FEATURE:
A Truly Brilliant Year for Music…
PHOTO CREDIT: Orione Conceição/Pexels
Part One: My Favourite Singles of 2023
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LATER this month…
IN THIS PHOTO: Nadine Shah
or at the start of December, we are going to see more features released where albums and singles of the year are selected and ranked. I think that there are quite a few out already that provide good guidance. Not to say that all of the best of the year has come out already – though November and December are generally quieter for albums and singles. In the first of a two-part feature, I have selected my singles of the year. It has been a very tough decision! Having to omit great artists like Blur and The Beatles (their final single, Now and Then, is one I am going to write about separately) was tough, though what I have done is choose the ten best, plus a ‘silver’ and ‘bronze’ medal – so, essentially, the twelve best singles of 2023. Many will have their own opinions. Coming to the end of such an amazing year, it has been a pleasure getting all this wonderful music. I feel bad about the artists I have left out! Rest assured, they are all brilliant and worthy of big success. Below are my views on the best singles…
IN THIS PHOTO: Antony Szmierek
FROM this year.
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BRONZE: Lauren Mayberry – Shame
Release Date: 10th October
From the Album: TBA
Label: EMI
Review:
“Shame” feels inevitable. There was little doubt that Lauren Mayberry, the effortlessly charismatic lead singer of the Scottish band Chvrches, would someday venture out with solo material, and there was also no reason to expect that the sound of that music released under her own name would be wildly apart from what she helped created in her main gig. A death metal track from Mayberry would certainly be attention-getting, but who needs that when she’s clearly got a gift for making synth-pop songs that shimmer brightly while smuggling through barbs in the lyrics.
On “Shame,” Mayberry’s second solo single, all the elements are in place, tidy as nested boxes. She might be the only current performer who can make lyrics such as “Tell me sweet things/ Just enough to make me beg/ I’ll learn to like it/ Or at least that’s what you said” come across as oddly triumphant. In her rendering, the forceful stating of those lines — the acknowledgement of miserable truths — is where the power lies. Go ahead and dance the pain away” – Coffee for Two
SILVER: SZA – Kill Bill
Release Date: 10th January
From the Album: SOS
Release Date: 9th December, 2022
Labels: Top Dawg/RCA
Order: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/sza/sos-5
Review:
“Solána Imani Rowe, known as SZA, is an American singer and songwriter. The stage name SZA stands for saviour or sovereign, zig-zag and Allah. The name was inspired by RZA from the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States, on November 8th, 1989. She started making music in the early 2010s, releasing two EPs before signing with Top Dawg Entertainment, a hip-hop record label. In 2014 she released her third EP Z, and the same year she co-wrote “Feeling Myself” with hit rapper Nicki Minaj and hit singer Beyoncé. The song that made her most famous was “Good Days” released on Christmas Day in 2020, which became her first solo top hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021. She has been nominated 66 times and has won 25 awards. “Kill Bill” is SZA’s second most popular song from her album SOS, with over 300 million streams to date on Spotify.
“Kill Bill” by SZA starts with a strong, eerie detuned synthesizer, which lures listeners. SZA’s smooth vocals and steady beats carry us to the song’s ending. While SZA raps in the verses and pre-choruses, she sings in the chorus, making the infectious melody stand out. “Kill Bill” is built around a midtempo, groovy rhythm and it has a retro, late 1990s–early 2000s sound, influenced by a subgenre of hip hop music called boom bap.
However, some may argue that the SZA’s bold lyrics are responsible for this song’s popularity. Many relate to the anger and frustration that comes with having an ex-partner move on to a new relationship and the underlying sentiments of doing whatever it takes for love. The song title references Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill (2003), in which the main character is shot by her employer and his crew and then seeks revenge. In contrast, Sza’s song replaces the employer with a boyfriend and discusses killing his new girlfriend. While the lyric “I might kill my ex” is the most memorable, the song is filled with hooky lyrics like “I’m so mature/I’m still a fan even though I’m salty/ rather be in hell than alone.” Critics praised “Kill Bill” for its exploration of SZA’s unfiltered, violent emotions.
The duration of the song is also an asset of the song as it conveys just the right amount of material lyric-wise to keep people hooked. Although some listeners might find the dark lyrics don’t match the light sounding beat, they may grow to appreciate the dichotomy between the music and its message.
According to SZA, the creation of “Kill Bill” was “super easy,” and she deemed it a “one take, one night” type of song. While writing a song about committing murder was a risk, the song has become SZA’s biggest success and is being streamed millions of times every day” – Met Radio
TEN: The Staves – You Held It All
Release Date: 14th September
From the Album: All Now
Release Date: 22nd March, 2024
Label: Communion Records
Pre-Order: https://www.musicglue.com/the-staves/#preorder
The Skinny:
“The Staves have shared new single ‘You Held It All’.
The group are currently in a state of evolution, with sister Emily Staveley-Taylor taking a slight step back. She isn’t present on this new single, the first to present The Staves formally as a duo, and their first release since 2021’s ‘Good Woman’.
Out now, ‘You Held It All’ marks their inaugural release on Communion Records, a moment of refreshment and overhaul. Produced alongside close friend John Congleton in Los Angeles, it finds The Staves tapping back into their core values, emerging renewed in the process.
Lilting melodies with a touch of West Coast sunrise to the arrangement, The Staves somehow manage to sound more mature, more rounded.
The group comment…
“’You Held It All’ is a song about understanding, and the knots we tie ourselves in when we don’t express our truth; and how much power and freedom there can be when we do” - CLASH
NINE: Hak Baker - DOOLALLY
Release Date: 18th May
From the Album: Worlds End FM
Release Date: 27th October, 2023
Label: Hak Attack Records
Order: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/hak-baker/worlds-end
The Skinny:
“DOOLALLY” is an unfiltered scene from the East End. Capturing Hak’s raw lyrical style that blends cockney dialect picked up from growing up in the Isle of Dogs, to Jamaican Patois from his mother and grandmother, Hak’s flow developed from his younger years as a Grime MC in B.O.M.B. squad.
“We thought we was big, big boys, going to MC at these little clubs in Romford. Don’t forget that Moet cost 30 quid back then so we were having it large,” says Hak Baker. “Everybody loves a house party. You’re talking to the house party king here. These are all the shenanigans rolled into 3.5 minutes, or all the ones I can talk about anyway - DOOLALLY!!”
"DOOLALLY" follows the previously released singles, “Telephones 4 Eyes” – which was A-listed at BBC 6 Music – and children of the Windrush generation chant “Windrush Baby”.
Hak Baker is set to play the Trevor Nelson hosted and curated Windrush 75 concert alongside Craig David and Beverly Knight at Royal Albert Hall in June” – The Line of Best Fit
EIGHT: Say She She – C’est Si Bon
Release Date: 8th June
From the Album: Silver
Release Date: 29th September, 2023
Labels: Karma Chief Records/Colemine Records
Order: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/say-she-she/silver-4
The Skinny:
“'C'est Si Bon' is Say She She’s discodelic anthem to seize the day and make your time count.
A tribute to the global dance floor; 'C'est Si Bon' is part Parisian playground, part 90’s LA shopping mall glamour,
with an enchanting explosion of 1970’s cool downtown New York, and the gutter glitter of London nightlife.
The She She’s beckon you to throw your hands up and declare your heart’s desires.
“Tell them what you want!
The time will soon be gone.
When all is said and done
The world keeps spinning on…”” – Bandcamp
SEVEN: The Last Dinner Party – My Lady of Mercy
Release Date: 9th October
From the Album: Prelude to Ecstasy
Release Date: 2nd February, 2024
Label: Island
Pre-Order: https://www.thelastdinnerparty.co.uk/
Review:
“If there were ever a song to define the band so far, My Lady of Mercy would likely be it. A delicate and rhythmic introduction which descends into a volatile and exciting piece. All of their songs so far do, and seeing them live is surely a similarly wild experience. Confident processes from the band bring out their very best, artistic singularity meeting with a defined quality. Only the best can manage it, and sometimes it takes them a decade to get there, as it did for Arctic Monkeys. Others, those bold enough to dive in at the deep end like The Last Dinner Party, are reaping the wild rewards of starting off where any band would hope to get to after a few years of working away. It just goes to show, with a little confidence and a hell of a lot of talent, a band can start off doing what they love and build from there. Hit it out of the park the first time around and producers let the Sparks influence out of the box” – Cult Following
SIX: VV Brown – Black British
Release Date: 27th March
From the Album: Am I British Yet?
Release Date: 27th October, 2023
Label: YOY Records
Order: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/vv-brown/am-i-british-yet
The Skinny:
“The singer-songwriter conceived, created, and produced the single and music video’s concept. The essay – due to be published along with the upcoming album by the “artist, mother, activist, journalist and teacher” – will explore Brown’s idea of being Black British and provide social commentary on her ethnicity and subculture.
This is Brown’s first release since she released her third studio album ‘Glitch’ in September 2015. ‘Black British’ also broke her six-year musical hiatus as she took time off to focus on her mental health and motherhood.
“The last six years have been a difficult mental health journey for me,” she said. “But I came to the realisation that I need music to feel alive.”
She credited living in the countryside to be “liberating” and allowing her “to create without that industry pressure.”
She continued: “Everything about this album, whether it be the artwork, the lyrics, the production or the visuals, is about starting sociological conversations” - CLASH
FIVE: Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For?
Release Date: 13th July
From the Album: Barbie the Album
Release Date: 21st July, 2023
Label: Atlantic
Order: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/various/barbie-the-album
Review:
“I’m more into rock and metal music, but when it comes to Billie Eilish’s music, I can’t he͏lp ͏but acknowledge her musical brilliance. The young star’s most recent song, “What Was I Made͏ For?” is proof͏ of her mesmerizing͏ talent.
In collaboratio͏n with her͏ brother Finneas, Billie Eilish poured he͏r he͏ar͏t ͏and soul into crafting this intimate ͏and emotionally ch͏arged song.
Created in their Los Angeles home studio, th͏e siblings’ creative synergy shine͏s through in every note and lyric. The outcome is a captivating an͏d moving composition that effortlessly re͏sonates with the listener͏.͏
The new single perfectly captures ͏the essence of͏ the film, acting as a backdro͏p to pivotal scenes throughout the storyline.
Billie Eilish’s signature ͏whisper-like ͏vocals, combined with ͏the delicate instrume͏ntation, create an ethereal͏ atmosphere that leaves a lasting impact.
The song not only complements the film’s narrati͏ve but ͏also amplifies its underlying message, making it a powerful addition to the overall cinematic experience.
Acco͏mpanying the release of the song is the official music video, which͏ showcases Eilish’s artistic vision as͏ a ͏director.
The vide͏o captivates viewers with its stunning visuals, perfectly synchronized͏ with the son͏g’s evocat͏ive ͏lyrics, offering fans a multi-sensor͏y experience that further deepens their connection to the song and its themes.
The timing of its creation couldn’t have been mor͏e serendipitous, ͏offering Eilish a much-needed outlet for her emotions.
This authen͏ticity and ͏vulnerabili͏ty shine through in the final product, making “What Was I Made For?” a truly special release for both the artist and ͏her audience.
Moreover, the inclusion ͏of “What Was I Made For?” in the star-studded “Barbie the Album” soundtrack further emphasizes its importance within the film’s overarching narrative.
With the production expertise of͏ Mark Ronson, alongside Greta Gerwig’s involvement as ͏writer͏, director, and executive producer, the soundtrack promises to be a ͏must-listen for both fans of the film and music enthusiasts alike.
The song’s emotional depth, paired wit͏h its seamless ͏integration in͏to the film “Barbie,” re͏sults in a sonic experience that is bou͏nd ͏to captivate audiences” – rocknheavy.net
FOUR: boygenius – Cool About It
Release Date: 20th September
From the Album: the record
Release Date: 31st March, 2023
Label: Polydor
Pre-Order: https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/boygenius-2/the-record-5
Review:
“You may not have heard of Boygenius yet, but you probably know the three artists that make up the band: Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. They had previously worked together as solo artists on tours but came up with the idea of collaborating after realizing that they had great chemistry. The name is a reference to the frustration they've experienced when working with some male egos in their separate careers. Despite this, it has given them a name to operate under, and we should be grateful for that because the sound they create is exceptional.
The complexity of the lyrics in "Cool About It" makes this song fascinating to listen to. Unusually, the phrase "Cool About It" doesn't appear in the song at all, but it reflects the situation that the song paints a picture of. We are taken on a journey through a relationship that leaves us feeling a sense of sadness towards the end, as one party's feelings towards the other are revealed.
The song starts with a wonderfully balanced guitar that gives the impression of a soft and calm thought-provoking song. The music gradually builds, with a banjo-sounding second guitar and strings accompanying the melody. The second verse and chorus feature string accompaniment that phases out in the third verse before gradually rebuilding. The harmonies build throughout the song in a way that keeps the genuine feel of the song, as the vocal leads change. The melody fits beautifully with the gliding lyrics, which paint a vivid picture of life in the modern world. This song has the potential to be the soundtrack to many people's lives, as the meaning of the lyrics and the power of the song echo through the track's concept” – Music Talkers
THREE: Antony Szmierek – How Did You Get Here?
Release Date: 20th October
From the E.P.: Seasoning
Release Date: 16th November, 2023
Labels: LAB Records/Underplay
Order: https://antonyszmierek.tmstor.es/
The Skinny:
“Antony Szmierek. Remember the name.
Across a handful of singles the Manchester-based talent has proved his worth, his emotive word play both revealing and challenging in equal measure. Half-spoken word, half-melodious, Antony’s delivery recalls everyone from Mick Skinner to John Cooper Clarke, while remaining committed to his own originality.
All upcoming shows are long since sold out, with the wordsmith aiming to end 2023 with a bang. New single ‘How Did You Get Here?’ amplifies the hype still further, a self-conscious indie-disco bop that erupts with energy.
There’s a tenacious pop aspect to Antony Szmierek’s work, with his fantastic immediacy aligned to n emotional richness, a revelatory passion for words. Out now, he comments:
“It’s an indie-disco banger with hidden depths. It’s about coming to terms with making the same mistakes twice. We like to think we learn from our failures but maybe we don’t, and maybe being fallible is okay. If the lyrics represent ego and insecurity, the music puts a hand on your shoulder and reassures you that you’re not alone” – CLASH
TWO: Iraina Mancini – Cannonball
Release Date: 5th April
From the Album: Undo the Blue
Release Date: 18th August, 2023
Label: Needle Mythology
Order: https://needlemythology.tmstor.es/?ffm=FFM_bec5377b4631ce490964930fc72eddf9
The Skinny:
“A full album is incoming, with new single ‘Cannonball’ online now. It feels like the lost theme to a 60s spy film, a kind of Modesty Blaize character updated for the modern era. A female-forward slice of action-packed pop, it was co-written alongside Simon Dine, and produced by Sunglasses for Jaws (with the redoubtable Erol Alkan on additional production).
The neat keyboard arpeggios in the background recall the Killing Eve soundtrack work constructed by Unloved, while the loping bassline is sheer McCartney. A psych-pop whirlwind, ‘Cannonball’ finds Iraina yearning for freedom.
She comments…
“I wrote ‘Cannonball’ about taking a chance in life and following your heart. It’s that moment where you meet someone or something and it knocks you for six! Your intuition kicks in and you’ve got to go with what it’s telling you. I really wanted to write something that grabbed people’s attention, I got lost in my head in an action packed, 60s stylish thriller film”- CLASH
ONE: Nadine Shah – Topless Mother
Release Date: 18th October
From the Album: Filthy Underneath
Release Date: 23rd February, 2024
Label: EMI North
Pre-Order: https://nadineshah.co.uk/
The Skinny:
“One of Britain’s most revered, powerful and resonant indie voices, Nadine Shah has just shared the lead single and video from her upcoming album ‘Topless Mother’ which went straight onto the BBC 6 Music A-List. The track comes from her fifth album Filthy Underneath due to drop on 23rd February. The video release comes ahead of a special sold out preview show on Thursday 2nd November at London’s Lower Third. This follows a string of dates as a special guest for Young Fathers.
Speaking of the ‘Topless Mother’ video Shah said,
“I just wanted to muck about and play. Choreographer Lynne Page directed the video and encouraged that. She’s a big kid like me. Pam Hogg’s dress stole the show though.” “Three years might seem like a prolonged absence to some people, but it’s also a period of time in which the apparatus that holds your world in place can be dismantled and reassembled so that you can keep living, keep creating.”
Filthy Underneath chronicles a period of unprecedented turbulence in Nadine Shah’s life and yet, the experience of listening to it is oddly life-affirming – a parade of ghosts spanning the entirety of Nadine’s thirty-seven years, moving with balletic beauty to the music that Nadine and long-time co-writer and producer Ben Hillier have created around them, with renewed emphasis on placing melody and movement front and centre. On the album’s sensational lead single ‘Topless Mother’, her double-tracked harmonies converge with a physically irresistible groove.
Inspired by a series of comically tense exchanges with a counsellor, the song alights on that counsellor’s unorthodox tendency to burst into tears if she felt she wasn’t getting anywhere with her patient. The tone here is powerful, celebratory, an instant fan favourite to rub shoulders alongside her best” – God Is in the TV