2023, a year in song.
Here we go. I did listen to a few mashups this year (still miss Mashup Germany, though I understand the reasons he stopped - but his end-of-year mashups truly were amazing and always made me super emotional ... well, the 2-3 years I got to watch them), but those were mostly full of stuff I didn't know, while most of the songs I already had collected for my list were missing. I guess I need a more European-centered mashup if I can't have a German one.
I think I spent more time listening to CDs than to the radio this year, so maybe that's another explanation. My overall impression of the musical year was that there were far, far too many covers or samples around. Most of them remakes that nobody asked for and nobody needs. I banned almost all of them from the list because they were super annoying and I'd much rather listen to the original. (Or to other songs from recent years which had been inspired by the same original. Yes, I'm talking about that "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" remake "I'm Good," which makes me want to puke.)
Second remark: there are some songs I didn't have on last year's list even though they were released last year, and I'm not sure if I forgot about them, didn't like them at the time, or if they really just got the big airplay time this year. I have 3-4 songs from that category in this year's list. I almost also added Dua Lipa's "Love Again" because I'm beginning to forgive her for using a sample of "Your Woman," but then I saw the song is already from 2020, and I'm not THAT forgiving.
Once the list is written I'll make myself a playlist. I did that for the 2022 songs today (after last night's excitement) and enjoyed it a great deal today.
Without further ado, here is the music that accompanied my ears this year enough to be memorable!
Tiësto - Lay Low because the female voices/choir make it sound so mysterious.
David Kushner - Daylight because OMG that deep voice! *swoon*
Kenya Grace - Strangers because it's like a whisper and a twinkling fairy humming around me.
Michael Schulte x R3hab - Waterfall because this airplay hit suits Michael so well even though the playful sound disguises the meaning of the lyrics.
Michael Patrick Kelly feat Rakim - Wonders because I didn't expect a collaboration with a rapper to be such a smasher.
Miley Cyrus - Flowers because I've never imagined so many Cha Cha Chas in my head before.
Jan Böhmermann - Allemagne zéro points because this satire song would have done amazing at Eurovision. (Or not. You never know these days.)
Anica Russo - Once Upon A Dream because I loved the stage design and the the song and everything at the German pre-selection.
Loreen - Tattoo because the song started to sound exciting once it was played over and over on the radio (I didn't get the hype and the win during the contest, something I only mention here because I haven't made any Eurovision post yet).
Lord of the Lost - Blood & Glitter because the live performance was pretty good and I listened to it so often that I tuned the silly sounds out at some point and enjoyed the song for the rest. I totally enjoyed the band's social media coverage in May and felt sorry they didn't get a better placement.
Udo Lindenberg x Apache 207 - Komet because what a collaboration.
Nina Chuba - Wildberry Lillet because it was everywhere on German TV, wherever people were singing.
Nico Santos - Number 1 because the chorus is a classic Santos masterpiece.
Jain - Makeba because I think I first heard it when my former teammate DJ'ed at our company event, thought "WTF?" and then it was on the radio all the time.
P!nk - Trustfall because she's still rocking.
P!nk - Never Gonna Not Dance Again because that title is the best motto. [Side note: I didn't include the song "The Motto," but I could have.]
Ed Sheeran - Eyes Closed because dancing with your eyes closed is something we should all do every once in a while.
Purple Disco Machine, Kungs feat. Julian Perretta - Substitution because you always have earworms of a few dance songs ("Big in Japan" wants its tune back) that had major airplay time.
Ofenbach feat. Norma Jean Martine - Overdrive because see above, plus the memorable "Cambodia" sample, and because you always need a song on the list that you don't even remember when you add it. LOL
twocolors x Safri Duo x Chris de Sarandy - Cynical because it was an acceptable cover in that it added lyrics and vocals to a song which previously had no lyrics or vocals.
twocolors - Heavy Metal Love because it got into my brain by now.
Zara Larsson - Can't Tame Her because that pop song of hers is just too catchy to ignore.
Loi - Gold because it sounds so international and beautiful and I have a feeling this song was used for a sports broadcast (which would be suitable with that title) I can't remember and I cheer her on so badly as a former The Voice Kids contestant.
OneRepublic - Runaway because I just love the staccato in the delivery.
Lil Nas X - Star Walkin' because I heard it so often and still couldn't figure out if he just sang about starting to walk.
On heavy rotation:
Sing meinen Song - Das Tauschkonzert Vol. 9 (I did not expect to find such enjoyment in the audio recording that season because the season itself was a bit mixed for me, but it worked so well without the visuals and I listened to it so, so often - even after season 10)
Michael Patrick Kelly - B.O.A.T.S. (especially in the weeks leading up to the Christmas break)
Favorite video:
Again none? I should probably get rid of that category.
Edit: Haha, I happened to see Nico Santos' video to "Number 1" last night and a few scenes made me laugh, so I'll pick that one after all. The video concept was created by ChatGPT.
I think I spent more time listening to CDs than to the radio this year, so maybe that's another explanation. My overall impression of the musical year was that there were far, far too many covers or samples around. Most of them remakes that nobody asked for and nobody needs. I banned almost all of them from the list because they were super annoying and I'd much rather listen to the original. (Or to other songs from recent years which had been inspired by the same original. Yes, I'm talking about that "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" remake "I'm Good," which makes me want to puke.)
Second remark: there are some songs I didn't have on last year's list even though they were released last year, and I'm not sure if I forgot about them, didn't like them at the time, or if they really just got the big airplay time this year. I have 3-4 songs from that category in this year's list. I almost also added Dua Lipa's "Love Again" because I'm beginning to forgive her for using a sample of "Your Woman," but then I saw the song is already from 2020, and I'm not THAT forgiving.
Once the list is written I'll make myself a playlist. I did that for the 2022 songs today (after last night's excitement) and enjoyed it a great deal today.
Without further ado, here is the music that accompanied my ears this year enough to be memorable!
Tiësto - Lay Low because the female voices/choir make it sound so mysterious.
David Kushner - Daylight because OMG that deep voice! *swoon*
Kenya Grace - Strangers because it's like a whisper and a twinkling fairy humming around me.
Michael Schulte x R3hab - Waterfall because this airplay hit suits Michael so well even though the playful sound disguises the meaning of the lyrics.
Michael Patrick Kelly feat Rakim - Wonders because I didn't expect a collaboration with a rapper to be such a smasher.
Miley Cyrus - Flowers because I've never imagined so many Cha Cha Chas in my head before.
Jan Böhmermann - Allemagne zéro points because this satire song would have done amazing at Eurovision. (Or not. You never know these days.)
Anica Russo - Once Upon A Dream because I loved the stage design and the the song and everything at the German pre-selection.
Loreen - Tattoo because the song started to sound exciting once it was played over and over on the radio (I didn't get the hype and the win during the contest, something I only mention here because I haven't made any Eurovision post yet).
Lord of the Lost - Blood & Glitter because the live performance was pretty good and I listened to it so often that I tuned the silly sounds out at some point and enjoyed the song for the rest. I totally enjoyed the band's social media coverage in May and felt sorry they didn't get a better placement.
Udo Lindenberg x Apache 207 - Komet because what a collaboration.
Nina Chuba - Wildberry Lillet because it was everywhere on German TV, wherever people were singing.
Nico Santos - Number 1 because the chorus is a classic Santos masterpiece.
Jain - Makeba because I think I first heard it when my former teammate DJ'ed at our company event, thought "WTF?" and then it was on the radio all the time.
P!nk - Trustfall because she's still rocking.
P!nk - Never Gonna Not Dance Again because that title is the best motto. [Side note: I didn't include the song "The Motto," but I could have.]
Ed Sheeran - Eyes Closed because dancing with your eyes closed is something we should all do every once in a while.
Purple Disco Machine, Kungs feat. Julian Perretta - Substitution because you always have earworms of a few dance songs ("Big in Japan" wants its tune back) that had major airplay time.
Ofenbach feat. Norma Jean Martine - Overdrive because see above, plus the memorable "Cambodia" sample, and because you always need a song on the list that you don't even remember when you add it. LOL
twocolors x Safri Duo x Chris de Sarandy - Cynical because it was an acceptable cover in that it added lyrics and vocals to a song which previously had no lyrics or vocals.
twocolors - Heavy Metal Love because it got into my brain by now.
Zara Larsson - Can't Tame Her because that pop song of hers is just too catchy to ignore.
Loi - Gold because it sounds so international and beautiful and I have a feeling this song was used for a sports broadcast (which would be suitable with that title) I can't remember and I cheer her on so badly as a former The Voice Kids contestant.
OneRepublic - Runaway because I just love the staccato in the delivery.
Lil Nas X - Star Walkin' because I heard it so often and still couldn't figure out if he just sang about starting to walk.
On heavy rotation:
Sing meinen Song - Das Tauschkonzert Vol. 9 (I did not expect to find such enjoyment in the audio recording that season because the season itself was a bit mixed for me, but it worked so well without the visuals and I listened to it so, so often - even after season 10)
Michael Patrick Kelly - B.O.A.T.S. (especially in the weeks leading up to the Christmas break)
Favorite video:
Again none? I should probably get rid of that category.
Edit: Haha, I happened to see Nico Santos' video to "Number 1" last night and a few scenes made me laugh, so I'll pick that one after all. The video concept was created by ChatGPT.
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