1. Matt Maeson - "Cringe"
I don't know anything else about this kid besides the song that went to #1 on the alternative charts, but it's a catchy tune, really grew on me, dig the combination of the acoustic guitar strums and the slick forceful drum machine beat. I kind of like that the word "cringe" doesn't appear until the bridge in the second half of the song, you don't get that restraint with title lyrics in hit songs much anymore. Here's the favorite 2019 singles Spotify playlist I add songs to every month. 

2. Wale f/ Jeremih - "On Chill" 
People like to complain that Wale's career isn't what it could or should have been, but I think it's been fairly merit-based: the romantic R&B tracks he's had the most success with genuinely are the thing he does better than most of his contemporaries, and "On Chill" is his biggest single since "Bad" because it's his best single since "Bad." It's annoying that a massive hit currently samples Raphael Saadiq's "Ask Of You," but that song and most of the rest of the Higher Learning soundtrack are currently unavailable on streaming services. 

3. DaBaby f/ Offset - "Baby Sitter"
DaBaby's second album of 2019 is already out but one of the singles from his first album of the year is still riding high on radio playlists, much the way radio was always one project behind Future when he was releasing back-to-back tapes. I love the way that synth bassline does a portamento bend like a rubber band. I think "Clout" sucked so hard that I feel actively annoyed by Offset guest verses now, though. 

4. Carrie Underwood - "Southbound"
Upbeat summery beachy anthems have been ubiquitous on country radio for well over a decade now, but they've been at a low ebb lately, and I think that made this song stick out more, it's a little faster and more tightly constructed than those songs usually are (plus they're usually delivered by male singers), so "Southbound" is surprisingly refreshing for something kind of obvious and on-the-nose. 

5. Sam Fender - "Will We Talk?" 
Sam Fender has a great voice, movie star cheekbones, and a #1 album in the UK. But he makes uptempo rock music so I doubt he'll ever get a big push on the US charts like insufferable balladeers like current golden boy Lewis Capaldi. I really enjoy Fender's biggest single, though, which I only know of because my local college station played it. 

6. The 1975 - "Frail State Of Mind"
The first two singles from Notes On A Conditional Form have been very different from each other, but both curveballs that don't sound like they have much chance of being hits: the punky and frantic "People" and now the restrained synth pop of "Frail State of Mind." Setting aside that I admire the band's ambition and want them to be huge and ubiquitous because they're great, I enjoy that they've tried so many different sounds for their singles and can take a chance on something that sounds like a lovely album track like this. 

7. Khalid - "Right Back"
"Right Back" appears immediately after "Talk" on Free Spirit and I feel like it makes perfect sense as a follow-up single as well, kind of has the same hazy aesthetic but is a little more uptempo. I like the subtle interpolation of Joe's "Don't Wanna Be A Player," I didn't even notice it until I looked at the writing credits. I know A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is on the single mix of "Right Back" but I'm not acknowledging it. 

8. Maren Morris - "The Bones"
Country is one of the only major pockets of mainstream music that still does better in sales than streaming, and so it's interesting to see what happens with the albums that do get good streaming numbers. What surprised me about Maren Morris's latest album is that the kind of loud and bombastic lead single "Girl" was #1 on country radio while the more understated promo single "The Bones" did huge business on streaming services, twice as much as "Girl" and in fact more streams than any other song on Morris's 2 albums. Both are excellent songs, I'm just fascinated by how that played out. 

9. Shaed - "Thunder"
"Trampoline" has been crossing over to pop radio way more than I imagined it would, meanwhile I really like the second single they've got on alternative radio and hope it ends up doing even half as well. 

10. Russell Dickerson - "Every Little Thing"
This guy comes off like a massive dork even in the fairly dorky context of mainstream country, and I disliked his first couple hits, but this one has a big shameless hook that I have to admit I find irresistible. 

The Worst Single of the Month: Selena Gomez - "Lose You To Love Me"
Selena Gomez is a very famous, photogenic young multimedia celebrity who used to be on the Disney Channel and used to date another very famous young celebrity. So I totally understand why she was, for years, the most followed person on Instagram. But I totally do not understand why she was, at one point, the most listened to artist on Spotify -- she's not much of a singer, but more importantly, she hasn't found a way to sound good or comfortable on record, and her material is rarely above average, even her top 10 hits have been largely forgettable. So you can guess how I feel about her getting her first #1 with a piano ballad that she's really not equipped to sing. The uptempo other song she released the same week, "Look At Her Now," isn't great but it's still a lot better than this. 

This entry was posted on Monday, November 04, 2019 at 11:18 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.