Top 50 of 2023 / #35 – 31: Songs About Time, Reclaiming Your Music and Some Spice

We are getting closer to the 20s and I was about to say that this is the first section without a foundational artist, but one artist has been making music for almost 20 years…so she is pretty close to foundational. We also have some artists who have been on past lists and a genre that is a bit of a blind spot for me. So, let’s stop yappin’ and get to the music.

35. Taylor Swift: Mine

Taylor Swift has had a busy year with the international leg of The Eras tour, an Eras movie, NFL games and putting out both Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Not to mention that she got #2 in one of the biggest top 50s in Jukebox history with Anti-Hero, I’m sure she is still celebrating that accomplishment. Readers are used to seeing Taylor higher on my list, but it is hard to put a Taylor’s Version track too high due to it being a re-issue. Having said that, I think this is one of her best re-issues and breathed a lot of new life into a track I have not heard in a long time.

34. Royal Blood: Mountains at Midnight

This English rock / metal duo is back on the top 50 with their new record Back to the Water Below, which has all the huge riffs and fire percussion you have grown to associate with the band. For me, Royal Blood is more of a vibe than anything with those searing riffs and metal accents sprinkled throughout some hard hitting 3 minute tracks. This track has everything I love about Royal Blood and why I will continue to be a fan.

33. Tiësto: 10:35

I am really coming to the Tiësto party rather late. This track has racked up over 400 million listens and it is like fourth on his list. Dance, club and EDM have always been a blind spot for me, but what hooked me into 10:35 is how the track has darkness and vocal work that I find more complex than your usual out of the box EDM fare. This is an extraordinarily catchy track that you can vibe to, thorw on at a party or listen to on your workout. Having said that, I think the lyrics of regret, drowning in excess and darkness give the track more depth than most tracks in this genre.

32. Ice Spice: In Ha Mood

Ice Spice has been on a previous top 50 list, but 2023 has been a big year for her. Ice Spice has had new releases, been nominated for a Grammy and has a huge track on the Barbie soundtrack. In Ha Mood has what you are looking for in Ice Spice, which is bars about how great she is, her power over sex, that ‘I could care less’ delivery I love and huge beats. This 2 minute blow torch of a track can easily be played on repeat and never lose its appeal.

31. Arlo Parks: Weightless

Arlo Parks found themselves on a previous top 50 with their debut record that blew me away. Weightless is a track with all the soul and funk warmth you expect from a Parks’ track, but the lyrics go much deeper than previous work. Parks sings about being caught in an abusive relationship, but stuck between leaving for a better life and the fear of being alone. The key to this track is how the ending is ambiguous and you are left in this world of depression and suffocating weight. The title gives some hope of the person leaving and becoming weightless, but there are no sure answers. This is complex song writing and a bold track.

Wow. We are about to go in the 20s. The differences between spots on the list are going to be tight as we head to number 1. Next we have some indie rockers, our first reggae track and a indie folk favourite.