Wet Thud: 2019

It's the annual event that kickstarted this blog in the first place--it's time, once again, for Wet Thud's list of our 100 favourite songs of the past year. Presented in countdown sequence for your scrolling pleasure, read on and revisit some of 2019's musical highlights, and maybe discover some new favourites along the way too.

Any song released since we shared Wet Thud's Top 100 Songs of 2018 list was eligible, and as such, one lone straggler from last December, literally released only hours after we hit the "publish" button, is included in this year's Top 100. (And, as perhaps the year's most ubiquitous earworm, how could it not be?)

There's a little bit of a whole lot contained within--from folky pop to glitchy hip hop, and lo-fi indie rock to sophisticated synthpop, and experimental electro to traditional country, with just a sprinkling of everything else in between. It's been an eclectic year. Please enjoy...

In addition to the video and audio links throughout, please find a Spotify playlist of the full Top 100 following #1 below.

100.
HAIM
"Summer Girl"
Single (Columbia)
Released: July 31

"L.A. on my mind, I can't breathe."

The Haim sisters returned this year with this breezy bop that's more than a little indebted to "Walk On The Wild Side," with its shuffling bass line, sultry sax, and 'do-do-do' refrain. So much so, Lou Reed was given a co-writer credit, despite having died over five years ago now.

099.
The National
"Hey Rosey"
Album cut from I Am Easy To Find (4AD)
Released: May 17

"I'm the rocks they weigh down the angels with."

One of several collaborations with acclaimed session musician Gail Ann Dorsey (David Bowie, Tears For Fears, Charlie Watts) to be found on The National's eighth studio album.

098.
MorMor
"Outside"
Single from Some Place Else EP (Don't Guess)
Released: March 20

"The sky won't hold light, it leaves me blind."

Toronto singer-songwriter Seth Nyquist, a.k.a. MorMor, won this year's SOCAN Songwriting Prize for his 2018 song, "Whatever Comes To Mind."

097.
Men I Trust
"Dorian"
Album cut from Oncle Jazz (independent)
Released: September 13

"Come on, Jean-Talon."

Montréal trio Men I Trust has self-released all of their music to date. They issued their third album, Oncle Jazz, late this summer.

096.
Devon Welsh
"Faces"
Single from True Love (You Are Accepted)
Released: June 7

"I can't really stay, but I can't say goodbye."

Former Majical Cloudz frontman Devon Welsh is the son of Canadian actor Kenneth Welsh, none other than Windom Earle from the cult classic 'Twin Peaks.'

095.
Danny Brown
"Dirty Laundry"
Single from uknowhatimsayin¿ (Warp)
Released: September 5

"Stain your record like Clorox and darks."

Detroit rapper Danny Brown recruited hip-hop legend Q-Tip, of A Tribe Called Quest fame, to produce his fifth studio album, uknowhatimsayin¿.

094.
Vagabon
"Water Me Down"
Single from Vagabon (WEA)
Released: August 27

"I'll do it right and I'll take my time. Next time."

Vagabon (real name Laetitia Tamko) grew up in urban Cameroon before moving with her family to New York City as a teen.

093.
Billie Eilish
"When I Was Older"
Single from Music Inspired By The Movie Roma (Darkroom/Interscope)
Released: January 9

"Memories burn like a forest fire."

Billie Eilish is the first (and to date only) artist born in the 2000's to top Billboard's famous Hot 100 chart.

092.
Jenny Hval
"High Alice"
Single from The Practice Of Love (Sacred Bones)
Released: August 13

"Where do all these creatures come from, and why are they here?"

Norwegian musician/producer/singer Jenny Hval once wrote a concept album centred around the themes of blood, vampires, menstruation, and horror movies.

091.
Hatchie
"Stay With Me"
Single from Keepsake (Ivy League)
Released: April 2

"It's no better now you're gone."

Besides her solo work, Brisbane, Australia's Hatchie (born Harriette Pilbeam) also plays in an indie rock band named Babaganouj.

090.
Porches
"rangerover"
Single (Domino)
Released: October 17

"How do you sleep at the end of the day?"

Aaron Maine, the central figure in New York indie synth-pop group Porches, has also recorded music under the names Ronnie Mystery and Sex God.

089.
DIIV
"Blankenship"
Single from Deceiver (Captured Tracks)
Released: September 18

"Destroy those who destroy the earth."

2019 saw the rebirth of DIIV with a fittingly heavier sound on songs like "Blankenship," a song condemning harm done to our environment in the name of corporate greed in general, and felonious coal baron Don Blankenship in particular.

088.
Gucci Mane x Megan Thee Stallion
"Big Booty"
Single from Woptober II (WEA)
Released: October 4

"The way she running game on you, she's an athlete."

Riding a 2 Live Crew sample and singing about butts, "Big Booty" is a reminder that sometimes the more things change, the more things stay the same.

087.
The Drums
"626 Bedford Avenue"
Single from Brutalism (Anti)
Released: February 26

"You might be a psychopath. You might want to check that."

2019 saw quartet-turned-trio-turned-duo-turned-solo act The Drums return with their fifth record overall, and second as a one-piece, Brutalism.

086.
Billie Eilish
"bury a friend"
Single from WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? (Darkroom/Interscope)
Released: January 9

"Why aren't you scared of me?"

Much of Eilish's work, including "bury a friend," is produced by her brother Finneas O'Connell, who had a recurring role in the TV series 'Glee.'

085.
Miguel
"Funeral"
Single from the forthcoming Funeral (ByStorm/RCA)
Released: November 1

"Blood on the carpet, it came from my heart."

In 2004, Miguel auditioned to be in a label-constructed sextet named Fatty Koo, but Columbia Records ultimately went with another singer.

084.
Channel Tres
"Brilliant N****"
Single from Black Moses EP (GODMODE)
Released: March 8

"Got ya in a trance."

His first headlining tour only kicked off a week ago, but following his opening stints for both Robyn and Toro Y Moi earlier this year, Wet Thud is willing to declare Channel Tres the live act of 2019.

083.
Amber Mark
"Mixer"
Single (Jasmine Music/PMR/Universal)
Released: April 4

"I'm a fire. Gotta keep me lit all night."

Songwriter Amber Mark lived in settings as disparate as rural Tennessee, Berlin, an Indian monastery, and New York City while growing up, perhaps accounting for some of the more unique influences in her personal brand of R&B.

082.
Alessia Cara
"Ready"
Single from This Summer EP (Def Jam)
Released: July 22

"Go steady your heavy heart until you're free."

Cara is included in the voice cast of the upcoming animated comedy, 'The Willoughbys,' also featuring Will Forte, Jane Krakowski, Ricky Gervais, Maya Rudolph, Terry Crews, and fellow Canadians Martin Short and Vincent Tong.

081.
Carly Rae Jepsen
"Now That I Found You"
Single from Dedicated (604)
Released: February 27

"'Cause there's nothing like this feeling, baby."

She may have only placed third on her respective season, but Carly Rae Jepsen's career has fared considerably better than anyone else associated with the televised trainwreck that was 'Canadian Idol.'

080.
Kygo x Whitney Houston
"Higher Love"
Single (RCA)
Released: June 28

"Where's that higher love I keep thinking of?"

Norwegian DJ Kygo brought Whitney Houston's voice back to radios and into the charts with this house remix of her 1990 take on Steve Winwood's hit single.

079.
ROSALÍA
"Milionària"
Single from Fucking Money Man EP (Columbia)
Released: July 3

"Fucking money, man."

"Milionària" is the first song Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía has released in Catalan.

078.
KAYTRANADA x VanJess
"DYSFUNCTIONAL"
Single (independent)
Released: April 12

"Get up off this sugar with your salt, babe."

Montréal DJ-producer Kaytranada joined up with Nigerian-American R&B sister-duo, VanJess, for the "Dysfunctional" single.

077.
Ariana Grande
"break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored"
Single from thank u, next (Republic)
Released: February 8

"You got me some type of way."

When "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart last winter, it was in the number two position, immediately behind Grande's own "7 rings" at number one, and immediately ahead of her "thank u, next" at number three, making Ariana Grande the first artist to occupy the three top spots on the chart since The Beatles in 1964.

076.
Danny Brown
"Best Life"
Single from uknowhatimsayin¿ (Warp)
Released: September 17

"'Cause ain't no next life."

In addition to releasing the very well-received uknowhatimsayin¿ album, 2019 also saw Danny Brown launch his own talk show, 'Danny's House,' on Viceland.

075.
SASAMI x Devendra Banhart
"Free"
Single from SASAMI (Domino)
Released: February 14

"There's nothing wrong with a half-finished song."

LA songwriter Sasami Ashworth is the former synth player for indie rockers Cherry Glazerr.

074.
Jessie Reyez
"Far Away"
Single (FMLY)
Released: October 4

"It's been a hundred days since I kissed your face."

Up-and-coming Toronto artist Jessie Reyez co-wrote Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa's massive 2018 chart hit, "One Kiss."

073.
Tame Impala
"Borderline"
Single from the forthcoming The Slow Rush (Modular)
Released: April 12

"Caught between the tides of pain and rapture."

Perth, Australia's Tame Impala have never shied away from a groove, and bandleader Kevin Parker's embracing of studio technology continues to propel the band's sound further from the rock arena and into the clubs.

072.
Belle and Sebastian
"Sister Buddha"
Single from the Days Of The Bagnold Summer soundtrack (Rough Trade)
Released: September 13

"There has to be more than the thrills that fill the circus ring."

'Days Of The Bagnold Summer' is an English indie film starring Nick Cave's son Earl as a heavy metal-loving teen with a strained relationship with his librarian mother. The movie has only played the festival circuit to date, but its soundtrack has seen far wider release as the latest full-length from Scotland's Belle and Sebastian.

071.
Empress Of x Perfume Genius x Jim-E Stack
"When I'm With Him"
Single (Terrible)
Released: January 30

"I feel possessed. I speak, but can't express."

Seattle's Mike Hadreas a.k.a. Perfume Genius and remixer Jim-E Stack makeover Empress Of's "When I'm With Him," off last year's Us album.

070.
Jenny Lewis
"Red Bull & Hennessy"
Single from On The Line (Warner)
Released: January 23

"I'm about to get wicked."

Besides her solo work, Jenny Lewis has also been a member of indie groups Rilo Kiley, the Postal Service, Jenny and Johnny, and Nice As Fuck. Don't get us started on her work as a child actor.

069.
Prince Innocence
"Noches"
Single from Blue Star EP (independent)
Released: February 8

"I think I'm on to something special."

Six years after their Lapse EP, Toronto duo Prince Innocence came back with another short-player of icy, sleek synth pop, Blue Star.

068.
Nakhane x ANOHNI
"New Brighton"
Single from the deluxe edition of You Will Not Die (Kimhad Trading)
Released: January 18

"Never live in fear again."

South African-born Nakhane Mahlakahlaka relocated to London to create his second album, You Will Not Die.

067.
Magdalena Bay
"Killshot"
Single (Luminelle)
Released: October 30

"Wicked love will leave me blind."

Los Angeles-based duo Magdalena Bay have been making sweet synth pop together since they were in high school. Which wasn't really all that long ago. But still.

066.
Nilüfer Yanya
"H34T RISES"
Single (ATO)
Released: October 8

"Getting high just from the heat."

London songwriter Nilüfer Yanya was once given the opportunity to be in a girl group produced by One Direction's Louis Tomlinson, but opted to concentrate on a solo career instead.

065.
Charly Bliss
"Capacity"
Single from Young Enough (Barsuk)
Released: February 6

"I can barely keep myself afloat when I'm not saving you."

Charly Bliss guitarist Spencer Fox was the voice of Dash in Disney's animated 2004 hit, 'The Incredibles.'

064.
Gryffin x Carly Rae Jepsen
"OMG"
Single from Gravity (Darkroom/Geffen)
Released: July 31

"I only liked a lot of things before I knew the way I love it when you touch me now."

Ten of the sixteen tracks off Gryffin's debut album had reached the Top 50 on Billboard's dance charts before the full record was even out, including this collaboration with the pride of Mission, British Columbia.

063.
Destroyer
"Crimson Tide"
Single from the forthcoming Have We Met (Merge)
Released: October 22

"Like an ocean stuck inside hospital corridors."

Since 1996, Vancouver's Dan Bejar has released upwards of twenty-five albums as a part of various musical projects, including The New Pornographers, Swan Lake, Hello Blue Roses, and his own brainchild, Destroyer.

062.
Tame Impala
"Patience"
Single (Modular)
Released: March 22

"Living life in phases."

For all their past exploration of elements and sounds from the 1970's, "Patience" is the closest Tame Impala has come yet to one of that decade's musical institutions, the discotheque.

061.
Lil Nas X
"Old Town Road"
Single from 7 EP (Columbia)
Released: December 3, 2018

"Got the horses in the back."

Forget for a moment, if you can, the cloying Billy Ray remix, and revisit the bona fide banger that is the neither-achy-nor-breaky 113-second original.

060.
Tyler, the Creator
"EARFQUAKE (Channel Tres remix)"
Remix of single from Igor (Columbia)
Released: October 4

"Don't leave. It's my fault."

It's been more than a decade since Tyler, the Creator came bounding obnoxiously into public consciousness alongside the rest of his Odd Future cohorts, and yet this reworking of his "EARFQUAKE" single by Channel Tres marks the first time one of his songs has received an official remix.

059.
Jai Paul
"He"
Single (XL)
Released: June 2

"There's something on the wind."

English songwriter-producer Jai Paul returned from a self-imposed hiatus this year, a break that hadn't seen him release any new music since the well-publicized online leak of his debut album through the Bandcamp site in 2013.

058.
Hot Chip
"Melody Of Love"
Single from A Bath Full Of Ecstasy (Domino)
Released: May 29

"There is a sound that resonates."

English electronic group Hot Chip's seventh studio album, A Bath Full Of Ecstasy, was sadly released two days after the death of its co-producer, Philippe Zdar, of Cassius fame.

057.
Camila Cabello
"Liar"
Single from Romance (Simco/Epic)
Released: September 4

"Got me begging you for more."

Camila Cabello's "Liar" is credited to a total of eleven songwriters, in part due to interpolating both Ace Of Base's "All That She Wants" and Lionel Richie's "All Night Long."

056.
Sleater-Kinney
"Hurry On Home"
Single from The Center Won't Hold (Mom+Pop)
Released: May 29

"Disconnect me from my bones."

Marking the end of an era, "Hurry On Home" would be the final single released by Olympia's Sleater-Kinney before the departure of long-time drummer Janet Weiss in July of this year. Weiss had first joined founding members Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein on S-K's third album, the 1997 classic Dig Me Out.

055.
Channel Tres x JPEGMAFIA
"Black Moses"
Single from Black Moses EP (GODMODE)
Released: July 31

"Ain't about me."

JPEGMAFIA (real name Barrington Hendricks) served in the American military, spending time in Iraq, Kuwait, Germany, Japan, and North Africa before being honourably discharged.

054.
DIIV
"Skin Game"
Single from Deceiver (Captured Tracks)
Released: July 24

"They gave us wings to fly, but then they took away the sky."

On "Skin Game," DIIV frontman Zachary Cole Smith confronts his past battles with addiction from a newly sober perspective, after entering a number of treatment programs before the band began work on their third album.

053.
Toro Y Moi
"Fading"
Album cut from Outer Peace (Carpark)
Released: January 18

"You are something I feel."

Toro Y Moi (real name Chaz Bear) may be one of the acts most commonly identified with the "chillwave" movement of the early 2010's, but such is Toro's sonic evolution that these days you're more likely to catch him eschewing hazy synths and heavy reverb in favour of bigger beats and club influences.

052.
The Weeknd
"Blinding Lights"
Single (XO/Republic)
Released: November 29

"I can't see clearly when you're gone."

Toronto's The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) may have dropped the "e" from his stage name to avoid legal issues with a Canadian indie band already gigging as The Weekend, but in retrospect, 10 out of 10 search engines will agree that Tesfaye ended up with the better handle.

051.
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
"Don't Look Down"
Single from the forthcoming X: The Godless Void And Other Stories (Dine Alone)
Released: November 14

"I have another set of eyes I use to disguise the part of me that's died."

Austin, Texas' ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead haven't released an album since the fall of 2014, but recently announced an upcoming tenth studio record, due out next month.

050.
Jessie Ware
"Adore You"
Single (PMR/Virgin EMI)
Released: February 13

"Lean in, move slow, don't go."

Jessie Ware is the daughter of BBC journalist John Ware, a reporter for the current affairs program 'Panorama' for over twenty-five years.

049.
FKA twigs
"Cellophane"
Single from Magdalene (Young Turks)
Released: April 24

"Why won't you do it for me, when all I do is for you?"

Before embarking on her own music career, England's FKA twigs (real name Tahliah Barnett) worked as a backup dancer, appearing in videos for such artists as Kylie Minogue, Ed Sheeran, and Jessie J.

048.
Harry Styles
"Lights Up"
Single from the forthcoming Fine Line (Erskine/Columbia)
Released: October 11

"What do you mean 'I'm sorry, by the way?'"

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Harry Styles described his upcoming sophomore album as "all about having sex and feeling sad." It's sure to sell millions.

047.
Grimes x i_o
"Violence"
Single from the forthcoming Miss Anthropocene (Crystal Math)
Released: September 5

"I like it like that."

The forthcoming album from Vancouver's Grimes (real name Claire Boucher) centres around themes of artificial intelligence, technology, climate change and transhumanism. Plus you can dance to it.

046.
Vampire Weekend
"This Life"
Single from Father Of The Bride (Spring Snow/Columbia)
Released: April 4

"You've been cheating on me, but I've been cheating through this life."

Vampire Weekend's fourth record, Father Of The Bride is the group's first without founding member Rostam Batmanglij.

045.
Georgia
"About Work The Dancefloor"
Single (Domino)
Released: March 28

"To be in a moment with you."

British dance artist Georgia Barnes is the daughter of Neil Barnes from the successful electronic outfit, Leftfield.

044.
Andrew Bird
"Sisyphus"
Single from My Finest Work Yet (Wegawam/Loma Vista)
Released: January 30

"I'd rather fail like a mortal than flail like a god."

Folk rocker Andrew Bird played violin for the, according to Google, still active Squirrel Nut Zippers during the latter half of the 1990's.

043.
Foals
"Exits"
Single from Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost -- Part 1 (Warner UK)
Released: January 21

"We should honour the breeze instead of screaming with each other."

Oxford's Foals went all Use Your Illusion on us in 2019, issuing two separate companion albums, Everything Will Not Saved Will Be Lost, Part 1 and Part 2.

042.
Gesaffelstein x Pharrell Williams
"Blast Off"
Single from Hyperion (Columbia)
Released: March 1

"This must be fate."

Fully embodying his press persona as a prince of darkness during his Coachella 2019 set, French DJ-producer Gesaffelstein performed in front of an enormous backdrop coated in Vantablack, a material so black in colour it absorbs virtually all light, causing the disorienting appearance of an endless void.

041.
Skrillex x Boys Noize x Ty Dolla $ign
"Midnight Hour"
Single (OWSLA/WEA)
Released: August 29

"Werk."

Besides this standout track with Skrillex and Boys Noize, L.A. rapper Ty Dolla $ign collaborated with a slough of artists in 2019, among them Little Mix, The Chainsmokers, Kehlani, serpentwithfeet, Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj.

040.
James Blake x ROSALÍA
"Barefoot In The Park"
Single from Assume Form (Polydor)
Released: January 18

"When you're done with me, I see a negative space."

Contrasting the stark, coolness of Blake's production with the warmth of Rosalía's flamenco-influenced vocal resulted in one of the high points from this year's Assume Form.

039.
Shura
"religion (u can lay your hands on me)"
Single from Forevher (Secretly Canadian)
Released: June 12

"I wanna consecrate your body, turn the water to wine."

English electro musician Shura showed promise playing football for Manchester City between the ages of ten and fifteen.

038.
Lana Del Rey
"Doin' Time"
Single from Norman Fucking Rockwell! (Universal)
Released: May 17

"Summertime, and the living's easy."

Often occupying the same lyrical corner of sexy-sleazy California as many a Sublime song, it seems only fitting that Lana Del Rey would offer up this tribute to the Long Beach natives.

037.
Weyes Blood
"Everyday"
Single from Titanic Rising (Sub Pop)
Released: February 12

"True love is making a comeback."

Echoing 70's soft rock, and perennial easy listening favourites like Karen Carpenter and Anne Murray, singer-songwriter Natalie Mering delivered one of 2019's most critically-acclaimed long players in Titanic Rising. "Everyday" was inspired by the perils of dating on the internet. Appropriately, the video is horror-themed.

036.
Jenny Hval
"Ashes To Ashes"
Single from The Practice Of Love (Sacred Bones)
Released: July 10

"With two fingers in the earth."

In addition to being a musician, Hval is a novelist. Prior to recording The Practice Of Love, she finished working on 'Girls Against God,' which is due out late next year.

035.
Lizzo
"Soulmate"
Album cut from Cuz I Love You (Nice Life/WEA)
Released: April 19

"Look up in the mirror like, 'damn, she the one.'"

With "Soulmate," the relentlessly positive Lizzo delivers an anthem of self-love so buoyant even Stuart Smalley would blush.

034.
Nilüfer Yanya
"In Your Head"
Album cut from Miss Universe (ATO)
Released: January 22

"I cannot tell if I'm paranoid or it's all in my head."

"In Your Head" features playing from famed session drummer Joey Waronker, noted for his extensive work with Beck, R.E.M., Smashing Pumpkins, and others.

033.
Maxo Kream x Megan Thee Stallion
"She Live"
Single from Brandon Banks (RCA)
Released: May 10

"I'm freaky and I'm loyal. He love it so I get spoiled."

Houston rapper Maxo Kream (real name Emekwanam Biosah, Jr.) was a high school friend of Travis Scott, growing up in Fort Bend, Texas.

032.
Kito x Empress Of
"Wild Girl"
Single (UMG)
Released: September 27

"Suddenly my heart knows its weakness."

Kito (real name Make Kito Lebbing) is an Australian-born, L.A.-based DJ-producer. Empress Of (real name Lorely Rodriguez) is also a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and producer.

031.
Alex Lahey
"Don't Be So Hard On Yourself"
Single from The Best Of Luck Club (Dead Oceans)
Released: February 20

"You're Christmas without Boxing Day."

The glorious saxophone solo that brings "Don't Be So Hard On Yourself" to its crescendo is performed by none other than Lahey herself.

030.
Lizzo
"Cuz I Love You"
Promotional single from Cuz I Love You (Nice Life/WEA)
Released: February 14

"I don't even wanna ho no mo'."

In addition to the singles off her current album, Cuz I Love You, 2019 impressively also witnessed two of Lizzo's older songs, namely 2016's "Good As Hell" and 2017's "Truth Hurts," climb back up the Billboard charts to #3 and #1 respectively.

029.
Vampire Weekend
"Harmony Hall"
Single from Father Of The Bride (Spring Snow/Columbia)
Released: January 24

"I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die."

Vampire Weekend singer Ezra Koenig hosts a fortnightly talk show on Apple Music called 'Time Crisis.'

028.
SAULT
"Let Me Go"
Single from 5 (Forever Living Originals)
Released: May 3

"You're gonna love me only when I'm gone."

Very little can be said about Sault because very little is known about Sault, other than that they are apparently an anonymous trio who released two bangin' albums of retro indie electronic soul this year. Googling them only turns up others equally mystified by the internet's failure to have already identified them.

027.
Solange
"Binz"
Album cut from When I Get Home (Columbia)
Released: March 1

"Sun down, wind chimes."

Solange once subbed in at the last minute for Kelly Rowlands after the Child of Destiny broke her toes backstage during a tour stop in 2000.

026.
Tame Impala
"It Might Be Time"
Album cut from the forthcoming The Slow Rush (Modular)
Released: October 28

"You ain't as cool as you used to be."

Although he was born and raised in Australia, Kevin Parker's mother and father were from South Africa and Zimbabwe, respectively.

025.
The 1975
"People"
Single from the forthcoming Notes On A Conditional Form (Dirty Hit/Polydor)
Released: August 22

"Wake up, wake up, wake up."

According to president materials, the upcoming Notes On A Conditional Form is the second of two records comprising Manchester group The 1975's "Music For Cars" era, following last year's A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships.

024.
Carly Rae Jepsen
"Want You In My Room"
Album cut from Dedicated (604)
Released: May 17

"I wanna do bad things to you."

Carly Rae Jepsen's debut single was a cover of folk legend John Denver's 1971 classic, "Sunshine On My Shoulders."

023.
Beyoncé x Jay-Z x Childish Gambino x Oumou Sangaré
"MOOD 4 EVA"
Single from The Lion King: The Gift (Parkwood/Columbia)
Released: July 19

"I be like soul food, I am a whole mood."

Jay and Gambino may both be on this track, but it's Beyoncé who spits the best verse.

022.
Róisín Murphy
"Incapable"
Single (Mickey Murphy's Daughter/Loaded)
Released: June 5

"I don't know if I can love, in all honesty."

Irish dancefloor queen Róisín Murphy first gained prominence as half of the 90's trip-hop duo Moloko, who found international success with their singles "The Time Is Now," and "Sing It Back."

021.
Charli XCX x Christine and the Queens
"Gone"
Single from Charli (Asylum UK)
Released: July 17

"I feel so unstable, fucking hate these people."

French chanteuse Christine and the Queens' guest appearance stands out amid an album positively brimming with collaborators (Lizzo, Sky Ferreira, HAIM, Clairo, Yaeji, Troye Sivan, Big Freedia, and more).

020.
Bat For Lashes
"Kids In The Dark"
Single from Lost Girls (AWAL)
Released: June 10

"Let's take it down to where the loving starts."

In 2015, English singer-songwriter Bat For Lashes (real name Natasha Khan) recorded an album of Irani, Moroccan, Thai, and American folk and psych rock covers with fellow countrymen Toy under the name Sexwitch.

019.
Angel Olsen
"All Mirrors"
Single from All Mirrors (Jagjaguwar)
Released: July 30

"Losing beauty, at least at times it knew me."

American singer-songwriter Angel Olsen's sound has evolved with each of her records, but her latest, All Mirrors features the boldest, most theatrical compositions of her career yet. Gone are the days of sparse folk rock, replaced instead with orchestral art pop, and we are here for it.

018.
Taylor Swift
"Lover"
Single from Lover (Universal)
Released: August 16

"I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all."

Taylor Swift's seventh studio effort, Lover debuted at number one on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart this August, and in the week of its release outsold all 199 of the other albums combined.

017.
Big Thief
"Not"
Single from Two Hands (4AD)
Released: August 13

"Not to die, not dying, not to laugh, not lying, not the vacant wilderness vying."

The prolific Big Thief released not one, but two very solid albums this year, May's U.F.O.F., and then October's Two Hands, the parent record to "Not."

016.
Flume x JPEGMAFIA
"How To Build A Relationship"
From the Hi This Is Flume mixtape (Future Classic)
Released: March 20

"I'm not cool. I'm not nice. I'm not you."

Australian DJ Flume lifted his name from a Bon Iver song.

015.
Hatchie
"Without A Blush"
Single from Keepsake (Ivy League)
Released: February 26

"If I could kiss you one more time, would it make everything alright?"

Occupying a sonic space somewhere between the Cocteau Twins and the cranberries, Hatchie is a welcome addition to the forever-sprawling dream-pop canon.

014.
Tyler, the Creator
"I THINK"
Album cut from Igor (Columbia)
Released: May 17

"I'm your puppet, you are Jim Henson."

One of the funkiest beats of the year comes courtesy of Tyler, the Creator, or more accurately, courtesy of the 1982 party record Tyler samples from West African artist Nkono Teles. "I THINK" also features a little help on the chorus from Solange.

013.
Caribou
"Home"
Single from the forthcoming Suddenly (Merge)
Released: October 9

"She's better off than she has ever been."

"Home" is the first release from Canadian DJ-producer-musician Dan Snaith under his Caribou handle in five years.

012.
Lucy Dacus
"Forever Half Mast"
Single from 2019 EP (Matador)
Released: June 25

"Yes, you're evil, but you're not that bad."

Part of a series of singles Dacus released throughout the past year to commemorate corresponding holidays, "Forever Half Mast" was her Independence Day instalment.

011.
PUP
"Kids"
Single from Morbid Stuff (Little Dipper/Universal Canada)
Released: January 15

"Your little songs are getting way too literal."

Toronto pop-punks PUP capitalize their name because it's an acronym for the phrase "Pathetic Use of Potential," which is how bandleader Stefan Babcock's grandmother once described the idea of playing in a rock band.

010.
Young Thug x J. Cole x Travis Scott
"The London"
Single from So Much Fun (300/Atlantic)
Released: May 23

"Fuck your IG, I put something on your sonogram."

It's been over five years since Young Thug broke through with songs like "Stoner" and "Danny Glover," but it wasn't until this summer that the Atlanta rapper released his debut album and its first single, "The London," which saw him join up with fellow hip-hop major leaguers J. Cole and Travis Scott.

009.
Beyoncé
"Before I Let Go"
Bonus track from Homecoming: The Live Album (Parkwood/Columbia)
Released: April 17

"Bunnyhop bunnyhop drop, pop"

Bonus material accompanying Queen Bey's live album documenting her Coachella 2018 set included this reinterpretation of a 1981 single from American R&B group Maze.

008.
Charli XCX x Lizzo
"Blame It On Your Love"
Single from Charli (Asylum UK)
Released: May 15

"I'm tryna catch millions, I ain't tryna catch feelings."

Despite first surfacing a year and a half ago as "Track 10" on Charli XCX's 2017 mixtape, this is apparently the "original" unremixed version of "Blame It On Your Love." Also, further evidence of Lizzo being truly everywhere in 2019.

007.
Better Oblivion Community Center
"Dylan Thomas"
Single from Better Oblivion Community Center (Dead Oceans)
Released: January 23

"That ghost is just a kid in a sheet."

Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst first collaborated on a duet for the former's debut album in 2017 before joining forces for a full record as Better Oblivion Community Center.

006.
Normani
"Motivation"
Single (Keep Cool/RCA)
Released: August 16

"Why would we ever do something instead of falling into the bed?"

The former Fifth Harmony member's first completely solo single bests all of her duets and collaborations to date.

005.
Lizzo
"Juice"
Single from Cuz I Love You (Nice Life/WEA)
Released: January 4

"I'm not a snack at all. Look, baby, I'm the whole damn meal."

Lizzo is a classically trained flutist. She's also an expert at twerking. She's been known to demonstrate both of these talents simultaneously on more than one occasion.

004.
Lana Del Rey
"The Greatest"
Single from Norman Fucking Rockwell! (Universal)
Released: August 22

"'Life on Mars' ain't just a song."

The man featured in the cover art for Lana Del Rey's Norman Fucking Rockwell! is Duke Nicholson, grandson of Jack Nicholson.

003.
Sharon Van Etten
"Seventeen"
Single from Remind Me Tomorrow (Jagjaguwar)
Released: January 8

"I know what you're gonna be."

Van Etten ruminates on age, change, memories, and knowing then what you know now.

002.
Clairo
"Bags"
Single from Immunity (FADER)
Released: May 24

"Pardon my emotions, I should probably keep it all to myself."

After five years of Bandcamp releases and the Diary 001 EP, songwriter Claire Cottrill unveiled her debut album proper, Immunity, this August.

001.
Billie Eilish
"bad guy"
Single from WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? (Darkroom/Interscope)
Released: March 29

"Duh."

Only time will tell, but at present, Billie Eilish is poised to rule the music world for the foreseeable future. She's already sold/streamed millions of units, won awards the world over, can command festival size crowds with the ease of a veteran performer, and she's not even eighteen until next week.

Full Top 100 Spotify Playlist (Countdown Sequence #100 ==> #1)

Full Top 100 Spotify Playlist (Reverse Countdown Sequence #1 ==> #100)

***** text-only version of the list *****

###. Artist "Song Title" (Record Label)

100. HAIM "Summer Girl" (Columbia)
099. The National "Hey Rosey" (4AD)
098. MorMor "Outside" (Don't Guess)
097. Men I Trust "Dorian" (independent)
096. Devon Welsh "Faces" (You Are Accepted)
095. Danny Brown "Dirty Laundry" (Warp)
094. Vagabon "Water Me Down" (WEA)
093. Billie Eilish "When I Was Older" (Darkroom/Interscope)
092. Jenny Hval "High Alice" (Sacred Bones)
091. Hatchie "Stay With Me" (Ivy League)
090. Porches "rangerover" (Domino)
089. DIIV "Blankenship" (Captured Tracks)
088. Gucci Mane x Megan Thee Stallion "Big Booty" (WEA)
087. The Drums "626 Bedford Avenue" (Anti)
086. Billie Eilish "bury a friend" (Darkroom/Interscope)
085. Miguel "Funeral" (ByStorm/RCA)
084. Channel Tres "Brilliant N****" (GODMODE)
083. Amber Mark "Mixer" (Jasmine Music/PMR/Universal)
082. Alessia Cara "Ready" (Def Jam)
081. Carly Rae Jepsen "Now That I Found You" (604)
080. Kygo x Whitney Houston "Higher Love" (RCA)
079. ROSALÍA "Milionària" (Columbia)
078. KAYTRANADA x VanJess "DYSFUNCTIONAL" (independent)
077. Ariana Grande "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored" (Republic)
076. Danny Brown "Best Life" (Warp)
075. SASAMI x Devendra Banhart "Free" (Domino)
074. Jessie Reyez "Far Away" (FMLY)
073. Tame Impala "Borderline" (Modular)
072. Belle and Sebastian "Sister Buddha" (Rough Trade)
071. Empress Of x Perfume Genius x Jim-E Stack "When I'm With Him" (Terrible)
070. Jenny Lewis "Red Bull & Hennessy" (Warner)
069. Prince Innocence "Noches" (independent)
068. Nakhane x ANOHNI "New Brighton" (Kimhad Trading)
067. Magdalena Bay "Killshot" (Luminelle)
066. Nilüfer Yanya "H34T RISES" (ATO)
065. Charly Bliss "Capacity" (Barsuk)
064. Gryffin x Carly Rae Jepsen "OMG" (Darkroom/Geffen)
063. Destroyer "Crimson Tide" (Merge)
062. Tame Impala "Patience" (Modular)
061. Lil Nas X "Old Town Road" (Columbia)
060. Tyler, the Creator "EARFQUAKE (Channel Tres remix)" (Columbia)
059. Jai Paul "He" (XL)
058. Hot Chip "Melody Of Love" (Domino)
057. Camila Cabello "Liar" (Simco/Epic)
056. Sleater-Kinney "Hurry On Home" (Mom+Pop)
055. Channel Tres x JPEGMAFIA "Black Moses" (GODMODE)
054. DIIV "Skin Game" (Captured Tracks)
053. Toro Y Moi "Fading" (Carpark)
052. The Weeknd "Blinding Lights' (XO/Republic)
051. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead "Don't Look Down" (Dine Alone)
050. Jessie Ware "Adore You" (PMR/Virgin EMI)
049. FKA twigs "Cellophane" (Young Turks)
048. Harry Styles "Lights Up" (Erskine/Columbia)
047. Grimes x i_o "Violence" (Crystal Math)
046. Vampire Weekend "This Life" (Spring Snow/Columbia)
045. Georgia "About Work The Dancefloor" (Domino)
044. Andrew Bird "Sisyphus" (Wegawam/Loma Vista)
043. Foals "Exits" (Warner UK)
042. Gesaffelstein x Pharrell Williams "Blast Off" (Columbia)
041. Skrillex x Boys Noize x Ty Dolla $ign "Midnight Hour" (OWSLA/WEA)
040. James Blake x ROSALÍA "Barefoot In The Park" (Polydor)
039. Shura "religion (u can lay your hands on me)" (Secretly Canadian)
038. Lana Del Rey "Doin' Time" (Universal)
037. Weyes Blood "Everyday" (Sub Pop)
036. Jenny Hval "Ashes To Ashes" (Sacred Bones)
035. Lizzo "Soulmate" (Nice Life/WEA)
034. Nilüfer Yanya "In Your Head" (ATO)
033. Maxo Kream x Megan Thee Stallion "She Live" (RCA)
032. Kito x Empress Of "Wild Girl" (UMG)
031. Alex Lahey "Don't Be So Hard On Yourself" (Dead Oceans)
030. Lizzo "Cuz I Love You" (Nice Life/WEA)
029. Vampire Weekend "Harmony Hall" (Spring Snow/Columbia)
028. SAULT "Let Me Go" (Forever Living Originals)
027. Solange "Binz" (Columbia)
026. Tame Impala "It Might Be Time" (Modular)
025. The 1975 "People" (Dirty Hit/Polydor)
024. Carly Rae Jepsen "Want You In My Room" (604)
023. Beyoncé x Jay-Z x Childish Gambino x Oumou Sangaré "MOOD 4 EVA" (Parkwood/Columbia)
022. Róisín Murphy "Incapable" (Mickey Murphy's Daughter/Loaded)
021. Charli XCX x Christine and the Queens "Gone" (Asylum UK)
020. Bat For Lashes "Kids In The Dark" (AWAL)
019. Angel Olsen "All Mirrors" (Jagjaguwar)
018. Taylor Swift "Lover" (Universal)
017. Big Thief "Not" (4AD)
016. Flume x JPEGMAFIA "How To Build A Relationship" (Future Classic)
015. Hatchie "Without A Blush" (Ivy League)
014. Tyler, the Creator "I THINK" (Columbia)
013. Caribou "Home" (Merge)
012. Lucy Dacus "Forever Half Mast" (Matador)
011. PUP "Kids" (Little Dipper/Universal Canada)
010. Young Thug x J. Cole x Travis Scott "The London" (300/Atlantic)
009. Beyoncé "Before I Let Go" (Parkwood/Columbia)
008. Charli XCX x Lizzo "Blame It On Your Love" (Asylum UK)
007. Better Oblivion Community Center "Dylan Thomas" (Dead Oceans)
006. Normani "Motivation" (Keep Cool/RCA)
005. Lizzo "Juice" (Nice Life/WEA)
004. Lana Del Rey "The Greatest" (Universal)
003. Sharon Van Etten "Seventeen" (Jagjaguwar)
002. Clairo "Bags" (FADER)
001. Billie Eilish "bad guy" (Darkroom/Interscope)

Click here to view Wet Thud's Top Albums and EPs of 2019

Click here to view Wet Thud's Top TV Shows of 2019

Click here to view Wet Thud's Top Movies of 2019

Monday 30 December 2019

Wet Thud's Top Movies of 2019

Monday 23 December 2019

Wet Thud's Top TV Shows of 2019

Monday 16 December 2019

Wet Thud's Top Albums and EPs of 2019

Monday 9 December 2019

Wet Thud's Top 100 Songs of 2019