This is our FOURTH YEAR creating an annual musical time capsule! And this post is actually pretty timely, too! We finalized the order and which versions we liked best before Bethany flew off to visit the United States a few weeks ago. Since then, I edited the 2021 post (cuz I said I'd have the other years in a couple weeks, and it took a year), and finished the 2022 and 2023 posts! If you're new to this series, here is the original post that explains our thought processes for creating the list and everything. I'll go into the reasoning for every song below the list, but for easier access and readability (and links to YouTube), here are the songs in the order we listen to them. I try to order the songs for a good flow with consideration for the previous year going into this one and playing a single year on a loop. (WARNING! Explicit lyrics!)
Ordered for flow, not by ranking of preference
- Remi Wolf - Guerrilla
- Baby Lasagna - Rim Tim Tagi Dim
- AJR - BANG!
- Taylor Swift - Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me
- Bambie Thug - Doomsday Blue
- Rainbow Kitten Surprise - It's Called Freefall
- Benson Boone - Beautiful Things
- Greta Van Fleet - Meeting The Master
- Sarah Bonnici - Loop
- Misty Miller - Girl On Fire
- Mark Ambor - Good To Be
- Zella Day - Seven Nation Army
- Misty Miller - Honey To The Bee
- Nemo - The Code
- Myles Smith - Stargazing
- Ruth B - Always You
- Taylor Swift - I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
- AJR - The Good Part
- Olivia Rodrigo - the grudge
- Poor Man's Poison - Feed the Machine
- Paris Paloma - my mind (now)
- AJR - Way Less Sad
- Mark Ambor - Belong Together
- Judah and the Lion - Things Are Looking Up
- Kaleen - We Will Rave
- Daisy The Great x AJR - Record Player
- Ritt Momney - Put Your Records On
- Neverending White Lights - The Grace
- Taylor Swift - The Black Dog
- Meg Warren - Bomb
We have our method down pretty well now. The end of the year is all about Christmas music, so unless a song really impacts us, we save new music until the next year starts. We already have 13 songs ready for 2025! We have another Taylor Swift release this year and Bethany was OBSESSED with it. I'm actually shocked she let me limit it to 3 songs, but this year we had a real challenge keeping it at 30. We even cut two songs at the beginning of January in order to keep it to 30! Great year for music, I guess.
Building the Playlist
Our first song, Remi Wolf - Guerrilla, we discovered while watching a surprisingly good movie called Quiz Lady. You should check it out! Both the song and the movie. Both unexpected treasures. Guerrilla isn't my usual taste, but it's fun and clever and unique, so on the list it goes! Plus it follows Cha Cha Cha from last year pretty well.
The next song on the list was one of our favorites from Eurovision: (2) Baby Lasagna - Rim Tim Tagi Dim. It's another fun one about someone leaving their boring old life to move to the city. This year we have FIVE Eurovision songs on the list. We just couldn't cut any of them. And when they play, we jam out! Here are the other four:
- (5) Bambie Thug - Doomsday Blue Warning! This is a weird song. It's one of a few apocalypse songs we have this year. It definitely has an original sound.
- (9) Sarah Bonnici - Loop This is just a fun jam. We never wanna skip it, so it stayed.
- (14) Nemo - The Code This won Eurovision, and rightfully so. Powerful vocals and a great message. We had an orchestral version for most of the year, but decided the original was more powerful.
- (25) Kaleen - We Will Rave Another fun jam.
So last year Jacob introduced us to AJR and we REALLY liked the band. It was really tough keeping it down to 3 songs, and we kinda cheated cuz a fourth song features AJR. Here are the four songs:
- (3) AJR - BANG! - Bethany's favorite
- (18) AJR - The Good Part
- (22) AJR - Way Less Sad - my favorite
- (26) Daisy The Great x AJR - Record Player - Not TECHNICALLY AJR cuz it's a collaboration with Daisy The Great!
And here we have the three Taylor Swift songs from THE Tortured Poet's Society Department. I wish I could express to you how obsessed Bethany has been with this album. Here were our three favorite songs, and I have to admit, they're pretty good (especially the last two).
- (4) Taylor Swift - Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me
- (17) Taylor Swift - I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
- (29) Taylor Swift - The Black Dog
Now we're in the section of songs that Spotify suggested. There's no real story to these, so here's a list of songs from Spotify or the radio or other random internet plays. Thanks Discover Weekly (the playlist that Spotify creates with songs it thinks you might like)!
- (6) Rainbow Kitten Surprise - It's Called Freefall - we discovered Paris Paloma last year and she does a version of this song, but I liked this one better.
- (11) Mark Ambor - Good To Be - one of two Mark Ambor songs. He kinda sounds like Jack Johnson or Jason Mraz, doesn't he?
- (12) Zella Day - Seven Nation Army I had heard this before and was in one of my "Covers" playlists, but Bethany heard it and loved it, so here it is!
- (23) Mark Ambor - Belong Together - The other Mark Ambor song.
- (28) Neverending White Lights - The Grace - I like depressing songs, and this one delivers! It's so sad!
- (30) Meg Warren - Bomb - Just a fun and clever song.
Now we're in the section of recommendations. The first was suggested by Elly. She suggested this song before it blew up and was just EVERYWHERE. Made me feel like a hipster! It's (7) Benson Boone - Beautiful Things. He just has so much passion when he sings it. So good! Jacob, who showed us AJR, also had this gem: (20) Poor Man's Poison - Feed the Machine. Quite the unique song with great instrumental sections. Bonus that it's an apocalypse song! He also played (27) Ritt Momney - Put Your Records On for us, which is a cover of one of Bethany's favorite songs! This is a new twist and we both really liked it. Thanks Jacob!
Next we have songs that I found from random lists of song suggestions. Best rock songs or best indie songs or top of the pop charts, etc. Here they are:
- (8) Greta Van Fleet - Meeting The Master
- (15) Myles Smith - Stargazing
- (19) Olivia Rodrigo - the grudge
- (24) Judah and the Lion - Things Are Looking Up
Now we have three songs from two movies. The first two songs, both by the same artist and both covers are from the movie Catherine Called Birdy. They are (10) Misty Miller - Girl On Fire and (13) Misty Miller - Honey To The Bee. I like both of them better than the originals, although that's possibly and unpopular opinion. Since the movie is set in medieval times, the songs have a bit of that lilt to them. Love it! The other song is from the movie Maybe I Do, which is pretty terrible, but the song... normally not something that I would like, but it just sticks with you. The first time you hear it, you'll think, "so basic". But then if you listen again, you're like, "Ok, yeah, it's kinda nice." Then the tune sticks with you and you wanna hear it and can't skip it when it plays! Anyway, it's (16) Ruth B - Always You. Don't think less of me. Just give it a listen and then a week later, listen again and you'll understand!
Finally, the last song left is (21)Paris Paloma - my mind (now). She sang one of my favorite songs from last year, so I try to check out her new stuff from time to time. I really like her song writing and singing style.
What Do You Think?
So what has been your favorite song lately? Got any suggestions for us? We will give it a listen! Of course just cuz our tastes might not be your tastes, that's ok. We all have our own musical preferences. If you want to let us know what you think, or give us some suggestions to listen to the best place to start the conversation is on Facebook, so check us out and tell us what you think!