Board Thread:Off-Topic/@comment-29512888-20190204221316

Before we start, keep these things in mind:


 * This is how the series will be structured:
 * General introduction with my thoughts on this month in music
 * Honorable mentions (up to 10)
 * Top 10
 * Recommendations (up to 5)
 * Only singles or anything that has an audio/music/lyric video on YouTube; everything else will be a Recommendation
 * Honorable mentions are in order of preference (worst to best)

Introduction
Well, this month was unexpectedly cool, as I managed to find lots of good to great songs from various genres. I don't know whether it was genuinely full of good stuff or it was just me being lucky with my researches, but I'm satisfied either way. We start with our Honorable mentions!

Honorable Mentions
This is actually a remix of a song from last year, but the slumbering guitars and the interplay between Alec and Alessia are still enough for me to count it as a brand new release. I wish I could tell the two singers apart, though. This isn't anything sophisticated, on the other hand. It's just a well-crafted EDM tune. Remember that awful Maroon 5 song with a similar name from 5 years ago? Yeah, that was a traumatic experience. Thank God Aurora came in and fixed everything with a kick-butt synthpop beat and a well-performed obscure persona behind the lyrics. I was a bit thrown off by the Genius annotation that references XXXTENTACION (seriously, girl, you should have known better), but it doesn't affect my thoughts on this song as a whole. And, even if I was, I can't deny Billie makes emo music MUCH better than X. It's great to see how these guys are in their 40's yet they still have the swagger of when they debuted. I'm sorry, AURORA, but Troye Sivan's attempt at 80's synthpop is better than yours. Oh well... maybe next time.

10. Sam Smith ft. Normani - Dancing With A Stranger
And we aren't even done yet with the 80's throwbacks, as this completely unexpected duo gives us a dance song that manages to fare really well in my book. I absolutely live for the gleamy synths combined with the vocal sample throughout the song, and there is a surprising amount of chemistry between the couple. The lyrics are also quite relatable, as the two have just split up and try to forget the pain by dancing with someone else but realize they still miss each other, no matter what. I wish there were a few more details, but it doesn't matter that much at this point, now that the song still has the right stuff in all the other aspects.

9. Paul McCartney - Get Enough
The very first 2019 song I have found this year belongs to Paul McCartney, who made a comeback with a few singles that were quite the mixed bag. Luckily, Get Enough falls in the "good" category thanks to some really clever use of vocoder, which might sound weird but doesn't take away the sincerity in the vocals, which muse on how Paul and his lover overcame obstacles through their feelings. Add in piano and strings and you got the perfect topping for the cake.

8. WALK THE MOON - Timebomb
The band behind one of my favorite Just Dance routines of all times has returned with a new song and, even though it's nowhere near as good as their hit, it's still very solid. I really like the lyrical idea of perceiving love as something dangerous but exciting at the same time, as it's a nice change of pace from the cliched "OMG I'M SO IN LAHV AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH <3 <3 <3" tone that's usually heard in pop music; plus, the production ROCKS. It's just as explosive as the title implies: guitars, percussion, loud vocals, everything is bound to make your head bang. What else can I say? The greatness speaks for itself.

7. Lizzo - Juice
Come on, did you really think I would have left out the community's favorite rapper? I just can't. Contrary to previous songs in the list, Juice isn't anything new lyrically - just your typical "I'm so hot and all the guys want me" theme - but Lizzo steps in with so much energy and charisma that it's impossible to not fall for her charm. And let's also talk on the 80's new wave (again) production, which is heavily reminiscent of those cheesy variety shows that somehow match Lizzo flawlessly. Yeah, she killed this song, and I hope she keeps the bar this high in the future.

6. Yolanda Be Cool - Dance And Chant
Did you know that this EDM production duo have made other songs besides We No Speak Americano? Well, now you do! I didn't expect them to drop this song either, but here we are, and it bumps for sure. This song is also a retro throwback but, instead of the 80's, it leans towards 90's house, and the results are just as good thanks to the incredibly catchy beat that's bound to get everyone moving, even those who can't dance. It might seem weird to see this song above the others just because it's catchy, but believe me, it deserves it.

5. Asiahn - Lost in London
If you feel this list might be a bit too carefree and pop-oriented for you, here you have a solution! The song in question comes from my very first album of 2019, Love Train 2, and it's definitely worth a listen because it brings the traditional sound that is needed in R&B, which has now become bargain-bin hip-hop. If you want an example, then look no further than Lost in London, which provides a very dream-like atmosphere while Asiahn recalls her crush for a girl she met in London. And wow, I didn't expect her to be such a good performer! I thought she would have been generic, but she actually has a lot of soul in her voice.

4. Twenty One Pilots - Chlorine
Yeah, Trench is from last year, but the music video for Chlorine was made in January 2019 so I'm counting it as a 2019 song. Why would one have a problem with that, especially when the song is this good? Just like most of the album, Chlorine is as powerful as a roaring lion due to some impressive guitar work and a heart-and-mind performance from Tyler Joseph, but it's also sad in the inside, as it revolves around depression and how Joseph tries to get better by making music. Of course the sentiment has been nailed, but do I even need to tell you? These guys are just great, and it's sad that they haven't had any other hit besides Heathens, because the charts need more of them.

3. Hozier - Almost (Sweet Music)
Just like TOP, Hozier is a severely underrated artist who deserved more chart runtime than what he actually had - but then the charts are beyond f-ed up these days so it's not a surprise. Anyway, he's working on a new album, and I hope it's going to be as great as Almost (Sweet Music), because this is a beautiful song. The lyrics are actually kind of cheesy, as they reference a lot of blues classics, but they are all connected through a narrative that has to do with Hozier and his fun times with his lover. The production is also based off blues, as you can see by the twinkling drums and the overall atmosphere - plus, it reminds me of IDGA*, and that's definitely one more point for Hozier. Great job!

2. Alice Merton - Learn to Live

 * sigh* Yet another underrated talent. Seriously, the world must adore this prodigy, she's been putting out great song after great song (even though I've heard her debut album was disappointing). Learn to Live is definitely close to the greatness of Alice's other material, as Alice tries to keep her head up against a world that is trying to tear her apart mercilessly - all of this accompanied by the retro rock sound that makes her great in the first place. Don't sleep on this girl, she's not a bed!

1. Chaka Khan - Hello Happiness
When someone points out that a song is similar to another one, the world rises up against the author because they are "lazy", "thieves" and so on; however, that's not always a bad thing. Take, for example, Hello Happiness: it is a clear retread of Gimme More, but it manages to be just as great because it's also quite different: while Gimme More is sexy and intriguing, Hello Happiness is just a simple mood-lifter, making the beat rollicking and just as impressive as Gimme More itself. As if that wasn't enough, Chaka raised the "greatness" level to infinite by also taking some inspiration from 70's funk and disco, which lodge this song in your head even more (as if it already wasn't) and qualify this pop masterpiece as my favorite song of the month. Yes, even better than Hozier and Alice Merton.

That's it for January 2019! See you next month!

Recommendations
To be honest, none of the non-singles from Clean Bandit's What Is Love? are worth checking out. Except this reggae-trap fusion. Yeah, I found this song thanks to Younger Days/Bamboo Entertainment/Max Wevers/etc's "Songs that sound like the 90's" video. Thank you for existing, buddy! Not as underrated as the rest of the list but it's stil worth it. Did I mention this girl is great? Because she really is. The song title is quite accurate, as this song is just as goosebumps-giving as hearing some gunshots from nowhere - in a good way, though. 