1. Dua Lipa - "Don't Start Now" 
I thought Dua Lipa's debut was one of the best pop albums of the last few years and I've been impatient for a follow-up, so I'm feeling kind of uncritically appreciative that there's finally a new solo single and it stays in her dance pop sweet spot. I feel like the title could've been better, though, "don't start caring" would be much more evocative of what the lyric is about. Here's the Spotify playlist of all 120 singles I've talked about in this space in 2019, before I start my proper year-end singles lists. 

2. Cage The Elephant - "Social Cues"
One of rock radio's most dependable hitmakers with a song about social anxieties, and about having them dismissed with the words "at least you're on the radio." This song went to #1 on alternative radio, as many other Cage The Elephant songs have, so many it's part of the problem. This song really stands out from their other hits, though, a lot more keyboard-driven than guitar-driven, nice groove. 

3. White Reaper - "Might Be Right" 
I don't know anything about White Reaper, but like Cage The Elephant, they're from Kentucky. And maybe I've just been listening to a lot of Thin Lizzy lately, but I think of them when I hear that pretty twin guitar lead on "Might Be Right." 

4. Dierks Bentley - "Living"
This song is little simplistic and corny, but I've heard it on the radio on the way to work once or twice that it's really stuck with me for the rest of the day. 

5. Michael Ray - "Her World Or Mine" 
Another country song that paints a poignant little picture and gets to me sometimes when I hear it in the car. 

6. Lady Antebellum - "What If I Never Get Over You"
"Need You Now" was the biggest country song of the decade, but they've spent most of the last 10 years on a commercial decline while shying away from that song's appeal. But after their last 3 albums had irritatingly chipper lead singles, their latest Ocean has a song that kind of has that "Need You Now" yearning vibe while not being too close to it as a song. 

7. Keith Urban - "We Were" 
Eric Church may be one of my favorite country stars but it's easy to imagine if he had never made it as a solo artist and sold all his big hits to other singers. And hearing one of Church's songs with slicker production than he usually has and a slightly smoother voice like Keith Urban's is interesting but really confirms that I'm glad he's out there singing these songs himself most of the time. 

8. Hootie & The Blowfish - "Hold On"  
The Cracked Rear View hits always sounded to me like they should be on country radio back when they were on alternative radio, so Darius Rucker's solo career was unsurprising, and I think it's kind of cool that he got the band back together and had them record songs by people like Chris Stapleton to give them a second life on country radio. 

9. NLE Choppa - "Camelot"
NLE Choppa gets compared to NBA YoungBoy a lot, but what I tend to think of when I hear his songs is Soulja Boy, like I almost thought this was a Soulja Boy comeback song the first or second time I heard it.

10. Miguel - "Funeral" 
Miguel made my album of the decade and I loved his last record so I'm always excited to hear new music from him. "Funeral" is a spare little 2-minute track with a cheesy sex punchline, but I like when he gets a little lighter and more playful, sounds like it could be a hit. 

The Worst Single of the Month: Why Don't We - "What Am I"
I hate how this boy band's name is a question and it's even more irritating when the title of their song is also a question. The way this song tries to make the phrase "I know you are but what am I?" sound flirtatious and romantic is just such a horrible idea, Pee Wee Herman wept.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 02, 2019 at 5:48 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.