BEST OF 2012: Songs
Songs – whether in the form of half-baked Soundclouds, majestic singles, freaky-deaky videos or sometimes even physical sculptures continued to rule the music world in 2012. The best? Well, that is ultimately up the listener – a role that has more options than ever.
Here are the ones we will never forget from this year:
Purity Ring - Obedear
Hypnotic, ghoulish and tinged with the residue of southern rap, The Knife and experimental sampling, "Obedear" was irresistible and inescapable.
Kanye West - Mercy (feat. Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz)
With what might be the beat of the year, "Mercy" is an avalanche of quotables that shows the strength of G.O.O.D. Music's diverse roster. What a moment to have Kanye with the worst verse of the song and 2 Chainz putting on a style clnic.
Chromatics - Lady
Like an ice sculpture, this driving, Italo-influenced depressing love song is the peak of Chromatics' Kill For Love.
Daughn Gibson - Tiffany Lou
With the spacious, forward-moving sonics of forefront electronic artists and an old-soul country voice and songwriting style, Daughn Gibson brought life to Tiffany Lou – a character that repeatedly sees her father on episodes of Cops. It's a rough, mysterious world.
Frank Ocean - Thinking Bout You
This one is just a beautiful gut-buster. It showed an artist coming into his own – both musically and with a siren of a voice that could peel the shit off the back of your eyeballs.
The Walkmen - Heaven
Ultra-mature and ultra-poised, The Walkmen proved they weren't playing around with this catchy dedication to domesticity.
Miguel - Adorn
This song is so legitimately sexy that if you actually played it while in bed with someone you'd have to start laughing at the absurdity – a pitch-perfect piece of R&B in a milestone year for the genre.
King Tuff - Alone & Stoned
This one is basically the rock version of 'goon music' – sugary, fun, blasted-out – a simple, memorable ode to slacking, smoking and feeling musical bliss all by your lonesome.
2 Chainz - Birthday Song (feat. Kanye West)
"She got a big booty, so I call her Big Booty," raps 2 Chainz to open the party song of 2012. It's a stupid, beautiful thing and it'll take years before people stop going to crazy for it at clubs.
Solange - Losing You
Seemingly out of nowhere, Solange collaborated with indie darling Dev Hynes to make one of the best pop tracks of the year. Love is lost, beats are big and the '80s-aping synth part is exactly what's supposed to dominate the charts. Looking back rarely feels so futuristic.
