In 2014, what kind of music did you listen to in the midst of mediocrity?
I often find the question easier to tackle by focusing less on the “what” and more on a “when”:
- When I studied, but more so when I procrastinated
- When I compensated for my hours toiling away in the library by actively making negative life choices
- When I sweated off the consequences of those negative decisions on a treadmill
Each stage in this rocky, cynical hell we call college has its own playlist.
This year, my playlists offered me escape when the library stole my freedom. They gave me the approving nod when I finally gave up on the drudgery of academia. My playlists distracted me as my body wondered just what the hell I was doing, poisoning it one minute and pushing its physical limits the next.
In summary, the music I listened to in 2014 paralleled the activity of my life – guiding, educating, consoling and seducing me.
Here are the essential tracks, in no particular order, that defined my 2014 and maybe helped to shape yours, too.
1. “Queen” – Perfume Genius
2. “Blank Space” – Taylor Swift
3. “Coffee” – Sylvan Esso
4. “Partition” – Beyoncé
5. “Tuesday” – iLOVEMAKONNEN ft. Drake
6. “Hunger of the Pine” – Alt-J
7. “Seasons (Waiting on You)” – Future Islands
8. “Cavity” – Hundred Waters
9. “Cavalier (James Vincent McMorrow Cover)” – SAFIA
10. “Words I Don’t Remember” - How to Dress Well
11.”Red Eyes” – The War on Drugs
Via: Static + Distance
12. “Inside Out” – Spoon
13. “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)” – Run the Jewels ft. Zack De La Rocha
14. “No Rest for the Wicked” – Lykke Li
15. “Drunk in Love” – Beyoncé ft. Jay-Z
16. “Man of the Year” – Schoolboy Q
17. “Water Fountain” – tUnE-yArDs
18. “Digital Witness” – St. Vincent
19. “Klapp Klapp” – Little Dragon
20. “Waiting Game” – Banks
21. “About the Money” – T.I. ft. Young Thug
22. “Gooey” – Glass Animals
23. “Late” – Superpoze ft. Stwo
Via: We All Want Someone to Shout for
24. “Fever” – Black Keys
25. “Coming Home” – Leon Bridges
26. “Hyperparadise (Flume Remix)” – Hermitude
27. “Closer” – JMR
28. “The Suburbs” – Mr. Little Jeans
29. “Shiner” – Indian Summer ft. Ginger & The Ghost
30. “Murakami” – Made in Heights
31. “Blood Flood Pt. II” – Alt-J
32. “From Nowhere” – Dan Croll
33. “Mrs. Vanderbilt” – Big Boi ft. Kelly Rowland, Wings and Little Dragon
34. “The Big Unknown” – Elder Island
35. “Take Me to Church” – Hozier
Via: 200 Words
36. “Not in That Way” – Sam Smith
37. “Bassically” – Tei Shi
38. “Paranoia Ghosts and Other Stuff (Akouo Remix)” – SAFIA
39. “i” – Kendrick Lamar
40. “Thinking Out Loud” – Ed Sheeran
41. “Chandelier” – Sia
42.”Closer than This” – St. Lucia
43. “Leave Me Alone” – KATYRANDA ft. Shay Lia
44. “Left Hand Free” – Alt-J
45. “Brooklyn Baby” – Lana Del Rey
46. “***FLAWLESS” – Beyonce ft. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
47. “One Touch” – Baauer ft. AlunaGeorge and Rae Sremmurd
Via: Sound Cloud
48. “The Love You’re Given” – Jack Garratt
49. “The Purge (Rapfix Cypher 20syl Remix)” – Schoolboy Q
50. “Who Do You Love” – Young Thug ft. Drake
51. “Talking Backwards” – Real Estate
52. “Bridges” – Broods
53. “My Silver Lining” – First Aid Kit
54. “Down on My Luck” – Vic Mensa
55. “Baleen Morning” – Balmorhea
56. “Hey Mami” – Sylvan Esso
57. “Blow Up” – Kid Francescoli
58. “Faded” – Zhu
59. “The Light” – SBTRKT ft. Denai Moore
Via: The Chuckness
60. “First” – Cold War Kids
61. “Eden” – Ben Khan
62. “Recognize” – PARTYNEXTDOOR ft. Drake
63. “Stolen Dance” – Milky Chance
64. “Fade” – Mexico City Blondes
65. “Bloodflows” – Sohn
66. “Kodama” – 20syl
67. “I Don’t Fuck With You” – iLOVEMAKONNEN ft. Big Sean and E-40
68. “Tear it Down (SAFIA Remix)” – The Aston Shuffle
69. “Often” – The Weeknd
70. “I’m Not the Only One” – Sam Smith
71. “Fool” – Perfume Genius
Via: YouTube
72. “Tiff” – Polica ft. Justin Vernon
73. “Tongues” – Joywave ft. KOPPS
74. “Careful You” – TV on the Radio
75. “Fall in Love” – Phantogram
76. “Only” – Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Wayne, Drake and Chris Brown
77. “Sweet Emotion” – The Kooks
78. “Babylon” – SZA ft. Kendrick Lamar
79. “Two Weeks” – FKA Twigs
80. “Cavalier” - James Vincent McMorrow
81. “The Loop” – Depford Goth
82. “Us” – Movement
83. “Noise” – Bassnectar ft. Donnis
Via: Sound Cloud
84. “Awake” – Tycho
85. “CoCo” – O.T. Genasis
86. “Talk is Cheap” – Chet Faker
87. “C Dawha” – Elli Ingram
88. “Grace” – Bob Moses
89. “Memories That You Call” – Odesza ft. Monsoonsiren
90. “Forever” – Majid Jordan
91. “Lifestyle” – Rich Gang ft. Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan
92. “Attak” – Rustie ft. Danny Brown
93. “Jubel” – Klinglade
94. “Hot Ni**a” – Bobby Shmurda
95. “Say Something” – Karen Harding
Via: Partisan Records
96. “Divisionary (Do the Right Thing)” – Ages and Ages
97. “Gecko (Overdrive)” – Oliver Heldens ft. Becky Hill
98. “Won’t Win” – Fractures
99. “Murmurs” – Hundred Waters
100. “Dripping Down” – East India Youth
101. “Florida Kilos” – Lana Del Rey
And for a little dissection on my Top 10 picks…
10. “Take Me to Church” by Hozier
I recognize “Take Me to Church” as a celebration of the tangible rather than the spiritual.
“My church offers no absolution/She tells me, ‘worship in the bedroom.’”
In Hozier’s bluesy way, he creates a sensual song with subject matter destined to garner some serious attention. Hozier seemingly critiques the Catholic Church for what he recognizes as a condemnatory view of mankind from birth.
“Every Sunday’s getting bleak/a fresh poison each week”
“We were born sick/you heard them say.”
Whether in a positive or negative light, Hozier gets us talking and all the while gifts us with this soulful tune.
Via: Miss Info
9. “Lifestyle” by Rich Gang ft. Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan
Initially upon hearing this song, I didn’t know what the lyrics meant. I didn’t even know what half of them were. But I knew I loved it. It’s this brand of irrationality that complements more than a handful of the choices I’ve made this year. “Lifestyle” is the anthem to many a tailgate and pregame, and for all the right reasons. It is a track where the guest artists take the spotlight and come out triumphant. Alongside a hypnotic beat, Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan exchange rhymes to rap about the struggles life presents. And what better way to overcome those obstacles than to celebrate life while partying to “Lifestyle”?
8. “Chandelier” by Sia
Sia, just one of the great exports from the land of kangaroos and Steve Irwin, brings us “Chandelier,” a song speaking to her destructive battle with alcoholism. She conveys just what a teetering swing on the chandeliers is like, holding on “for dear life” in a bout with addiction. With its colossal chorus, the song erupts in honesty and emotion. “Party girls don’t get hurt,” but we feel every ounce of pain in “Chandelier”.
7. “Inside Out” by Spoon
Stripped back and raw in parts, “Inside Out” is quintessential Spoon. Brit Daniel’s impassioned Austin drawl contrasts the watercolor harp that bubbles its way into and out of the song, like a daydream with an indefinable sense urgency. With a melody that wormed its way into my head almost immediately and a rhythm section that’s as punchy as it is constant, this song is rock solid if not groundbreaking. Spoon’s meticulous attention to detail rewards repeated listenings, with little production flourishes presenting themselves to those diligent enough to look (something I’m qualified to testify to after about 247 listens).
6. “Queen” by Perfume Genius
Michael Hadreas finally stops pulling punches in newest album, “Too Bright.” With “Queen,” the album’s best song and my personal favorite, Perfume Genius is defiant and poetic as he reminds that we are not alone in our differences. “Queen” may be a gay anthem to some, but the song is universal in its underlying idea of owning who you are. Equally universal are the huge drums and reverberating synth that punctuate the triumph of the lyrics. This level of musical ambition speaks to the confidence Hadreas has in confronting issues faced by gay society. He’s got yucks, too: “No family is safe when I sashay.” A tasteful masterpiece in a timely context.
Via: Entertainment Weekly
5. “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift
I never realized Taylor Swift stabbing bloody cakes in bed and destroying vintage cars could be so wonderful. (In hindsight, that oversight does seem silly.) “They’ll tell you I’m insane,” belts Swift. I, too, came to grips with my insanity (over my love for this song) every time I heard this at your average Midtown bar. A bug-eyed and mascara-ridden Swift offers vengeance elegantly wrapped in lace, and I would not have it any other way.
4. “Murmurs” by Hundred Waters
Gainesville’s own electro-folk quartet, Hundred Waters, was pursued by every esteemed indie record label out there. Curveball: They opt for Skrillex’s money, and it paid off at every turn. “Murmurs” has a nocturnal, organic appeal – like something a witch would listen to on vinyl. “I wish you could see what I see,” Migil emotes in her intimate, freaky (brilliant) birdcall way. Her fluttering yet collected vocals are shadowed by hollowed out drums in striking time signatures. However, I warn you: if recovering from a bad breakup, beware. This ballad could consume you in a silent — but beautiful — wave of nostalgia.
3. “Coffee” by Sylvan Esso
That the title of the song celebrates one of my addictions is, by itself, enough to get my attention. Sylvan Esso, however, offers up a new type of addiction in this subtle union of electronic and folk. Whirling vacuums of synth accompany rising and falling tension, linked together with soft yet blunt vocals. Ambient trip-hop at its finest. Coffee made me question myself with its vaguely “Am I drunk?” quality, and this feel-good music will get you too.
2. “Seasons (Waiting on You)” by Future Islands
The song was a major player of 2014 for me because it expressed something beautiful while familiar –- a 80s song wrapped in 2014 treatment –- a quality that may speak to Future Islands as a band. Its melody rings unique, while expressing recognizable elements. With “Seasons,” the band pleads for urgency. The repetition of, “I’ve been waiting on you” puts Herring’s yearning front and center. He exudes vulnerable white-boy soul. The moody growl of his voice is draped in opposing sounds, but somehow, in music’s magical way, it still works.
Via: Audio Femme
1. “***Flawless” by Beyoncé ft. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
All due respect to T-Swift, but 2014 belongs to Queen B and her Midas touch – not to say Beyoncé’s sheer power doesn’t own every year. I mean, 2003 was the year “Crazy in Love” dropped, after all. But I digress. 2014 was Beyoncé outdoing herself again. “***Flawless” fuses together strong melodies with sprinkles of sound bites that create a mind-bending, earth-scorching feminist anthem. She woke up like this: Flawless. And I won’t argue that. I think we can all agree that Bey makes us feel as if we’re all a lil’ flawless ourselves.
Feature photo courtesy of: WP Wallpaper
