Best Songs of 2023: ‘Flowers,’ ‘Boys a Liar Pt.’ 2′ list

Los Angeles (AP) – out of ten best songs of the year, As determined by Associated Press music writer Maria Sherman, in no particular order. dive in.

“On My Mother,” Victoria Monet

Gear up for some positive affirmations! 10-time Grammy-nominated Victoria Monet, once best known as a hit-maker for Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony and Chloe x Halle, is getting her flowers as a solo artist these days — and delivering them straight to moms who listen. Are. Her blockbuster single “On My Mama” is a loving tribute to her mother and her daughter, featuring Monet’s sweet voice and bright brass production. This might be the best R&B track of the year – with one of the best samples ever, using Chally Boy’s 2009 smash song “I Look Good.” It takes a real talent to borrow from such a recognizable sound. Monet doesn’t just succeed in doing this – she makes it her own.

“Monaco,” Bad Bunny

bad bunny’s 2023 album, “Nadi Sabe Lo Que Wa A Pasar Manana”, is a throwback to their previous sound, the hard-hitting rap that preceded their mainstream superstardom. Perhaps it’s an exercise in getting back to basics while highlighting the complexities of fame, which is the source material for most of the album’s songs. At any rate, the combination makes for a more restrained, nuanced listen: a true breakthrough on the stellar “Monaco,” a Latin trap song with a need for speed that wouldn’t sound too far off on their debut album, 2018’s “X.” 100PRE.” Benito’s smooth, bluesy baritone carries the track, as does the sharp sound of a formula one car Which flows into Baroque production.

“Flowers,” Miley Cyrus

There’s a thin line between daring and silly when it comes to elevating pop records. Very often, a strong song with a rising chorus loses all tension and sinks into the ear like a very sweet candy. But on Miley Cyrus’s Grammy-nominated “Flowers,” her first No. 1 hit in a decade, the pop superstar made magic. this is a Summery, retro-pop single Full of optimism born from divorce. “No regrets, no regrets / I forget every word you ever said,” she sings – the musical equivalent of someone saying, “I’m bored of this conversation” – starting the self-help mantra. before. Then, she finds an emotional solution and musical resolution in her chorus: “I can love you better.”

“Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2,”Pinkpenthrace & Ice Spice

it is summer song – Hey, year – and it came out in January. The dream team of Bronx rapper Ice Spice and hyperpop-punk heroes Pinkpantherace created “Boys a Liar Pt.” 2” An examination of modern dating with an undeniable hook. It is so huge that it can fly; A lackluster remix for the present moment. Also, “Liar” in the chorus of the song is pronounced like “Leo”. “It’s Gonna Be May”-level creativity, what’s not to love?

“I Remember Everything,” Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves

Country artist Zach Bryan knows a thing or two about writing the loneliness of heartbreak into song with cutting specificity. This is one of the reasons their 2022 major label debut “American Heartbreak” was named a AP’s Top Albums of the Last Year. And that’s why her 2023 single and first No. 1 track, “I Remember Everything,” is one of our favorites of this year. It’s confessional, rich, ballad writing that’s enhanced by her whole-hearted voice – those open, resonant notes – and the sweetness of Musgraves’s vocals.

“Longing,” Paramore

The burnt orange pop-punk days of Paramore’s youth are long gone. tennessee rock band flirts Animated post-punk these days, experimenting with asymmetric synth production that reflects internal concerns and the external forces that amplify them. “Crave” is the latter reflecting the former: a propulsive, mature band dancing around a barbed guitar riff. But at its core, like all great Paramore tracks, frontwoman Hayley Williams is stretching her vast vocal range, venting frustrations and exposing misguided desires.

“Rush,” Troye Sivan

The opening track and lead single from Australian pop powerhouse Troye Sivan’s third full-length album, “Something to Give Each Other” is all falsetto, locker room chants and utopic homoeroticism: “I feel the rush / Addicted to your touch. Is,” a group of men sing in harmony over the perfect pop of their lead single, “Rush.” Bravado was founded just to bring a kind of sweaty sensuality to the house that is all fun and light-hearted with House and EDM beats. Sivan gave AP a kind of mantra to sing in an interview Earlier this year: “Things are good. life is fun. Sex is great.”

“Dumbest Girl Alive,” 100 gecs

What came first: the chicken or the egg, the Internet style of 100 gecs or Hyperpop? It doesn’t matter. The duo of Laura Lace and Dylan Brady aren’t in the market for prudence; Rather, his musical art is inspired by pixelated chaos. In the case of “Dumbest Girl Alive”, an alternative cut from their sophomore LP “10,000 Gecks”, the only thing that matters is the nu-metal bass lick and distorted vocals that start with “Put emojis on my grave. / I”. I’m the Dumbest Girl Alive.” This is the best song of 2023 that sounds like you’ve been sucked into a computer simulation, both funny and dumb in equal amounts.

“OMG,” Newzines

In 2023, girl groups continued to dominate the K-pop conversation. is at the forefront newgins, with their Y2K-nostalgic sound that comes from turn of the millennium R&B and pop music. “OMG” was the catalyst for their rise to fame, with its addictive trap rhythm, propelled by UK garage-inspired production, delicious cowbells (you read that correctly) and a sticky staccato synth that lays a strong foundation. Which was brought to the next level. The quintet’s enthusiastic harmony. Oh my god, oh my god, really.

“Tantor,” Danny Brown

Danny Brown’s absurd approach to contemporary rap has made him one worth seeing over the years, and the lead single “Tantor” from their long-awaited sixth studio album “Quaranta” is proof of that. The Alchemist-produced track is, in a few moments, prog-rock avant-rap, a retro-futuristic hip-hop, filtered like “RoboCop”. If cyborgs aren’t your thing, look away – but then you’ll miss one of the most welcome clangorous and catchy tracks of 2023.