Monthly Report: March 2022 Singles
1. Cody Johnson - "Til You Can't"
Last year Cody Johnson got on my nerves by following Morgan Wallen's lead and putting the phrase "the double album" in the title of his double album. But that record's lead single is a genuinely great song, tender and inspirational but with a nice lively tempo and an intensity that keeps ramping up to a big finish, I love that "YEAHHHHHHH, TAKE IT." Here's the 2022 singles playlist I update every month.
2. Gunna f/ Future and Young Thug - "Pushin P"
Other than that stupid Kodak Black song, "Pushin P" seems to be the big rap song of the first quarter of 2022 that people will remember in the future, and even if the whole P emoji catchphrase thing feels kind of goofy and forced, it's a fun song, I love the way the beat alternates between the ominous cello loop and the sparkly synths. As a continuation of rap's long tradition of alliteration-themed songs, i feels a little half-assed (Saigon hilariously accused Gunna of plagiarizing him as if he was the first guy to rap a bunch of words that start with P in a row). But Young Thug proves once again that he's a one-of-a-kind wordsmith by putting standard lines about wet pussy into a new level of abstraction and saying "I just fucked a cup of water."
3. Em Beihold - "Numb Little Bug"
"Numb Little Bug" is one of those songs from a relative unknown singer that blew up on TikTok so quickly that the song has a Wikipedia entry but the artist doesn't. It's also one of those pop psychology pop songs about anxiety and antidepressants that I sometimes roll my eyes at (I've heard two choruses about serotonin in the past year, which is two too many). But instead of being another dark moody Billie Eilish soundalike, "Numb Little Bug" is a bright, bouncy piano pop song that sounds more like a VH1 staple by Regina Spektor or Sara Bareilles from the early 2000s, and I like it. "Numb Little Bug" was co-written by Dru DeCaro, who was Miguel's guitarist on Kaleidoscope Dream and Wildheart and always added something good to "Adorn" in the many TV performances of the song.
4. Jack White - "Taking Me Back"
Back in 2020, Jack White played "Saturday Night Live" as a last minute replacement after Morgan Wallen violated COVID protocols -- White didn't have a new album to promote or anything but rose to the occasion and kicked ass, and I was particularly impressed with his drummer Daru Jones, who plays his drums at kind of an unusual angle but is so talented and fun to watch. I always thought Meg White simple, hard-hitting drum style was perfect for the White Stripes, but I do enjoy hearing Jack White stretch out with different players in his solo work, and it turns out Jones had also played on a few songs on his earlier solo albums, including my favorite singles "Over and Over and Over" and "Lazaretto." And I think "Taking Me Back" is even better than those, just a great anxious energy boiling over in this song.
5. Bleachers - "How Dare You Want More"
More recently, Bleachers were also tapped as a last-minute "SNL" replacement when Roddy Ricch had to cancel, also for COVID exposure issues. And they turned in a couple of really fun performances, although nobody could help noticing the very deliberate E Street Band vibe, which was actually more pronounced on "How Dare You Want More" than the other song, "Chinatown," which actually features Bruce Springsteen himself on the album version.
6. JID f/ 21 Savage and Baby Tate - "Surround Sound"
By far the biggest song of JID's career so far is, unfortunately, a terrible Imagine Dragons collaboration for a Netflix animated series that has blown up on pop and alternative radio stations that often don't even play the JID verse. And it's doubly a shame because JID just released a solo single that's really excellent, great guest spots and great use of the Aretha Franklin sample best known for "Ms. Fat Booty." I kinda wish the Baby Tate part was longer and wasn't interrupted by the beat switch, they should've leaned more into this being a radio single.
7. YG f/ J. Cole and Moneybagg Yo - "Scared Money"
I like songs like this where three major rappers that have slightly different niches find common ground on a beat they all sound good on. But Moneybagg really washed the other guys on the track.
8. Gucci Mane f/ Lil Durk - "Rumors"
This is kind of a typical late period Gucci Mane hit where he takes the backseat to the younger star featured on the song, you don't even hear Gucci's voice until like 90 seconds in. But it Gucci's verse is great and really ties the song together.
9. Foo Fighters - "Love Dies Young"
One of the standouts from Medicine At Midnight, glad it's a single now, I love that glossy guitar sound that reminds me of '80s pop rock like "Melt With You."
10. Justin Bieber - "Ghost"
This week Justin Bieber's Justice turns a year old, and its lead single "Holy" turns 18 months old. And the album's 6th single "Ghost" just peaked in the top 10, so it's really turned out to quietly be one of those albums with a long commercial shelf life, even Purpose didn't stay in rotation this long. And "Ghost" is more in the synth pop lane that I like to hear Bieber's voice in, really tired of him campaigning for R&B credibility.
The Worst Single of the Month: Chris Brown - "Iffy"
It's not just a clever name, it really is an iffy song!
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