Favorite Songs of 2023
Music is, of course, entirely subjective. We all have our tastes and our associations with each and every song we love or hate, which is why the Grammy Awards are so hotly contested. Some songs are intertwined with our emotions and experiences, some we just superficially like because the melody or harmonies are catchy, or maybe you like the lyrics and the stories they tell. There is no right or wrong answer. And there’s no point in wasting energy in “yucking someone else’s yum,” as the idiom goes, and one that I live by.
So I, Elissa, have curated a list of my favorite songs released in 2023 in no particular order. Some might have a lengthy “why” to them, but some might just be “because my ears liked it.”
“Sad Birthday” by Simone Valentina
”Sad Birthday” is one of those songs that hooked me from the first bar with its plucky staccato guitar. The lyrics are sarcastic and cynical, offering insight into the minds of newer generations as they age in the world—the world isn’t becoming what it was made out to be, either by themselves & their own decision making, or by cultural & societal expections, and how each subsequent birthday is a “sad one” because of all the disappointments life has offered. Are you sad like me?
“Rainmaker” by Yacht Money
”Rainmaker” is a haunting and beautiful electro-pop ballad telling the story of a liar and the hurt they’ve caused. There’s an interesting juxtaposition of production choices. You have this really punchy and full but somewhat distorted kick drum with trap-style high hats underneath really airy and reverb-heavy vocals dripping with anger. This song with its minor key, lyrics, and production made it stand out to me.
“Queen of Kings” by Alessandra
Female rage and empowerment was the theme for 2023, and it maybe started with “Queen of Kings.” After making the rounds on social media, rising star Alessandra and her anthem found themselves in fourth place at this year’s Eurovision song competition. In what I would describe as the love child of symphonic metal and euro-house music, Queen of Kings spoke to the women who want to feel and be unstoppable.
“Left Behind” by PLUSH
Another entry in what I consider the category of female empowerment and rage, Left Behind is a pick not just because I’m friends with PLUSH. As a matter of fact, I’ve had many friends release good music this year, but this song gets picked in particular because it is another example of women proving themselves lyrically and otherwise. In a genre dominated by middle-aged men, PLUSH is continuing to prove to the world that they deserve a place in the hard rock arena. The hardcore djent drums, belting vocals, and intense guitar riffs with the occasional chorus of shouting women “We won’t be left behind,” is a testament to the unstoppable woman and the underdog.
“Eat Your Young” by Hozier
There’s something….enticing and seductive about this song that is very much dark in its story, and I find that dichotomy and its success intriguing. Supposedly its roots are in a satirical essay called A Modest Proposal written in the early 18th century where a suggestion is made to end the poverty in Ireland by selling their children to the rich. Touching on a circle of Hell from Dante's Inferno, gluttony, and other dark motifs. It's darkly seductive and dare I say, mouth-watering to your ears.
“Out Of That Truck” by Carrie Underwood
This is one of those songs that my ears just liked. It’s very Carrie Underwood, but it’s also thematically not like other modern country songs, and by that I mean “God, guns, whiskey, and truck—” wait, I guess we kept the truck. But then again, I guess it’s hard to get country music out of that truck.
“Rose Colored Lenses” by Miley Cyrus
Miley’s Endless Summer Vacation album has been met with equal criticism and acclaim. It depends on the song, really. In many ways, I felt the album fell flat especially after how incredible Plastic Hearts was. Miley doesn’t stick to one sound typically from album to album. Her single “Flowers” off of ESV was very corporate pop and felt very manufactured, and “Wonder Woman” was a beautiful tribute to her mother but similarly safe. But “Rose Colored Lenses” feels different. What is essentially the title track, it’s more experimental while still playing to her strengths in the mainstream pop sound. With an incredible bass line, it successfully captures the feeling of being smitten in the early stages of a relationship.
“Alive” by The Scarlet Opera
”Alive” is a big song, and it’s a fantastic introduction to the band who is relatively new to the music scene. The television debut they made with it on The Late Late Show with James Corden was just as dynamic and dramaturgical as the song itself. With just about 100k monthly listeners on Spotify and lacking a bio, The Scarlet Opera’s “Alive” is massive and theatrical, so much so that you could easily see it being the final song of a Broadway rock opera. With a name like The Scarlet Opera you shouldn’t be surprised that “Alive” is full, passionate, theatrical, and larger than life.
“As Above So Below” by Essenger & Cryoshell
This song is great on its own, but is even more fantastic when you’re part of the select niche community that understands why it’s so incredible. I’m not going to get into that; we’d be here all day. “As Above So Below” is aggressive and tells its own story. It’s a punch to the sternum with its hard-rock riffs, screaming bridge dripping in metal, and anthemic vocals from both Essenger and Cryoshell alike. Even without the lore and historical context that specifically accompany the song, I think I could make a strong argument that the song is about the climate crisis, and once I thought that I couldn’t stop noticing more analogies. It was also one of my most-streamed songs in 2023, so there’s that.
“Labour” by Paris Paloma
This song is one of the two songs that truly exemplify female rage and the way the world is for women, and yet the rage is quiet and demure, as women are expected to be when they are expressing their rage. The most powerful part falls in the bridge, where Paloma begins a melodic chant. She repeats the bridge, except she is joined by a choir. If you listen more than once, you’ll notice the choir is in fact a choir of children. Once you notice this, if you’re like me then you’ll get goose pimples. You understand that this use is strategic; it’s the generational way women get treated, and the way in which the cycle will continue to our children.
“Heart On Fire In Mexico” by Abby Anderson
In what I would consider a marriage between country and Mexican folk music, “Heart On Fire In Mexico” is not a happy song. It is haunting and tells an entire story (no spoilers!) in 3:24 of all the ways an action can have long-lasting consequences.
“Paint The Town Red” by Doja Cat
Love her or hate her, Doja Cat has this way of making really catchy songs that you’ll hum or recite mindlessly (and that’s not a criticism). Reeling you in immediately with a sample of Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By,” “Paint The Town Red” is a coy presentation of Doja laughing in the face of critics with a hook and the occasional clever lyric that has me putting this on repeat sometimes. This could fall under the female empowerment umbrella.
“Run” by Bri Bryant, Marvin Brooks, 2WEI
With roots clearly hooked in gospel and spiritual songs of the Underground Railroad era, this electronica tune packs a punch. For one reason, I can see this on the soundtrack for Netflix’s/League of Legend’s Arcane.
Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever) by Noah Kahan
I simply could not pick a song off of this album. Every single one of Kahan’s songs is full of clever wordplay and folk storytelling. Kahan is the reason I believe in how songwriting from different regions of the US have similarities and ways you can tell they’re from that region. Kahan’s Stick Season may make everyone feel a certain way, but I think northern New Englanders (including New York) feel the stories he tells a little harder because it’s the same world we grew up in. You can hear it in lyrics like “Forgive my northern attitude, I was raised out in the cold/on little light,” “I’m mean because I grew up in New England,” and more specifically the way “I love Vermont but it’s the season of the sticks” perfectly captures the way we northern New Englanders experience autumn. The way “Homesick” somehow makes every New Englander feel so much love for the space we grew up in and you miss dearly when you’re away (homesick), but also the strong desire to get out (home-sick (sick of home)).
“When You’re Young” by Clara Mae
In a similar vein to “Sad Birthday,” “When You’re Young” addresses the expectations (specifically of a woman) of growing up in the world. It’s this carousel & repetition of the lies we’re told, everything we aren’t, and what happens in reality and the things we think as we grow up.
“Riptide” by Connor Price & Nic D
The only rap song on this list, Connor Price “spits bars” with excellence faster than most mainstream rap artists, many of which share similar features. He’s released a lot this year, all generally fantastic, but “Riptide” really stands out for its clever wordplay, interesting beat and instrumentals. Given that Price and Nic D routinely collaborate, I’m looking forward to more that they put out.
“Astral Plane” by Say She She
One of my favorite additions to my artist library this year, this song is what introduced me to the band. What I’d consider disco-pop and funk in nature, these three women craft a trippy, fun retro vibe with rich harmonies that set them apart in the music industry.
“Something I Could Never Be” by Wrabel & Tony Ann
Wrabel is a fantastic songwriter and openly gay man, a facet of him I only mention because of the way his music is often written to tell the stories of the LGBTQ+ community, and “Something I Could Never Be” is one of them. The song starts off small and simple, with just vocals and piano. The lyrics are gut-wrenchingly rife with self-doubt and insecurity, but as the song builds, more gets added and it becomes fuller and the lyrics are shouting of self-acceptance. This song has one of the best lyrics of the year: “If beauty’s for beholders, can you lend me your eyes?” I think about that lyric a lot, and it applies to much more than just the LGBTQ+ community.
“Dream of Running” by Jasmine Jethwa
This is a song that, had I discovered it before my Spotify wrapped, I’m sure it would have made the top 5 list. Jethwa’s voice is crisp, full of pain and longing. There’s something about this song that really sticks with me and has me gravitating towards the repeat button every time it comes on.
“Little Girl Gone” by CHINCHILLA
This was my top song according to Spotify wrapped, of which this song is the opposite of “Labour” in its rage. It’s loud. It’s boisterous. It’s sharp and violent. It’s screaming at you. But maybe it’s because it is the opposite kind of rage I seldom express that I gravitate towards this song (I’m more of the “Labour” kind). It’s behaving the way I don’t. And I have so much respect for how vocally in your face it is.
“Barracuda” by PLUSH
Sliding in just under the wire for 2023, PLUSH does it again. This is the cover they’ve done at every show. It’s the song that really gets the crowd going. And why is it here? Because it’s a fantastic one. It’s a perfect homage to the Heart original. The vocals are top notch and certainly rival Ann Wilson’s in their power and tone, which is a hard thing to accomplish. But the women of PLUSH make it their own without straying too far, and this pairing of aspects make it not only the strongest cover I’ve heard this year, but another one of the best.
Some other songs that did not make this written list but are still on my Best Of 2023:
“At Your Worst” by Calum Scott
“Weekends” by Freya Ridings
“Heartbreak in the Making” by Dagny
“I’ll Be Waiting” by Cian Ducrot
“All Over Me” by KEELIN
“Happy Again” by LOVA
“Window” by Jake Wesley Rogers
“Blue Boy” by SkyeChristy
“How I Got Home” by SYML
“Time Bomb” by PYLOT & Tyler Lyle
