17
“Leave The Door Open”
Silk Sonic
Sign me up for basically anything Bruno Mars.
16
“family ties”
Baby Keem feat. Kendrick Lamar
Horns are classic and straightforward, perfect for the minimalist beat and Keem’s thin, higher-pitched rapping style. Fantastic beat-switch halfway through amid his torrential output. The video is also an astounding art piece.
15
“DON’T SHOOT UP THE PARTY”
BROCKHAMPTON
The artistic collective BROCKHAMPTON had frontman Kevin Abstract on a podcast with Rick Rubin this year (Broken Record). It gave me a new appreciation for their work and specifically this song.
14
“Empathy — MUNA Remix”
Lauren Aquilina
We are nearing perfect pop-song territory on the pre-chorus-into-the-hook on this one.
13
“Inhumane Harvest”
Cannibal Corpse
OG death metallers still grinding out unabashed hits.
12
“Panopticon”
Silent Planet
One of the most thoughtful, considered bands making music in this era, Silent Planet’s latest album, Iridescent, deserves to be listened to in its entirety. Here, though, their slight turn to a Nine Inch Nails-meets-metalcore sound proves their desire to keep pushing their own envelope.
11
“Junya”
Kanye West
“JUNYA WATANABE ON MY WRIST” no doubt the number one thing I yell out in public unsolicited.
10
“Enemy”
Brand of Sacrifice feat. Spencer Chamberlain
Brand of Sacrifice — along with To The Grave and Ov Sulfur — the best metal around right now.