Hello, here's my ranking of the winter 2021 Top 20 from worst to best. Enjoy.
This song is absolutely awful. The production sucks, Gabby's voice sucks, and these lyrics are unbearably petty. "Ooh, I hope that she treats you like a king, and then she cheats on you like you did with me." God, this song is petty. At least with Hard To Forget, Sam is aware that he's being delusional, and that song actually sounds good. I wish you good luck, Gabby Barret, but if all you can produce is shlock like this, I think you should throw the towel and get a different job.
Oh, and for those wondering about how I feel about Gabby Barret being a Trump supporter:
(God, I love this clip)
This is one of the most annoying songs I've ever heard in my life. Megan is as annoying as hell. Her flow is generic and dull, the lyrics are generic, and that "body-ody-ody-ody-ody makes me want to gouge my ears out. Aside from that, the beat is actually pretty good. But man is Megan annoying as hell in this song.
As bad as Yummy and Intentions were, at least they were memorably bad. Holy on the other hand is forgettable as hell. Justin is emotionless, the instrumental is dull piano chords, the lyrics are stupid, the "ON GOD" is one of the most laughable moments in 2020 music, and WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE CHANCE THE RAPPER?! You made Good Ass Intro, Hot Shower, and Same Drugs! And now you're selling out with JB on a generic religious track?! Oh, and speaking of Same Drugs, Holy rips off the melody of Same Drugs verbatim. No, I'm not kidding. Play Same Drugs and Holy at the same time.
Not since Rack City by Tyga and Memories by Maroon 5 have I heard a song this forgettably dull. Mendes and JB are phoning it in to the extreme, the lyrics are generic and forgettable, and the beat is boring as hell. There's some decent instrumentation, but not enough to save this thing. This was clearly made only for the novelty of Justin Beiber and Shawn Mendes doing a crossover.
16.
I'm not putting this song in the bad tier because it's a sex song. I'm putting it in the bad tier because it's a bad sex song. But unlike WAP, 34+35 does have some positives. The instrumental feels like a relaxed AJR song, Ariana sounds good as usual, the music video is decent, the outtakes are funny, and the title is clever. It took me a while to realize it was called that because 34+35=69. So why is it in the bad tier if I have these positive things to say about it? Because it tries to be both sexy and funny and fails miserably. It is very hard to make an actually funny sex song. It can be done, like The Bad Touch and Finest Girl (Bin Laden Song), but to do this, you need good writing and good jokes, and 34+35 has neither. None of the jokes in this song are funny. They're just dull, blunt, and lazy. On top of that, Ariana's soft, sensual voice is not suited for comedy. If I wasn't told otherwise, I couldn't even tell that this was a comedic song, because it feels like all her other songs. If 34+35 works for you, great. But I'm sticking with Bloodhound Gang and Lonely Island for my comedic sex songs.
The beat is relaxing, but the vocals are droning and dull. Yes, even DaBaby's. Also, Lil Baby's Ray Charles line is stupid.
14. Dakiti by Bad Bunny and Jhay CortezThis song is fine. The beat is alright, both performers sound ok, the music video is decent, it's just not that memorable. But it's alright for what it is.
This song takes the relaxing beat of For The Night, makes it better, and gives us actually good vocals. I approve. Also, the lyrics are great.
Unlike 34+35, Positions is a song that perfectly plays into Ariana's strengths as an artist. The instrumental is great, I love the cicada sound, Ariana gives off one of her best performances, the music video is really cool, the lyrics are interesting, it's a very enjoyable Ariana Grande song.
11. King & Queens by Ava MaxPeople either love or hate this song. I love it. The instrumental is fantastic, Ava Max's voice is fantastic, the lyrics aren't that great, but it's just a really hard-hitting, fantastic song. It's like Positions on steroids.
10. Laugh Now, Cry Later by Drake and Lil DurkDear god is this one of the best instrumentals to be in a Drake song. These trumpets and synths are so fantastic and there is such a punch and groove. Drake and Lil Durk also both sound fantastic, and the lyrics are really good. Laugh Now, Cry Later is a major improvement over Popstar and Greece.
9. Holiday by Lil Nas X. This song is fantastic. The production is fun, Nas sounds fantastic, the lyrics are fantastic and full of clever wordplay, the music video is cool, but a little creepy, and it's just an enjoyable, bouncy, fun song. I look forward to seeing Lil Nas X grow and evolve as an artist, and continue to give us fun meme songs.
8. Therefore I Am by Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish has massively improved as an artist. She's gone from making dark and awful songs to dark, relaxing, and good songs. Her 2020 output is relaxing, enjoyably dark, and really interesting. And while Therefore I Am isn't the best song she released, it's still really good. The instrumental is cool, Billie sounds fantastic, and the music video is really cool. The idea of filming a music video by walking around an empty mall is a really cool idea. Also, the lyrics are cool, and unlike Bad Guy and Bury A Friend, Therefore I Am manages to be appropriately creepy. Great job, Billie. Keep up the great work.
Great Tier: 7.
This is one of the most relaxing songs I've ever heard. The production is insanely chill and lovely, the music video is surreal and cool, the lyrics are a little generic, but are good for what they are, and literally every performer is fantastic, especially Don Toliver and Nav. Don has a relaxed, friendly voice, with a lot of bravado, and Nav's nasally voice works beautifully with the beat. As for Gunna, he's the most forgettable performer, but he's still alright. An amazing song; easily one of the best to come from Lyrical Lemonade.
Dear god do I love this song. The instrumental is fun, 24kGoldn and Iann Dior both sound fantastic, the lyrics are really fun, and the song is just a fun, happy vibe. It's a song that handles a toxic relationship, not by giving into the angst and ugliness, but by doing it in its own fun and quirky way. It also helps that the music video is fantastic, and the song just has a fun, enjoyable, and amazing feel. I am so glad this song is a hit, and I hope these two have long and fruitful careers.
Also, am I the only one who thinks that 24kGoldn looks like Jordan Peele?
I still can't believe that this is the same woman who made New Rules, a song that has some of the worst production I've ever heard. Because Levitating has some of the funkiest, most enjoyable production this side of 24K Magic. It's so fun, funky, and enjoyable. On top of that, both Dua and DaBaby sound phenomenal, the music video is great, and the lyrics are so infectious and memorable. It's an absolute piece of heaven that Dua is unlikely to top. But that's only a testament to how amazing the song is. Keep up the great work, Dua Lipa.
If you told 2019 me that I would like a KPOP song, 2019 me would've told you that you were crazy. But Dynamite is just an absolutely fantastic song. The beat is fantastic and fun, everyone sounds amazing, especially for people who don't normally sing in English, the lyrics are fun, the music video is really fun, and it's just an all-around enjoyable song. If Hangover is like if LMFAO made a KPOP song, Dynamite is like if Surfaces made a KPOP song.
3. Go Crazy by Chris Brown and Young Thug
I know that this is a Chris Brown song. And I know that we shouldn't continue to fuel the career of such a terrible person. But Go Crazy is a bop, and I will not apologize for loving it. The production is phenomenal, Brown and Thug both sound fantastic, the chorus is amazing, the music video is alright, it's just an amazing song on every level. I love this song, and I'm not ashamed to admit that.
2. BANG! by AJRYeah, considering I love AJR with a burning passion, of course I would put BANG! in the great tier. The thing is, unlike most AJR songs, I get the hate for BANG!. It is a very loud, abrasive song, and I could see someone hating the lyrics. But both the production and lyrics work for me. The production has that classic AJR euphoria, Jack sounds great as usual, the song has a show tune vibe, the music video is cool and creative, the lyrics, while not perfect, have an enjoyable charm, the ticking is cool, and I love the "Metronome" and "Here We Go". I've seen a bunch of people have a problem with it, but I don't really know why. Nobody had a problem with N.E.R.D sampling a congressional meeting, and using that sample in Lemon, so what's wrong with AJR sampling a subway announcer? If you don't like the way it sounds, fine. But if you hate the subway announcer in BANG!, but like the congressional speech sample in Lemon, you are a major hypocrite. However, as amazing as BANG! is, even it can't top the 2020 powerhouse that is...
Yes, it may be an obvious choice, but sometimes choices are obvious because they're correct. Blinding Lights is one of the best retro jams ever made. The production is great, Abel sounds amazing, the lyrics are great, and the song is just so immersive and cool. I am so glad Abel is doing stuff like this, instead of garbage like Earned It and The Hills, because this suits him way better. Keep being awesome, The Weeknd.
