I only ever cared about those for the halftime shows. It sucks that The Weeknd performed before I was a really big fan of him. I would’ve enjoyed that performance so much more if I actually liked him before then, and wasn’t there only because I was anxious to see if he would preform any of his verses from Love Me Harder.
@@Slimehardtshawty Todd's pretty self-critictal and every year end review he's talking about how wrong his predictions are or kicking himself for sleeping on someone.
@@Jackrabbit7 that doesn't mean he hates them though, especially since he makes like 2-3 vids a month and they all rack up hella views. You can love something, and still find it stressful but worth the stress
I remember my sister tried to get me into Olivia Rodrigo. She showed me "Good for you," and I was like "this is okay." and then she showed me "brutal" and I got SO HYPED. The rest of the album didn't hit for me. I'm not huge on pop generally, but that song was genuinely excellent.
“I don’t give a fuck who talk behind my back ‘cause the bitch knew better than to let me hear” is one of the best lines of 2021 Also, Meet Me At Our Spot is a great choice
After this album cycle, I think Rodrigo has three different places she could go with her career. A: She could not change a thing about herself and just make sour part 2 B: She could go straight pop and be another Demi or Selena or C. She could delve more into alt/rock and be another Avril or Hayley. I like C.
Sadly, Todd leaves out the part where Rodrigo spent most of the year in court being sued by the various artists she was "inspired" by for copyright infringement (thanks Estate of Marvin Gaye for fucking up music copyright forever) and losing (again, thanks Marvin Gaye's family) so I doubt whatever she does next is gonna sound anything at all like what she just put out.
i think the strongest thing about "your power" is that it's just a plea to be better. she's not yelling, she's not crying, she's not giving the details. she just wants the people that hurt her and anyone else to be better. also, im SO GLAD starting over made the honorable mentions.
I can say this with... really brutal if entirely different insight to overwhelming trauma that at some point you just get so fucking weary about it and just want it to be as little of a thing as possible, despite any outrage you justifiably have. That's this song. That is absolutely this song. Actually, I think it happened in 2021 for me too.
Glad to see someone else who sees Your Power as the best Eilish song of the year. That song is still soul crushing. When she sings “how dare you”, it’s not aggressive or a call of strength, it’s vulnerable. It feels hopeless.
This gotta be the most unpredictable Todd list I’ve ever seen. Pushing Dua Lip and Silk Sonic out of the running in the first two minutes was a crazy move. Don’t always agree with the Shadow man but he’s definitely the OG of this shit and he always has me cackling. Thank you, Todd!
I really liked that Dua Lipa song too, but that Silk Sonic/Bruno Mars album… idk it sounds a bit forgettable to me, especially Leave the Door Open. It’s one of those songs you hear for the first time and think “nobody is going to remember this in 5-10 years”
I'm honestly astounded that Todd is not head-over-heels for Levitating given his love of blockbuster 80's synth-pop. That song is one of the best-produced pop songs I've ever heard
Sometimes I think about the incredible beauty humankind could achieve if every artist had the financial support that Willow Smith does. Not trying to take anything away from her, I’m saying that we would all be better off if everyone as talented as she is was able to focus solely on their craft without worrying about money
I genuinely look forward to your worst and best lists every year, and I know you got a lot of shit for this one, but just know that the negative voices are definitely the minority. I've discovered a lot of pop music that I still love through your content, and your year-end lists are always a highlight for me. It's always fun to guess with my friend that also watches your videos which songs we think you're going to choose, and even though we're usually wrong, it still makes it even better to see what the actual list ends up being.
@@DeRoche022 Exactly. I tend to stick to listening to the same artists over and over, so Todd's lists are always a great way for me to discover artists that debuted in the previous year.
tf are people bashing this year's list for ? there were a few minor heal turns (him snubbing levitating n atw + going with your power over happier then ever) but i can't think of anything on this list i rly disagree with and it's a high quality vid as always
@@uglyaniimals not so much the list itself, but how long it took. from his Twitter, it looks like a lot of people were hounding him about it, constantly asking when it was coming out, and it made the process of making the video way more stressful.
I like that Megan has mostly stuck to her rap roots. She's been on a few non rap tracks, but her bread and butter is in hip hop. I felt like Nicki abandoned that spot and I'm glad Megan is keeping it going.
Definitely expected a Billie Song, but as much as I love "Happier than Ever", picking "Your Power" was a great choice. It has a lot more nuanced and sharp verbology to it.
I've been really excited for Willow's resurgence into the mainstream for a couple years, its been apparent that she's got a lot of creativity and an interesting voice, actually, this was a year where a lot of artists that I've been hoping would get a big hit for a while, did. Artists like Kali Uchis, Anderson. Paak, even Little Simz making a splash with her album critically. I feel like this year and 2020 is just setting up a really interesting decade for music.
I dunno man, “Brutal” hit me like a ton of bricks. It was my most-listened to song of 2021. I’m nearly 30 now, but when I was 17 I was a horrifically insecure kid and I saw a lot of myself from when I was in high school in Rodrigo’s lyrics. I totally get that it’s pretty tongue-in-cheek, but I think there are some moments of genuine anxiety in there. Most of my sense of humor, even today, is self-deprecation, so “Brutal” reads a lot like that to me: hiding the truth behind the wit. Regardless of it was intended that way or not, I felt it that way.
im 19 rn and GOD these lyrics hit HARDDDDD i can confidently say i had all the thoughts she had in this fucking song- she is the true teen popstar we needed this decade and I am being completely serious
I’m 23 and brutal was also my most listened to song of the year. Hard not to relate to “And I'm so tired that I might/Quit my job, start a new life/And they'd all be so disappointed/‘Cause who am I, if not exploited?” after droning away at a pointless corporate job as the world collapses around me
The moment I knew Willow was a legit artist is when I heard her song about Adventure Time of all things. She actually captures the themes of the show perfectly in that song and from that moment I was a fan. Girl is legit talented and I can't wait to see what she does in the future.
I appreciate Whip My Hair because that unconditional support allowed Willow to find herself. She's been putting out music semi regularly ever since and listening to her experiment and decide who she want's to be is amazing. I highly recommend F Q-C #7 as a weird but enjoyable song.
Whatever else you can say about Will and Jada, it's clear they gave their kids the room to be creative and just try things. It's obvious in their choices.
I don’t wanna be “that guy” but if you threw enough money and influence into anyone’s creative pursuits, they’ll eventually find success and that’s really the only reason either of the Smith kids are even remotely relevant.
@@noxXxnoctiI would like to contend that there are plenty of entitled rich kids given every advantage that still fail miserably. This is one of those dreams of the Star Trek like utopia. Where subsistence needs are met as a matter of course and everyone is allowed and even encouraged to find that success. I have to put aside my modern urge to say "oh entitled rich kids" too but that allows me to see that the support has allowed them to contribute art/something enjoyable back to society. The situation isn't perfect but it shows hope.
@@MrInfin1x yeah but not like it was nurturing them then they found their talent. It was a literal decade’s worth of money and influence being used to buy a career for both. Hiring the best teachers, producers, features, etc etc. This wasn’t someone like Donald Glover who did have a leg up on most of his contemporaries, but he had innate talent that allowed him to branch off into music. I’m not saying I stick my nose up at them or that no one should even like their music. Just don’t delude yourself that their success is due to good parenting.
It isn't wrong either. Like don't get me wrong, I love "Wild Boy" as much as anyone who was an edgy teen/early twenties at the time or knew someone in that age group but his pop punk/rock stuff is so much better especially after whatever the hell that feud with Eminem was. Of all the rappers you had to make a desperate plea for attention with, you had to choose him lol.
Which is also ironic considering MJ was getting constantly pummeled by the Detroit Pistons before he "retired" just like MGK was being pummeled by a rapper from Detroit before switching genres 😅
I hope more artists start making bilingual songs, they’re really fun to listen to, especially if you speak both languages. Another example of a song like that is Frijolero by Mexican rock icons Molotov
Todd I know this video was rough for you to make, so before I even watch it I'm giving it a thumbs up and I want to say I genuinely appreciate your videos and I can't wait for more in 2022. This video just showed up in my notifications and the timing couldn't have been better as I'm not having the best day, dealing with COVID and some anxiety. Your best lists always make me happy, so if you see this, thanks for what you do! Edit: Yep, this video was great and it did indeed make me happy. (Also wow, thanks so much for the well wishes everyone! I'm finally recovering.
I’m glad Kali Uchis finally got exposure to a larger audience. She’s been sitting in the wings of the music industry for years now. I never would have thought one of her biggest hits would be in Spanish though. It’s nice America is slowly joining the rest of the world in accepting music in different languages.
Todd kicks ass. Even when I don't agree with him, He explains things well enough that I understand how he arrives at the optioning he has. He has awareness, recognizes his own shortcomings and biases, and has no issue looking things he doesn't normally like.
I love the fact that he does the worst list first and then the best list. Most people do it the other way around, and I'm glad there is someone that choses to end on a positive note.
For a single-person production Todd has some of the higher production values for music critics, mostly because nobody else is really trying to compete except Fantano. Where Todd pulls ahead of most video makers is that you can really feel that he's an actual human with actual thoughts, opinions and flaws, and he's never afraid to admit that something makes these lists entirely because of his biases.
I think the river line in Adele's song is a reference to a King Mydas myth. He got reed of his curse by washing his hands in a river which made said river gold-bearing. So she says that sins of her past doesn't enrich anything, her sadnes helps her alone.
nah it's a reference to the gold rush which was a hit thing to do in the 19th century for people moving to the USA or Brazil. Gold accumulates in rivers sometimes. So it's a different kinda metaphor. Idk why I'm responding
Can't believe I missed Willow Smith going punk, I gotta amend that right now. See, THIS is why I watch your Best (and Worst) of the year vids; I don't keep up with the Pop charts, I just keep playing the same 10 songs ad nauseam 12 months straight, and need an atypical music reviewer's retrospective of the past year to see what I missed. Thanks for making it through and here's hoping 2022 gives more pleasant surprises in music
Yeah, I often pick up some songs or artists from the Best list. I know you hate making them, Todd but you're doing a great service for those of us less in tune with the Pop world. XD
Fun fact: Todd bent his rules ever so slightly for the #1 pick, as the song didn't reach the Year-End Hot 100 and peaked at #21, just outside his usual cutoff of the top 20. Definitely a song worth bending the rules for.
The song went gold in 2021 and double platinum a couple of weeks ago. I think going gold in the U.S. should allow a song to qualify. #22 that week was a Drake song that never went gold in the U.S. or UK; it went "silver" in the latter, because apparently that's a thing there.
Todd said on Twitter in 2021 that he decided not to count holiday songs in a top 20 weekly ranking anymore (probably 'cause they ALWAYS show up yearly and block a ton of songs from being top 20 hits), so not only were Christmas songs excluded but Halloween songs were as well. Michael Jackson's song Thriller was somewhere within the Hot 100 top 20 in late October or early November in the same week that Meet Me at Our Spot was #21. Since Thriller was not counted as a top 20 hit based on his new rule, it bumped Willow's song to number 20! So to him it counts as a true hit song.
What I love about Todd is that I never have any idea what he's going to put on his best list. I've been watching these lists since I was in middle school (I'm almost done with college now), and I have always been surprised by what he loves, and that's a great feeling.
So, from the number one pick... 1 -- God-DAMN I had some whiplash hearing her VOICE. She's gotten deeper, and smokier, and she sounds... honestly, she sounds like Lorde or Florence + the Machine, it's REALLY impressive. 2 -- Essentially, my takeaway is that this is Todd's "Closer" of 2021. In a year full of stress, and anxiety, and tiredness, when we all feel SO MUCH OLDER... fuck it, I want a song about two stupid kids, young and in love. And, y'know -- it doesn't hurt that the song is just such a great 90-esque soft rock jam. It would fit perfectly fine next to Lisa Loeb's "Stay" or Natalie Imbrugalia's "Torn". You made an excellent case, Todd -- I am sold.
I think there's a distinction to be made between a song that has vibes and a song that has nothing BUT vibes. "Good Days" is a vibey song, but it's also rich and purposeful and sounds great *as a song.* "Heat Waves" just has vibes, and vibes alone are listless.
Vibes are like vanilla extract. When incorporated into a bigger recipe with something substantial it’s great, but if you have *just* vanilla extract then it’s shit.
I feel like people don’t understand that pop punk was never a sub genre of punk it was always a sub genre of pop. I’ve seen so many people saying “Olivia rodrigo isn’t pop punk she just makes pop songs with punk guitar.” Like that isn’t just what pop punk means
@@afterdinnercreations936 Really depends though? Those bands are certainly pop that sounds punk, but earlier Green Day at their snottiest is punk as hell.
Pop punk derives from punk adding more pop to the sound. Listen to Descendents, Blink 182, Green Day, Alkaline Trio, Get Up Kids. The thing about Olivia is that she is a mainstream artist, even though pop punk doesn't concern itself with an ethos, Olivia IS the mainstream. Even if she makes punkish music, she is still a pop artist.
Jacob Collier is somewhat of an acquired taste. Dude has mountains of talent but makes songs that are waaaay too busy and convoluted to be really popular. I personally love some of his songs but after listening to a couple in a row I need to lay down and recharge mentally
He's definitely a *jazz* guy, as in I wouldn't even blink at seeing him featuring on or producing a Sungazer album (Sungazer being a jazz fusion/electronic band featuring TH-cam's own Adam Neely), or even producing, like, a fucking Cynic album (Cynic being a long-running death metal-jazz fusion band with weird, ethereal, vocoder vocals). He's the kind of guy who lives, breathes, eat, drinks, shits, sleeps on, and gargles music every single minute of his life, so him having an encyclopedic knowledge of basically any genre wouldn't surprise me for a second.
as someone that enjoys jacob collier as well as a lot of pop/mainstream music there's definitely a few of his songs that could definitely appeal to a wider audience especially time alone with you and all i need
As a Jacob Collier fan, I also concur. A lot of his songs are more so of a one time hearing experience rather than a continuous repeats (with the exception of All I Need)
He’s obviously a talented guy, but there’s just such a “look at what I can do” energy to his music that seems more concerned about impressing you than making an actually good song. It feels more like an intellectual exercise than a genuine artistic expression, and the result is like all technique and no soul
Felt like I could hear a tremble and a voice break describing your number one pick there. Like you were holding back tears. I know this years been incredibly tough for you, and this list has been extremely difficult too. Just know we all appreciate and love you more than you can imagine.
Thanks again for using my mashup :D So happy to see My Ex’s Best Friend and Your Power here! Two of my favourites from the year. I was also especially happy to see Leave Before You Love Me in the honourable mentions, that song deserved a lot more success.
It’s more depressing, considering Billie broke up with a sketchy guy when she was 16/17 ONLY to end up with another sketchy guy twice her age. TF where are her parents??
She’s fallen into the fame curse that so many others have (mostly pop artists and SoundCloud rappers) where they start doing stupid stuff and start playing into the label’s hands. Her parents are probably living off of her, so they feel that they should keep pushing her to do what she does. Your right, it is depressing.
First I thought it was way too limiting to only look at the best-selling artists but thanks to Todd I can really appreciate what’s popular more than before. I used to be way more dismissive of the big radio hits but their ubiquity alone doesn’t make them worse songs. Half the stuff on the top lists is still a bit boring to me but hey, when Todd can make me interested in giving Willow Smith another listen he‘s doing something right!
Same! I dont really listen best selling artist. I either dont like, it goes overplayed, or both. However, i know its important to know and research all music, especially the top charting songs so i know whats influential and what sucked and hope its not too much of an influence. Todd really guides my path and acknowledging good things when i dont see them and mentioning how important a moment is. Or the other half. I may have a a distinct musical taste from him but damn does he put things into really good words. If there's any video of his to watch out for, its these cause they tell me what i missed and what i MISSED
Same here, as someone whos music taste is a 2005 emo kids ipod and the last radio hits I ever heard coming from 2013-14, I appreciate Todd including both hits and some semi hits, hell I just added the top spot to my to listen list cause it hurts how much I relate to it. Theres a bunch of songs I liked last year but they were mostly towards my taste, the new Waterparks album, the new songs from Palaye Royale, and the new Idkhow but they found me album got me through last year. I do recommended Perfume by De Wayne and Waterpark's album Greatest Hits for some bangers.
Absolutely! What Todd excels at isn't in his taste or convincing you to follow it; no one can or should do that. What Todd is a master at is teaching his audience HOW to think about music. Asking the right questions, looking at the fuller picture of the artist, the smaller moments in a song, etc. While we can still respect our differences in musical tastes, Todd helps everyone elevate their conversation around music.
@@mai8043 Thanks. Also I was hoping it would be more funny bad than just boring but 'Rapping is my fetishes Like a dragon pregnant young boys lying on their records" sure did sound stupid af 🤷♀
I burst into tears when you put willow at number one, and also the sort of anti-pep talk pep talk made me feel better about life a little bit. Being a Black woman who grew up listening to all kinds of rock, I just really wished there was someone who looked like me 10+ years ago (Fefe Dobson, anyone?) when I was growing up and seeing Willow be that representation for the next generation is (bitter)sweet. Sigh. Thanks, Todd.
I’ve heard a few Fefe Dobson, but she was def bigger in Canada than the US. Also, I think her “best known” song, ‘Stuttering’ got plagued with accusations of being a ripoff of a different, better known pop song (of a Kelly Clarkson song?)
@@phastinemoon I only listened to her first album which I think was around 2002, and only later went back to see what happened to her. She definitely didn't get what she deserved :(
100 percent agree and I absolutely understand what you mean I was that same girl but i’m probably 10 years older than you check out the song by Res they say vision…amazing gave me those same feels ♥️
I think the situation with My Ex's Best Friend is that it's a rebound quadrangle. The previous relationships were the singer (guy A, represented by MGK) was with a girl (girl A) and his "boy" (guy B, represented by Blackbear) was with another girl (girl B). Both the guys and the girls are best friends. An unknown time ago, both couples broke off but the friendships remained. Now guy B has hooked up with girl A. Girl B gets lonely and decides to hang drunk with guy A, since they know each other and her usual drinking buddy is part of the reason she wants to get drunk. They end up hooking up too, and now relationships are strained everywhere because there are so many unknowns. Who's just hooking up to make someone else jealous? Who's hooking up because they miss someone else? Who actually feels the relationships? Who want the old relationships back? Is anyone cheating with their exes? Are the friendships still intact and will they remain intact if this gets even more dramatic? And I'm sure at least one of them, possibly all of them, are wondering who they actually want to have in their life, and spend their time with.
Every year I look forward to this list. It’s so good to hear someone talk about the stuff they love, and miring in what I hated about last year feels unhealthy. This yearly tradition always points me to the gems I missed, and every year I gain new favorites. Thanks Todd!
The intro of this video resonates with me. I didn't care for most of 2021's music, even though I thought the most popular songs were decent enough, but when I was listening to other songs for my best list, I ended up really enjoying them far more than I thought I would. Some of them include, but are not limited to: Leave the Door Open, Pov, Industry Baby, Take My Breath, and Happier Than Ever.
Honestly, non-mainstream music was great for me this year. When it came to pop i loved songs from Porter Robinson's Nurture, Magdalena Bay's Mercurial World and Kero Kero Bonito's EP Civilisation II. Then i also liked Parannoul's shoegaze album To See The Next Part of The Dream. Then black midi's avant-prog/punk album Cavalcade. Then hip-hop/rap albums from Little Simz, JPEGMAFIA, Tyler, the Creator and maybe even BROCKHAMPTON.
I... think I actually like it even better than the studio version? The production on the original sounded a little muddy to me, but live, that definitely isn't an issue.
I always love best lists more than worst lists I know it's hard to find real positivity in the year, but I love hearing people talk about things they genuinely like
Todd, I don’t know if you personally feel this way, but I think you absolutely killed it with your content this year, you put out an impressive volume of videos and the quality and re watch ability of them is through the roof, whatever you tried to do differently this year keep it up because this has been your absolute best year to date. You should be fuckin’ proud of yourself man, now go take a well deserved break.
when you mentioned riot grrrl dress up in relation to olivia it reminded me of the fact shes friends with lydia night the singer and frontwoman for a riot grrrl inspired band and even appeared in the music video for their song monday so i think out of all disney stars she deserves it
I thought that was funny because The Regrettes sound more "poppy" now than they ever have before, like Olivia is reverse-rubbing off on Lydia. Would be crazy if they like somehow switched places, genre-wise. But they both deserve all the credit in the world
Coming from an someone who can have his All Too Well, “Your Power” was such a pleasant surprise pick. The song has so many heart-cutting qualities to it and uses her voice to its fullest advantage to communicate such a delicate state of mind. I’ve been watching Billie for almost a year now and although she has tracks that take a lot of mainstream influence, the tracks of hers that hit hit really hard. “everything i wanted” and “i love you” are both tracks that beautifully capture the soft qualities of her voice into purely heartbreaking tracks. I’m glad that your best lists keep giving her recognition.
A personal favorite is Come Out and Play. When I first discovered Billie a few years ago and heard that song I cried really hard and played it on repeat and just kept crying. It might just be my favorite song.
She played up her edge a lot in her first album, and it sounds great, but I can't get over how well she does sweet and haunting. Come Out and Play was gorgeous. Also can't stop listening to, or crying along with, The 30th.
Telapatia is incontrovertibly Fantastic, I can't imagine someone getting mad at it. And she seems happy with her newfound Telepathic Powers, so good for her!
I almost cried at seeing Meet Me At Our Spot so high getting the recognition it deserves, it is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard in my life and I've lost count of how many times I've heard this beautiful masterpiece!
I still am. Like if you asked me to rank the songs on this list in order of how much I like them I'd put Your Power at 10 and then Telepatia 9 times. I've literally sat in my car to finish listening to it because it came up on shuffle just as I arrived home. It's just a song that sounds so ridiculously, timelessly great.
Todd doesn't appreciate the brilliance of Lil Nas X at all. It makes me sad, but I always enjoy these lists even if I often don't agree with his opinions.
i possibly whisper screamed "yes" when i saw your number one pick because yes. meet me at our spot really is THAT good holy shit what a beautiful and comforting song
The amount of whiplash I got after hearing Meet Me at Our Spot was like getting hit by a truck. I had completely forgotten about Whip My Hair and I honestly never would’ve expected Willow to have as amazing of a voice as she does now.
Some very surprising choices, I didn't expect you to go outside a lot of the BIG hits for the list. But am so glad Willow took the number one spot. Discovering her punk rock music has been getting me through December and January. Meet Me At Our Spot was actually the track that made me check out her album. I wish she was around for my middle school rock/emo phase, I would have adored her as an insecure black girl who didn't always like what was considered "normal" for someone of my race.
This was a completely unpredictable list, the only entry I was expecting from Todd even before the thumbnail was MGK's "My ex's best friend"... but that was it. It was very interesting to see it unravel
My favorite part of watching these “Best of” lists is the mashup used for the bumper music. Happy to see “My Ex’s Best Friend” get a spot, and “Industry Baby” get a mention.
"Brutal" was hands down the best track off of that album. It definitely made me a lot more hopeful for the rest, which became bogged down in boring break up ballads
Yeah there were two too many Driver’s licences. She should lean more into the guitar stuff IMO. Also as someone who’s the same age of her I can’t help but laugh about how unserious relationships at this age are
Todd has that rare effect on me where I may wait a little bit to watch the videos but that’s only because I want to holistically enjoy them and not pay half my attention. Like someone else in these comments, you may not like doing them but your top lists are some of if not the most enjoyable made at the end of every year. Great work 🙌
I’m so happy to see Kali Uchis on here. I’ve been a fan since her first album, so seeing her reach any sort of mainstream success is just so amazing. I never thought I’d say it, but thanks TikTok
You get it!!! Kali is one of my favorite artists of all time and I’m so happy 2021 got to be HER YEAR! I’ve also been a fan of Todd for years so just to see some of my two favorite things intersect is like like this list was made with me in mind. Crazy the way the world works
Personally, I think Kiss Me More by Doja Cat and SZA was my favorite song. It just had amazing vibes, beats, and moments that will stick with me for a long long time.
my favorite thing about Todd's Top 10 lists is that it highlights things that, despite being popular and charting, there's still songs that i completely missed sometimes & Todd's highlighting it for us, so we don't miss it
I was ready to prattle on about how "Happier Than Ever" connected with me despite being a dude that has never dated, as the ex in the song did things very similar to a toxic family member I have since disassociated myself with and Billie articulated a lot of my feelings towards them. Obviously I can't do that since it's not on the list, but I love that artists like Billie Eilish are willing to experiment amidst a radio culture that is so heavily centralized on increasingly narrow definitions of pop music.
I use your videos to stay up to date with what's happening in the music world, so #1 was such a shock and genuinely wonderful surprise. That's character development right there.
Really did not expect Willow Smith at number 1. I've been following her music since 2016 so to me she is still one of those underrated artists in the indie/punk genre. I think her having money actually gives her the freedom to just create art and not trying to aim for hits which is , honestly, refreshing. You know there isn't really a hidden motive in her album releases. Will tried making her play the industry game with Whip My Hair. She ended i'm quitting the artform in protest in honor of her mental stability( She's open up about feeling overworked and suicidal during that era). All of her young adult albums are her slowly falling back in love with the medium.
The one upside of how being a rock star/rags to riches music superstar has been falling out of reach for anyone who isn't benefiting from nepotism is that the people benefiting from nepotism already have money and therefore don't need to give a crap about following trends. Willow happened to hit a trend ahead of time, but that's called _making_ trends, not following them. The downside is that, of course, it's going to crowd out diversity of thought. Hopefully things change but I don't know how that's going to happen.
You know Todd really loves a song, when he puts it at the top of the Best list despite never peaking in top 20 (MMAOS peaked at 21, it was that close) or making into the Year-end Hot 100.
What's wrong with The Show Goes On? Well, actually I can imagine why someone might dislike it. I had to watch what was essentially a sports montage at an incredibly white sports award ceremony that had that song as its backing track, and it was extremely awkward. At least they cut before the first verse. I still like it though.
i think as we go into the next decade, you really can feel music changing. maybe it’s the pandemic, the change in medium, but there is definitely a shift happening
It feels like a changing of the guard right now. It reminds me of the feeling of what happened right as grunge was dying. I'm excited to hear the creativity, improbable genre blending, and craziness going on for the next several years.
Thank God Eminem absolutely bodied MGK so hard but he had to completely switch genres and leave hip hop, because he actually found his calling as a punk pop rocker and everyone is the better for it.
I still don’t understand how Eminem won that one. He basically spent the whole track slinging petty high school insults at the dude while MGK was over here like “hey you’ve actually done some real shitty things bro”
@@gastgadtje8753 at risk of being called a eminem stan and ignored. That's Biased, and plain misinformed. MGK's diss was lazy poorly focused, and very much lacking in any real venom besides one or two hits. Eminem's just had more punch to it, more disses and was just a better over all diss track. Honestly if they went more rounds maybe MGK could have gotten some better punchlines in, and actually properly dissed Eminem, but since MGK never responded and Killshot is the stronger of the songs, that's why he won. Not cause of the fanbases. Though I will admit you're right that it did play a part, but I will counter point saying that if you choose to fight an army as a squad, you need to realize you're disadvantage and figure out how to work with it. MGK was never going to have more fans behind him going into the beef, so that's still his bad for not having a better answer to it.
It's funny, when you first started putting out these lists, you had pretty much the same music everywhere, we partied to David Guetta and Black eyed Peas both in the US and Europe. Nowadays there's actually good music in my native language, and the homegrown stuff is so popular that I haven’t heard of most of the songs on here. Now I come here more for an annual checkup on the music Over There and some tips for good music. I always end up picking up some of your best picks. Thanks for doing these.
Thanks for being my constant for by about a decade Todd. Still as good for me as when I was 24 as 34 now. I loved this list, you are a constant in this chaotic world, thanks for doing the work to stay cool and relevant.
I know these lists are a chore, but they’re bigger events than the Super Bowl for me. Long live Todd.
same man!! btw geaux tigers!
SAME.
that says a lot coming from a guy with an LSU profile pic
I only ever cared about those for the halftime shows.
It sucks that The Weeknd performed before I was a really big fan of him. I would’ve enjoyed that performance so much more if I actually liked him before then, and wasn’t there only because I was anxious to see if he would preform any of his verses from Love Me Harder.
Same, cause I’m a Packers fan so the Super Bowl is always depressing
I love the contrast between Todd’s cheerfully yelled “WE’RE COUNTING DOWN” and his typical relaxed monotone for the rest of the video
Todd walks up to the counter with his family's gifts, sobbing uncontrollably. The lady at the register nods, and says, "Yeah, same."
_Exactly_ how I imagined that when he was telling it, bahahaha!!
As a cashier, I feel the "Yeah, same" in my bones.
@@cannibalisticrequiem Thank you for your service^^
I know you hate making these, but they're still excellent content. Thanks for sticking through both lists for another year!
Why would he?
@@Slimehardtshawty They take a lot of time and editing, it’s stressful.
@@Slimehardtshawty Todd's pretty self-critictal and every year end review he's talking about how wrong his predictions are or kicking himself for sleeping on someone.
@@Jackrabbit7 that doesn't mean he hates them though, especially since he makes like 2-3 vids a month and they all rack up hella views. You can love something, and still find it stressful but worth the stress
Love how everyone ignored the porn comment
“Honorable mentions: Lil Baby, Pooh Sheisty, Erich Church, Chris Stapleton”
Nothing has summarized Todd better than that contrast.
And Bruno mars making his big comeback with Anderson paak
I remember my sister tried to get me into Olivia Rodrigo. She showed me "Good for you," and I was like "this is okay." and then she showed me "brutal" and I got SO HYPED. The rest of the album didn't hit for me. I'm not huge on pop generally, but that song was genuinely excellent.
What do you think about her recent album if you've listened to it?
i find it the worst one on the album by far lmao
@@yesmk000really? it’s my favorite song on the album for sure
much appreciation for you using the live version of the song in the number one spot because that other version is just
Right! The live version is so much better, I was thinking the same thing
i love your mashups
I really appreciate you not spoiling you are a a true chad
@@EzioHanitore not having seen the video yet I think it basically does.
It's funny I saw this comment before watching this video and immediately knew what the number 1 was, thats how much better the live version is lmao
“I don’t give a fuck who talk behind my back ‘cause the bitch knew better than to let me hear” is one of the best lines of 2021
Also, Meet Me At Our Spot is a great choice
After this album cycle, I think Rodrigo has three different places she could go with her career.
A: She could not change a thing about herself and just make sour part 2
B: She could go straight pop and be another Demi or Selena
or C. She could delve more into alt/rock and be another Avril or Hayley.
I like C.
I hope she doesn't do any of those and instead becomes one of those artists who's constantly changing genres and blending them together
i reckon she’ll make sour pt2 and then change genres every 2 or 3 albums (kinda like taylor swift)
Sadly, Todd leaves out the part where Rodrigo spent most of the year in court being sued by the various artists she was "inspired" by for copyright infringement (thanks Estate of Marvin Gaye for fucking up music copyright forever) and losing (again, thanks Marvin Gaye's family) so I doubt whatever she does next is gonna sound anything at all like what she just put out.
there's D: she follows in her idol, Taylor Swift's footsteps and changes genres every album
@@MarcDoesNotKnow that’s not the point. The point is, what is she going to do NEXT.
i really do look forward to todd's best/worst lists more than christmas every year
for sure!
I dread Christmas. It feels fitting to me that that's when the worst list tends to come out.
FR 💀
And as the dick he is he makes us wait and wait and wait 😤😤😤 but it’s always worth it
I'm Jewish so I can easily agree with that lol
i think the strongest thing about "your power" is that it's just a plea to be better. she's not yelling, she's not crying, she's not giving the details. she just wants the people that hurt her and anyone else to be better.
also, im SO GLAD starting over made the honorable mentions.
She's a racist hypocrite lol
@@yomamafart How?
@@ddt6352 so is everyone just gonna ignore the part where she was 13? classic twittards ig
I can say this with... really brutal if entirely different insight to overwhelming trauma that at some point you just get so fucking weary about it and just want it to be as little of a thing as possible, despite any outrage you justifiably have. That's this song. That is absolutely this song. Actually, I think it happened in 2021 for me too.
Glad to see someone else who sees Your Power as the best Eilish song of the year. That song is still soul crushing. When she sings “how dare you”, it’s not aggressive or a call of strength, it’s vulnerable. It feels hopeless.
It gives off more of a hurt “how could you do this to me?” that just instantly makes someone regret whatever it is they did.
This gotta be the most unpredictable Todd list I’ve ever seen. Pushing Dua Lip and Silk Sonic out of the running in the first two minutes was a crazy move. Don’t always agree with the Shadow man but he’s definitely the OG of this shit and he always has me cackling.
Thank you, Todd!
I thought Smoking Out the Window would be 10-7 and he was like “nah fam”
That joke about drinking wine always has me laughing audibly even though I've watched this video like five times.
@@dylanvickers7953 I thought it would be like number 1. That’s where I would have it
I really liked that Dua Lipa song too, but that Silk Sonic/Bruno Mars album… idk it sounds a bit forgettable to me, especially Leave the Door Open. It’s one of those songs you hear for the first time and think “nobody is going to remember this in 5-10 years”
most disingenuous as well.
I'm honestly astounded that Todd is not head-over-heels for Levitating given his love of blockbuster 80's synth-pop. That song is one of the best-produced pop songs I've ever heard
Overplay killed it for him. He’s said it in one of his videos before
@@memejuliyamemepuchkova4882 Yeah the whole Dababy situation helped it stick around for an absurd amount of time. It's still in the top 20 right now.
Wasn't Levitating 2020?
@@Lexivor DaBaby remix was 2021 pretty sure
@@renataaristimuno5269 I just checked, the DaBaby remix was posted on TH-cam October 2, 2020.
Sometimes I think about the incredible beauty humankind could achieve if every artist had the financial support that Willow Smith does. Not trying to take anything away from her, I’m saying that we would all be better off if everyone as talented as she is was able to focus solely on their craft without worrying about money
This is such a delightful view.everyine deserves financial freedom to pursue and support their passions
I genuinely look forward to your worst and best lists every year, and I know you got a lot of shit for this one, but just know that the negative voices are definitely the minority. I've discovered a lot of pop music that I still love through your content, and your year-end lists are always a highlight for me. It's always fun to guess with my friend that also watches your videos which songs we think you're going to choose, and even though we're usually wrong, it still makes it even better to see what the actual list ends up being.
It's always a great way to freshen up a playlist and find the hidden gems you missed during the year.
@@DeRoche022 Exactly. I tend to stick to listening to the same artists over and over, so Todd's lists are always a great way for me to discover artists that debuted in the previous year.
tf are people bashing this year's list for ? there were a few minor heal turns (him snubbing levitating n atw + going with your power over happier then ever) but i can't think of anything on this list i rly disagree with and it's a high quality vid as always
@@uglyaniimals not so much the list itself, but how long it took. from his Twitter, it looks like a lot of people were hounding him about it, constantly asking when it was coming out, and it made the process of making the video way more stressful.
@@uglyaniimals It’s obvious he has somewhat of a bias in favor of Megan. She doesn’t seem that good.
I like that Megan has mostly stuck to her rap roots. She's been on a few non rap tracks, but her bread and butter is in hip hop. I felt like Nicki abandoned that spot and I'm glad Megan is keeping it going.
Butter you say 😏
@@joneatsbagels7239 😏
@@koala201211 IT'S THE HOT GIRL COACH AND BTS
@ghost mall she and Nikki are both equally talentless and annoying
@@varietyhub2948 women bad grrr
Definitely expected a Billie Song, but as much as I love "Happier than Ever", picking "Your Power" was a great choice. It has a lot more nuanced and sharp verbology to it.
I've been really excited for Willow's resurgence into the mainstream for a couple years, its been apparent that she's got a lot of creativity and an interesting voice, actually, this was a year where a lot of artists that I've been hoping would get a big hit for a while, did. Artists like Kali Uchis, Anderson. Paak, even Little Simz making a splash with her album critically. I feel like this year and 2020 is just setting up a really interesting decade for music.
Willow changed her style
I remember hearing Transparent Soul for the first time and being fucking shocked.
I dunno man, “Brutal” hit me like a ton of bricks. It was my most-listened to song of 2021. I’m nearly 30 now, but when I was 17 I was a horrifically insecure kid and I saw a lot of myself from when I was in high school in Rodrigo’s lyrics. I totally get that it’s pretty tongue-in-cheek, but I think there are some moments of genuine anxiety in there. Most of my sense of humor, even today, is self-deprecation, so “Brutal” reads a lot like that to me: hiding the truth behind the wit. Regardless of it was intended that way or not, I felt it that way.
Bro, it's still brutal out here, just for different reasons.
im 19 rn and GOD these lyrics hit HARDDDDD i can confidently say i had all the thoughts she had in this fucking song- she is the true teen popstar we needed this decade and I am being completely serious
What I got from the song is that her problems are both trivial and real at the same time. That’s kind of how I look back at my teenage years
I’m 23 and brutal was also my most listened to song of the year. Hard not to relate to “And I'm so tired that I might/Quit my job, start a new life/And they'd all be so disappointed/‘Cause who am I, if not exploited?” after droning away at a pointless corporate job as the world collapses around me
Brutal sounds like my teenage nostalgia in such a good way.
The moment I knew Willow was a legit artist is when I heard her song about Adventure Time of all things. She actually captures the themes of the show perfectly in that song and from that moment I was a fan. Girl is legit talented and I can't wait to see what she does in the future.
the monkey's paw gave you emo girl, how do you feel
@@MyoticTesseract That is a Machine Gun Kelly song. My feeling is "Ew gross, don't sing with him, Willow, ew ew ew ew"
She also was a guest star in the show’s finale. I respect anyone who’s a big Adventure Time fan.
What song was about Adventure Time!? I have to find it.
@@KrisRN23935 also need to know
I appreciate Whip My Hair because that unconditional support allowed Willow to find herself. She's been putting out music semi regularly ever since and listening to her experiment and decide who she want's to be is amazing. I highly recommend F Q-C #7 as a weird but enjoyable song.
Whatever else you can say about Will and Jada, it's clear they gave their kids the room to be creative and just try things. It's obvious in their choices.
I don’t wanna be “that guy” but if you threw enough money and influence into anyone’s creative pursuits, they’ll eventually find success and that’s really the only reason either of the Smith kids are even remotely relevant.
@@noxXxnoctiI would like to contend that there are plenty of entitled rich kids given every advantage that still fail miserably. This is one of those dreams of the Star Trek like utopia. Where subsistence needs are met as a matter of course and everyone is allowed and even encouraged to find that success. I have to put aside my modern urge to say "oh entitled rich kids" too but that allows me to see that the support has allowed them to contribute art/something enjoyable back to society. The situation isn't perfect but it shows hope.
@@MrInfin1x yeah but not like it was nurturing them then they found their talent. It was a literal decade’s worth of money and influence being used to buy a career for both. Hiring the best teachers, producers, features, etc etc. This wasn’t someone like Donald Glover who did have a leg up on most of his contemporaries, but he had innate talent that allowed him to branch off into music. I’m not saying I stick my nose up at them or that no one should even like their music. Just don’t delude yourself that their success is due to good parenting.
It's still more entertainment family nepotism either way when it's an actual major label release...
His analogy with MGK being a reverse Michael Jordan is one of the most genius and hilarious comparisons I’ve ever heard.
It isn't wrong either. Like don't get me wrong, I love "Wild Boy" as much as anyone who was an edgy teen/early twenties at the time or knew someone in that age group but his pop punk/rock stuff is so much better especially after whatever the hell that feud with Eminem was. Of all the rappers you had to make a desperate plea for attention with, you had to choose him lol.
Ngl Hotel Diablo is a fantastic rap album.
@@Aleph3575 loll ikr he got BRUTALLY murdered on that one
@@derdude6214 facts
Which is also ironic considering MJ was getting constantly pummeled by the Detroit Pistons before he "retired" just like MGK was being pummeled by a rapper from Detroit before switching genres 😅
"What it makes you feel good about being young is the idea that you still have your future." Damn. That hit hard.
i'm so happy that Kali Uchis is getting the recognition she deserves, that woman is soo talented
Mmmmm yeah
I hope more artists start making bilingual songs, they’re really fun to listen to, especially if you speak both languages. Another example of a song like that is Frijolero by Mexican rock icons Molotov
Todd I know this video was rough for you to make, so before I even watch it I'm giving it a thumbs up and I want to say I genuinely appreciate your videos and I can't wait for more in 2022. This video just showed up in my notifications and the timing couldn't have been better as I'm not having the best day, dealing with COVID and some anxiety. Your best lists always make me happy, so if you see this, thanks for what you do!
Edit: Yep, this video was great and it did indeed make me happy. (Also wow, thanks so much for the well wishes everyone! I'm finally recovering.
I hope you have a better day tomorrow. I know how you feel.❤️
Get well soon buddy!
I got pee pee on my shoe… 😢
speakin' facts, we appreciate you todd! and get well soon, friend
Just got over it myself... Keep recovering
I’m glad Kali Uchis finally got exposure to a larger audience. She’s been sitting in the wings of the music industry for years now. I never would have thought one of her biggest hits would be in Spanish though. It’s nice America is slowly joining the rest of the world in accepting music in different languages.
until this video i thought the “wound in salt” lyric in ‘good 4 u’ was “apathy is like a wounded soul” and i really liked that. damn.
Same, dude, same. Doh!
As a songwriter - yoink!
I thought it was “wound itself” like, this whole break up hurt me a lot but the fact that you don’t care feels like I’m getting hurt all over again
Me too, it made more sense
still going to sing wounded soul
Shouldn't we all agree that Todd paved the way? Dude always puts out the best quality content during best/worst list season!
Todd kicks ass. Even when I don't agree with him, He explains things well enough that I understand how he arrives at the optioning he has. He has awareness, recognizes his own shortcomings and biases, and has no issue looking things he doesn't normally like.
I think he tends to repeat himself a bit too often sometimes and the skip forward button looks really enticing. Still like his opinions though
I love the fact that he does the worst list first and then the best list. Most people do it the other way around, and I'm glad there is someone that choses to end on a positive note.
For a single-person production Todd has some of the higher production values for music critics, mostly because nobody else is really trying to compete except Fantano. Where Todd pulls ahead of most video makers is that you can really feel that he's an actual human with actual thoughts, opinions and flaws, and he's never afraid to admit that something makes these lists entirely because of his biases.
@@TheEvilCheesecake the only one is fantano? Idk about that one man
I think the river line in Adele's song is a reference to a King Mydas myth. He got reed of his curse by washing his hands in a river which made said river gold-bearing. So she says that sins of her past doesn't enrich anything, her sadnes helps her alone.
nah it's a reference to the gold rush which was a hit thing to do in the 19th century for people moving to the USA or Brazil. Gold accumulates in rivers sometimes. So it's a different kinda metaphor. Idk why I'm responding
Can't believe I missed Willow Smith going punk, I gotta amend that right now.
See, THIS is why I watch your Best (and Worst) of the year vids; I don't keep up with the Pop charts, I just keep playing the same 10 songs ad nauseam 12 months straight, and need an atypical music reviewer's retrospective of the past year to see what I missed. Thanks for making it through and here's hoping 2022 gives more pleasant surprises in music
I am old... so I can't believe that is what people think is "punk" music
Yeah, I often pick up some songs or artists from the Best list. I know you hate making them, Todd but you're doing a great service for those of us less in tune with the Pop world. XD
You should really check out her album Lately I Feel Everything, I listened to it a month ago and it is AMAZING, one of the best of 2021
@@laartwork 🙄
@@laartwork found the music snob who thinks they're better than everyone else because they listen to "real music"
I know you’re not the biggest fan of making these, but I still love watching them. Thank you for what you do
Fun fact: Todd bent his rules ever so slightly for the #1 pick, as the song didn't reach the Year-End Hot 100 and peaked at #21, just outside his usual cutoff of the top 20. Definitely a song worth bending the rules for.
The song went gold in 2021 and double platinum a couple of weeks ago. I think going gold in the U.S. should allow a song to qualify. #22 that week was a Drake song that never went gold in the U.S. or UK; it went "silver" in the latter, because apparently that's a thing there.
It's in the Top 100 songs of 2021 in the UK!
Todd said on Twitter in 2021 that he decided not to count holiday songs in a top 20 weekly ranking anymore (probably 'cause they ALWAYS show up yearly and block a ton of songs from being top 20 hits), so not only were Christmas songs excluded but Halloween songs were as well. Michael Jackson's song Thriller was somewhere within the Hot 100 top 20 in late October or early November in the same week that Meet Me at Our Spot was #21. Since Thriller was not counted as a top 20 hit based on his new rule, it bumped Willow's song to number 20! So to him it counts as a true hit song.
@dremorales1177
-is thriller the -_-only-_- big halloween song? that sucks there should be more of those-
@@thatoneguy9582 The Monster Mash’s reaction ‘cause you forgot it - :(
Case in point for Travis Barker: He collaborated on a few songs in Willow Smith's 2021 album, including "Transparent Soul".
What I love about Todd is that I never have any idea what he's going to put on his best list. I've been watching these lists since I was in middle school (I'm almost done with college now), and I have always been surprised by what he loves, and that's a great feeling.
So, from the number one pick...
1 -- God-DAMN I had some whiplash hearing her VOICE. She's gotten deeper, and smokier, and she sounds... honestly, she sounds like Lorde or Florence + the Machine, it's REALLY impressive.
2 -- Essentially, my takeaway is that this is Todd's "Closer" of 2021. In a year full of stress, and anxiety, and tiredness, when we all feel SO MUCH OLDER... fuck it, I want a song about two stupid kids, young and in love.
And, y'know -- it doesn't hurt that the song is just such a great 90-esque soft rock jam. It would fit perfectly fine next to Lisa Loeb's "Stay" or Natalie Imbrugalia's "Torn". You made an excellent case, Todd -- I am sold.
That explains the wonderfully nostalgic feelings that invoked. Definite OG Lillith Fair vibes with the top two and I LOVE IT.
Tbh you made twice as good a case just there. Award for most accurate comment. Hit the nail in the mathematically-calculated centre of the head.
@@thatkidwiththehoodie Aw, thank you
Oh Lord, no wonder I love that song. Being a 90's alternative nerd and a huge Florence and the Machine fan.
“Your Power” gives off the vibe of that feeling you get when someone tells you they’re not mad, just disappointed in you.
I think there's a distinction to be made between a song that has vibes and a song that has nothing BUT vibes. "Good Days" is a vibey song, but it's also rich and purposeful and sounds great *as a song.* "Heat Waves" just has vibes, and vibes alone are listless.
Vibes are like vanilla extract. When incorporated into a bigger recipe with something substantial it’s great, but if you have *just* vanilla extract then it’s shit.
@@j.r.341 thats the best comparison I've ever heard when it comes to vibes
Listless is a great way to describe it
I feel like people don’t understand that pop punk was never a sub genre of punk it was always a sub genre of pop. I’ve seen so many people saying “Olivia rodrigo isn’t pop punk she just makes pop songs with punk guitar.” Like that isn’t just what pop punk means
I don't know, there are some artists that are closer to one than the other. Olivia is more pop than punk, and SWMRS are more punk than pop.
I think it depends. Like Joyce Manor and Jeff Rosenstock are more punk than pop but overall kinda agree
It's pop that sounds punk, like Good Charlotte or Simple Plan.
@@afterdinnercreations936 Really depends though? Those bands are certainly pop that sounds punk, but earlier Green Day at their snottiest is punk as hell.
Pop punk derives from punk adding more pop to the sound.
Listen to Descendents, Blink 182, Green Day, Alkaline Trio, Get Up Kids. The thing about Olivia is that she is a mainstream artist, even though pop punk doesn't concern itself with an ethos, Olivia IS the mainstream.
Even if she makes punkish music, she is still a pop artist.
Todd's Top 10 isn't just a video, it's an event
Been part of my life for 10 plus years at this point.
@@MarcNeilson1 his year end Top 10s is the only reason i try to survive every year
I get snacks and sit down like it’s the super bowl
@@trucetruce335 Pizza Hut for me
Not gonna lie, this is the most surprising and a plot twist of a top 10 video, Kuddos Todd, you put me on the edge of my seat with every countdown
Yes because most of these songs weren't even all that big. Or they debuted high on the Hot 100 but didn't stay there for long.
Jacob Collier is somewhat of an acquired taste. Dude has mountains of talent but makes songs that are waaaay too busy and convoluted to be really popular. I personally love some of his songs but after listening to a couple in a row I need to lay down and recharge mentally
He's definitely a *jazz* guy, as in I wouldn't even blink at seeing him featuring on or producing a Sungazer album (Sungazer being a jazz fusion/electronic band featuring TH-cam's own Adam Neely), or even producing, like, a fucking Cynic album (Cynic being a long-running death metal-jazz fusion band with weird, ethereal, vocoder vocals). He's the kind of guy who lives, breathes, eat, drinks, shits, sleeps on, and gargles music every single minute of his life, so him having an encyclopedic knowledge of basically any genre wouldn't surprise me for a second.
absolutely
as someone that enjoys jacob collier as well as a lot of pop/mainstream music there's definitely a few of his songs that could definitely appeal to a wider audience especially time alone with you and all i need
As a Jacob Collier fan, I also concur. A lot of his songs are more so of a one time hearing experience rather than a continuous repeats (with the exception of All I Need)
He’s obviously a talented guy, but there’s just such a “look at what I can do” energy to his music that seems more concerned about impressing you than making an actually good song. It feels more like an intellectual exercise than a genuine artistic expression, and the result is like all technique and no soul
Felt like I could hear a tremble and a voice break describing your number one pick there. Like you were holding back tears.
I know this years been incredibly tough for you, and this list has been extremely difficult too.
Just know we all appreciate and love you more than you can imagine.
TH-cam comments tend to suck (especially with music criticism), so thank you for being so kind to Todd. Both of you are awesome!
this is a really wholesome comment :)
Thanks again for using my mashup :D
So happy to see My Ex’s Best Friend and Your Power here! Two of my favourites from the year. I was also especially happy to see Leave Before You Love Me in the honourable mentions, that song deserved a lot more success.
Great mashup!
@@zainkhalil7494 Thank you! :)
It’s more depressing, considering Billie broke up with a sketchy guy when she was 16/17 ONLY to end up with another sketchy guy twice her age. TF where are her parents??
She’s fallen into the fame curse that so many others have (mostly pop artists and SoundCloud rappers) where they start doing stupid stuff and start playing into the label’s hands. Her parents are probably living off of her, so they feel that they should keep pushing her to do what she does. Your right, it is depressing.
First I thought it was way too limiting to only look at the best-selling artists but thanks to Todd I can really appreciate what’s popular more than before. I used to be way more dismissive of the big radio hits but their ubiquity alone doesn’t make them worse songs.
Half the stuff on the top lists is still a bit boring to me but hey, when Todd can make me interested in giving Willow Smith another listen he‘s doing something right!
Same! I dont really listen best selling artist. I either dont like, it goes overplayed, or both. However, i know its important to know and research all music, especially the top charting songs so i know whats influential and what sucked and hope its not too much of an influence. Todd really guides my path and acknowledging good things when i dont see them and mentioning how important a moment is. Or the other half. I may have a a distinct musical taste from him but damn does he put things into really good words. If there's any video of his to watch out for, its these cause they tell me what i missed and what i MISSED
Todd helped me un-snobbify myself
Yes I totally relate! For years I dismissed popular music until I found Todd!
Same here, as someone whos music taste is a 2005 emo kids ipod and the last radio hits I ever heard coming from 2013-14, I appreciate Todd including both hits and some semi hits, hell I just added the top spot to my to listen list cause it hurts how much I relate to it. Theres a bunch of songs I liked last year but they were mostly towards my taste, the new Waterparks album, the new songs from Palaye Royale, and the new Idkhow but they found me album got me through last year. I do recommended Perfume by De Wayne and Waterpark's album Greatest Hits for some bangers.
Absolutely! What Todd excels at isn't in his taste or convincing you to follow it; no one can or should do that. What Todd is a master at is teaching his audience HOW to think about music. Asking the right questions, looking at the fuller picture of the artist, the smaller moments in a song, etc. While we can still respect our differences in musical tastes, Todd helps everyone elevate their conversation around music.
seeing WILLOW sing Meet me at our spot with her boyfriend live really did it for me, she's just SO GOOD live too
I’m just amazed by her voice. There’s an older-than-her-age quality to it, and it’s just amazingly powerful when it needs to.
Todd in so many other videos: I don't like "vibes"
Todd in 2021: I caught a ✨vibe✨
Todd is starting to relate to the youth.
love how Willow got a redemption arc while Jaden raps about pregnant dragons
@Dandyman (Splatoon 2 Hundered) Check out Jaden Smith Calabasas Freestyle
....wat
Ok links please? At least drop a song name come on man!
@@christopherjones8448 a calabasas freestyle
@@mai8043 Thanks. Also I was hoping it would be more funny bad than just boring but 'Rapping is my fetishes Like a dragon pregnant young boys lying on their records" sure did sound stupid af 🤷♀
I burst into tears when you put willow at number one, and also the sort of anti-pep talk pep talk made me feel better about life a little bit. Being a Black woman who grew up listening to all kinds of rock, I just really wished there was someone who looked like me 10+ years ago (Fefe Dobson, anyone?) when I was growing up and seeing Willow be that representation for the next generation is (bitter)sweet. Sigh. Thanks, Todd.
I’ve heard a few Fefe Dobson, but she was def bigger in Canada than the US.
Also, I think her “best known” song, ‘Stuttering’ got plagued with accusations of being a ripoff of a different, better known pop song (of a Kelly Clarkson song?)
@@phastinemoon I only listened to her first album which I think was around 2002, and only later went back to see what happened to her. She definitely didn't get what she deserved :(
100 percent agree and I absolutely understand what you mean I was that same girl but i’m probably 10 years older than you check out the song by Res they say vision…amazing gave me those same feels ♥️
@@goddessmoni I have listened to that song for nearly 20 years! 👍🏽
@@iimmannii ♥️♥️♥️ oh my gosh i love that so much
I’m 36 but Meet Me at our Spot hit me like a tons of bricks. It’s not just young people who can’t get it together.
Brutal is by far the best song on Sour. It literally reminds me of being 17. It perfectly encapsulates teenage angst.
@ghost mall the best song on that album is traitor
Calling imagine dragons "Spotify core car commercial crap" was the perfect description i didn't know i needed today
I think the situation with My Ex's Best Friend is that it's a rebound quadrangle. The previous relationships were the singer (guy A, represented by MGK) was with a girl (girl A) and his "boy" (guy B, represented by Blackbear) was with another girl (girl B). Both the guys and the girls are best friends. An unknown time ago, both couples broke off but the friendships remained. Now guy B has hooked up with girl A. Girl B gets lonely and decides to hang drunk with guy A, since they know each other and her usual drinking buddy is part of the reason she wants to get drunk. They end up hooking up too, and now relationships are strained everywhere because there are so many unknowns. Who's just hooking up to make someone else jealous? Who's hooking up because they miss someone else? Who actually feels the relationships? Who want the old relationships back? Is anyone cheating with their exes? Are the friendships still intact and will they remain intact if this gets even more dramatic? And I'm sure at least one of them, possibly all of them, are wondering who they actually want to have in their life, and spend their time with.
You dont imagine my happiness when I saw willow...its my favorite 2021 song
None of my favorite 2021 songs were on this list 😭
Mine too
no me esperaba encontrarte en este canal lmao
That's because you need to learn how to whip your hair back and forth
both you and tudd sold out to some wierd trend. its very sad. whos paaying yall?
Every year I look forward to this list. It’s so good to hear someone talk about the stuff they love, and miring in what I hated about last year feels unhealthy. This yearly tradition always points me to the gems I missed, and every year I gain new favorites. Thanks Todd!
This!
the "even if you are... stupefyingly rich" line was perfect Todd
The intro of this video resonates with me. I didn't care for most of 2021's music, even though I thought the most popular songs were decent enough, but when I was listening to other songs for my best list, I ended up really enjoying them far more than I thought I would. Some of them include, but are not limited to: Leave the Door Open, Pov, Industry Baby, Take My Breath, and Happier Than Ever.
I can’t even imagine the struggle of running a channel that only reviews high-charting pop songs
Honestly, non-mainstream music was great for me this year. When it came to pop i loved songs from Porter Robinson's Nurture, Magdalena Bay's Mercurial World and Kero Kero Bonito's EP Civilisation II. Then i also liked Parannoul's shoegaze album To See The Next Part of The Dream. Then black midi's avant-prog/punk album Cavalcade. Then hip-hop/rap albums from Little Simz, JPEGMAFIA, Tyler, the Creator and maybe even BROCKHAMPTON.
todd putting baby keem on the top 10 best hits list makes me extremely happy. todd, i hope you’re doing well, your content is always great.
Very happy to see Willows "Meet Me At our Spot" at #1. The live version is just so good 💙 🙌🏽
I knew I shouldn’t have come to the comments during the video
I... think I actually like it even better than the studio version? The production on the original sounded a little muddy to me, but live, that definitely isn't an issue.
I always love best lists more than worst lists
I know it's hard to find real positivity in the year, but I love hearing people talk about things they genuinely like
Wait you’re actually here?! :0 I watch your Amphibia videos so much
Todd, I don’t know if you personally feel this way, but I think you absolutely killed it with your content this year, you put out an impressive volume of videos and the quality and re watch ability of them is through the roof, whatever you tried to do differently this year keep it up because this has been your absolute best year to date. You should be fuckin’ proud of yourself man, now go take a well deserved break.
when you mentioned riot grrrl dress up in relation to olivia it reminded me of the fact shes friends with lydia night the singer and frontwoman for a riot grrrl inspired band and even appeared in the music video for their song monday so i think out of all disney stars she deserves it
I thought that was funny because The Regrettes sound more "poppy" now than they ever have before, like Olivia is reverse-rubbing off on Lydia. Would be crazy if they like somehow switched places, genre-wise. But they both deserve all the credit in the world
Coming from an someone who can have his All Too Well, “Your Power” was such a pleasant surprise pick. The song has so many heart-cutting qualities to it and uses her voice to its fullest advantage to communicate such a delicate state of mind. I’ve been watching Billie for almost a year now and although she has tracks that take a lot of mainstream influence, the tracks of hers that hit hit really hard. “everything i wanted” and “i love you” are both tracks that beautifully capture the soft qualities of her voice into purely heartbreaking tracks. I’m glad that your best lists keep giving her recognition.
A personal favorite is Come Out and Play. When I first discovered Billie a few years ago and heard that song I cried really hard and played it on repeat and just kept crying. It might just be my favorite song.
She played up her edge a lot in her first album, and it sounds great, but I can't get over how well she does sweet and haunting. Come Out and Play was gorgeous. Also can't stop listening to, or crying along with, The 30th.
2021 is what happens when the kids who grew up with the guitar-driven Phineas and Ferb soundtrack start making music of their own.
Yes no music was ever guitar driven before the Phineas and Ferb theme.
In other words Bowling for Soup are influential legends
@@Savannah_Simpson Yeah but what other mainstream pop culture was actually using guitars often and well while Gen Z was growing up?
@@Savannah_Simpson Also it wasn't just the theme... that show had a new song every episode, and a TON of them were rock songs that fuckin slapped
Yeah
“Optimism in the face of crushing disappointment” that hit hard homie
Telapatia is incontrovertibly Fantastic, I can't imagine someone getting mad at it.
And she seems happy with her newfound Telepathic Powers, so good for her!
I almost cried at seeing Meet Me At Our Spot so high getting the recognition it deserves, it is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard in my life and I've lost count of how many times I've heard this beautiful masterpiece!
Yeah I teared up 😄
I was obsessed with "telepatía", I'm so glad to see it on the list!
I still am. Like if you asked me to rank the songs on this list in order of how much I like them I'd put Your Power at 10 and then Telepatia 9 times. I've literally sat in my car to finish listening to it because it came up on shuffle just as I arrived home. It's just a song that sounds so ridiculously, timelessly great.
I was soo sure Lil Nas X's Industry Baby would make it on this list. it's such a banger
Got an honorable mention! Makes sense since Todd has admitted that he doesn’t quite “get” Lil Nas yet. I think he’ll come around soon :)
Industry Baby was the hit of the year for me. Should have gotten on the list, but Todd has always defied my expectations.
At least it was in the video!
Todd doesn't appreciate the brilliance of Lil Nas X at all. It makes me sad, but I always enjoy these lists even if I often don't agree with his opinions.
That song was my most played on Spotify this year haha, I loved it a lot too and was a bit surprised it was only an honourable mention!
i possibly whisper screamed "yes" when i saw your number one pick because yes. meet me at our spot really is THAT good holy shit what a beautiful and comforting song
The amount of whiplash I got after hearing Meet Me at Our Spot was like getting hit by a truck. I had completely forgotten about Whip My Hair and I honestly never would’ve expected Willow to have as amazing of a voice as she does now.
Some very surprising choices, I didn't expect you to go outside a lot of the BIG hits for the list. But am so glad Willow took the number one spot. Discovering her punk rock music has been getting me through December and January. Meet Me At Our Spot was actually the track that made me check out her album. I wish she was around for my middle school rock/emo phase, I would have adored her as an insecure black girl who didn't always like what was considered "normal" for someone of my race.
Oh man, I've been binging Todd's stuff since the 2021 Worst List came out, this is exactly the hit of dopamine I needed right now.
Facts was thinking the same thing. Always love to go back through all the previous lists round this time.
same
'Meet me at our spot' is my new favorite song and I never would have known about it if not for this list. Thanks Todd!
This was a completely unpredictable list, the only entry I was expecting from Todd even before the thumbnail was MGK's "My ex's best friend"... but that was it. It was very interesting to see it unravel
No. 1 definitely was a welcomed surprise
I don't know most of the people on these lists anymore, but I look forward to them every year. Love it, Todd!
I know who Adele is! Aaannnnd that's pretty much it. I guess I'm getting too old for new tricks... 😅
I think Jacob Collier has actually won a Grammy before for Best Arrangement, his solo music isn’t amazing but he has an incredible ear for harmony
My favorite part of watching these “Best of” lists is the mashup used for the bumper music.
Happy to see “My Ex’s Best Friend” get a spot, and “Industry Baby” get a mention.
"Brutal" was hands down the best track off of that album. It definitely made me a lot more hopeful for the rest, which became bogged down in boring break up ballads
Pretty much my exact feelings on that album
Yeah there were two too many Driver’s licences. She should lean more into the guitar stuff IMO. Also as someone who’s the same age of her I can’t help but laugh about how unserious relationships at this age are
Good 4 you hit pretty hard the first time I watched the video and she came in with the guitar in the chorus though.
My favorite was Hope You Are Okay
I agree with Brutal being the best track! I also really like Jealousy, Jealousy cause it also gives some 90s vibes too
Todd has that rare effect on me where I may wait a little bit to watch the videos but that’s only because I want to holistically enjoy them and not pay half my attention. Like someone else in these comments, you may not like doing them but your top lists are some of if not the most enjoyable made at the end of every year. Great work 🙌
I’m so happy to see Kali Uchis on here. I’ve been a fan since her first album, so seeing her reach any sort of mainstream success is just so amazing. I never thought I’d say it, but thanks TikTok
You get it!!! Kali is one of my favorite artists of all time and I’m so happy 2021 got to be HER YEAR! I’ve also been a fan of Todd for years so just to see some of my two favorite things intersect is like like this list was made with me in mind. Crazy the way the world works
I wasn't expecting Willow to appear here, but I suppose the song is just THAT strong. Pop-punk Willow keep rocking on!
I really liked WAIT A MINUTE from Willow. I love her more punk rock stuff, but wait a minute was, as they say, a vibe.
@Dandyman (Splatoon 2 Hundered) me too man. Didn't like it at first, but after a few times, wow!
Posers not welcome ehere
Personally, I think Kiss Me More by Doja Cat and SZA was my favorite song. It just had amazing vibes, beats, and moments that will stick with me for a long long time.
now that you mention it i'm REALLY surprised it didn't make this list, even as an honorable mention
Would be better if it was mostly SZA. Doja Cat’s verses feel like junk food.
@@Minam0 ngl, I lowkey thought it was halsey with her cursive singing and was genuinely surprised when I found out it was doja
It was one of my favourites too
Whenever I hear this on the tape that always plays at my work it's a breath of fresh air, one of the "good ones"
I just broke up with a destructive narcissist I was engaged to, and this list was therapeutic. Thank you, Todd. Your choices were excellent, as usual
Fair fucks to you, good riddance to that eejit
Well done 💜
I wish you all of the healing, love and just a great future
Good riddance to bad rubbish. I’m proud of you.
Good riddance to that trash bag, and I wish nothing but the best for you. Because you deserve the very best.♥️
my favorite thing about Todd's Top 10 lists is that it highlights things that, despite being popular and charting, there's still songs that i completely missed sometimes & Todd's highlighting it for us, so we don't miss it
Billie hates belting for sure, but after watching a rough cut of No Time To Die, she added some belting to the end of the song and it totally works.
yeah.
@@ddjsoyenby I just love that movie so much and the song really ties it together.
I'm pretty sure that song is going to get her an Oscar
As a Spanish speaker "All the Tea" made me have a spit take 😂 well done. Love your lists!
Eminem destroyed mgk so much that he had to switch genres but actually became a better artist because of that
Some people still hate mgk to this day tho
@@scorelineupdate129 Did you forget that he was in the Super Bowl
It's like in Marvel when Thanos beat Iron Man so badly that he retired and became a full time dad. He actually was a better dad than superhero. 😂
I was ready to prattle on about how "Happier Than Ever" connected with me despite being a dude that has never dated, as the ex in the song did things very similar to a toxic family member I have since disassociated myself with and Billie articulated a lot of my feelings towards them. Obviously I can't do that since it's not on the list, but I love that artists like Billie Eilish are willing to experiment amidst a radio culture that is so heavily centralized on increasingly narrow definitions of pop music.
I use your videos to stay up to date with what's happening in the music world, so #1 was such a shock and genuinely wonderful surprise. That's character development right there.
Really did not expect Willow Smith at number 1. I've been following her music since 2016 so to me she is still one of those underrated artists in the indie/punk genre. I think her having money actually gives her the freedom to just create art and not trying to aim for hits which is , honestly, refreshing. You know there isn't really a hidden motive in her album releases. Will tried making her play the industry game with Whip My Hair. She ended i'm quitting the artform in protest in honor of her mental stability( She's open up about feeling overworked and suicidal during that era). All of her young adult albums are her slowly falling back in love with the medium.
The one upside of how being a rock star/rags to riches music superstar has been falling out of reach for anyone who isn't benefiting from nepotism is that the people benefiting from nepotism already have money and therefore don't need to give a crap about following trends. Willow happened to hit a trend ahead of time, but that's called _making_ trends, not following them.
The downside is that, of course, it's going to crowd out diversity of thought. Hopefully things change but I don't know how that's going to happen.
You know Todd really loves a song, when he puts it at the top of the Best list despite never peaking in top 20 (MMAOS peaked at 21, it was that close) or making into the Year-end Hot 100.
i forgot you put “the show goes on” on your best list a while back. i forgot that song existed too. now i’m angry that you reminded me of it.
Stronger But Float On has replaced all memory of it.
Lupe was right all along about the song being bad
i still like that song :(
What's wrong with The Show Goes On?
Well, actually I can imagine why someone might dislike it. I had to watch what was essentially a sports montage at an incredibly white sports award ceremony that had that song as its backing track, and it was extremely awkward. At least they cut before the first verse.
I still like it though.
Wait, why is it bad now?
"songs i loved in a year i didn't" is the best possible way to introduce the favorites of both 2020 and 2021
i think as we go into the next decade, you really can feel music changing. maybe it’s the pandemic, the change in medium, but there is definitely a shift happening
It feels like a changing of the guard right now. It reminds me of the feeling of what happened right as grunge was dying.
I'm excited to hear the creativity, improbable genre blending, and craziness going on for the next several years.
Thank God Eminem absolutely bodied MGK so hard but he had to completely switch genres and leave hip hop, because he actually found his calling as a punk pop rocker and everyone is the better for it.
MGK cover pair more now everyone hates him again
@@patoren3gou653 it was the Aerials cover for me
I still don’t understand how Eminem won that one. He basically spent the whole track slinging petty high school insults at the dude while MGK was over here like “hey you’ve actually done some real shitty things bro”
@@thatkidwiththehoodie It's Eminem's bigger fandom that won that beef, not Eminem's lazy rap diss.
@@gastgadtje8753 at risk of being called a eminem stan and ignored. That's Biased, and plain misinformed. MGK's diss was lazy poorly focused, and very much lacking in any real venom besides one or two hits.
Eminem's just had more punch to it, more disses and was just a better over all diss track. Honestly if they went more rounds maybe MGK could have gotten some better punchlines in, and actually properly dissed Eminem, but since MGK never responded and Killshot is the stronger of the songs, that's why he won. Not cause of the fanbases.
Though I will admit you're right that it did play a part, but I will counter point saying that if you choose to fight an army as a squad, you need to realize you're disadvantage and figure out how to work with it. MGK was never going to have more fans behind him going into the beef, so that's still his bad for not having a better answer to it.
It's funny, when you first started putting out these lists, you had pretty much the same music everywhere, we partied to David Guetta and Black eyed Peas both in the US and Europe. Nowadays there's actually good music in my native language, and the homegrown stuff is so popular that I haven’t heard of most of the songs on here.
Now I come here more for an annual checkup on the music Over There and some tips for good music. I always end up picking up some of your best picks.
Thanks for doing these.
Thanks for being my constant for by about a decade Todd. Still as good for me as when
I was 24 as 34 now. I loved this list, you are a constant in this chaotic world, thanks for doing the work to stay cool and relevant.