Wonka (2023)

 Another big-budget movie based on a beloved franchise hits theaters this weekend, this time bringing back the beloved character Willy Wonka created by Roald Dahl. This is the third major movie based on that character being released, but unlike the first two, this movie tells the origins of the famous chocolate maker and not the story of him and Charlie. Paul King, director/writer of the Paddington movies teams up again with Paddington 2 writer Simon Farnaby to tell the story of Wonka. The movie has a big cast with lots of great names, but the movie focuses on Willy Wonka played by Timothee Chamalet.

The story begins as Wonka arrives at the fictional Gallerie Gourmet, a place that's famous for its three chocolate creators who are well-known throughout the world. Wonka dreams of opening up his own shop alongside these three creators, but all his plans change when he finally meets them. Threatened by his skills in chocolate making, the three creators will do anything to stop him from selling in their town. With no money and no place to sell his candy, Wonka is tricked into servitude at an inn where he meets many others who share the same fate as him. Wonka's dream is not to be stopped and with the help of some new friends, he will fight for a way to make his dream still happen. 

The first thing to mention is that most people will probably go into this movie with the memory of the original 1971 film with Gene Wilder. It's almost unfair to expect anyone else to really live up to that performance and it certainly didn't happen in this new movie. That being said Timothee Chamalet's performance brought a new twist on Willy Wonka that was well done and enjoyable to watch. It takes a while to get used to his version of Wonka if you're more familiar with the classic. This movie is not really that similar to the 1971 movie in general, besides some whimsical moments involving candy and some familiar songs. This movie is very similar to the Paddington movies in tone, which would make sense considering they were written and directed by the same people. It's a very lighthearted movie full of family-friendly comedy, but it still has some really heartfelt moments that mostly work. 

The weakest parts of the movie are maybe Wonka himself at times, especially when it comes to his comedic bits. While younger watchers might like his particular style of comedy, I felt more thrown off by it at times as it felt maybe a little forced with his overly whimsical personality. Also, the villains aren't really that interesting for the most part and are just the typical greedy rich villains who will do anything to keep their profits. The music was also hit-or-miss, with a lot of the songs being pretty forgettable and of course, having to reuse a few songs from the 1971 film (not that I minded that too much honestly). Outside of those moments, the movie still has a ton of charm with its story and characters. The standout is Noodle, played by Calah Lane, who is an orphan who helps Wonka sell his candy as he promises her a better life if he helps her.  Her relationship with Wonka is what really carries the movie and they really have some of the best moments in the movie together. 

If you're going to watch this movie, it's best to not expect anything like the 1971 movie. This movie feels like it's doing its own thing outside of a few songs and references. If you liked any of the Paddington movies you will probably enjoy this too. It's not as good as any of those movies, but it's got enough to make it worth a watch. Just don't expect to be blown away by a Gene Wilder-like performance. Hollywood's obsession with bringing back old franchises doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon, but thankfully this one wasn't too bad and had enough to make it enjoyable the whole way through. 

Overall Grade: C+ 

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A Trip to South Korea & Taiwan

 A few months ago I did two posts remembering my trips to Japan and giving ideas and tips to anyone who might be interested. As Japan is one of the top tourist destinations in the world it made sense that it did well. As time has gone on though and as the pandemic travel bans have finally been lifted, traveling hasn't really been the same since. It seems like the prices and popularity of it have gone up and it feels like it's harder now to find great deals to go to these more popular destinations like Japan. So this time I decided to take a trip to the country just across the sea in South Korea and its (slightly far) neighbor Taiwan. Two countries that I've always been interested in, but never got the chance to go to until recently. 

I decided to go in the early fall as I found the flights around that time to be pretty cheap compared to a lot of the year. Usually, Sept to Oct or Feb to Early April are good times to try to go as the flights are cheaper. Both times should also have decent weather, though probably more chance of rainy weather in the spring months. Going in the middle of fall gets you cooler weather and the changing leaf colors that make South Korea and Taiwan look (even more) amazing. 

I split my time in each country in half by going to South Korea for 4.5 days and Taiwan for 3 full days. This not counting the long travel time it takes to get there for me, which sadly cost me 2 days of the trip. But there are a lot of things about each country that will be different culturally of course, but they do have a lot of similar aspects. The hardest part of it was that both places speak completely different languages Korean and Mandarin Chinese. Mandarin was the harder of the two to pick up, as learning basics in Korean wasn't too crazy and even learning to read Korean is somewhat simple because their alphabet Hangul is only 24 letters. There is actually a site called letslearnhangul that really simplified it and made it easy to learn in a few hours or less. 

Arriving in Seoul was... well pretty rough at first to be honest. The main airport is Incheon that's about 40 minutes from the city by train and a little more by car/bus. I came into the airport at about 6-7 PM and it took almost 3 hours to get through the Immigration process. Maybe I came at a bad time because the second time I was at the airport the line seemed a lot less chaotic. For Korea, you have to have a visa approved before you enter, which you can apply for ahead of time at the K-ETA official website for 40 USD. By the way, 1 USD is worth around 1300 South Korean Won right now. Most places take cards, but as always it's good to have some cash with you since there are a lot of markets where they only want that cash. You will also need cash to buy and refresh a T-Money card, which is used to ride the subway, trains, and buses all over Korea and is extremely useful to have. 

Getting out of the airport is easy after you get past the security stations and are finally allowed to enter the country. There's a train that can take you straight to the city center with no stops for less than 7 dollars if you order ahead of time on Klook, or just buy it at the station for slightly more. Getting around the city is as easy as in a city like Tokyo, as they have plenty of subways and buses that take you anywhere you want in the city and run frequently. You won't need a car at all unless you really want to experience driving in Korea or want to go to places way outside the city. I ended up staying at a hotel near the city center to avoid having to carry luggage all over the place after the airport. The Daeyoung Hotel is a nice place for one or two people and it's in a great location. But there are plenty of other fancier places if you want to spend a little more. Actually, around September I found they have lots of really nice hotels in Seoul for really cheap so you might not have to spend a lot to get a 4-5 star hotel in the city... unless you are like me and just want a nice place to sleep without spending a lot, but I made up for that later. The point is, around the Fall is a good time to go if you want to stay at a fancy hotel for really cheap. 

Day 1

I arrived at the hotel at around 10PM after the long line and train ride from the Airport, so no time to really do anything there. The first full day I just wanted to walk around Seoul and get a feel for it while also stopping by at some famous spots. Getting around the city is pretty easy, there are plenty of subway stations around and most of them stop near the iconic tourist spots. I spent the whole first day around the center of Seoul going to all the temples and some markets around the area. At the end of the day, I made my way to the N Seoul Tower and took the cable car up to it which was really cool. The cost of taking the cable car and going to the top of the tower can be a bit much, but I think it's worth it, especially on a clear day/night when you can really see the entire city in all its massive glory. I went on a Sunday and it wasn't too bad, so maybe it's not so busy in the fall or on Sundays. There will be plenty of food around the area too, if you want a more Korean experience and a lot of it isn't too expensive unless you really want to go to a classy place. Korean BBQ is usually better with at least another person for the portion sizes and a cool thing to know is they have endless side dishes in a lot of places, so you can fill up on those as well. I also recommend trying some Korean-style corn dogs called Tokkebi. The best ones can usually be found at night markets around Seoul. 

Day 2/3

On the second day, I took a trip to the south coast city of Busan. Busan is the second most popular destination in the country as it's got some great beaches and very affordable hotels. The train ride to Busan on a bullet train is really short too, only 2.5 hours on certain trains to go from Seoul to Busan. I was able to find a really nice hotel right next to the beach for about 60 a night, with a nice view of the beach and a full kitchen inside. Busan is a great place to go to if you want to spend a few days at the beach at a really nice hotel without spending too much money. Lots of affordable places to eat and drink around the area and it just has a lot of great vibes. The T-Money card you bought in Busan will work here too for the Subway and the Buses. The subway is a little more limited in Busan, but the buses there make up for it and are frequent and cheap. 

Besides the beach, there are two major tourist stops I recommend and that's Yonggungsa Temple and Gamcheon Culture Village. Unfortunately, they are on opposite sides of the city and both are a little hard to get to. It's really worth the trek though as they are incredibly unique places you have to see with your own eyes. The Temple is a very beautifully crafted one that sits right next to the ocean. Tons of amazing sculptures and really cool buildings. Gamcheon sits on the west side of Busan and you have to take a bus up some steep hills to get to it, or hike up the hills if you hate your legs like I did. The village sits on top of the city with some amazing views of Busan alongside some really cool houses all painted bright colors. There are tons of cool shops and lots of food to try there and it's all just very very cool, one of my favorite stops in the entire trip. One last thing to mention is the train rides that go alongside the coast of Busan. They have these tiny little trains that can fit one family that are adorable and give you great views of the coast. The only bad thing is how popular they are makes it so the wait times can be really bad. But, they do have bigger trains you can take that give you similar views, just not as cool of an experience. 

Day 4

Back in Seoul for one last day in South Korea. I got a little unlucky because it ended up raining pretty much the entire day. At least the rain was fairly light so it didn't stop me from doing a few things. I did not have enough time to see everything I still hadn't seen but still was able to enjoy the few hours I had. The National Museum of Korea is a great place to go on a rainy day because you can spend hours there learning and seeing all the history of Korea and avoid the rain. Oh, and it's also free unless you want to go to the current special exhibition they are holding. Right next door is the Hangul Museum where you can learn about the creation of the alphabet and writing used in South Korea. 

One last stop is to the southeast of the museums, a little place known as Gangnam. Famous for that one song by Psy... you know the one. It's basically the wealthy part of Seoul that's known for its shops, malls, food, and K-Pop. A must-stop if you love K-Pop as they have lots of shops and a BTS exhibit by the mall. There's also a famous library called the Starfield Library where the bookshelves reach the ceiling of the store and light up at night. 

Day 5

Heading out of Seoul and to Taipei, Taiwan. The trip to Taipei was a lot easier than getting to Seoul. Mostly because it was only about 2 hours versus the 14 hours from Toronto, but also getting out of the airport once you arrive is a lot faster and easier, especially if you have a USA passport. Much like Seoul, there's a train that takes you from the airport to the city center in less than 1 hour. You can buy multi-day passes for unlimited rides on the metro on Klook for a good price. The hotels in Taipei were slightly more expensive than in Seoul, but not by too much. There are lots of great stays for affordable prices as long as you don't mind smaller rooms and possibly no windows. You won't have to pay much more for a more decent stay. Also, make sure you take out some cash to carry because it's going to be necessary for a lot of the food. 

Getting to my hotel in the afternoon I didn't have much time left in the day so I ate at this nice Australian-themed cafe and explored one of the nearby night markets. There are a bunch of great night markets in Taipei you can choose to explore, but one of the more famous ones is Shilin Night Market in the northern part of the city. It's a bit out of the way from a lot of the other famous tourist spots, but worth a visit at night if you want to experience the fun culture of night markers in the city. Also... tons of great street food. 

Day 6

One full day to explore the city of Taipei. In one day you can see all the iconic locations of the city as well as some of the other great spots. Starting from the main station you can walk to the National Museum, which has a nice park in the area that's great to walk around. From there you can cross a few streets to see the amazing Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and climb the steps to get a nice view of the area. From there you can take the Metro to the World Trade Center and see the huge Tapei 101 tower. It costs about 20 or so to take the elevator to the top of the tower, but it's worth it to see the city views and there are a lot of cool decorations up there to take pictures with. If you have time and energy you can hike the Elephant mountain steps not too far from the Taipei 101 to get a really cool view of the buildings and the Taipei 101 itself. 

On the way back to the main station you can stop at the Bangka area to see one of the most beautiful temples Bangka Longshan which is also near the Bopiliao Historical Block worth checking out. A little further north on the metro you can stop at Shi-men Ting, an area that's full of more modern shopping and food, really popular with younger people in the city. It reminded me a lot of Shibuya in Tokyo with the big crowds and lots of different stores to shop at. There's a really popular rice noodle stand in this area called Ay-Chung that's a good place to stop and eat. I will say eating really hot soup on an already hot day was an interesting choice, but the food was good so it was worth the heat overload. 

Day 7

One thing you have to do in Taipei is book a day tour of Jiufen Old Street and the surrounding areas. You can book these at lots of different tour sites, but I used Klook to book mine and it went really well. The tour was in English and included 4 stops all worth checking out. Yehliu Geopark is a cool place to see some unique rock formations and beautiful views of the ocean. Then you'll go to Jiufen, a market that's high above in the mountains with some great views of the area and tons of great food and shops to buy souvenirs. After that, you get to see the famous waterfall nearby before stopping at Shifen Old Street. Shifen is another place with lots of food stands, but the two unique things to do here are see the train that passes by through the middle of the market and release floating lanterns into the sky that float high above the city. It's the easiest way to see all these places without having to rent a car yourself and drive through all the mountains. You can book tours that take you to Jiufen at night time, which is supposed to be a really cool experience with how they light up the area with lanterns.

Finale

So that was my trip to South Korea and Taiwan. I think in a perfect world spending one week in each country would have been the perfect way to split the trip for me to see everything I wanted without having to feel rushed. I still enjoyed the trip a ton despite the shorter time I had to explore. I think giving each country more time would be necessary to fully experience the culture and see everything outside of just the popular tourist spots. But if you're like me and don't get a lot of time to travel this was a cool way to see two amazing countries. Even if you want to see just one of these I hope this gave you some ideas for how to explore these places. 

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Best and Worst Hit Songs of 2023 / Best Albums 2023

The year is almost over, finally! 2023 was a strange year, especially when it came to popular music. I've been hoping to see a change in the landscape of pop music as it has felt stuck in the same gear for what feels like too long now. I was also hoping to see some new artists innovate and start to change the future of pop music and see more new ideas out there and we did get that this year... just not in the way I thought? Hip-hop has dominated the charts for so long now I wasn't expecting it to have such a weak year on the top of the charts (compared to the last decade), but for the first time in forever, it actually showed signs of slowing down. The most shocking thing is what took its spot this year was a genre I wasn't expecting to see dominate. Country?!

Country music had some big names really shine for better or for worse with Morgan Wallen's latest album totally dominating and his single "Last Night" most likely taking the spot for the biggest song of the year in 2023. That alongside some politically charged country singles doing surprisingly well on the charts too due to getting tons of attention for their lyrics. But we also had a few artists return with new albums that had a lot of success too. Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo, Travis Scott, and Miley Cyrus were some of the artists who dropped big albums that were incredibly popular this year. That along with the continued dominance of Taylor Swift and her latest album "Midnights" paired with her Taylor's Version releases and Eras Tour are keeping her as the top artist in the US/World right now. Just recently Drake and Bad Bunny dropped new albums, but those are coming in pretty late in the year and may affect next year's charts as well as the late months of 2023. On a side note, can someone tell Drake to stop making albums that are almost an hour and a half long? He clearly doesn't have enough energy to fill out an album of that length, even though it's maybe one of his better recent releases... but not by much. 

Anyway, with that out of the way, it's time for the best and worst hit songs of the year 2023. Just like previous years, this is a list of songs that were popular this year. Some of the songs were from last year but didn't become hits until this year. I'll also be keeping out songs that I already put on my list in previous years like all the Taylor Swift songs that made the charts again from old albums (Cruel Summer/Anti-Hero/August) and hits like "As It Was" and "Made You Look" that were on the list too. 

STARTING WITH THE WORST

10th Worst: Oliver Anthony Music - "Rich Men North of Richmond"

I must say looking at the album artwork for this one made me nervous about what exactly this was going to be (a picture of Oliver Anothony singing)... that alongside all the arguments it started on Twitter. I actually ended up enjoying a tiny bit of this song, especially the first minute of the song where it feels a lot more relatable. At first, the song feels like a message of solidarity amongst the struggling lower to middle class and how everyone is just barely getting by these days as the rich get richer and I can feel what he was going for there. It isn't until the second verse that things start to get pretty strange. He goes on to complain about politicians and how they spend their time looking for minors on an island, which is really specific. The problem lies more with him just randomly shifting his whole message about how the poor are struggling to instead blame people on welfare for his struggles. That one small part just completely drives the song off a cliff and makes Oliver Anthony seem pretty naive. While I think his voice is pretty decent, at the end of the day the song just feels like it's missing something for me, paired with those dumb lyrics put the song on the list.

9th Worst: Oliver Tree - "Miss You" (ft. Robin Shulz)

I've known about Oliver Tree's music for a while now, but I can honestly say I never really understood his popularity. For a while, I thought that maybe I just didn't get his music, but I think over time I've come to the conclusion that his music just sucks. His big single this year "Miss You" was I think what made me realize this. The song is just so awful there's no way a person who knew anything about good music could make something this annoying. I feel like this song was designed to be annoying like those old gummy bear and crazy frog songs from back in the day. The high-pitched chipmunk vocals pretty much confirm that. You have to really try to make something this bad, so either he just hates his fans or he truly doesn't understand the concept of music. I really hope it's the second option. I don't know if maybe I just don't get this whole meme as music thing that he seems to be going for because he is incredibly popular on streaming platforms. Listening to some of his other songs just makes me question what exactly people are looking for in music these days. At the end of the day, to me, it's not funny or clever enough to make it worth listening to terrible music.

8th Worst: Morgan Wallen - "Thinkin' Bout Me"

As I said in the intro, it's been a huge year for Wallen and his career. He released a double album early in the year that's almost two hours long (there is no god) that was wildly popular and had tons of chart success. Things were looking a bit bleak for Wallen after he was caught on camera saying a racial slur, but he was somehow able to make a big comeback and become one of the biggest country artists out there. The thing is... his album wasn't very good or original. Just another country artist putting tons of hip-hop and pop elements into his music. Add generic modern bro country lyrics to the mix and you have an album that's an hour and a half too long with barely enough to keep it interesting throughout its bloated runtime. "Thinking Bout Me" is an incredibly generic song about how Wallen is wondering if his ex is thinking about him while she's moving on with her life. Something that's never been done before in the history of music. He does absolutely nothing new with this overdone idea as he half-heartedly sings the most generic lyrics possible. It's just completely overdone bullshit and Waller has absolutely no charisma on this track or even emotion to make it stand out in any way at all. Garbage. 

7th Worst: Gunna - "Fukumean"

Yeah, this was a huge letdown. This song somehow became a huge hit this year and ended up being the 31st-best-performing song in the USA (2023). I guess the good thing about this song is that's not much more than 2 minutes long. Even those two minutes feel way too long for a song that really doesn't have much to offer. Typical brag raps where he talks about the tons of women he's sleeping with as he of course makes it all bout himself and how much they need to please him. That's pretty much it, not like Gunna could even be bothered to make it more interesting with his low energy unclever rapping. Well at least I wasn't expecting too much from this artist... unlike the next artist on this list. 

6th Worst: Drake / 21 Savage - "Rich Flex"

From the Drake and 21 Savage collab album of late 2022 comes "Rich Flex". Drake continued his streak of mid albums, but this time bringing in another name to the mix. It's frustrating to see Drake continue to put out all these mediocre playlists and albums when we know he's capable of actually putting out some good stuff. Actually, I'm not even sure that's true anymore because it's been so long since he's put out an album that's more than mediocre. With "Rich Flex" you get the amazingly generic brag rap lyrics with the regular low-energy Drake rapping where even he sounds tired of talking about all this shit. I think I've fully given up on the idea of Drake ever going back to being interesting because it's been like six or seven years of this now. If he still has all the success without any of the innovation or creativity then what's the point of making anything more than decent? 

5th Worst: HARDY - "TRUCK BED"

This guy really popped out of nowhere this year to have a handful of hits and get significant play around the USA. This guy feels straight out of the early 00s post-grunge scene, but not in a good way. It's like Puddle of Mudd had a baby with Morgan Wallen to make a very unlikable creature that makes boring music. Boring lyrics and uninteresting music all with frontman HARDY's talentless singing. Oh yeah, a country song about a truck, that's cool. In this song, Hardy wakes up in his truck bed because his girl made him sleep outside after he kept coming home late after drinking. The verses aren't interesting and the chorus isn't as clever as Hardy seems to think it is with the amount of times he repeats it in this song. Well if this is the amount of talent you need to become a hit maker in the country scene, then I guess I better drink a bottle of Jack and pick up a guitar. There's also the implication of him shooting his girlfriend because of her finally kicking him to the curb for being a drunk asshole, so that's nice... God, this guy sucks. 

4th Worst: Meghan Trainor - "Mother"

"The fact that Meghan Trainor is literally mother right now." That's how the song starts so you know we're in for a good time. Yeah, this song is a continuation of her hit last year "Made You Look", but only much worse. She continues with the 1950s doo-woop style that she used to become popular when she first became a big name. The thing is, it just feels overdone by her at this point and it feels more like a safety net that she needed to use when her music started getting fewer hits. This time she samples the classic "Mr. Sandman" by the Chordettes and butchers it with annoying production. It just feels like a mess of a song that's trying desperately to become a viral hit... which it kind of did so good job on that one. Maybe try something new next time Meghan... though that hasn't really worked out for her in the past so never mind just keep doing whatever this is. 

3rd Worst: Morgan Wallen - "Last Night"

Could you make a more boring song, Wallen? Actually, he likely will. This song is most likely going to be the biggest hit of the year and honestly, it kinda deserves it because this boring ass year of pop music needs a representative like this. I don't even know how Wallen qualifies as a country artist as he pretty much just uses basic hip-hop production for all his boring ass music. I guess the twangy guitar is enough to keep this in the country genre? It certainly isn't the heavy bass and finger snaps that make this a country hit. Lyrically, we get yet another overdone topic by Wallen, as he once again uses no emotion to talk about a toxic relationship. But it truly seems like he doesn't really care about anything because of how little energy he puts into these hit songs. If you have no charisma, boring production, and uninteresting lyrics then what are we supposed to remember at all from this mega-hit? Nothing... the answer is nothing. It's not even so bad it's memorable like "Mother" and "Gently". It's just a whole lot of nothing. 

2nd Worst: Jason Aldean: "Try That In A Small Town"

Generic country song by a generic country artist. At any other time, this kind of song would just exist in a small space and not even come close to becoming a hit. How do you make a song with boring music and an even more boring artist a hit? You add pandering controversial lyrics at a time when that is almost guaranteed to get people talking and spreading your song around. A guy who's not from a small town pretends to be all about that life. You get all the hits here with lines like:

"Got a gun that my grandad gave me, they say one day they're gonna round them up": It wouldn't be the South without loving guns and respecting my grandad who's most likely a Vietnam vet. Also the obligatory "THEY AIN'T TAKIN' OUR GUNS!" line. 

"Stomp on the flag and light it up, yeah you think you're tough": Maybe it's not so much the fact that people ARE burning USA flags, but WHY they are doing such a thing that matters? 

"Full of good ol' boys, raised up right": Ready to shoot anyone who messes with the American flag! Also, what does raised up right mean to this guy?  Gun-loving, trigger-happy dudes that's what. Probably the kind of guys who fall for a super pandering song by a rich country artist who doesn't actually care about them.

And yes, the music video was shot in front of a historic lynching site while splicing footage of protesters. Wonder what Jason and his team were going for there? (sigh)

Like I said when I first reviewed this song, it's just not good at all. Jason Aldean brings nothing interesting vocally and lyrically it's lazy pandering that's trying too hard to offend the left and trying too hard to appeal to the right. The thing is, it doesn't even really do that right. The most offensive thing about this song is how boring it is. Even the guitar solo sounds like it doesn't want to be in this song. So it's best to just leave this song to die over time as it's 100% going to be forgotten in a few months by most people. Please. 

The WORST Song of 2023: David Guetta - "Baby Don't Hurt Me"

Two years in a row. Two years in a row with awful 90s samples turned into shit songs. Last year it was the awful "I'm Blue" sample that was somehow worse than the original because it took itself too seriously. Now we get one of the most iconic club songs of the 90s in "What is Love?" by Haddaway being butchered. David Guetta proves he has no idea what made the original song amazing by taking all the parts of it and completely shredding all the fun out of it. The original had some of the most memorable synths and catchy melodies, but all that is somehow gone in this new version. 

It actually blows my mind how badly he messed this up, it can't be that hard to make a new mix of "What is Love" and put a few new elements into it. The main problem is everything Guetta changes is significantly worse than the original. The song tempo feels slightly faster which throws everything off instantly. Anne-Marie just doesn't have the voice to pull this off either, as she sings the iconic chorus it just sounds so bland and passionless. There's literally no reason for this to exist as it only makes me want to play the original every time I hear it. Please for the love of God, David Guetta, don't touch "This Is Your Night" by Amber. I beg of you. 

AND NOW... the best songs of 2023

Special mention:  Megan Thee Stallion - "Cobra"

A song that came out when I finished making my list and I thought about putting it on, but I think my final list is what I'm sticking to now. This does have the potential to grow on me though and maybe I'll get a chance to put it on the list next year for best songs since it's technically not on it this year. I really enjoy the use of guitars for this song as it feels totally different than anything Megan has done up to this point and a fresh sound for the charts in general. Hopefully, it sticks around in the charts long enough to become a significant hit for next year's end list. 

Special Mention 2: Dua Lipa - "Houdini"

Another great song that came out too late. Pretty much the same as "Cobra" in that I can see this making the list next year. BUT Dua Lipa also has a new album coming out next year, so I can see there being even better songs than this one on that. 

10th Best: Bailey Zimmerman - "Religiously"

After reading my worst songs you probably think I hate all pop country, but I'm here to tell you that's definitely true. Okay, not really because there are some decent songs out there and this is one of those good ones. Bailey Zimmerman reminds me more of Morgan Wallen's early albums in which they actually were pretty good. Before he became a huge pop-country star he was actually making some decent music and Bailey Zimmerman feels like the better version of what Wallen is now. That's to say this song still feels like it's actually country and not trying hard to be something else. Bailey has a good voice and the music feels a little more like traditional country here. The lyrics are also a lot more interesting than anything Wallen and Jason Aldean are putting out there right now too. The song "Religiously" is all about Bailey's past relationship that ended in heartbreak. He blames himself for not doing enough for her and even though his life is going great it feels empty without her. It feels a lot more personal and emotional than Wallen's "Thinkin' Bout Me" as you can actually feel what Bailey's going through here. A nice surprise for sure and I'll be keeping an eye on Zimmerman's new music. 

9th Best: Tainy - "MOJABI GHOST" (w/ Bad Bunny)

Producer Tainy teams up again with Bad Bunny to make another great song. Tainy is a legend in the music scene, working with pretty much every big Reggeaton artist over the last 20 years. Of course, Bad Bunny doesn't need an introduction as he's one of the biggest artists in the world right now even outside of his genre. In this song, we get a more synth-heavy pop sound that sounds very cyberpunky. I think that's why I like the song so much because it sounds like something straight out of a cyberpunk movie/game soundtrack. I like the idea of Bad Bunny trying different things with his music as it keeps his sound fresh and from getting too repetitive like a lot of mainstream artists who rely on one style to stay popular. The rest of this album (Data by Tainy) is an interesting mix of this same sound and reggeaton beats with a lot of classic and modern artists. 

8th Best: Beyonce - "CUFF IT"

Beyonce's fantastic album "RENAISSANCE" was a big hit last summer and it shined showing Beyonce trying some new styles with her music and was a great return after her 2016 album "Lemonade" (unless you count the Lion King album from 2020). "CUFF IT" is the second big single from that album following the big hit "BREAK MY SOUL". This one features a more disco vibe that reminds me of something out of Dua Lipa's "Future Nostalgia" album. You get that awesome bass dominating the song along with some funky guitar and horns that are all elevated by Beyonce's amazing vocals. I guess it's not surprising that her vocals are still as good if not better than ever at this point. The song is fun no doubt and the kind of song you can pretty much play over and over and not get tired of.

7th Best: Grupo Frontera/Bad Bunny - "un x100to"

The last few years on my end-of-the-year lists I've complained about how a lot of TikTok music is terrible and makes me feel old as I don't really get it. There are always exceptions to everything as this Texas-based band proves that not everything that gets popular because of TikTok is bad... in fact it can be really good. Grupo Frontera teamed up with mega-star Bad Bunny to make one of the best charting songs of the year and something that feels like a breath of fresh air in a time of repetition. The continuing rise of Latin music in America is pretty cool and seeing artists like this make a name for themselves making a cumbia-style song is encouraging. The song is about the tough times you go through when you miss someone you care about and you're sad that you're the reason it didn't work out. Add a little bit of Reggeaton flavor with Bad Bunny and you got yourself a certified hit. Everything about this just works though, and it makes me hope that more songs like this and more different genres can get some attention in the mainstream. 

6th Best: Billie Eilish - "What Was I Made For?"

Billie Eilish returns to the charts with a heartbreaking song called "What Was I Made For?" The song was made for the Barbie movie that was released this summer to huge success. If the idea was to make a song that would somehow make you feel like crying no matter what mood you were currently in then it was a huge success. It's not as simple as playing a sad piano to make it all work though, it takes talent for sure and this song has plenty of that with Eilish. Her voice works perfectly for this type of song and the slow piano does well to elevate the emotion she's singing about. That and the way the song slowly builds throughout as it adds little touches like adding some strings and layering her voice. The only problem is this is the kind of song I won't be coming back to very often for all the reasons mentioned above so that takes some points away there. 

5th Best: Olivia Rodrigo - "Vampire"

Olivia made her triumphant return after her breakout year in 2021 where she became one of the biggest names in music with her first album "Sour". "Vampire" was the first single from her new album "GUTS", which so far has been a great follow-up in terms of popularity and hits. I reviewed this song a few months ago on this blog and while I gave it a positive review, I did make fun of the basic lyrics where she refers to her ex as a vampire who bled her dry. It's not very clever sure, but it's easy for me to move past when I just really enjoy everything else about the song. It's certainly grown on me the last few months a little more and now I can just have fun with it.

4th Best: Dua Lipa - "Dance The Night"

Not only did the Barbie movie save the box office with Oppenheimer, but it also provided some great hits on the charts. Dua Lipa released the single "Dance the Night" to promote alongside the movie's release. The song pretty much feels like an unreleased single from "Future Nostalgia", which is one of the best modern pop albums made. I mean the world could always use more "Future Nostalgia". This one has got the same disco vibes with modern production as her last few hits. It's just as fun as the rest of that album, which makes me hope this means there's more music from Dua Lipa coming soon. She just confirmed a new album coming out next year so I look forward to having more of her songs on this list next year. 

3rd Best: Miley Cyrus - "Flowers"

A song that dominated the entire year as it came out in January and still hasn't gone away. This song actually grew me a lot over the months as when I first heard it I found it pretty disappointing overall. While I really enjoy the song now, I unfortunately never really turned around on the album "Endless Summer Vacation". The album was one of the first big releases of the year and I was very excited to hear her follow-up to the fantastic "Plastic Hearts". The album didn't live up to the hype I had for it, but one thing that it did accomplish was my appreciation for the song "Flowers". It's a standout in the album for sure and it deserves its massive success. The song has that loud funky bass that a lot of pop songs have these days and I'll never get tired of hearing that. The lyrics are all about how Miley is doing great in her single life as she can do all the things she used to do with her partner all by herself and enjoy it just as much if not better. The song dropped on her ex-husband's birthday so that's maybe a hint as to who the song is about. 

2nd Best: Tyler Childers - "In Your Love"

A name I was unfamiliar with until earlier this year when this single was released. A song that instantly captured my attention and got me to dive into Tyler's previous works. I was not disappointed in what I found, actually, I quite liked a lot of what I heard from Tyler Childers. "In Your Love" is Tyler's biggest hit to date as it actually got some chart success enabling me to qualify it for this list here. As someone who's not aware of what's going on in the country music scene, I wouldn't know that Tyler has been on the rise for a while now and this success isn't a big surprise, especially after listening to some of his previous work. It probably also helps how country music itself has been on the rise the last few years and had plenty of huge breakout stars really show up on the charts this year. The song is a love song about working hard and fighting for your love. The video though, is heart-crushing if you haven't seen it yet it's worth the watch for sure. 

THE BEST SONG OF 2023: SZA - "Kill Bill" 

Sza continued to prove why she's one of the best mainstream artists out there currently when she dropped her hit album SOS late last year. The album had multiple hits, but none of them bigger than "Kill Bill" as it had the potential to be the biggest hit of the year if it wasn't for Morgan Wallen's "Last Night" taking that spot. "Kill Bill" is all about how SZA is going to murder her ex and his new girlfriend after he moved on from SZA. The idea of him being happy without her makes her sick to the point where she wants to end him instead of seeing him move on. The name "Kill Bill" inspired by the movie implies that she was hurt by him and this is her way of getting revenge just like in the film. It makes for a great song with a bit of a darker edge to it for a pop song. Of course, SZA's vocals drive the song as she doesn't really miss in that aspect. The music fits in perfectly with the lyrical content too with some interesting bass lines. Congrats to "Kill Bill" for winning best song of the year from this random blog nobody knows about : )

That was my list and I hope you enjoyed it and check out the songs you might have missed. As I usually do on these lists I will include non-mainstream music recommendations below. This time I'll put some of my personal favorite songs and albums of 2023 on a list. Also, I'll include some other albums I liked and include the genre in case you are looking for new music to check out. 

This year I found myself gravitating towards the pop genre more than ever. A huge part of that is how many great albums dropped this year in that genre as I'll share down below. A few rock bands came back from long hiatuses to drop some really good albums as well, which was a great surprise for me. It was a great year for discovering new artists who won me over with some fantastic albums like Chapell Roan, Jessie Ware, and Jordan Ward to name a few. But here's the list of albums and songs I loved starting with my personal favorites:

MY 10 FAVORITE ALBUMS

Paramore - "This Is Why" (Alternative)

Chapell Roan - "Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" (Indie Pop)

Caroline Polachek - "Desire, I Want to Turn Into You" (Pop)

Sufjan Stevens - "Javelin" (Indie Folk)

The Aces - "I've Loved You For So Long" (Indie Pop/Rock)

Fall Out Boy - "So Much (For) Stardust (Rock)

Aluna - "MYCELiUM" (Dance/Electronic)

Jessie Ware - "THAT! FEELS GOOD!" (Pop)

The Hives - "The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons" (Rock)

Grouptherapy. - "I Was Mature For My Age, but I Was Still a Child" (Hip-Hop)

MY 10 FAVORITE SONGS

Caroline Polachek - "Sunset" (pop)

Chapell Roan - "Red Wine Supernova" (pop)

Aluna /Chris Lake - "Beggin'" (dance/electronic)

Sufjan  Stevens - "My Red Little Fox"

Noname - "boomboom" (Hip-Hop)

Depeche Mode - "Ghosts Again" (synthpop)

The Last Dinner Party - "Nothing Matters" (Indie Rock)

Troye Sivan - "Rush" (Pop)

Paramore - "Thick Skull" (Alternative)

Carly Rae Jepsen - "Shy Boy" (pop)

Other Great Albums

Boygenius - "the record" (Indie Rock)

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - "Weathervanes" (Country)

Lana Del Rey - "Did you know there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd" (Indie Pop)

Carly Rae Jepsen - "The Loveliest Time" (Pop)

The National - "First Two Pages of Frankenstein / Laugh Tracks" (Indie Rock)

JPEGMAFIA - "Scaring the Hoes" (Hip-Hop)

Hozier - "Unreal Unearth" (Singer-Songwriter / Alternative)

Mitski - "The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We" (Indie Pop)

Geese - "3D Country" (Indie Rock)

Creeper - "Sanguivore" (Punk / Goth Rock)

Blur - "The Ballad of Darren" (Indie Rock)

Dominic Fike - "Sunburn" (Indie Pop/Rock)

Troye Sivan - "Something to Give Each Other" (Pop)

Kelala - "Raven" (R&B)

Sofia Kourteis - "Madres" (Indie Pop/Electronic)

Cautious Clay - "KARPEH" (R&B Soul)

ROMY - "Mid Air" (Dance/Electronic)

Joey Valance & Brae - "PUNK TACTICS" (Hip-Hop)

Spiritbox - "The Fear of Fear EP" (Metalcore) 

Meet Me @ The Altar - "PAST // PRESENT // FUTURE" (Pop Punk)

Jordan Ward - "FORWARD" (R&B)

Iusillon - "Pensando mucho y mal" (Indie Rock)

MxPx - "Find a Way Home" (Punk)

And as always, a playlist of songs from all the artists on this list and a few other songs I really liked. 

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Top 20 hit songs of the 1970s

 After making the best song lists for every decade from the 1980s to the 2010s I decided to go back and finish the last decade of music I'm familiar with. So no, probably won't be making one of these for the 1960s anytime soon, maybe after some time diving deeper into that library of music. The 1970s were an incredible time for music though, as you can see lots of different genres started to peak in terms of quality. There's just something about that decade's music that feels so unique and it's hard to put it into words really. From the blues and soul to disco and rock, there was something for everyone to express themselves in entirely new and unique ways. Some of the greatest and most influential albums of all time were released in this decade, albums that would change the landscape of music forever. 

I was not expecting this list to be so hard to make. Out of all the lists I've made this one seemed to give me a lot of trouble because I had so many songs I wanted to include but couldn't because I wanted to keep it to a small number so this wouldn't be too long. Even when I felt like I was getting closer to finishing up, I would remember another song that needed to be on the list. So I managed to narrow it down to 20 songs with a lot of amazing songs being left out. I made a rule to only include one song per artist to help me out and not just fill the list with some of the iconic artists like Fleetwood or Bowie. Even with all the time it took to pick 20 songs I still feel like I'm probably forgetting some classics that should be on here. ANYWAY... here are the top 20 songs of the 1970s! Starting out with a Beatle no less...

George Harrison - "My Sweet Lord" (1970)

When people debate who the greatest Beatle is, they often say Paul or John, when in reality it's George Harrison. Releasing his big album "All Things Must Pass" just a few months after the final Beatles album he showed that he really had something to offer the world with his voice outside of the group (not that anyone doubted that). "My Sweet Lord" was the big song from that album that many people remember fondly. There's something so relaxing about the song it carries this feeling of hope and peace in its music and lyrics that it's hard not to just chill out and enjoy every second of it. The blend of Christianity and Hindu makes for an interesting vibe at the end, almost felt like a twist ending the first time I heard it not expecting that part to come in. It all works well to make one of the most memorable songs of the Beatles singles outside of the band. But if I'm being honest with myself... Paul is the best Beatle. 

Talking Heads - "Psycho Killer" (1977)

I'm going to say this about a lot of the artists on this list, but Talking Heads/David Byrne were innovators in music and were a glimpse in the 70s of what was about to come in the 80s music scene. So yeah, they were ahead of the times for sure. Still to this day, I can't say I've ever really heard a song quite like "Psycho Killer" with its interesting music and David's unique vocal style. There are certain people in this world that just "get" music and art and David Byrne is just one of those guys. He understands how to entertain while also creating some unique and spectacular art. 

Redbone - "Come and Get Your Love" (1973)

A lot of us have to thank Guardians of the Galaxy for introducing us to this gem of a song. The Native American-led band made some great rock music infused with soul and funk. Their standout song "Come and Get Your Love" is the perfect example of the unique style they brought to music in the early 70s. The great funky bass mixed with the strings and guitar just sounds so good together.  That along with some of the catchiest hooks make this one of the more memorable songs of a decade that had tons of amazing rock music. Being able to stand out amongst some of the best songs of all time shows how much talent this group had, and it's great to see a small resurgence thanks to the MCU. 

Bob Marley - "Three Little Birds" (1977)

The most famous name in reggae certainly deserves a mention here. With lots of iconic songs in his catalog, it was hard to really pick which one was truly standout. I decided to go with "Three Little Birds" because it's the song that usually pops into my head first when I think of Marley. It's got great lyrics and music and it's just the kind of song you can listen to at any time. You can say that about a lot of his music to be fair, but just my personal choice here. There's just something so joyful about "Three Little Birds" that I think is hard to replicate in other music. You can really feel Marley just smiling through the track as you listen to it even without actually seeing his face. I think that's the perfect image to have of him as an artist. 

ELO - "Mr. Blue Sky"

You know, I always imagined listening to ELO back in the 70s wasn't what the cool kids did. ELO is just so out there sometimes with their music and imagery... maybe kind of like the band Rush? But I think that's why I enjoy the music so much, because of how out there it can be. But "Mr. Blue Sky" is a song that I think everyone just likes or lies about not liking. It's just such a likable song and it feels like the band is having a blast playing it as I'm listening to it. It does go a little "out there" in the closing minutes and maybe that's why it's not too high on this list? There's little to complain about here so maybe I'm just trying to justify why it didn't get a higher spot to myself. But if you're not too familiar with Electric Light Orchestra, go check them out. 

Led Zeppelin - "Black Dog" (1971)

One of the most beloved albums of all time from another giant of the 70s. Lovers of rock music certainly weren't starving for great music in the 1970s, especially with bands like Led Zeppelin completely changing the game. Imagine making an album with "Stairway to Heaven", "Rock and Roll", and "Black Dog" all included... It's insane. The album really took the band to an iconic status that would continue pretty much until today. Even the band Greta Van Fleet became incredibly popular recently just by doing a decent job at mimicking the Zeppelin style, that's how much people love the band Led Zeppelin. "Black Dog" is the song that always pumps me up with its awesome guitar riffs and solos alongside some of Robert Plant's best vocals. 

Al Green - "Let's Stay Together" (1972)

Possibly the most beloved R&B singer of the 1970s (and maybe all time) in Al Green. So many classics to pick from in Al Green's catalog, but it's hard not to stick with the always classic "Let's Stay Together". A showcase of Al's smooth voice just totally kills it for nearly three and a half minutes. Simple lyrics are elevated by amazing vocals and some great funky soul music to back him. It's timeless romance music that is still honestly better than a lot of what's being put out there these days. 

Michael Jackson - "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" (1979)

Michael Jackson was already a well-known name in music before his 1979 album, but this was where he really came into his own as a solo artist. One of the most memorable songs of the decade in "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough", was just a small preview of just how big he would become in the 80s and 90s. Almost every part of this song has become so iconic with Michael starting the song by talking, the horns that kick in right after, and the perfect verses and chorus. Not a single negative thing to say here... okay, maybe the song is slightly too long. BUT THAT'S IT!

Lou Reed - "Walk on the Wild Side" (1972)

Lou Reed had already found success with The Velvet Underground before working on his own solo project. He created his own groundbreaking album in 1972 with "Transformer". The album is fantastic from start to finish, but also has the song that really defined his solo career in "Walk on the Wild Side".  The song was inspired by Andy Warhol's Superstars, which were his friends who were well-known actors and models most of whom. The cool thing is the people he talks about people who were not the kind you would really hear about in a lot of other mainstream songs at the time, as the song talks about trans women and drag queens. The song would later be sampled in one of the more iconic hip-hop songs "Can I Kick It?" by A Tribe Called Quest.

The Clash - London Calling (1979)

The most iconic punk group of all time changed music forever with their 1979 album "London Calling". Not only one of the best albums of all time but one that influenced an entire generation of music. The song reflects on how life was for the band members in the late 70s in the city of London. The problems with debt, fear of nuclear chaos, police brutality, and the river flooding their homes were all issues mentioned in the song. It's a song that's often used in movies and shows when introducing the location of London. It's a song that became synonymous with the city itself and is even the song for London football team Fulham, which plays right next to the river Thames the song is referring to. From the lyrics to the music this song is perfection. How awesome is that cover art by the way? It was a reference to Elvis Presley's first album that had the same font and colors. 

Marvin Gaye - "What's Going On" (1971)

This is arguably one of the most important songs of all time and by an artist who no doubt changed the world of music forever. "What's Going On" was originally inspired by the unrest and protests of the Vietnam War and the police brutality that was happening in a lot of the protests. The song was also inspired by the Watts Riot of 1965, which was another even involving police brutality. The song itself is a call to put peace over violence, to talk to each other and understand each other better. Featuring Marvin's amazing vocals along with some amazing soul music to back him. A song that still feels incredibly timeless (in some ways that's unfortunate).

David Bowie - "Moonage Daydream" (1972)

It's hard to find an artist who was as consistently great through the entire 70s as David Bowie.  From "The Man Who Sold the World" to "Low" it was all pretty much great. There are arguments for most of his albums in the 70s being the best of the decade and possibly his entire career. For me, I'll always love "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust..." as it's just an awesome rock album with banger after banger from start to finish. The first song that always comes to mind when I think of Bowie is "Moonage Daydream", probably because he starts it by calling himself an alligator. There's so much to love in this song from the spacy lyrics to the great instrumentation and of course Bowie himself. There are very few songs that just give me a special feeling when listening to like this song, it's hard to describe but if you love this song you might know what I mean... maybe it's just a Bowie thing. 

ABBA - "Dancing Queen" (1976)

The hit machine known as Abba dominated the late 70s with their insanely catchy hooks that must have been a blast to dance to at the disco. Surprised it took this long on the list to get to some disco-inspired music, though ABBA put more of a pop/rock twist into it to create their own brand of music. When people think of Sweden there are usually two things that come to mind and one of those things is ABBA.. along with some furniture-making company. Being the most famous thing to come from a country is a pretty big feat. The music they created instantly transports you back in time to the late 70s and how the world was partying back then. "Dancing Queen" is a song that most people, even younger people, are at least aware of probably more than any of the other songs on the list so far. It certainly has the most views/streams on all the music services out of all these songs. It's a song that from start to finish is burned into my brain and I get excited when it comes on even after hearing it countless times. There's just nothing quite like ABBA in music today. 

Queen - "Somebody to Love" (1976)

Here's another artist that's never been able to be replicated in style and popularity. The power of Freddie Mercury's vocals is something that will never be replicated again, he's just one of those once-in-a-lifetime kind of talents. That along with the brilliant music that backs him up with the rest of the signature backing vocals put Queen on the map and pushed them into legendary status. Choosing a song as my favorite of the decade wasn't easy with all the great choices there are to pick as a best Queen song. I think I chose "Somebody to Love" because it has everything I love about the band in one song. The music is also just fantastic with the great bass lines, piano, and memorable guitar solos. It also has that great build-up in the bridge that never fails to pump me up. 

Elton John - "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973)

The thing a lot of these artists have in common on this list is how they were able to captivate live audiences by doing stellar performances and just being really creative with their presentations. Elton John was and is a one-of-a-kind performer who just got music and performance like so few did. He's the kind of artist who put his soul into every show and was heartbroken when he couldn't live up to his own standards. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a timeless song from one of the best albums of the decade. It's got everything I love from Elton John with the piano-focused music alongside his memorable vocals and the lyrics by Bernie Taupin (Elton's lifelong songwriting partner). 

Blondie - "Heart of Glass" (1978)

One of the most innovative bands of the 70s and an important part of punk and new wave history released one of the catchiest songs of the decade in "Heart of Glass". Debbie Harry was a star and the rest of the band were great at creating some of the most memorable songs of an entire decade and beyond. "Heart of Glass" feels like the song I personally love the most, but arguably not their biggest hit with songs like "Call Me" and "One Way or Another" also having a good argument. The thing about "Heart of Glass" that always draws me in is the music, with its iconic bass and guitar that are instantly recognizable from the first second. Debbie herself is fantastic in this song not missing a single note... not that she ever did from what I imagine. Being a crucial part of creating what would be the future of music in the coming decade is impressive enough, but making a song that stands the test of time is even better. 

Patti Smith - "Because the Night" (1978)

1978 was a great year for punk artists it seems. Here we have Patti Smith, another innovative force of music in the 70s, with her big hit "Because the Night". It was Patti going in a slightly new direction from her previous work as she teamed with Bruce Springsteen to create this classic song. Patti Smith is a name that is often said with the likes of Lou Reed, Nico, and the New York Dolls as innovators of music in the 60s/70s, and rightfully so. She has so many classic albums and songs that really pushed boundaries in those decades. The best artists can go beyond the genres in that they made a name for themselves in and I think that's what Patti did here with "Because the Night". Not that it's extremely out of her more punk sound, but it's certainly different. Two great creative minds create an amazing song, who would have thought?

Stevie Wonder - "Sir Duke" (1976)

Usually, when I think of amazing albums of the 70s there are two that come to mind as perfect works. I'll get to the one that comes to mind first, but the second is definitely Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life". Even more impressive is the fact that it was a double album with 21 tracks altogether. Just going through and listening to it, it's crazy how good it all is. "Sir Duke" is my favorite big hit from Stevie Wonder because it's got so much going for it. The amazing bass line is the first thing that really drew me in, but it's just a small part of so many amazing layers. The horns, percussion, guitars, keys and vocals are all just perfect here. Everything from the melodies to the lyrics just pushes this song into legendary status. I mean, it's Stevie Wonder, one of the best and most influential musicians of all time. What would the 70s and beyond be without this guy? Certainly not the same.

Earth, Wind, & Fire - "September (1978)

One of the greatest choruses of all time. The rest of the song is pretty much perfect too to be fair. I mean this has to be the catchiest song of all time, right? Or at least the most fun song of all time? I mean I can certainly say it's a song that will never get old no matter how many times I hear it. Earth, Wind, and also Fire made tons of great tracks back in the day and most of them hold up to this day. I mean if you're looking for a good time just throw on some of their music and you won't be disappointed in the slightest. Did you know that the water element wasn't included in the band name because it's based on the astrological sign Sagittarius? I'm sure that information just changed your life... 

Fleetwood Mac - "The Chain" (1977)

The first album that comes to my mind when I think of the 70s is easily "Rumours" by Fleetwood Mac. An album that had no right being as perfect as it ended up being. Most people know the stories behind the creation of this album and the tension that all the members had with each other when making it. From partying way too much, tons of drugs, affairs, and divorce, it's truly a miracle this album even came out at all. Not only did it come out, but it's considered by many to be one of the best albums of all time. You can pretty much pick any song from this album and argue that it's the best one. I personally choose "The Chain" as my favorite song here and it's mostly for one reason... the ending. Even after 100+ listens, when that bass line kicks in at three minutes it gives me goosebumps every time. The build-up to that moment is so masterful that it's honestly probably my favorite moment in all of music ever. That alongside Stevie and Lindsey's vocals (and Christine's) and how well they work together and harmonize. I mean it's just perfection through and through.

 

So that's it... the 1970s are done. I'm currently trying to finish my WORST SONGS OF THE 90s list. The amount of novelty songs in that decade is pretty exhausting, to be honest. 

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Reviewing the Current Biggest Songs

 It's been a while since I've posted about modern music on here... mostly cause it's been pretty uninteresting this year and has felt pretty stale overall. There have been enough changes recently that I decided to check out the biggest songs in the USA right now and see what's been popular this year and if anything has really changed in 2023 pop music. Well, the short answer to that is yes, things have changed... but not in the way I would have thought. The top four songs in the USA right now are a K-Pop song and three Country songs, which is definitely different. There's also a song from like 4-5 years ago on the charts, one from an artist who recently released two albums and the song that's in the top 10 is from neither of those albums. There's also not a lot of Hip-Hop in the top 10 right now, which also feels strange considering how dominant the genre has been for so long. So I'm going to listen to and review every song in the top 10 right now and see how good they are and how they feel any different than the last few years. 

1. Jung Kook (Ft. Latto) - "Seven"

Jung Kook is one of the hundred BTS members, one that seems to really be breaking out on his own. Nothing makes that more clear than him landing his own number-one hit in the USA in its first week. I thought maybe the K-Pop craze was starting to slow down a bit with BTS going on a break last year. It looks like Jung Kook is keeping all the momentum the band has gotten and has used it to really push his own career until BTS eventually returns. Teaming up with another new star in Latto to make the song "Seven", keeping in the style of BTS. I guess this song is a little more "risque" compared to what BTS was doing in that it's a little more straightforward in its message. Jung Kook will be having lots of sex with you is the message and it's pretty subtle, you might just miss it. The song is mildly catchy, though it's clearly missing the energy that a lot of the other members of BTS usually bring alongside Kook. Still got the fun bass lines and beats, and Kook of course can sing great. I'm not sure if I should appreciate a song like this just tossing subtly out the window and not just finding "clean" ways to say how good they are at sex. A catchy song, but not one I can see myself ever really wanting to listen to again.

SCORE: 2/5 

2. Jason Aldean - "Try That In A Small Town"

This one was rough. I didn't have much knowledge of Jason Aldean before I heard this song and I kind of liked it better when I didn't even know who he was. This song is just a mess in so many ways it would take a short novel to explain it all. It's a boring song musically and Jason Aldean doesn't sing like he actually has any conviction or understanding of what he's saying. That's probably because he didn't even write the song, but also because the song is just lazy pandering to his main audience. Even the guitar solo, if you can call it that, fails to be interesting. 

Really where the main interest lies in the song is the lyrics. The song is clearly trying to gain popularity by feeding into outrage with its not-so-subtle political leanings and trying to upset anyone outside of that lean. Well, it seems to have worked so far because the song did make it all the way to number 2 on the USA charts and would have been 1 if it wasn't for Jung Kook's new single being released at the same time. The obvious joke here is that Aldean isn't even from a small town nor does he live in one currently. But none of that matters, at the end of the day this is just a shit country song from a mediocre artist that really doesn't deserve any outrage or attention, but rather to just be forgotten about by next week like it probably will because everyone will move on to things that actually matter. There is great Country music out there, just listen to that and ignore this waste of space. I already gave it more attention than it deserved.

SCORE: 0/5

3. Morgan Wallen - "Last Night"

Well, this Country song isn't nearly as bad as the last one, but it's still not good. Morgan Wallen with his generic pop country production that features the same boring finger snaps you'd hear in a trap song. I thought we were past the whole country trying to sound like trap music phase, but I guess it's still going strong. This song spent months at the number one spot and only just this week finally go down to three. The sad part is this is one of Wallen's worst songs he's maybe ever made? Besides the boring trap/country music, Wallen himself is just half-heartedly going through the motions here as he mumbles the lyrics. The song seems to be about some kind of toxic relationship that's on and off with drinking and fighting. Morgan sounds so uninterested in it that it's hard to really care about anything he says. Just another song that brings nothing new to the table and uses lazy pop tropes without being inventive or fun or thoughtful or... anything. Maybe actually try next time. 

SCORE: 1/5

4. Luke Combs - "Fast Car"

The third country song in a row, but this one is actually... good? The song is a cover of one of the most iconic songs of the 80s by Tracy Chapman. This cover pretty much does everything exactly like the original, but I think in this case it's not a bad thing. Luke's voice works really well in the song and I think his vocals bring a new enough element to make this cover worth checking out. I like that he clearly respects and loves the original and put his heart into singing it. If you've never heard the original, it's for sure worth checking out as it's even better than this one. Overall though, I enjoyed this cover. 

SCORE: 4/5

5. Gunna - "fukumean"

The first hip-hop song of the list comes from Gunna and it's certainly a... song? I don't know about this one, it sounds like the kind of song that should have been left behind in the last decade. It's not terrible, it's not good, it just exists. I have no strong feelings towards this song, but I know I'll forget it exists in a few hours and I kind of look forward to that moment.

SCORE: 1.5/5

6. Rema &Selena Gomez - "Calm Down"

I saw the name Selena Gomez and immediately panicked. Anyone who's read my previous music blogs knows how much I can't stand Selena Gomez's music as I find her to be extremely bland. To my surprise though, this song was actually... good? The chilled-out tropical groove really fits in with Rema and Selena's voices along with some great melodies. Both artists just work well together and make it really easy to listen to this song and just relax. 

SCORE: 3/5

7. Olivia Rodrigo - "vampire"

Olivia returns to the pop charts with her new big single "VAMPIRE". It's strange to see this big song already dropping out of the top 10 so soon, or at least that's what it looks like now. Started at number one and two weeks later already down to 7. Not sure if that's because the song just doesn't have much interest or the other songs above it just have more. Probably a bit of both. 

The song is about Olivia's crappy ex-boyfriend who she realized was a bad person and she dwells about what a mistake it was dating him. The song uses the not-so-subtle metaphor of him being a blood-sucking vampire that was just using her and her status and was not really in love with her. I guess that's a theme this week, lots of not-so-subtle songs. The lyrics are the weakest part of the song, but I still ended up really liking this one. The melodies are really good and Olivia still brings good energy and enough anger to make the song feel true. It ends up being a solid song, held back by the lyrics.

SCORE: 3.5/5

8. Taylor Swift - "Cruel Summer"

From her 2019 album "Lover" comes a really late hit "Cruel Summer". I'm not entirely sure why this song just randomly came back into the spotlight, but I am happy to see it as I always thought it deserved more love than it got originally. To me, it's clearly the standout track from her 2019 album. It's just such a well-done and fun song that really has everything you would want in a Taylor song. The good lyrics, catchy melodies, and great production. This also means Taylor currently has songs from three different albums on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, which is pretty crazy when you think about it. 

SCORE: 4.5/5

9. Miley Cyrus - "Flowers"

A song that has a good chance of being the biggest song of the year since it's been on the charts since the start of the year. It does have some competition with Morgan Wallen's "Last Night" and SZA's "Kill Bill" which have also dominated the charts this year. Miley's big single from her new album dropped in January on her ex-husband's birthday to tell him how she's going to be perfectly fine without him. The song has a throwback 70's vibe to it with the funky bass and synth. It works really well overall and Miley's vocals are great as usual. Personally, I was a little disappointed to see her following the current trend of pop music, especially after her last album was so different than anything else in the pop music scene. Overall the album was just fine, but this song is still a standout from it along with some other great songs. Even after 7 months, this song still hasn't gotten old and that's really impressive.

SCORE: 4/5

10. Lil Durk (ft. J. Cole) - "All My Life"

I was disappointed to find out that this was not in fact a cover of the famous K-Ci & JoJo song. Dated references aside, this song was a nice surprise. An uplifting song with the stereotypical chorus of children singing the hook is just what the charts needed. Actually, the only part of the song I don't like is the chorus of children, because it sounds a little to Kidz Bop for me. Besides that, you get some good lyrics from both artists backed by a solid beat. It helps that the song feels like it has good energy unlike a lot of these songs seem to have on the charts. Okay, but if we could somehow bring K-Ci & Jojo back onto the charts that would be great too.

SCORE: 4/5 

Things started out a little bleak on this list, but it ended up being pretty strong overall. Some pleasant surprises and some long-running hits I really like on this list made this a pretty easy listen. I still have no idea where music is headed in the next few years and this list doesn't really help me in that regard. It's strange to think that maybe there's a future where Country music in the USA starts to get bigger than Hip-Hop. I'm not sure that's a future that's actually possible with how strong Hip-Hop has been in the last 20 years. The reality is that K-Pop is the real future and we all need to learn Korean. 

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