ILM's Top 77 Tracks of 2020

could we refrain from posting embedded YouTubes in this thread as a courtesy to folks without a high-speed internet connection?

Sorry forks, I'm usually good at doing this but I just didn't think.

no worries em, just noting for the poll going forward!

After a 2018 album debut that left a lasting impact on the EU/UK pop soul scene, Jorja Smith has found repeated success pursuing a diverse (and no doubt profitable) pathway of collaborations, soundtrack singles and one-off detour projects. The latest of these is her contribution to the nth Blue Note Records catalog cover collection, "Blue Note Re:imagined," with her rework of French producer St Germain’s "Rose Rouge." Both versions follow in the footsteps of Blue Note’s premiere female vocalist, Marlena Shaw.

https://i.imgur.com/pffJx1v.png
#61: Jorja Smith - “Rose Rouge” - 152 points - 5 votes
video

Rolling Jazz Thread 2020

nashwan at 7:12 25 Jan 21
Godspeed You! Black Emperor / Mykki Blanco
collabs I would endure

Read this as Matt Bianco, would certainly be a difficult collaboration.

the tim f effect

Until we’re back, here’s your daily reminder that you can catch up on anything you might’ve missed on the 77 Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/09YV3JA0jtWYT8rick6b14

And here’s our list so far:

#61: Jorja Smith - “Rose Rouge” - 152 points - 5 votes
#62: Dagny - “Somebody” - 152 points - 4 votes
#63: YOU’LL MELT MORE - “Surpriser!” - 151 points - 6 votes
#64: Victoria Monét - “Jaguar” - 150 points - 6 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#65: Reece Madlisa and Zuma with Mr JazziQ and Busta 929 - “Jazzidisciples (Zlele)” - 150 points - 5 votes
#66: Thundercat - “Dragonball Durag” - 148 points - 5 votes
#67: Khruangbin - “Time (You and I)” - 148 points - 4 votes
#68: Avalon Emerson - “Rotting Hills” - 147 points - 5 votes
#69 (tie): Cleo Sol - “When I’m in Your Arms” - 146 points - 4 votes
#69 (tie): Disclosure with Fatoumata Diawara - “Douha (Mali Mali)” - 146 points - 4 votes
#71: Taylor Swift - “Cardigan” - 145 points - 5 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote
#72: Susanne Sundfør - “When the Lord” - 144 points - 6 votes
#73: Headie One with AJ Tracey and Stormzy - “Ain’t It Different” - 144 points - 5 votes
#74: Westerman - “Blue Comanche” - 138 points - 5 votes
#75 (tie): BENEE with “Gus Dapperton” - “Supalonely” - 136 points - 4 votes
#75 (tie): Destroyer - “Cue Synthesizer” - 136 points - 4 votes
#77: Jessie Ware - “What’s Your Pleasure?” - 134 points - 4 votes - 1 #1 Track Vote

Supriser! sounds like Bis got back together.

I love Jorja Smith but genuinely had no idea she had new work out this year. This is great.

i didn't vote for the jorja smith (only one of my songs has placed!!!! wow!!!) but what a track

Good first day. Two votes made it in so far. Also, discovered two tracks I hope I never again in my life.

xp Oh wait, apparently Bis did get back together!

good song that I overlooked a little cuz I wasn't wild about the rest of the comp

Supriser! sounds like Bis got back together.

otm and a welcome comparison

i love "Be Honest" and "Come Over" but not heard this. Jorja's a ledge

I prefer St Germain’s version just for nostalgic reasons, but I love how this cover does it’s own thing since it’s not loop based. Drumming is definitely an improvement.

I had 2 of my votes place, as well as 2 others on my longlist, but all 4 of those songs were among the first 6 revealed.

I'm assuming the Scottish Bis was meant upthread. Would like a BiS/Bis collaboration, plz.

I only know the Scottish one. Who's the other? (google search is impossible lol)

this Jorja Smith one is really nice, one of the few I've dug out of today's lot

I forgot to vote.

Jpop Bis!

Rina Sawayama’s ‘Dance in the Dark’ keeps coming on after every last track in the playlist and I keep getting excited that it’s placed.

Can’t remember my final ballot but Westerman, Cleo Sol, Victoria Monet and Jorja Smith are definitely amongst my favorite songs of the year.

The amapiano song was new for me and also loved it.

Drumming is definitely an improvement.

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Monday, January 25, 2021 2:23 PM (four minutes ago)

just in case you don't already know, it's the Ezra Collective's drummer Femi Koleoso

jorja smith track is cool

wow, this jorja tune!! best thing to place so far

I definitely meant Scottish Bis!

I forgot to vote.

― meticulously crafted, socially responsible, morally upsta (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, January 25, 2021 1:27 PM (twelve minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

happens to all of us, eventually

I was the #1 for Jaguar.
Rose Rouge too low !
Very surprised at Jazzidisciples placing, just realized Busiswa has a cameo in the clip, now I really have my hopes up to see John Vuli Gate (not really but I did vote for it).
So far excellent discoveries in Rotting Hills and When the Lord. Also pleased with Blue Comanche.
As always ILM has some real clunkers thrown in... usually all the way to the top 10.

I generally like every song so far. I think the only two songs I don't get are the ones by Taylor Swift - whose alleged charm continues to evade me - and You'll Melt More which I can't see myself enjoying under any context - well, maybe for lols - but I'm very glad it exists and gets a chance in this poll.

Does Taylor Swift usually sound like Lana Del Rey ? They seem to occupy the same space. That continuous slow crescendo towards the end of 'Cardigan' makes me want to shoot someone.

I don't hear LDR in Swift at all. She's never languid.

you can tell them apart because Taylor is more self-centered

There are individual Taylor tracks on the last few albums that I think you can tell she's been listening to LDR, but they're so different in affect, approach and style that it would be hard (tho not impossible) to even write a hot-take thinkpiece pairing them.

lol xp

still happily stuck in the afterparty vibe of “Rotting Hills” here

I don’t hear any real similarity (but I don’t spend any time listening to LDR).

Havent really listened to this song in particularly, but I feel like you can hear some Lana influence on some of her songs going back as far as Wildest Dreams from 1989.

Rose Rouge is great -- it exactly has what someone above says (and I agree) the Dagny track lacks -- specificity. From twenty feet away this sounds like a lot of other stuff, but when you listen to this particular song there are just lots of weird little crags in it that make it itself. Favorite find of the rollout so far.

the Dagny track sounds like Carly Rae Jepsen with all the personality sucked out

could we refrain from posting embedded YouTubes in this thread as a courtesy to folks without a high-speed internet connection? It's gonna be a 2000+ post thread fast so the faster we can get it to load the better.

Not really comparable, but as a sort of bridge between St. Germain and Jorja Smith I recommend fans of the Jorja Smith track to listen to Movementt by Emma-Jean Thackray as well. It didn't make the nominations but I think it has a good house/jazz fusion as well.

btw, no one has called the proper single artist/two song combo for the tie at 78 as of yet

Blue Comanche sounds like Running Up That Hill.

― tangenttangent, maandag 25 januari 2021 18:13

oooh am digging "Rotting Hills."

― meticulously crafted, socially responsible, morally upsta (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), maandag 25 januari 2021 18:15

lovely sequencing

xp

So, we’ve ruled out Swift, Ware, Dylan and Dua Lipa?

Is it a former or present ILXer?

I expected the digs at Dagny not reinventing the wheel but a couple of spins in and I think most people will be hooked on its porcelain sugar high, liking it or not. It had a modest commercial start, but ended up the #1 Norwegian airplay hit of 2020, slowly eating away at initial resistance (and Dagny also had the #2)

my guess for #78 is oneohtrix point never

That Jorja Smith song interpretation is so great. The flow & vibe are totally mesmerising. The drums somehow remind me of Kruder & Dorfmeister. Grand cru. I also loved the Westerman which indeed made me think of a new Arthur Russell track. Thanks.

That Jorja Smith song is fantastic.