It’s tiiiiiiime!
A heads up, this is probably my most Parental Advisory, Explicit Lyrics year-end soundtrack ever. You can listen here (or at Apple Music, but I couldn’t get it to embed):
1. Pink (Bad Day) – Lizzo // If you haven’t seen the Barbie movie, this is the short morning song reprise that plays when things start to go wrong for Barbie. Cheerfully singing about how bad everything is is kind of my vibe.
2. I Don’t Want to Be (Live) – T-Pain // A song I’ve always loved, from T-Pain’s On Top of the Covers. Please listen to this live album immediately so we can be jealous together that we were not at the show.
3. It’s Called: Freefall – Rainbow Kitten Surprise // The first of several songs on this list that I first heard on TikTok. It is so good and there are so many interpretations out there of what it means.
4. Golden Slumbers / Carry that Weight – Jennifer Hudson // When my son was in the hospital for three days (a sentence that still upsets me to write), one of the in-house movie channels was showing Sing! on loop. I had never seen it before. This is the attention-grabbing opening song, which happened to be perfect for a parent and child after he is diagnosed with a chronic disease. I can’t listen to it super often because it holds all those emotional memories.
5. II Most Wanted – Beyonce and Miley Cyrus // An early favorite off of Cowboy Carter. I also memorably sang along to it with my sister outside an urgent care in Alabama, as we waited to take my child in for a fever (thankfully not serious). Shotgun riders till the day we die.
6. Mustang – Kings of Leon // A fun song that doesn’t mean anything.
7. Superstar – Rainbow Kitten Surprise // Seriously where has RKS been all my life. A more positive one to balance out the darkness of Freefall.
8. I Can Do It with a Broken Heart – Taylor Swift // From the first listen, the most upbeat song on the album was my only year-end choice from TTPD.
9. Birds of a Feather – Billie Eilish // In my head this is the Christ City Women theme song. This year I was more thankful for my church friends than ever. Best community I’ve ever been a part of.
10. Rough – G Flip // TikTok Song #2. This was specifically written for everyone in the band to show off their drumming ability live. Love it.
11. run away girl – Alice Merton // A banger.
12. Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan // One day last summer, I purposefully cued up Chappell Roan’s top songs on the way to work to see what all the fuss was about. My initial review was “catchy but extremely sexual.” By the end of the week I knew almost every word of the Midwest Princess album and it continues to bring me joy.
13. Million Dollar Baby – Tommy Richman // I think I actually got this one from Instagram, but anyway, another social media hit that was everywhere once you noticed it.
14. Little Girl Gone – Chinchilla // A girl-power anthem that gives absolutely zero Fs.
15. The Archer – Taylor Swift // Despite being from several eras back, I kept coming back to this one in 2024. Did I mention it wasn’t the best year emotionally?!
16. End of Beginning – Djo // I kept catching just the chorus of this short song (the best part). After going to Chicago this fall I liked it even more.
17. Freedom – Beyonce feat. Kendrick Lamar // This requires no explanation. I will never regret the renewed joy and hope I felt for those three months. What a time.
18. Vertigo – Beach Bunny // I’m not sure how Beach Bunny came to my attention, but they’re practically sonic clones of late 00s – early 10s Paramore, which is one of the highest compliments I can give.
19. That’s So True – Gracie Abrams // The chorus that launched a thousand reels.
20. Sympathy is a knife (remix) – Charli XCX feat. Ariana Grande // C loved Apple and requested it on repeat for a while, but this remix hit me viscerally. Shoutout to my friend Jenny for being my ambassador of brat.
21. White Winter Hymnal – Fleet Foxes // I was driving C to school the morning of November 6, feeling like I had been hit by a bus, and this song was on the radio. The DJ came on and said he was playing calming music to help everyone take care of themselves today. I cried.
22. Sinking Boat – Infinity Song // Thanks to this 70s-throwback group for giving me a mantra for 2025: Why should I worry about rocking a sinking boat? It’s all going down and we’re majoring on the minor notes.
23. Whatchu Kno About Me – GloRilla // I listened to Glorious a lot this fall and legit had a hard time settling on a song for this (please look up the dancing weatherman doing “Hollon” in Times Square), but Bitch I’m from Memphis, whatchu know about me is the new rallying cry for the 901.
24. Good News – Shaboozey // From his guitar to God’s ears.
25. Defying Gravity – Cynthia Erivo feat. Ariana Grande // Timeless.
Past Years: 2023 // 2022 // 2021 // 2020 // 2019 // 2018 // 2017 // 2016 // 2015 // 2014
Be First to Comment