Music kept us sane, gave us hope and set the tone for whatever this road map to the future looks like.

A countdown of the 50 songs that shook me, moved me and grooved me in 2021.

Follow along on the #SongsOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 Image
#Songsof2021 #50: @thetrews - I Wanna Play

After a seemingly endless lockdown, it was an angsty, stadium-ready rock anthem that captured the heart of our collective desperation.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #49: Ralph - Love Potion

A heaping scoop of savoury baseline whisked with a cup of sugary vocals. Ralph's dreamy pop elixir is a trip worth revisiting.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @songsbyralph
#Songsof2021 #48: @dunmorebrothers - Step Closer

@AyabaPoetic's sermon about rekindling deeper connections flirts with a dangerous beat from Britain's sibling duo.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 Image
#Songsof2021 #47: @Hadiyageorge - Hot Flavor (Godmode Smash Bros Rmx)

The line between celebration and dissent blur in a mid-tempo mix that puts George's political lyrics on a pedestal.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #46: @ewanmcvicar_ - Tell Me Something Good

Throwing Rufus and Chaka Khan's classic into an erratic electro-blender seems like sacrilege...until the beat drops.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
@ewanmcvicar_ #Songsof2021 #45: @alessiacara - Lie to Me

Toronto producer @Boi1da casts the pop sweetheart as a woman scored in a pitch-perfect return to late '90s R&B.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 Image
#Songsof2021 #44: Dan D'Lion - Peachy

Peaches were in season this year. And Dan Bartlett's alter ego was the vitamin-fuelled sweet spot to Justin Bieber's chill pill.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @dandliondlion Image
#Songsof2021 #43: @majidjordan - Waves of Blue

For three minutes and 28 seconds, everything seems right in the world.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
@majidjordan #Songsof2021 #42: @shungudzo - White Parents

The Zimbabwean-American activist crashes guitars and drums against the uglier side of a mixed-race relationship.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #41: Charlotte Jane - Down Days

A frank confessional from the Yorkshire songwriter finds parallels with the vulnerabilities many confronted in lockdown.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
@iamcharl0tte
#Songsof2021 #40: @elderisland - Sacred

The Bristol trio map out the fluidity of emotional chemistry in a periodic table of chimes, bubbles and electronic blips.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #39: @GorgonCity - You've Done Enough

A sharp vocal by Via Rosa of @TheDramaDuo is outdone only by the mysterious and implied trauma that lingers on this track.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #38: H.E.R. - Fight For You

Such a pure tribute to Marvin Gaye that you can almost hear the record crackling and popping.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @HERMusicx
#Songsof2021 #37: @sza - Good Days

Hazy like a summer morning.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #36: @joycrookes - When You Were Mine

A complicated stack of feelings run through this neo-soul reflection about an ex-boyfriend spotted in a relationship with a man.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #35: Chloe Moriondo - I Eat Boys

The listless "girl with guitar" sound of the early aughts is turned on its head with a feel-good morbidity.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @kidzwithbugz
#Songsof2021 #34: @TKAYMAIDZA - Where Is My Mind?

Buzzing electronics and haunting vocals layer an otherworldly take on the classic Pixies track by the Zimbabwean-born Australian singer.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #33: @IDK & @offset - Shoot My Shot

The closest we have to a time capsule for Clubhouse, the 2021 app that gave guys you ignored at the bar their own chatroom.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #32: @KaceyMusgraves - Breadwinner

Gender dynamics, relationship negotiations. It's all sharply written, at once deeply personal and equally universal.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
@KaceyMusgraves #Songsof2021 #31: @DojaCat - Kiss Me More (feat. @sza)

Beyond the iconic TikTok "ding!" lies a simple, cutesy pop song that arrived like a warm hug in some very cold times.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #30: @cadenceweapon - On Me

Part grime track, part audio essay. The @PolarisPrize winner turns his acute focus on tech's role in racism & surveillance with a fiery urgency.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #29: @serpentwithfeet - Same Size Shoe

Black queer domestic bliss as told through the year's best metaphor: a marriage of footwear.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #28: @ambermark - Worth It

An exercise in self-affirmation that would've shone brightly any year, but was especially vibrant in 2021. Mark's vocals break through the clouds.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #27: @Tinashe - Undo (Back to My Heart)

Breaking from her record label led Tinashe to make her best album. And Undo showed you don't need execs to craft the sound of a smash.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist:bit.ly/BestSongs2021 Image
#Songsof2021 #26: Skiifall - Ting Turn Up Part II

Praised for his UK rap sound, Montreal's secret weapon raised the bar, inviting London's @Knucks on a sequel to his 2020 track.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist:bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @skiifalls
#Songsof2021 #25: Aldous Harding - Old Peel

A jaunty, hypnotic ball of wonderful, lyrical nonsense.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #24: Alex Porat - Dimension

Spidey's multiverse is no match for the Toronto YouTuber-turned-pop singer who's hauntingly obsessed with a broken relationship.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @alexandraporat
#Songsof2021 #23: Willow - Transparent Soul (feat. @travisbarker)

Eleven years after "Whip My Hair," the younger Smith proves she can rock as hard as she rattles preconceptions.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #22: Sun-El Musician - Higher (feat. Simmy)

Eight minutes of pure, dewy-eyed spiritual healing.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @sunelmusicianza @simmymusicsa Image
#Songsof2021 #21: @boburnham - That Funny Feeling

Seemed like a "Year in Review" for 2020. Turns out, it was a roadmap to 2021. Or is it 2022?

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #20: MUNA - Silk Chiffon (feat. @phoebebridgers)

A glorious, summertime queer pop anthem that demands you roll down the windows and crank it up.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @whereisMUNA
#Songsof2021 #19: Jackie - My Best Years

Throwing caution to the wind, the Toronto trio trade melancholy for tenacity in a hopeful pop confessional.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @itsjackiemusic
#Songsof2021 #18: @oliviarodrigo - Deja Vu

Teen break-up driftwood becomes trapped in an undertow of furious heartbreak and explosive resentment.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #17: @wizkid - Essence (feat. Justin Bieber, Tems)

A remix with the Beebs lets WizKid's overlooked yet alluring 2020 track slip onto this list. Consider it a correction.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #16: The Weather Station - I Tried to Tell You

Toronto folk artist Tamara Lindeman sees truth in the natural world as she considers signs that were ignored.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @TheWeatherStn
#Songsof2021 #15: Jayda G - All I Need

"Nothing has changed" is a tough sell in 2021. But this bouncy, unabashed retro house track makes the notion sound comforting.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #14: @remiwolf - Grumpy Old Man

If "Groove is in the Heart" was microdosed by a California nu-hippie with a knack for killer sing-along choruses. It just feels rad, man.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #13: Squid - Narrator (feat. @Martha_Skye)

Anger and apprehension crescendo in a kaleidoscopic sensory nightmare.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @squidbanduk
#Songsof2021 #12: @_elderbrook, Bob Moses - Inner Light

Two of dance music's classiest names are yin and yang for an ominous electronic storm.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @Bobmosesmusic
#Songsof2021 #11: Art d'Ecco - Head Rush

Glam rock theatre is resurrected in a song that evokes and provokes in equal measure.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
@artdeccomsic
#Songsof2021 #10: @JessieWare - Please

Drawing on decades of dancefloor classics, Ware serves up a reminder of the freedom and connection in movement.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #9: @silksonic - Leave the Door Open

Retro fantasy that's so authentically vintage that it's easy to get swept away by the sexual healing.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
@silksonic #Songsof2021 #8: Japanese Breakfast - Be Sweet

Dreamy '80s synth-pop that clings to hope there's brightness past the fog.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @Jbrekkie
@silksonic @Jbrekkie #Songsof2021 #7: @Charlottecardin - Daddy

Intriguing, mysterious, dangerous. Simply, delicious.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #6: Flight Facilities - Lights Up (feat. @channel_tres)

A symphonic seduction conducted by Channel Tres' alluring baritone voice.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @flightfac
#Songsof2021 #5: bbno$ - Edamame (feat. @richbrian)

A rowdy and raunchy banger from Canada's king of hooks who's still on his fratboy throne.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021
@bbnomula
#Songsof2021 #4: Polo G - Rapstar

Demons lurk in the whirlwind of success. And the Chicago rapper's ukulele-driven track offers a forboding perspective on chasing the prize.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist:bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @Polo_Capalot
#Songsof2021 #3: @SELFESTEEM___ - I Do This All The Time

A note to a past lover. A love letter to self. Standing on the shoulders of Baz Luhrmann's "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)."

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist:bit.ly/BestSongs2021
#Songsof2021 #2: Caroline Polachek - Bunny is a Rider

Bunny doesn't do rules. Neither does Polachek who samples baby coos and stutters through this incredible curiosity.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist: bit.ly/BestSongs2021 @carolineplz
#Songsof2021 #1: @LilNasX - Montero (Call Me By Your Name)

In an era when few can shock and surprise, Lil Nas X's audacious track will inspire and embolden a generation of young creators.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2021 playlist:bit.ly/BestSongs2021

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
 

Keep Current with David Friend

David Friend Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @dfriend

14 Feb 21
Can we talk about "Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel"?

The buzzy four-part Netflix "documentary" is part of the streaming platform's damaging subgenre I call bingebait, or docs that withhold and manipulate truth to keep you watching multiple episodes.

A thread🧵 Image
#CrimeSceneTheVanishingAtTheCecilHotel comes from production powerhouse duo Brian Grazer & Ron Howard.

They're two old hats of Hollywood with a lot of experience making blockbuster movies, but far less with documentaries that aren't about the lives of celebrities. ImageImage
#CrimeSceneNetflix is broadly about the Cecil Hotel, a massive space of 700 rooms in L.A. where, over nearly a century, some crazy stuff has happened, partly because it's a short stroll from Skid Row. Image
Read 11 tweets
26 Nov 20
2020 brought much hardship, but music kept us together, even if we sang & danced from a distance.

I am not a musical expert, but these are the songs...the songs I loved. Join me through the year's end as I count
them down.

#SongsOf2020 playlist: spoti.fi/363leWZ Image
#Songsof2020 #50: @anonymotif - Speaking Moistly

An '80s-angled mix of @JustinTrudeau's gaffe was the pop culture moment we needed in Week 4 of the pandemic. Infectious in the right ways.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2020 playlist:bit.ly/BestOfSongs2020
#Songsof2020 #49: Fionn - Modern Medication

A Vancouver pop duo writhes around in resentment for the social media generation as they witness their own seams come apart.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2020 playlist: bit.ly/BestOfSongs2020 @fionnband
Read 51 tweets
12 Aug 20
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down, I went to a movie last night.

Actually, I went to two movies.

Both were at the Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto. Here's what I experienced... Image
For context, it was cheap Tuesday so I made a night of it. I saw a second-run title ("Bloodshot") on Imax for a total of $2.69, an extra discounted price.

And then I watched "Peninsula," the new sequel to South Korean zombie movie "Train to Busan" for the usual Tues discount.
When I arrived at the Cineplex I was greeted by an employee who asked me to use their hand sanitizer. Masks were on offer, but I was already wearing one.

The lobby was roped to direct traffic and encourage distancing. Image
Read 16 tweets
25 Nov 19
Unabashed genre crossovers, global phenoms, and newcomers who shattered the notions of the mainstream.

I'm not a critic, but I listen to a lot of music, and through the end of the year I'll count down my Best Songs of 2019.

Follow the Spotify playlist: bit.ly/BestOfSongs2019 Image
#Songsof2019 #50: @TessaViolet - I Like (the idea of) You

R&B and pop fusion with a hearty helping of handclaps. The song slinks its way to being an understated bootyshaker.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2019 playlist: bit.ly/BestOfSongs2019
#Songsof2019 #49: @MatteiAndOmich - Doors (feat. @nathannicholson)

A symphony of synth that channels David Byrne, Chicago house, and Hot Chip, while being all its own.

The song:

My Spotify #BestOf2019 playlist: bit.ly/BestOfSongs2019
Read 51 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal

Or Donate anonymously using crypto!

Ethereum

0xfe58350B80634f60Fa6Dc149a72b4DFbc17D341E copy

Bitcoin

3ATGMxNzCUFzxpMCHL5sWSt4DVtS8UqXpi copy

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

:(