ILM's Top 77 Tracks of 2014

Most of the people throwing around the "you don't really like pop" accusations don't really like actual pop music either, they like their carefully-constructed version of what they believe pop music to be and nothing else.

I still lack the cynicism to enjoy this with a straight face.

Not sure why you want to enjoy something with a straight face, tbh. I find enjoying things while smiling and laughing is much more pleasurable.

I can't imagine how anyone could've avoided Shakira altogether? You've never heard "Hips Don't Lie"? Or "Whenever, Wherever"?

― Tuomas,

if there's anything we've learned in a decade, it's that there are people who don't listen to the radio for some reason.

LJ what do you think of hot fruit? http://youtu.be/9HAEqvP_Cgw can we talk about this video (Hot Fruit's "Falling off the Grid")

― 龜, Wednesday, January 21, 2015 12:02 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

reader, I voted for them

I dont even have a radio

i'm glad that hot fruit made a good jam

a happy ending all round imo

reader, I voted for them

― telling like hot takes (imago), Wednesday, January 21, 2015 7:18 AM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

Got it *closes book*

Most of the people throwing around the "you don't really like pop" accusations don't really like actual pop music either, they like their carefully-constructed version of what they believe pop music to be and nothing else.

who do you even mean apart from lex

Yes, you know what this thread really needs is me listing a bunch of people who I think are pretentious assholes. That'll help us all out. Great plan, Tim.

Not sure why you want to enjoy something with a straight face, tbh. I find enjoying things while smiling and laughing is much more pleasurable.

― emil.y, Wednesday, January 21, 2015 12:16 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^^^righteous

as to the first part of emil.y's post, I could be coaxed into joining the rumble ;)

I can't imagine how anyone could've avoided Shakira altogether? You've never heard "Hips Don't Lie"? Or "Whenever, Wherever"?

― Tuomas,

if there's anything we've learned in a decade, it's that there are people who don't listen to the radio for some reason.

I havent' really listened to radio since the 90s, and I still managed to hear those tunes all the time! They were pretty ubiquitous: you could hear them on the telly, or the DJ would play them at a club, or some friend would play them at a house party, or someone would link to the parody video of "Hips Don't Lie" on Youtube, etc.

Not sure we'll get a Hot Fruit this year but anyone who liked them might be interested in Ravioli Me Away, who have a similar DIY art-pop ethos but with better songs. Catcall would be a good place to start.

Yes, you know what this thread really needs is me listing a bunch of people who I think are pretentious assholes. That'll help us all out. Great plan, Tim.

― emil.y, Wednesday, January 21, 2015 12:25 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

oh so this is you being diplomatic, soz I misunderstood, carry on.

Ravioli Me Away were quite cute when we listened thru the nominations :)

How can you say that when Hey QT has placed

'Cat Call' was in my top 5 last year, the album is pretty high in my list this year (but I forget exactly where).

This year's Hot Fruitiest nomination was 15 year-old Norfolk schoolgirl duo Let's Eat Grandma - absolutely awesome & I voted for it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ndv1XtiLrU

The Ravioli Me Away album was high in my ballot. They arramazing!

^ cosign ravioli me away - great album
hope it'll place
had similar thoughts for hookworms 2k13 and it was nowhere near

Bands and their names.

I think if you're below a certain age then it's understandable to have not knowingly heard Shakira, she's not really like a Beyonce or Rihanna who is always there in the media, neither does she have three or four hits a year, she tends to wax and wane in the popular consciousness until suddenly she has another global megahit and there hasn't really been one of those for about seven years now.

Not sure what you're taking away from Hot Fruit, lj, but that 15 year-old Norfolk schoolgirl duo don't particularly seem like avant-DIY queer feminists.

the aesthetic has clear similarities imo!

def going to check out Ravioli Me Away again, actually - pressed for time checking out every single nominated album meant too short shrift, altho they were definitely approved of

good morning everyone!!!!

MON/TUES RECAP:

GALLERY OF IMAGES 77-41

77 NICKI MINAJ "Lookin Ass"
76 OWEN PALLETT "Song for Five & Six”
75 TUNE-YARDS "Water Fountain"
74 NINOS DU BRASIL "Sombra da Lua"
73 KING "Mister Chameleon"
72 KATIE GATELY "Pivot"
71 ANA TIJOUX Ft. Shadia Mansour "Somos Sur"
70 USHER "Good Kisser"
69 NICKI MINAJ "Anaconda"
68 DAVIDO "Tchelete" Ft. Mafikizolo
67 RÖYKSOPP & ROBYN "Do It Again"
66 SHAKIRA "Empire"
65 ST. VINCENT "Prince Johnny"
64 DUKE DUMONT "I Got U" Ft. Jax Jones
63 CARIBOU "Silver"
62 AGAINST ME! "FUCKMYLIFE666"
61 HOLLY HERNDON "Chorus"

60 MARK RONSON "Uptown Funk" Ft Bruno Mars
59 JENNIFER LOPEZ "I Luh Ya Papi" Ft French Montana
58 AGAINST ME! "Transgender Dysphoria Blues"
57 NICKI MINAJ "Boss Ass Bitch" ft. PTAF
56 HAIM "If I Could Change Your Mind"
55 MIGOS "YRN" Ft. Young Thug
54 ALVVAYS "Archie, Marry Me"
53 SPOON "Inside Out"
52 D'ANGELO AND THE VANGUARD "Sugah Daddy"
51 FKA TWIGS "Pendulum"
50 QT "Hey QT"
49 KATY PERRY "Dark Horse" Ft. Juicy J
48 JESSIE WARE "Champagne Kisses"
47 ILOVEMAKONNEN "Club Going Up On A Tuesday"
46 RITA ORA "I Will Never Let You Down"
45 APHEX TWIN "Minipops 67 [120.2] (source field mix)"
44 TODD TERJE "Delorean Dynamite"
43 KATY B "Crying For No Reason"
42 SHAMIR "On The Regular"
41 JAVIERA MENA "Otra Era"

http://i.imgur.com/6CL6rrH.jpg

40 GURU "Pooley" [320 points, 8 votes, 3 first place votes]
http://youtu.be/7UPYjg6bQAU

Love the image galleries, gr80. Such good work.

3 number one votes!

^^ Very good. Slightly more dancehall feel to some of the vocals than most Ghanaian music i've heard recently.

xpost Might've been four if I'd submitted a ballot. Had fun watching people figure out how to dance to this on NYE!

enjoying this
liking the backing echo-y pooleys

deej turned me on to this track last summer when he dragged me to this west african party at tiny club with an exquisite sound system

still sounds good on youtube but i really need to make it back to that party to hear this banger in its full glory again

forgot to vote for it

thank you emily!

xxposts

I can't imagine how anyone could've avoided Shakira altogether? You've never heard "Hips Don't Lie"? Or "Whenever, Wherever"?

― Tuomas,

if there's anything we've learned in a decade, it's that there are people who don't listen to the radio for some reason.

I havent' really listened to radio since the 90s, and I still managed to hear those tunes all the time! They were pretty ubiquitous: you could hear them on the telly, or the DJ would play them at a club, or some friend would play them at a house party, or someone would link to the parody video of "Hips Don't Lie" on Youtube, etc.

― Tuomas, Wednesday, January 21, 2015 12:30 PM (20 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yah, don't listen to the radio, no music at work, don't go to clubs/house parties. Oh and I don't have any friends, so unless something is played over some montage at the start of a sporting event chances are I weren't have heard it. My whole ballot was rap.

First time hearing 'Pooley' - works for me. Actually, really enjoying this. And then they drop a super-neat synth ascent in there, yeahhh.

"Pooley" features one of my favorite musical qualities, something I call for lack of a better term "triumphant backup chorus"

Yeah I like this one a lot.

"pooley"! not one of the afrobeats i voted for but very happy to see it here.

as far as i can tell being more than a casual radio listener just means you wind up with stockholm syndrome about unexceptional rita ora and katy perry songs. most times i listen to the radio i end up turning it off when a song i dislike comes on.

if emil.y could actually explain what she means re: "carefully-constructed version of what they believe pop music to be" re: me or anyone then maybe i won't assume she's talking bullshit

Excellent, this is rewind worthy.

Conceptually speaking, QT is catering to an art-sy, intellectual market. And I 'get it' they're not really trying to make a real 'pop' song as they are making some sort of social comment on consumerism and fame and whathaveyou. It's the uncanny valley of pop music. I mean, the artist is supposed to be a soda can ffs. As an art project I get it and think it's sort of cool. But, lets speak about the music:

Musically speaking it seems to me that people that hate modern EDM artists love this. Matt DC made the comparison to Kpop and Vengaboys and Aqua upthread and he's right. There is nothing this song has over say 'Barbie Girl' bar the vocals which personally speaking I find very grating. The song itself isn't poorly written and with less chipmunk-y vocals I would actually enjoy it. The thing that makes me raise my brow is that some people that are saying this is amazing are the same people who generally dislike whatever hyperactive pop hit is playing on the radio because it falls under some made up genre called bubblegum bass and is about a singing soda can or whatever. If you want to enjoy generic EDM that's fine by me, but stay consistent and don't pretend you enjoy this while you dislike other EDM songs that are equally well-written and get a lot of airtime on the radio.

Please don't sully K-pop by comparing that trash to it

As one of the board's biggest Aqua stans, i agree.

99% of what's posted to 2013/2014 k-pop thread sounds nothing like QT to my ears.

tbh i'm glad everyone is delving deep into my psyche to explain exactly why i like pc music because i really can't be bothered.

some people that are saying this is amazing are the same people who generally dislike whatever hyperactive pop hit is playing on the radio

Who? I mean, 'Barbie Girl' is pretty fun but it's very very different - for one thing, it's got a pretty maximal sound, whereas 'Hey QT' is completely stripped down. They don't sound anything like each other. I guess the people who keep saying "if you don't like Aqua you have no right to like QT" (which is a ridiculous thing to say anyway, people can like whatever the fuck they want without having to tick off yr bullshit criteria first) actually believe that Aqua are bad and are somehow trying to shame us into no longer liking QT? But that doesn't work because Aqua aren't bad.

Also, yeah, most K-pop sounds nothing like this either?! Do you guys actually ever listen to K-pop? You should, there's a bunch of good stuff.

Lol tim

tbf you could scroll up & see who 'most of the ppl throwing "you don't like pop" accusations' are

I agree it's prob a bogus assertion tho

http://i.imgur.com/FwbgzC5.jpg

39 D'ANGELO AND THE VANGUARD "Prayer" [320 points, 12 votes]
http://youtu.be/pQ6ADCTmaNA

http://pix.iemoji.com/sbemojix2/0803.png

k-pop barely has the same sonix and that's before you even get to the persona aspect

pc music certainly play on ideas of "cutesiness" that are pretty hackneyed, it feels like they're trying to be kawaii or something though

uncanny valley of pop

This label works for me - ties in a bit with the ironic or not fetish for "bad" CGI aesthetics in recent years if not the last 20 (including in lots of music I like). There's too much celebrating of intentionally crude digital aesthetics for me (it's cheaper and quicker tho eh).

why would anyone ever bring up how terrible HEY QT would go over on a dancefloor as an argument against it? it's called PC music for a reason smdh