Every week, I list all the upcoming (or recently released) movies, TV shows, albums, podcasts, etc. that I believe are worth checking out.
Movies
–Belushi (November 22 on Showtime) – A documentary about Belushi, John.
–Happiest Season (November 25 on Hulu) – Directed by Clea DuVall and starring a cast of some of my favorite funny people!
TV
–Animaniacs Reboot Premiere (November 20 on Hulu) – The Warner Brothers – and the Warner Sister – are back to run amok once again!
–Marvel’s 616 Docuseries Premiere (November 20 on Disney+)
–Saved by the Bell Reboot Premiere (November 25 on Peacock)
-The National Dog Show (November 26 on NBC)
Music
-Ariana Grande, Positions – This came out a few weeks ago, but I somehow missed it when that happened.
My Best of the 2010s list-making journey has finally come to a close! (Or has it? … For now, it has at least. The future will come as it may, and it may just surprise you, and me.) All this week, I’ve been posting my rankings of a few categories that I was inspired to put together after submitting them to a Best of the 2010s polls that I’m participating in with some of my fellow cultural aficionados. To wrap it all up, I guide you along to the realm of music and lyrics, as I present the Best Musical Artists of the 2010s.
My criteria was similar to that of my choices for Best Film Directors. I considered a combination of how much I enjoyed their musical output as well as how much – and how well – they influenced the industry at large.
Of all the pieces of art and entertainment that I’m ranking for the decade, songs are probably the most personal. Yet somehow I feel compelled to consider how they affected the world at large moreso than all the other categories. The tunes that I value the most aren’t just the ones that make my own heart sing but also the ones that draw all of us closer together. So as I assembled this list, I asked myself both, “What has made me dance these past 10 years?” and “How would I like to dance with everyone else?” Here’s what that playlist looks like.
(I aimed to stick only to songs that were released as singles, as opening this to deep album cuts would’ve made things so overheated.)
It’s been a few years since I’ve made an Albums of the Year list, but I really felt compelled to make one for 2019. Here are the audio compilations from the recent past that really made an impact on me:
14. Camila Cabello, Romance – Fun and bouncy.
13. Harry Styles, Fine Line – I like where Harry is headed. 12. Beck, Hyperspace – Reliable Beck. 11. Brittany Howard, Jaime – Great, big rockin’ voice goes solo. 10. The Black Keys, Let’s Rock – They never stopped rocking.
9. Ariana Grande, thank u, next – Lots of adventure from Ari. 8. Sleater-Kinney, The Center Won’t Hold – Band broke up, music’s still great. 7. Tyler, the Creator, IGOR – I feel so comfortable inside this album. 6. FKA Twigs, MAGDALENE – FKA reminds me of Bat for Lashes. 5. Vampire Weekend, Father of the Bride – Those Vampire Weekend guys have still got a hold on me. 4. Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell! – What a soundscape! 3. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Just plenty of fun. 2. Lizzo, Cuz I Love You – I love you, too!
1. The Chemical Brothers, No Geography – Apocalyptic concept album.
These were the singles released in 2018 or that first became hits in 2018 that had the strongest impacts on me.
1. Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry” – Has any other singer besides Ariana Grande ever endured so many personal struggles so publicly and on such a massive scale? She still had a lot of heartbreak left to come after releasing “No Tears Left to Cry,” but luckily she was already equipped with and had gifted the world with a timeless anthem for how to insist on finding the joy amidst all life’s turmoil.
2. Dennis Lloyd – “Nevermind” – The ultimate kind of elastic groove to which you can chill out or dance ’til you drop.
3. Ella Mai – “Boo’d Up” – Ella Mai captured the language of infatuation in 2018, but the feelings are eternal.
4. Ariana Grande – “God is a Woman” – Oh, trust me, I believe. I was certain once I heard that first sexy guitar strum.
5. U.S. Girls – “Velvet 4 Sale” – This is the sort of rock music that makes me happy to currently be an adult human.
6. Beck – “Colors” – Is Beck the greatest dance artist of his era? “Colors” makes a strong case.
7. Janelle Monáe – “Pynk” – If we all had our own personal “Pynk” to announce to everyone who we are, the world would be a much better place.
8. Rüfüs Du Sol – “No Place” – I imagine that this is what it will sound like when I drift off this mortal coil.
9. Childish Gambino – “This Is America” – The musical equivalent of getting shot in the head and living to tell the tale.
10. Portugal. The Man – “Tidal Wave” – The force of extreme weather, but going down smooth and easy.
11. Janelle Monáe – “Make Me Feel” – Feeling good should sometimes feel like there’s a worm dancing in your brain.
12. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – “You Worry Me” – It’s good to know that some musicians are out here to make sure we’re safe and sound.
13. Elle King – “Shame” – It’s healthy to exorcise the lowdown dirtiest impulses of your humanity through song.
14. Paul McCartney – “Come on to Me” – I know I’d also like to remain this punny and lusty into my seventies.
15. Bob Moses – “Back Down” – An ideal soundtrack for making an unstable night feel just a little bit more stable.
16. Kendrick Lamar and SZA – “All the Stars” – The kind of song that assures you that all the spirits of your community are with you.
17. Max Frost – “Good Morning” – I’m happy to admit when I wake up in a day-conquering mood, and Max Frost has packaged that feeling.
18. Tyler, the Creator – “You’re a Mean One” – Maybe all kids movie theme songs should be crafted by pansexual oddballs.
19. Two Feet – “I Feel Like I’m Drowning” – When the sound cuts out right before the chorus, and then the guitar chimes in so nastily, I feel like I’m drowning, into the Sunken Place or something … and I like it.
20. The 1975 – “Love It If We Made It” – The desire to make it all the way through together really does often sound this urgent, doesn’t it?
Each week*, I check out the Billboard Hot 100, and then I rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all 20, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
*-This will be my last Billboard Hot 100 re-ranking post, at least for the foreseeable future, as these posts have become a bit too rote for my tastes. But I will still scan the charts each week, and I might occasionally write down some reactions should anything catch my fancy.
Original Version
1. Drake – “In My Feelings”
2. Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B – “Girls Like You”
3. Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin – “I Like It”
4. Travis Scott – “Sicko Mode”
5. 6ix9ine ft. Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz – “FEFE”
6. Post Malone – “Better Now”
7. Juice WRLD – “Lucid Dreams”
8. Travis Scott – “Stargazing”
9. Tyga ft. Offset – “Taste”
10. Ella Mai – “Boo’d Up”
11. DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, and Quavo – “No Brainer”
12. Drake – “Nice for What”
13. Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Psycho”
14. Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry”
15. Khalid and Normani – “Love Lies”
16. YG ft. 2 Chainz, Big Sean, and Nicki Minaj – “Big Bank”
17. Taylor Swift – “Delicate”
18. Lil Baby and Drake – “Yes Indeed”
19. Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey – “The Middle”
20. Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line – “Meant to Be”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. No Tears Left to Cry
2. Boo’d Up
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot 100, and then I rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all 20, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
Original Version
1. Drake – “In My Feelings”
2. Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin – “I Like It”
3. 6ix9ine ft. Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz – “FEFE”
4. Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B – “Girls Like You”
5. DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, and Quavo – “No Brainer”
6. Post Malone – “Better Now”
7. Juice WRLD – “Lucid Dreams”
8. Ella Mai – “Boo’d Up”
9. Tyga ft. Offset – “Taste”
10. Drake – “Nice for What”
11. Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Psycho”
12. Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry”
13. Taylor Swift – “Delicate”
14. Lil Baby and Drake – “Yes Indeed”
15. Khalid and Normani – “Love Lies”
16. Drake – “God’s Plan”
17. Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey – “The Middle”
18. Ed Sheeran – “Perfect”
19. Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line – “Meant to Be”
20. Marshmello and Anne-Marie – “Friends”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. No Tears Left to Cry
2. Boo’d Up
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot 100, and then I rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all 20, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
Original Version
1. Drake – “In My Feelings”
2. Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin – “I Like It”
3. Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B – “Girls Like You”
4. 6ix9ine ft. Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz – “FeFe”
5. Post Malone – “Better Now”
6. Drake – “Nice for What”
7. Ella Mai – “Boo’d Up”
8. Juice WRLD – “Lucid Dreams”
9. Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Psycho”
10. Tyga ft. Offset – “Taste”
11. Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry”
12. Taylor Swift – “Delicate”
13. Drake – “God’s Plan”
14. Lil Baby and Drake – “Yes Indeed”
15. Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey – “The Middle”
16. Marshmello and Anne-Marie – “Friends”
17. Ed Sheeran – “Perfect”
18. Khalid and Normani – “Love Lies”
19. XXXTentacion – “Sad!”
20. Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line – “Meant to Be”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. No Tears Left to Cry
2. Boo’d Up
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot 100, and then I rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all 20, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
Original Version
1. Drake – “In My Feelings”
2. Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin – “I Like It”
3. Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B – “Girls Like You”
4. Drake – “Nice for What”
5. Ella Mai – “Boo’d Up”
6. Juice WRLD – “Lucid Dreams”
7. Post Malone – “Better Now”
8. Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry”
9. Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Psycho”
10. Drake – “God’s Plan”
11. Ariana Grande – “God Is a Woman”
12. Taylor Swift – “Delicate”
13. Tyga ft. Offset – “Taste”
14. Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey – “The Middle”
15. XXXTentacion – “Sad!”
16. Lil Baby and Drake – “Yes Indeed”
17. Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line – “Meant to Be”
18. Marshmello and Anne-Marie – “Friends”
19. Ed Sheeran – “Perfect”
20. Drake – “Nonstop”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. No Tears Left to Cry
2. Boo’d Up
3. God Is a Woman
