I gave up my regular "new music round-up" blogs many moons ago - too much like hard work, for diminishing returns (I would often find myself looking forlornly as no-one read, let alone commented on, them after hours of research). However, just occasionally I am tempted to revive the concept...
There were actually, after all, a few songs [no rappers, no Ed Sheeran, no Bieber, no Coldplay and no Miss Swift, obviously!] that were released in 2017 which piqued my interest - such as this absolutely brilliant one by Beck [a particular fave of the fantabulosa Ana Matronic; as she admitted when she played it while sitting in for Jo Wiley on her show on Radio 2 last night]:
Speaking of "faves", this track by the-latest-"weirdo"-on-the-block Lorde has topped many a "sensible" music critic's list - and, even I have to admit, (with its defiant, angsty style reminiscent of Robyn Dancing On My Own) it is rather contagious:
This was inescapable all through the summer of '17:
[The pre-Bieber version]
Speaking of inescapable - this one also dominated the year, and is likely destined to be a staple of every daytime radio station, advert and trendy boutique "mood music" playlist for ever more - unsurprising, really, since it is basically a bastard child of ABBA and Simple Minds...
But, then there's this! It became a huge "earworm" here at Dolores Delargo Towers when I first encountered it back in November [despite the fact it was already two years old at the time], and is likely to remain there for a good while yet. My "fave choon of the year", by a long chalk:
So what were your songs of the year 2017, dear reader?
