As I point out every January, these are my ten favorite songs of the previous year. Other people who have written for TSL over the years may have very different favorite songs of the year. In fact, check out Necromoonyeti’s list of his 35 top albums!
Anyway, here are my ten favorite songs of the previous year. For the most part, my musical tastes tend to run the gamut from EDM to More EDM. That said, I think there’s perhaps a bit of variety to this year’s list as opposed to previous years. Or maybe not. Who knows? I’m typing this up at one in the morning so, to be honest, I’m lucky that I can even keep straight which year I’m writing about.
Wow, a Haim walking video that wasn’t directed by Paul Thomas Anderson! In all honest, though, Jake Schreier did a fine job directing this video and it’s a good song as well.
Enjoy!
Some things are long forgotten Some things were never said We were on one endless road But I had a wandering heart
I said we were opposite lovers Said it from the beginning You kept trying to prove me wrong Said you’d always see it through And I know that I ran you down So you ran away with your heart
But just know that I want you back Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you
I know it’s hard to hear it And it may never be enough But don’t take it out on me now ‘Cause I blame it all on myself
And I had a fear of forgiveness Said it from the beginning I was too proud to say I was wrong Said you’d always see me through All that time is gone, no more fearing control I’m ready for the both of us now
So just know that I want you back Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you Just know that I want you back (Just know that I want you) Just know that I want you back (Just know that I want you) Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you (Just know that I want you back, baby)
Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you
Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you back Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you Just know that I want you back (Just know that I want you) Just know that I want you back (Just know that I want you) Just know that I want you I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you (Just know that I want you back, baby) (Just know that I want you) (Just know that I want you back, baby) I’ll take the fall and the fault in us I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you
At some point, in the future, it will be realized that Paul Thomas Anderson’s Haim videos constitute some of the best short films of the decade. It’s the perfect collaboration between a group of artists. This is their latest and video and you better enjoy!
[Verse 1] Tryin’ to get on top But it’s never easy Mastered my own luck But it wasn’t easy I’m tryin’ to feel alright Around all these people I try, but I’m just numb This time
[Chorus] Deepest cut that I can’t feel Found a grip on the steering wheel I know a piece’s stuck You can sit down if you don’t mind me standin’ up (Mind me standin’ up) I know I was too good to pass (Too good to pass) So me and you caused a chain reaction (Chain reaction) I’ll take the smallest crumb But I’ll never get back what I lost track of
[Verse 2] Laugh when I’m still cryin’ Yeah, you know the deal Burn but it’s still fine (Huh) Yeah, you know the deal Can’t redeem my love That’s such a steal But you can’t say I’m not tryin’ This time
[Chorus] Deepest cut that I can’t feel Found a grip on the steering wheel I know a piece’s stuck You can sit down if you don’t mind me standin’ up (Mind me standin’ up) I know I was too good to pass (Too good to pass) So me and you caused a chain reaction (Chain reaction) I’ll take the smallest crumb But I’ll never get back what I lost track of Oh, I’ll never get back what I lost track of I’ll never get back what I lost track of I’ll never get back what I lost track of
[Outro] I’ll never get back what I lost track I’ll never get back what I lost track I’ll never get back what I lost track I’ll never get back but I’ve lost track
Every January, I list my favorite songs of the previous year and, every January, I include the same disclaimer. My favorite songs are not necessarily the favorite songs of any of the other writers here at the Shattered Lens. We are a large and diverse group of people and, as such, we all have our own individual tastes.
If you ever visited the TSL Bunker, you would be shocked by the different music coming out of each office. You would hear everything from opera to death metal to the best of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. And then, of course, you would reach my office and you would discover that my taste in music pretty much runs the gamut from EDM to More EDM.
Now, usually, I do try to listen to a variety of music. You can go to my Song of the Day site — Lisa Marie’s Song of the Day — and see that I do occasionally listen to other types of music. But, I have to be honest. 2020 was not a year that inspired me to really leave me comfort zone. If anything, music provided me with some much needed consistency in an otherwise chaotic year. 2020 was a year that made me want to dance until it was all over and, for the most part, my favorite songs of the year reflect that fact.
Before I list my songs, I should make something else very clear. These are my favorite songs of 2020. I’m not saying that they’re necessarily the best songs of 2020. I’ll leave that debate for others. Instead, there are the songs that I found myself listening to over and over again. These are the songs made me dance. These are the songs that made me sing. A few of these songs relaxed me when I needed to be relaxed. These are songs that I liked.
You might like them.
Or you might not.
That’s the beautiful thing about art. Everyone experiences it in their own individual way. For instance, if you want to see an example of the different tastes of music that you’ll find here at TSL, be sure to check out Necromoonyeti’s top albums of 2020. And also go to Days Without Incident and check out some of the songs that Leonard has posted. To quote my friend Shirley Loh, “we all like different things.”
Here are my favorite songs of 2020:
20) No Sleep by Jessie Frye
19) Ghost In These Streets by Kate Vogel
18) Matches by Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys
17) You Do you by Dillon Francis and BabyJake
16) Into the Abyss by Zeds Dead x REZZ
15) Teacher by Chromatics
14) Stardew by Purity Ring
13) Everybody Here Hates You by Courtney Barnett
12) Swimming in the Stars by Britney Spears
11) Don’t Wanna by Haim
10) Preach by Saint Motel
9) Famous Monsters by Chromatics
8) Break my Heart by Dua Lipa
7) Feel Something by Armin van Buuren feat. Duncan Laurence
6) Dance Again by Selena Gomez
5) Phobos by Space 92
4) Pomegranate by deadmau5 & The Neptunes
3) Castles In The Sky by i_o
2) The Steps by Haim
1) A Good Song Never Dies by Saint Motel
Finally, allow me to offer up two honorable mentions to my favorite cinematic musical moments of the year. From Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga:
I’m the youngest of four sisters and everyday, I’m thankful for that because I would seriously be so lost without them in my life. I think that’s one reason why I like HAIM. The Haim sisters remind me of my older sisters and that’s especially true in the video for The Steps.
The song, of course, is about a relationship that, if it hasn’t ended yet, is coming to an end. The messiness of Haim’s morning routine perfectly mirrors the lyrics of the song, in which the narrator says that every time she tries to move forward, her lover gets mad at her for “making a mess.” There’s something very liberating about HAIM’s messiness in this video. It’s not just the fact that they’re throwing stuff all over the apartment and stumbling out of bed (which is the way I think most of us wake up but it’s something you rarely see in movies or music videos, where everyone wakes up refreshed and ready for a photo shoot) but it’s also the fact that there’s none of the fake glamour that you might expect to see in a music video like this. It’s a song about freedom and being yourself and if that means making a mess then make a mess. It’s a liberating song and a liberating video. It’s not a video where HAIM tries to live up to some pop princess archetype. This is a video that says, “This is who we are and fuck you if you can’t handle it.”
That said, I have to admit that I’m a compulsive cleaner and my natural instinct is to usually tidy up so my room has never looked as messy as my life. I guess I should be happy about that because otherwise, I don’t think I’d ever be able to find anything. And that’s okay. It’s okay to be messy. It’s okay to be neat. What matters is that you’re being yourself and not allowing anyone to force you to try to be someone else.
This video, like most of HAIM’s recent videos, was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The film critic Armond White has argued that Anderson’s work with HAIM is actually superior to most of his recent films and I think White might have a point. (Before anyone starts yelling at me, I don’t care whether or not you like Armond White. He’s a consistently interesting writer and someone has to be willing to be a contrarian.) There’s a definitely naturalness to Anderson’s videos with HAIM, as if anything could happen at any moment.
This is another video inspired by the era of social distancing and COVID-19. HAIM has perfected the art of social distancing choreography. If anyone was going to do it, it was going to be them.
What happened to summer this year? Seriously, it’s just kind of flying by. We’ve got August and then the first half of September and then it’s going to be Autumn again! Get out there and enjoy yourselves while you still can!
Today’s music video of the day is all about summer. It captures a few essential truths. Number one, it’s fun to get undressed in public. Number two, if you take off enough clothes while walking down the street, some dude with a saxophone will undoubtedly start following you. What I like about this video is how everyone is both intrigued and annoyed by the saxophone player. This is a video that just captures what it’s like to be young and have your entire future ahead of you. It also captures the feeling of summer!
This video was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, who apparently has directed a few films as well. No, not the Resident Evil films. That’s a different Paul Anderson, all together.
Through the Shattered Lens 