From Spotify Wrapped to music blog guest posts we are in peak “MY FAVE SONGS OF THE YEAR” season. And in case you thought I was above it here I am to scribble down some thoughts on my own picks. I often think “wow I wish [INSERT OUTLET HERE] would ask me to submit MY list” and thought to myself… is that not why God gave us Substack?
This is a lists of songs I had on repeat this year or just had an obsession with at some point. Yes this list is pop heavy and dance heavy because for working out, stomping around and just a literal musical pick me up dance skewing pop is where I lean. I could have tried you give folk music and balladry but why lie?
10. Loreen “Tattoo”
Loreen was already Eurovision royalty before she returned to the competition this year. You could grumble that Tattoo is basically a sequel to Euphoria but it would be doing this song a disservice. A towering slice of emotional dance pop it didn’t just give Loreen a second Eurovision win it was a proper crossover hit on the charts, streaming and radio in 2023. The drama, passion and sky high hook on this one are undeniable.
9. Anitta “Funk Rave”
Brazilian megastar Anitta has been broadening her audience in recent years recording material in English, Spanish and Portguese. She’s since disavowed some of the material that made up 2022’s Version of Me, a stab at the American pop market, but I’ve enjoyed the broad swathe of material she’s released in recent years. Among them is this absolute banger which despite the short run time builds up a frenetic blend of dance, pop and Brazilian funk cleverly weaving in her own musical roots with the floor filling finesse of a true global superstar.
8. Troye Sivan “Rush”
Troye Sivan began his YouTuber to popstar journey over 10 years ago and has had plenty of excellent songs and albums since then. But this year, Rush gave him a true megahit. From internet discourse over the video (I’m doing a list, I don’t have time for discourse!!) to watching it sail up charts Rush felt like a proper pop moment. From that chant driven hook to the sleek 90s vibe of the production this was an instant earworm for me.
7. Dua Lipa “Houdini”
I won’t lie I really ended up loving “Dance the Night”. Dua gave us a fluffy disco pop moment for the Barbie soundtrack and it was very fun. But this opening salvo from album 3 feels like Dua giving it her all. I love how this track feels like a bridge from the career defining high of Future Nostalgia but works in a smidge of complexity and growth to suggest we’re not just getting more of the same this time round.
6. Rêve “Contemporary Love”
I was aware of Canadian pop star Rêve and her hit CTRL + ALT + DEL and some of her other singles but this track was a late in 2023 find for me after it was on a playlist of tunes someone wanted me to play at a DJ gig. It’s a bold, full force pop banger that hits that disco pop sweet spot that was the go to for Kylie, Dua and Jessie Ware in 2020. Yet it’s also got a horny, brash approach that Rêve plays with across her excellent album Saturn Return.
5. Jeon Somi “Fast Forward”
K-pop is something I dip in and out of but the sheer volume and groups and solo acts that are releasing material can be hard to keep track of. But this gem really stood out for me. As noted in this excellent piece for The Face, this channels a certain dance pop feel you’d associate with UK pop. It’s sleek, to the point and demands repeat plays. It was also one of a number of tunes I stomped around New York to during a trip in August so it holds fun memories for me.
4. Dom Dolla “Saving Up”
Australian DJ Dom Dolla has built up a big following in recent years. Particularly for hard-edged bangers like Eat Your Man (featuring Nelly Furtado!) or Rhyme Dust a thumping collab with MK. But this track took me by surprise. It’s lighter and more wistful, with a French house and disco feel to it. An slice of instant feel good dance pop that is hard to resist.
3. Kylie Minogue “Tension”
Listen, “Padam Padam” is great and gave Kylie her first crossover chart hit in a decade. It’s a standout and deserving of the love. But I can’t help but prefer this follow up single. It sounds like the sleek big sister to tracks from Kylie’s classic “Fever” album but with a modern 2023 dance twist. The structure is unusual and unexpected with the tension (no pun intended!) and release going into the hook being the kind of pop magic Kylie executes so brilliantly. When she’s shouting “whoooo!” in the background of one of the last choruses you can tell how much fun she’s having.
2: Eleni Foureira “Oh Mami” feat. MC Daddy"
Eleni’s 2018 turn at Eurovision put her on the radar of many pop fans around the world, myself included. Fuego was a proper pop banger and I’ve kept tabs on her music since then. She sometimes releases songs in English (Her 2020 single Light It Up is a fave of mine) but sings mainly in Greek. This year I was worryingly obsessed with this absolute banger. That nagging reggaeton-y beat gets under your skin but I love how Eleni delivers a pop song. Everything has flair and all the right emphasis. I have been sneaking this one into DJ sets during the year. One night a man approached me and said “this is a hit in Greece” to which I told how much I love Eleni’s music. He then told me he worked with her (I think he said as a producer but can’t recall exactly) to which I jokingly but also not jokingly said “Tell her I love her!” So Eleni if you’re reading.. now you know!
Slayyyter “Out of Time
Slayyyter has carved out such a cool niche for herself in pop. She was making 00s referencing Britney-esque bops in her bedroom and has evolved into an alternative pop star who references the 80s, electroclash and more in her expansive and distinctive. This single was the first taste of her 2nd album Starfucker and it still stands as my favourite song of 2023. From that opening sample (taken from 80s track Head Over Heels by Galaxy) to her urgent, assured delivery Out Of Time has a mammoth chorus and a sense of drama that had me hitting repeat more times than I care to count in 2023. The whole album is stacked with gems but this was the sound of an artist evolving while keeping the pop nous that has underlined her work so far. Truly next level.