The 50 Best Singles of 2014

Nonstop On Top Pop: Best Singles of 2014

It is officially that time of year when Christmas trees come down and we look back at the amazing music we have experienced over the past year. Luckily, it was hard to pick the top 50 this year, a sign that pop music once again can always deliver. For the record, this list only includes singles, which tend to be the best songs an artist has to offer. Otherwise, let's be real, "Timebomb" by Tove Lo would have won this hands down. Regardless let's get this party started.

50. "Heroes" by Alesso feat. Tove Lo

This would have been a rather mundane EDM song but luckily Tove's magic touch once again takes everything to the next level. If 2014 has done anything right, it was to make this girl a superstar.

49. "Problem" by Arianna Grande feat. Iggy Azalea

"Problem" undeniably has this year's best use of saxophone. Sorry Jason Derulo.

48. "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor

No matter how much this song grates my nerves, it is still too catchy not to have been an international hit. Congratulations?

47. "Uptight Downtown" by La Roux

La Roux is one of the best things to happen to pop EVER and if this had been a promoted a little better, this would have been much higher on the list. Still, this is really a special song so be a good person and get their spectacular album while you're at it.

46. "Don't Stop" by 5 Seconds Of Summer

It's very hard to make good pop music with guitars but 5 Seconds of Summer have mastered it. Good job boys and it looks like the hearts of teenage girls everywhere will be intact for at least 3 more albums.

45. "Too Cool To Dance (Fred Falke Remix)" by Eden xo

The original is a solid pop song but the Fred Falke mix of Eden xo's new single captures all the best parts of the original and adds some lasers to make it properly bonkers. Eden is definitely one to watch for next year.

44. "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" by Paloma Faith

I'm just going to say it: Paloma Faith is the best soul-pop singer in the business right now. This orchestral masterpiece should've been a worldwide number one and the vocals deserve at least 4 Grammys. Keep doing your thing Paloma.

43. "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift

The greatest comeback single of the year cements Taylor Swift as a proper princess of pop, no matter who long she has denied it.

42. "Rumour" by Chlöe Howl

Chlöe Howl is one of our favorites and if the severely underrated "Rumour" is any indication of what to expect, she could easily deliver the best album of 2015.

41. "Summer" by Calvin Harris

The official sexiest man in pop once again delivers the goods. However, we here at NSOTP fully support a year long break to pursue modeling, Mr. Harris.

40. "Into The Blue" by Kylie Minogue

This may have been Kylie's worst album campaign but "Into The Blue" was a shining beacon of hope for music this year and if anyone tries coming for my queen, allow me to play her ridicumazing cover of "Bette Davis Eyes" while you cry at your own foolishness.

39. "Even If I'm Loud It Doesn't Mean I'm Talking To You" by Tove Styrke

2014's weirdest, most bonkers song comes from the second best Tove in pop. Let this be a driving force for her to surpass Ms. Lo, because in the end, the real winner would be music, right?

38. "Me and My Broken Heart" by Rixton

Yes, this may be rip off of a very amazing pop song from a decade ago but listen, it's an amazing song so just shut up and listen.

37. "Step It Up" by Bianca

The last Song of The Day on NSOTP surely has a spot on this list, and as an Italo disco monster of a track, it looks like Bianca is ready to take 2015 by storm.

36. "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne

This was the first big hit of 2014 in my opinion and the marriage of classical and 90's house music could not have been executed better.

35. "Braveheart" by Neon Jungle

They don't look for Trouble, but they've got all the hits. Neon Jungle is slowly becoming my favorite girl band and if they follow the Girls Aloud trend, their next album will be era-defining.

34. "Get Lost" by Icona Pop

This could have been a "I Love It"-sized hit but, like La Roux, the promotion just wasn't there. But I'll be damned if Icona Pop go down in pop history as one hit wonders because "Get Lost" is absolutely wonderful.

33. "Catch" by Allie X

I may not have written about her much, but Allie X quickly became my new pop obsession of 2014. Hopefully, she builds off the crystalline majesty of "Catch" and become the greatest popstar Canada has produced since Carly Rae Jepsen.

32. "Sing" by Ed Sheeran

The biggest surprise of the year came from the world's most famous ginger man actually becoming good. Still, wouldn't it have been a great Justin Timberlake song? (NSOTP still loves you Ed!)

31. "Kiss and Tell" by 5Angels

The premiere girl band of the Czech Republic may have made the world's most basic video but this song will never leave your head. That's a good thing since it is 10x better than anything U2 has produced this year.

30. "Steal My Girl" by One Direction

The best single One Direction has released since "What Makes You Beautiful." Too bad they're, ALLEGEDLY (MOST LIKELY), breaking up next year.

29. "Devil's Touch" by TIAAN

This is almost too beautiful for words. This girl had better be amazing 

in 2015, otherwise we might as well just give up and go home.

28. "These Days" by Take That

The original British boy band is back to show how it's done and once again, it looks like these guys will make hits until they're 90. If they're still as good as "These Days," I'm fine with that future.

27. "I Got U" by Duke Dumont feat. Jax Jones

The sound of summer captured in less than 5 minutes. The Whitney Houston (RIP) interpolation doesn't hurt either!

26. "No Enemiesz" by Kiesza

While the title of this song makes me worry about Kiesza's spelling skills, "No Enemiesz" is the kind of song popstars stopped making in the 90's. Which was a stupid decision because as you can hear, it is bloody amazing.

Album Review: "Queen Of The Clouds" by Tove Lo

idolator.com

"I have my moments, I have my moments"

It finally happened. The debut album by the self-appointed #Queen Of The Clouds has released her debut album today and whatever you do, don't take this next statement lightly: THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST ALBUMS OF THE CENTURY! Now that we've taken care of semantics, let's break down why Tove Lo is essentially pop's savior of 2014.

The ingenious singer-songwriter that is Tove Lo first popped up at the tail end of 2012 with the misleadingly titled "Love Ballad", a majestic track telling of an all-consuming love that is worth dying for. Clearly, Tove wasn't fucking around. After a little digging around, I discovered Tove had a lot more going on than just love songs. Joining forces with fellow Swede and legendary hit maker Max Martin as well as the writers of all things amazing Xenomania, Tove Lo had a hand in writing this, this, along with this, and most importantly THIS! Therefore, Tove became one of the first to be deemed The Next Big Thing on NSOT Pop and the prophecy has been fulfilled.

"Habits", you know that little song currently sitting at #4 on iTunes and breaking into the Billboard charts? that one?, well that was released last year and signaled Tove's entrance as a true popstar ready to take over the world. I've said it many times before but that opening line is the best from recent memory. Since then, Tove's been on an upward trend and this album is a culmination of all that.

Broken into three parts with spoken interludes in between (GENIUS), we start our journey in the sky with "The Sex." It's pretty clear Tove Lo's "been around and seen it all." With songs like "My Gun" and "Like Em Young," we get Tove shifting from cheeky to desperate as she recounts her sexperiences. The best parts of The Sex section comes when Tove gets scandalous with retorts like "Girl why you looking at me, when your man's turning 53" or like "If you love me right, we fuck for L-I-I-IFE" in "Talking Body". Her ability to honestly tell stories and feelings certainly puts Tove leagues above other singers who aren't nearly as involved in the songwriting process as The Queen Of The Clouds.

Before moving on to "The Love," Tove decides to pull a classic Swedish move and throw us possibly the best song of the year: "Timebomb." Though not as tongue-in-cheek as most of the other Sex songs, Timebomb doesn't need to be. Timebomb just needs to be majestic, epic, explosive, just like a Timebomb. Starting off with a twinkly piano while Tove basically talks her lyrics shows just what kind of ingenuity and novelty Tove brings to the table. "The worst thing that could happen could be the best thing ever" is a REALLY good lyric right?!?! Then the chorus comes in with no warning and you're left standing there in awe of what you just heard. It fills every criteria for Song Of The Year: unexpected, novel, and the essence of what pop should be.

Going into "The Love," we get cuts like "The Way That I Am" and "Moments" displaying the insecurities we all feel when falling in love and Ms. Lo's voice has never sounded better. She uses the gravelly tone of her voice to great effect in these songs where emotions are put at the forefront, though there is no shortage of pop hooks like "I can get a little drunk, I get into all the dont's, but on good days I am charming as fuck." Hopefully, that line ends up on most of her merch! Before getting too depressed, Tove indulges in her happiness on "Got Love", a reinvention of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" that screams euphoria thanks to Tove's man.

Once again, Tove saves one of the best for last with her newest single "Not On Drugs." A stadium-sized anthem that challenges Kesha's own hit on whether love is better than drugs. With those synthy guitar chords and tribal beat, Tove is clearly not messing around with her feelings. She is in LOVE, something most people can't express nearly as well as the young Swede.

Ultimately, we must deal with "The Pain," the section with the most hit potential actually. "Thousand Miles" is one of the best ballads of the year and should really give Adele some ideas on where her next album should go (aka have Tove Lo right at least 4 songs for it). "Habits (Stay High)" has already been named one of the best songs of last year and will probably make a reappearance this year, based on the sheer brilliance of everything going on: the lyrics, the stoner pop feeling, and the honesty we seem to continuously get from Tove. It is her breakthrough after all. Though "This Time Around" has its catchy moments, it probably should have been put after "Thousand Miles" as it is sandwiched between a hit and a banger. And really, the only reason I said that is because it is the ONLY criticism I could muster for this review.

Thankfully, Tove doesn't forget the number of dance singles she's featured on over the past year and includes her own edit of the Lucas Nord hit "Run On Love." The Queen Of The Clouds edit strips away most of the synthy glitz of the original but keeps the pulsing beat and Tove's vocal sounds much more at home. The remix that started it all is also included, with Hippie Sabotage upping the stoner quality to create a hypnotic and distorted "Stay High" that has mesmerized us since the beginning of the year. Finally, you know it's a killer album when the bonus tracks "Love Ballad" and "Crave" are so amazing that you have to wonder what else was recorded for this beast.

Queen Of The Clouds was always creeping up on 2014 as raising the bar and redefining where pop was heading. Gone are the days of hands in the air, EDM jams in the club. Now we have hazy electronic production and honest lyrics of all our romantic vices. It's an album of heartbreak and reflection that sets Tove up as that friend you can share all your secrets with. Charli XCX started the trend last year with her debut album but Tove Lo takes it to the next level. That Swedish sensibility got mixed with the wild child in Tove to provide us with the catchiest, most hook worthy songs this side of the globe and has indeed launched Tove Lo as a proper popstar (finally). It's hard to think of a way that someone could top the first amazing album of Q4, so better step up your game Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, because Tove Lo has also claimed the title of Queen Of Pop.

Best Listened: During any part of your relationship with someone special
Best Songs: ALL OF THEM! Special Note: If Timebomb is not released as a single, I'm just gonna have to give up my faith in humanity as a whole.
NSOTP Rating: 100000/10

The Next Big Thing: Tove Lo Brings Swedish Pop To New Heights Without Drugs

http://www.mostlyjunkfood.com/video-tove-lo-habits-live/

For those of you who don't know, Sweden is the birthplace of literally some of the greatest pop music every created. The country is responsible for the creation of ABBA, Icona Pop, and the goddess that is Robyn. Throughout the consistent string of singles that exit the country and infect our minds with amazingness, there is usually one or two popstars a year that simply take over your life with just a couple of songs. This happened with Icona Pop in 2011 before the behemoth called "I Love It" was written by Charli XCX. So now you might be asking who that popstar was for 2013? Well, meet Tove Lo.

As with any girl singing about lost love with mascara dripping down her face in agony, Tove Lo was destined for stardom. After attending a famed music school in her native country of Sweden, Tove basically made her career writing hits for other artists after pop legend Max Martin (just go through your Britney and Kelly Clarkson singles) realized what a brilliant singer-songwriter Ms. Lo was. After releasing her debut single "Love Ballad" in 2012, Tove made a name for herself after playing a part in creating songs for Icona Pop and Victoria Justice, but nothing can top the fact that Tove wrote the comeback single for Girls Aloud. Once again: TOVE WROTE THE COMEBACK SINGLE FOR GIRLS ALOUD!

After the Aloud decided it was time to disband (#NEVERFORGET), Tove Lo decided to save pop and give me a birthday present by dropping her second single "Habits" in March 2013. With a typically tribal synth beat and ominous background vocals, Tove describes her journey after a break up with drugs, alcohol, sex, and tears. "I eat my dinner in my bath tub, then I go to sex clubs, watching freaky people getting it on" is probably the best opening lyric of the decade and its video perfectly captures the way anyone would feel after a bad break up (though the original video is 20x better). With comparisons to Kesha, Charli XCX, and Lorde, Tove Lo laid waste to the pop arena before anyone knew it.

Not satisfied with just that, Tove has also collaborated with dance producers to create some of the most euphoric trance music you will ever hear. Lucas Nord's "Run On Love" is a prime example and should have been a hit around the world for sure. Tove also has a soundtrack to her name after collaborating with Seven Lions and Myon & Shane 54 on "Strangers" for the Mortal Instruments movie, one of the best songs of last year to be specific.

Unfortunately, Tove did not manage to break the mainstream market with these songs. That is, until indie electronic outfit Hippie Sabotage decided to remix Habits into the eerie and hypnotizing "Stay High" which has managed to crack the American iTunes top 100 and #6 on the UK charts. Riding the success off the single, Tove Lo released one of this year's best EPs with Truth Serum back in March (happy birthday to me!), with 6 spectacular songs, back to back. "Paradise" perfectly captures the feeling of love you have for your soulmate while "Over" and "Out of Mind" tell off a lover that clearly didn't know that Tove was perfect. Each song is massive, earthshaking, and poignant with the epic synth background topped with a heartbreaking scream of a vocal that has become Tove's signature sound.

Tove is poised to take over the world at large now and is slowly doing so. After writing hits for Cher Lloyd and Lea Michele, Tove managed to snag a TV spot on Late Night recently, introducing her to US fans for the first time. And if that's not enough, today Tove Lo casually dropped her lyric video for one of 2014's best songs "Not On Drugs." That chorus will never leave you, which I suppose is counterintuitive to the whole drug thing but anyway. Take it all in now, because Tove Lo is ready to set the world on fire.