In 2021, there was a song for every occasion, every event, and every emotion—from Lucy Dacus’ introspective sounds to Farruko’s triumphal blockbuster, “Pepas,” these are the top 5 best English songs we couldn’t stop listening to in 2021.
5. “Monster,” Yoasobi
YOASOBI, a Japanese pop duet, has taken Japan by storm in recent years, topping multiple charts, amassing billions of streams, and earning this year’s “Artist of the Year” at MTV’s Video Music Awards Japan. “Monster,” an English-language version of one of their biggest singles, vibrates with the band’s distinctive vigour.Given the song’s longing, cinematic character, it’s no surprise that it served as the title song for the anime Beastars.
4. “VBS,” Lucy Dacus
Lucy Dacus, a singer-songwriter, is a master at this craft: she paints vivid situations that make listeners to use their imaginations to fill in the narrative gaps on their own. Dacus’ song “VBS” is inspired by her personal experiences at Christian camp, where darker undercurrents of unrest and nihilism run beneath her piety.The song is brimming with details that scream out to be explored in a novel or feature film: “Your father wears his sleeves down in the heat for a purpose / Your mother wears extra thick lipstick for a reason,” she sings.
3. “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version),” Taylor Swift
“All Too Well” was an eagerly anticipated single when Taylor Swift announced she was re-recording her 2012 album, Red. The song, an achingly beautiful breakup ballad that has achieved cult classic status due to fan speculation that it is about Swift’s split with Jake Gyllenhaal, has matured and grown into a 10-minute epic with new, keenly recognised lyrics that not only explores first love, but questions the relationship’s imbalanced power dynamics in 2021.
2. “Essence,” WizKid ft. Justin Bieber and Tems
Wizkid’s sensuous “Essence” was already a notable tune on his 2020 album, Made in Lagos, thanks to a dulcet assist from fellow Nigerian artist Tems, but the Afrobeats star’s song became omnipresent in 2021, thanks to a dulcet assist from fellow Nigerian artist Tems after releasing a remix of with Justin Bieber and Tems.
The song’s enticing pace and luscious vocals make it one of the year’s most effortless, luxurious musical experiences, a tribute to desire, lust, and, yes, love.
1. “Pepas,” Farruko
‘Pepas’ the dance track, which features an enticing reggaeton beat and an invigorating injection of guaracha (a subgenre of Latin America’s tribal house music), opens with slow crooning before devolving into a victorious chorus laced with EDM. The exuberant appeal of “Pepas” rocketed Farruko to the top of the charts, but its true impact can be felt in the quick rush of energy it conjures when blasted out the window of a passing automobile or played on a crowded dance floor.
