Akini's Top 100 Songs of 2022: [#1]

[JSparksFan]

Where did 2022 go? The year sprinted to the finish line, yet so much happened. I listened to an unprecedented volume of new music, though it’s still a largely familiar, predictable bunch in the poll below. Which gem do y’all think wins?

[crystalphoenix]

Hype! I'm thinking it'll come down to "Beach House" VS "Easy," so I gave my vote to the former, since it's still riding such a high with you right now. I feel like "Surface Pressure"/Encanto hype in general fizzled out too soon to remain a strong YE No. 1 contender (but maybe I'm just projecting a bit there).

[JSparksFan]

Hype! I'm thinking it'll come down to "Beach House" VS "Easy," so I gave my vote to the former, since it's still riding such a high with you right now. I feel like "Surface Pressure"/Encanto hype in general fizzled out too soon to remain a strong YE No. 1 contender (but maybe I'm just projecting a bit there).

Quality analysis, as expected! Let's see what happens.

[JSparksFan]

100. Steve Lacy - Bad Habit

I wish I knew
I wish I knew you wanted me...
I bite my tongue, it's a bad habit
Kinda mad that I didn't take a stab at it

A song that had the opportunity to grow on me by being regularly featured over the summer within the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 (making it eligible for the Billboard Top Ten game I host), "Bad Habit" is an indie-R&B gem, with rather eclectic and colourful production. I appreciate how the beat switches cadence in the second half of the track; it almost feels like a shift to a new track.

Quality Rating: 8.2/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #2
Play Count: 36

099. Demi Lovato - Skin of My Teeth

Askin' why doesn't make it easier
Go easier on me

I love the message of this song - essentially requesting grace while publicly battling addiction - but I do think it could've been bigger. The bridge, where there's that cool backing vocal effect that adds to the sense of urgency and significance to the affair, arrives a bit early, but it sets the stage for a big vocal or melodic takeoff that never takes flight. Talk about musical edging. There's room for meatier verses, too. A song of this magnitude likely needed a runtime longer than 2:42.

Quality Rating: 8.2/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #7
Play Count: 15

098. Kendrick Lamar x Taylour Paige - We Cry Together

You the reason, we overlooked, underpaid, under-booked, under shame
If you look, I don't speak, then I'm called on my name
I am flawed, I am pained, never yours, I remained

In truth, as impressed as I am by this song's balanced perspective, it's too heavy for me to enjoy playing regularly. Toxicity in relationships is something that's always terrified me and to hear this played out so graphically is too much for me at times. I do give credit for the random Florence + the Machine sample - at least someone liked 'High as Hope'. The music video for this is incredibly well done and comfortably among my favourite clips of 2022.

Quality Rating: 8.2/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #4
Play Count: 10

097. Todrick Hall - Dance Forever

When the cool kids grow up, they're never cool

A pretty straightforward dance-pop jam, the bit I love about "Dance Forever" is Todrick laying a softer, near-whispered vocal during the verses to contrast with the more intense affair in the chorus. The guitar solo preceding the final chorus is a funky punctuation choice.

Quality Rating: 8.2/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: NR
Play Count: 10

096. Meghan Trainor - Mama Wanna Mambo (feat. Natti Natasha & Arturo Sandoval)

Where we can drop it low
Baby, keep it hot and keep it tropical

A lot of 'Takin' It Back' sounds quite similar track to track, but "Mama Wanna Mambo" is the calypso-inspired exception. (Apparently, Meghan grew up with a Trinidadian uncle). I love how musically rich this track is - bongos, trumpets, and sax to soundtrack the at-home soccer mom dance party. Natti Natasha adds exciting spice with her verse.

Quality Rating: 8.2/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #6
Play Count: 10

[heppolo]

too soon imo
wouldn't be surprised if my December 31st #1 is my YE #1

[JSparksFan]

too soon imo
wouldn't be surprised if my December 31st #1 is my YE #1

January is usually super busy for me, so gotta knock this out in December!

[JSparksFan]

095. Latto - Wheelie (feat. 21 Savage)

I love when he wear the grey sweats and that print show...
Cook for him like a housewife then f**k him good like a nympho
Pay the rent and the car note, he invest in me like crypto

Though "Big Energy" would be the era's biggest hit, by a huge margin (and really by default), "Wheelie" is the best '777' track. The hypersexual lyrics and transactional sex theme are nothing new in the pantheon of female emcee topics, which I really do think Megan Thee Stallion does best anyway, but the production on this, as well as 21 Savage's verse, which slightly upstages Latto's, are really what put this over the top for me. This really should have done better, though oddly enough I heard "Bitch from da Souf" more this year when I went out than this.

Quality Rating: 8.2/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #2
Play Count: 17

094. The Weeknd - Take My Breath

It's like a dream what she feels with me
She loves to be on the edge
Her fantasy is okay with me

I probably shouldn't be surprised that Abel was able to take a track about erotic asphyxiation and make it such an alluring bop, but I am still kinda surprised. The extended lead-in and outro on the album mix of the track gives the song much-needed mass and was actually the selling factor, after the song had stayed stuck in middling territory for so long with me.

Quality Rating: 8.2/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #3
Play Count: 43

093. Chlöe - Treat Me

Exceptional
You know anything less is unacceptable

The older sister in the fabulous R&B sister-duo of Chloe x Halle, Chlöe as a solo artist wasn't doing it for me before this song. The talent was obviously there, but this was the first time I felt like the material was a good match for her. "Treat Me" is a smooth, dance-R&B banger. Chlöe drops such a confident vocal and the lyrics are so pro-self-love that they're the easiest sell ever. I do wish she'd played a bit more on the voyeuristic energy in the song for the music video, but otherwise, this is definitely the right direction for her.

Quality Rating: 8.2/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #1(x1)
Play Count: 47

092. Harry Styles - Cinema

I just think you're cool
I dig your cinema
Do you think I'm cool, too?
Or am I too into you?

"Cinema" is one of the best-mixed tracks in Harry's catalogue. So much of the track feels like a glacial stroll through a park and even when he funks it up towards the end, it never loses that coolness the protagonist is so concerned about on the track. Fun fact - John Mayer's the lead guitarist on this and he does a fine job in that role!

Quality Rating: 8.2/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #4
Play Count: 16

091. Bonnie Raitt - Made Up Mind

The quiet behind a slamming door
The break of a heart that won't break no more
Get-away wheels in a straight line
Serenade of a made up mind

A cover of a track by Canadian alternative country and indie-rock band the Bros Landredth, Bonnie Raitt lends her legendary vocals to the definitive punctuation mark of a toxic relationship. It's a bluesy take and the guitar-led instrumentation really does lift this to a magical place. I had the opportunity to see her on tour this year and I regret passing on it; I would've loved to experience this one live.

Quality Rating: 8.3/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #4
Play Count: 19

[heppolo]

Demi's song is ok for me. Still can't wrap my head around Meghan's one though, her tone is just cartoonishly grating for me personally.

[cheapthrills]

100 I'd say 100 for Bad Habit is about right - the song has been floating out there and I like it, but don't love it enough to give it more attention.

98 We Cry Together's pain is enough to dull its play for sure. I think when I hosted the survivor for the album a while back, it put the focus on that track for me. I charted it and it did ok, but it won't be making my top 40 either simply because it's such a difficult listen. Taylour Paige's reading is incredible tho.

95 I kind of forgot this song existed tbh, and that whole spin around with long hair on a wheel makes me very anxious But I do remember thinking it didn't get the play it deserved. It is clear I liked Big Energy more than you tho!

94 I'm pretty upset Dawn FM didn't extend Abel's domination, and I've been perplexed about its performance all year. Perhaps people were ready for a break from him after hearing Blinding Lights on repeat forever. Or maybe they felt he needed to move to a different sound, but I think this was fire.

93 Have Mercy was ok, and I think it got more play than it should just because of my affection for the duo, but Treat Me was a huge grower for me. You know how you like a song, but then one day, something snaps, and you realize, oh no - wait - I REALLY like this. For me, it was a drive in my car where I felt the need to bust out the chorus, and it clicked in a huge way.

91 - OMG Bonnie I'm so pleased she made the list! At least when she makes mine, it won't be her only year-end appearance now! Akini, I had NO IDEA this was a cover! I had to go check out the original, and I have to wonder how Bonnie or her team found this song. It sounds good as the original. Of course, I prefer Bonnie's version as she has such superb inflection in her voice that I feel the lyrics. I hope you get a chance to see her on tour; her stop timed badly for me as well. I've seen her live three times - she's fantastic! Luckily, she still loves to tour so hopefully that's not the last chance I'll get.

[JSparksFan]

Demi's song is ok for me. Still can't wrap my head around Meghan's one though, her tone is just cartoonishly grating for me personally.

Is that the case all the time with Meghan? Do you like any of her songs?

100 I'd say 100 for Bad Habit is about right - the song has been floating out there and I like it, but don't love it enough to give it more attention.

Yeah, to quote Madonna, it's very "borderline".

98 We Cry Together's pain is enough to dull its play for sure. I think when I hosted the survivor for the album a while back, it put the focus on that track for me. I charted it and it did ok, but it won't be making my top 40 either simply because it's such a difficult listen. Taylour Paige's reading is incredible tho.

Yeah, I know I said it's a balanced perspective, which it is, but if I had to pick a winner, it's clearly Taylour. However, to consider, that a good chunk of relationships have that kinda toxicity as a regularity...I just can't even digest that.

95 I kind of forgot this song existed tbh, and that whole spin around with long hair on a wheel makes me very anxious But I do remember thinking it didn't get the play it deserved. It is clear I liked Big Energy more than you tho!

You and everyone else!

94 I'm pretty upset Dawn FM didn't extend Abel's domination, and I've been perplexed about its performance all year. Perhaps people were ready for a break from him after hearing Blinding Lights on repeat forever. Or maybe they felt he needed to move to a different sound, but I think this was fire.

The era had a pretty messy rollout, so that certainly impacted its numbers.

93 Have Mercy was ok, and I think it got more play than it should just because of my affection for the duo, but Treat Me was a huge grower for me. You know how you like a song, but then one day, something snaps, and you realize, oh no - wait - I REALLY like this. For me, it was a drive in my car where I felt the need to bust out the chorus, and it clicked in a huge way.

I think it clicked with me when I heard it at the club; I couldn't wait to get home and play it in private!

91 - OMG Bonnie I'm so pleased she made the list! At least when she makes mine, it won't be her only year-end appearance now! Akini, I had NO IDEA this was a cover! I had to go check out the original, and I have to wonder how Bonnie or her team found this song. It sounds good as the original. Of course, I prefer Bonnie's version as she has such superb inflection in her voice that I feel the lyrics. I hope you get a chance to see her on tour; her stop timed badly for me as well. I've seen her live three times - she's fantastic! Luckily, she still loves to tour so hopefully that's not the last chance I'll get.

I read that Bonnie met the band after their 2014 Winnipeg Folk Festival performance, which impressed her, and I guess she kept tabs on them afterwards.

[JSparksFan]

090. Mabel x Jax Jones x Galantis - Good Luck

Going 'round the world, chasin' all the girls
Thinkin' you'll find better, baby
Good luck
Looking for that touch, can't replace real love
Thinkin' you'll find better, baby

Picking up where she left off last year with "Let Them Know", Mabel returned in 2022 with the assistance of house music gurus Jax Jones and Galantis for this rave-ready bop. It has some of that same sauciness that sold me on "Let Me Know".

Quality Rating: 8.3/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #4
Play Count: 11

089. Alvaro Soler x Topic - Solo Para Ti

Que solo canto al viento

Though Alvaro's four years removed from his big European smash "La Cintura", he's still making bops and "Solo Para Ti" is every bit as good as that last song I checked out from him. Props to Benny whose chart introduced me to this.

Quality Rating: 8.3/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #7
Play Count: 12

088. Megan Thee Stallion - Consistency (feat. Jhené Aiko)

Stop playin', I'm tryna see what's up with it
I'm Thee Stallion, I'm tryna get buck with it
He dickin' me down so good, tryna reach my soul
Like you wanna get in touch with it
I'm a real freak bitch from the H, you dig?
"Did you really do a n*gga dirty?" I did

Megan's sweet spot is really mellower mid-tempo melodies, where her bars can stand out without having to compete with a busy beat. As such, "Consistency" was an immediate standout from her 'Traumazine' release.

Quality Rating: 8.3/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #6
Play Count: 10

087. Todrick Hall - Gay Excellence

Blossom homosapiens, have bloomed for generations
Phenomenally brilliant minds create interior designs
The lingo that they use is ours
We make the moves that make the stars
We photograph, we shape the hair
We make the gowns that divas wear
We fight the fight, we win the race
We paint the lips, we beat the face
Our legacy's no mystery
We leave our heels in history
Glitter running through our genes
We're done with dancing in the wings
So strut into the present tense
And bask in your gay excellence
Now work

Todrick really knows how to werq a melody and the bridge on this is sleek gorgeousness! The way the backing vocals serve as a quasi-chorus on the refrain is a fine touch. I want the producers to incorporate this on Drag Race in some way.

Quality Rating: 8.4/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #10
Play Count: 10

086. Carrie Underwood - Poor Everybody Else

Lips are red, heels are high
Dress is short, it's on skin tight
Oh, get ready or get out of thе way
When she rolls in, rockin' like a hurricane
Better watch your man
Better watch yourself
'Cause when she walks in
Poor everybody else

I love when Carrie rocks out and this certainly has some lioness lyrics, but the verses could've been fully fleshed out for even more of an impactful moment and the vocal in some places sounds a bit muffled. Not sure if that was a conscious producer's move or not, but I dislike it. Overall, the song's more than half-baked, but not fully baked. I'd say 84%.

Quality Rating: 8.4/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #4
Play Count: 16

[cheapthrills]

So I don't know any of the songs in your last set, but I am doing my due diligence because I have time to kill:

• Good Luck - Oh, wait I have heard this one. I like Mabel, but it's clearly forgettable for me.
• Alvaro Soler x Topic - Solo Para Ti - There was a period where I was listening to a lot of Latin music, but I kind of fell off the carousel on that one because it was sounding samey to me. But there is something appealing about this one that is more dance than the reggaeton-based music I was bored of.
• This was a pleasant listen, but the voices are so blended together, it feels more like an instrumental than lyrics to focus on. And it feels more Jhene than Megan?
• I feel my fabulosity quotient significantly improved after listening to Todrick Hall's song.
• This is by far the winner of the set though. Definitely here for rocker Carrie. I might have to file this away for the new year.

[crystalphoenix]

• "Bad Habit" doesn't do much for me, but I'm happy for Steve (seems like a compelling success story of putting out singles for several years, nothing cracking the Top 40, but gradually building online traction/a niche fanbase until the right song connected with the masses in a BIG big way)
• Wasn't expecting "Mama Wanna Mambo" to appear here (or even anything from Takin' It Back). I appreciate the insight about her uncle
• Very different reactions to "Take My Breath" For me, it's more like "stretching out a 'mid' track just makes it 'mmmmiiiiiiiiidddddddddd'." There are some gems on Dawn FM, but so much about that project's rollout didn't make sense to me
• "Cinema" always brings you to mind/your enthusiasm for it definitely helped bump it up my HH rankings

[Benny]

089. Alvaro Soler x Topic - Solo Para Ti

Yes!!!

[Thriller]

I’ll try Beach House ftw.

Good Luck and Gay Excellence my favourites so far!

[JSparksFan]

So I don't know any of the songs in your last set, but I am doing my due diligence because I have time to kill:

• Good Luck - Oh, wait I have heard this one. I like Mabel, but it's clearly forgettable for me.
• Alvaro Soler x Topic - Solo Para Ti - There was a period where I was listening to a lot of Latin music, but I kind of fell off the carousel on that one because it was sounding samey to me. But there is something appealing about this one that is more dance than the reggaeton-based music I was bored of.
• This was a pleasant listen, but the voices are so blended together, it feels more like an instrumental than lyrics to focus on. And it feels more Jhene than Megan?
• I feel my fabulosity quotient significantly improved after listening to Todrick Hall's song.
• This is by far the winner of the set though. Definitely here for rocker Carrie. I might have to file this away for the new year.

Ah, I appreciate you taking the time to check out those tracks!

I wonder if I can grab Spain and submit "Solo Para Ti" for this month's FSC. I should probably check.

Nah, I think there's a good bit of Meg in it; we just have come to not expect that sound from her, but I knew it was her secret weapon since 2020's "Outside".

Always good to be nutrient-rich in fabulosity. He's as talented as he is problematic.

Yeah, Carrie's finest moment on Idol was her cover of a rock classic. Actually, her second-finest moment was her taking on a rock song, too. She does rock well!

• "Bad Habit" doesn't do much for me, but I'm happy for Steve (seems like a compelling success story of putting out singles for several years, nothing cracking the Top 40, but gradually building online traction/a niche fanbase until the right song connected with the masses in a BIG big way)
• Wasn't expecting "Mama Wanna Mambo" to appear here (or even anything from Takin' It Back). I appreciate the insight about her uncle
• Very different reactions to "Take My Breath" For me, it's more like "stretching out a 'mid' track just makes it 'mmmmiiiiiiiiidddddddddd'." There are some gems on Dawn FM, but so much about that project's rollout didn't make sense to me
• "Cinema" always brings you to mind/your enthusiasm for it definitely helped bump it up my HH rankings

Ouch at that "Take My Breath" mini-review. I get where you're coming from, though.

Yeah, I feel like its ranking perhaps undersells how much I like it. It's smooth as butter, but there was so much better from others this year

089. Alvaro Soler x Topic - Solo Para Ti

Yes!!!

Your impact! <3

I’ll try Beach House ftw.

Good Luck and Gay Excellence my favourites so far!

"Beach House" is the fave pick this year. Let's see what happens!

Here for the Todrick appreciation.

[JSparksFan]

085. Panic! at the Disco - All by Yourself

When the houselights dim and the show begins
All the aliens touch down on stage
If we could read the script of our future
We would never turn the page

This glam rock ballad features such powerful, perfect vocals. I love its emotion. My singular gripe is that the chorus is too bare for my liking - much of it is dutiful repetition of the title of the track. I've considered that perhaps that was by design, to isolate the chorus largely to that lyric to drive home the message - "all by yourself" literally being all by itself (mostly) - but if that was done purposely, it was the wrong call.

Quality Rating: 8.4/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: NR
Play Count: 10

084. Ari Lennox - Pressure

Don't need nobody, but I'll take you down tonight
And I'm okay with bein' nasty
Too f**kin' hot for all these clothes anyway

This sultry R&B jam isn't Ari Lennox at her most soulful, but it may be Ari Lennox at her most assertively sensual and I'm here for it. To a greater extent than ever before, so too was the GP, as this is her highest-charting solo single to date.

Quality Rating: 8.4/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #5
Play Count: 24

083. Lizzo - About Damn Time

It's bad bitch o'clock, yeah, it's thick-thirty

The official lead single after "Rumours" garnered a mixed reception, this disco-pop bop with funk charm became one of the year's biggest hits and set the stage well for 'Special'. I must admit that I'm partial to the Purple Disco Machine remix, which adds more pep to the track. In all versions of the track, though, Lizzo does a great job stamping her personality on the music. She has such a great brand.

Quality Rating: 8.4/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #1(x1)
Play Count: 40

082. Panic! at the Disco - Sad Clown

Your majesty's magnificent, my tragedy is imminent
Even though I'm smiling, I'm crying

"Sad Clown" is an intense power pop track. It reminds me of those lip-syncs on Drag Race where the queen, in an effort to avoid elimination, pops out a full showcase of all her cirque du soleil tricks, dipping and cartwheeling irrespective of whether or not the moment calls for such a display. Obsessive tangent aside, though "Sad Clown" does throw kitchen sink after kitchen sink at its listener, I do love its overall melodrama and the quirky Italian inserts are a clever, well-timed touch.

Quality Rating: 8.5/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #3
Play Count: 10

081. Taylor Swift - Dear Reader

Dear reader, if it feels like a trap
You're already in one
Dear reader, get out your map
Pick somewhere and just run
Dear reader, burn all the files
Desert all your past lives
And if you don't recognize yourself
That means you did it right...
Dear reader, bend when you can
Snap when you have to
Dear reader, you don't have to answer
Just 'cause they asked you
Dear reader, the greatest of luxuries is your secrets
Dear reader, when you aim at the devil
Make sure you don't miss

On my first pass-through of 'Midnights', "Dear Reader" was an immediate standout. The Hallmark-esque lyrics were instantly memorable and I love its melody. I think there are two factors that forestall this from going all the way for me. The first is that when Taylor steps out of her "Dear reader" pattern in the third verse, the cadence is chopped and the magic feels lost. The second is that this advice columnist energy was just captured on predecessor album 'Evermore', on my top track from that project no less - "Long Story Short" (no. 2 on my year-end chart last year and my second-most-played Taylor Swift song of the last 10 years). So while I don't shallowly dismiss retreads, they are docked a few extra points if they don't stack up.

Quality Rating: 8.5/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #2
Play Count: 21

[Tansike]

Ah, so it already begins!

There are a bunch of options I would like to see coming out on top, but I went with Catwalk in the poll just because it's RuPaul and I love everything RuPaul related.

100. Steve Lacy - Bad Habit
099. Demi Lovato - Skin of My Teeth
098. Kendrick Lamar x Taylour Paige - We Cry Together
096. Meghan Trainor - Mama Wanna Mambo (feat. Natti Natasha & Arturo Sandoval)

Haven't heard Bad Habit it but it's been so big and I'm coming across that song so much (looking at charts, critics lists etc.) so I'm putting it on my list to check out for later this week.

Skin Of My Teeth was good, but not a standout on Holy Fvck. Demi's been rather underrated lately.

Love We Cry Together, my personal favorite on Kendrick's album. Such an intense collab!
Same with Mama Wanna Mambo, also my favorite song on Takin' It Back and one that has huge single/hit potential imo. So happy that one made your list!

094. The Weeknd - Take My Breath
093. Chlöe - Treat Me
092. Harry Styles - Cinema

090. Mabel x Jax Jones x Galantis - Good Luck
089. Alvaro Soler x Topic - Solo Para Ti
088. Megan Thee Stallion - Consistency (feat. Jhené Aiko)
086. Carrie Underwood - Poor Everybody Else

All solid tunes that I enjoy - with one big highlight in both groups: Poor Everybody Else. It's been my favorite non single from Denim & Rhinestones, I love when Carrie takes a rockier side

085. Panic! at the Disco - All by Yourself
083. Lizzo - About Damn Time
082. Panic! at the Disco - Sad Clown
081. Taylor Swift - Dear Reader

About Damn Time was such a moment for Lizzo. Super happy for her, though the song didn't click with me as much as I wanted it to.
Panic released a good album this year.

Taylor <3 Will be super exciting to see how many entries she will have on your countdown.

[Thriller]

Ari Lennox and Lizzo both groovy AF, would've expected Lizzo higher!

[heppolo]

P!ATD almost got back to form for me with some of their recent singles, "Sad Clown" in particular.

[JSparksFan]

Ah, so it already begins!

Yep. I've decided to make 12/1 my official, fixed start date!

There are a bunch of options I would like to see coming out on top, but I went with Catwalk in the poll just because it's RuPaul and I love everything RuPaul related.

"You Don't Know Me" was no. 2 on my 2020 year-end list, as it had the impossible task of taking on "August". Will be interesting to see if Drag Race finally gets a no. 1 here after getting as far as no. 2 before.

Haven't heard Bad Habit it but it's been so big and I'm coming across that song so much (looking at charts, critics lists etc.) so I'm putting it on my list to check out for later this week.

I think it'll be just okay for you, but curious to shear your thoughts.

Skin Of My Teeth was good, but not a standout on Holy Fvck. Demi's been rather underrated lately.

What are your 'Holy Fvck' highlights?

Love We Cry Together, my personal favorite on Kendrick's album. Such an intense collab!
Same with Mama Wanna Mambo, also my favorite song on Takin' It Back and one that has huge single/hit potential imo. So happy that one made your list!

Yay. Glad someone else likes "Mama Wanna Mambo". I think Meghan Trainor gets unfairly dismissed sometimes.

All solid tunes that I enjoy - with one big highlight in both groups: Poor Everybody Else. It's been my favorite non single from Denim & Rhinestones, I love when Carrie takes a rockier side

Good to read such glowing reviews for Carrie.

About Damn Time was such a moment for Lizzo. Super happy for her, though the song didn't click with me as much as I wanted it to.

I find most of her big hits don't click with me as much as her minor hits do.

Panic released a good album this year.

Indeed! So cohesive.

Taylor <3 Will be super exciting to see how many entries she will have on your countdown.

Hopefully enough for the universe to bless me with affordable tickets. I spoke about my struggle to get T-Swizzle tickets with a partner at my firm and apparently the firm has tickets. I just need to find new business for the firm between now and April and I can go with a client contact. So I probably won't be going.

Ari Lennox and Lizzo both groovy AF, would've expected Lizzo higher!

It was cute, but it's no "Juice".

P!ATD almost got back to form for me with some of their recent singles, "Sad Clown" in particular.

Did you check out their album?

[JSparksFan]

080. Kygo - Dancing Feet (feat. DNCE)

I don't wanna dance another beat, no, unless it's with you

Kygo's productions are generally a bit airy for me, but this one is less airy than usual and DNCE are an unlikely but effective collab partner for this simple, inoffensive, but ultimately fun dance affair. This is actually my second-most-played Kygo track, though it's almost 300 spins behind his "Higher Love" best.

Quality Rating: 8.5/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #3
Play Count: 16

079. Alesso x Katy Perry - When I'm Gone

You're chasin' the danger
It's just in your nature
Look for me in strangers

I remember when this came out, there were mini-alarm-bells going off from pop fans that Katy was back. I think the comparatively sparse dance production isn't the best fit for her voice, but the hook is still pretty solid.

Quality Rating: 8.5/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #2
Play Count: 24

078. Todrick Hall - Higher

At this speed, don't give the girls no rest
I want one hundred percent, no less
We're dirty, dancing with finesse
Spin it, spin it, spin it so damn good

"Higher" gives strong spin instructor energy. It's glossed in queerness, from the lyrics to the production, and I love its fun/fierceness dual dose. His vocal on this is so comfortable and commanding. If I weren't sat in bed typing this write-up, this song would probably send me to my living room for a three-minute dance workout.

Quality Rating: 8.5/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #6
Play Count: 10

077. Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero

It's me, hi
I'm the problem, it's me
At teatime, everybody agrees

We're oftentimes our worst critics and Taylor took that thought to task on "Anti-Hero". I think its melodic progression is smooth, but its video is its biggest selling point for me. That funeral scene is everything for me. I wish the song actually included those spoken bits. Interestingly enough, while on the Hot 100 "Anti-Hero" has blocked huge singles from the likes of Rihanna, Drake, and Mariah (for now) from the no. 1 spot, on my superior daily chart, "Anti-Hero" has been the one blocked by multiple tracks, including her own "Karma" and "Midnight Rain", as well as Kacey Musgraves's "Oh, What a World".

Quality Rating: 8.5/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #2
Play Count: 65

076. Thomas Rhett x Katy Perry - Where We Started

I'd be playin' my guitar
Singin' them covers in an empty room

The lyrics here are thoroughly unspectacular, but the melody is such a gentle sway, and Thomas and Katy's vocals such a perfect, complementary pairing that this is quite an easy song to put on repeat. Katy actually feels more at home on this country-pop cut than the dance number she did with Alesso.

Quality Rating: 8.5/10
Akini's Daily Top 20 Peak: #4
Play Count: 35

[Thriller]

When I’m Gone should’ve been a bigger hit tbh.

[crystalphoenix]

• I thought the GP had mostly burned out on Lizzo after her 2019 omnipresence and "Rumors"-type chart runs (high fan-driven debut followed by a fast fall) would be the best she could manage these days, but I'm very glad that "About Damn Time" proved me VERY wrong! I didn't realize you had strong feelings about the Purple Disco Machine Remix, but I can definitely hear what you mean
• I've been neglecting "Dear Reader," but I do appreciate its self-depricating tone/self-awareness: "never take advice from someone who's falling apart" (since I've been guilty of doling out advice/handing down judgement when I should've been more focused on getting my own sh*t together first) I also adore that "bend...snap" part you highlighted!
• I really thought "Dancing Feet" was older, but nope: late-February 2022
• On paper, "When I'm Gone" should've been a slam-dunk for me, but something about it never clicked (always in-one-ear-and-out-the-other)
• Would've loved to see "Anti-Hero" higher, but I knew it's not among your Midnights top-faves, and it's only been out for less than two months, so...it is what it is That "it's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me" hook is just SUCH a perfect pairing of catchy + relatable for me. It's stalled at No. 2 on my chart too, but that might finally change soon...

[JSparksFan]

When I’m Gone should’ve been a bigger hit tbh.

Oh, wow. I just checked its chart peaks and yeah, I agree. I thought it did better!

I thought the GP had mostly burned out on Lizzo after her 2019 omnipresence and "Rumors"-type chart runs (high fan-driven debut followed by a fast fall) would be the best she could manage these days, but I'm very glad that "About Damn Time" proved me VERY wrong! I didn't realize you had strong feelings about the Purple Disco Machine Remix, but I can definitely hear what you mean

I was glad about it, too, though I do wonder if the "About Damn Time" success drove up her tour ticket prices! 'Cause when I saw those numbers, I realised I didn't like Lizzo as much as I thought I did.

I've been neglecting "Dear Reader," but I do appreciate its self-depricating tone/self-awareness: "never take advice from someone who's falling apart" (since I've been guilty of doling out advice/handing down judgement when I should've been more focused on getting my own sh*t together first) I also adore that "bend...snap" part you highlighted!

Yeah, I'm big on the bend/snap bit, too.

I really thought "Dancing Feet" was older, but nope: late-February 2022

I feel like the concept of time has been so weird since covid.

On paper, "When I'm Gone" should've been a slam-dunk for me, but something about it never clicked (always in-one-ear-and-out-the-other)

Yeah, I get that.

Would've loved to see "Anti-Hero" higher, but I knew it's not among your Midnights top-faves, and it's only been out for less than two months, so...it is what it is That "it's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me" hook is just SUCH a perfect pairing of catchy + relatable for me. It's stalled at No. 2 on my chart too, but that might finally change soon...

Did any of its several remixes help push it back up?