The year 2023 has flown by with a speed that feels supernatural. Did you know that Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey came out an entire ten months ago? As did Caroline Polachek’s Desire, I Want to Turn Into You? And you know the Troye Sivan video for “Rush”? That was two whole seasons ago, as opposed to just yesterday. Time, it keeps marching onwards, and there's nothing we can do about it.
Still, 2023 offered up a steady drip of bangers for our playlists and headphones – from break-up anthems to guitar-led reflections on our fatalistic future and psychedelic folk-pop with a twist. There have been huge releases from longstanding favourites and unexpected slow-burners from the year's buzziest artists. And so, here they are: the greatest songs of the year, in no particular order.
“That! Feels! Good” – Jessie Ware
The words “disco revival” tend to be thrown around at least a few times a year, and it’s true that plenty of pop stars (Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Sam Smith) have more recently leant towards songs with a disco flavour. That said, Jessie Ware’s fifth album That! Feels Good! is what a disco revival sounds like when it’s executed with pure perfection. Lead single “That! Feels Good!” is a stand-out: genuinely sexy, full to the brim with infectious disco shuffles and the kind of track that’ll make you want to neck a quaalude and go back in time to Studio 54 (although it’s far from dated). Fun fact: one of the voices at the start belongs to Kylie Minogue.
“Prada” – Cassö x Raye x D Block Europe
If 2023 will go down as sounding like anything, it’ll surely sound like “Prada”, the stupidly catchy Cassö remix of “Ferrari Horses” by D Block Europe featuring GQ Hyper cover star Raye, which wound up soundtracking every single “getting ready for a night out” TikTok video in Britain this side of August, when it came out. Some might think that “Prada” was overplayed during summer – the adidas Sambas of the music world – but that’s probably because there is no lyric more infectious and uplifting than “22, I'm in Paris, baby / Got strippers tits in my face, uh-huh.”
“A&W” – Lana Del Rey
“A&W” is Lana Del Rey at her very best and most Lana – hypnotising, mythologising, swirling between folk pop and psychedelia in ways you wouldn’t expect (never has an artist had so many particular signifiers, without ever giving us anything we’d anticipated). “I’m a princess, I’m divisive / Ask me why I’m like this / Maybe I just kinda like this,” she whisper-sings over soft, tumbling piano, before the track takes a left-handed turn into dark, atmospheric electronica.
“Man I Am” – Sam Smith
Plenty of this list could have been taken up with tracks from the Barbie soundtrack. Charli XCX’s “Speed Drive” was unmatched, for example, and Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” has only just stopped spiralling around our brains on loop. That said, first place has to go to Sam Smith’s wonderfully bright, fizzing, 1980s-inflected pop anthem “Man I Am”, which sounds two parts queer club dancefloor, two parts driving through the neon-lit city at nighttime.
“Is it Over Now?” – Taylor Swift
2023 was the year that Taylor Swift became fully inescapable. At one point this year, 12 of her songs were on the Top 20 of the Global 200. She was the most-streamed artist on Spotify globally (at 26.1 billion streams). And never does a day go by in which her tracks aren’t being blasted out of car windows, coffee shops, teenagers’ iPhones on the bus. There’s a reason she’s on the top of her game though: she makes hits that are impossible not to sing along to. “Is it Over Now?”, one of the newly released vault tracks from 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is undeniable. It has all the ingredients of a Swift mega-smash: deeply personal, diary-like lyrics, yearning synth lines, electronics like a heartbeat.
“Flowers” - Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus' ode to loving herself started off as the perfect soundtrack to everyone's “new year, new me” and then just didn't loose steam through the year. “Flowers”, the lead single from her eighth album Endless Summer Vacation, is a classic break-up anthem brimming with empowerment and optimism – plus an extremely catchy beat with echoes of Lorde and Robyn. “I can buy myself flowers / Write my name in the sand” she sings. “I can take myself dancing / And I can hold my own hand / Yeah, I can love me better than you can.” It was a track destined for a million Instagram captions.
“C’est Comme Ça” - Paramore
Pop punk is back. In a world of doom-scrolling and silently screaming into the abyss, Paramore's “C’est Comme Ça”, which sees Hayley Williams fret about an uncertain future, is cathartic and very relatable. Several lines really do feel ripped from the internet's collective phone notes: “In a single year, I’ve aged one hundred / My social life, a chiropractic appointment. Sit still long enough to listen to yourself. Or maybe just long enough for you to atrophy to hell.” At least we're in it together, Paramore included.
“GOATED.” - Armani White feat. Denzel Curry
Remember this one? “Goat” is a slick and catchy banger from American rapper Armani White, with a feature from Denzel Curry that's still spinning around our minds months later. With a bouncing beat that makes this perfect for both the gym and for a pre-game playlist, White once again proves himself the master of capturing the frenzied mood of the moment.
“Good For Now” - Chiiild feat. Lucky Daye
Way back in January, Chiiild teamed up with Grammy-winning R&B star Lucky Daye to offer us this ethereal-sounding, otherworldly single. Situationships are the focus of the track, as the pair explore the experience of enjoying a partner's company despite struggling with how to define the relationship. “Sometimes we get caught up in the feelings and start thinking about the future with the hope that the feeling lasts,” Chiiild said of “Good For Now” at the time. “This song is a reminder that whatever happens, we should be present in the moment because we don’t know what tomorrow brings.”
“Rice” - Young Fathers
Scottish trio Young Fathers released this joyous, triumphant track way back in July (they've since also released a live version for KEXP, which I recommend giving a view). The single invokes ancient and folky sounds thanks to transcendent vocals set against an organ, and gospel-like lyrics: “These hands / Can heal! / These hands! / Can heal!”
“Super Shy” - NewJeans
Just shy of a year into their career, K-pop rookies NewJeans have already amassed a pack of viral songs and dance routines, with their frighteningly catchy earworm “Super Shy” going from zero to global domination in a few short weeks. The soundtrack to so many TikTok videos, “Super Shy” is a sparkling homage to UK garage and Baltimore club beats.
“Boy’s a liar, Pt. 2” - PinkPantheress, Ice Spice
PinkPantheress and Ice Spice are at the vanguard of a new wave of music superstars, low-key and stripped back with a kind of anti-performance style that, somehow, makes them even more intriguing. Here Ice Spice's additional verse on PinkPantheress' 2022 track elevates an already supreme heartbreak anthem into something deeper.
“VAMPIROS” - ROSALÍA, Rauw Alejando
Joining the rich history of musical couples who've taken their relationship to collab status, ROSALÍA and, awkwardly, now-ex-fiance Rauw Alejandro teamed up for an EP together this year. On lead single, “VAMPIROS”, the reggaetón whomp is grimey, sexy, occasionally thumping and dripping in XXX sexy.
“Red Wine Supernova” - Chappell Roan
There's something almost nostalgic about 25-year-old Chappell Roan's music (her bright, pop melodies could belong anywhere from 1985 to 2003 or 2012 if they didn't belong to right now). But it's her sexy, sapphic and overtly horny lyricism that really elevates her sound and makes her of the moment (“I heard you like magic / I got a wand and a rabbit”). Think: vintage Katy Perry if she really did kiss a girl and like it.
“4EVA” - KAYTRAMINÉ feat. Pharrell Williams
Kaytranada and Aminé's collaborative project, KAYTRAMINÉ, is a good time vine, and “4EVA”, a with fellow vibe-king Pharrell Williams, is effortlessly cool and sparse. It takes confidence to be so restrained, but this track lets the beat do the work, carrying the trio like a wave.
“Perfume” - NCT DOJAEJUNG
K-pop's 20+ strong group NCT isn't short on talent, and part of its fun is seeing how different members are pieced together like a puzzle to create something exciting and new. Enter: NCT DOJAEJUNG, a combination of vocalists Doyoung, Jaehyun and Jungwoo. For their first lead single as a unit, “Perfume” drifts in like an intoxicating breeze on a hot day. It's sexy and punchy, oscillating between airy harmonies and powerful moments that build into something thrilling.
“Lipstick Lover” - Janelle Monae
“Lipstick Lover” marked a departure of sorts for Janelle Monae, offering up a more laid-back groove on into the hazy joy of sapphic sensuality. Although Monae has never veered far from queer subtext in her music, this song, from the album and era The Age of Pleasure is all about just that. It's sexy, dripping in wonder and marvelling at what two people can do with one another if they give in to the idea of freedom. Come for the nipple-heavy music video, stay for a new lease on life.
“RUSH” - Troye Sivan
After a few years away, Troye Sivan re-emerged with a newfound love of sex, partying and Feeling Yourself™. His trademark airy falsetto drifts across the song's thumping bass, before the chorus, a riotous chant of “I feel the rush / Addicted to your touch” bursts through the door. If ever there was a song to let go of all your inhibitions to, it's this one.
“On My Mama” - Victoria Monét
Victoria Monét's "On My Mama” is an aural feast, weaving affirmations about being the baddest bitch in the room with a symphony of horns. Monét wrote the song postpartum, singing words of praise at herself as a way to force herself into feeling good. Its intention seeps through the speakers and it's hard not to feel that righteous flavour of self-love while listening to it.
“Sprinter” - Central Cee x Dave
Central Cee and Dave's first team-up is a luxe ode to sitting back after years of grinding, blending Spanish guitar and the frenetic drill beats to bring two different sounds together. Its lyrics speak of hustling from the ground up and revelling in those rewards, the kind of fanfare the duo enjoyed after the “Sprinter” music video racked up over 100m and counting.
“bad idea right?” - Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo had an unenviable task with her sophomore album: How do you top “Drivers License”? The answer is with a whole banner of new songs about being on the edge of adulthood. Rodrigo's cheeky sing-speak builds and builds into a crashing crescendo, creating catharsis about all the times we slept with an ex we shouldn't. “bad idea right?” is for the 20-something teenagers everywhere, the kind of brutal self-awareness about doing things you shouldn't but with none of the impulse control to actually listen to yourself.
“Paint the Town Red” - Doja Cat
Doja Cat played a risky game before releasing “Paint the Town Red”, essentially slamming her own fanbase for caring too much. The thing is, you can play that hand when you're sitting on a song as good as this. Revolving around a sample of Dionne Warwick's "Walk on By", Doja executes her trademark staccato rapping with an airy chorus, all while being keenly aware of her place in pop culture in the lyrics. Naturally, it became an instant viral TikTok trend which played a part in its ascension to record streaming numbers and multiple weeks and No. 1. Doja Cat stays winning, regardless of whether she wants you along for the ride.
“Not Strong Enough” - boygenius
If autumn had a soundtrack, one of boygenius's massive return singles, “Not Strong Enough”, would hold pride of place. Warm and comforting, the supergroup (comprised of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucas Dacus and Julien Baker) sings about the constant inner battle of having a god complex but still falling short, layered over strumming acoustic guitars and pounding drums. The song's bridge builds like a battle cry, with each of their voices jumping in to chant the phrase “Always an angel, never a god”. Their three voices, contrast and align in such beautiful harmony that they feel both distinct and one entity.
“Vaporized” - Sea Lemon
Sea Lemon, the solo project of singer Natalie Lew, is an ethereal kind of dream-pop, with single, “Vaporized”, blending shoegaze with upbeat indie rock. Its lyrics speak to a loss of control, of feeling like you can get your head above water when everyone else seems to be coping fine. There's a sense of melancholy nostalgia weaved into the DNA of this song, too, like homesickness for somewhere you can't get back to.
“Brown Sugar Queen” - Devon Gilfillion ft. Janice
Devon Gilfillion calls on the sounds of '70s soul for his music, and “Brown Sugar Queen”, an ode to Black and brown women, drips in vintage sensuality. It's as if polyester suits, shag rugs and dimly lit basement bars came to life in a song. Peppered throughout are summery guitar chords and horns, lightening the heavy-lidded vibe of this nostalgia trip.
