Hi, I'm Stellar, and I know I said I was gonna try to write about something other than music this week, but I couldn't. At this point, I should probably just become a full-on music blogger. This is probably my most random post yet, and the title says exactly what it is. It's a list of 26 songs I like, each song for each letter of the alphabet. Except there's one catch: they have to be songs I've either never mentioned before or have only briefly talked about. The reason why is that I feel like I'm always talking about the same songs, and my music taste is a lot more than that. I want to highlight songs I enjoy that I've never given the appreciation they deserve.
A. "American Dream" by MKTO
At some point in the future, I want to do my Top 10 or Top 20 Favorite Songs Ever, but I'm too scared to think about it now. And spoilers for that post: "American Dream" will 100% be in the Top 5. MKTO is most known for their song "Classic" (which would have been a great pick for the Songs you may have forgotten about video I talked about last week), and I really like that song too. But I've always loved "American Dream" way more. It's just a solid feel-good pop song with a great message about going out there and making your dreams come true. Plus this song will always remind me of art class in seventh grade, when it would always get played on the radio and this one kid would always sing and dance (very badly) to it. Good times.
B. "Best Song Ever" by One Direction
Surprisingly, I've only ever mentioned this song in an offhand remark from my original character Catalina in the first Stellar Adventures story. Catalina said it was one of her favorite songs ever, and since Catalina is a slightly fictionalized version of myself, that means it's one of my favorite songs ever too. At first I was like, "This song is stupid! Why are they saying it's the best song ever?" But I would listen to this countdown of the most requested songs of the day on my local radio station every night, and "Best Song Ever" was #1 for like three weeks straight. I would shamelessly sing along to it every time it came on, and while I saw it as a guilty pleasure at first, I eventually began liking it unironically. It's just so cheesy in the best way, and it makes me so happy!
C. "Caroline" by Amine
I listened to this song for the first time because my brother said it was his favorite, and at first I didn't think much of it. But the more I listened to it, the more I liked it, and now I think I like it more than my brother ever does. It's a quirky little rap song, with some unconventional production choices and odd lyrics ("let's get gory like a Tarantino movie" is pretty weird, but kind of hilarious). But damn it, I just find it cute and charming. I mean, the line "great scenes might be great, but I love your bloopers" essentially boils down to "your flaws are just as beautiful as your best assets" and come on, that's just cute. This is a song that can make me smile every time I hear it, and it's so much fun to rap along to.
D. "Death Valley" by Fall Out Boy
A few weeks ago, I talked about a bunch of Fall Out Boy songs, but I only talked about this one in an offhand mention about its dubstep breakdown. I hinted that I liked it, but I didn't say that it's actually one of my favorite Fall Out Boy songs, which it is. It's so gritty and dirty and dare I say sexy. Those aggressive growly vocals do things to me, and the riff the song's built around is pretty sweet. Even the aforementioned dubstep breakdown, while seemingly random, is still pretty damn cool. I'm gonna do a Top 10 Fall Out Boy Songs list sometime this summer. I promise y'all!
E. "Everybody Talks" by Neon Trees
This one's seemingly pretty random, as I really don't listen to it that often. But it's still a really solid pop rock song. I love songs that have nice throwback vibes but still sound modern, and this song has retro energy in spades. The "it started with a whisperrrrrrr" hook is one of the catchiest I can think of, so catchy that the song still gets played on my local radio station because of it. I've only heard a few songs from Neon Trees, but I feel like they're a band I'd probably enjoy.
F. "Fix You" by Coldplay
Heads-up: this will also make the top 5 of my Favorite Songs Ever list. I'm rewatching Glee right now and I recently watched the episode where they cover this song and I was trying so hard not to cry. "Fix You" is my favorite Coldplay song (and mind you, I like most Coldplay songs I've heard) because of how emotionally resonant it is. The first half is a gorgeous piano ballad and then it turns into a lively yet emotional rock song. I get chills every time. The lyrics are also relatable for everyone, because we've all wanted to comfort our family and friends during tough times. People can hate Coldplay all they want, but even they can't deny the emotional power of a song like this.
G. "Guns For Hands" by Twenty One Pilots
I loved Twenty One Pilots in 2016 when I was in my emo phase, but now I mostly cringe when I think of them. I still enjoy a lot of their music and I have nothing but respect for how open they are about their struggles with mental health in their music. But I'll be damned if the Skeleton Clique, their fanbase, isn't one of the most toxic and embarrassing I've come across. When the band started blowing up in 2015-2016 (due to the popularity of the Blurryface album), many of the older fans grew superiority complexes and claiming that the new fans were just latching onto a bandwagon and couldn't truly connect to the band's lyrics. I also feel like many of the fans act pretentious, like "I listen to REAL music with MEANING and everyone else listens to basic meaningless music!" It's great you connect to TØP's work, but don't be a jerk about it. But in spite of my gripes with Twenty One Pilots's fans, I still think they're a good band, even if I am starting to grow out of them. "Guns For Hands" is one of my favorites from them. I interpret the lyrics as being about self-harm, and it's like the band is telling you that they really care about you and that hope is out there. It's the perfect balance of sad yet uplifting, and it manages to get the message across effectively while still being pretty catchy.
H. "Hymn For The Weekend" by Coldplay ft. Beyonce
I know there was some controversy regarding this song's music video and its apparent cultural appropriation, but I actually don't care about that. It's one of those songs where the music and vibe is more important than the lyrics, because the lyrics are pretty basic and meaningless. The main reason why I like Coldplay so much is because I find the instrumentals in their songs insanely pretty. I can't even describe what it is, it's just beautiful and euphoric and wonderful. Beyonce isn't technically credited as a featured vocalist on "Hymn For The Weekend", but she should be because her harmonizations with Chris Martin are gorgeous. This is one of my favorite Coldplay songs and one of my favorite songs from 2016.
I. "In My Blood" by Shawn Mendes
This is a new one for me. It's been out for a few months now, but I'm just now starting to get into it. Admittedly I wasn't huge on Shawn Mendes early on and I thought "Stitches" and "Treat You Better" were boring acoustic-pop songs. Once "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" came out last year, I began to see the appeal, and "In My Blood" is even better. The song's about Shawn's struggles with anxiety and how he won't let them get him down, and considering I've dealt with my own anxieties in the past year, it's something I relate to on a personal level. I also really like the pop-rock style and how you can feel the raw emotion in Shawn's voice.
J. "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield
Initially I thought "Just Dance" by Lady Gaga was the only "J" song I loved, and it is the only "J" song on my playlist. But then I looked up a list of songs beginning with J and saw "Jessie's Girl" on it, and decided that was good. The inclusion might seem weird considering every other song here is from the 21st century and "Jessie's Girl" is an 80s classic, but I'm going with it anyway. It's one of my favorite 80s songs and a song I've loved since I was a kid. Every time it comes on in the car, my mom and I blast it and sing along.
K. "Kiss It Better" by Rihanna
Rihanna released four singles from her most recent album, Anti. You have "Work", "Needed Me", and "Love On The Brain", all of which were top-ten hits, and then you have "Kiss It Better", which was a huge flop in comparison, peaking at #62 in the US. And look, I like all of those songs, but come on, people. "Kiss It Better" is one of the best songs of Rihanna's career, with an amazing guitar riff, emotional vocals and lyrics, and a sultry yet accessible sound. And the general public let it tank. Conspiracy theory: Taylor Swift wrote her song "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" about "Kiss It Better" flopping. I mean, it's a nice thing and the public didn't let us have it. Smh.
L. "LOYALTY." by Kendrick Lamar ft. Rihanna
I've known about this song's existence for a while, but I never really listened to it until a month or so ago. I should've listened to it sooner, because everything about it is like it was made to appeal to me. It samples the autotuned opening to "24K Magic" by Bruno Mars, completely warping it to something unexpected. I can understand if you think the sample is grating, but I think it sounds pretty dope. This is the first and only time Kendrick and Rihanna (or Kung Fu Kenny and Bad Gal RiRi, as they call themselves in the song) have worked on a song together, but I'd love to see more collabs from the two. They work well together nicely.
M. "Mine" by Bazzi
When it comes to songs that got big off of memes, "Redbone" will always be number one for me, but "Mine" is a close second. It's just so cute and it feels like a happy little cloud. It's short but sweet and it has one of the most iconic opening lines in recent memory: "You so...f**king...precious...when you...SMILE!" I don't really have much else to say here, it's just a nice little song to vibe out to.
N. "No Limit" by G-Eazy ft. A$AP Rocky and Cardi B
Am I a hypocrite because I yelled at Machine Gun Kelly for using the r-word in one of his songs, and yet I jam to "No Limit", which also uses that word, on the regular? Well, yes, but I'll try to justify it by saying that I don't even like G-Eazy's parts that much. This is a song similar to "Unforgettable" by French Montana ft. Swae Lee in that the features completely overshadow the main artist. A$AP Rocky's chorus is really catchy and Cardi's verse might be the best I've heard from her (it's a toss-up between this one and the one on "Motorsport" by Migos). Plus the beat is pretty awesome. Also holy crap I just looked up the lyrics and G-Eazy's second verse has a "Damn Daniel" reference. Dude, you're a little late on that one.
O. "Often" by The Weeknd
I'll be the first to admit my familiarity with The Weeknd's discography isn't great, as I only know maybe 10 of his songs and all of them are singles. But still, I love every single song I've heard. I discovered "Often" pretty recently even though it's been out for three or four years, and I love it. It's got this dark, sexy feel to it and I kind of feel like a stripper every time I listen to it. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.
P. "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus
I was originally gonna do "Power Trip" by J. Cole for my "P" song, but I looked it up and apparently that song's about how he wants to kill his ex and her new boyfriend. I still like the song, but like...I don't want to talk about a song about that. So I went with "Party in the USA", one of my favorite songs from my childhood. Like most girls my age, I loved Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus when I was young. I don't remember listening to "Party in the USA" as much as "The Climb" when I was younger, but it's definitely the Miley song I listen to more often now. It's a Gen Z classic, one that most people my age should know the words to. Also I looked up the Wikipedia page for this song and it says that it, as well as my other favorite Miley song, "Wrecking Ball", were both produced by Dr. Luke. I feel really dirty now.
Q. "Quit" by Cashmere Cat ft. Ariana Grande
I know, I've talked about this one before, but it is literally the only song beginning with a Q I can think of that I listen to on a regular basis. And that's all I have to say, really.
R. "Roller Coaster" by Justin Bieber
Funnily enough, the title of this song adequately sums up my opinions on Bieber over time: rollercoastering. When he made his debut, I thought he was so dreamy omg and then I thought he sucked because I wanted to feel edgy. I'm not sure how I feel about him as a person nowadays, because he's made some mistakes but he's also done some great things, but as an artist, I like him more than I don't. "Roller Coaster" is from his Journals era, which flopped because it was released in late 2013 when Bieber was in his juvenile-delinquent phase. Now that that phase is done, it's fair to say the songs he did in this era are worth re-evaluating. "Roller Coaster" has a really catchy chorus and a sort of funky vibe I've never heard from the Biebs. I think his vocals fit the R&B style of the Journals songs really well, and I low-key want to listen to the album in full.
S. "Somebody Else" by The 1975
Back in my emo phase, one of my favorite bands was The 1975, even if they're not emo in a traditional sense. However, unlike Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco, two other bands from that phase, I haven't really talked about The 1975 here. I've mentioned "Chocolate" once or twice, but they have a ton of other good songs. "Somebody Else" is one of my favorite songs from them, and it's definitely my favorite on their second album, which has a title so long I'm not even gonna mention it. I love the contrast between the chill music and sad, emotional lyrics. Plus this song is nearly six minutes long and yet it keeps my attention for the entire runtime. One of these days I should do a list of my favorite The 1975 songs.
T. "Thinkin Bout You" by Frank Ocean
This is another song I've known about for a while but never really bothered listening to until recently. I'm pretty picky about my R&B, but I love me a good slow jam like this. The production has such a great atmosphere and Frank Ocean's falsetto is gorgeous. It's one of those songs that you can listen to and just vibe with.
U. "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield
This is one of the happiest songs ever written. It's a 2000s classic, appearing in many TV shows and movies. However, I love it because it reminds me of my mom. One day, we were driving to the grocery store with my little brother, and it came on the radio. Mom and I blasted it as loudly as it could go and screamed the lyrics, and my brother cried the entire time. Conclusion: my brother hates happiness.
V. "Vegas Lights" by Panic! At The Disco
This one didn't make my Top 20 Panic! At The Disco Songs list, but maybe it should have. It's one of their most poppy songs, which I can totally understand being a turn-off to fans of the band's more alternative-rock style. However, I happen to be equally in love with their pop side and their rock side, so I can get into "Vegas Lights" with no hesitations. It's one of their most fun and exhilarating songs, and I imagine it would be a blast to see live. Also fun fact: that little clip of the kids counting that plays throughout the song is from Sesame Street of all things. It's random and unexpected but it works!
W. "Want To Want Me" by Jason Derulo
When this song came out, I didn't like Jason Derulo, but I've always loved this song. It's one of those songs that will never get old. It's got a great disco groove and it's just so slick and fun and above all else, joyful. Between the immense airplay the song received in the summer of 2015 and the many, many times I've played the song on Just Dance 2016, it's some kind of miracle that I can't listen to it without smiling. It's one of the best feel-good pop songs I can think of.
X. "XO TOUR Llif3" by Lil Uzi Vert
I know I've talked about this one before, but that was all the way back in October. Initially I gave it a 6.5/10, but it's grown a lot on me since then. You can blame my brother, an eternal Lil Uzi Vert stan, for that. I just really love the dark vibe this song has. I remember my big complaint before was that Uzi's voice was annoying, but I find it works really well in this song. I still can understand why somebody wouldn't be into it, but I'm glad it grew on me.
Y. "Yeah!" by Usher ft. Lil Jon and Ludacris
I talked about this one in last month's 2000s Pop Songs vs. 2010s Pop Songs post, but it's still one of my favorite songs ever and it begins with a "Y". I could make a pretty good case for "Yeah!" being the definitive banger of the 2000s. It's one of those songs that can get everybody on the dance floor. Another thing about it that I think is cool is that it's both commercially successful (it was a #1 hit for 12 weeks and the #1 song of 2004) and it was acclaimed by critics as well. Who doesn't know (and love) this song?
Z. "Bet On It" by Zac Efron
Yes, I am absolutely cheating on this one, but I could not for the life of me think of a song beginning with "Z" that I like. So I went with the next best thing: a song by an artist beginning with Z! But even by doing that, I think I'm stretching. If I remember correctly, the artist for "Bet On It" is listed as "Troy" on Spotify, as opposed to the actor who played him. But screw it, I can't think of anything better. This will always be my favorite High School Musical song and Zac Efron will always be my celebrity crush, largely because of this song.
This is probably one of the shortest and most random posts I've done here, but I still think it's fun. I like talking about music, and I got the opportunity to talk about some songs I've never talked about before on here. Next week's post will be a review of Pray for the Wicked, the new Panic! At The Disco album which comes out Friday, June 22. I've been waiting to listen to and review the album for a while now, and I've purposely avoided listening to any of the songs so that I can experience it in full for the first time. Panic! has never let me down, so here's hoping they deliver and give me the goods. I'm Stellar in Neverland and I'll see you next Wednesday. Peace!
Stellar
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