Michael's Cut

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At one point, I thought this list couldn’t get done, let alone an article about it. Though I started the re-listening period last January, I was also an undergraduate preparing for spring commencement. A dilemma approached me, one that had beaten me multiple times. I tried to balance my academics, but what about my social life, the friends I’ll never see again after this year because I absolutely hate Washington? And what about rent? Who’s gonna dress in cashmere to serve a bunch of picky 5-year olds lunch? Simply put, I had no time to finish these rankings.

Around August, I resumed the journey, and what a patient six months I indulged in. Re-listening to around 130 albums was so fun! I love when opinions about an album change; it makes me refer back to my notes and question everything I initially wrote. Feelings were hurt, all were mine and internalized. Numbers shouldn’t matter, but it didn’t stop me from making this list.

I learned how to break down each section into smaller bits. I wonder if you’ll agree with my takes, but, regardless, I hope you find a song or work you like or will check out later. Enjoy.

50. “Looking for Somebody,” The 1975

With a telescope, “Looking for Somebody” scrutinizes American patrol on gun violence in school with an immense ‘80s new wave rendition. All controversies aside, Matt Healy puts on his most charismatic, poppy act, wavering with the wind and letting loose on an otherwise haunting premise. Major props to the brass for furthering the track’s vibrancy.

49. “damn,” Fujii Kaze

Fujii Kaze was destined to be a pop star, and “damn” finally recognizes him behavinglike one. The use of guitars electrifies his presence as he shouts the chorus to a sold-out stadium, and he reaches into a falsetto one note shy from penetrating, a calculated risk for the sake of ear-worm territory.

48. “Bites on My Neck,” yeule

“Bites on My Neck” masters one proposition sucking you into yeule’s rattled dimension, a chorus drop screaming into the void. Exhausted from the fallout of a relationship, the Singaporean artist decides to head-bang until the blood and trauma thwart into scabs, both physical and romantic.

47. “The Heart Part 5,” Kendrick Lamar

“The Heart Part 5” marks the end of one chapter of Lamar’s impactful career. It’s easier to get lost in the fame than acknowledge your role as a leader, though he handles this responsibility with honor. Funk and disco rhythms smoothen these heavy conversations for an audience that has been there since Section .80, and even before that. Fuck the behavior that infringes on Black culture, it’s time to remind ourselves who or what the real enemy is, and that’s not our people.

46. “Un Día Cualquiera,” Silvana Estrada

Unlike the rest of Marchita, “Un Dia Cualquiera” submits to stomps, clasps, and Estrada’s womanly voice for its majority. Organs and vocal tracks fill the midsection for variance, but only so briefly. Not long until she commands your attention once again, claiming dominance in an arena in which she unapologetically takes up space.

45. “Forgive Yourself,” Foxes

Several years following her vocal contributions to “Oasis,” Foxes still seems like a pop act waiting for breakthrough. Perhaps this standout track off The Kick might be the one to take her all the way. No matter, “Forgive Yourself” taps into James Greenwood’s most dramatic tapestries, easing her robust voice into a gravitational pull once that chorus quenches. It’s her voice that carries you to the state of euphoria.

44. “Hyper,” Gospel

The foreshadowing of an apocalypse produced preparation, though not enough to save you from its catastrophe. Gospel built “Hyper” with titanium, shielding off enemies with complex guitar roars and battle cries. Simultaneously, the band boasts its presence as a sort of reward: there in Adam Dooling’s pupils permeates rebirth, beautiful for a band hibernating for the past 17 years.

43. “Higher,” Daniel Avery

Daniel Avery’s production always left a caveat that his next idea’ll be explosive. With “Higher,” he matches this exhilaration. There’s a great understanding about texture, how to constrict you in its overwhelming polar sensation, but also how to release. Synth notes, like beacons, shine over the waves of synth bass and drum-and-bass production. As the Western world sleeps, it roams freely on the road, affected by the aftermath of the cold rain.

42. “Pamela,” Chat Pile

“Pamela” expels depression in all its caveats. The haunted walkthrough of our singer’s weary voice, a once joyous tone cracked to gravel since their child drowned in the lake. Pain meets catharsis the longer you accompany this doomed confession, with the breakdown pounding against the heavy guitar walls. What’s more sinister isn’t its gloomy outtake; it’s the will to suffer until the the parent’s inevitable demise.

41. “Ain’t No Thief,” Viagra Boys

The Swedish firebrands enter the party with a look that could pop a bounce house. No, they didn’t steal your grandmother’s coat, though these accusations allow “Ain’t No Thief” to swell in the chaos, slicing through people’s feelings with revved guitars and Sebastian Murphy’s coarse scoffing. Industrial production catapult the track’s brute strength. In the end, it’s nothing deeper than about a jacket that could’ve been yours, but at least the lead single prepares you for the other absurdities of Cave World.

40. “I won’t dish out salads,” Otoboke Beaver

The discussions about dishing out salads caused enough contention for the Kyoto quartet to make a song about it. Isn’t that the great thing about punk bands, that they can craft any song about the eccentricities? “I won’t dish out salads” smashes through your door, persuades you in with its mind-numbing hooks, and makes you dishevels your hair all within 82 seconds. Great work, except now you’ve to fix the broken door. And your living room. And your hair.

39. “Everything Goes On,” Porter Robinson & League of Legends

Just like its anime influences, “Everything Goes On” rides on the sentimental highs, though Robinson forces a certain weight on your conscience. Bittersweet feelings surface as he mentions the ocean and its beauty: life’s fading into dust, yet we shouldn’t dwell in the immaterial. The final chorus drives you into all of life’s strong emotions, enough to draw some tears with the use of a chord progression.

38. “Superstar,” Beach House

“Superstar” works best in its simplicity. The same melodies repeat, though there’s enough happening in the mix. A pulsing backbeat, soft guitars, and just a bit of apathy to balance out the music’s pathos. All the while, nostalgia oozes out of this once-was romance. And even if you haven’t experienced a love like this, you could at least see yourself in that car with them, driving along the endless road.

37. “I Saw,” Young Fathers

On “I Saw,” the Mercury Prize winners mix Brexit with action, bloodshed with victory, and power with the people. The government and its bystanders are on blast as the band marches through London, beats formidable and serving as their armor. Slowly, their voices amplify, meshing into each without hesitation for justice, adrenaline rattled. If the world’s supposedly black or white, which side will you defend?

36. “This Hell,” Rina Sawayama

When Rina Sawayama said she was going Shania Twain, I didn’t understand. But “This Hell” delivered on its promise with that odd key change in the pre-chorus, which took a while to appreciate from fans and Reddit forums alike. But after you remove all assumptions of what she can and can’t do it, you really see the song for what it is, a big fuck you to the state of the world. And wouldn’t it be fun to plan a getaway, even if that place is below boiling point, 444.6ºC to be exact?

35. “Asylum,” billy woods

“Asylum” opens Aethiopes like a murder staring through you from the trees. Even the pianos tremble through the hallways. But what if it’s not you that should fear for life, but others around you? As Billy Woods narrates a fellow Ethiopian socialist ruler desperate for asylum, the ethio-jazz tune comes into focus, intertwined with the rapper’s imagery-focused lyricism of dishes breaking, parents fighting, and suitcases being packed. You evade the police, but not without a few of your own hinted to fruition.

34. “Iron Lung,” King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard

The Australian music rats prove just how fun living in the studio can be. “Iron Lung” integrates jazz into the band’s compressed psych-rock sound, even indulging in a jam session with wet guitars, pianos, and woodwinds. The fury usurps the majority of the track, but moments of calmness still exist, serving as quick melodic interludes, by by that point, the band has once again won you over with their virtuosities.

33. “Less Than Zero,” The Weeknd

Given the trajectory of the “Kiss Land” artist’s evolution, the creation of “Less Than Zero” felt imminent, and, alas, a supernova must explode. The song takes no time reaching its ‘80s-inspired bang, with piano arpeggios, keyboard stabs, and dramatic arrangements. The caveat, the instrumental bridge that consumes you into its galactic endeavors. A succinct pop song that sells you the expectation and delivers that confection.

32. “OC93,” The Garden

“OC93” receives fandom and pop culture with less-than-positive reception: “just let me burn like a third degree,” Wyatt Shears vacantly sings. In fact, the premise’s left uncanny. Discussions of decapitated chickens, abstract questions, and the need for certain boots before burning to death sums up this imprisoned punk-rock quarrel. Regardless, all these matters result in extreme thrill, with hardcore guitars and vocals fuming the exhaust pipes in a matter of minutes.

31. “Mista,” Wiki & Subjxct 5

Like a weekday morning, the world’s moving quick. Snares sizzle while the guitar accents tickle the beat, sampled melodies ebb and flow, and voice recordings chatter. Rather than steering clear from the ongoing rush, Patrick Morales comfortably flows against the beats as if he’s swerving through traffic. Guided by Subjxct 5’s busy rhythms, “Mista” pays attention to the details in the madness. Coffee brewing and keys ready, Wiki’s in his bag and on his hustle for greatness.

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