10.
"Confirmation" - Westerman
Westerman's single is sophistipop at its finest and smoothest.
9.
I'm surprised how much I like a John Mayer song, but alas, "New Light" is tuneful and slickly-produced (those little drumclaps). Knowingly a tad corny but sincere as well.
8.
Pulsing, unabashedly Anita Ward-inspired disco remix by Tensnake of Charlotte Gainsbourg's "Sylvia Says" is blissful melancholic pop.
7.
Easy to get the party started with this balloon-synth stomper.
6.
A unifying power pop movie ballad is welcome in any era.
5.
A fury of drum-n-bass and staccato hits, SOPHIE's tune was one of the more exciting records of the year.
4.
Edinburgh's trio Young Fathers' song, complete with its rich, mysterious lyrics, is confident and grand.
3.
The reliably clever Kacey Musgraves' single of sunshiny daytime disco and crystal-clear country twang was a bright spot in the year. The imagery of lyrics is in real lockstep with the sound itself. I wish more country artists were as adventurous as her.
2.
Revolutionary tune and video package from Childish Gambino. The song has elements of farce, tonal shifts and booming trap--sonically and lyrically enveloping issues of racism and racial identity.
1.
A tune, co-written by Damon Albarn (one of his best songs in years) that bridges between escapisim and reality, delivered with complexity and yearning by Kali Uchis.
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