Secondhand Setlists

The song of the century is “American Boy” – that is not an opinion, it is a fact. 

Objectively, this list includes my favorite 100 songs and 100 albums of the decade. Taking a cue from the Singles Jukebox, the song blurbs are quick and quippy, much more entertaining for you to understand what I like. You can usually tell which are my favorite faves if their length is longer, but you’ll miss some hits if you ignore the short ones. I’d rather you see what these songs make me feel and why I enjoy them rather than examine the merits that make them “the best.”

Before you get started, here are 10 songs from the 2000s you possibly overlooked:

• “If I Ever Feel Better” Phoenix
• “Shake It To The Ground” Blaqstarr, Rye Rye
• “Abracadabra” Brown Eyed Girls
• “Know You Now” Amy Winehouse
• “When the Sun Goes Down” Arctic Monkeys
• “We’re Always Searching” I Am Ghost
• “S.E.X.” Nadia Oh
• “Hey Mami” Fannypack
• “Labor Day” The Black Eyed Peas
• “Feedback” Janet Jackson

Songs

“1UL” Danny L Harle – Of all the PC Music affiliates out there, Danny L Harle always delivers the best movers. Up against equally earworm-y “Broken Flowers” and “Ashes of Love”, this still flies miles higher.

“4 Walls” f(x) – K-pop goes garage; it works so well that even K-pop detractors can’t resist it.

“All the Ways Love Can Feel” Maxwell – Expansive and avant-garde, this song sounds like a full-body experience.

“Alone” Sistar – Brave Brothers (who worked with YG, another fave on this list) outsold here. Plus, the Smells remix is equally fantastic.

“American Girl” Bonnie McKee – The pop market of the early 2010s exists largely because of Bonnie McKee. “American Girl” further cements her knack for enormous, bombastic pop, but it hints of the cracks in its foundation.

“Be Who I Want 2 B” Namie Amuro ft. Hatsune Miku – An emerging UK producer, a J-Pop icon, and a virtual popstar collide in the studio. Here, we see SOPHIE shaping music’s landscape in the world’s second-largest music market. Namie Amuro, who would retire three years later, fortifies her legacy as a free spirit and trendsetter who shifted Japanese culture over the course of her immense career. Last but not least, Hatsune Miku directs gazes to the future, where smart technology provides and is the entertainment. Straightforward, forward-thinking, and undeniably familiar, “Be Who I Want 2 B” asserts the agency of all three by playing to strengths and stories of its players. You hear it in the cheers of “Immaterial” and see it in Amuro’s redefining of single motherhood in her home country. Its playfulness belies its depth, but who says seriousness can’t be fun?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO4faIIpTeE

“Best Mistake” Eyedi – This song does for me what I assume “Into You” does for everyone else. Where that song is crowded, “Best Mistake” is subtle and undulating, allowing Eyedi to release her tension. Just a hell of a chorus.

“BFF” Slayyyter ft. Ayesha Erotica – Flip phones, David Guetta, and Juicy Couture come back into vogue.

“BIPP” Sophie – Lives up to the promise of its chorus. Take the plunge.

“Blah Blah Blah” Kesha – Though shadowed over by a certain nefarious producer, Kesha’s early career succeed because of her charisma on tracks like this. “Tik Tok”, “Sleazy”, and “Take It Off” showcase a woman with a remarkable gift for hooks, imagery, and attitude. “Blah Blah Blah” just does it the best.

“Blow” Beyoncé – “Countdown” shows genius, “Partition” shows daring, “Formation” shows vision, and “Blow” shows fun being had. As important and impactful it is to incorporate politics or innovation to their work, artists are just like everyone else – they are their most pleasant, easygoing, and confident selves when having fun. “I can’t waaaaiit” Beyoncé croons, eager to get up to a bit of physical activity. Pharrell Williams, a stellar Beyoncé collaborator, proves his mettle here with a groovy guitar.

 “Bom Bom” Danny L Harle ft. Tkay Maidza – Both Maidza and Harle do so much from verse-to-verse you’ll never not be surprised with a listen.

“Boom” Le1f – Bolstered by its equally fantastic video, “Boom” makes a grand and loud gesture to get your attention.

“Bother Me” Lizzo – Glitchy hip-hop that evolves into a pitch-shifted “Hide and Seek”.  People who call Lizzo talentless have never heard this or Big Grrl Small World.

“Brave New World” Brown Eyed Girls – More than just a top-tier K-pop group, Brown Eyed Girls are one of the best pop groups in general. Verses, talent, and solo careers all divvy up pretty evenly between each member, though Ga In admittedly resides in a celebrity all her own. She, Jea, and Narsha all can carry a tune, and Miryo more than handles her MC duties. In the past decade, they’ve given fans country, retro big band, and symphonic metal with equal parts vision and innovation. “Brave New World” checks all the usual boxes (big voices, sensuality, a tease of queerness) and channels them through a wondrous disco number. You shouldn’t really stan anyone, but stanning Brown Eyed Girls is understandable.

“Brillo” J Balvin ft. Rosalía – Brilliant without the highlighter.

“California Gurls” Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg – The single that began Teenage Dream’s reign of ubiquity, “California Gurls” gives not a single fuck that words like “greener” and “water” share no rhyme scheme. Instead, Perry simply uses her distinct enunciation to suit her purpose, which was and ended up becoming world domination. 

“Catwalk” Jaye Naima – Catwoman on the runway – sleek, mischievous, definitely capable of kicking ass.

“Clear Air” Sevdaliza – A captivating mix of clacking percussion, dissonant synths, and Sevdaliza’s rumbling contralto.

“Cold to the Touch” Ralph – Figure-skating made sonic.

“Crown on the Ground” Sleigh Bells – The Bling Ring, and by extension Pretty Wild, left significant marks on the early half of the decade. Whether you consider said marks to be blemishes or milestones is up to you, but the figures central to their stories don’t care. “Crown on the Ground” also doesn’t care about what you think, and if you had any sense you’d know it’s telling you to pick up your face.

“Crown” Sammus – “If you’ve ever fought a boss, put your hands up” and put this song on. Chances are you might hear one of those bosses namechecked here.

“Devour” Little Simz – Do not get in Little Simz’s way.

“Diamonds” Georgio Morodor ft. Charli XCX – A forgotten gem, no pun intended.

“Express Yourself” Diplo & Nicky Da B – RIP to Nicky, who started our decade off with a bang(er).

“Fembot” Robyn – Spice up any workout, party, or joyride with this masterclass in metaphors.

“Fill Me Up” Aseul – Take a walk to this song on a sunny day.

“Get Away” The Internet – Where the fuck is Ego Death on all these Decades-End lists????

“Get Some” Lykke Li – A rallying cry from the one in charge.

“Get To Steppin’” Junglepussy – Made the list for the sheer number of one-liners alone: “Got Carfax on your latest boo,” “Neck so good like he playin’ the violin”, “Do you only act up ‘cause you hate me ignoring you?” By the time she finishes, her target has ceased to exist.

“Ghosts” Royal-T, DJ Q, Flava D, P Money – This song has been “in charge” ever since it came out three years ago.

“Got Paid” Katy B ft. Wiley & Zinc – Katy B’s Danger EP contains four basically perfect songs; this is just one of them.

“Greedy” Ariana Grande – Close to the hyper-produced, retro-minded productions that are popular in K-Pop except this time it is Ariana Grande.

“helpline” Mura Masa ft. Tom Tripp – Each part of the song, the verses, the prechorus, the chorus, sounds different, from the production to the vocals. A cry for help given by someone who sounds like they don’t need it.

“Hyperreal” Flume – The next stage in human evolution – or just a very vivid candy-flip.

“I’m Not Dancing” Tirzah – Well we are.

“I’m Sorry” (Japanese Ver.) Gummy ft. T.O.P. – The vocalists do their jobs well here, but the instrumental is the song’s crowning glory. Many K-pop songs, particularly After School’s, capture the same, hazy nostalgia like no other genre. When searching, I found a full 11+ minute version with extended instrumentals. This is what dreams are made of.

“If You’re Never Gonna Move” Jessie Ware – Wisps in and out with the coyness of a fresh crush.

“Infrared” Little Boots, Cyril Hahn – A decade into her career, Little Boots produces some of her finest songwriting. “Under your gaze, I’m magnified,” naked and vulnerable to her partner’s attention, too much to bear but too vital to lose. Little Boots, more confident than ever in her material, uses it to address the areas she’s still exploring, lending her observations additional gravity as well as musicality.

“Instant Crush” Daft Punk ft. Julian Casablancas – A remarkably effective ballad that dispels the notion synthetic vocal tricks can’t convey emotion.

“Island Hopping” Bok Bok – Dolphins would love this song.

“Jasmine” Jai Paul – Eerie and erotic, “Jasmine” accomplishes so much in a single song. For this alone, Jai Paul deserved all the hype that would eventually push him out of the spotlight for many years.

“Kill V Maim” Grimes – Imperialism wins this round.

“La Joya” Javiera Mena – If I ever owned and operated a beach resort, this song would play in the late morning and in the mid-to-late afternoon. “La Joya” is brilliant and fleeting, as are most of the great things in life. Enjoy them to their fullest (volume).

“Larme a Gauche” Vendredi Sur Mer – This is my Bond theme when I start over as a world-class hacker and espionage agent.

“Leave Me Alone” Kaytranada ft. Shay Lia – Kaytranada delivers exactly what he does best, a thumping, minimal beat, and lets Shay Lia get some feelings off her chest. Not a kiss off, “Leave Me Alone” is a flat out rejection, and one that doesn’t always come easy, but by God does it feel good to imagine delivering it to those who fucked you over.

 “Lies” Felix Snow ft. SZA – “Overworked and underloved” SZA cries; this song is also underloved.

“Like A G6” Far East Movement ft. Dev – I recently requested this song at a party and the DJ later told the host that I had the “best request of the evening.”

“Little Bit of This” GTA ft. Vince Staples – A year before Vince Staples brought his material to the dancefloor, he put his whole foot into this.

“LMK” Kelela – A club rumbler about potential post-club rumbling.

“Lose My Cool” Amber Mark – Pianos give way to a groovy beat and that voice, one of the best and most eloquent to emerge in the past few years. If there’s someone I’m excited to see in the ‘20s, it’s Amber Mark.

“Love” iLoveMakonnen ft. Rae Sremmurd – “Love” isn’t saying anything new but it certainly sounds new here. That’s enough for me.

“Lovin’ is Bible” The Aces – Great metaphors, great chorus. Worthy of worship, this one.

“Lush Life” Zara Larsson – Zara Larsson has some diehards out there, and this song is a justifiable reason for why.

“Luxury” Azealia Banks – “Mermaid comin’ on the shore” is a line from another Fantasea track, but it encapsulates the feelings of “Luxury”. A twisted take on Pharrell’s four-note intro heralds the arrival of then-relative newcomer Yung Rapunxel, rising from the Hudson River covered in glitter and grime. Adventurous and aggressive, “Luxury” is opulence as decadence. Banks switches from throaty growl to breathy falsetto without pause, each extreme kept contained by Machindrum’s synths, which rumble and soar in all directions. The demo’s potency speaks to the beat’s as well as Banks’s versatility and establishes Machinedrum and Miss Bambi as an artistic pairing on par with Kelis and the Neptunes or Charli XCX and SOPHIE. “212” may be catchier, but this feels much more innovative and bizarre.

“Meds and Feds” MIA – Smasher.

“Milionària” Rosalía – Yet another victory lap for Rosalía, a late and tremendous addition to the 2010s musical canon. Atop a guitar riff like something out of a Roisin Murphy dancefloor cut, “Milionària” takes a thoughtful look at that meteoric rise without ignoring its implications.

“Momom” Ohhyuk & CIFIKA – The concept of Beethoven’s Fifth (death) set to hip-hop-tinged rock music. A winning combo.

“Moteur Action” Yelle – No matter what language you speak, you know what this song’s about. It’s universal. Spectacular workout song as well.

“Mulita” Leikeli47 – Someone once tweeted that Leikeli47 fooled everyone into thinking they’re a good rapper just because their flow is fast. This song is evidence against that assertion.

“News” 9Muses – Very crowded as one might expect from an 8-person girl group.

“No Fear” Dej Loaf – Those “Oh yeah”’s are probably the grooviest and catchiest lyrics of all the 2010s. Even in the midst of a whole lot of music, Dej Loaf just sounds different, no small feat in general but even more impressive in a decade littered with literally anything you could capture on a recording device.

“Often” Abhi/Dijon – As someone who never had any tangible teenage romances, I listen to this and manage to envision my past as a Skins-esque scenario.

“Only Girl (In the World)” Rihanna – The beat coming in during the second half of the first chorus is one of my favorite moments in music this entire decade.

“Papaoutai” Stromae – Heartbreak matched by restlessness.

“Preach” Drake ft. PartyNextDoor – I remember the hour that IYRTITL came out and that I liked this song the best. The years haven’t really changed my opinion.

“Primadonna” Marina – An understated chorus and a heavy set of verses, “Primadonna” captures the early 2010s in a Tumblr post. Hedonistic, self-absorbed, and absolutely without a care.

“Prom” SZA – Far too short and far too underappreciated.

“Psoriasis” Ikonika – A moment where my love of video game music became 100% affirmed.

“Queen of this Shit” Quay Dash – Really glad Quay Dash made it to Euphoria, even if I have a hard time believing a high school would play this at their winter formal.

“Rabubi” Moonchild Sanelly – Ethereal, spooky vocals over what could be a Peaches track.

“Rather Be” Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne – Simply a good pop song, one that you watched bubble up in the UK and make its way around the globe. Who cares how cheesy it might be – it works.

“Real” Years & Years – Listen for the handclaps – they’re just as effective as the ones heard in a song like “Malamente”.

 “Say My Name” Tove Styrke – Taking an already iconic song title for your own is ballsy, and differentiating it from the original takes a great deal of gumption. As if to prove you wrong, “Say My Name” sounds nothing like Destiny’s Child, but in the best possible way.

“Send It Up” Kanye West – Gessafelstein, go awf.

“Singing in the Rain” Jinsoul/LOONA – Dramatic, thunderous, slightly dangerous – exactly what singing in the rain feels like.

“Sometimes a Man” Shamir – Shamir’s gone through all sorts of musical shifts, but he entered the scene on these minimalistic, grooving synth tracks. The unease and dissonace present in “Sometimes…” would be difficult to pull off for anyone else, but Shamir is not like most.

“Sunshine” Flight Facilities ft. Reggie Watts – Partly because I would like to see Reggie Watts’s musicianship recognized this decade. Karen is a riot, and this song captures an entirely different but no less compelling talent.

“Super Bass” Nicki Minaj – It took me until 2019 to get the “superb ass” joke, which shows “Super Bass” will probably reveal even more layers in the decades to come.

 “Superlove” Charli XCX – “SuperLove” sees Charli XCX embodying all three of her musical trajectories in the 2010s. The lyrics share the wide-eyed wonder of True Romance, the chromatic descent in the pre-chorus foretells her PC Music future, and the 16^th note chorus showcases her punk phase. In another timeline, this topped charts.

“Supermodern4” GA31 – One day robots will cry, but they’re already having pretty wild sex.

“Sur La Planche” La Femme – The last moshpit I remember entering was a La Femme concert as this song played. I wiped out, but someone helped me up immediately, and I could never be mad when this surf-rock anthem plays.

“Sweat Dreams” Weslee – An observant, well-rhymed ode to anxiety and nightmares. It retains the latter’s absurdity to its advantage.

“Sweat” Major Lazor ft. Ms. Dynamite & Laidback Luke – Ms. Dynamite doing what she does best – elevating everyone around her while also rendering them irrelevant.

“Sweet Nothing” Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch – Calvin Harris deserves a little more shine than most give him.

“Swoon” Chemical Brothers – The way those synths build themselves up just crash into you.

“Time Today” Kero Kero Bonito – It could go on forever, but that’s not the point. Just over two minutes, “Time Today” is brief and personal. It’s your time to kill.

“Titanium” David Guetta ft. Sia – Sia sold out here, taking off into the stratosphere where she’s remained almost ever since.

“Touch Pass” Tinashe – Consent is sexy.

 “Touch” Little Mix – Replaying this song over and over lets you appreciate its brilliant chorus, which finds infinite ways to rhyme. It’s also the only way you’ll be able to satisfy yourself after hearing it once.

“Tu Si Eu” Inna – As positive as pop gets. Mostly included because I find this multilingual and genre-spanning popstar unfairly overlooked in the past decade.

“Twist My Fingaz YG – A favorite from an artist who deserves a lot more recognition.

 “Umahlalela” Simmy – So much happening at once, but it’s all a distant background to Simmy’s layered voice.

“Vacation Bible School” Ayesha Erotica – Three of my personalities – fallen Catholic, pop lover, internet addict – are represented in this song. It helps me feel seen and it makes me laugh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ke2N6RjOO8

“Versace Hottie” Princess Nokia – “If I’m gonna be remembered for something, I want to be remembered for being a bitch.” ~Naomi Campbell, icon.

“When I Rule The World” Liz – Ground-zero for what we would eventually see with Slayyyter and Vroom Vroom Charli. Also working in this song’s favor: Azealia Banks’s cosign and the fact that Liz resembles a clubkid version of Jenny Humphrey.

“When I’m With Him” Empress Of – Struggling to find your place, or make one for someone/thing else, is often a losing battle. Lorely Rodriguez waves her white flag with poise and grace.

“Wile Out” DJ Zinc ft. Ms. Dynamite – As said above, any track that says “featuring Ms. Dynamite” automatically becomes her song.

“You and Me” Diamond Rings – Anybody want me to be their boyfriend?

“Your Teeth in My Neck” Kali Uchis – Vampires are complex – they’re powerful and sexy (to some) but they’re also fundamentally evil. Yet we find ourselves bearing our jugulars to whoever looks our way. Leave it to Kali Uchis to find a way to turn that into an observant and bizarre Beck song.

Albums

• 18 Months – Calvin Harris
• 3:33AM – Amber Mark
• 834.194 – Sakanaction
• 99 Cents – Santigold
• Aleph – Gessafelstein
• Animal – Kesha
• Atrocity Exhibition – Danny Brown
• Avalanche – Quadron
• Baylor Swift – Bali Baby
• Big Fish Theory – Vince Staples
• Big Grrl, Small World – Lizzo
• Blackheart – Dawn Richard
• Blkswn – SMINO
• Blood – Kelsey Lu
• Body Talk – Robyn
• Bonkers – Dizzee Rascal (technically ’09 but I’m still not seeing its greatness recognized)
• Broke with Expensive Taste – Azealia Banks
• Brol – Angèle
• Bubba – Kaytranada
• But You Caint Use My Phone – Erykah Badu
• Cashmere – Swet Shop Boys
• Chaleur Humaine – Christine and the Queens
• Choose Your Weapon – Hiatus Kaiyote
• Cocoa Sugar – Young Fathers
• Common Sense – Jhus
• Contra – Vampire Weekend
• Cruel Practice – Shygirl
• Ctrl – SZA
• Cut 4 U – Kelela
• Devotion – Jessie Ware
• Drunk – Thundercat
• Dumblonde – Dumblonde
• E MO TION (B-Sides)– Carly Rae Jepsen
• Ego Death – The Internet
• Ephorize – CupcakKe
• Fantasea – Azealia Banks
• For All We Know – Nao
• For Real (EP) – Mallrat
• Foreign Ororo – Riton & Kah Lo
• Go! Pop! Bang! – Rye Rye
• Hedonism – Cakes Da Killa
• I See You – XX
• I’m All Ears – Let’s Eat Grandma
• Icebreaker – Cowgirl Clue
• If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late – Drake
• Isolation – Kali Uchis
• Junto – Basement Jaxx
• Leak 04-13 – Jai Paul
• Little Red – Katy B
• Matangi – M.I.A.
• Maya – MIA
• Moth – Chairlift
• Mura Masa – Mura Masa
• My Everything – Ariana Grande
• My Love is Cool – Wolf Alice
• Nakamura – Aya Nakamura
• Northtown EP – Shamir
• Number 1 Angel – Charli XCX
• Oh No – Jessy Lanza
• Omnion – Hercules and Love Affair
• On a Mission – Katy B
• Otra Era – Javiera Mena
• Pink – Chai
• Plunge – Fever Ray
• Pregnant With Success – Junglepussy
• Premiers émois – Vendredi Sur Mer
• Prism – CIFIKA
• Psycho Tropical Berlin – La Femme
• Racine carrée—Stromae
• RE_vive – Brown Eyed Girls
• Safari Disco Club – Yelle
• SBTRKT – SBTRKT
• Serotonin II – Yeule
• Settle – Disclosure
• Silk Canvas – VanJess
• Soft Sounds from Another Planet – Japanese Breakfast
• Songs for You – Tinashe
• Still Brazy – YG
• Stillness in Wonderland – Little Simz
• Supermodern4 – GA31
• SweetSexySavage – Kehlani
• Switchtape Mixtape – Tkay Maidza
• Syro – Aphex Twin
• Teenage Dream – Katy Perry
• The God Complex – Goldlink
• The Haunted Man ­– Bat For Lashes
• The Healing Component – Mick Jenkins
• The Lake – Macy Rodman
• The Shape of Bratpop to Come – Holychild
• Timez Are Weird These Days – Theophilus London
• Trouble In Paradise – La Roux
• Us – Empress Of
• Vibras – J Balvin
• Visions – Grimes
• Vows – Kimbra
• Wash & Set – Leikeli47
• When My Heart Felt Volcanic – The Aces
• White Woman – Chromeo
• Woman – Rhye
• Yeezus – Kanye West