The 33 Best Songs of 2014

This year has been a disappointment in music overall. In America, the overhyped machine known as "Frozen" somehow dominated album charts, the radio beat the same songs into our brains with more gusto than in previous years and critics collectively sucked up to Taylor Swift's latest collection of fifth grade level songwriting and heralded it as the best thing ever. Puke. The K-Pop landscape was also barren with most of the girl groups wanting to be sexed up to the nines by their agencies, the boy groups wanting to seem either over emotional or over hardened by the streets, and groups who took major creative risks last year opting to go back to the box set (pun intended). However, it wasn't all bad, with irresistible pop gems, Bossa Nova inspired bops, soul-wrenching midtempos and songs that were all in all fun to jam to.
 Songs in this list were released between 12/20/2013-12/20/2014 or had a parent album released in 2014.

Jessie Ware "You & I (Forever)" Music Video

The newly married Jessie Ware has been moving with the promotion of her second record "Tough Love". Can you believe she's on single #4?!

Jessie Ware "Say You Love Me"

PMR isn't dragging its feet this time around. Jessie Ware's "Tough Love" just became her first top forty hit in her native UK and sharing the sparse yet atmospheric deluxe track, "Share It All", Ware's second official single has arrived!

Jessie Ware "Share It All"

"Share It All" is a deluxe track from Jessie Ware's anticipated sophomore set "Tough Love", proceeded by the single of the same name.

Jessie Ware "Tough Love"

"Devotion", the album that established Jessie Ware as one of the new age neo-soul artists to keep your eyes on, will definitely be hard to top, but "Tough Love" seems like a step in the right direction.

My Favourite Songs of 2013...Thus Far

With half of the year over and another half to go, the music has been just coming and coming and coming and...well you get the idea! Some of it good, some bad, some meh and some very exceptional. While a lot of American artists seem to be giving us the run-around with their music (a certain artist whose name begins a B and ends with a Eyonce?), other countries have been keeping their music flowing (sometimes overflowing) that I can't keep up with releases. I usually do a best of list, but since it's only the middle of year, I decided to go with some of my favourites rather than the ones that I think are the best, which can wait until December.

Girl's Day-Expectation

Girl's Day shed their quirky, side-splitting antics for a more mature concept and did not disappoint with this highly infectious dance-pop slice of heaven. It's already my most played song of the year and second most played of all time (damn you BoA for releasing "Only One.")

     Nine Muses-Dolls

The classy nine get paired with Sweetune for this equally classy, jazz-inspired record. If you aren't tapping your toes to the beat, you seem to be missing a soul (or just don't like K-Pop).

              Ellie Goulding-You,My Everything 

This song is everything that is right with Ellie Goulding. "You, My Everything" is just  Ellie's husky yet dreamy vocals over Jim Eliot's drum and bass inspired production. Just how I like her.

Girl's Generation-I Got a Boy 

The hate for this song was warranted. I commend SM for breaking the Americanized cookie-cutter mold for K-Pop songs by mixing and mashing five or so songs together and transforming the divine nine into aegeyo hip-hop queens. #bowdown.

2AM Club-Black Liquor 

The band laments their late night escapades over a minimalist beat fit for a The Weeknd record. If I told you that I have never cried listening to this record, I would be telling you a lie.

Rudimental-Hell Could Freeze (feat. Angel Haze) 

Rudimental is a extremely versatile and "Hell Could Freeze" has to be one of their best. New York raptress Angel Haze talks about a failed relationship that she is willing to try again

Jessie Ware-Imagine It Was Us 

Her solo foray into the 90s house trend that has become so popular within the past year, Jessie blesses us with her consistently sultry vocals while serving some "Queen of The Night" realness in the music video.

Supercell-The Bravery 

J-Pop as I remember it from when I used to watch Anime as an awkward pre-adolesent/teen. Full of energy, heavy on the rock and a soaring inspiring chorus with so whoas and yeahs added for good measure. The five minute length is a turn off though.

Kate Nash-OHMYGOD! 

Kate Nash starts this punk-pop tune languid then hits us with a stir-crazy chorus that was made for the summer and for pop radio. Too bad she's independent now.

Kanye West-Bound 2

The Kanye West that everybody was waiting for to come back. Though the lyrics are a bit iffy, it still captures perfectly who Kanye was before his "808"days.

T-ARA N4-Countryside Life

THE BEST K-POP OF 2013 SO FAR!!! Only T-ARA would have the balls to have their sub-unit come out with a netizen diss song, incorporate the real Harlem shake in the video and update Richard Simmons's ridiculous exercises. Why U Hatin'?

Miguel "Adorn" (UK Version) [Feat.Jessie Ware]

Miguel's "Adorn" peaked within the top twenty of the US charts and was nominated for a Grammy..To prepare for the UK release of the single, the R&B crooner paired up with the soulful Jessie Ware to make it more Euro-friendly. The song sounds no different, minus Jessie's relaxing vocals singing along. I hope this does well. Adorn is a good song on it's own but Jessie really deserves a decent charting hit and since "Imagine It Was Us" was not well-received with the public, the mainstream feature route may be the way to go.

Jessie Ware "Wildest Moments" (Feat. A$AP Rocky)

Miss Jessie Ware has finally revealed the second track to be included on the US and gold editions of her debut album "Devotion". This one is her stellar single "Wildest Moments" featuring one of today's go to rappers A$AP Rocky. Amazingly, the only thing added are some low growls in terms of the production. The placing of the raps and the beginning verse were kind of awkward and everything else is kept in tact. Hopefully, this will get Jessie a decent chart position here across the pond.

Jessie Ware "Imagine It Was Us"

Jessie Ware, the UK singer who topped my blog's best of 2012 album list, is preparing to re-release her debut album "Devotion" in the UK (and offically here in the States)in April and has debuted one of two brand spanking new tracks. Instead of the chill 80s Sade-meets-Whitney Houston that most of the album served up, Jessie moves up a decade and gives us a refreshing 90s house song with her signature stunning vocals holding their own with "Imagine It Was Us". I would definitely not mind if this is what her second album winds up sounding like.

Jessie Ware "Sweet Talk" Music Video

Jessie Ware plays the mother of her younger self in this really adorable video for Ware's fourth single, "Sweet Talk." The lush 80s inspired tune is on her debut album, "Devotion" and her upcoming EP, both which will be released in 2013. Mini-Ware lip-syncs the words flawlessly and performs for the real Ware while a little Julio Bashmore is recording her and plays bass in the back. It's very different from her previous clips, which were a bit more on the sensual side.