Best Songs of 2021: Top 20 | Playlist

15. Billie Eilish, “Happier Than Ever”

Happier Than Ever • Darkroom / Interscope • 2021

“When I’m away from you / I’m happier than ever / Wish I could explain it better / I wish it wasn’t true.” “Happier Than Ever” ranks among the biggest surprises of Happier Than Ever, the awesome sophomore album from Billie Eilish. What makes the penultimate record surprising, you ask? Well, “Happier Than Ever” transforms into this bold, overblown rock cut.  Say what?

Eilish, who tends to be a subtler vocalist, gives us a powerful, unexpected dynamic vocal on the second half of the track.  Just hearing this ‘about-face,’ particularly after how the song commences is enough to make it a surefire winner.  Also, worth noting, as the record progresses, Eilish seems to grow angrier and angrier as opposed to happy.

“And I don’t talk shit about you on the internet
Never told anyone anything bad
‘Cause that shit’s embarrassing, you were my everything
And all that you did was make me fuckin’ sad.”

Here pain is our listening pleasure!

14. Justin Bieber, “Peaches”

Ft. Daniel Caesar & GIVĒON

Justice • Def Jam • 2021

“I got my peaches out in Georgia (Oh, yeah, shit) / I get my weed from California (That’s that shit).” There’s nothing profound about either of those lyrics Grammy-winning pop superstar Justin Bieber sings on his no. 1 Hot 100 hit, “Peaches” and yet, it’s absolutely and utterly infectious to the nth degree.  He continues on the golden chorus of this Justice gem, “I took my chick up to the North, yeah (Badass bitch) / I get my light right from the source, yeah (Yeah, that’s it).”  While it seems that Bieber has this fruit-loving number on lockdown all by himself, he enlists the services of Grammy winner Daniel Caesar and Grammy nominee GIVĒON.

This isn’t a game changing record, yet the more you listen, the more you find yourself hypnotized and wooed.  In the context of Justice, Bieber loosens up (the profanity on the chill chorus), while still focused on the modus operandi, LOVE. Both Caesar and GIVĒON devote their verses to their respective lovers . “Peaches” is definitely a one of 2021’s crowd pleasers.

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13. Brandi Carlile, “Right on Time”

In These Silent Days • A Low Country Sound / Elektra • 2021 

“It wasn’t right / But it’s right on time.” Grammy winner Brandi Carlile experienced a productive 2020-21 despite COVID-19.  She published a memoir ( Broken Horses: A Memoir) and recorded a new album, In These Silent Days.  The song at hand, “Right on Time”, serves as an amazing opener and promo single.

“Right on Time” commences simply with Carlile accompanied by piano, with bass entering the mix.  She sings with great control, eventually expanding her scope, showing off the sheer power of her pipes.  The instrumentation expands on the second verse including drums, guitar, and backing vocals sweetening the mix as well. Carlile does a fantastic job of starting minimal and building “Right on Time” into a gorgeous, grandiose record. The songwriting is elite; the lyrics are poetic, and Carlile sings them with great emotion.  Notably, she highlights the title of her album: “It’s not too late / Either way, I lose you in these silent days.” “Right on Time” plays to her strengths: great writer, great singer, and a top-notch artist.

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12. Doja Cat, “Need to Know”

Planet Her • Kemosabe / RCA • 2021

“I just been fantasizin’ (Size) / And we got a lotta time (Time) / Baby, come throw the pipe (Pipe).”  Doja Cat isn’t referencing a cigar! On “Need to Know”, one of the best moments from Planet Her, Doja gives us a little bit of everything, singing often, while also dropping un-pitched rhymes on the second verse. The theme and topic of choice for Doja is SEX. What really sells this sexed-up joint is her big personality. Of course, SIZE matters in the bedroom: “What’s your size? (Size) / Add, subtract, divide (‘Vide).”

Furthermore, Doja wants her man to know, “I got a lotta new tricks for you, baby / Just sayin’ I’m flexible / I do what I can to get you off.” She doesn’t stop there, considering on the second verse she’s a magician: “Oh, wait, you a fan of magic? / Poof, pussy like an Alakazam.” Woo! The crème de la crème – the crowning achievement – is the memorable chorus:

“Wanna know what it’s like
Baby, show me what it’s like
I don’t really got no type
I just wanna fuck all night.”

A bonus? A music video supplementing this sexed-up bop encompassing Doja’s abilities in the bedroom.

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11. Taylor Swift, “All Too Well (10-Minute Version)”

Red (Taylor’s Version) • Taylor Swift • 2021

Taylor Swift is living her best life. She is one of the savviest businesswomen in the game, ensuring she gets the proper compensation and the rights to her music. Few artists could re-record an album and receive significant success. Swift did so twice in 2021, releasing Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and more recently, Red (Taylor’s Version).  Among the most rewarding aspects of these re-recorded LPs has been the nostalgia, particularly revisiting the days when Swift was a country musician exclusively. One of the best instances of recapturing the past and incorporating the present is the fabulous, expanded “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).” Honestly, it takes skill to make a 10-minute song successful. Swift – well – she possesses those skills!

The original version and the shorter “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)”, are strong.  That said, “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” is EPIC – a juggernaut to say the least!  What stands out most is what makes Taylor Swift elite – her songwriting. Yes, her voice sounds great, but it’s her pen – the lyrics – that shine. Verse after verse on this expanded version, Swift unleashes greatness.  Furthermore, back in 2012, would we ever expect to hear the clean-cut Swift dare utter “And you were tossing me the keys / ‘Fuck the patriarchy’ / Key chain on the ground, we were always skipping town?” Those lyrics rank among my favorites. Of course, the chorus and it’s variations is the centerpiece – catchy and memorable to the n^th degree.

“‘Cause there we are again in the middle of the night
We’re dancing ‘round the kitchen in the refrigerator light
Down the stairs, I was there
I remember it all too well.”

10. Olivia Rodrigo, “Good 4 U”

Sour • Geffen • 2021

“good 4 u” gives “drivers license” – the crowning achievement of SOUR, the debut album by Olivia Rodrigo – a run for its money. Written by Rodrigo and Daniel Nigro, Nigro also produces alongside Alexander 23. Nigro and Alexander 23 craft a lit punk-pop-oriented backdrop filled with angst. 

Rodrigo matches the intensity, bringing ample personality via her angst-filled Gen-Z teenage persona!  Furthermore, she has the songwriting to sell via her performance, dabbling in that ever-relatable topic of heartbreak. The best moment is the chorus where she’s “Cryin’ on the floor of my bathroom / But you’re so unaffected, I really don’t get it / but I guess good for you.”

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9. Adele, “To Be Loved”

30 • Melted Stone / Columbia • 2021 

One of the most emotional songs from 30, the fourth studio album by Academy and Grammy Award winner, Adele, is also among the crème de la crème: “To Be Loved.”  “I’m so afraid, but I’m wide open,” Adele sings vulnerably on the second verse, continuing, “I’ll be the one to catch myself this time.” Throughout the lengthy record, she reflects on the hardship of love and the number that it did on her.

“To Be Loved,” a ballad, is simple, accompanied by piano, but grows grander as her voice ascends (belts).  As this stunning record progresses, you feel every ounce of emotion she experiences.  The final chorus is the strongest, with the combination of high-flying vocals and gut-wrenching, heart-driven lyrics hitting the hardest:

“To be loved and love at the highest count
Means to lose all the things I can’t live without
Let it be known, known, know
That I will choose, I will lose
It’s a sacrifice, but I can’t live a lie
Let it be known,
Let it be known that I tried, that I tried
Let it be known that I tried.” 

8. Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby”

MONTERO • Columbia • 2021

“I ain’t fall off, I just ain’t release my new shit.” Anyone who thought that Lil Nas X would be a one-hit-wonder was totally tripping.  The unapologetic, openly gay pop artist has been ‘eating it up’ throughout 2021.  Once more, he’s killing it on “INDUSTRY BABY” ( MONTERO), collaborating with red hot rapper Jack Harlow (Harlow doesn’t lie when he asserts, “I didn’t peak in high school, I’m still out here gettin’ cuter”). 

Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow on the same track? Magical. How about throwing in the production genius of Take A Daytrip and Kanye West?  The sound of the record is epic with hard-hitting drums and bright, accented brass.  Unsurprisingly, some samples shape the backdrop, which fuels both Lil Nas and Harlow.  I love the sheer confidence of Nas as well as the fact he doesn’t shy away from who he is: “I don’t fuck bitches, I’m queer, hah / But these niggas bitches like Madea, yeah, yeah, yeah, ayy.” Harlow gets his in too, beyond the ‘cute’ line cited earlier: “I sent her back to her boyfriend with my handprint on her ass cheek.” Day-um, Jack!

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7. Ari Lennox, “Pressure”

“Pressure” • Dreamville / Roc Nation • 2021

“Now I’m on top and now I’m ridin’ sky-high / Don’t need nobody, but I’ll take you down tonight.” Woo! Ari Lennox is on fire on “Pressure”, period.  Her vocals are sassy and sexy – potent to the nth degree. The big draw is the personality she unleashes, in all its unrepentant sexiness. “So fine and spicy, baby, jump up on this (pressure) / I guess that’s why you like it baby, come and get this pressure,” she sings on the infectious chorus.  Besides the chorus, Lennox ‘does the damn thing’ on the verse, proving she’s a surefire, bad chick.  “Too fuckin’ hot for all these clothes anyways,” she confidently asserts, continuing, “My body drippin’, boy, but you gon’ have to wait / But when you get it, lick it like a candy cane.” Day-um! Clearly, the sex is through the roof, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!

Although painfully underrated, the R&B singer/songwriter is incredibly talented. The utterly sublime, steamy single was produced by Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, and Elite. Not only is Ari Lennox is fierce AF on “Pressure,” but so is the backing instrumental, which has a dash of old-school. “Pressure” ranks among the best songs released in 2021.

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6. Doja Cat, “Kiss Me More”

Ft. SZA

Planet Her • Kemosabe / RCA • 2021

Back with another big-time hit, Doja Cat taps SZA for the assist on “Kiss Me More”. The first time you hear “Kiss Me More,” it’s infectious to the nth degree.  There are several reasons why this joint is so successful.  For one, it goes to the track’s underpinnings – the harmonic progression used is sweet.  Furthermore, the lush production work awesomely supports sweet vocal performances by both Doja Cat and later, SZA. Worth noting, an Olivia Newton-John classic, “Physical”, further fuels that fire.

Doja Cat both sings and rap, showing off her incredible versatility. She brings the heat on her rhymes coming over aggressive and sexed-TF-up (“I, I feel like fuckin’ somethin’” and “Niggas wishin’ that the pussy was a kissin’ booth”).  Furthermore, she remains playful.  As for SZA, she brings vocal contrast on the third verse, matching the aggressiveness of Doja (“Pussy like holy grail, you know that / You gon’ make me need bail, you know that”). Once more, Doja Cat has constructed another surefire bop – it screams H-I-T / B-O-P!

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5. Elton John & Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart – PNAU Remix”

The Lockdown Sessions • Mercury • 2021

“Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” kicks The Lockdown Sessions – the 32^nd studio album by iconic musician, Elton John – off with a bang!  PNAU – Nicholas Littlemore, Sam Littlemore, and Peter Mayes – create a transformative remix, period. Dua Lipa joins John on a delightful mashup sampling his classic, “Sacrifice” and the interpolation of another, “Rocket Man”.

From the onset, “Cold Heart” grooves hard. The production is brilliant – colorful, picturesque, and incredibly slick. John is the first voice heard, adorning the warm, groovy backdrop with lyrics from “Sacrifice.”  Following verse and pre-chorus, a sublime sounding Lipa enters singing “Rocket Man” creating a super cool effect.  I like the way that Lipa’s vocals are layered as “Cold Heart” progresses

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4. Silk Sonic, “Leave the Door Open”

An Evening with Silk Sonic • Aftermath / Atlantic • 2021

Grammy winners Bruno Mars and Anderson  .Paak join forces as duo Silk Sonic releasing an album, An Evening with Silk Sonic.  In advance, the duo released an instant classic in “Leave the Door Open”. “Leave the Door Open” was written by Paak, Mars, Christopher Brody Brown, and Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II, with Mars and D’Mile also producing. The four-minute-plus cut features a lush backdrop – we’d expect no less from these two.

We get soulful vocals by .Paak on the first verse: “We should be dancin’, romancin’ / In the east wing and the west wing / Of this mansion, what’s happenin’.” Sexy! He doesn’t stop there, bringing the heat to the second verse as well: “There’s so much love we could be making /… Girl, let’s jump in, it’s bubblin’.” As for Mars, he serves up the pre-chorus and the centerpiece, the chorus:

“I’ma leave the door open
...That you feel the way I feel
And you want me like I want you tonight, baby.”

“Leave the Door Open” is just what the doctor ordered, checking off all the boxes.

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3. Adele, “Easy on Me”

30 • Melted Stone / Columbia • 2021 

“I know there is hope in these waters / But I can’t bring myself to swim / When I am drowning in this silence / Baby, let me in.” Woo – that hits deep! Adele returned formidably on “Easy on Me”, a personal promo single from her superb fourth studio album, 30. The Grammy winner’s voice is the biggest selling point of “Easy on Me,” which she wrote with Greg Kurstin. Kurstin, a mastermind when it comes to the boards, does work on the production end of things too.  That said, “Easy on Me” is primarily a piano ballad, though we add a robust bass line and some light drum programming (nothing too crazy).

With soaring vocals, sound production, and a tuneful melody, the last box to be checked off is songwriting.  “Easy on Me” is the perfect song that allows Adele to get personal.  Divorce seems to be the primary culprit of the singer’s petition for ‘ease,’ though she also asserts, “I was still a child / I didn’t get the chance to / Feel the world around me.” That seems to open the door to a variety of things that have affected her in her life.  The return of Adele = sheer brilliance!

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2. Olivia Rodrigo, “Drivers License”

Sour • Geffen • 2021

Olivia Rodrigo totally compels on her former no. 1 single, “drivers license”,  the crowning achievement of her critically acclaimed, commercially successful debut album, SOUR. “Drivers license” was written by Rodrigo and Daniel Nigro, who also produces. While Olivia should totally be stoked here – she gets her driver’s license after all – she’s bummed. “Today I drove through the suburbs / Crying ‘cause you weren’t around.” Ugh.  Of course, the guy she desired to be with is with someone else, and that person makes her totally insecure – I feel that.  On the third verse, she continues her lament, expressing how “All of my friends are tired / Of hearing how much I miss you.”

Rodrigo sums up her feelings superbly on the chorus, asserting at the end, “I guess you didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me / ‘Cause you said forever, now I drive alone past your street.”  She also gets totally in her feelings on the bridge, dropping the bomb: “Can’t drive past the places we used to go to / ‘Cause I still fuckin’ love you, babe.” “Drivers License” is a bop thanks to the songwriting, solid production and of course, an emotional, strong vocal performance, particularly on the chorus and bridge.  This is a contender for the best of the best, period.

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1. Lil Nas X, “MONTERO (Call Me by Your Name)”

MONTERO • Columbia • 2021

“I’m not fazed, only here to sin / If Eve ain’t in your garden, you know that you can…” Grammy-winning, openly gay pop artist Lil Nas X returned in 2021 with a controversial single, “MONTERO (Call Me by Your Name)”, the title track from his debut album, MONTERO. Here, he reflects on his own experiences with his sexuality. Fueling the fire musically is sleek production courtesy of Roy Lenzo, Omer Fedi, and Take A Daytrip. It’s the lyrics, narrative, and music video that make the record ‘controversial.’

“MONTERO (Call Me by Your Name)” shares experiences associated with many gay men at some point. Lil Nas X expresses desire: “I wanna feel on your ass in Hawaii / I want that jet lag from fuckin’ and flyin’ / Shoot a child in your mouth while I’m ridin’.” He’s a man who wants to have sex, but plenty of folks are quick to criticize him for ‘promoting a gay agenda.’ Gay sex remains taboo, sadly.  Another interesting lyric – “Never want the niggas that’s in my league / I wanna fuck the ones I envy, I envy” – is ear-catching because of its layers.  While ‘incredibly gay’ to those who aren’t gay, Nas X speaks about crushing on someone more fit, handsome, as well as potentially hetero- as opposed to homosexual. Furthermore, he expresses the plight of being gay, whether it’s being trapped in the closet, religious tension, and other factors. You know what created an even bigger stir than this the best song of 2021? The music video , which is unapologetic indeed!

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