Happy holiday everyone and man it's almost 2017 and man times flies indeed and it seems like this year will be remember as a train wreck of a year especially on the Hot 100. Cause made no mistake this is probably one of the most confusing year that I've ever experience since 2013, but is it a bad year, eh not quite to be honest, I mean there's a lot of mediocrity here more than last year and I know why. Because there's a lot of songs that supposed to be a hit but just isn't. And we're gonna talking about these song on my list today. Before we go here are some rules:
1. The song has to debut on the Hot 100 this year
2. It has to have at least 2 weeks on the Hot 100 in range of December of 2015 until the end of November 2016
3. This isn't a ranking so there's no competition. Just me talking about the songs that should've been a hit.
got that? good now let's go through the list
Faded by Alan Walker
This is one of those song that only relying on the production for straighten the lyrical content and the vocals, and making this song something special. It starts out with a great piano and the vocals followed by the synth and the percussion before the drop kicked in with added brassy synth and backing beat and atmosphere giving this song some colors and who can forget the build up to the second drop that's probably the best part of this song. No wonder people all over the world has praised this song and making it a hit worldwide because this is something special so check this song if you haven't already.
I Met A Girl by William Michael Morgan
If there's one complain of 2016 as a whole is that there's barely any country song in the Year-end list and that's a shame because this is the better year of country that we have in a long time Thanks to the neo-traditional sound's coming back and the indie scene got more experimental. And this is one of prime example on the former because these sort of song that's simple but still have more texture than any other country songs last year, mostly because this is sounds so organic with gleaming steel guitar anchoring the acoustic guitar with a hints of organ and touches of the soft drum. My only issue with this song is that the lyrics could be a little bit corny like this song is about him meeting this girl that he fall in love with, but William Michael Morgan sold me with his richer voice even though he wasn't as richer as Zac Brown or Chris Stapleton. But hey this is 2016 so I can take what I get and overall a pretty likable song.
No Problem by Chance The Rapper ft. 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne
I'll be blunt to say if I ranked this list this would topped my list because this song is something special. Not just because this song is a diss track to the label company who's screwing Chance, or Lil Wayne actually connect to the point and bringing his potent verse in a long time, or 2 Chainz corny yet funny verse that has the line "Run shit like diarrhea" , neither because of the organ touched gospel production. No the reason this song is so special is when it was released, because this song was released right in the month of Ramadhan and at that time as well I have finished my final test on middle school and when I got 2 months holiday, I wanna take this hobby seriously and one day on Ramadhan I got bored waiting for the fasting to be over and after watching Adventure Time I listening to his mixtape/album 'Coloring Book' and my god this is a great album. blending in gospel, rap, jazz, pop, even trap that seems effort-less and this is one of the stand out, every time I listen to this I always remember those good time and how I wanna re-live that moment that's so memorable and very special to me.
Dark Necessities by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Okay story time, I was given the chance to play songs in the classroom and I decided to play this song in my assumption that everyone would like it because it's goddamn RHCP, but when it got to the bridge, they requested me to changed the song because it's weird and not popular. First of all, if you the guy or girl who dictate their music taste by what's popular is probably shallow and don't want to bother to listen to the new stuff which is sad, and second it's damn shame because this is the best comeback single we got from veteran band in a long time. The bass guitar is good as always carrying the melody and sweet guitar line before we got piano and decent bass slap courtesy from Flea and who can forget the beautiful bridge with added airy synth and the lush guitar and that guitar solo and the drum works here are bad-ass. And the content here are potent as well as Anthony Kiedis talking about his necessities of creative art and that creativity is his dark side. Coupled with the dreamy vibe and you got a great comeback.
Lush Life by Zara Larsson
Okay why is this song doesn't become a hit because it has everything that sure be a big hit. The plucked guitar against the breezy keys, swooping synth, sandy percussion, tight bass, and the softest whistle that made this song sound breezy and enjoyable. It's a perfect summer song and that's the way to describe the content where Zara is going for guys after guys on the summer and just let the feel of lush just breeze in. And it helps that Zara is really good at conveying this sort of stuff that maybe Rihanna would sung about 8-10 years ago. So yeah this song is great and it deserved the critical acclaim that it got, great song.
Record Year by Eric Church
This is really is a critic clickbait song where Eric copping his break-up with a lot of record and alcohol to renew his love to music that he lost. It's emotional as the detail of these lyrics proof that it's gonna be bad for him, but he just didn't care until he got a new partner but still going to remember her. That's actually really potent and Eric sells this track with his vulnerable but also optimist to his voice. And it does shows the melancholic nature of the song. This is also where the instrument shine with choppy guitar in the intro before we got the sandy percussion, some steel guitar, and the strings right around the edges to give this song somber feels and it worked so well. Definitely one of the best country song of this year and I highly recommended this song to anyone because this is a fantastic song.
Law by Yo Gotti ft. E-40
Man it's nice to here another slice of gangsta rap in a long time, yes I'm aware that there's a lot of gangsta rapper who probably making this song even better but this is the one who charted so sorry YG, maybe if FDT charted I will put that on my best list but I digress. Anyway I dig a lot of this. This is basically Yo Gotti named all the "gangsta" law and you know what it mostly connect, Don't fuck with other partner, Don't forget about your place before you famous, don't make a beef with other bitches, loving on a first sight..... okay maybe not all of them connect but hey it's still potent. But where this song become so great is E-40. His flow and bars were so goddamn great. even though the production isn't great, the breathing noise is potent but paired with the glitchy production just doesn't work, although the record scratching is great. But both MC's here is good enough to warrant this song into the underrated territory.
Kiss It Better by Rihanna
This should be a big hit rather than Needed Me because this song is captured what Anti is as a angry reconcile of an old lovers who just cut the bullshit and just get with her but there's some sort of desperation to this song that only Rihanna could do. And man talking about some great production here. Great guitar line paired with a huge synth, crackling drum and rattling hi-hat. It's bombastic and definitely one of the stands out from Anti beside Desperado.
This Girl by Kungs X Cookin' On 3 Burners
Another song that has been praised anywhere but the US. Okay let's starts by saying this, this is better than the original. What the original lacks is well the bombast of that song trying to tell this man that the way that he got his love was his honesty and not his wealth. That's great content but it wasn't that compelling when you paired it with Jazzy instrument. But if you paired that with slick liquid guitar, sandy percussion, big horn line, and infectious bridge, this would connect more and Kungs proved it. Fantastic song, I'll take it.
Peter Pan by Kelsea Ballerini
This song is just beautiful, the acoustic guitar balancing pretty well with the electric and steel guitar, the drums while a bit processed but still can maintain the lush feeling this song has, and that brief guitar solo is also amazing even though it's only four bars. This song just screams effervescence with a great atmosphere this song have. Her voice sounds so gorgeous as her talking about her ex and how he's chasing the fantasy rather than the reality and that's why the Peter Pan metaphor worked so well as it did. Gorgeous song I'll take it.
Pick Up The Phone by Travis $cott ft. Young Thug & Quavo
This is the tropical house that I would endorsed. Like many Travis Scott songs, this song is well produced trap tropical house. With the sparse beat, watery steel drum, those cowbell, muted trap hi-hat, and that synth breakdown gave this song chilly atmosphere and as such this is bleak yet fun to listen to. Also the Performance is good as well with the stand out being Young Thug as his flow cut through this production and made it sound fun. The content is great as well, they got frustrated with this girl that they want to be faithful because they didn't pick up his phone even if she's not busy, and their way to showing affection is so goddamn sweet primarily with Quavo crooning about he doesn't discriminate his girl and loving every races.....okay there. But still this song is awesome production wise that I can't hate this, awesome song.
Capzise by FRENSHIP ft. Emily Warren
Of all duo tropical song where one of the singer is one of the DJ, I will take this over Closer any damn day of the week. it opens up with a great melody being anchored with the sandy percussion and guitar and some synth but when the hook starts it become clear that this is gonna be a great tropical house with the added synth and vocal harmonization with squonking synth at the end. But it's the lyrics where this song shines where their relationship falling apart in just a second using a capsize ship and how frustrated both are with this situation and man they bringing their emotion to eleven and made this song so special.
My Church by Maren Morris
Told you there's gonna be a lot of country here. And you can tell why because this is the sort of stuff that the Indie scene would be singing like Kacey Musgrave, Karen Jonas, and Lori McKenna would sing about. It's about here religion rhetoric is the way to tell the depth of her songwriting and it definitely shows. And also this production is awesome, starts out with the acoustic guitar against the clap and the stomp percussion and the guitar that has a lot of texture to layered in her vocals so goddamn well, I wish the production could got more dustier but overall I like this vintage sound so much.
Duele El Corazon by Enrique Iglesias ft. Wisin
Enrique is now jumping from pop to Reggaeton and it is done perfectly. His vocal were perfect with these sort of sounds and Wisin is good too as a rapper. The lyrics is a bit shaky gotta be honest here, mostly from what I've heard this song has a lot of issue with the lyrics so for my own sake I will not see the translated lyrics because yeah the production is great regardless. the pluck guitar, the woodwind, a bit of synth, and your typical reggaeton percussion with a bit of nuance and grit to make this song awesome to listen. Great song.
You Don't Own Me by Grace ft. G-Eazy
This is the only song where G-Eazy doesn't sounded dumb in this one and only being a hype man for this girl and doing what she wants and dare I said this but this is what feminist anthem should sounds like. Gritty, had a lot of bombast, and samples a feminist song in the 60's with a little bit of modern touch by the help from Quincy Jones. Grace just cuts through with this song as she standing up with guys who just love the girl because their look and that they can manipulate her but as she said "You Don't Own Me" it becomes clear she want to be equal as G-Eazy stated. Now look this is not the perfect song to tackle this issue but I will take this over Sit Still, Look Pretty any day of the week.
Famous by Kanye West ft. Rihanna
This song is probably the most controversial picks here because that one line he said in this song is making this the biggest controversy of this year, and that's a shame because the song itself is great. Rihanna here is a personify of fame and how that fame is now controlling Kanye creative control when he was in his hay days and this is really great way to convey his fame. The production here are good starts out menacing with the lo-fi synth and tribal percussion and industrial beat before it changes to samples of Sister Nancy 'Bam Bam' and it's cheerful vibe makes me think that he just accepted his fate as a celebrity. Overall this is Kanye at his absolute best and definitely a stands out from The Life Of Pablo.
Toothbrush by DNCE
I know this song is way too sanitize especially with the plastic guitar and limp bass and this is sounds like a Disney animated show anthem. But the parts where this song does connect is the feels of the song and the fact that he's howling in this song make this tame song wilder than expected especially with some of the clumsy lyrics. And also I'm kinda sucker for Disney clean yet good production so this song gets a pass. Good work, hopefully Body Moves charted.
I Got The Keys by DJ Khaled ft. Jay Z & Future
Let's get the big issue of this song, Future sounds like ass in here. If he wasn't there this song could be legendary because I dig a lot of this song. The in and out synth with compressed percussion and alarm makes this song had a potent edge to it. And man Jay-Z still have some energy to his rapping especially with his bars that's more focused that he's ever done in years. And of course DJ Khaled shouting, need I say more how this song is awesome?
Might Not by Belly ft. The Weeknd
This song is so dark where The Weeknd and Belly have a night full of drugs but went too far and this is what resulted, a great song that's what. As we get creepy melody against the light synth, vocal fragment, great sub-bass, and of course it has those dark feelings as The Weeknd vocals just seems so tiring because that's what drugs do to people. Belly here meanwhile has some of the funniest bars that I've ever heard with the line "She don't believe in god but her shoes christian" and as the song progressed on it got more darker withe the pitched down vocals and you get one of the most fun dark song of this year.
Head Over Boots by Jon Pardi
This song is just cute, from his voice, the string, the guitar, the bass, all of it is cute. And it could hide some of the clumsy lyrics here and man that guitar solo is just the best thing ever. AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! He's just so cute when he said the chorus.
And that's it, 20 songs that in my book is underrated that should become a huge hit in America. So check out these songs and you'll be either satisfied or disagree it's up to you anyway. Hope you guys have a happy new year and see you on the next year.
(and also this is my best and worst hit list if you wanna know)