests”. The first picture of a black hole is taken. “Avengers: Endgame” caps off the Infinity Saga. The “Game of Thrones” finale divides fans. And an egg became the most liked Instagram post ever for some reason … so let’s see if the music scene was less bizarre!

I’ll be looking at the popular and highest-rated songs / albums of the year, giving my opinions on their musicality and longevity as well as an overall verdict for the year as a whole.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

2018: The Year In Music

“Thriller” – Every Song Ranked

EVERY Beatles Song Ranked (Part Two: 106-1)

Merriweather Post Pavilion (Animal Collective) – Every Song Ranked

Billboard Top 10 (Popular) Singles

Source: Wikipedia

10 – Sucker (Jonas Brothers)

I was never a Jonas Brothers fan back in the mid 00’s, so you can imagine how unimpressed I was by their reunion in 2019.

“Sucker” is not a bad song, to be fair. It’s bouncy and catchy. I’ve heard worse.

9 – SICKO MODE (Travis Scott)

“SICKO MODE” is one of the most famous Rap songs of all time. To the surprise of absolutely nobody who’s been keeping up with these yearly retrospectives, I hadn’t heard it before.

I was shocked by how weird and unorthodox it is – this is the kind of experimental Rap I expect on the high-rated list, not the Billboard one. I quite liked it.

8 – Talk (Khalid)

The version I heard features Disclosure, but the official Billboard version is just listed as Khalid. Weird.

The production in “Talk” is what I liked most about it. It’s luscious and synth-heavy, and the melodies work well over the top of it.

So far, I’m shocked by how much better 2019 is being compared to previous years. Let’s see if that streak continues.

7 – 7 Rings (Ariana Grande)

… Never mind.

Ariana Grande copies “The Sound of Music” and sings it over a Trap beat. Not for me.

6 – Happier (Marshmello and Bastille)

A generic Pop / Club song. I expected better from Bastille.

5 – Wow (Post Malone)

Post Malone has a Country Rap style that I rarely like. “Wow” doesn’t do it for me – I don’t like these kinds of Rap songs over a deep bass with no other substance or notable production features.

4 – Bad Guy (Billie Eilish)

Billie Eilish took the world by storm in 2019. Many of her songs could’ve made this Billboard list, as I heard them everywhere, but I’m not surprised that “Bad Guy” has been singled out.

It’s kooky, her lazed vocals have become a trademark, and on an unrelated note I might go and play some “Plants Vs. Zombies” later.

3 – Without Me (Halsey)

Ouch. This is the kind of bland Pop I was expecting.

Halsey’s vocals are nice, but the song itself is so shallow it hurts.

2 – Sunflower (Post Malone and Swae Lee)

Is “Sunflower” carried by the fact it appeared in one of the greatest comic book movies of all time? Yeah, a little, but I think it still slaps in its own right.

The verses are good, but the choruses (once an actual melody comes in) is what I always look forward too.

1 – Old Town Road (Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus)

This song had no right to be as big as it was.

“Old Town Road” kept breaking Billboard records for sales and longevity, and it’s so boring. It jumps on a Country-Rap trend and flounders at it.

FAVOURITE – “Sunflower” (Post Malone and Swae Lee)

LEAST FAVOURITE – “7 Rings” (Ariana Grande)

Top-Rated Songs

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

10 – Movies (Weyes Blood)

Weyes Blood takes a page out of Muse’s book for “Movies” – an operatic, dramatic song with arpeggiating synths straight from space.

9 – WHAT’S GOOD (Tyler, The Creator)

One of the weirder songs from “IGOR”.

“WHAT’S GOOD” has some thumping synths, and the groove is really solid.

8 – The greatest (Lana Del Rey)

“The greatest” was a bit slow for my liking. The songwriting is nice, but I wasn’t too engaged.

Other songs from the album like “Doin’ Time” and “Fuck it I love you” should’ve made it in this song’s place.

7 – Not (Big Thief)

Big Thief harken back to a simpler time in music, when community and melody were what drove songs.

“Not” has some fantastic lyrics and a great, understated performance.

6 – NEW MAGIC WAND (Tyler, The Creator)

“IGOR” is quite a level album in terms of energy, but “NEW MAGIC WAND” comes across as a lot more aggressive than some of the others.

It has some Kendrick levels of spitting. A highlight of rapping on the album for sure.

5 – EARFQUAKE (Tyler, The Creator)

“EARFQUAKE” had over a billion streams on Spotify – by the far the biggest hit from “IGOR”. Which is weird because it’s far from the best song.

It sounds big and beefy, but it doesn’t have as much substance as other songs from the album.

4 – Andromeda (Weyes Blood)

I really like Weyes Blood’s ethereal, spacey production and vocal style. “Andromeda” is perhaps her best showcase of it.

The subject matter fits her theme to a tee. The little guitar parts are delightful.

3 – GONE, GONE / THANK YOU (Tyler, The Creator)

There are three sections in “GONE, GONE / THANK YOU”, each one better than the last.

The first bit is sickly sweet but it’s enjoyable, then Tyler comes in with a slick Rap verse, and then the “THANK YOU” part gets stuck in your head for the rest of your life.

2 – Mariners Apartment Complex (Lana Del Rey)

I think Lana Del Rey’s downbeat style suffers from being in a strong year. Her slower, drearier songs sound dull in comparison.

Her vocals are lovely on “Mariners Apartment Complex”, I’ll give her that.

1 – Venice Bitch (Lana Del Rey)

“Venice Bitch”, on the other hand, is a much better song.

It’s a nine-minute sonic journey with phenomenal lyrics which drew me into the story. Best song on the album for sure.

BEST SONG OF 2019 – “GONE, GONE / THANK YOU” (Tyler, The Creator)

Top-Rated Albums

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

5 – Schlagenheim (black midi)

“Schlagenheim”, black midi’s debut album, is just as nuts as their later work. It’s the kind of experimental, avant-garde Rock that only Geordie Greep could be capable of.

I’m not as familiar with their first outing, but I had an enjoyable albeit perplexing time. My favourites are the opener “953”, “Western” and “bmbmbm”.

4 – MAGDALENE (FKA Twigs)

Wow. I didn’t know music could sound like that.

FKA Twigs’ style of airy, high-pitched vocals over lush soundscapes is way more engrossing than I was expecting. When the beats do kick in, they hit hard.

Fantastic album front to back, and it ends on my favourite – “cellophane”. Those vocals are masterful.

3 – Titanic Rising (Weyes Blood)

Weyes Blood is one of the most distinct, cinematic voices in modern music.

Her sweeping, orchestral style across “Titanic Rising” is mesmeric. The best songs are probably “Andromeda” and “Movies” but they’re all good.

2 – IGOR (Tyler, The Creator)

Sometimes an album starts and you just know it has the sauce.

“Igor” is absolutely one of the best Rap albums of the decade. Tyler, The Creator brings such a unique spin on the genre, and songs like “GONE, GONE / THANK YOU” are a mainstay on my playlist.

1 – Norman Fucking Rockwell! (Lana Del Rey)

“Norman Fucking Rockwell!” won’t be my favourite album of the year, but I can see why it’s so highly regarded.

This is absolutely Lana Del Rey’s finest hour. She gives diverse performances on every song, and highlights like “Venice Bitch” are worth the price of admission.

BEST ALBUM OF 2019 – “IGOR” (Tyler, The Creator)

Final Thoughts

I was genuinely surprised by the hits and albums. Some of the Billboard songs were quite catchy, and the albums were all impressive in different ways.

Overall Grade: B

BONUS – The Decade Reviewed

As is tradition whenever I reach the final year of a decade, I’ll look back and give an overall score to the decade at large.

It’s not all doom and gloom for Pop music, as I once suspected for the 2010’s, but the overall quality is noticeably dipping. There were as many dud years as there were good ones.

Decade Grade: C+

Aaaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: