2023 was, by all indicators, an incredibly horny year for pop music.
Maybe there was some kind of full moon or maybe this is the first time people are feeling more safe in public spaces post-COVID. But, goodness gracious, if you had a pop star making an album, they were- as the kids would say- DTF. Because of that, this year’s batch of songs feels like they need a cold shower. However, there is still plenty of good stuff here.
The year wasn’t all about sexy sexy time. There were also great songs about loss and heartache and anger. As always, there was tons of good music if you knew where to look for it.
Here are the 25 best songs of the past twelve months:
25. Padam Padam- Kylie Minogue
Twenty years later and Kylie Minogue still cannot get you out of her head. Laying it on as thick as she possibly ever has, Kylie is in full seduction mode as she just wants to get closer and hear your heart beat.
24. Sprinter- Central Cee x Dave
This was a pretty great year for rap from our former British overlords. On “Sprinter” Dave and Central Cee get silly and witty all over Spanish guitar with lines like, “With bae through thick and thin, she already thick so I’m halfway there.” Oh, you crazy Brits.
23. Younger & Dumber- Indigo De Souza
With the lead single from her third album, the North Carolina singer looks back on a bad relationship from back in the day. “Which way will I run when I’m over you?” she sings while breaking our heart. So many songs are about looking back at the past with a joy and reverie; De Souza is looking to run as far from her past as possible.
22. Bogus Operandi- The Hives
Hey! Remember The Hives? Well, you fucking should, because they never stopped being awesome. With their first record in over a decade (The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons), The Hives show they haven’t loss a step or a scream. This song feels like the best songs of their past but isn’t a nostalgia jag; it still feels current with an electricity that I have missed.
21. Needs- Tinashe
“I don’t like begging, but I’m on my knees.” Tinashe is many things on this song- soulful, playful, sexy- but one thing she isn’t is subtle. Good. That’s overrated anyways.
20. Chosen To Deserve- Wednesday
Another great rocker from North Carolina makes me think there is something special in the water of the Tarheel state. This time, it’s Karly Hartzman and her band of moody alt-rockers as she plays the role of Gary Oldman in The Dark Knight: “Just so you know what you signed up for/ What you’re dealing with/ I’m the girl that you were chosen to deserve,” and she makes it sound every bit as much of a pleasure as a threat.
19. Fruit Loop- Flo Milli
With 2023 full of amazing female hip-hop artists, Alabama rapper Flo Milli showed she was just as strong as any of them with “Fruit Loops”, a song where it feels like she is firing every weapon in her arsenal at once. It feels like chaos pop, while she brings the voice of the most profane Looney Tunes character to the forefront.
18. Vampire- Olivia Rodrigo
Much like “Drivers License”, Olivia Rodrigo has shown that her sweet spot is writing songs about heartbreak. Yet, “Vampire” feels like a step up from her other mega-hit, with tighter lyrics while retaining her razor-sharp delivery and contrasting that with a softer upper vocal range. It’s orchestral and raw at the same time.
17. One More Time- blink-182
Nowhere on my 2023 Bingo card was “crying over a blink-182 single”, but here comes “One More Time” and all bets are fucking off. Singing about their reconcile following the break-up of the band, Mark Hoppus sings, “I wish they told us it shouldn’t take a sickness or airplanes falling out the sky,” and that is the most honest lyric 2023 is going to give us. Every ounce of pain and hurt shows and comes to the forefront. For So-Cal goofballs, when blink wants to, they can pull out all the stops.
16. Dial Drunk (feat. Post Malone)- Noah Kahan
While not as proficient as his cohort Zach Bryan, who can make a few hundred songs a month if the mood fits him, Noah Kahan can deliver a polished folk gem like “Dial Drunk”, which allows him to wear his heart on his banjo strings. Soulful and sorrowful, funny and heatbreaking, Kahan lets the bottle do the talking and then allows Post Malone to grab a verse and add his own style while still keeping with the vibe of the song. Kahan gave 2023 the sad drinking song of the year, and I’m sure tons of people stumbled out of bars singing about the punches that they’ve thrown in the name of someone they no longer know.
15. Johnny Dang (feat. Paul Wall & DRODi)- That Mexican OT
If you’re like me, “Johnny Dang” was you first exposure to That Mexican OT. If you’re also like me, you love this song with it’s rat-a-tat flow and mile-a-minute delivery throwing everything at the wall and having most of it stick. So now you’re like me going down a rabbit hole to find what other songs you’re missing. Soon, we will be getting That Mexican OT tattoos together.
14. One Last F.U.- Lucero
Lucero’s Ben Nichols is a man who does not suffer fools and is not afraid to speak his mind. “Yes, I got some time to spend but I don’t want to spend it here,” his gravel voice spits out in this kiss off to horrible bars everywhere. He doesn’t even need a drink, just to tell you to fuck off before he leaves. Also, COWBELL.
13. Gorilla- Little Simz
With so many people choosing to rap with quick bars and an aggressive demeanor, Little Simz comes in and just pulls the parking brake. Her flow is slow and deliberate, making you wonder if she’s gonna hit the rhyme before the next beat comes in. She is ice cold and this song makes me wish it was summer.
12. Hope Is A Dangerous Little Thing- The Menzingers
Pennsylvania darlings The Menzingers come and hit you over the head with a song about anxiety and insecurity. Greg Barnett wailing, “Sometimes I wanna blow up my life and become someone else” is just so relatable. If you’ve never felt that way, I don’t know what to tell you other than to listen to this song and understand how most of us feel.
11. Kill Bill- SZA
SZA goes all Fatal Attraction with this song. Under a cool bass line with some basic drums, she lets so deep inside that we would be scared if it wasn’t such a great song.
10. Red Wine Supernova- Chappell Roan
In this fun and flirty track, Chappell Roan delivers what is definitely the funniest line in all of pop music this year: “I heard you like magic? I’ve got a wand and a rabbit!” Pop music may have a new silly bad girl on the scene, and with songs like this one, I am all about it.
9. Bad Idea, Right?- Olivia Rodrigo
Guts may not be my favorite record of the year, but it’s definitely the best collection of singles. With “Bad Idea, Right?”, Olivia Rodrigo takes music that feels like a thrown-out Weezer b-side, throws in a fuzzy guitar solo, and then sing-raps her way through a series of bad decisions. It’s one of those things where we would feel more worried about her if the songs weren’t so damn catchy. Is she gonna be ok? Fuck it… she’s fine.
8. Blood, Hair, And Eyeballs- Alkaline Trio
A full return to pop-punk, Alkaline Trio gives us another amazing scream-along anthem, with all the vulgarity and pain to go with the mentioned body parts in the title. Comparing a breakup and breakdown to the zombie apocalypse, Matt Skiba leads us through a rollicking melody that sticks with us like a virus.
7. Not Strong Enough- boygenius
2023’s best album (yes, I said it!) gives us what feels like the companion piece to Sheryl Crow’s “Strong Enough”. “I don’t know why I am the way I am,” we get with pain and self-loathing and some of the most beautiful fucking harmonies you’re going to hear from an album all year. When we’re told later that they’re “just lowering your expectations,” we know that’s absolute bullshit.
6. Pretty In Possible- Caroline Polachek
Caroline Polachek was always a pop singer I was always very hot or cold to, but this new album is her best and this is the opening salvo. It just sets a tone with her gorgeous voice and continues to hold you through three minutes and some change. Polachek plays lover and savior and you just want all of that to be true. Excited to hear what the future brings for her.
5. Boys A Liar, Part 2 (feat. Ice Spice)- PinkPantheress
This feels like a normal pop song sped up 25%, and that makes it feel a little chaotic. But Pinkpantheress allows her voice to just lightly flow through a chaotic beat and swirling keyboards. Then comes Ice Spice, who had an excellent 2023, and it almost feels like she’s begging to make the song faster. No matter how fast you make this song, they’ve got in under control.
4. Lil Boo Thang- Paul Russell
Paul Russell must have seen that Bruno Mars didn’t have a single coming out this year, so he made this absolute banger. Hand claps and big choruses, if you are not dancing by the end of this song, you need to seek medical help immediately. This was the feel great hit of the summer.
3. Vampiros- Rosalía & Rauw Alejandro
Look, I’ll be the first to admit that my spanish is wildly limited and I have no idea what Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro are singing in “Vampiros”. But, if I’m being honest, the way they’re voices sound along this beat that is so good it’s almost disgusting, I don’t care. They could be insulting my family and I will still jam to this. Rosalía’s voice just drips down this track like blood, and it’s almost enough to make me star Duo Lingo again.
2. Hollywood Baby- 100 Gecs
Hyper pop’s resident noise-weirdos return with an amazing banger. Do you dance to this? Jump around? Scream? Sing? Light things on fire? All of the above. This song just hits the sweet spot of nostalgia while also being modern and also, somehow, futuristic? Whatever it is, it fucking rules.
1. Modern Girl- Bleachers
My cousin’s wife referred to Bleachers, Jack Antonoff’s merry band of misfits, as the best and most famous Springsteen cover band. She’s not wrong, and “Modern Girl” goes to show how that’s not a bad thing. Saxaphone and Antonoff’s sing-yelp definitely gives us “Born To Run” vibes while he talks about boys and girls just wanting to get out and dance. And it’s been a long hard year… this is exactly what we needed.
Fancy Boys Club 