Best Songs of 2021: Honorable Mentions

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🎧 Best Songs of 2021: Honorable Mentions features songs courtesy of Adam Melchor, Camilo, Coldplay, DMX, Jake Wesley Rogers & Måneskin.

ometimes, you don’t always make the cut. That’s the case with these 15 songs which just miss the 🎧 50 Best Songs of 2021. To be clear, I really enjoyed these songs, as well as other honorable-honorable mentions not listed here, but I didn’t feel that they made the top tier of a very selective list. Is there a ton of difference between the top and these ‘lesser’ gems? There’s some, but when I listen to songs, I don’t go in ranking them, so, just look at these as additional best songs of 2021! 🎧 Best Songs of 2021: Honorable Mentions features songs courtesy of 🎙 Adam Melchor, 🎙 Camilo, 🎙 Coldplay, 🎙 DMX, 🎙 Jake Wesley Rogers, and 🎙 Måneskin among others. So, without further ado, here’s 🎧 Best Songs of 2021: Honorable Mentions!

1. Lucky Daye, “Access Denied”

Ft. Ari Lennox

**💿 Table for Two (EP) • 🏷 Keep Cool / RCA • 📅 2021**

“You give me, access denied / Another one stuck in line / Baby, love scares, your mind / No wonder why you keep your time.” On 🎵 “Access Denied,” among the crème de la crème of 🎙 Lucky Daye’s fabulous 2021 EP, 💿 Table for Two, he enlists the 🎙 Ari Lennox for the assist. This is a superb collaboration, one that eclipses others on EP.

Throughout, Lucky Daye and Ari Lennox either trade lines, harmonize, or sing in unison. Besides awesome vocal chemistry, the groove is lit – hella soulful. “Access Denied” is ‘old school’ without feeling anachronistic. 🎛 Allen Ritter and 🎛 Vinylz set up Daye and Lennox for success that transcends beyond R&B

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: February 2021
🔗 🎧 ‘A’ Songs: No Rhyme or Reason, Vol. 2
🔗 🎧 40 Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)

2. BROCKHAMPTON, “BUZZCUT”

Ft. Danny Brown

**💿 ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE) • 🏷 Question Everything, Inc. / RCA • 🗓 2021**

Prior to the release of 💿 ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE, 🎙 BROCKHAMPTON unveiled 🎵 “BUZZCUT”, tapping rapper 🎙 Danny Brown for the assist. There are ample pros, including epic production including samples from 🎙 Jay-Z, 🎙 Raekwon, as well as BROCKHAMPTON themselves. 🎙 Kevin Abstract takes first blood, delivering a colorful verse referencing Latino protection, racial injustice, and a virus, which seems to have multiple meanings beyond COVID-19. He follows up his verse with a wacky if endearing and gimmicky chorus that serves as the perfect lead-in for Brown.

Brown is simultaneously tough and idiosyncratic, fitting the aesthetic and vibe of this banger. Beyond his distinct verse, we get a bridge with similar lyrics to the chorus, but a starkly different sound. An outro further distinguishes itself from everything else, contributing to the intriguing trip that is “BUZZCUT.”

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: March 2021
🔗 🎧 40 Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)

3. Coldplay, “Higher Power”

💿 Music of the Spheres • 🏷 Parlophone • 📅 2021

“You’ve got a higher power / Got me singing every second, dancing every hour.” On 🎵 “Higher Power” (💿 Music of the Spheres), 🎙 Coldplay ‘take us to church!’ “Higher Power,” an exuberant pop record produced by 🎛 Bill Rahko, 🎛 Max Martin, and 🎛 Oscar Holter, thrives off spiritual references without specifically mentioning a deity. Quite an intriguing, picturesque record as far as sound (those synths, New Wave cues) and ‘spirit,’ “Higher Power” makes the ears perk up the first time you hear it.

🎙 Chris Martin is brilliant, serving up energetic and expressive lead vocals; it’s incredibly easy to buy what he’s selling. The lyrics don’t go incredibly deep, even with the spiritual ideas. The first and second verses feature some repetition and feel more like a ‘vibe’ than something possessing immense depth. The pre-chorus sets up the centerpiece, the chorus, in all its glory. Beyond the verses and chorus, there’s the high-flying bridge celebrating the higher power, as well as an outro referencing prayer… well… maybe. “When for so long I’d been down on my knees,” Martin sings, continuing, “Then your love song saved me over and over.” Martin could be talking about God, a god, or merely someone who ‘saved him’ though not in a salvation sense. Regardless, there’s lots to love here.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: May 2021
🔗 🎧 40 Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)

4. Måneskin, “MAMMAMIA”

🎵 “MAMMAMIA” • 🏷 Epic • 📅 2021

“You wanna handle me, but I’m a bit too much / I’ll burn all the place down ‘cause I’m too fucking hot.” Ooh wee, the lyrics are “fucking hot” on 🎵 “MAMMAMIA”, a gem by the Italian rock band, 🎙 Måneskin. Besides the ripe sexual innuendo involving size and a genius f-bomb, singer 🎙 Damiano David sings naughtily on the chorus, “Oh, mamma-mamma mia, spit your love on me / I’m on my knees and I can’t wait to drink your rain /… Tell me your limits and we’ll cross the line again.”

While sex is lit and “MAMMAMIA” is undoubtedly raunchy and risqué, there’s a more transcendent message. Måneskin has been criticized as a band in the past, and many instances on “MAMMAMIA” address it. For example, David feels as if him and the band have been wrongly treated ‘criminal’ despite doing nothing ‘criminal,’ including the false perception the band uses drugs (“I swear that I’m not drunk and I’m not taking drugs”). Sex and electrifying music make “MAMMAMIA” most engaging. The fact Måneskin defend themselves is a bonus.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎸🤘 Måneskin, “MAMMAMIA”: Outlandish Rock 🎸🤘 No. 3
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: October 2021

5. The Isley Brothers, “Friends & Family”

🎵 “Friends & Family” • 🏷 R. I. Top Ten • 📅 2021

Iconic R&B collective 🎙 The Isley Brothers (🎙 Ron Isley and 🎙 Ernie Isley) shine on their classy, feel-good, soulful comeback single, 🎵 “Friends & Family”. “Friends & Family” screams barbecue and cookout vibes. The record appeals to lovers of old-school R&B. It hearkens back to a previous era of contemporary R&B – think 💿 Chocolate Factory era 🎙 R. Kelly (aughts). This sound is a sweet spot for Ron Isley; he’s able to show off that silky smooth tenor and compel with a ripe falsetto.

The record is incredibly feel-good, groovy, and clean-cut. Even 🎙 Snoop Dogg keeps things classy and ‘classic,’ riding the beat with ease. Ultimately, we get refined songwriting, awesome vocals (Ron is 80) and fine production (robust bass line, horns, keys). Can you say #Vibes!

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 An Engaging, Unorthodox Soundtrack to Spring
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: April 2021
🔗 🎧 40 Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)

6. DMX, “Hood Blues”

Ft. Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher & Conway the Machine

**💿 Exodus • 🏷 Def Jam • 📅 2021**

The world lost a musical icon in 2021 with the passing of gruff-voiced, East Coast rapper 🎙 DMX on April 9, 2021. Simmons was ‘rough around the edges,’ but the sheer talent and influence he brought to the game, as well as his tremendous faith, is undeniable. He’s on fire on the song 🎵 “Hood Blues,” a highlight from his 2021 posthumous album, 💿 Exodus, named after his youngest son.

The production is marvelous, a product of 🎛 Avenue Beatz and 🎛 Swizz Beatz. Creating the jazzy backdrop is a sample of “Shady Blues” (🎙 Lee Mason). Of course, beyond the picturesque production, the highlight is the performers. 🎙 Westside Gunn shines on the first verse, asserting, “Pray five times a day, get on the wave, nigga.” 🎙 Benny the Butcher follows on the second, with several clever lines. 🎙 Conway the Machine gets to work on the third, quoting 🎙 Nas: “‘Cause Nas said a G at night wasn’t good enough, and he was right.” Finally, the ‘man of the hour’ arrives to close things out on the fourth, asserting, “I done Punk’d more niggas than Ashton Kutcher (C’mon, c’mon).” Woo! He also memorably states on the outro, “I’m not fifty years old for nothing.”

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Blues: 3BOPS No. 31 (2021)
🔗 🎧 40 Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)
🔗 🎧 Neighborhood: 5ive Songs No. 48 (2021)
🔗 🎧 13 Incredible Neighbor / Neighborhood Songs

7. Manchester Orchestra, “Dinosaur”

**💿 The Million Masks of God • 🏷 Loma Vista • 📅 2021**

🎵 “Dinosaur” stands out from 💿 The Million Masks of God, the sixth studio album by Georgia alternative rock collective, 🎙 Manchester Orchestra. On “Dinosaur,” the band begins rather enigmatic, opting for restraint and poise as opposed to full-blown, ‘hits your chest’ rock. No worries though, because the record eventually reaches an epic fever pitch, with frontman 🎙 Andy Hull digging deep for his grittiest vocals of the album on the bridge (“Over and over”).

Besides the gargantuan bridge, the chorus is quite delightful, continuing the reflective, thought-provoking vibes of the other cuts that precede it on the album. Notably, the chorus is reprised from another The Million Masks of God gem, 🎵 “Keel Timing”. According to an interview with Bernard Zuel, “Dinosaur” was written about Hull’s son. “Dinosaur” is a terrific song from a truly terrific album.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Dinosaur: 3BOPS No. 27 (2021)
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: May 2021
🔗 🎧 11 Songs Loosely About Carnivorous Animals
🔗 🎧 40 Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)

8. Camilo, “Ropa Cara”

**💿 Mis Manos • 🏷 Sony Latin • 📅 2021**

🎙 Camilo (Camilo Echeverry) is a Dashing musician hailing from Medellín, Colombia.The man knows how to sport a mustache! Besides the looks, he’s talented, shining on his 2021 sophomore album, 💿 Mis Manos. Filled with superb songs, among the best is 🎵 “Ropa Cara” (“Expensive Clothes”).

“Ropa Cara” is the definition of a latino urbano/reggaeton banger. So many things work extremely well here. There are the playful vocals by Camilo (both sung and spoken), minimalist production, and ample swagger/drippy vibes, particularly on the chorus:

“Balenciaga, Gucci, Prada
Balenciaga, Gucci, Prada.”

Camilo keeps it simple, but it’s a record that speaks volumes.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: March 2021
🔗 🎧 40 Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)

9. Adam Melchor, “What a Damn Shame”

🎵 “What a Damn Shame” • 🏷 R&R Digital / Warner • 📅 2021

“What a damn shame when it won’t go right / What a damn shame to waste a good shirt on a bad night.” Totally agree 🎙 Adam Melchor. 🎵 “What a Damn Shame” is a ‘damn good’ song. Melchor penned and produced it alongside 🎼✍ 🎛 Dark Waves. Melchor is a fine vocalist, singing with authenticity and expression. Furthermore, the vocal production is ‘damn sweet!’ Songwriting is arguably the crowning achievement.

I heart the references to clothing, as well as more clever references to, say Frank Sinatra that evolve from singing about clothing:

“I heard Sinatra wouldn’t be caught dead without a suit
Well, I know I‘m not him
My hair’s more curly and my eyes a little less blue.”

Furthermore, tying intriguing verses together is the chorus. We get to curse (lightly) as we sing along to these fun lyrics (excerpted above). The final piece of the ‘damn’ pie is the production – #WINNING. There’s an alt-pop/rock sensibility which plays to Melchor’s strengths.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: September 2021
🔗 🎧 Swear Along with These 15 Swear Songs!

10. Joshua Bassett, “Only a Matter of Time”

**💿 Joshua Bassett – EP • 🏷 Warner • 🗓 2021**

“And when did you stop bein’ kind? / You twisted your words like a knife…” Connotation = negative. The lyrics hail from 🎵 “Only a Matter of Time”, a gorgeous if ‘troubled’ song from actor/singer 🎙 Joshua Bassett, from his debut EP, 💿 Joshua Bassett (EP). What shines most about “Only a Matter of Time” is the lofty musicianship. This is a simple record, focused more on the lyrics than the production. That said, the production (Bassett and 🎛 Jake Gosling) is a selling point, particularly the use of piano. There are other sounds, but the rhythmic piano chords are the main driving force.

Vocally, Bassett sings radiantly, pouring his heart out in his speculated response to 🎵 “drivers license”. He gives us middle and upper register, with his falsetto coming off incredibly sweet. Of course, the biggest draw are the lyrics. There’s nothing incredibly complex or otherworldly, just emotionally fueled, honest lyrics. The chorus is the centerpiece, but the contrasting bridge might be the most intriguing section. What’s not to like about this ballad? This is a surefire bop.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: February 2021
🔗 🎧 40 Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)

11. The Black Keys, “Crawling Kingsnake”

**💿 Delta Kream • 🏷 Nonesuch • 📅 2021**

🏆 Grammy-winning rock collective 🎙 The Black Keys (🎙 Dan Auerbach and 🎙 Patrick Carney), introduce the blues to a new audience on their fine, 2021 Mississippi blues cover album, 💿 Delta Kream. Auerbach and Carney recorded Delta Kream live in the studio with friends 🎙 Eric Deaton (electric bass) and 🎙 Kenny Brown (electric guitar). Among the highlights is the slithering 🎵 “Crawling Kingsnake.”

“Crawling Kingsnake” written by 🎼✍ John Lee Hooker and 🎼✍ Bernard Besman, is an epic way to commence Delta Kream. The record features killer guitar riffs, soloing, and a prominent, anchoring bassline. Furthermore, Carney provides superb drumming, as always. As for Auerbach, he delivers sensational vocals which are nuanced, expressive, and perfectly tailored to the blues/blues-rock style. While “Crawling Kingsnake” runs long in its main version, it’s worth every bit of its duration.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 40 Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)

12. Jake Wesley Rogers, “Pluto”

💿 Pluto (EP) • 🏷 Facet / Warner • 📅 2021

“When I was a kid / Pluto was still a planet / I’m still kinda sad about it, oh.” Agreed 🎙 Jake Wesley Rogers. Rogers delivers an epic ballad, 🎵 “Pluto,” gracing his 2021 EP, 💿 Pluto. In the emotional first verse, Rogers reflects on life and his emotional state: “Thought I was the shit / ‘Til someone made me doubt it / I’m still kinda mad about it.” There’s an authenticity that Rogers has that is easy to connect with. Furthermore, his voice is to die for! In the verses, he maintains poise while drawing you in with what affects him. “I Think of my mom,” he sings on the second, continuing, “She loves me no matter what / And that really fucks me up.”

Rogers raises the stakes and goes ‘all in’ on the centerpiece – the memorably written chorus:

“Hate on me, hate on me, hate on me, hate on me
You might as well hate the sun
For shining just a little too much
Hate on me, hate on me, hate on me, hate on me
Maybe at the end of the day
You and me are both the same
We just wanna be loved, loved
We just wanna be love.”

That hits fiercely, elevated further by a higher dynamic level and Rogers’ ad-libs and nuances. Also raising the bar is the songwriting. The production (🎛 Michael Seamus Crossey) yields ample ear candy (keys, subtle, tasteful synths, and soaring strings). “Pluto” is excellent through and through.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🌈🎶 Jake Wesley Rogers, “Pluto”: LGBTQ Bopz 🌈🎶 No. 8
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: November 2021

13. Badflower, “Family”

**💿 This is How the World Ends • 🏷 Big Machine / John Varvatos • 🗓 2021**

L.A. alternative rock band 🎙 Badflower kills it on 🎵 “Family”, the promo single from their sophomore album, 💿 This is How the World Ends. “Family” is a complete, well-rounded alternative rock record. There are several components that make it stellar. For one, this is a ‘musical’ track. Early on, the band pulls back rather than showcasing the full deck of cards. Frontman 🎙 Josh Katz initially sings with poise while still holding the audience’s attention. He tells an authentic, personal story about family, that leads to a huge climax.

On the magnificent peak, Katz, and band kick things up considerably. Gone is all sense of poise and control in favor of aggressive, bad ass, hard rock.

“‘Cause I let you down
And I lost my fucking mind
Then everything got messy
And everyone got angry
I cursed my blood tonight
It happens all the time
Is everyone against me?
Has everyone goddamned me?
What happened to this family?”

Katz ‘brings it down’ after that gargantuan burst of aggression, again showing awesome musicianship. “Family” is epic to the nth degree. This is a fabulous rock record that features great vocals, personal songwriting, and superb attention to detail from the band musically.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: July 2021
🔗 🎧 An Alphabet of Random Songs

14. Summer Walker & JT, “Ex for a Reason”

**💿 Still Over It • 🏷 LVRN / Interscope • 📅 2021**

“Don’t fight over a nigga that got his attention all over the place… I hope you learn from my mistakes.” Woo! 🎙 Summer Walker spits the truth via tweet regarding 🎵 “Ex for a Reason,” the promo single from her no. 1 debuting sophomore album, 💿 Still Over It. On “Ex for a Reason,” Walker taps 🎙 JT of 🎙 City Girls for the assist.

Don’t fight over a nigga that got his attention all over the place….I hope y’all learn from my mistakes “Ex For A Reason” ft. JT out now on all platforms. pic.twitter.com/peKRcW6jBX

— SUMMER WALKER (@IAMSUMMERWALKER) October 15, 2021

“The bitch your ex (Your ex), for a reason though (Reason though)
Try me, trespass
Guaranteed to beat your ass
The bitch your ex (Your ex), for a reason though (Reason though)
It’s too much for her heart to take
I give no fucks ‘bout what she gotta say (No, woah).”

Clearly, Summer Walker is ‘over it!’ She cusses like a sailor on the first verse, clearly irritated. “Fuck a bitch on? Stress is always the mindset I’m in (I’m in) / But a ex game is not the game I’m tryna play at all.” JT is even more hard-nosed on the second verse, commencing with the fiery “That bitch in the ditch for a reason though / She was singin’ on his dick with them easy notes.” She remains unapologetic throughout, threatening at the conclusion of the colorful verse, “‘Cause a real bitch’ll pull up with the click-clack.” If it’s not clear, neither Summer or JT are about some BS. They spit the truth on this 🎛 Buddah Bless / 🎛 Sean Garrett / 🎛 Boobie produced joint.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Ex-: 5ive Songs No. 94 (2021)

15. ICE NINE KILLS, “Hip to Be Scared”

Ft. Jacoby Shaddix

**💿 Welcome to Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2 • 🏷 Fearless • 🗓 2021**

“You’ll find no escape once you’re captured on tape / I’m aware it’s a bit avant-garde.” Indeed, indeed! With a metal/metalcore band like 🎙 ICE NINE KILLS, there’s never a dull moment – understatement. 💿 Welcome to Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2 (2021) follows up a fantastic LP, 💿 The Silver Scream (2018) led by single 🎵 “Hip to Be Scared” featuring🎙 Jacoby Shaddix of 🎙 Papa Roach) for the assist.

“‘Not the fucking face, you piece of bitch trash!’” “Hip To Be Scared” is foreboding, set in a minor key predominantly. This perfectly suits ICE NINE KILLS. “Hip” begins enigmatically, embracing and maintaining a horror schtick. As always, frontman 🎙 Spencer Charnas ‘gets it done’ in the vocal department, serving up a sweet melody and expressive, shouted vocals that fit the ‘scared’ vibe (and colorful lyrics). Besides awesome production and top-notch vocals, I like the shifts incorporated throughout this record, keeping things unpredictable and intriguing to the nth degree. So often, songs can be more monolithic, and INK ensures that is not the case here. The chorus is one of the biggest selling points:

“So, to hell with good intentions
So, to hell is where I’ll go
But the Devil makes exceptions
For all-American psychos.”

Rock TF on. ICE NINE KILLS serves up an excellent mix of impressive musicianship and entertaining, tongue-n-cheek, horror-laden moments.

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: July 2021
🔗 🎧 Don’t Be Too Scared of These 13 Songs

🎧 Best Songs of 2021: Honorable Mentions [📷: Amir Boucenna, Big Machine, Brent Faulkner, Def Jam, Epic Facet, Fearless, Interscope, John Varvatos, Keep Cool, Loma Vista, LVRN, The Musical Hype, Nonesuch, Omar Medina Films, Parlophone, Pixabay, Question Everything, Inc., RCA, R. I. Top Ten, R&R Digital, Sony Latin, Warner]

Best Songs of 2021: Honorable Mentions | Playlist 🎧

Published by the musical hype on December 27, 2021December 27, 2021