ILM's Top 77 Tracks of 2014

I can't stand her voice on this

i had no idea shakira released new music this year!!!! this is good!

"Empire" was the first of my votes to place, it's just gorgeously over-the-top! And I just love how she phrases "and the stars make love to the universe".

i like this.

That Royksopp and Robyn track is just so unbelievably rote, like there were literally dozens if not hundreds of tracks in that vein clogging up MP3 blogs in 05-06. Like surely everyone who likes that sort of stuff has so many records like that already? And the lyrics... it seems to underestimate its audience to an almost insulting degree.

Yeah, that Beanie Man track is terrific.

Lol this was unexpected

Had no idea this Shakira song was so popular. Was the album any good?

Empire was on my long list but didn't make the cut. Belting track!

really enjoying the images so far btw. Usher looks so pleased to be at #70

this shakira is amazing, perfect "should have been a hit" pop jam u can depend on ilx for catching for you

Yeah but conversely I spent too much time on ilx last year so why am I just now knowing about this smh ilx

I'm with crut, this is the first thing so far I really dislike.

so glad that the Reverend has discovered Ninos Du Brasil

― some kind of terrible IDM with guitars (sleeve), Monday, January 19, 2015 7:18 AM Bookmark

yeah, this is totally aimed at me.

love "empire". it sounded especially great following that rihanna duet, which was such an ungainly attempt at a hit.

I got over my thing about Shakira's voice a number of years ago, so it doesn't even phase me now.

http://i.imgur.com/xsg1fr0.jpg

74 NINOS DU BRASIL "Sombra da Lua" [210 points, 6 votes]
http://youtu.be/VO5BOLIV2S4

― gr8080, Monday, January 19, 2015 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Awesome how the video is based on Limite. I always wanted to catch a screening of it.

I was wondering about where the footage was from. Looks like an interesting film.

So far Usher is the only thing I voted for. It was way high on my ballot and I'm shocked it's so low here. Like it's the type of thing I would expect to do better here than on P&J? It some how manages to pull this balancing act of being very minimalist while still being ridiculously crammed with hooks, like every beat and vocal tic in the song is pitched for maximum impact. Tuomas otm about the drums-as-hook.

It was such an anthem for me and my gf this summer, like we'd be walking around Brooklyn and one of us would randomly break out singing it or even just the beat to each other. Also DJing, it's been my favorite song recently to slow things back down at the end of the night after faster stuff. People hear that first bass/drum beat and instantly know what it is. Easily my favorite song he's done since Confessions.

Shakira track sounds like a poor stab at a little earthquakes era tori amos outtake; I am not feeling this. sorta discards what makes shakira special amongst the grandiose production; why you wanna put a yodeller on and then drown her out with all kinda sci-fi marching music. Was this on a soundtrack for hunger games or interstellar or something?

Do It Again/Monument were big for me this year, generally while jogging. I prefer Monument over DIA but perfectly happy to have this here.

Tchelete is def one of the tracks I only caught through ILX which is as good a reason to stay plugged into this forum as any. this also reminds me I need to get caught up on the early returns of the afrobeats 2015 thread.

That beenie man take over the "beng beng riddim" is excellent; would take that over Usher seven days a week

"do it again" <<<<<< "monument" which i voted for (highly) [also ep version is far preferable to the inevitable end version]

i like "empire", nice 2 see it place

TS: "and the stars make love to the universe / and you touch me / and I'm like / WOOOOOOOOOAHHOOOOOOOO" vs "she looks so perfect standing there / in my american apparel underwear / and I know now / that I'm so down"

i think monument may still place

http://i.imgur.com/L1wH2cr.jpg

65 ST. VINCENT "Prince Johnny" [230 points, 8 votes]
http://youtu.be/idllxjHbX7w

[also ep version is far preferable to the inevitable end version]

hi-five

how many of these per day are we doin' btw

It was between this and Digital Witness for my one St. Vincent vote. This won.

To 61 today I hear

as nonplussed by this as ever

17 today, 20 on T, W and TH.

77-61 today
60-41 tuesday
40-21 wednesday
20-1 thursday

why you wanna put a yodeller on and then drown her out with all kinda sci-fi marching music

What "sci-fi marching music"? Sounds like regular rock drums to me, and fairly subdued strings... The orchestration on "Empire" is actually quite simple for such a huge tune, certainly it doesnt "drown" her vocals, and I don't think it'd work if it just followed the ballady part in the beginning in all the way through; this is Momentous Pop Music, it requires those big feelings.

"Prince Johnny" sounds pretty cool, the combination of moody synths and trad pop melodicism reminds me of Marc Almond... Except that I hate that weird hi-hat sound that pervades it, the one that sounds like a screwed-and-chopped hamster fart, whoever thought that kind of synth drum was a good idea for a tune like this?

st vincent

sorry, anybody else I'd know when a question was rhetorical

Love this song. It's just so beautiful.

"monument" is definitely better than i remember it being (i remember it being boring, which it is kinda, but right now i'm enjoying how sleepy and inviting it is)

this was my St Vincent vote. she's great.

King: I totally forgot about this song and I stan for them so hard. It's nice, I guess? Their other songs have been better.

Katie Gately: This is the kind of thing that's interesting to listen to once but I'm never going to put it on again.

Ana Tijoux: Yeah, this is good! The horns, the anti-colonial politics. I like.

Anaconda: I maintain my stance that this is fun and has some good ideas until it becomes a total mess halfway through but the former wins out.

Davido: This is cool but I feel like don't love Naija-pop because it's too focused on mid-range. When I listen to this I'm just waiting some heavy bass to appear the whole time.

Robyn/Royksopp: What boring people. This is better than that song they did together that placed a few years ago but as others have said, it just feels so rote. This kind of tidy euro stuff was much more cute a decade ago. Really good video though.

Shakira: I had no idea she released music this year. This is very 90s alt-pop! Which is funnily kind of full circle for her, just not what I'd expect her to be doing at this point.

St. Vincent: This evokes no reaction from me whatsoever.

'monument' is incredible driving music imo

Davido: This is cool but I feel like don't love Naija-pop because it's too focused on mid-range. When I listen to this I'm just waiting some heavy bass to appear the whole time.

^^feeling this. still a good track and i'm happy to have discovered it

love her guitar playing, couldn't give a hoot for her songs so ah i dunno

st unconvincent basically

drums are so stiff and muted on that st. vincent record idk

I'm not quite that hardline on St. Vincent. She's usually good for between 2-4 keeper songs on each album, but for the most part I just admire her gitfiddle skills.

i've listened to this st. vincent track three times and i still don't know what it sounds like except i don't like it

^^feeling this. still a good track and i'm happy to have discovered it

― gr8080, Monday, January 19, 2015 11:23 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Oh absolutely, I'm just trying to suss out why I like not love this type of stuff when it seems otherwise so squarely pitched at me.

I've listened to it 0 times and feel the same xp

ouch! xps to NickB

i think she's a very admirable artist overall, i'm happy for her success (even though i'm not a huge fan)

"st unconvincent" lol