By Jessica Dionne for Curtains Up (@maccajess)
I have over 12, 000 songs on my iPod and countless vinyls, yet most of the time I find myself listening to the same songs over and over, or I find myself on shuffle hitting next until I hit one of these songs. With the end of the year literally hours away, here’s a look back on the top songs I’ve had on repeat in 2014.
Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX, ‘Fancy’
Iggy Azalea quickly established herself as one of the year’s most bad-ass ladies. ‘Fancy’ was just one example of her ‘don’t give a f…’ attitude. I can’t exactly peg down what I love so much about this song except it’s catchy as hell and I find it tough not to crank up the volume every time it comes on. Admit it; you’ve said ‘I’m so fancy’ at least once this year.
The New Basement Tapes, ‘Kansas City’
An album nearly 50 years in the making, I freaked upon hearing that Marcus Mumford would be joining the likes of Elvis Costello and other established musicians in order to put music to the words penned by the legendary Bob Dylan. ‘Kansas City’ showcases Marcus Mumford’s incredible voice and makes this one of my favourite songs of the year.
Photo: Jessica Dionne
Hozier, ‘Take Me To Church’
When I first heard ‘Take Me to Church’ I was intrigued by the Elton John-esque feel to it and was haunted by the voice behind it. Months later, I’m still completely entranced by the Irish Indie-rocker’s sound.
Chromeo, ‘Jealous (I Ain’t With It)’
It was one of the performances I was glad I didn’t miss at Osheaga this summer. Try not to move to this song; I dare you.
Sam Smith, ‘I’m Not The Only One’
Who doesn’t love Sam Smith? It’s impressive to think that in less than a year he went from being virtually unknown to being one of the year’s top-selling artists. If his album is any indication of his talent, his January 19th stop at the Bell Centre should blow everyone’s socks off.
Pharrell Williams ft. Miley Cyrus ‘Come Get It Bae’
I’ll admit that I got quite tired of heaing ‘Happy’ all the time and was glad when a new single was released. Although short-lived on the airwaves, ‘Come Get It Bae’ still makes me smile.
Twin Forks, ‘Cross My Mind’
‘From time to time/you cross my mind’ sings Twin Forks lead singer Chris Carabba. The fact that it’s so easy to relate to makes it one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard in a long time. It’s simple but it hits the right strings.
Photo: Jessica Dionne
Fences ft. Macklemore, ‘Arrows’
It’s the only taste of Macklemore we got this year but it was a great one. Always one to help out his home boys, Macklemore lent his voice to fellow Seattle indie-rock group Fences on their single ‘Arrows’. It’s a bit rough around the edges but when the ‘Thrift Shop’ singer comes in, he takes the song to whole new level.
Vance Joy, ‘Mess Is Mine’
I’ve raved about Vance Joy all year; he’s simply wonderful and I can’t get enough of him, especially during his second single ‘Mess Is Mine’. The entire album is raw and exposes Vance Joy’s vulnerability, but this song hits something within.
Paul McCartney, ‘Silly Love Songs (demo)’
I had to include Sir Paul. With the re-release of ‘Wings at the Speed of Sound’ and ‘Venus & Mars’ I was intrigued by the so-called ‘unreleased bonus tracks’ but when I stumbled upon this gem, I was immediately reduced to tears. What a magical piece of music.
There you have it. It’s been an interesting year in music to say the least; can’t wait to see what 2015 will bring.
