40 Pop songs you mustn’t leave behind in 2021
Don’t think of this as an end of year ranking, so much as a gift to you. Yes, I have curated a list of some of this year’s best shower not grower capital-p Pop songs which is in an order of sorts (top 10 being the most intentional), but really they are all equally worthy of your attention otherwise they wouldn’t have made the cut.
Read on for some of my thoughts on these top-tier tracks, or if this is your 18th year-end best of list TL;DR straight to the full Spotify playlist and just get into it!
40. Imagine Dragons – Follow You
I always thought that if I included this on any sort of best-of-year list it would be somewhere around the end just because while pleasant to listen to, it’s barren of any originality. That said, when Dan Reynolds goes full Glee right after the middle eight it does make for an effective climax to the song.
39. Daya – The Difference
38. Nick Jonas – This Is Heaven
When heterosexual instagay Nick Jonas isn’t busy promoting his marriage to Priyanka, he’s actually capable of delivering some pretty top-notch pop music. Maybe he does give the gays everything they want?
37. Martin Jensen, Georgia Ku – 2019
As a rule, I generally am not a fan of songs dedicated to nostalgia for a particular year (and at the least not one that was about 5 minutes ago) but this is really bloody catchy, and to be fair 2019 did have much less ‘end of days’ vibes!
36. SG Lewis – Fall
35. Jessie Ware – Hot N Heavy
34. Billy Porter – Children
This is exactly the type of song you would expect from Billy Porter, so though there are no surprises it’s a fun and campy dance song.
33. Coldplay – Higher Power
Stop! Come back!! It’s produced by Max Martin!!!
32. Collard – Supercharged
31. Self Esteem – Prioritise Pleasure
This really stood out to me as something fresh the first time I heard it, and Self Esteem singer Rebecca Lucy Taylor has made a point of establishing herself as a pop artist, which seems rarer and rarer these days. Keeping my eye on this one!
30. Becky G, Burna Boy – Rotate
29. Fred again.., The Blessed Madonna – Marea (We’ve Lost Dancing)
When it became clear that Miss Rona was going to be with us for more than just a few weeks, there were legitimate discussions about whether or not the pandemic should be acknowledged in fictional entertainment media. If any art form definitely didn’t need to make reference to the pandemic, I would’ve thought it’s music, but here we are. I should really not like this song (and ironically, it might very well be one you want to leave behind in 2021) but the truth is I really do.
28. Joel Corry, RAYE, David Guetta – BED
27. bbno$ – yoga ft. Rebecca Black
Rebecca Black 10 years into her pop career and still making hits, we love to see it.
26. Diana Ross – If The World Just Danced
Miss Ross came to remind the girls who she is and did not take any prisoners!
25. Dove Cameron – LazyBaby
24. RAYE – Call On Me
23. Millie Turner – Pull Me Under
22. MARINA – Purge The Poison
If you mostly ignore the lyrics, it’s fantastic.
21. Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic – Leave The Door Open
Anon meet anthem from Bruno Mars? I’m as surprised as you.
20. Kylie Minogue, Years & Years – A Second To Midnight
Would this have made a better lead single for DISCO than Say Something? Who can really say? (Me, I can say it. I’m saying it).
19. Shakira – Don’t Wait Up
This sounds like an amalgamation of the last 5 years’ pop trends with a note to make sure it’s “TikTok challengeable”, so while not groundbreaking an ok song from Shakira is still better than most of what’s out there!
18. Bella Poarch – Build a Bitch
Because I’m an Old, I’m not especially familiar with the TikTok star to popstar pipeline, though my understanding is this is how we’ve ended up with Bella Poarch’s Build a Bitch. Though I find it somewhat clichéd, it is definitely a fun and catchy song.
17. CMAT – I Don’t Really Care for You
16. Maya Delilah – Gravity
Just absolutely dreamy.
15. Bree Runway – HOT HOT
I just have a feeling she’s going to be a massive star.
14. Laura Mvula – Church Girl
13. Saweetie – Fast (Motion)
12. Anti Up – Sensational
11. Don Diablo, JLV, John K – Problems
10. Nea, Sandro Cavazza – Don’t Deserve This
The charts are so dominated by “features” now I feel like we hardly ever get actual duets anymore?? This one is beautiful, melodic, and hits all the right notes.
9. Agnes – 24 Hours
If you’re reading this, you probably already know this song and therefore know exactly why it’s here. No explanation needed.
8. Madison Beer – Blue
I had never heard of Madison Beer till her appearance on RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race and to be honest that still wasn’t enough to get me interested in her music. However, when this popped up on New Music Friday I was instantly hooked, and went on to discover her album Life Support was one of my favourites of the year. It’s very Lana Del Rey (when she still made pop music) meets Ariana Grande (when she still made pop music).
7. Foxes – Sister Ray
A welcome and long overdue return from Foxes, while she blessed us with a batch of solid new tracks this year, this is the only one that will have you screaming “GEMINI IS YOUR TOUCH” for the rest of the day.
6. Maisie Peters – Psycho
The second best pop song with ‘psycho’ in its title.
5. Au/Ra – Dead Girl! (Shake My Head)
If 2021 needed anything, it was a gloomy dance pop song. I’m sorry to say the rest of the album doesn’t quite live up to this, but Dead Girl! is definitely one of my faves this year.
4. L U – Liquid Gold
Debut offering from L U whose vocal tone is eerily similar to one Mrs Grande-Butera, this cool mid-tempo number has been on heavy rotation for me this year.
3. Lauren Aquilina – The Knife
More known for indie/folk pop, here Lauren Aquilina gives a more electronic/rock edge to her pop and it’s fucking amazing.
2. Julia Michaels – All Your Exes
I would say Julia Michaels is an underrated songwriter if it weren’t for her wild success with the songs she’s written for other, more famous artists, but she does keep a lot of the good ones for herself which don’t get nearly enough recognition. All Your Exes being just one example of how she can make a witty and catchy 10/10 pop song that all the while feels completely effortless.
1. Georgia Twinn – Moth
Haunting acapella intro. Perfect. Delicately melodic verses. Perfect. Rousing pre-chorus. Perfect. FUCKING BANGER OF A CHORUS. Pop perfection.
Honourable mentions
24kGoldn – Love Or Lust
88rising, NIKI – Split
Addison Rae – Obsessed
Alesso, CORSAK – Going Dumb
Alfie Templeman – Wait, I Lied
Anitta – Faking Love ft. Saweetie
Baby Queen – Dover Beach
Baby Queen – These Drugs
Bad Boy Chiller Crew – Don’t You Worry About Me
Bebe Rexha – Sacrifice
Black Eyed Peas – HIT IT ft. Saweetie & Lele Pons
Cally Rhodes – Call Me Again
Camden Cox – Under The Water
Cody Frost – verbal warnings
Collard – Deliver Me
Conan Gray – Overdrive
Conan Gray – Telepath
Dan D’Lion – Peachy
Eva-Lina – I Am The Ex Now
Everyone You Know, Joy Anonymous – Just for the Times
Fickle Friends – Not in the Mood
Florrie – Hours
Georgia Twinn – Talk
Imanbek, Sean Paul, Sofía Reyes – Dancing On Dangerous
IU – LILAC
Jake Bugg – Lost
Jake Issac, India.Arie – Gold
James TW – Butterflies
Kamal. – lose
Kero Kero – The Princess and the Clock
Kina – I’m Not Going Back ft. Mokita
Lava La Rue – Magpie
Liza Owen – JOSIE
Loud Luxury, Ship Wrek – Amnesia ft. GASHI
Malia Civetz – Anybody But You
MAX RAD – Where Are We Now?
Michael Calfan – Body
Mimi Webb – Dumb Love
Nia Wyn – Come Home To You
Nick Jonas, Jonas Brothers – Selfish
NOISY – 24/7
Òlah Bliss – Sinner (Good Girl)
Paul Woolford, Amber Mark- Heat
Pixey – Sunshine State
Purple Disco Machine, Eyelar – Dopamine
Rak-Su – Fuego
Robin Schulz, Felix Jaehn – One More Time ft. Alida
Royal & the Serpent – girls ft. phem
salute – Want U There
Sam Feldt, Sam Fischer – Pick Me Up
Sarah Close – Forgive or Forget
Skrillex, Starrah, Four Tet – Butterflies
Slayyyter – Clouds
Soda State – Gold
Tiana Blake – Interruption
Tom Odell – numb
Tom Speight – Strange Days
TSHA, NIMMO – OnlyL
USNA, Santino Browne – BOO
Zara Larsson – Look What You’ve Done
Playlist
This article was originally published on the Pop Warrior blog – 31 December 2021