Part 3: Songs that Defined 2019

Good evening, and I’m back at it again with more songs that I rocked out to in my room, walking in the park or in the shower to keep my mind off things and serotonin levels up. Here’s the third installment of songs that made my year in no particular order.

Also forgive me, I’m no music expert, but I do love music.

“Hard Times” by Paramore

Now I know what you’re thinking, or I’m thinking for you. Why are you including a song from 2017 in a 2019 countdown? I thought about this too, and although it makes sense to only focus on songs that were released in 2019, it doesn’t negate that I came across older songs that became a sentimental repeat.

Hence why I added it to my too-large list of songs. I started playing “Hard Times” from late May throughout this year as a soundtrack to my post-undergraduate-unemployment-unmotivated slump. The words just became relatable and danceable.

“Boy With Luv” by BTS

It wouldn’t be a 2019 countdown if I didn’t mention BTS. I don’t think I am an ARMY but I’ve listened to their music since they released “Dope” but really paid attention between “Save Me” and “Blood, Sweat, and Tears.”(2016/7).

Long-story short I loved this song and their album Map of the Soul: Persona. All seven songs are hits and there was so much thought and meaning behind everything.

I can’t listen to “Boy with Luv” and be in a low mood. I’ve had instances where listening to it boosts my mood. They really have that impact on people with their music.

And MOTS: Persona was a contrast to a lot of boy groups who had darker themes in their comebacks. Don’t get me wrong, I love dark themes. But I was glad they chose a light-hearted song to promote, wore pink, jewelry, and women’s clothes in their promotional art. They normalized boys and men showing a softer or feminine image. Not required, saying it’s fine to do so. And that’s going to mean a lot for boys who like pink, wearing jewelry, and makeup to see a group as influential as BTS doing this.

Also the “Boy with Luv”‘s promotional era made me fall in love with Halsey more. I love how she met them in 2017, gave them churros and it bloomed into this genuine friendship. I’m always apprehensive/worried when BTS promotes in the U.S. because they/ARMY are kind of used for clout and views, while also being stereotyped and not taken seriously as artists/a diverse fandom. That alone could be a rant within itself, but Halsey’s friendship with BTS brighten my year.

“I Wish” by Hayley Kiyoko

By this summer it had been a year since Hayley Kiyoko a.k.a. “Lesbian Jesus” and founder of 20gayteen released her debut album Expectations.

“I Wish” is a song about longing to be loved after experiencing unrequited love again. This is a common theme in Hayley’s music and for sapphic people in general.

The music video was pure art. A group of school friends meet up to give Hayley a potion that will stop her from pining over someone who doesn’t love her back. Witchcraft and friendship. It felt more like a cinematic film than a music video.

And the choreography was killer. The school uniforms were realistic and didn’t sexualize the characters’ bodies. Also I love how Hayley casted Disney alums Madison Pettis and Maia Mitchell as two of her school friends and the unrequited love interest was a plus-sized woman.

Hayley Kiyoko just continues to warm my heart with these gay-ass masterpieces of music videos. Her music about love and women is just relatable, and this is someone who’s never even been in a real relationship. Long live our gay lord and savior, Lesbian Jesus.

“Sweet Talk My Heart” – Tove Lo

Tove Lo is criminally underrated in a way. Here’s a Swedish pop star who’s a great songwriter. I love her sometimes raspy or husky voice; it has a unique color. Her music is about love, sex, drugs and dancing; all things praised in men musicians but regarded strangely from women musicians. She’s also bisexual and sings about women in her music. Sexuality and image aside, she’s a gifted musician.

I think “Sweettalk my Heart” is one of the best written songs I’ve heard so far this year. I’m no musical expert, but the pre-chorus’s melody seals this opinion in my mind. The lyrics were great. I’m not an expert but this song is amazing.

Sunshine Kitty was a good album. I am not well-informed on chart performances or where she even toured, but this album was good and I hope it didn’t go unnoticed. She collaborates with ALMA and Kylie Minogue. Honestly, she’s worth a listen.

“Like Me” by Steve Lacy, DAISY

I found this song around Bi Visibility Day after seeing a myriad of tweets calling it the new bisexual anthem. “Like Me” is Steve Lacy and DAISY asking if there are other men and women who struggle with accepting their sexuality, know they can’t tell their families, and trying to find a label. All things that I relate to.

Steve’s first verse was popping right off the bat:

I only feel energy, I see no gender
When I talk ’bout fish, I wanna catch ya, I’m a fisher
Now they debate on who I like, they wanna see a list of
Girls and boys out here so they can see if I’m official
I tell ’em, ooh, come down, this ain’t your life found
If you want to smile, if you’re happy for me now
I hope you can relate, if you can’t right now
You might be a little late or you might never get it down”

and the beginning of DAISY’s verse are the two parts of this song that struck a chord with me (heh).

“Ah, I used to wanna be normal
I used to lay out the labels and pray that one of them stuck
I used to beat myself up, but it’s too abstract to scratch past
So I ain’t asking for an answer like that (No, no)
I’m over hoping for a box to check, a giant past to connect
I’ argued with myself over breakfast, yeah
I scavenge my mind, but she rides in spirals counter to clockwise

“Gone” by Charli XCX & Christine and the Queens

“Gone” was a huge song for me this year. The music video, Christine and the Queen’s vocals, and the dancing was perfect. The song is about feeling alone in a room full of people, presumably a party, and hating the insecurity that you feel against a strong dance beat. The music video was glorious. Charli and Christine were tied to cars; there was rain and fire. They dance their inhibitions away. It was a visual liberation.

2019 was Charli XCX’s year, as she consistently kept releasing songs from her album Charli, which featured artists like HAIM, Kim Petras, Troye Sivan, Pabllo Vittar, and more.

“hot girl bummer” by blackbear

This song bounced off the growing ‘hot girl summer’ movement created by rapper Megan Thee Stallion. I like both concepts, but ‘hot girl bummer’ won me over.

blackbear is an artist people have heard but don’t know well and it’s odd because his music’s really good. His simple, catchy melodies and profanity-laced lyrics are a mood. The song itself is pretty explanatory and you could listen to blackbear’s explanation. But honestly you get the point when you here: “This a hot girl bummer anthem/ Turn it up and throw a tantrum.”

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If you somehow made it to the end of this post, thanks for reading Part 3: Songs that Defined 2019! As mentioned before this next post will be up and running hopefully by tomorrow night.

I’m beginning to realize that I have to negotiate which songs I want to mention, because I encountered a good bit of music this year. It’d take till 2020 to mention songs and albums I liked. And we haven’t even reached albums. Anyway, thanks for reading and Good night!