ILM's Top 77 Tracks of 2019

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42: Samthing Soweto feat. Sha Sha, DJ Maphorisa & Kabza De Small - “Akulaleki” - 237 points - 7 votes - 1 number 1 vote
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rolling Afropop / Afrobeats / Afrodance 2019

The Singles Jukebox

“So intimate and restless, this is a conceptual triumph. Never overselling or overstretching itself, it confidently invites being boiled  down to those two words, all that are needed to describe a kernel of sensation left to simmer by the quartet behind it. Neither Shasha or Samthing Soweto force the issue — both breathy, but languorously so — and their separation is in the lyrics as much as the structure as much as the delivery. Everything fits, and it makes music seem easy.” -Scott Mildenhall

unexpected! i'm delighted

Nice! though I can't remember if I voted for this (I def voted for other Samthing appearances)

breastcrawl has, surprisingly belatedly, entered the building

some of my favorite songs back to back

not the Sun-elcore track I voted for but a lovely one

This is nice.

every LDR song is TOO HIGH. tried the Weyes Blood album but it was a little over mannered for my liking. Rufus Wainwright vibes. but maybe i need to persevere.

the samthing album was gorgeous, was tough for me to pick out individual highlights tho (except omama bomthandazo <3 ). i've also been trying to figure out if his name is a pun.

if you think Weyes Blood is too mannered, try viewing her as a 70s psych-prog true believer with a sideline in medieval music studies rather than a modern popstar - it might start to make more sense. also check out the earlier albums

Great album this

I voted for 'Movies'. Definitely the highlight of that album for me. Also my most listened to track of 2019 according to that year end spotify thing.

TOO LOW!

I'm fearing that this will be the only South African house to place :(

I think that fear will be answered fairly emphatically

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41: Rema - “Dumebi” - 243 points - 8 votes - 1 number 1 vote
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rolling Afropop / Afrobeats / Afrodance 2019

The Singles Jukebox

“In the lyric video for this song, the second line of the chorus just says “(VIBE)” which is hilarious but also illustrative of why this song works so well. It’s not about Rema’s lyrics where he switches between Yoruba, Igbo and Nigerian Pidgin and largely makes no sense, but rather about how he dribbles around the beat with ease and demonstrates a musicality that other artists struggle to match. Afrobeats is often criticised for having little to no meaningful lyrical content — which is true if you stick to radio and club bangers. But the reason the world is (finally) sitting up and paying attention is that artists like Rema continue to push, expand, and complicate the genre by taking risks on unusual productions like this one, with its gospel chord progressions and warm reverbs, and use their performances to elevate the beat and create an experience within the song instead of just window-dressing it. Rema is going to be big, Ozedikus Nwanne is going to be big, Afrobeats is taking over. Don’t get left behind.” -Anjy Ou

“Divine Ikubor is 19 years old, has only officially released 20 minutes of music, but is by far the most exciting artist out of Nigeria right now. His two EPs showcase a magnetic charm that is bolstered by an impressive versatility. While rap fans should be flocking to “American Love,” a song that sounds like Lil Baby doing Uzi Vert’s baby voice, it’s Ikubor’s breakout hit “Dumebi” that rightfully deserves all the love. Producer Ozedikus lays down a slick arrangement of diaphanous synth chords and timely horn stabs, and Ikubor rides its luxurious groove to sell the lyric’s romantic intentions. There’s a warmth to how he delivers the titular girl’s name twice, as if he’s entranced just by saying it: Dumebi, Du-me-bi.” -Joshua Minsoo Kim

oh this is fucking awesome! i couldn't fit this song on my ballot and i felt real bad about it!

Ooh don't know this one.

Discovered Akulaleki too late but man what a tune.

excellent work voters

was puzzled by rema's fader cover, then went back and listened to his eps. and then watched his colors episode. and then listened to dumebi over and over.

didn't vote for it, though. what a year.

as far as sa house goes i'd be surprised if "into ingawe" doesn't show up too

This too is nice.

I couldn't fit "baby, are you coming" on my ballot but kind of assumed that was a lock too?

the fader is generally pretty puzzling now tbf

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40: Underworld & The Necks - “Appleshine Continuum” - 244 points - 9 votes - 1 number 1 vote

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New Necks

lmao i voted for "custard speedtalk" which i assume we won't see but: welcome to the drift ilm

Nap time

ah we were lacking an album-length entry

really the best 47 minutes of music i heard all year if we're being real

huh somehow I missed the Necks involvement in this Underworld thing

They released too much for me to keep up with, but this stood out.

One of the best tracks on the best episode of Drift.

Argh, trying to catch up here. Charlotte Adigery is definitely my discovery of the poll, really love that second track posted too.

sweet I have the top comment on that video

This isn't bad, but 47 minutes?? I guess I have to listen to it still due to self-imposed rules.

^^^ the ILM equivalent of 'First'.

xp

That's nothing compared to the Bieberpocalypse from a few years back.

There's a 47-minute Bieber track?

and yeah I think "Custard Speedtalk" was my #1, I think there's an outside chance we see it today

xp yeah, the 800% slowed down Bieber track made the 77

In any case I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Frogbs for making it a bit easier to cherry pick through these Underworld cahiers.

Ah yes, that rings a bell.

And keeps on ringing.

:D

would be nice if "custard speedtalk" showed up too though "appleshine continuum" was my vote. the highs from drift were really really high

What's an appleshine continuum btw.

Pretty sure you need to be really really high to listen to it all the way through.

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39: Carly Rae Jepsen - “Want You In My Room” - 247 points - 7 votes

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Carly Rae Jepsen • Dedicated

The Singles Jukebox

“” Want You In My Room” is the worst kind of song to write about: so self-evidently joyful and skilled in every aspect (those synths!! that sax solo!!) that it’s hard to point at any one thing to analyze. Is it enough to just say that the song is the best execution of crush pop in the catalog of an artist who is the queen of crush pop? Is it enough to say that I listen to the song in the shower and my morning walk to class? Is it enough to say that this song (and really, the whole starting run of Dedicated) is an excellent soundtrack to a roadtrip with the one you love? I don’t know, and I don’t quite know how to express how good it is that Carly Rae Jepsen is around and making music like this, but I hope this helps.” - Jacob Sujin Kuppermann

““Want You In My Room” might be Carly Rae Jepsen at her horniest, but it’s also Jack Antonoff at his least restrained, together making something that’s thrillingly giddy. Carly Rae Jepsen drops some of those thinly disguised hints for more straight-forward temptations, coming across as intense where Dedicated erred more towards tepid. There’s still room for coyness, with the distorted “want you in my room” bashfully buried in the mix and the way Jepsen’s voice brazenly glides across the instrumental on the line “slide on through my window.” But most importantly, “Want You In My Room” feels completely uninhibited and absolutely freeing as Carly Rae Jepsen delivers any line with as much of a wink as she desires.” - Michael Hong

:D

It's like she hacked Brad's brain before writing this one lol