We're now 3/4 of the way through 2019 (...gross), so now's as good a time as any to gather the best songs of 2019 so far. To be honest, it's been a stronger year for music than we could've ever imagined. These are the Best Songs of 2019 So Far.
Rosalía & J. Balvin feat. El Guincho, "Con Altura"
The first real contender for Song of the Summer is here, and it's Spanish pop star Rosalía's new one with J. Balvin, "Con Altura." Co-produced by Frank Dukes (who had a hand in Camila Cabello's sizzling "Havana" a couple of years ago), "Con Altura" is sunshine and cold beer and that artificial coconut sun block smell and the "oh shit it's light past 8 p.m." kind of joy you associate with the warmer months.—Brennan Carley, associate editor
Beyoncé, "Before I Let Go (Homecoming Live Bonus Track)"
Anyone familiar with the storied legacy that is the black cookout can confirm that on any and every playlist is Maze’s "Before I Let Go." It’s a rite of passage… and what does our queen do? Turn the whitest event of the spring into the blackest gathering of the year by creating a pastiche of black greatest hits. We’re still not over it. The track is a sonic representation of blackness through the years, with the baseline referencing another classic, Cameo’s "Candy." Hearing this, we knew her intentions. Beyoncé came to Coachella to show up and show out, all while letting the black people in the crowd, and those listening at home, know through a simple song that she sees us.—Megan Tatem, visual designer
Astrid S, "Someone New"
A proud entrant into the "I am deeply obsessed with you, boo" canon, served up with a twist. "Someone New" is fizzy, fleeting, and supremely fun.—B.C.
Lil Uzi Vert, "Sanguine Paradise"
There’s a very specific moment in this Lil Uzi Vert song where a whole ass horn section comes in at the same time as the bass starts hitting and you hear Uzi shout “MONEY KEEP COMIN IN / I CAN’T LOSE.” The swell of this moment physically makes me feel like I could sprint through a brick wall and then maybe 10 more. For a little while, it felt like we might not ever see him make music ever again, so the fact that Uzi can come back and drop a song this hard is unbelievable. Lil Uzi Vert, you are a genius.—Gabe Conte, digital producer
Lauv & Troye Sivan, "i'm so tired..."
Call me a sucker for Spotify-core songs like this, but they're popular for a reason: a sticky chorus you can root for, stripped-back verses that are excellently co-produced by Max Martin acolyte Oscar Görres, and a gorgeous vocal assist from Troye Sivan. Plus it's about being tired... who can relate?—B.C.
Kevin Abstract, "Peach"
Nailing down that ephemeral feeling that makes a good summer song is borderline impossible. It’s a combo of weightlessness, carelessness, and incredibly intense pining. For whatever reason, rappers and those adjacent seem to be the best at this—Frank Ocean, André 3000, Tyler, the Creator, and now Kevin Abstract are all masters of the summer song. "Peach" captures that exact feeling you remember from your childhood: being outside all day with your friends and not having a single care as the setting sun wraps your world in a haze of magenta, red, and yellow. Those are the days you’ll never have back (sorry), but that’s kind of the whole point of this song. At least the weather's getting nice now.—G.C.
Billie Eilish, "bury a friend"
I am hella susceptible to Feeling Big Emotions when I'm on airplanes, which is why Billie Eilish's "ocean eyes" fucked me up 35,000 feet in the air the first time I heard it in 2017. But things have changed for the young singer since then; "bury a friend" is dark and stuttering noire-pop, with production that sounds like a Yeezus cousin. It's weird. It's kind of upsetting? I love it.—B.C.
BLACKPINK, "Kill This Love"
You know how for about two weeks everyone thought “Sicko Mode” was like, three separate songs they kept hearing on the radio? Blackpink’s “Kill This Love” is the pop equivalent—an amalgamation of brass horns, trap beats that sound like they were crafted from the depths of Missy Elliott’s subconscious, and the slick production value synonymous with K-pop. In other words, a perfect song.—Mick Rouse, research manager
Kaytranada feat. VanJess, “DYSFUNCTIONAL”
If I may be so bold, Kaytranada has the rare ability to make every song he touches sound unmistakably like his own, usually within a matter of seconds. (He’s following in the footsteps of Pharrell and Timbaland on this front.) “DYSFUNCTIONAL” is no different—the thumpy instrumental snatches your attention, so much so that it’ll take a few listens to realize the sister-duo VanJess are, you guessed it, actually singing some pretty depressing lyrics about a basically-dead relationship. And yet, you could totally dance to this. The power of Kaytranada!—Alex Shultz, editorial assistant
The Black Keys, "Lo/Hi"
Literally one week ago I was complaining to my partner that it'd been too long since The Black Keys had released any new music (five years to be exact). And lo and behold, "Lo/Hi," a snarling and immediate little slice of heaven from the Ohio rock stars. Chemistry like theirs is hard to capture; praise be that their years apart didn't dull their spark in any way, shape, or form.—B.C.
Slayyyter, "Daddy AF"
This sounds like Crystal Castles tried to make a Britney Spears song. That is an extremely good thing.—B.C.
FKA twigs, "Cellophane"
In the past year, we have been blessed with two stellar (albeit VERY different) pole-adjacent performances of epic proportions. There was “Money,” the swan song of cash-strapped working mothers everywhere. And now there’s “Cellophane,” FKA twigs’s trippy addition to the pole-dancing music-video canon. But “Cellophane” is no “Money.” It’s a hauntingly breathy, piano-heavy track accompanied by a trippy video that finds twigs gymnastically scaling her pole to meet an animatronic fly with her own face, only to tumble down into red clay. There is glitter. There are platform heels. There is FKA twigs flexing (I mean that literally). It is all gorgeous.
Visuals aside, my favorite thing about this song—and, more generally, about FKA twigs’s music—is that just when you think you get the gist of its sound, it morphs into something totally new. Take the moment at 2:42, when the piano stops and this visceral, metallic-y reverb throws the entire track into free fall before the drum swoops in to lock the tempo back down. (It doesn’t hurt that she just so happens to spiral down her pole at this exact moment.) Or when her voice slides up into falsetto and just...hangs out there for a while (if you can call what twigs’s voice does “hanging out”)? That the track is constantly reconstructing itself is to its credit, throwing the lull of its verses into high-stakes tension. Yes, it’s about vulnerability, but it also turns that fragility into something dynamic and textured, not to mention simply stunning. More, please!—Danielle Cohen, editorial business assistant
R. Tee x Anda, "What You Waiting For"
This song—originally meant for K-pop all stars Blackpink—makes me believe there is still goodness left in this world. I particularly come alive when its twitching chorus explodes, at which point you may—like I did—find your soul leaving your body. It's the best-produced song of the year.—B.C.
Nasty Cherry, "Win"
This is what it would sound like if The Strokes (circa '01) were instead an all-female group that had somehow time-traveled to 2019, grabbed the best bits and bobs of what makes pop so damn good, and brought it back with them. "Win" is as sticky a song as you'll find this year, with a chorus that'll live with you long after the track stops playing. More Nasty Cherry soon, please.—B.C.
Lizzo feat. Missy Elliott, "Tempo"
Slow songs are out, Lizzo colorfully decrees on "Tempo," and who are we to argue? Her new track is electrifying—every bar from the up-and-coming star is perfectly placed. Were it released in May, "Tempo" would've been a strong Song of the Summer contender. Instead, it'll inspire the masses to shake off the last remnants of winter malaise, while also reminding us all that you can never have enough bass, especially when Missy Elliott is involved. Long live Missy.—A.S.
Kim Petras, "Sweet Spot"
Kim Petras made a Daft Punk song. That's it, that's the whole blurb.—B.C.
Shawn Mendes, "If I Can't Have You"
Really, this whole Shawn Mendes song is dynamite, but wow what a chorus. It's like ABBA rose from the metaphorical grave and joined forces once again (yeah, I know they keep promising a comeback EP, but where is it?) to craft a modern-day hook as close to bulletproof as pop can get. Many in the music industry have pointed to the "chorus-first" effect that's been happening lately, a carefully tailored product of the Spotify age that demands immediacy—listeners will smash fast-forward if they're not hooked within the first few seconds, the theory goes, which has caused pop songwriters to literally change the way music is made because of... well, an algorithm, really. So us getting the "If I Can't Have You" chorus within seconds? Calculated, sure. Ingenious, yeah. But first and foremost: catchy as hell, so who are we to complain?—B.C.
YG feat. Tyga, Jon Z, "Go Loko"
I would like for YG to continue rapping for the rest of eternity. "Go Loko" is quickly on its way to becoming a huge summer hit and, in the eternal words of Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development, good for her.—B.C.
Sofia Reyes feat. Rita Ora and Anitta, "R.I.P."
The mother I never had, the sister everybody would want, the friend that everybody deserves: "R.I.P" is a hypnotic trilingual collaboration from Sofia Reyes, Rita Ora, and Brazilian superstar Anitta that brings us one of the year's best, cleanest, stickiest choruses. Cool Whip stock must be shooting through the roof this week.—B.C.
GASHI feat. G-Eazy, "My Year"
I should hate this, I think, but instead I love it and would protect it with my whole life. Also—can G-Eazy do no wrong this year? I am fully sold on him, suddenly and all at once. G-Eazy, I got you.—B.C.
Carly Rae Jepsen, "Real Love"
This will be, without a doubt, the first song that will greet me when I walk through the pearly gates (I am, of course, referencing the front door of my hometown mall and not anything religious, because I'm composting my body when it's my time to go).—B.C.
slowthai, "Nothing Great About Britain"
"Nothing Great About Britain" is a firmly FUCK BREXIT track from one of my favorite voices at the moment. The track is this really perfect blend of modern and mid-aughts grime, and slowthai makes the most of rapping in his distinct off-beat flow over a delightfully menacing beat. The video is absolutely worth a watch as well; it features our protagonist leaning sideways out of a speeding Volkswagen while swinging Excalibur (yeah, like the one from the stone, you know what I’m talking about) above his head. Anyways, fuck Brexit! As you were mate.—G.C.
Lil Uzi Vert, "FREE UZI"
Some point in the deepest, darkest throes of winter, Lil Uzi Vert announced that he was done with music. Stuck in a exploitative record deal, he said, and sick of the pressure he was feeling from needy fans, he told fans: “I wanna take the time out to say I thank each and every one of my supports but I’m done with music - I deleted everything I wanna be normal. I wanna wake up in 2013.” It was a sad and fucked up time for a moment. But lo—this week, like a bolt from the sky, a track entitled Free Uzi dropped with no warning on SoundCloud. Like the first sunny day of spring, this track cured my depression, fixed my acne, and paid off my predatory student loans! When he's having fun, Uzi is the best rapper alive; bouncing around the track with limitless energy, he absolutely shreds all over this one. The beat is a blast, with laser high synths and a bass that feels like it’s rattling inside your head. Lil Uzi Vert is the superhero that rap needs, and it is so, so good to have him back. #FREEUZI—G.C.
Angel Du$t, "Park"
Have you ever wondered what classic rock would sound like if it were played with the same speed and energy of punk and hardcore? Angel Du$t is here to do just that. The Baltimore outfit comprised of members from two of the biggest hardcore bands of this millennium (Trapped Under Ice and Turnstile) just dropped their third and most fully-realized album yet, *Pretty Buff. "Park" shares the same infectious positivity and sentimentality as the rest of the album with lyrics like “Run, run when everything's slow / Whenever grass is green I'll be thinking about you / I'm in love wherever flowers grow,” just, you know, sung by buff, tattooed, hardcore dudes. It’s impossible not to smile and bounce around hearing it, the perfect album for defeating your seasonal depression and punching into a blooming spring.—G.C.
Betta Lemme, "Play"
Vengaboys, is that you?!—B.C.
Cardi B & Bruno Mars, "Please Me"
This is the second attempt at a #TBT from Cardi and Bruno, following up last year's "Finesse," which was also a banger, whether or not you're ready to admit it. Mars doesn't typically take a backseat to other artists, but he cedes the floor here for good reason: His slow-jam pining is a perfect supplement to Cardi bars that fall somewhere between "playfully making fun of '90s hits" and "wait, this is incredible." There were plenty of borderline absurd verses on baby-making jams of decades past, but no one else can match Cardi's accomplishment of comparing basura to horchata in such a, uh, colorful way.—A.S.
Sleater-Kinney, "Hurry On Home"
Menacing and urgent and throttling and sticky all at once, "Hurry On Home" is the first taste of rock legends Sleater-Kinney's upcoming album that's produced by St. Vincent. If the rest sounds anything remotely as good as this, well, we've got an Album of the Year contender on our hands.—B.C.
Ari Lennox, "Chicago Boy"
Shea Butter Baby is, thus far, the R&B album of the year. "Chicago Boy" is the project's opening song, and when a wavy-as-hell steel pedal guitar makes its grand entrance at the 30-second mark, you will immediately feel an overwhelming urge to light some incense and dim the lamps of whatever room you're in. (Please do not do this in a public space.) Lennox is really, really good at crafting songs that are equal-parts sexy and accessible, in that she vividly describes relatable scenarios—literally the first verse is her lusting after a hot dude in a CVS while she's sick and looking for cough drops. She somehow transitions this to lines like "I know that I'm speedin' up this vibe / Is you gon' judge me If I fuck you 'fore I catch this flight?" My only reaction, naturally, is to side with Lennox: Chicago boy, you owe Lennox an answer, ASAP. The rest of you owe Lennox a listen, like right now.—A.S.
Zara Larsson, "Wow"
The best thing to come out of Sweden since Robyn and IKEA (my two mothers), Zara Larsson has one of the most unassailable track records in modern pop. "Wow" keeps that hot streak scorching.—B.C.
J. Cole, "Middle Child"
After posting photos of middle-born children (which earned him the coveted Frankie Muniz Twitter mention), J.Cole dropped the aptly named "Middle Child." It's got the same wavy feel that defined most of 2018's KOD, but with a few spicier verses, including a maybe-probably dig at Kanye West. Cole isn't a complete grouch, though: He tells the next batch of rappers he's rooting for them, while thanking the OGs for their own contributions. He's "dead in the middle of two generations," he raps, and to all of our benefit, it sounds like he's figuring out how to use that to his advantage in 2019.—A.S.
Mark Ronson feat. Camila Cabello, "Find U Again"
A finer pop star than Camila Cabello I do not know—uniquely herself but malleable enough to suit super-producer Mark Ronson's wistful melodies. A perfect song from a perfect duo.—B.C.
Gunna, "Speed It Up"
If you don't already know, Gunna is the most exciting and fun rapper out there right now. On "Speed It Up," the star makes the most out of his quick, sparse, jabbing flow, floating in and out while letting the bars and production complement each other. It’s rolling and hypnotic, a song you won’t realize you’ve somehow left on a loop for 30 minutes straight.—G.C.
Tierra Whack, "CLONES"
I swear this isn’t a weekly Tierra-Whack-Appreciation-Blog but if she keeps releasing slappers like this at this pace, then we truly have no choice. Clones sees the Philly native at her toughest yet. Punching over a rumbly bass, Whack takes shots at everybody who’s biting her style. With bars like “Born and raised in Philly / Fuck around roll like heelie / Heart so cold its chilly” Whack continues to flex on all of us, and she's having a blast doing it. —G.C.
Cheryl, "Let You"
This is just pure, unadulterated Good Pop Music, the likes of which we desperately needed this year.—B.C.
Jess Glynne & Jax Jones, "One Touch"
I cannot wait until I am sick of hearing this song—that time is not now—and I promise you I mean that as the deepest of compliments.—B.C.
Young Thug feat. J. Cole and Travis Scott, “The London”
I live in New York City and was wholly unaware that The London is a luxury hotel here until I looked up the lyrics to this very song on Genius. I don’t think I can necessarily afford to book a room anytime soon, though I will be playing “The London” all summer. Young Thug and Travis Scott already showed they’re a talented duo on “pick up the phone,” but J.Cole might be the surprise star of their latest collaboration. He manages to hold his own while sandwiched directly between them, which I’d imagine is no easy feat.—A.S.
BTS feat. Halsey, "Boy With Luv"
Songs like this are the reason BTS, an international sensation the likes of which we've not seen in a while, is selling out stadiums. The best kind of pop music treats what we've become accustomed to sonically as the ground floor to something much more elevated. "Boy With Luv" elevates us to the heavens.—B.C.
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Da Baby, "Cash Shit"
Look—we know this has more or less become a weekly Megan Thee Stallion column, but can you blame us? Megan’s new album, Fever, is a certified hit. "Cash Shit" stands out; Megan raps a tale about getting men to buy her anything and everything she wants, while Da Baby contributes a verse that basically validates everything she’s saying. It’s a great example of what makes Megan so good: On paper, her lyrics are absurd, but there’s also more truth to them than we know.—G.C.
5 Seconds of Summer, "Easier"
Why fight a good thing when it's this damn good?—B.C.
Alex Cameron, "Miami Memory"
Alex Cameron is back to elevate your relationship goals to kinky new heights. Complete with hand-holding at the strip club and orgasms that register on the Richter scale, “Miami Memory” is a sultry jam for the summer months. Fair warning, though: in a trip back to 2014, the chorus features the line, “Eating your ass like an oyster,” so... brace yourself.—Colin Groundwater, assistant to the editor in chief
FLETCHER, "Undrunk"
You won't find much better songwriting than FLETCHER's here, which includes a tightly wound chorus and verses the likes of which Max Martin is surely seething over.—B.C.
Bhad Bhabie feat. Megan Thee Stallion, "Bestie"
I knew we were in for a treat when Megan Thee Stallion hopped on Bhad Bhabie’s “Bestie” remix, and I wasn't disappointed. The Houston rapper brings her signature flow to the snackable song, replacing a lackluster Kodak Black verse and giving us yet another reason to be excited for her upcoming mixtape Fever (which drops next Friday).—Luke Leifeste, senior social manager
L Devine, "Naked Alone"
Shining, shimmering, splendid, this is a massive sex-positive song that deserves to be played as loud as possible. "All I really need is some sex / Ya feel me?" Come on that's good!—B.C.
Tyler, the Creator, "EARFQUAKE"
I love this new Tyler album, I really really do. It’s dreamy, and bassy, and heartfelt in all the right ways. What I would LOVE to take this moment to do is to present my research on a very important topic that I have spent months (sure?) doing and that is something I have dubbed The Playboi Carti Effect. It’s no secret that Tyler can make a good song, and "Earfquake" is GREAT. But what elevates it to something truly transcendent? I’ll give you a hint and it’s three little words: “ft. Playboi Carti”. Carti’s ability to lend his rapping to any song (See Solange’s "Almeda" for example) and make it something special is one of the most breathtaking things I’ve ever witnessed. Now, without further ado, I present my months worth of data that I’ve collected as a chart to prove my point.—G.C.
Maren Morris feat. Brothers Osborne, "All My Favorite People"
This is the "cold beer on a hot summer night" of songs, something to share with friends, something to savor, something to remember long after it's done. It's also one of Morris's finest records yet. Summer playlists everywhere need this one on there.—B.C.
Ariana Grande, "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored"
The song that launched a million Instagram captions is also better than anything else on the radio right now, and deserves legs long enough to carry it to a Grammy nomination next year.—B.C.
MUNA, "Number One Fan"
Finally, the stan culture thinkpiece we’ve all been waiting for!
In all seriousness, though, this song is the only stan-related writing anyone should be paying attention to right now. It’s got all the boxes of a perfectly addictive pop song checked—its bouncy, head-bobbing rhythm, an earwormy hook, a badass electric-guitar-backed bridge. But it’s really in the lyrics that MUNA cinch the deal here, opening with a gloomy fake-out verse before toying with the language of diehard shippers in the chorus by directing those teenage-fanatic words at...well, themselves: “Oh my God, like, I’m your number one fan / So iconic, like, big, like, stan.” Plus, the track’s grungy music video features the most iconic Dance Dance Revolution scene since Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. Stanning yourself? Great. Stanning MUNA? Even better. Also, we should all be playing way more DDR. Just a suggestion.—D.C.
K.Flay, "Sister"
The press release for K.Flay's new single references "never-ending sleepovers and singing Ace of Base in the living room, and too much Mountain Dew and not being lonely," and damn if that isn't just exactly what this gorgeous, wriggling song sounds like. And sure, on the one hand, "Sister" could play like a story about family, but instead, lyrically it reads much more about chosen family and surrounding yourself with the people you actually want to be there. Her new album, Solutions, is out on July 13. Color us intrigued.—B.C.
Zara Larsson, "All the Time"
The best song the Swedish pop sensation has dropped since her breakout hit "Lush Life," and quite possibly the best pop song of 2019 thus far. This one's going to be hard to beat. Good luck getting it out of your head!—B.C.
Yuna feat. G-Eazy, "Blank Marquee"
This is a stunning piece of throwback pop the likes of which is hard to achieve without feeling corny or nostalgia-baiting. Yuna's gorgeous vocals, G-Eazy's smooth rap, the pristine production—all this song does is win.—B.C.
Sam Smith, "How Do You Sleep?"
*This* is the Sam Smith I have been holding out hope for all these years, the beat-riding, cheeky British superstar at the peak of his sad boy dance pop glory. He's done it before in bits and pieces—Disclosure's "Latch," one of the most perfect songs to ever exists; Calvin Harris's "Promises" comes close, too—but "How Do You Sleep?" is the closest he's come to answering fate's call in a while. The video is just as entrancing as the Max Martin and Co.-crafted song (produced by Max disciple Ilya Salmanzadeh), elevating its twinkling keys and wailing vocals to gayer heights. A serve, all around.
Miranda Lambert, “Mess with My Head”
Killer verses, killer chorus, killer vocals, killer phrasing, killer melodies—you get the gist. This song checks all the boxes, and then some.—B.C.
Brockhampton, “Boy Bye”
This song whips ass. First off, the first minute and a half or so of this song sports just three straight rapid-fire verses in a row from Dom McLennon, Matt Champion, and Kevin Abstract, each one as strong as the last. Joba comes in on the song's back half with these truly haunting, high-pitched, reverb vocals like he’s some sort of spirit trapped in a cave and can only get out if he lures you in. Plus there's a solid Bearface (yes that’s his name! No we will not be taking questions!) verse and a very sticky Merlyn Woods hook, which all adds up to a top notch song from the world’s greatest boy band, Brockhampton.—G.C.
RAYE, “Love Me Again”
Truly one of the most self-assured songs of 2019, “Love Me Again” combines organs and thumping drums and the British singer-songwriter Raye’s warm, evocative way of harmonizing for a master class in pop music. Raye’s already quite well known in the U.K. It’s only a matter of time before the U.S. catches up.—B.C.
Young Thug feat. Gunna, “Surf”
There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that Young Thug is the most creative and talented rapper in the game at the moment. Every song feels like it shouldn’t work on paper, but the reality-defying titan Thugger breaks all written and unwritten rules every time he steps into the studio. “Surf” sees him and Gunna (if Young Thug is the Thanos of rap, Gunna is one of those alien dudes who has a laser sword or something) jump on this absolutely absurd beat filled with synths straight out of the '80s and just completely kill it.—G.C.
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib feat. Killer Mike and Pusha T, “Palmolive”
2 + 2 = 4. Easy! Freddie Gibbs + Madlib = slapper central. Even easier! “Palmolive,” my favorite cut off of Bandanna, is a silky smooth, near perfect track. It feels like Madlib constructed this warm, fuzzy, soulful beat specifically as a playground for Gibbs, Killer Mike, and Pusha T to frolic in. While Gibbs and Pusha take turns trying to prove who's the more terrifying rapper, Killer Mike throws in a dreamy hook that somehow flows together into one beautiful word. This song makes me feel like I’m in one of those slow-mo shots from an '80s movie where the character arrives to L.A. and drives a convertible down that street with all the palm trees. I don’t even like L.A., but that’s just how good this shit is!
Normani, “Motivation”
Please do not mistake me when I say that this song might be the best of the year. It’s a hell of a strong start for the former Fifth Harmony standout, a statement and a rallying cry and a strong, incredibly impassioned flex. A star is goddamned born.—B.C.
Ed Sheeran feat. Camila Cabello and Cardi B, “South of the Border”
Pan flutes. So many pan flutes. I will not succumb to the pan flutes. I will never succu… I have succumbed to the damn pan flutes.
TK—B.C.
Jennifer Lopez feat. French Montana, “Medicine”
Does this JLo banger sound like it time-traveled from 2014 to the present day? Yes. Is Hustlers the best movie of the year? Also yes. Don’t be on the wrong side of history.—B.C.
Hayley Kiyoko, “I Wish”
Kiyoko won 2018 with “Curious,” her perfect piece of subversive songwriting; she’s going to win 2019 with “I Wish,” a retro (in sample alone) winner of a follow-up.—B.C.
Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, “Old Town Road”
On August 19, after an absurd 19 weeks, "Old Town Road" was dethroned from the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 by Billie Eilish, falling all the way to... No. 3. But this is not an obit—it's a celebration. The first time we wrote up a Songs of the Year So Far list, "Old Town Road" somehow didn't make the cut, a mistake that's being amended here. In our defense: Sometimes, something can become so firmly ingrained in The Culture that it is simultaneously always present and also, weirdly, an afterthought. Anyway, whether it's first or second or even gasp third in the Billboard Hot 100, "Old Town Road" is obviously the actual Song of the Year. Yeehaw.—A.S.
Todrick Hall, “Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels”
School is in session. All eyes up front. Todrick Hall is speaking—and serving.—B.C.
Lauv with Anne-Marie, “fuck i’m lonely”
The way Anne-Marie dejectedly sighs the word “fuck” on the chorus—that’s it, that’s the whole blurb.—B.C.
Swae Lee feat. Drake, "Won't Be Late"
Sometimes, you hear 30 seconds of a song and can discern, without question, that it's going to be included on every party playlist for the next six months. This is the case with the newly released "Won't Be Late." Swae Lee and Drake complement each other well, and Drake is in his natural element discussing—what else?—the need to proceed with caution in a burgeoning relationship. It's not a banger, per se, but it's the perfect mood/temperature-setter as we transition from summer to fall.
Ashley O, “On a Roll”
Wild how a semi-parodic pop song ended up being one of 2019’s best. Wig!—B.C.
