rolling pop 2014

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the no. 1 and no. 3 songs in the UK pop chart right now are country/EDM crossovers, may god have mercy on this generation's soul

TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Monday, 6 January 2014 16:05 (eleven years ago)

can we just spend the whole year in this thread talking about how great Beyonce is?

SHAUN (DJP), Monday, 6 January 2014 16:07 (eleven years ago)

wake me up when it's all over

Murgatroid, Monday, 6 January 2014 16:07 (eleven years ago)

also that Avicii song just makes me want to listen to The Grid

SHAUN (DJP), Monday, 6 January 2014 16:08 (eleven years ago)

three weeks pass...

okay "selfies" by nina nesbitt makes me want to just give up on humanity, the whole project just seems to be fucked

TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 29 January 2014 17:11 (eleven years ago)

https://soundcloud.com/official-ms-d/shoot-me-with-the-truth

ms d of wiley "heat wave" fame does a solo song...and it's absolutely not what i expected. i think i really like this or at least am pretty intrigued

lex pretend, Thursday, 30 January 2014 11:09 (eleven years ago)

"ms d of wiley "heat wave" fame does a solo song...and it's absolutely not what i expected."

lol lex.. "what ms. d of wiley heatwave fame did next will shock you!!"

TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 30 January 2014 11:50 (eleven years ago)

that is a pretty bold and unexpected song though, i agree!

TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 30 January 2014 11:52 (eleven years ago)

g.r.l. "show me what you got"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stcZcGng_ng

melodies for dayyyyyyys. on constant repeat. dancing round my room and crying with joy status. a less jarring transition from verse to pre-chorus would elevate it to undoubtedly the best song ever made

uberweiss, Thursday, 6 February 2014 07:05 (eleven years ago)

This is awesome.

Inside Lewellyn Sinclair (cryptosicko), Friday, 7 February 2014 15:50 (eleven years ago)

i thought that was gonna be kpop for the first 11 seconds

flopson, Friday, 7 February 2014 15:53 (eleven years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iJeEAZM5xk

i really like this neon jungle single! clicking in a way that little mix's off-putting constant pleading likeability so far hasn't

lex pretend, Monday, 17 February 2014 23:35 (eleven years ago)

(talking of whom why are there so many american little mix fans suddenly)

lex pretend, Monday, 17 February 2014 23:39 (eleven years ago)

i think salute was just released there

also yeah i'm into "braveheart", particularly the second breakdown

pearly-dewdrops' bops (monotony), Monday, 17 February 2014 23:41 (eleven years ago)

i realised the other day that little mix's fierceness quotient is pretty much zero and that's why i can't care about them even when their material is decent

lex pretend, Monday, 17 February 2014 23:43 (eleven years ago)

No country for girl bands that fail to meet a prescribed stereotypical "fierceness" quota, eh?

Greer, Thursday, 20 February 2014 15:51 (eleven years ago)

A Quantum of Fierceness was an underrated Bond movie imo

Waluigi Weingarten (some dude), Thursday, 20 February 2014 15:54 (eleven years ago)

one month passes...

identical top 2 on the overall UK singles chart and the specialist dance chart

TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Sunday, 23 March 2014 19:34 (eleven years ago)

two weeks pass...

Have yet to hear any of these:

http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/radio/6029366/ross-on-radio-is-the-sound-of-summer-at-alternative-triple-a-now

alternative and triple-A radio have at least a half-dozen "rock" records, as loosely defined these days, that are poppy, uptempo, and would sound great on top 40 radio this summer.

Kongos, "Come With Me Now" -- Alternative PDs are capable of taking months to incubate a record, but made this one happen almost immediately on its U.S. release. Top 40 PDs rarely play anything before being asked, but three already have it in significant rotation, including KHKS (Kiss 106.1) Dallas, often the pop/rock incubator among Clear Channel's major-market mainstream top 40s. And whatever the actual intent of the lyrics, it does have the same "like there's no tomorrow" call-to-action that has become part of the summer song DNA.

Fitz & the Tantrums, "The Walker" -- It's up. It's fun and bouncy. It has whistling. It's top five alternative, top 10 triple-A and top 15 at adult top 40. It already has a number of spins at mainstream top 40, mostly small-market, but including KBKS (Kiss 106.1) Seattle. And it feels like one of those songs that could spring into action with warmer weather.

Black Keys, "Fever" -- They've gotten this far without a pop hit. It's not inconceivable that the audience that loved "Little Black Submarine" might feel betrayed. But when a band with an existing following finally distills what it does into something poppier, the results are often huge. And it's already No. 6 at alternative in less than a week.

Ray Lamontagne, "Supernova" -- The only thing more startling than a poppy Black Keys song is a bouncy, uptempo Ray Lamontagne song, and the Keys' Dan Auerbach was part of this one as well. Like Ryder, just reinventing himself at triple-A is a significant statement for Lamontagne. So far, the airplay hasn't even spread to adult top 40, and top 40 seems an unlikely home. But the video is just out, and wait until the syncs start.

Bleachers, "I Wanna Get Better" -- Jack Antonoff's side project fits better as a summer song musically than lyrically. But the Fun. guitarist has pulled off heavy and anthemic together before.

Cage The Elephant, "Take It Or Leave It" --

curmudgeon, Monday, 7 April 2014 14:53 (eleven years ago)

The Kongos song was mentioned on the "Worst of 2014" thread. It's quite lousy, but is probably the most likely of those to enter the Top 40 since it's number one on the Alternative Charts and Number 28 in Canada.

I quite dig that Bleachers tune, found the Black Keys song to be rather "meh", and I haven't heard the others.

MarkoP, Monday, 7 April 2014 15:04 (eleven years ago)

the Bleachers song is kinda great. the Fitz one is just the usual 'upbeat song with whistling riff' that happens every year now. can never stomach the Black Keys. i want to like the Kongos song when the accordian intro hits but the rest of it is pretty bland. haven't heard the rest.

some dude, Monday, 7 April 2014 19:27 (eleven years ago)

I had to leave a bar the other week because it was playing that Kongos song

Evan R, Monday, 7 April 2014 20:08 (eleven years ago)

and so the year of Ph0x begins -
https://soundcloud.com/phoxband/slow-motion-1/s-NgjS6

festival culture (Jordan), Tuesday, 8 April 2014 20:40 (eleven years ago)

From Wisconsin to the world:

We are a gaggle of goofy wizards performing minor
illusions and bigtop music. Born in Baraboo, WI

curmudgeon, Wednesday, 9 April 2014 14:02 (eleven years ago)

This Ph0x track is quite lovely, though it sounds nothing like I would have expected it to coming from a recommendation itt.

Inside Lewellyn Sinclair (cryptosicko), Friday, 11 April 2014 12:42 (eleven years ago)

Just discovered this song which was released last year, but is apparently starting to get some airplay in the US recently:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg1sT4ILG0w

MarkoP, Friday, 11 April 2014 19:53 (eleven years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg1sT4ILG0w

MarkoP, Friday, 11 April 2014 19:54 (eleven years ago)

i didn't know where else to post it (i guess the indie thread would have been better?).

festival culture (Jordan), Thursday, 17 April 2014 20:09 (eleven years ago)

didn't see this coming, Pharrell gave Ed Sheeran a Thicke/Timberlake type joint and it actually works

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scHS8YaYoRA

posi riot (some dude), Thursday, 17 April 2014 20:25 (eleven years ago)

man, that intro sounds like vintage Neps, before the Rick James-esque (ie 'Give It To Me Baby') bassline comes in.

festival culture (Jordan), Thursday, 17 April 2014 21:22 (eleven years ago)

i don't know who this dude is, but i just watched a video where he exactly copies Jamie Woon's looping acapella arrangement of 'Wayfaring Stranger', which is just a weird thing to do if you're already covering a folk song.

festival culture (Jordan), Thursday, 17 April 2014 21:27 (eleven years ago)

three weeks pass...

NZ top 10 this week is ... something.

01. Iggy Azalea ft Charli XCX - Fancy
02. Coldplay - A Sky Full Of Stars
03. Ariana Grande ft Iggy Azalea - Problem
04. Sam Smith - Stay With Me
05. Ed Sheeran - Sing
06. Pharrell Williams - Happy
07. Clean Bandit ft Jess Glynne - Rather Be
08. Tove Lo ft Hippie Sabotage - Stay High
09. Justin Timberlake - Not A Bad Thing
10. Sia - Chandelier

etc, Friday, 9 May 2014 06:00 (eleven years ago)

Nothing really in there that's not a hit anywhere else, with maybe the Coldplay track the only exception. Iggy x2 is also in the American top 5. "Chandelier" reached #2 in Australia, and with its striking video there's a chance it could gain traction stateside. Smith is on his way to Sandé levels of ubiquity.

ginuwine's cousin (monotony), Friday, 9 May 2014 07:21 (eleven years ago)

The only song I don't recognize on that list is the Tove Lo one. And that Coldplay one has just started making it's way on other charts, such as 4 in Canada and 24 in the US.

MarkoP, Friday, 9 May 2014 14:40 (eleven years ago)

really enjoying the new hannah diamond track
https://soundcloud.com/pcmus/attachment
might appeal to all fans of bipp etc

nathey, Tuesday, 13 May 2014 15:19 (eleven years ago)

"Sky Full of Stars" is the worst song from a great album

wouldn't be the first time Coldplay ends up with a hit I could care less about off an album I dig though

nova, Tuesday, 13 May 2014 18:06 (eleven years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8qEo9_eNmg

love this x100000

linda cardellini (zachlyon), Friday, 16 May 2014 04:19 (eleven years ago)

I've found myself really enjoying the new Rita Ora single. Currently number one in the UK.

http://youtu.be/50GQjUZ4P3M

Kitchen Person, Wednesday, 21 May 2014 00:14 (eleven years ago)

three weeks pass...

The Phox album is streaming at NPR. Sounds really nice so far!

http://www.npr.org/2014/06/09/320365989/first-listen-phox-phox

Funk autocorrect (cryptosicko), Monday, 16 June 2014 14:04 (eleven years ago)

Big love for the Hannah Diamond stuffs from here.

Slight damage to cover on top corner (chewed by a kitten) (Craigo Boingo), Saturday, 21 June 2014 15:54 (ten years ago)

https://soundcloud.com/rynweaver/ryn-weaver-octahate

loads of heavyweights assisted on this one

http://www.stereogum.com/1688810/ryn-weaver-octahate/mp3s/

christmas candy bar (al leong), Wednesday, 25 June 2014 20:27 (ten years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX5zLcg47iI

Everything tells me I should hate this, but I kinda...don't?

Johnny Fever, Thursday, 26 June 2014 04:44 (ten years ago)

guys i cannot stop giggling whenever "one more day (stay with me)" by example comes on

i imagine him in a sequined tuxedo, a single white rose in one hand, flanked by italian television models, a stretch grand piano off to one side, a very long white silk scarf around his neck being blown sideways by a powerful off-stage fan, hen parties celebrating a third marriage going absolutely crazy in the seats below

Another lesson learned
Another page is turned
Give in to your desire
Say goodbye or play with fire
Play with fire - you'll get burned!

TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 26 June 2014 15:17 (ten years ago)

hahaha CHRISTOPHER what the fuck Denmark

some dude, Thursday, 26 June 2014 15:32 (ten years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50-_oTkmF5I

i know y'all have been patiently awaiting the inimitable becky g's video for "shower"

dyl, Monday, 30 June 2014 14:59 (ten years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8I-7Wk_Vbc

love this

k3vin k., Tuesday, 1 July 2014 18:06 (ten years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxRQNO8vg2Y

MAYBE ON YOUR HONEYMOON
YOU'LL THINK OF ME

uberweiss, Tuesday, 1 July 2014 18:25 (ten years ago)

I stuck with it, but I was very close to saying "oh fuck this noise" when it started with ukulele strums.

Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 1 July 2014 18:33 (ten years ago)

fyi the secret best pop album of 2014 is cher lloyd's second album

lex pretend, Wednesday, 2 July 2014 07:29 (ten years ago)

that becky g song is great - and i LOVE the cher lloyd album - i wish more people were talking about it / buying it

ginuwine's cousin (monotony), Thursday, 3 July 2014 13:23 (ten years ago)

Just from an arrangement/structure level, though, it's got a lot more going on than Get Lucky and I'm anticipating a different part of it each time.

Johnny Fever, Thursday, 27 November 2014 01:38 (ten years ago)

slightly annoyed that the pitbull album wasn't released in the summer. that plus "give me everything" level ubiquity would've meant i was PRIMED for it, now it just feels very odd to listen to

lex pretend, Thursday, 27 November 2014 10:08 (ten years ago)

Really like this Samantha Jade single, reminds me of Arianna Grande and Carly Rae Jepsen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up4R_-kpFtE

boxedjoy, Friday, 28 November 2014 09:14 (ten years ago)

yeah that's nice, and that is exactly what it sounds like

dyl, Friday, 28 November 2014 17:39 (ten years ago)

new becky g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NwzxGntDgs

dyl, Friday, 5 December 2014 19:53 (ten years ago)

"uptown funk" is structured like a lego sculpture. i love the sounds on it but it makes me think about how well-put-together jam & lewis's songs are in particular.

maura, Sunday, 7 December 2014 19:29 (ten years ago)

did my list of best/worst pop radio hits of the year:
http://narrowcast.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-20-best-pop-radio-hits-of-2014.html

some dude, Sunday, 7 December 2014 20:57 (ten years ago)

1. Sam Smith - "Stay With Me"
2. American Authors - "Best Day Of My Life"
3. Sia - "Chandelier"
4. Echosmith - "Cool Kids"

ilu some dude

emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 8 December 2014 02:37 (ten years ago)

^listen to this brad^

some dude, Monday, 8 December 2014 04:07 (ten years ago)

It really says something about 2014 that a reggae song by Canadians is only maybe the 4th-most embarrassing thing to hit #1, but whatever, this song jams in spite of everything.

Sometimes I worry about you, some dude.

Johnny Fever, Monday, 8 December 2014 04:23 (ten years ago)

Yeah I can't get on board with some of those picks; that Fergie song is horrible. And what's your gripe with "Shower"?

uxorious gazumping (monotony), Monday, 8 December 2014 05:07 (ten years ago)

10. Aloe Blacc - "The Man"

How this isn't the worst single of any genre this year, much less only #10 in your own worst pop list is beyond my comprehension.

But I like "Chandelier," so wtf do I know.

Johnny Fever, Monday, 8 December 2014 05:10 (ten years ago)

9. Becky G - "Shower"

don't even know how to respond to this

uberweiss, Monday, 8 December 2014 05:47 (ten years ago)

i hate "stay with me" and "cool kids" so much that i basically stopped reading the list after that. i of course love "shower"

emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 8 December 2014 06:42 (ten years ago)

"Cool Kids" has all the elements right (pleasant voice, pretty instrumentation) except the lyrics, which are so lazy and flaccid as to render the entire song a dud.

uxorious gazumping (monotony), Monday, 8 December 2014 06:48 (ten years ago)

Yep

Tim F, Monday, 8 December 2014 07:24 (ten years ago)

yeah. plus they just seem like these impossibly photogenic L.A. pod people who are singing about being outcasts because their label told them to be more like Lorde.

some dude, Monday, 8 December 2014 13:18 (ten years ago)

the song probably predates Lorde but you know what i mean.

some dude, Monday, 8 December 2014 13:18 (ten years ago)

Uptown Funk sounds like it could be a long lost track from the Breakin' soundtrack, or the B-side of "No Parking On the Dancefloor", love the backing singers' bass moves and the icy, paranoid synths rubbing up against those ebullient horns

TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Monday, 8 December 2014 17:30 (ten years ago)

echosmith is a bunch of siblings btw

maura, Monday, 8 December 2014 17:41 (ten years ago)

"Uptown Funk" is like the best Song of the Summer to be inconveniently released in December.

MaudAddam (cryptosicko), Monday, 8 December 2014 18:46 (ten years ago)

Well given how stagnant the charts can be, there's always the chance that it'll still be around come summertime.

MarkoP, Monday, 8 December 2014 18:50 (ten years ago)

it's a summer hit down here!

uxorious gazumping (monotony), Monday, 8 December 2014 21:46 (ten years ago)

Sorry, we're a bunch of dirty Northists.

Johnny Fever, Monday, 8 December 2014 21:48 (ten years ago)

I'm sold on Uptown Funk. #pathetic

example (crüt), Monday, 8 December 2014 22:00 (ten years ago)

echosmith is a bunch of siblings btw

― maura, Monday, December 8, 2014 12:41 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

oh i'm aware, that's part of the whole pod people vibe imo

some dude, Monday, 8 December 2014 22:08 (ten years ago)

"uptown girl" is appalling

lex pretend, Tuesday, 9 December 2014 11:04 (ten years ago)

lex will never silence our song of protest!

MaudAddam (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 9 December 2014 22:16 (ten years ago)

That new Becky G, "Can't Stop Dancin'", is gorgeous.
She takes that European "Waves" / Asaf Avidan sound and runs away with into what comes close to a "Waiting For Tonight" for the mid-2010s.

breastcrawl, Sunday, 14 December 2014 00:28 (ten years ago)

paramore vibes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw9iO3iCFOU

katherine, Monday, 15 December 2014 05:35 (ten years ago)

*ears perk up forever*

emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 15 December 2014 05:36 (ten years ago)

omg this is great

emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 15 December 2014 05:39 (ten years ago)

yeh really enjoying this

nxd, Monday, 15 December 2014 10:00 (ten years ago)

yeah, this is really making my new year's resolution of "pay more diligent attention to radio adds" pay off already

katherine, Monday, 15 December 2014 12:42 (ten years ago)

which format is adding it?

dyl, Monday, 15 December 2014 16:22 (ten years ago)

a few trickles on CHR (but the trickles are generally the interesting part of the list, better than "as predicted everyone still loves iggy azalea"

katherine, Monday, 15 December 2014 17:06 (ten years ago)

ctrl-f "Kate Boy" no hits

hmm

the farakhan of gg (DJP), Monday, 15 December 2014 17:45 (ten years ago)

just discovered this song today (we're covering it on the jukebox tomorrow) and my god, it is gorgeous
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzFYmz2lfT4

j. winters (josh), Friday, 19 December 2014 08:33 (ten years ago)

i wonder if they used stunt feet in that starling glow video

j. winters (josh), Friday, 19 December 2014 08:34 (ten years ago)

i'm halfway into that christine and the queens record and it's really really good. the song "half ladies" interpolates the chorus of kanye's "heartless"

j. winters (josh), Friday, 19 December 2014 08:55 (ten years ago)

Yeah, this is a great album. I was into her ep from last year, but I'd lost track of her this year until a few weeks ago when I heard this.

Johnny Fever, Friday, 19 December 2014 18:30 (ten years ago)

new crj single "i really like you" coming soon i'm hyperventilating

uberweiss, Friday, 19 December 2014 20:17 (ten years ago)

!
!
!

emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Friday, 19 December 2014 20:24 (ten years ago)

Carly me, maybe? Definitely!

Johnny Fever, Friday, 19 December 2014 20:49 (ten years ago)

omg yeeeeesss

uxorious gazumping (monotony), Saturday, 20 December 2014 01:31 (ten years ago)

andy bull, an aussie who makes gloriously mournful electropop, put out a full-length this year (his track 'baby i am nobody now' was in my 2013 top 10). this track is really nice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qIQLQEvsrg

maura, Friday, 26 December 2014 15:14 (ten years ago)

^^Love this.

timellison, Friday, 26 December 2014 22:05 (ten years ago)

Well it's not the new CRJ single, but it's still Call Me Maybe related...

MarkoP, Wednesday, 31 December 2014 05:36 (ten years ago)

I'm so sorry.

MarkoP, Wednesday, 31 December 2014 05:37 (ten years ago)

one year passes...

Rhythm is a dancer / I need a companion / Girl, I guess that must be you

Gee thanks?

illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 5 January 2016 15:17 (nine years ago)


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