It’s been 2024 for nearly a month, but I have now finished my Song of the Year list. 2023 was the first year I decided to keep track of the songs I listened to. I generally don’t keep up with new artists or tracks and let algorithms create playlists based on songs I like.
In 2023, I mostly listened to synthwave, dance pop, and other similar genres. All the songs are from Spotify, as this is the only place I listen to music anymore.
I originally intended to write a regular Song of the Month post, highlighting my most played music track each month. This was to help me create my SOTY post at the end of the year. However, I haven’t kept up with writing them, and I will probably not bother doing them from now on.
Note: for a song to qualify for SOTY, I must have listened to it in 2023, though they don’t have to be from 2023.
Songs of the Year
Without further ado, these are my top songs for AD 2023:
(20) College – Fantasy Park
Fantasy Park can feel repetitive, but it has a nostalgic 1980s sound with a dreamlike story about a theme park.
(19) NINA, LAU – The Wire
The German singer NINA has made a career singing 1980s-inspired synthwave music. A lot of which is good. The Wire is an example of the storytelling and synth sounds she is known for. It makes you feel like you are climbing a wall with a background of dystopia behind you.
(18) Brick & Lace – Love Is Wicked
Love Is Wicked is one of the best examples of a song with the dancehall riddim known as the “Diwali Riddim”. Lumidee and Wayne Wonder, among others, have used the same rhythm to create catchy tracks. The overall track has a breezy and fun feeling throughout.
(17) Night Drive – Rise and Fall
The background electronic throbbing piano sound carries you through while the lyrics marinate your mind. Rise and Fall is a type of track that takes a while to get going, but once it reaches a point, you will want to repeat it again.
(16) Brett – On the Rise
I find On the Rise uplifting and motivating. The lyrics and tune make me feel more positive. Maybe that says more about me than anything else. Regardless, it gives that Christmas feeling of melancholy that can help radiate an optimistic sentiment.
(15) R3set – Pyramid
Pyramid starts off slow but gradually gets faster and more catchy. It’s a song that I imagine robots would listen to while they work in a factory building other robots.
(14) Eden Prince, Alex Mills – This Feeling
The constant interruption of the female “hi” makes this great. Within a short time, you will be singing along to “of what we never had”. It has a Michael Jackson sound to it, which I appreciate.
(13) JR JR, Classixx – Good Old Days (Classixx Remix)
A reflective song that is made a lot better with the Classixx Remix. It has dreamlike qualities to it. This makes it a bit slow in places, and the children heard in the background throughout become too distracting at points.
(12) APRE – All Mine
I find All Mine relaxing, and it also keeps me feeling upbeat. It is a pretty simple song overall, but that doesn’t distract from its catchy nature.
(11) REAVE – Arms Length
The creators of “Get to Know Me” have another excellent song with Arms Length. Like that, the vocals make it sound great, and the accompanying pleasing beat brings it all together.
(10) Yumi Zouma – Depths (Pt. 1)
I listened to a lot of Yumi Zouma without knowing it. I was in their top 1% of listeners for the year. Out of all of them, this was probably the best one of the lot. If you like slow and melodic music, this is a good-sounding one of those.
(9) Juno Dreams – 3am (Vocal Mix)
A hypnotising song that is suitable for a relaxing evening or nighttime listen. The Vocal Mix creates a noticeable difference in the overall sound with more vocal backing and a longer track length.
(8) Paradise Walk – Summer Heat
Summer Heat is a song you could imagine would be in a Beverly Hills Cop film. It has that synthwave and late 1980s, early 90s style pop sound. If you like that type of track, you will love this.
(7) Heaven – Truth Or Dare
The film-like neo-noir feelings in this one are striking. While the artist may not have many memorable songs, this is one of them. If you like movies with alternative or indie music, this is one of them.
(6) Kate Boy – Midnight Sun
Midnight Sun may come across as another heavy female vocal song. It is, however, elevated by the chorus. Without such, it would only be Kate Boy fast talking to a drumming beat.
(5) Young Ejecta – Build a Fire
This somehow manages to give a medieval feeling while sounding modern at the same time. It has a good backing sound and simple lyrics that encourage repeated plays. “Build a fire and see if I die” is easy to sing along to.
(4) Cash+David – When You’re Lonely
Liz Lawrence is a solo artist with good songs like “Drive”. She adds her excellent vocals to Cash+David, and this is a fine example of it. In ways, it reminds me of an Elder Island song, and that is a good thing. It is a pleasing song with a strong beat.
(3) Timothy Fleet, Wayne Murray – Sos
This was apparently played at the end of a What We Do in the Shadows episode. I have never seen that show, but it has Matt Berry, so maybe it is good? While a bit cheesy, Sos is a perfect example of a 1980s-style pop song.
(2) Class Actress – Journal of Ardency
A song that gets better as it goes on and has a good midpoint. At the point where “It’s a lie, lie” is sung, the backing sound effect reemerges. The synthetic sound suits it, and the lyrics fit with the overall feel of the tempo.
(1) Jordan F, Zealyn – Anywhere
Anywhere is a song that starts powerfully. It reminds me of America and walking around at night. The echoey lyrics and beat help this be a song you will want to listen to repeatedly.
Song of the Year 2023 Album
You can listen to all the songs in the Song of the Year 2023 Album below.
In Fine
Music is in a weird place. No one really owns or buys it anymore. Instead, artists rely on money from platforms like Spotify and from touring. The vinyl records comeback is an odd trend that I don’t see being a long-term occurrence. However, I could see tiny physical media as an alternative to digital-only music in the future. It will never be like the days of tapes and discs.
I will likely write a Song of the Year post at the end of each year in the future. For now, enjoy the music.
King Toko 