ILM's Top 77 Tracks of 2012

tim f (obv) absolutely nailed "matte black truck" in his thread:

"Matte Black Truck" starts innocently (even ignorably) enough, but quickly amasses by accretion a kind of sonic and emotional largesse and complexity that is rarely found in combination in 2012 R&B, and a kind of ambivalence that is even more rarely pulled off so successfully - are the synths squealing or groaning? is the beat bouncing or lurching? is Kalenna declaring love or war? It's this uncertainty that makes the song so addictive, and it's riven with it: "you the motherfucker I need", Kalenna sings blankly, "put it on me / I ain't got time for games / you could put the freeze on me / get on your knees / n*gga put this ring on me." No straightforward promises of devotion, just commands that sound like menacing threats, or threats that sound like seductive commands. "If you leave I'm a crank Wu-Tang in my matte black truck, in my matte black truck / I'm a keep my red cup filled up, in my matte black truck, in my matte black truck" - a premonition of suicide, or a fantasy of resuming control? For Kalenna it's necessarily both, and the choice to frame the chorus and the song itself around a vehicle representing both freedom and danger is hardly coincidental - it's the fact that you never know what’s going to happen, what the fuck girl will do, that makes "Matte Black Truck" so enthralling.

I can't believe these things are placing so high with only 9 votes? Is that normal?

Last year there was a 9-pointer at #24 (Nyan Cat).

last year the #38 only got six votes (2NE1)

LL I imagine once we hit top 10 vote numbers are going to skyrocket

Nyan Cat!

I was gonna confess to being the person who put Matte Black Truck at number 1, but then I remembered that I submitted an unordered list. It's number 1 in my heart.

http://i.imgur.com/Ak3ObKP.png

35. KANYE WEST FT. BIG SEAN, PUSHA T & 2 CHAINZ "Mercy" [286 points, 12 votes]

Spotify / Youtube

mercy was def a track i wasn't feeling initially but i'm cool with it being the big classic rap single from 2012

ditto

same

it was good to hear in communal settings

didn't vote for it though

mercy was probably the track that made me feel most okay that big sean is a presence that's not gonna go away for a while

i see j0rdan's big sean (and pusha t) shade in the choice of image :)

assquake

i'm in hell

It's ok -- I was just feeling like a fringe weirdo, which I should be used to by now!

that's a helluva opening verse #asstate

lol xp

that has to be a poll already right?

i like all the people on this song but i don't really like the song at all

The chorus of 'Matte Black Truck' is great.

That Rihanna remix is hilarious.

Not mad keen on 'Mercy'.

wish they had put somebody else besides kanye on the breakdown but I suppose it just helps to highlight 2 chainz' verse better

oh haha i forgot it goes all final fantasy for kanye's verse

I never listened to any of the Kanye/et al stuff this year, so I'm hearing Mercy for the first time. Pretty dull.

Save us, Johnny Fever!

who's doing the chanting on this?

this is kind of fucking amazing

Not feeling any of the run today. (Important opinion for you all, there.)

The Funkystepz remix of this one bangs as well btw.

big sean xp

mercy should be higher, seems like a definitive 2012 track

thx dayo

with it being the big classic rap single from 2012

^_^

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━ɔısnɯ dɐɹ━┻)

!

coincidentally, "niggas in paris" also placed at #35 in last year's poll ("mercy" is nowhere near as good though)

I heard "Mercy" everywhere in Thailand (also Pitbull's version of "We No Speak Americano"), I suspect because it sounds like Thai ladies having an argument at the market.

there's at least one rap song still to come, maybe 4 at most

the location where they filmed that kind of makes the video

THRIFT SHOP #1

there must be more than 4. what do u think they will be al?

ca$hin out, at least?

also 'gangnam style' ; )

'Amen', I hope.

Given the vote splitting and low placing of most of the Nicki tracks it's quite possible that Kendrick could miss the top 77 altogether.

http://i.imgur.com/GEQXroR.png

34. CHIEF KEEF FT. LIL REESE "I Don't Like" [291 points, 11 votes, 1 first place vote]

Spotify / Youtube

wahey

Can't wait for alex in mainhattan to weigh in on this.

If "Amen" doesn't make it I will be rampaging.

imo the most likely rap songs still to come, in descending order: turn on the lights, swimming pools, gangnam style, bitch don't kill my vibe, i don't like, cartoon & cereal, reagan, rack city uhh that's it

ha xpost

ha i had just posted this and got xp'd

i'd imagine at least one of the chief keef singles nom'd would place...

My #3. Triumphant.