The Best Songs of 2021 Ranked

As Nigeria continues to own the charts, Ayra Starr is on the cusp of gloabl domination. The phrase “model turned musician” doesn’t always guarantee greatness – for every Sky Ferreira, there is a corresponding Gisele Bündchen-does-Blondie abomination – but Starr’s beginnings with a small model management company in Lagos ultimately brought more eyes to her firey brand of afropop. Produced by London, the Nigerian goldenboy who received a Grammy nod for his work on Wizkid’s Made in Lagos, “Bloody Samaritan” is a heady mix of hip-winding beats and positive self-talk that’ll make you feel as if you’re stepping out on your own catwalk. KITTY RICHARDSON

After her lockdown album how i’m feeling now, Charli XCX’s return to pure pop bangers was welcomed with the resounding beat of “Good Ones”. Running to just over two minutes, the song is a testament to her top-tier writing talent and her adaptability to current trends. No other artist does pop quite like Charli XCX, and as she becomes the “ultra popstar, all-out, sell your soul, kind of version” of herself, you can’t help but get excited for the bops that await us in 2022. DAVID COBBALD

Like its spiritual predecessor – Baz Lurmann’s “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” – Self Esteem’s ode to trying (and failing) to get your mid-life shit together is almost too on-the-nose to work. But Rebecca Lucy Taylor’s talent for oversharing and genuine air of uncool transform it from kitsch life advice to a rally cry on radical compassion.

Where a lot of the tracks on Prioritise Pleasure push Taylor’s voice to a wavering apex, “I do this all the time” is quiet and sad. It’s not the hopeful chorus that lingers, but the guilt, the casual reference to suicide, and our heroine’s rage at, and desperation to fit in with, societal expectation. If you’ve caught a millennial woman crying on public transport this year – and let’s face it, we all have – chances are she was listening to this. KITTY RICHARDSON

A narrative on recovery and growth – and the touchpoints we encounter along the way – provided a beautifully jarring mediation half way through Cassandra Jenkins amazing second studio album An Overview on Phenomenal Nature.

Jenkins' neat observations, grounded by the line, “The mind is just a hard drive”, and delivered in a vocal rich with ASMR-lilt, will resonate with anyone on a similar path, therapised or not. It’s probably the year’s most tender song from an incredible artist firing on all cylinders and still yet to hit her creative peak. PAUL BRIDGEWATER

Occasionally an artist comes along whose take on pop is too nuanced to chart against their more brash contemporaries. Shakka is one of those artists: his material oozes sexuality, but the heartfeltness of his lyrics, and warm hug of his production, elevate these bedroom jams to something far more discerning.

HIs 2021 album Road Trip to Venus brought us a few strong contenders for this list – not least "Solo", featuring a wallopping bit of afrobeat and a now-rare sighting of GoldLink – but "When You Pull Up" takes the biscuit. The well-deep production provides such a romantic update on 90s garage, you won't even register the track's top-shelf lyrics (“I just wanna hear my favorite lines, babe / Like that's it, right there; Keep, keep going”). When a song samples Craig David and still makes you wanna smash, you know it’s a keeper. KITTY RICHARDSON

Much like "Silk Chiffon" by Saddest Factory labelmates MUNA, Charlie Hickey’s "Ten Feet Tall" possesses the kind of chorus that once heard, lives rent free in your head for eternity. An earworm of the highest order, the track is Hickey’s most accomplished work to date. Co-written and produced by Phoebe Bridgers’ collaborator Marshall Vore and featuring instantly recognisable harmonies from Bridgers herself, ‘Ten Feet Tall’ is a call to arms for anyone feeling a little alienated and lost. RICHARD THANE

The release of Adele’s album 30 was one of the biggest events of the year. It saw Adele return after four years away from the industry, and propelled her even further into international stardom. And one of its standout tracks was “To Be Loved” – an almost tribute to “Out Here On My Own” from Fame, and arguably Adele’s best vocal performance to date.

As she swoons and sways from melodic peak to peak, Adele’s lyrics cut through the intensity and get you right in the heart. “Let it be known that I tried,” she sings, perfectly rounding off her career as the queen of heartbroken millennials. DAVID COBBALD

Released alongside the announcement for Squid’s debut album Bright Green Field back in January, “Narrator” is a collaboration that highlights the best attributes of two artists who shook things up in 2021. It makes sense that a band who are as skilled and open to experimentation as Squid – an ex-jazz outfit – would naturally gravitate towards an artist as multifaceted as Martha Skye Murphy, theatre company co-founder, actor, Nick Cave collaborator and film score composer. The discordant rhythms and post-punk leanings of the WARP!-signed five-piece are set against London-based Murphy’s captivating guest vocals.

Produced by Speedy Wunderground co-founder Dan Carey (black midi, Fontaines D.C.), “Narrator” is a tense, frenetic descent into derangement inspired by the 2019 film A Long Day's Journey Into Night. As Squid describes, “the song follows a man who is losing the distinction between memory, dream and reality and how you can often mould your memories of people to fit a narrative that benefits your ego.” OLIVIA SWASH

Back in January, Secretly Canadian signee Josiah Wise, aka serpentwithfeet, announced his second album DEACON with this elegant paean to his chosen family. It’s long been evident that community is important to the LA-based artist: Serpentwithfeet co-wrote and co-produced "Fellowship” with Lil Silva and Sampha, and it arrived between collaborations with Virgil Abloh, Ty Dolla $ign, Ellie Goulding, Mick Jenkins and Nao.

The track is a love song to platonic intimacy that reminisces on the relatable, everyday charms of friendship (“Our fascination with Prosecco / The silly face you make when I say hello”), backed by the warm embrace of joyous droplets of percussion. As he summarised to Best Fit, “I'm a big fan of bromance”. "Fellowship" serves as a poignant reminder to count our blessings and “spend less time worrying, and more time recounting the love.” OLIVIA SWASH

Griff has broken through In one of the busiest years for pop in recent memory. A new name to many, “Black Hole” may have marked her arrival in the mainstream upon its performance at the BRIT Awards (where Griff took home the Rising Star Award) but it was "One Night" that cemented her place. Arriving after her debut EP, One Foot In Front Of The Other, the track is wrought with emotional musings, synth-pop hooks, and contemporary production quirks. While she battles with overthinking in the “midnight hours”, the late-night anthem is a masterclass in storytelling, bolstered by the soul-searching depths of Griff’s vocal. HANNAH BROWNE

Kacey Musgraves continuation into country-pop crossover foundations with Star-Crossed came from the same source as her critically acclaimed Golden Hour. However, while the former came etched from the shining rays of newborn love - and her first marriage - "Simple Times", and its encapsulating album instead came from the ensuing divorce.

While there are moments that find the darkening bronze in those golden hours, it's the haloed remembrance of when things were good that sparkle most. This is where the beauty of "Simple Times" lies.

Amongst its beautifully crafted minutiae of the teen years - the ones we've all yearned for - comes a lonesome longing. It's that pining that appears particularly after a demanding breakup that sucks up so much energy with its complexities. Musgraves makes you yearn for the days you didn't even realise were salad: hanging around shops, no concern with life, just walking streets figuring out what to do with your friends because that's all that matters. STEVEN LOFTIN

“‘I am in control’ / That’s what I tell myself”: so opens Mannequin Pussy’s vocalist Missy Dabice on the lead single from this year’s EP, Perfect. Repetition, it transpires, is key, as she reflects upon her coping mechanisms for when times get tough. This subjection feels important at a time where the concept of control feels withered, and an untethered, anxiety-inducing sense of agency prevails. As islands braced in a larger storm as well as their own, it begs the question of where we go from here. Perhaps the answer is to relinquish control in its entirety.

Following on from their acclaimed third album Patience, “Control” shows a side of Mannequin Pussy that is gentler and more introspective than what we’ve become accustomed to over the years of their punk-influenced barrage. Ebbing and flowing between big, punchy drums and light, dreamy guitar work, the track helps capture Dabice’s internal conflict and exposed vulnerability as her resolve ricochets back and forth. Wails and spiky interjections are echoed in the accompanying video for “Control”, as Dabice – who also directed the piece – stabs and slices her way out of bedroom-isolated frustration before setting her mattress ablaze: it’s a bit more on-the-nose than symbolic, but Mannequin Pussy have never been ones to beat around the bush. KAYLEIGH WATSON

In February, Compton duo Paris Texas arrived with the insatiable hunger of soon-to-be legends. The only thing they lacked was a backstory, having placed “Heavy Metal” in the hands of press teams worldwide with minimal pleasantries. For fans, it felt like a fact-finding exercise: who are Louie Pastel and Felix? Where did they come from? And how can I hear more? At the time, it was difficult to answer any of the above. With blank social media accounts and bios that said only “33.6609° N 95.5555° W”, they could only be traced as far as their namesake, the actual city of Paris, Texas.

Redefining hip-hop with trashing riffs and a punk-like attitude, it’s hard to recall a debut single that had a similar impact to “Heavy Metal” this year. Performed with the conviction and flow of seasoned artists, the track – along with its visually arresting promo – felt like a slap in the face. Paris Texas’ thrill came with a set of intentions, and such did they deliver. HANNAH BROWNE

Post-pandemic, music built walls around itself, and 2020's untimely disco revival jarred with the state of real-world dancefloors. Still, the highly anticipated solo single from BLACKPINK’s Rosé was (unsurprisingly) nothing short of luxury. Effervescent, hot-pink electropop, it was a welcome interruption to the claustrophobic sounds of post-quarantine pop.

Underneath its glamour, “On The Ground” is a self-reflective, bittersweet story, that tells of Rosé’s endless, soul-searching climb to K-pop superstardom and subsequent realisation that, unfortunately, success is not a tangible destination nor an answer to any problem. “What matters most […] is already within us,” she says.

“I worked my whole life / Just to get high / Just to realise / Everything I need is on the ground,” she sings on the precipice of the chorus, perhaps harkening to an epiphany many of us had during lockdown. The track is patterned by a preppy guitar and cut explosively with writhing synths, as Rosé sheds the superficiality of stardom and expresses gratitude for the little things in life. Ultimately, it’s escapism – a sing-into-the-hairbrush, clutch-the-heart anthem that ironically but deservedly earned Rosé a Guinness World Record for most viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours, jettisoning the BLACKPINK singer into new career highs. OTIS ROBINSON

In the year that pop-punk returned to the mainstream over two decades after it last reigned supreme, it was Willow’s reemergence which helped the angsty snot-nosed punks get back on top. An enthralling romp powered by the now-apparent genre kingpin Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, Willow's caustic, carefree, and antagonistically truth-daring howls of “Transparency / I can see right through / just so you know” also birthed a new era for the former hair-whipper.

A through and through pop-punk jam, the melodies hit hard. However, Willow isn't going for a groundbreaking reimagining of the genre but a brick-by-brick rebuilding, keeping the template secure. Perhaps the most important facet of Willow’s foray into pop-punk is that it brought a whitewashed genre speeding into 2021, helping the world to finally pay attention to other POC punk acts (Meet Me @ The Altar, Proper. et al) and bring them to a new genre-unbound generation. STEVEN LOFTIN

Michelle Zauner did something miraculous in 2021. As well as releasing the incredible Jubilee and her heart-breaking memoir Crying in H Mart, she also managed to reignite the idea of the perfect pop single with the sugar-coated, bittersweet pill “Be Sweet”. On the surface it’s a giddy paean to love with a nod to Madonna’s mid-‘80s output – where on singles like “Holiday” and “Into the Groove”, Ms. Ciccone hit pop perfection, a period of peak performance that Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant described his own ‘80s output as ‘the imperial phase’.

But “Be Sweet” is a jewel amongst the endless highlights of Jubilee, and imperial in its understanding of pop music. As with all the best pop songs, there’s a darker element at play beneath the giddy rush of the bass and the chorus - “Take the time to undo your lies / Make it up once more with feeling.”

We all needed introspective songs this year, that reflected the back-and-forth nature of being at home whilst wanting to taste the outside world. But “Be Sweet” was the one we were crying out for, where Zauner blended the hedonistic joy of the dancefloor, the uncertainty of love and a desire to be treated, well, sweetly. ED NASH

Within the community of fast-paced, electronic-leaning pop artists, the word “hyperpop” is a contested term with a meaning that has been stretched to cover anything that has any kind of experimental influence. There are some artists for whom the word just makes sense though, like glaive and ericdoa, two artists with origins in that scene set to breakout as their energetic, action-packed bops infiltrate the mainstream.

Exciting alone, but even more compelling together, the pair’s collective output is extensive and prolific. Taken from their collaborative EP then i’ll be happy, “Fuck This Town” – much like the project’s first single “cloak n dagger” – is an addictive angsty anthem which draws on emo and alternative influences, but is ultimately a manic manifestation of the future of pop. MATTHEW KENT

Crunching back into life, Lindsey Jordan’s reentry to the world as Snail Mail certainly made us stand up and pay attention. The slow build verses; the rapturous chorus; the howling yearning permeating throughout; sophomore album Valentine was the sound of Jordan shaking off the shackles of overexposure in a spotlight just that bit too bright, and in the wake of a brief stint in rehab.

Having started when in high school and fielding offers from majors for her debut Lush, Jordan’s next step as Snail Mail was a tentative one. But donning her pink prom suit, and finding the raspy depths of her voice, “Valentine” and its accompanying album shattered expectations and drew the world back into her vulnerable charm. "Valentine" was also refreshing in how it offereed up something so utterly and disarmingly frank, a trend that the rest of its namesake album would follow. The impact of “Valentine” was just the cherry on the many cakes ludicrously engrained in the faces of the party-goers on its accompanying video. STEVEN LOFTIN

Florida-raised alternative artist Ethel Cain – aka Hayden Anhedönia – has the potential to be absolutely huge and “Crush” is the standout from her eclectic debut EP proper Inbred.

Across the collection we see her marry the trailer park glamour of early Lana Del Rey with sprinkles of warped country and anthemic alt-rock, as she channels both trauma and nostalgia through a cinematic lens. Inspired by small-town living after leaving Christianity and the Southern Baptist community at 16, it makes sense that Anhedönia found a home in rural Indiana, renting a converted 19th-century church with friends. The video for “Crush” features footage from that time in her life; shot on a handheld camera it mirrors the grit and raw lyrics which underlie all of Anhedönia’s work.

A true artist, the Ethel Cain project extends far beyond its music, with Anhedönia at its helm as the vocalist, songwriter, producer – and cult leader in the making. Even its “Stripped” version is a masterpiece in and of itself as Cain’s evocative and beautiful vocal is exposed with just a reverb-laced guitar backing her pained coos. MATTHEW KENT

It’s easy to forget that “All Too Well” wasn’t even a single, despite being an obvious highlight from Taylor Swift’s original Red release. It's also doubtful any of her team knew if the song’s extended version – based on an early studio demo – would reach beyond standard Swiftian virility to become one of 2021's musical touchpoints.

The clues were all there, of course – the age-old story of a vampiric age gap that Swift has written about with such well-honed lyricism numerous times. Thematically a burning-hot potato, it resonated far beyond her fanbase, introducing Swift to a wider audience and tapping into conversations that were already happening about relationship power dynamics.

It helped, of course, that the pantomime villain of the piece was a target many felt comfortable kicking: Daddy-charming, patriarchy-fucking, fluffy-penised puppy-dog actor Jake Gyllenhaal – with his cool indie records, organic shoes and million dollar couch - who the 20-year-old Swift dated for a few months back in 2010 when he was 29. It's impossible to know where fact ended and fiction began, such is Swift's knack for carving relatable pop from formative life experiences. Does it matter? Not really; the song’s 10-minute version amped up the dramatics, with some utterly devastating put downs about secrets, oaths, shame and scarves.

The song's narrative was punched home hard by a landmark SNL performance alongside a somewhat clumsy – and overtly literal – visual. The song's message, nevertheless, transported it instantly into the canon of great pop, somewhere between “You’re Too Vain” and “Idiot Wind” PAUL BRIDGEWATER

There are surely two common responses to break-ups –aggressive self-improvement, and total collapse. SZA, who has spent her career mining the painful spoils of past relationships, seem to oscillate between the two – sometimes, as in “Good Days”, in the same song.

The single – taken, supposedly, from her rabidly-awaited third album – dropped unexpectedly on Christmas Day last year, but it’s too shiny a gem to be left out on a technicality. The sheer simplicity of the track is a testament to the power of SZA’s vocal performance: over a lone guitar loop, and a relatively unremarkable drum beat, the soulstress flies up octaves and twists each melody in her signature improvisational style, reflecting her inner emotional tumult. In an uncharacteristically low-key contribution, Jacob Collier adds his own densely-layered backing vocals to the mix, bringing a welcome touch of old soul.

Every time SZA opens her diary like this, she re-establishes herself as a chaotic good fairy; the kind of fairy who’ll have your back whether you require some sagely self-love advice or an accomplice to help set fire to your ex’s belongings. Here’s hoping that in 2022, she’ll finally leave that third album under our pillow. KITTY RICHARDSON

It’s been nine months since Lil Nas X took a shirtless plunge into the depths of hell. The discourse had only just silenced around Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B’s sex-positive anthem, but it’s as if “WAP” walked so “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” could run.

A reference to Nas X’s birth name as well as the Oscar-winning, Timothée Chalamet-led film, the track itself – backed with quasi-Latina flamenco claps and an earworm of a chorus – was his most overtly queer release to date. In an embrace of identity, the accompanying music video immediately raised traditionalist eyebrows tenfold; with Nas X performing a sensual lap dance for Satan beneath the religiously significant settings of Eden. The censure, laden with homophobia and rightist values, was a pattern that has played out before – gay people (particularly black gay people) being met with a holier-than-thou scorn when putting sexuality on display.

What the political detractors of “Montero” seemed to miss was that, for all its vivid imagery, the reaction was perpetuating virality. Nas X trolled every slither of controversy that came his way (from Nike to South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, to Fox News reporters,) reminding fans and critics alike that he thrives in the digital mainstream. All the while proving himself as one of the most unpredictable, unapologetic, and unwavering generational talents, it’s an audacious middle finger number that will be cited for years to come. “Montero” was equipped for controversy, and at its best, used Lil Nas X’s artistic merit as a vehicle to liberate. HANNAH BROWNE

After Pang’s success in 2019 (and an unexpected cover of The Corrs’ “Breathless” in 2020) Caroline Polachek returned this July with the bass-laden bop “Bunny Is A Rider”. Co-produced by Danny L Harle, the track is nothing short of a smash from Polachek, and even features Harle’s baby daughter’s first vocal cameo.

Written about being unavailable and impossible to get hold of, the song sees Polachek delve into the more pop and accessible ends of her writing. Its driving percussion keep you moving as the mood sways from high to low, and that unmissable whistle rings through the tight production throughout.

It’s a standout song for Polachek – it marks the start of a new era, as well as cementing the fact that Pang wasn’t just a one off. In fact, if this is the standard for what’s coming, it’s arguable that Polachek has never been better and this is only the beginning. “Bunny Is A Rider” is an earworm if you’ve ever heard one, and there’s no denying that it’s impeccably written from start to finish.

Making you want to strut to the beat and turn up the heat, the message of “Bunny Is A Rider” is that of anonymity and refusing to stick around and get your heart broken. It’s a feeling we’ve all felt at one point or another, making it all the more fun to listen to.

“Anyone can be Bunny,” says Polachek, “at least for three minutes and seventeen seconds.” DAVID COBBALD

The interrogative and artistically-defining lead track from Little Simz’ fourth studio album casts self-reflection against a backdrop of real-world crisis and in 2021 it felt full-blooded and vital. Dropping as the UK entered the final month of the last lockdown, the song’s call to arms felt familiar to anyone consumed with questions of personal agency.

A creative high for the North London-born rapper, “Introvert” is artistically fearless, finding its strength in vulnerability. Epic in every single aspect - from the strings, brass and military drum intro to the touching and tender spoken word outro from The Crown’s Emma Corrin - it also came with a perfectly toned visual, via director Salomon Ligthelm (Young Fathers, The Weeknd, Giveon). PAUL BRIDGEWATER

It says a lot that one of Muna’s breakout singles was titled “Crying on the bathroom floor”.

The LA three-piece have made a career out of lesbian tragedies; tales of profound loneliness , sour break-ups and the irremovable stains of heartbreak. So when fans got halfway through their ultra-sunny love song “Silk Chiffon”, they were probably expecting a catch – one of the lyrical gut-punches lead singer Katie Gavin is so skilled at delivering.

But no. “Silk Chiffon” is a wide-eyed, no-nonsense ode to being really, really into someone. The band’s first release on Phoebe Bridger’s Saddest Factory label, the track leans hard into the glittering motifs that give Muna their power – the sincere 90s rhythm guitar, the main-stage snares, the sublime three-girl harmonies. Bridgers sings “Life’s so fun” through an audible grin, and this time, there’s no irony; no ominous middle eight on the horizon. Even the video is a Russian doll of Sapphic pop culture references; a parody of But I’m a Cheerleader complete with butch cowgirls and Bridgers as an ex-gay counsellor, directed by Feel Good’s Ally Pankiw.

We’re not short on blissful declarative love songs. But the unabashed femme4femme energy of “Silk Chiffon” feels like a compassionate retaliation – to every storyline where the lesbian love interest got unceremoniously murdered, ravaged by illness ... or paired off with the straight guy. It retaliates even to Muna’s back catalogue of bleak, if beautiful, break-up anthems. It is the happy ending we deserve. KITTY RICHARDSON