Pablo's Blog: 2017 music in review

Tuesday, January 09, 2018

2017 music in review

[note: blog posts about the year in music have traditionally been posted at the end of the year. Due to time constraints (as noted in previous posts), I was unable to do so at the end of 2017. But it's finally here]

As I do every year, I write a blog post about my favorite music of the year.

Yes, I do my own music (as mentioned in my previous posts) but this blog post is dedicated to music by others.

I will mention top hits as well as songs that were over-looked by the mainstream.

These are purely my opinions and not to be taken personally. So if your favorite song of the year is not mention, it just means I didn't rank it as high as the ones I mentioned.

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You know the biggest song of the year was "Despacito" by the Puerto Rican studs Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

Despacito"

Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber

The song was already a hit with Spanish-speaking audiences, but with Justin Bieber added to the remix, the song also got major airplay on English-language radio too!

Multi-lingual songs by major stars are a great bridge between cultures in the era of walls.

Mainstream English-language radio stations in the United States ocassionally play songs with non-English lyrics (remember 2012's "Gangnam Style") and I think they should play more non-English songs on the rotation. There's just no way all good songs come in one language, and the rest of the world has much to offer American audiences, if US radio stations gave them a chance.

But then again, much of the songs I'll mention in this post are English-language songs, so maybe someone might call me out on that too

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My favorite party song of the year is "What Lovers Do" by Maroon 5 & SZA

Maroon 5 & SZA

"What Lovers Do"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wiio4KoGe8

Maroon 5 usually do too many depressing songs of desperation, so I'm happy they do a song of fun! Also happy to see SZA get a major hit record.

Also, this was a great record linking across racial lines in era where race relations don't always have the best news in the news.

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The top rising star of 2017 has to be Cardi B, the Latina rap queen from the Bronx! She is known as the reality show star with a crazy personality, as well as an outspoken defender of strippers and sex workers.

Her song of the year was "Bodak Yellow", which is the female version of the lesser known Kodak Black's "No Flockin"

(Kodak Black had his playful response a few months later with "Bodak Orange". When will the other colors have their turn)

Cardi B also had other hits this year including

-- the club banger with a multi-racial cast "No Limit (remix)" w/G-Eazy, A$AP Rocky, French Montana, Juicy J Belly

-- slower reggaeton song w/Ozuna "La Modelo"

Ozuna w/Cardi B

"La Modelo"

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The other rapper of the year had to be Kendrick Lamar, who came back with another highly acclaimed album Damn

And the lead single tells us to "sit down, be humble"

The one memory I had with that song was when I was attending a high school graduation, right after the graduates met their family, I heard someone from the audience playing that song from their stereo!

It was like it was sending a message "dude, I know you graduated, but you have a lot more to learn & experience"

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If someone was to go on stage now, and said for the first time "“Any artist that wanna be a artist and wanna remain a star, and dont have to worry about executive producers trying to be, All in the videos. All on record, dancing, come to ................."

I think everyone would now think it's referring to DJ Khaled.

Just like Sean Combs in the 90s, DJ Khaled is everywhere, all in everyone's videos, all in their records, dancing, chanting out his company name ("We the Best Music")

DJ Khaled's hits of the year included

"I'm the One" w/ Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, Quavo, Lil Wayne

"Wild Thoughts" w/ Rihanna & Bryson Tiller (w/ the guitars of Carlos Santana)

"Shining" w/Beyonce & Jay-Z

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Pharell, another super-star producer who is also everywhere, but actually contributes real classic verses to the songs he appears.

He appears with EDM super-star producer Calvin Harris for 2 hits this year

"Heatstroke" (also featuring Ariana Grande & Young Thug)
"Feels" (also featuring Katy Perry & Big Sean)

Pharell's also returned to his N.E.R.D. group and dropped "Lemon" which features Rihanna rapping Cardi B style!

Calvin Harris also contributed another classic jam of the year: "Slide" with Frank Ocean and Migos.

Calvin Harris w/Frank Ocean and Migos

"Slide"

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Chainsmokers continued to show that they are in the running for the top music groups of this decade.

They had the classic slow song with Emily Warren "Paris"

but they really topped it off this year with their collabo with Coldplay with "Something Just Like This"

Chainsmokers w/Coldplay

"Something Just Like This"

As for Coldplay, the singer Chris Martin had a great live collabo with Shakira "Me Enamore"

Shakira w/Chris Martin

"Enamore"

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One of the under-rated EDM producers who I think will rise to higher prominence in the new year is Marshmello

Just like Daft Punk, Marshmello prefers to should himself with a mask, but he has the coolest mask out there

Marshmello released the song "Summer" during the previous winter. Or maybe because it was summer in the Southern Hemisphere

Marshmello "Summer"

So romantic :)

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And now Marshmello is graduating, sharing some nostalgic times before ......."Moving On"

Marshmello "Moving On"

And the reason why I think Marshmello will have a higher profile for the New Year? He finished 2017 with a collabo with an established superstar Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez & Marshmello

"Wolves"

I predict even more superstar collabos and classic hits from Marshmello in the new year.

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Talking about Selena Gomez, she also has some other quality hits this year

she had her slow alternative song "It Ain't Me"

and the sad breakup song w/Charlie Puth "We Don't Talk Anymore"

Charlie Puth w/Selena Gomez

"We Don't Talk Anymore"

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And talking about Charlie Puth, we had "Attention"

Charlie Puth "Attention"

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The singer who didn't get enough credit (mostly due to her previously more well-known collaborators) is Allesia Cara

First, it was her song with Zedd -- "Stay"

Allesia Cara w/Zedd "Stay"

Then it was appearance with Logic & Khalid for their anti-suicide song "1-800-273-8255"

Logic w/Alessia Cara & Khalid

"1-800-273-8255"

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Of course, you can't have a year in review without Taylor Swift, who only needed a few weeks for her album to the highest selling of the year...... "End Game" (w/Ed Sheeran and Future)

Ed Sheeran of course had his great hit "Shape of You", where his video shows him being a male fighter falling in love with a female fighter

Ed Sheeran

"Shape of You"

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Drake has again shown he is a great singer of slow songs, with "Passion Fruit"

Drake

"Passion Fruit"

J.Lo w/ reggaeton singer Wisin "Amor Amor Amor"

Miss Eaves shout out to thick-bodied women that they don't need to be ashamed, but they should embrace having "Thunder Thighs"

Miss Eaves

"Thunder Thighs"

British pop group Little Mix "Touch"

Little Mix "Touch"

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The musical Ad of the year, this for Target

Lil Yatchy & Carly Rae Jepsen remade the 80's classic "It Takes Two" for the new generation

Lil Yatchy & Carly Rae Jepsen

"It Takes Two"

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Though rock music doesn't have the popularity it had decades ago, there's still some good rock out there

Ice-T's BodyCount gave a heavy metal voice for the Black Lives Matter movement with "Black Hoodie", a response to racial profiling and police shootings