2023 proved to have an impressive music catalog. From bangers warning you not to text your ex to ballads about life, here are my picks for the top 10 songs of 2023.
- “Last Time I Saw You” by Nicki Minaj
Nothing lasts forever. On her new single, the queen of rap herself reflects on the loss of an individual from the narrator’s life. “I wish I’da hugged you tighter the last time that I saw you / I wish I didn’t waste precious time the night when I called you.” If this song somehow fails to invoke feelings of grief, it at least promotes spending time with the people that surround you now.
- “exes” by Tate McRae
Bop. City. Even among the other songs on this list, there is no song from this year with a higher repeat value. Though it is nothing we have not heard before, this upcoming pop princess has produced an infectious earworm that demands your attention, if nothing else. I will throw in a few bonus points for the confidence boost it offers.
- “Lil Boo Thang” by Paul Russell
Certainly the biggest competition Tate McRae has for repeatability, “Lil Boo Thang” is the feel-good anthem that has been highly droughted this year. It’s quick, it’s breezy and it’s worth your attention if you are in the mood for some feel-good music. I have yet to resist singing along to “You my lil’ boo thang / So I don’t give a hoot what your dude say, girl.”
- “bad idea right?” by Olivia Rodrigo
One could argue that the angsty teen music from Olivia Rodrigo is getting redundant, but here is the thing: She consistently makes stellar music. Quite frankly, if this is the kind of teen angst music she wants to put out, I will not complain, because it is a banger. Plus, it is a hilarious three minutes and four seconds.
- “Used To Be Young” by Miley Cyrus
Self-reflection takes center stage for Miley Cyrus on this track, and she takes a very healthy stance here. There was a time that she was judged for being “crazy” or “wild,” and people stopped tuning in for it. Here, Cyrus considers her personal growth and says, “I know I used to be crazy / That’s cause I used to be young.” It truly is a beautiful song, but it is also a painful one when you take a look back and realize what she was going through when people called her “crazy.”
- “Rush” by Troye Sivan
Admittedly, this newly Grammy-nominated artist did not really have my attention before this year, but this song completely turned that around for me. “Rush” is an enthralling love song that makes me want to dance all of my problems away. That chorus is so catchy and so cool. This is a must-listen for the year, and sits comfortably in the top five for me.
- “Penthouse” by Kelsea Ballerini
Kelsea Ballerini put her heart and soul on the floor with her “Rolling Up The Welcome Mat” divorce EP earlier this year. There were so many standouts on that project, but I went with “Penthouse” for this list because I think it tells the whole story the best. “One day, the curtain started coming down / You changed the second we were moving out / I guess wrong can look alright / When you’re playing home in a penthouse, baby.”
- “Dancing With Your Shadows” by Phillip Phillips
This is it: my pick for love song of the year. “When the days get hard and your lights burn low / Don’t go far, just hold me close / And we’ll go dancing, dancing / Dancing with your shadows.” Phillip Phillips puts some impressive vocals on top of an unforgettable production and then blends it together for a sweet song about romance overpowering relationship insecurities.
- “Nobody Knows” by The Lumineers
Alternative folk group The Lumineers are certain of nothing but uncertainty on this track. As time moves on, goodbyes ensue and purpose is longed for, this song highlights that maybe it is best to search for peace in the uncertainty of tomorrow. “Nobody knows how the story ends / Live the day, do what you can / This is only where it begins.” Life is a short, beautiful, delicate, confusing thing – it was beautiful to hear that spotlighted in this track.
- “Don’t Judge A Woman” by Lauren Alaina
This is not only the best song of 2023 – it is also the most important. Country star Lauren Alaina takes her listeners through various scenarios in which women are judged by society. For instance, a lady wearing a certain type of clothing, a wife who stays with her husband when the whole town knows he is unfaithful and a woman reclaiming her last name are all examples given of instances in which women are judged by society. The songstress suggests that the listener not “Judge a book by its cover / Or a woman by her man,” because you never truly know what the situation is from the outside.
