Tracks by Olivia Rodrigo, Megan Thee Stallion, Wet Leg, and Silk Sonic (pictured, clockwise from top left) landed on Rob Sheffield's list of his favorite songs of 2021.
Louis Brown*; Marcelo Cantu*; Courtesy of Aftermath Entertainment/Atlantic Recording Corporation*; Hollie Fernando*
Olivia called it right and exact this year: God, it’s brutal out here. But tough times call for tough tunes, and these tunes delivered, in an absurdly abundant year for music. These are my 25 favorite songs of 2021 (though some gems are over on my albums list, to avoid duplicating all the same artists). Including, but not limited to: hits, flops, obscurities, pop kicks, rap hustlers, soul divas, guitar monsters, disco jams, country bros, TikTok beatmasters, damn sociopaths, keychain throwers, punk rockers, and karaoke room-clearers. And Adele, obviously.
The Beatles, 'Oh! Darling (Jam)'
The Fabs got massively more famous and beloved this year, as they will next year, as they have every year since Paul met John. Get Back was definitely one of the best things to happen to the planet in 2021. (That was meant to sound like a bigger compliment.) But one of the year’s most intimate Beatle moments: this sloppy doo-wop jam from the Let It Be Super Deluxe edition, Paul and John duetting on an Abbey Road song I used to think of as a harmless trifle, until I heard them sing it together. (“Believe me when I tell you —” “Oh, I dooo!”) It’s the conversation they couldn’t stop having, from “Hey Jude, don’t let me down” to “Don’t Let Me Down” to “Oh darling, I’ll never let you down.” It sets up the funniest scene in Get Back, when the lads pretend they just suddenly noticed these songs add up to a story. John: “It’s like you and me are lovers.” Paul: “Yeah!” George’s double take is an all-time top 10 Bitchy George moment.
They never thought anyone would hear this stoned studio dick-around on “Oh Darling,” much less turn to it in years to come for solace and inspiration. But in Get Back, after George quits, Paul makes a hopeful prediction: “When we’re all old, we’ll agree, and we’ll all sing together.” John didn’t live to see it — but in a real sense, that’s just what happened. Do you get déjà vu?
Illuminati Hotties, 'Joni: LA's No. 1 Health Goth'
Sarah Tudzin will gladly roast anyone, which makes her Illuminati Hotties records a gas. She’s really mean to the health goths, though. Bonus points for calling this “tenderpunk,” the most comically terrible genre name of this or any other year.
Dinosaur Jr. 'I Ain't'
Like Adele but with meaner guitar and an infinitely laxer policy on personal hygiene, J Mascis delivers a soundbath of noise therapy. Dinosaur Jr.’s almighty power-sludge roar on Sweep It Into Space is a full-immersion experience, the Massachusetts trio’s warmest and friendliest record, especially “I Ain’t.” The lyrics are basically J drawling “I ain’t good alone,” over and over, but as always, his guitar tells the story. The story: He ain’t good alone.
Halsey, 'Girl Is a Gun'
Halsey teams up with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for a little Nine Inch Nails cosplay. “Girl Is a Gun” is the payoff, breaking down the ways femininity is a pretty hate machine and desire is a downward spiral.
Moneybagg Yo feat. Jhené Aiko, 'One of Dem Nights'
Hats off to a poetic mind that comes up with a sex boast like “got her wetter than the water in Florida,” since Florida, like most geographical locations, has water that is noted for its wetness. This is worthy of 2 Chainz circa his “she got a big booty so I call her big booty” peak. If Jhené Aiko doesn’t mind, why should you?
Young Thug and Gunna, 'Ski'
Young Thug put so much work into Punk, the least punk thing he’s ever done, but he scatters his brilliance on Slime Language 2. In “Ski,” Thugger knows his lady is down with Gunna by the cigar on her nightstand; Gunna knows she’s down with Thug by the lean stains on her jeans.
Noname, 'Rainforest'
Noname cheers on the revolution over a slinky bossa nova beat, with her vulnerable personal asides hidden between the lines. “If you think you love me, then bury me with the sun up” is a hell of an epitaph.
Phoebe Bridgers, 'That Funny Feeling'
As soon as Bo Burnham made this pandemic-blues ballad the centerpiece of his epochal Netflix comedy special Inside, Phoebe Bridgers started doing it live — Bo and Phoebe even sang it as a duet at L.A.’s Largo. Her Bandcamp version is a benefit for Texas groups fighting for abortion rights. Somehow, this state-of-the-union address is just right for the wry affection in her voice, as she sings, “Reading Pornhub’s terms of service, going for a drive/Obeying all the traffic laws in Grand Theft Auto V.” Audience participation badge: I did Google “derealization,” and wow, I did hate what I found.
Lil Nas X, 'Montero (Call Me by Your Name)'
Lil Nas X proved right off the bat with “Old Town Road” that he was a top-notch avant-garde conceptualist with his own unique sense of American pop and its history. (Fusing Nine Inch Nails with Billy Ray Cyrus on his first song? He could have retired right there.) “Montero” raises the stakes with queer glam-metal flamenco thunder, making sure everyone knows his name.
Micky Dolenz, 'Propinquity (I've Just Begun to Care)'
Micky celebrates the songbook of his Monkee brother Mike Nesmith on Dolenz Sings Nesmith, rescuing this lost Sixties buckskin-jacket hippie-muse serenade. “Propinquity” is one of Papa Nez’s finest tunes, a Monkees outtake he later revived with the First National Band — but Dolenz turns it into a fond farewell to a dedicated friend, after nearly 60 years. When Nesmith sang “Propinquity” on his 2018 tour, he recalled his wife’s response: “You wrote a pretty song. Play it, love it, let it love you back.” Glad he got to hear Micky’s tribute before he reached the end of the road. R.I.P. Nez.
Doja Cat feat. SZA, 'Kiss Me More'
I think we’re alone now. Kissing has always been one of the most underexploited pop-song topics, but Doja Cat really knows how to sign her name on her crush’s wisdom teeth. The melancholy U2 guitar adds an extra shiver or two.
Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen, 'Like I Used To'
Two songwriting legends meet up for a heartland arena-rock summit, trying to fire up some faith in the future. When they quote Michael Jordan — “The ceiling is the roof” — it sounds like an understatement.
Piri and Tommy Villiers, 'Soft Spot'
It’s a trip to hear the youth of today raid the old-school drum-and-bass catacombs in search of new forms. Piri and Tommy Villiers, a couple of 22-year-old Manchester songwriters who fell in love this spring via Instagram DMs, scored a TikTok summer sensation with the blissed-up electro-glitter of “Soft Spot.” One of the reasons drum and bass faded fast in the States is that it felt like such an strictly male scene in practice, but Piri finds her soft spot in the hardest of Planet Rave breakbeats. Once again, the kids ransack the past for dance-floor kicks and smuggle them into the future; that’s the whole story of pop music. As Goldie would have said back in the day, it’s timeless.
Megan Thee Stallion, 'Thot Shit'
Congrats to the college grad, but Megan’s already a professor of I’ve Been Lit Since Brunch Studies, and every rapid-fire line of “Thot Shit” feels like her feminist seminar. Megan truly came to school us all in the “Looking in the mirror like, ‘Damn, I don’t brag enough’ ” lifestyle.
Drake, 'Champagne Poetry'
I think we can all agree that Aubrey Graham Chipmunking the Beatles’ “Michelle” was quite possibly the least legendary thing that happened all year. But there’s something so authentically Macca about the way he aspires to the “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” spirit of hi, hi, hi frivolity. (“It’s the pretty boys vs. the petty boys,” so true.) Drake’s comedy records compare favorably to everything else he does, which is why some of us love Certified Lover Boy, and why “Champagne Poetry” is Drake to the depths of his rubber soul. Since Aubrey already tattooed himself onto the cover of Abbey Road, maybe he’ll CGI himself into Get Back so he can teach the band this slap?
Adele, 'I Drink Wine'
When Megan Fox told Machine Gun Kelly he smelled like weed, he replied, “I am weed.” Adele’s version of this is basically “I Am Wine,” and listening to this song like getting planted face down in a vat of Brunello di Montalcino up to your ankles, without even an oxygen tube. Leave the bottle, please?
Rauw Alejandro, 'Todo de Ti'
Pure discodelic mirror-ball bliss, with the Puerto Rican megastar busting electro-funk moves that slip past reggaeton into parts unknown. “Todo De Ti” didn’t fit into any format, but crashed right into the pleasure zones. Duran Duran (Rauw has so much in common with them) called their early style “night music,” and that’s exactly the vibe he hits here. His frequent collaborator Alvaro Diaz summed up what his success means for other Latin artists: “It’s like, shit, now we can do whatever we want to do.” Can’t wait.
BTS feat. Megan Thee Stallion, 'Butter'
Since BTS conquered the world without compromising their identity in any way — slaying the U.S. in Korean — the fact that they sing “Butter” in English can only be an aesthetic choice, and it feels like their victory lap. “Butter” is a blast of Eighties mall-disco, with très 1986 synth hooks. (As the late Biz Markie would say, BTS wanna rock you from the Billy Ocean to the Al B. Sure.) When Megan slides in, the Hot Girl Coach meets the Bulletproof Boy Scouts: Houston’s finest, in the room with bosses.
Sam Hunt, 'Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90's'
Everybody wanted to sing about the Nineties this year, but Sam Hunt did it best. A tear-jerking bro country anthem about scrolling through your ex’s selfies and thirst traps and wishing you got your heart broken back in the landline era. Technically, breaking up wasn’t that easy in the Nineties (you had to tell people in person!), but Sam definitely makes points here. It’s also fitting since this was the year 1990s Hot Country had a boom, as a new generation discovered the timeless appeal of hits like “Bubba Shot the Jukebox” or “Cleopatra, Queen of Denial.” This song fits right in that noble pantheon.
Wet Leg, 'Wet Dream' / 'Chaise Lounge'
Sometimes a great band drops two debut bombshells right on top of each other, to the point where they’re basically flip sides of a theoretical single — a double shot of the same perfect tune. Wet Leg are two gloriously sarcastic post-punk Brit women from the Isle of Wight, obsessed with sex, deadpan misanthropy, razor-sharp guitars, and motorik beats. They’re always sneering things like “Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?” or “Baby, do you wanna come home with me?/I’ve got Buffalo 66 on DVD.” It’s obvious Wet Leg can do anything, except make records fast enough. Bring on the album.
Silk Sonic, 'Leave the Door Open'
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak score this year’s most dependable “today sucked until this song came on” song. “Leave the Door Open” is a damn-near-perfect shot of Seventies Soul Train R&B romance, but it doesn’t sound retro because it felt so right for 2021, a bell-bottom seduction ballad for the post-pandemic summer we didn’t quite get. They’re obsessively precise about every detail — I wondered forever how they managed to nail that exact Delfonics drum sound, then they revealed they hunted down authentic 1970s drum heads. This is the work of sick minds, and I love it. (The Delfonics hit everyone knows is “La La Means I Love You,” but the real killer is “When You Get Right Down to It,” and Silk Sonic obviously agree.) You can practically see the Harvey’s Bristol Cream on the night-stand, by the shag carpet and velvet paintings.
Muna feat. Phoebe Bridgers, 'Silk Chiffon'
Life’s so fun, life’s so fun. “Silk Chiffon” comes on as a simple crush song, proving that nothing can be as complex as a simple crush. The queer fabric-conscious summer lust feels so breezy, even when Phoebe makes her scene-stealing appearance to confess, “I’m high and I’m feeling anxious/Inside of CVS.” You keep waiting for the ironic subtext to kick in. Except there isn’t one. Cool.
Wizkid feat. Tems, 'Essence'
The definition of cool, circa 2021. The Nigerian pop king Wizkid dropped “Essence” over a year ago, but it took time to build into a worldwide phenomenon: a high-gloss, slow-burn duet with his fellow Nigerian singer Tems. A smooth operator who grew up on Lagos’ meanest streets, raised on his parents’ King Sunny Adé records, Wizkid celebrates his global vision, mixing Afrobeats with Kingston lovers-rock, London New Romantic pop, Atlanta R&B. “Essence” sounds distinctly West African, yet Wizkid makes it an invitation to the world: a new-school flash of the spirit.
Olivia Rodrigo, 'Deja Vu'
Olivia scored so many brilliant hits this year, but “Deja Vu” is her best and most underrated, shadowed by “Driver’s License” on one side and “Good 4 U” on the other. It’s just crammed with scream-out-loud punch lines. I love how she roasts an ex-boyfriend over Clash guitars and Phil Collins drums, accusing him of listening to Billy Joel with his new girl, when “I was the one who taught you Billy Joel!” Producer Dan Nigro came up with the B.J. line, but what a killer hook. (“Uptown Girl”! They’re fighting over “Uptown Girl”! Not some deep cut from Cold Spring Harbor — they’re gatekeeping the hit where he let Christie Brinkley dance in the video! Like I said, bloody brilliant.) It’s a perfect ride on the pop time machine, especially since “Uptown Girl” was an Eighties hit imitating the Fifties, with Billy looking back on his sweet romantic teenage nights. (It’s not just kids who get overheated about music and memory.) But in Olivia’s hands, everything re-used becomes something new. “Deja Vu” has everything that makes her the pop savant of the moment.
Taylor Swift, 'All Too Well (10 Minute Version)'
At first, I was hoping this version would be an interesting footnote to my favorite song. But now, it’s just the song. Taylor goes deeper into the memory, digging up her original lost verses, turning “All Too Well” into a whole new heartbreak epic, full of grief and fury and extremely accurate historical detail. (Bet that “Fuck the Patriarchy” keychain from Brooklyn was snagged at Mini Mini Market on Bedford Ave.) What does it mean that Taylor can rework a fan-fave deep cut, a song that never got any kind of airplay, flesh it out for 10 minutes, and turn it into a Number One hit? What does it mean that she can build a whole romantic mythology around a scarf that probably got used to mop up a spilled smoothie a decade ago? Just this: There is nothing in the universe as powerful as a woman who can’t be scared out of talking her shit.
“All Too Well” used to be strictly for the hardcore, a note passed in secrecy from fan to fan, kept as a secret or an oath. But now it belongs to everyone, dethroning “American Pie” as the longest chart-topper ever. (The courtroom was adjourned, the scarf was not returned.) Each version tells a different story. The “Sad Girl Autumn” take, with Aaron Dessner on piano. The 15-minute film. Her solo acoustic-guitar performance at the NYC film premiere, the most soulful version I’ve ever heard, where she told fans, “Now for me, honestly, this song is 100 per cent about us and for you.” The crazy journey of this song is one of my favorite music stories of my lifetime. Hers too, probably.
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