I only allowed myself to pick one song per artist to attempt at variety. However, most of these bridges are from pop songs, but there are a couple alternative-leaning songs here and there. The oldest song on this list is from 1994, and every other song is from the 21st century. In other words, there really isn't a lot of variety as far as genre or time period goes, and that's fine. I'm not claiming this to be the definitive list of the best song bridges of all time. As much as I've tried in the past to say that a song may be "objectively good" (really just meaning that Pitchfork music snobs would like it), there is no way to objectively listen to music. I'd be stupid to say that my favorites are objectively the best, because there is no objective. There is no way to factually tell whether one song, artist, or genre is better than the other. These are just the bridges I like most, according to my very limited music experiences. I'm sure there are many more that I'm missing, so I might make a sequel to this post in the future. Also, these songs are in no particular order!
1. "Out of the Woods" by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift seems to have something of a reputation (no pun intended!) for writing really good bridges, seeing as there is a Buzzfeed list ranking her songs solely on their bridges. She can have some really bad bridges (namely the rap breakdown in "Shake It Off" and the "hey kids, spelling is fun!" in "ME!"), but when she makes a good bridge, it's a really damn good bridge. "Out of the Woods" is one of my personal favorite songs from her entirely because of how good this bridge is. The verses are sort of sparse and the chorus is very repetitive, but then the bridge comes in. She starts singing more frantically and it has some of the song's most personal details: "Remember when you hit the brakes too soon/ Twenty stitches in the hospital room?" It is just an exhilarating section of music. And then when Taylor belts out "OH I REMEMBER!" at the end of it, I think it's the best and most chilling vocal moment of her entire career. My two favorite Taylor Swift songs are "Out of the Woods" and "Delicate," but I had to choose the former for this list because its bridge is the main reason why I like the song so much.
Taylor Swift seems to have something of a reputation (no pun intended!) for writing really good bridges, seeing as there is a Buzzfeed list ranking her songs solely on their bridges. She can have some really bad bridges (namely the rap breakdown in "Shake It Off" and the "hey kids, spelling is fun!" in "ME!"), but when she makes a good bridge, it's a really damn good bridge. "Out of the Woods" is one of my personal favorite songs from her entirely because of how good this bridge is. The verses are sort of sparse and the chorus is very repetitive, but then the bridge comes in. She starts singing more frantically and it has some of the song's most personal details: "Remember when you hit the brakes too soon/ Twenty stitches in the hospital room?" It is just an exhilarating section of music. And then when Taylor belts out "OH I REMEMBER!" at the end of it, I think it's the best and most chilling vocal moment of her entire career. My two favorite Taylor Swift songs are "Out of the Woods" and "Delicate," but I had to choose the former for this list because its bridge is the main reason why I like the song so much.
2. "Your Love is My Drug" by Kesha
I really wanted to pick "Praying" as my Kesha selection because of how utterly powerful and cathartic its bridge is (The whistle note though!), but I'm sorry. The bridge of "Your Love is My Drug" is transcendent. It was actually this song that inspired me to make this post after I noted a few weeks ago that it had a great bridge. I love how earnest Kesha's voice is, and the rising and crashing of the melody is incredible. After the cathartic release of the bridge, Kesha goes back to her speak-singing self, and it's kind of adorable. At this point in her career, Kesha was purposely obnoxious, but in an endearing way, and she had personality to spare. Although obviously, Kesha's work from this period does now leave a bittersweet taste in my mouth because we all know that she was being abused by The-Producer-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. This song wasn't written by He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, so I think everything great about this song is due to Kesha herself. She has always been a talented songwriter and singer, it's just a shame that she didn't get to show it in her early work.
I really wanted to pick "Praying" as my Kesha selection because of how utterly powerful and cathartic its bridge is (The whistle note though!), but I'm sorry. The bridge of "Your Love is My Drug" is transcendent. It was actually this song that inspired me to make this post after I noted a few weeks ago that it had a great bridge. I love how earnest Kesha's voice is, and the rising and crashing of the melody is incredible. After the cathartic release of the bridge, Kesha goes back to her speak-singing self, and it's kind of adorable. At this point in her career, Kesha was purposely obnoxious, but in an endearing way, and she had personality to spare. Although obviously, Kesha's work from this period does now leave a bittersweet taste in my mouth because we all know that she was being abused by The-Producer-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. This song wasn't written by He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, so I think everything great about this song is due to Kesha herself. She has always been a talented songwriter and singer, it's just a shame that she didn't get to show it in her early work.
3. "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is the pop icon of this generation and this song is her pop masterpiece. Everything about this song is larger-than-life and I think this song is the best portrait of who Gaga is as an artist. More than any Gaga song, I feel like this one has gone down in the history books. Even with the rise of dance-pop around 2010, when this song came out, this song still stood out due to how utterly bananas and high-concept it was. Gaga seemed to know that this song would be her most iconic because she didn't just give it one bridge. This song has two unique bridges and both are fantastic. There's the "walk, walk, fashion, baby" part, which I can't listen to without envisioning a supermodel strutting down the runway, wearing some ridiculous Gaga fashions. She then follows that up with the "I don't wanna be friends" part, which is really fun to belt out. I also like how she starts singing in French during this segment. It's so random and uniquely Gaga that it works wonderfully. Side note: on Gaga's new album, Chromatica, she will be collaborating with both Ariana Grande and Blackpink, and as a huge fan of both of those artists, I'm anticipating both collaborations!
Lady Gaga is the pop icon of this generation and this song is her pop masterpiece. Everything about this song is larger-than-life and I think this song is the best portrait of who Gaga is as an artist. More than any Gaga song, I feel like this one has gone down in the history books. Even with the rise of dance-pop around 2010, when this song came out, this song still stood out due to how utterly bananas and high-concept it was. Gaga seemed to know that this song would be her most iconic because she didn't just give it one bridge. This song has two unique bridges and both are fantastic. There's the "walk, walk, fashion, baby" part, which I can't listen to without envisioning a supermodel strutting down the runway, wearing some ridiculous Gaga fashions. She then follows that up with the "I don't wanna be friends" part, which is really fun to belt out. I also like how she starts singing in French during this segment. It's so random and uniquely Gaga that it works wonderfully. Side note: on Gaga's new album, Chromatica, she will be collaborating with both Ariana Grande and Blackpink, and as a huge fan of both of those artists, I'm anticipating both collaborations!
4. "Into You" by Ariana Grande
I swear you could probably make a drinking game out of reading my blog, and it would say "Take a shot every time Stellar praises 'Into You' by Ariana Grande" and you'd get hammered after reading only a few posts. In other words, yes, I talk about this song a lot, but it's my favorite song by my favorite artist. It should be expected that I'm going to talk about it a lot. Although I could highlight the bridges of many other Ariana Grande songs (I particularly like the bridges of "bad idea," "imagine," "Love Me Harder," and "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored"), but I do wholeheartedly believe that "Into You" has the best bridge. The combination of the twinkling synths and Ariana's yearning vocals works for me so perfectly, and it climaxes in that vocal run into that high note. Then the first half of the chorus comes in, but the production is more sparse, only featuring the bassline. However, the multi-tracked layers of vocals singing "come, come, light me up" create a choir of Arianas in the background. Ariana belts a high note again and the chorus comes back to the rush from before. Pop music is my favorite genre because while it does have its low points where it goes in one ear and out the other, it can occasionally produce magic like this.
I swear you could probably make a drinking game out of reading my blog, and it would say "Take a shot every time Stellar praises 'Into You' by Ariana Grande" and you'd get hammered after reading only a few posts. In other words, yes, I talk about this song a lot, but it's my favorite song by my favorite artist. It should be expected that I'm going to talk about it a lot. Although I could highlight the bridges of many other Ariana Grande songs (I particularly like the bridges of "bad idea," "imagine," "Love Me Harder," and "break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored"), but I do wholeheartedly believe that "Into You" has the best bridge. The combination of the twinkling synths and Ariana's yearning vocals works for me so perfectly, and it climaxes in that vocal run into that high note. Then the first half of the chorus comes in, but the production is more sparse, only featuring the bassline. However, the multi-tracked layers of vocals singing "come, come, light me up" create a choir of Arianas in the background. Ariana belts a high note again and the chorus comes back to the rush from before. Pop music is my favorite genre because while it does have its low points where it goes in one ear and out the other, it can occasionally produce magic like this.
5. "Heart Attack" by Demi Lovato
The bridge of this song takes what would be a mediocre, generic pop song and turn it into something special. Seriously, this bridge singlehandedly makes it one of Demi's best songs for me. Demi's voice here (and damn near everywhere) is incredible, and the urgency in her voice is perfect. I love how this bridge gets more and more intense until Demi sings "And I burst into flames." The harmonies on the word "flames" give me chills every time I hear them. It's just a genius vocal arrangement. Another bridge from Demi I like is the one in "Sorry Not Sorry." I honestly think that song is pretty obnoxious as a whole, but the bridge goes for a gospel choir-inspired thing and I love how it builds up to Demi's almost unhumanly high note. Long story short: Demi's good at bridges when her songs actually bother to have one and don't just repeat the pre-chorus again ("Cool For The Summer," "Confident," I love you, but I'm looking at you.)
The bridge of this song takes what would be a mediocre, generic pop song and turn it into something special. Seriously, this bridge singlehandedly makes it one of Demi's best songs for me. Demi's voice here (and damn near everywhere) is incredible, and the urgency in her voice is perfect. I love how this bridge gets more and more intense until Demi sings "And I burst into flames." The harmonies on the word "flames" give me chills every time I hear them. It's just a genius vocal arrangement. Another bridge from Demi I like is the one in "Sorry Not Sorry." I honestly think that song is pretty obnoxious as a whole, but the bridge goes for a gospel choir-inspired thing and I love how it builds up to Demi's almost unhumanly high note. Long story short: Demi's good at bridges when her songs actually bother to have one and don't just repeat the pre-chorus again ("Cool For The Summer," "Confident," I love you, but I'm looking at you.)
6. "Physical" by Dua Lipa
Man, I need to drop everything and listen to Dua Lipa's second album, Future Nostalgia soon. I have heard absolutely fantastic things about it, namely that it's an uplifting, cohesive, retro-tinged pop record that I guarantee I would become obsessed with. I also love the singles from the record, especially the second single, "Physical," which is one of the best pop songs I've heard in a long time. This song has such a pulsing energy with its 80s style. It's like the soundtrack to the best roller disco ever. The bridge is where the song seems to amplify its energy even more, and it's perfect. The way Dua sings "Hold on, just a little tighter!" and "Baby, keep on dancing!" is magical. She has so much force in her voice, but not to the point where it sounds like she's trying too hard. This is an effortless, addictive piece of synthpop that shows what this genre can do at its best.
Man, I need to drop everything and listen to Dua Lipa's second album, Future Nostalgia soon. I have heard absolutely fantastic things about it, namely that it's an uplifting, cohesive, retro-tinged pop record that I guarantee I would become obsessed with. I also love the singles from the record, especially the second single, "Physical," which is one of the best pop songs I've heard in a long time. This song has such a pulsing energy with its 80s style. It's like the soundtrack to the best roller disco ever. The bridge is where the song seems to amplify its energy even more, and it's perfect. The way Dua sings "Hold on, just a little tighter!" and "Baby, keep on dancing!" is magical. She has so much force in her voice, but not to the point where it sounds like she's trying too hard. This is an effortless, addictive piece of synthpop that shows what this genre can do at its best.
7. "Run Away With Me" by Carly Rae Jepsen
Yeah, a few weeks ago, I said that Carly Rae Jepsen was so much more than "Call Me Maybe," specifically highlighting this song as "one of the most perfect pop songs ever written." I meant that. This is just a pop song done as perfectly as possible. The sax line is instantly memorable (and became a meme), the production is incredible, Carly sounds sparkling, effervescent, and just head-over-heels in love, and most relevantly for today, the bridge is gorgeous. At first, the production is upbeat and doesn't really change from the chorus, but then it dips. Carly sings "Over the weekend, we could turn the world to gold" and then it explodes again. I think this song will have a similar legacy to "Dancing On My Own" by Robyn, a song that didn't have much chart success, but has endured in pop culture and is (rightfully) known as a pop masterpiece. Let's just hope that, unlike "Dancing On My Own," nobody does a sad piano cover of "Run Away With Me" and it ends up being more successful than the original. God, I could rant about how terrible slow covers of "Dancing On My Own" are all day.
8. "Fancy" by Twice
While we're on the topic, next week I'll have the third installment of my Kpop Crash Course series up and we'll be talking about the girl group Twice there. My best friend got me into them, and this was the song that first captured my attention. I had listened to some of their other songs due to my friend talking about them so much, but I wasn't super impressed by any of it until I heard "Fancy." I just really love the electropop beat and how the song manages to show the members in a more mature light without sacrificing the catchy hooks that made them famous. "Fancy" is a very uptempo song and the bridge is like a place for them to take a breath. It's calm, almost otherworldly. I really like when Mina, one of the group's dancers, sings the first line of the bridge. I feel like her voice is underrated within the group, because she's not your standard powerhouse vocalist who does amazing high notes, but her tone is just lovely. I also love when Jihyo, the group's lead vocalist, belts out a high note that transitions back into the chorus. Twice are adorable and I love them, and this is one of their best songs for me.
While we're on the topic, next week I'll have the third installment of my Kpop Crash Course series up and we'll be talking about the girl group Twice there. My best friend got me into them, and this was the song that first captured my attention. I had listened to some of their other songs due to my friend talking about them so much, but I wasn't super impressed by any of it until I heard "Fancy." I just really love the electropop beat and how the song manages to show the members in a more mature light without sacrificing the catchy hooks that made them famous. "Fancy" is a very uptempo song and the bridge is like a place for them to take a breath. It's calm, almost otherworldly. I really like when Mina, one of the group's dancers, sings the first line of the bridge. I feel like her voice is underrated within the group, because she's not your standard powerhouse vocalist who does amazing high notes, but her tone is just lovely. I also love when Jihyo, the group's lead vocalist, belts out a high note that transitions back into the chorus. Twice are adorable and I love them, and this is one of their best songs for me.
9. "Shut Up & Dance" by Walk the Moon
For this list, I only wanted to do lyrical sections that differed from the verses and chorus, so no repeating the prechorus and no instrumental solos. However, this song's bridge is a synthesizer solo followed by the prechorus's melody, with a few lyrical changes. I still wanted to include it anyway, because I just love this song so much. I've probably mentioned it in a thousand other posts, but this truly is one of my favorite songs ever written. I've always seen this song as being about this sort of dorky yet charming guy trying to impress a girl on the dance floor, and the bridge is the climax of this scenario. He realizes that he only has one chance to impress her, so he's going to give it all he's got and dance with her! The synth breakdown is awesome too. This entire song just makes me so happy every time I hear it, and I've heard it a lot.
For this list, I only wanted to do lyrical sections that differed from the verses and chorus, so no repeating the prechorus and no instrumental solos. However, this song's bridge is a synthesizer solo followed by the prechorus's melody, with a few lyrical changes. I still wanted to include it anyway, because I just love this song so much. I've probably mentioned it in a thousand other posts, but this truly is one of my favorite songs ever written. I've always seen this song as being about this sort of dorky yet charming guy trying to impress a girl on the dance floor, and the bridge is the climax of this scenario. He realizes that he only has one chance to impress her, so he's going to give it all he's got and dance with her! The synth breakdown is awesome too. This entire song just makes me so happy every time I hear it, and I've heard it a lot.
10. "Olivia" by One Direction
When One Direction were a thing, I said I didn't like them because I wanted to feel edgy, but as I've gotten past that stench of wannabe hipster-ism, I've realized that there are a ton of really good, underrated One Direction songs. My favorite is "Stockholm Syndrome" from their album Four, but "Olivia" from Made in the A.M. is a close second. I love this song so much that I named the protagonist of my current story after it. This song is just so cute and whimsical and unlike what you'd expect to hear from a boy band like One Direction. It has this 60s pop-inspired style with some great orchestral elements. The bridge on this one is an homage to the song "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It's quirky, fantastical, and completely unexpected. This song was also cowritten by Harry Styles, which is just another factor in making him my favorite from One Direction. And on that note...
When One Direction were a thing, I said I didn't like them because I wanted to feel edgy, but as I've gotten past that stench of wannabe hipster-ism, I've realized that there are a ton of really good, underrated One Direction songs. My favorite is "Stockholm Syndrome" from their album Four, but "Olivia" from Made in the A.M. is a close second. I love this song so much that I named the protagonist of my current story after it. This song is just so cute and whimsical and unlike what you'd expect to hear from a boy band like One Direction. It has this 60s pop-inspired style with some great orchestral elements. The bridge on this one is an homage to the song "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It's quirky, fantastical, and completely unexpected. This song was also cowritten by Harry Styles, which is just another factor in making him my favorite from One Direction. And on that note...
11. "Sign of the Times" by Harry Styles
The decision to make this song Harry's debut solo single still blows my mind. Releasing a six-minute, David Bowie-inspired pop rock epic was a really ballsy move, but it paid off entirely because this song is one of my all-time favorites. I actually had two Harry Styles songs I was going back and forth on for this list. "Lights Up" is a really great song too and I love the gospel choirs and repetition of "shine" during its bridge, but I ended up choosing "Sign of the Times" instead. Harry's voice is particularly powerful and emotional as he sings "We don't talk enough, we should open up..." and the crashing guitars create a strong atmosphere. I also love the background vocal harmonies. The funny thing is that when I was younger and in my One Direction-hating edgy phase, I decided Harry was my least favorite purely because he was supposed to be the "pretty one, the one all the girls swooned over." Nowadays, he is by far my favorite One Direction member, both within the group and especially outside of it.
The decision to make this song Harry's debut solo single still blows my mind. Releasing a six-minute, David Bowie-inspired pop rock epic was a really ballsy move, but it paid off entirely because this song is one of my all-time favorites. I actually had two Harry Styles songs I was going back and forth on for this list. "Lights Up" is a really great song too and I love the gospel choirs and repetition of "shine" during its bridge, but I ended up choosing "Sign of the Times" instead. Harry's voice is particularly powerful and emotional as he sings "We don't talk enough, we should open up..." and the crashing guitars create a strong atmosphere. I also love the background vocal harmonies. The funny thing is that when I was younger and in my One Direction-hating edgy phase, I decided Harry was my least favorite purely because he was supposed to be the "pretty one, the one all the girls swooned over." Nowadays, he is by far my favorite One Direction member, both within the group and especially outside of it.
12. "Shake It Out" by Florence & The Machine
This is a great example of a song that is probably an all-time favorite for me, but I never seem to remember it when thinking of my all-time favorites. Florence & The Machine are a band where I only know a few songs from them, but I should probably get into them. Florence Welch, the band's frontwoman, has an incredible powerful voice that I love, and the almost baroque style of their songs works really well with her voice. This song is about letting go of your past and it's very powerful, cathartic, and uplifting. The bridge is where it peaks in intensity and I just love the way Florence sings it. I especially love how powerful her voice is when she sings "What the hell, I'm gonna let it happen to me" and sounds so angry and passionate. This entire song has always resonated with me, and if songs like this, "Cosmic Love," and "Hunger" are anything like the rest of their work, then I'd probably really love Florence & The Machine.
This is a great example of a song that is probably an all-time favorite for me, but I never seem to remember it when thinking of my all-time favorites. Florence & The Machine are a band where I only know a few songs from them, but I should probably get into them. Florence Welch, the band's frontwoman, has an incredible powerful voice that I love, and the almost baroque style of their songs works really well with her voice. This song is about letting go of your past and it's very powerful, cathartic, and uplifting. The bridge is where it peaks in intensity and I just love the way Florence sings it. I especially love how powerful her voice is when she sings "What the hell, I'm gonna let it happen to me" and sounds so angry and passionate. This entire song has always resonated with me, and if songs like this, "Cosmic Love," and "Hunger" are anything like the rest of their work, then I'd probably really love Florence & The Machine.
13. "The Phoenix" by Fall Out Boy
These next few songs are all from what I call my emo phase: that period of time in 2016 where I did nothing but obsess over Panic! At The Disco, Twenty One Pilots, and Fall Out Boy. It was a wholly embarrassing time, but I still look back fondly at it. The bridge of "The Phoenix" by Fall Out Boy was what that kickstarted that entire phase of my life, so I will always treasure it for that. This entire song is built off of this orchestral sample that really builds a suspenseful atmosphere. It's the kind of song you listen to when you want to get hyped. The bridge continues with the string sample, building a mountain of suspense, and then Patrick Stump does this really long note on "HEYYYY YOUNGBLOOD!" That moment right there is what made me a Fall Out Boy fan. I'm nowhere near the obsessive Fall Out Boy fan I used to be, but I will never not be amazed by Patrick's voice. It's just so unexpectedly soulful for the pop-punk genre and the range of notes he's able to hit is quite impressive. The bridge of "The Phoenix" will always be special to me because, well, between the political turmoil and celebrity deaths, 2016 was a terrible year. It's because of this song and what it inspired in me that I was able to get any happiness from that year.
These next few songs are all from what I call my emo phase: that period of time in 2016 where I did nothing but obsess over Panic! At The Disco, Twenty One Pilots, and Fall Out Boy. It was a wholly embarrassing time, but I still look back fondly at it. The bridge of "The Phoenix" by Fall Out Boy was what that kickstarted that entire phase of my life, so I will always treasure it for that. This entire song is built off of this orchestral sample that really builds a suspenseful atmosphere. It's the kind of song you listen to when you want to get hyped. The bridge continues with the string sample, building a mountain of suspense, and then Patrick Stump does this really long note on "HEYYYY YOUNGBLOOD!" That moment right there is what made me a Fall Out Boy fan. I'm nowhere near the obsessive Fall Out Boy fan I used to be, but I will never not be amazed by Patrick's voice. It's just so unexpectedly soulful for the pop-punk genre and the range of notes he's able to hit is quite impressive. The bridge of "The Phoenix" will always be special to me because, well, between the political turmoil and celebrity deaths, 2016 was a terrible year. It's because of this song and what it inspired in me that I was able to get any happiness from that year.
14. "Holding on to You" by Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots were another favorite band from my "emo phase." However, they also managed to get mainstream success with their album Blurryface in that year, having songs like "Stressed Out" becoming huge hit songs. As much as I loved songs from Blurryface like "Doubt," "Heavydirtysoul," and "Tear in my Heart," I preferred their previous album, Vessel. "Holding on to You" was one of the big singles from that album. A lot of the time, my favorite songs from albums aren't the most popular singles, but "Holding on to You" is such a special song and one of my personal favorites from Twenty One Pilots to this day. I just think it is the perfect picture of who Twenty One Pilots are, with some of their trademark rapping, a soaring chorus, and lyrics about getting through mental health struggles. The bridge is the best part of this song for me. For the first part, things seem to calm down. Tyler Joseph sings "Entertain my faith" ten times, getting more desperate with every repetition, and the production swells as it goes on. Then, things switch and Tyler goes back to rapping. This part is about how we have the power to create art, specifically music, and how we need to use this power to create introspective work. One of my favorite lyrics is "It ain't the speakers that bump hearts, it's our hearts that make the beat." To me, this line is about how music is so special because of what it can mean to people, and I love that.
15. "House of Memories" by Panic! At The Disco
And here's the third and final "emo" song. A few years ago, I made a Top 20 Panic! At The Disco Songs list on this very blog. I'm not gonna link it because it's pretty embarrassing and because my opinions have changed so much since then. For example, "Collar Full" was my #1 back then and it absolutely is not now. I'm not sure what my #1 favorite Panic! At The Disco song would be right now, but "House of Memories" is absolutely a contender for that title, and the bridge is almost entirely why. For the bridge of this song, the tempo becomes slower and Brendon Urie starts pouring his heart out. I've always thought of Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco as sister bands for a variety of reasons, but one of the big reasons is because both bands have really impressive lead vocalists. Brendon Urie stands out to me because he has a very showy, almost Broadway-esque style of singing. His voice on this song is very powerful and in a belting style, but he still has a lot of emotion. The lyrics are also very introspective, talking about how we all want to be remembered. My favorite lyric is "And will you remember me in the same way as I remember you?" I just really love this song, always have, always will.
Twenty One Pilots were another favorite band from my "emo phase." However, they also managed to get mainstream success with their album Blurryface in that year, having songs like "Stressed Out" becoming huge hit songs. As much as I loved songs from Blurryface like "Doubt," "Heavydirtysoul," and "Tear in my Heart," I preferred their previous album, Vessel. "Holding on to You" was one of the big singles from that album. A lot of the time, my favorite songs from albums aren't the most popular singles, but "Holding on to You" is such a special song and one of my personal favorites from Twenty One Pilots to this day. I just think it is the perfect picture of who Twenty One Pilots are, with some of their trademark rapping, a soaring chorus, and lyrics about getting through mental health struggles. The bridge is the best part of this song for me. For the first part, things seem to calm down. Tyler Joseph sings "Entertain my faith" ten times, getting more desperate with every repetition, and the production swells as it goes on. Then, things switch and Tyler goes back to rapping. This part is about how we have the power to create art, specifically music, and how we need to use this power to create introspective work. One of my favorite lyrics is "It ain't the speakers that bump hearts, it's our hearts that make the beat." To me, this line is about how music is so special because of what it can mean to people, and I love that.
15. "House of Memories" by Panic! At The Disco
And here's the third and final "emo" song. A few years ago, I made a Top 20 Panic! At The Disco Songs list on this very blog. I'm not gonna link it because it's pretty embarrassing and because my opinions have changed so much since then. For example, "Collar Full" was my #1 back then and it absolutely is not now. I'm not sure what my #1 favorite Panic! At The Disco song would be right now, but "House of Memories" is absolutely a contender for that title, and the bridge is almost entirely why. For the bridge of this song, the tempo becomes slower and Brendon Urie starts pouring his heart out. I've always thought of Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco as sister bands for a variety of reasons, but one of the big reasons is because both bands have really impressive lead vocalists. Brendon Urie stands out to me because he has a very showy, almost Broadway-esque style of singing. His voice on this song is very powerful and in a belting style, but he still has a lot of emotion. The lyrics are also very introspective, talking about how we all want to be remembered. My favorite lyric is "And will you remember me in the same way as I remember you?" I just really love this song, always have, always will.
16. "When You Were Young" by The Killers
Man, considering that this song and "Mr. Brightside" are probably two of my all-time favorite songs, I really should get more into The Killers. I'm actually not really sure how to describe why I like this song. I just do. I really like the main line in the chorus, "He doesn't look a thing like Jesus, but he talks like a gentleman, like you imagined when you were young." It's saying that things don't have to be what you expect or hope for to be great. I also like how this song makes me feel nostalgic, even if I didn't hear it until a few years ago. I guess it makes sense, with the title being "When You Were Young," after all. I like how this song progresses and how it uses its bridge to go from quiet to loud. There's the part where it says, "They say the devil's water, it ain't so sweet, you don't have to drink right now, but you can dip your feet every once in a little while" and the dynamics are sparse. Then the guitars come rushing back in and it's euphoric!
Man, considering that this song and "Mr. Brightside" are probably two of my all-time favorite songs, I really should get more into The Killers. I'm actually not really sure how to describe why I like this song. I just do. I really like the main line in the chorus, "He doesn't look a thing like Jesus, but he talks like a gentleman, like you imagined when you were young." It's saying that things don't have to be what you expect or hope for to be great. I also like how this song makes me feel nostalgic, even if I didn't hear it until a few years ago. I guess it makes sense, with the title being "When You Were Young," after all. I like how this song progresses and how it uses its bridge to go from quiet to loud. There's the part where it says, "They say the devil's water, it ain't so sweet, you don't have to drink right now, but you can dip your feet every once in a little while" and the dynamics are sparse. Then the guitars come rushing back in and it's euphoric!
17. "Hold On, We're Going Home" by Drake ft. Majid Jordan
This is Drake's best song. I've gone back and forth on whether I prefer this or "Nice For What," but in the end, I had to go with this one. ("Nice For What" is still an eternal banger, though.) The thing about this song is that it's actually very repetitive, only having one verse, but that doesn't matter to me. The atmosphere the song has is so comforting and special. For the bridge, Drake lets his proteges, the Canadian R&B duo Majid Jordan, take the mic. Admittedly, it's hard to even tell that it's a different person singing, but it's still my favorite part of the song. I just love how it goes "I think there's something..." and then there's a faint echo of "...baby." As mediocre as Drake can be, this song proves that he can make good songs when he actually tries. I'd love if he made more songs in this sort of 80s style. Everyone else is doing it right now, get on it, Drake!
18. "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd
And speaking of recent songs that sound like they're from the 80s, here's "Blinding Lights." I've already talked about this song before, but I don't care. I could talk about how much I love this song all day. I think the production on this song is some of the best I've ever heard. It's sort of like "Take on Me" by A-ha, one of the best 80s songs, yet even better. I could listen to just an instrumental of this song and I'd be happy, but the actual melodies The Weeknd has are also really damn good. The bridge here (the "I'm just coming back to let you know" part) is pretty short, but it's incredibly impassioned and explosive. This song just makes me feel alive, and I feel like it would be an absolutely incredible one to drive to. One of these days, I'm gonna have to put together a driving playlist.
19. "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey
I know, it's April, why is there a Christmas song here? Well, in the school band, we did this song in our Christmas concert in December and I decided one day that this song had quite possibly the best bridge of all time. First of all, this song as a whole is a holiday classic, one that the holiday season is incomplete without. Mariah Carey is quite possibly the greatest female vocalist of all time and her voice on this song just sounds beautiful and holly-jolly. The bridge is so perfect because of how the chords shift and how beautiful the melody is. Mariah sounds gorgeous singing, "All the lights are shining so brightly everywhere..." and it just makes me excited for Christmas. Christmas isn't here for half a year, but I'm already anticipating it due to how perfect this bridge is. It's the perfect bridge for the song it is a part of.
I know, it's April, why is there a Christmas song here? Well, in the school band, we did this song in our Christmas concert in December and I decided one day that this song had quite possibly the best bridge of all time. First of all, this song as a whole is a holiday classic, one that the holiday season is incomplete without. Mariah Carey is quite possibly the greatest female vocalist of all time and her voice on this song just sounds beautiful and holly-jolly. The bridge is so perfect because of how the chords shift and how beautiful the melody is. Mariah sounds gorgeous singing, "All the lights are shining so brightly everywhere..." and it just makes me excited for Christmas. Christmas isn't here for half a year, but I'm already anticipating it due to how perfect this bridge is. It's the perfect bridge for the song it is a part of.
20. "Fix You" by Coldplay
And now my favorite for last. I had every intention of ending with "All I Want For Christmas Is You" because I thought it was the best bridge, but I then realized that the fast part of this song is technically the bridge. I wasn't sure if it counted, but Genius says it does, and once I saw that, there was no contest. This is my favorite bridge of all time. This entire song is so special to me because of how real its emotions are, but the bridge takes it over the top. The song is mostly a slow piano ballad up to that point, but then the tempo picks up and the guitar comes in. The entire band sings in unison "Tears stream down your face..." and it blows me away every time. It's like a crowd of voices is singing to you and letting you know that everything will be okay. Then at the very end, it transitions back to Chris Martin singing solo with the piano and it's really just the most perfect way the song could have ended. My music taste has been all over the place, but this song will always be near the very top of my favorites list. It means too much to me to not be.
As I said before, this isn't a definitive ordered list, and there are many other bridges I could add. If I'm feeling inspired, I might make Part 2 for this with even more amazing bridges! Next week is going to be the third Kpop Crash Course, which I'm excited to write. After all, the last Kpop Crash Course helped me discover a bunch of songs that I instantly liked. Here's hoping next week's will have even more bops! That will be out next Saturday, so I'll see you next week for it!
Stellar
As I said before, this isn't a definitive ordered list, and there are many other bridges I could add. If I'm feeling inspired, I might make Part 2 for this with even more amazing bridges! Next week is going to be the third Kpop Crash Course, which I'm excited to write. After all, the last Kpop Crash Course helped me discover a bunch of songs that I instantly liked. Here's hoping next week's will have even more bops! That will be out next Saturday, so I'll see you next week for it!
Stellar
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