Monthly Report: July 2020 Singles
1. The 1975 - "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)"
"If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)" is The 1975's highest charting single in the UK, and was recognized pretty immediately by a lot of fans of the band, including myself, as one of the best songs they've ever made. But their particular brand of synth rock nostalgia is oddly out of step with the synth rock nostalgia that's in vogue on American radio, so it remains to be seen if it'll get very high on the alt-rock charts, much less become their 3rd Hot 100 hit. But I love it, particularly how it's one of the rare times the pretty ambient interludes peppered throughout their albums share space in the same track with one of their big brash pop songs, in this case with FKA Twigs singing some high notes over the intro. I've played the song on YouTube more than anywhere else, though, because the performance in the official video has just a little more oomph than the album track. Here's the 2020 singles Spotify playlist I update every month.
2. Lil Baby - "The Bigger Picture"
As we live through a historic year that is irrevocably changing our country, a lot of major artists have released music that refers directly to current events, whether the pandemic or the police brutality protests or both. And I'm glad that artists are engaging with the headlines and that people can still feel passionate about music at this moment, but inevitably a lot of that music feels kind of thirsty and disposable, I'm in no rush to declare anything important. But it's been interesting to see who actually releases a song that feels weighty and memorable, and who's released weird trivial social media-oriented songs (hi, J. Cole). When My Turn was released in February, I wrote a piece asking whether Lil Baby or a couple different rappers would really level up and graduate to the A-list in 2020, and I think that question has been answered pretty decisively, even before "The Bigger Picture" came out, that it's really his year. It's also kind of a cool flex that he has the biggest album of the year but his highest charting single isn't on it. That "what happened to COVID? nobody remember" line hasn't aged well, though.
3. Chaz Cardigan - "Not OK!"
Really enjoying the first alt-rock radio hit from this kid from Kentucky, it's not as massively catchy as the time when Gerard Way was not ok, but it's pretty damn good. The rest of the Vulnerabilia EP is excellent too, as is this little ditty from his TikTok.
4. Zara Larsson - "Love Me Land"
Now that Dua Lipa is legitimately huge in the U.S. I'm focusing my hopes on Zara Larsson, she's released so many good singles in the 3 years since her last album and I'd like one to hit, particularly this one.
5. Tenille Arts - "Somebody Like That"
It seems astronomically unlikely that two Canadian country singers named Tenille, both born in 1994, would break through around the same time, but it's not exactly the weirdest thing that's happened this year. So far Tenille Townes from Alberta has been the more successful of the two on American radio, but I'm really rooting for Tenille Arts from Saskatchewan, her current single is just massively catchy. I particularly like the way the chorus sounds like it's going to hit the big obvious resolution halfway through and then just keeps going and sustaining that tension.
6. Grouplove - "Deleter"
Not to sound a million years old, but it is a little surprising to turn on the local alt-rock station and hear a current hit that's, like, an energetic and fast-paced rock song. And based on Grouplove's biggest previous song, "Tongue Tied," I didn't necessarily expect it to come from them.
7. Lucky Daye f/ Babyface - "Shoulda"
I'm a little annoyed that this song went onto the deluxe reissue of Lucky Daye's excellent 2019 album, I wish it was getting a big push to kick off his next project, really love it.
8. Katy Perry - "Smile"
I've been content with Katy Perry being relegated to the dustbin of formerly ubiquitous pop singers, but I've always had a weakness for her ruthlessly obvious approach to pop music. And even in her decline I've really enjoyed singles from her upcoming album Smile like "Never Really Over" and now the title track, which borrows its bubbly groove from Naughty By Nature's minor classic "Jamboree." The video, which features a pregnant Katy Perry mugging in clown makeup, makes me cringe as much as anything she's ever done, but I'll stick to just listening to the song.
9. Surfaces f/ Elton John - "Learn To Fly"
Even as he creeps slowly towards finally retiring from touring, I appreciate that Elton John has maintained a kind of restless omnivorous attitude towards collaborating. In the last 2 years he's appeared on records by Lady Gaga, Ozzy Osbourne, and Young Thug, and now Texas pop duo Surfaces, who were completely unknown until like 6 months ago. I'm not really into the big smash hit that put Surfaces on the map, "Sunday Best," but the follow-up with Elton is really charming.
10. DaBaby f/ Roddy Ricch - "Rockstar"
The Hot 100 has had a revolving door on the #1 spot for most of the year, with a lot of songs posting huge streaming numbers the first week and then dropping off -- "The Scotts" and "Stuck With U" and "Trollz" will be trivia questions someday, some of the most instantly forgotten #1s since Eminem's "Crack A Bottle." I thought "Rockstar" would follow suit, since it's kind of an unremarkable song that just happens to be by 2 of the biggest rappers in the world right now, but it's managed to log 5 weeks at the top now, the longest running #1 since Roddy Ricch's own 11-week behemoth "The Box." And it's grown on me, it diverges from DaBaby's signature sound in that way people keep pretending he never does, and while it seemed odd to have Roddy Ricch on a song and not have him do the hook, he manages to inject a countermelody into his verse that makes it feel more like a bridge in a really cool way.
The Worst Single of the Month: Saweetie - "Tap In"
I can't believe that both of her hits sample mid-2000s Lil Jon productions. I feel like she either needs to mine some other sounds for nostalgia, or cut Lil Jon a huge check to make a whole album of inferior retreads of his old hits.
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