Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2021

In looking through it, I found 2021 to be a great year for popular music. There were a number of painful cuts I had to make on this list, and so many songs that missed this list would have been strong contenders in past years. I honestly think that this was the best year for music since I started following the Billboard charts in 2017, and I cannot wait to talk about all the good stuff that this year had to offer.

Now, before we begin, eligibility rules. I took the top 100 biggest hits of 2021 that weren’t already hits in 2020 or Christmas songs, and chose my ten favorites. A full list of eligible songs can be found here. Also, I should emphasize that this is, in fact, just my opinion, and you are more than welcome to disagree with me.

Now, without further ado, let’s get into the best that this year had to offer.

Number 10

There are certain songs from this year that, whether you loved them or hated them, you had to at least acknowledge that they were big moments in pop culture. We had a few of those this year, such as "drivers license" by Olivia Rodrigo and "Easy On Me" by Adele. Part of the reason why I enjoyed this year so much was because most of these "moment" songs were not just big moments, but also really good songs. For example, one song that came out in March 2021 delivered quite possibly the most talked-about music video of the year, and became among the year's biggest hits. Thankfully, it was also an excellent song.

#10: “MONTERO (Call My By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X

I’m so glad that Lil Nas X was able to be so successful in 2021. Sure, he absolutely seemed like a gimmick back in 2019, when he was simply known as the "Old Town Road" guy. However, he’s actually been able to really shed that image away and grow as a musician in the process. While I also really liked songs like "Panini" and "HOLIDAY" as much as the next guy, I felt as though 2021 was when Nas really began to grow into his own as an artist. And of course, nowhere is that more clear than on "MONTERO".

There’s a reason that this song was chosen as the lead single for the album. Putting aside the fact that it was already TikTok-viral by its release, it’s also the song that I'd argue best represents Lil Nas X as an artist. Interesting but still humorous lyrics, a varied musical sound, and also very openly gay. All of these elements work in tandem to perfectly illustrate why this song works as well as it does.

Instrumentally, the song is actually very interesting. It opts to go in a more flamenco direction of all things, with heavy Spanish guitar and some more Latin rhythmic elements. It doesn’t really have much to do with the song thematically, but it sounds really good and provides a nice basis for Nas to sing over. This was one of the songs on his debut album where he opted to embrace his pop side, and he knew exactly what he was doing. The melodies are insanely catchy and fun to sing along to, and he actually does sound really good over this production. In fact, between this and the also-great "THATS WHAT I WANT", maybe he should try more guitar-infused instrumentals. But of course, this isn’t the reason why the song blew up. That would be the content.

While Nas has been out for a good few years now, he didn’t really acknowledge it in his music outside of a few lyrics here and there that alluded to him being into guys. However, here he fully embraces that side of himself. This feels like the song where Nas truly began to show off who he is to the world, and it set the tone for a lot of his future work to also revel in this more personal side of himself. And of course, it also helps that he included a number of catchy hooks. The main chorus melody, the pre-chorus melody, and even that outro where he sings out the song's title are all ridiculously catchy. It all really comes together to form a great song.

While the video and subsequent controversy probably helped this get to number one, it was able to stay high on the charts strictly because of how good of a song it is. This song is really solid, and I'm glad it's likely going to be remembered as Lil Nas X's signature hit.

Number 9

Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite artist is The Weeknd, and that’s been true for a while now. He’s consistently got great production, interesting ideas, and is a fantastic singer. In fact, my favorite song on the 2021 Year End Hot 100 was his song, "Blinding Lights", but since that was a hit in 2020 first, it’s ineligible for this list. That being said, I'll gladly take "Blinding Lights" 2.0 in its place.

#9: “Take My Breath” by The Weeknd

Okay, look. I’m well aware that most of you guys are sick to death of '80s-inspired pastiches, as they’ve been prevalent in the pop music scene for about seven or so years now. Here’s the thing, though: I'm sure as hell not! I've always had a soft spot for upbeat, adrenaline-infused pop music with a ton of energy. It's why "Blinding Lights" has worked so well for me, and it's why this song also clicked for me as well.

At its core, "Take My Breath" does take a lot of inspiration from its predecessor. However, there are a few key differences that make this song stand out in comparison. For one thing, the drums are a bit slower, and as such, land with a bit more impact. Sure, it does sacrifice some of the energy, but it still slaps pretty hard and gives the song a consistent rhythm to base itself off of. Of course, there is also some blatant synth-pop worship here, with that main repetitive loop grounding the song. That being said, the loop is catchy, and it works with the aforementioned rhythm. And of course, the melodies are also really satisfying. It’s a really fun song to hear on the radio, seeing as it's not only very fun to sing along to, but also works really well as driving music, mainly thanks to the driving rhythm that punctuates the song.

The Weeknd, as always, delivers vocally. He's well within his comfort zone here, sure, but the hook is an absolute earworm, the melodies are all really catchy and sticky, and he still sounds great! My favorite version of the song is the extended album cut, where there’s much more buildup with that synth motif, especially during the bridge, and it makes the song hit so much harder.

My affinity for this song only grew all the more after seeing The Weeknd live and hearing this song in that setting. Being in a crowd with everyone scream-singing this song at the top of their lungs with him really helped me feel the energy that this song goes for, and I don't think that this song will click harder for me than in that moment.

All in all, it's a very simple song structurally, but it’s a prime example of doing the basics exceptionally well. This was one of my most played songs of 2021, and probably would have been my most-played if it had come out earlier in the year. And even still, I’ve been able to keep it in my rotation. Great song.

Number 8

So, one debate I've had with a few of my friends is the difference between the best song on an album and my favorite song on an album. For me, the best is the song that I see the most merit in as a composition, while my favorite song is the one I like to listen to the most. And, in many cases, the two don’t overlap. This is a similar case. If I were ranking the hit songs of 2021 based on them being "the best", this would have been an easy lock for the top three. The reason it’s not is because I don’t return to it often and haven’t gone out of my way to listen to it that much. That being said, when I do listen to it, it never fails to impress me.

#8: “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish

The fact that this song was an actual hit single still feels weird. A song this fractured and unconventional doesn’t hit the Hot 100 very often, and when it does, it’s never guaranteed to be all that good. With that in mind, the fact that this song is as good as it is really is quite something.

We all know which part of the song is the better of the two - including Billie herself, who released an edited version of the song with only that part of it - but the first part of the song deserves some credit, too. It’s this folksy, acoustic number grounded in a lot of concealed anger. It starts off with Billie trying to be more sympathetic to the song's subject, even if she's well aware that the guy's not good for her.

"When I'm away from you, I'm happier than ever,

Wish I could explain it better,

I wish it wasn't true"

From the context of the song, one can easily infer that this relationship was emotionally abusive, especially given how the song's low-key anger is left to fizzle in the first half. Billie spends this part of the song dejectedly asking this guy how much he really cared about her, knowing damn well that the answer is not a lot, if at all. Her on-the-verge-of-tears performance provides for some really good storytelling in this sense, as she’s really able to sell what she’s saying. Then, the second half hits.

Yeah, the second half is just as epic as everyone says it is. The slow buildup, the anger in Billie's voice coming to the forefront, the increasing bluntness of the lyrics, it's all there. And of course, there’s that one part.

"You made me hate this city,

And I don’t talk sh*t about you on the internet,

Never told anyone anything bad,

'Cause that sh*t’s embarrassing, you were my everything,

And all that you did was make me f**king sad"

It hits with all the force it needs to in order to make the payoff extra satisfying. This part serves as the moment where Billie finally let’s all of her anger out and stops playing nice, and the loud cry of "just f**king leave me alone" at the end sells it perfectly. Also, as a side note, I did see Billie perform this song live at a Global Citizen concert last fall, and it says a lot about both her as a performer and this song that she was able to sell this song live with a similar amount of intensity that she had in the studio recording.

Look, the only reason that this song isn’t higher is that I don’t think it has as much replay value as a lot of other hits from 2021, as it does take a bit long to really get going, and isn’t something I can really put on in any given mood, unlike the songs above it. That being said, it’s still more than worthy of praise as a genuinely great and well-made piece of music.

Number 7

Sometimes, there comes along a song that doesn't necessarily demand your attention or warrant on-repeat listens, but is still such a welcome addition to the music scene that it would almost feel blasphemous if it didn't snag a spot on the playlist. This song is definitely one of those. It took a while to really grow on me fully, but at the end of the day, I can’t think of a song that 2021 as a year needed on the charts more than this one.

#7: “Good Days” by SZA

There's no denying that 2020 was a genuinely horrible year. Sure, the music that year was good, but the year as a whole was an absolute chore to get through to say the least. Honestly, while 2021 was better, it was another pretty tough year, seeing as a lot of the problems from 2020 still remained in the world. So, a lot of people, including myself, will often turn to music as a form of escapism. I’ve been known to do this very frequently, especially with early 2010s party music. However, every so often, I do want to listen to a song that can actually relate to how tough life can get sometimes, and in 2021, this was that song for me.

Most of the time, songs that try to "relate to the times" will fail miserably because they’re too tone-deaf to work. Other times, they don’t work for me specifically because they’re too sad and will only make me feel worse. This is why I appreciate songs like "Good Days" as much as I do, because it strikes a near-perfect balance between sympathetic and uplifting that we rarely see on the pop charts.

The song starts off with this really calming and serene intro. It almost feels like a nice and warm spring day, which is one of the most calming images I can possibly think of. It does a fantastic job of setting a perfect mood for the song, and SZA sounds really good over it. Sure, the flow of the verses can feel inconsistent at points, but she is a really good singer, and her voice complements the instrumental really well. Honestly, she seems to have almost perfectly nailed the balance between being wary and hopeful with her delivery, sounding cautiously optimistic throughout the song.

The lyrics, however, really help sell the song for me. Sure, the lyrics themselves aren’t mind-blowing, but I do appreciate the sentiment of trying to tough it out through moments of hard times, insecurity, and fear. A lot of it is grounded in that main line that brings the song together.

"All the while, I'll await my armored fate with a smile,

Still wanna try, still believe in (good days)"

Let me tell you, when this song came out, at the tail end of 2020, there was no chorus on the pop charts more therapeutic than that one. The song as a whole has a very therapeutic feel to it. The sound is meant to be calming, with lyrics that are both able to acknowledge the hardship present in one's life and try to make the listener feel better. In particular, I really like the outro of the song. At first, I was taken out of the song by it, and thought it was way too long. However, I've come to appreciate the extra minute of the instrumental and backing vocals. It really helps to capture the relaxing and calming vibe that the song wants to try for, and makes the message of the song all the more effective. It’s a really good song to listen to when you’re angry, because of just how good it is at calming someone down.

This wasn’t a song I had on repeat throughout the year, mainly because it does feel more like a song I would listen to when I needed it and could focus my full attention on it instead of in regular rotation. However, it still feels like the song that this year needed to have the most, and it is a frankly fantastic version of what it was trying to be. I have no clue whether SZA will actually release another album to capitalize off of her recent uptick in success, but I'm looking forward to it, because this song in particular was something special.

Number 6

So, as I said, sometimes a song just feels like something important that you know is going to stick with you for a while, like "Good Days". And sometimes, a song just slaps really hard and is incessantly fun to listen to. Let it be known that, in the vast majority of cases, I will prefer the latter.

#6: “INDUSTRY BABY” by Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow

One thing that I am absolutely a sucker for is songs that try as hard as they can to feel important. Whether or not that sense of confidence is entirely earned is irrelevant, especially seeing as if the music itself is good, that’s all that matters to me. This song definitely tries as hard as it can to feel like an event. With that horn-infused intro, this song immediately demands your attention and will make sure it has you throughout the entire runtime.

The horns, as the song goes on, mainly revolve around one catchy melody, but are complemented by the trap elements to give this song more of a rap feel than most of what Nas has used for production as of late. This song isn’t trying to be much of a statement in the lyrical sense, but is instead focused on ramping up energy and feeling triumphant. The way that the horns and drums play off of Nas' first verse in particular really complements this, as it almost feels like he’s announcing his presence on the song. Of course, it helps that he somehow manages to switch between multiple different flows and melodies, yet have them all still be sticky earworms.

So, why does this song try to have such a grandiose feel? Well, I see this as Lil Nas X's attempt at making a "Starboy"-type song. Like The Weeknd on that song, Lil Nas X is all ego on here, firmly making his claim to the top that he had earned after managing to score multiple hits and establish himself in the mainstream. He calls this song one "for the champions", and it really does feel like a song that fits that description. It also really helps that he’s not so much talking down on his audience as he is reveling in his own success. It almost feels like it’s inviting you to revel in it with him, provided you aren’t someone who was praying on his downfall earlier on. But at the end of the day, Nas is just a part of what helped this song click as much as it did.

I still remember back last summer where everyone and their mother went crazy for Jack Harlow over this verse, and honestly, I get it. On a purely technical level, Jack found flows that sound great over this production, and his verse is filled with so many quotable lines that it’s completely understandable why so many consider him to be the highlight of this song. He’s got the sort of easygoing charisma that lends itself well to this sort of flex track. It also helps that he's got some great punchlines, and the way the end of his verse syncs up with Nas' final chorus is probably the best part of the song for me, helping the song come back with full force. 

Sure, it’s ego-driven and full of brags, but it’s a ton of fun in that regard. At the end of the day, all that really needs to be done in order to get a song like this to work is to not talk down to your audience and slap really hard. This song checks off both boxes and is a ton of fun to listen to all the same, so it’s definitely worthy of a spot on this list.

Number 5

If you're wondering what my favorite album released in 2021 was, it was An Evening With Silk Sonic by Silk Sonic, and it wasn’t a close race. The combination of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak promised the sort of smooth R&B that would absolutely deliver and surely be something spectacular. Thankfully, all of my expectations were met when the album actually came out and was just as great as I had hoped. Only one of its songs was eligible for this list, and it is probably a weaker cut from the album, but that doesn’t make it any less phenomenal.

#5: “Leave the Door Open” by Silk Sonic

It's really telling how good of a year for music this was where a song like "Leave the Door Open" can only barely scrape the top five on my "best of the year" list. But, yeah, this song, on a sonic level - no pun intended - may just be flawless. It’s pure, unadulterated '70s cheese, with the instrumental not sounding that far off from a vintage soul song. Thankfully, these two know their R&B, and also know to take from all of the best aspects of that era. The music is smooth, inviting, and extremely pleasant to the ear. The rhythm is easygoing. The vocal runs are all great, it’s all here!

Bruno and Anderson are both great singers, and smoothness is perhaps what they manage to convey best. They both have this sort of easy confidence that takes you along for the ride. Unlike being all up-in-your-face like "INDUSTRY BABY", "Leave the Door Open" is more cool, calm, and collected, and this is the type of confidence needed for a smooth love song like this. Bruno in particular goes on these vocal runs that sound so phenomenal. It really is telling that they’re able to take lines like this:

"Just shaved (smooth like a newborn)"

And actually be able to pull it off! They actually have the skills and charisma to make a fairly goofily written love song work perfectly!

And of course, let's not forget one of the best key changes in mainstream pop music this year. It’s pulled off rather seamlessly, as the song begins to build up around a simple "la la la" refrain and keeps going until Bruno goes on his best vocal run in the whole song, selling that last long note as well as he possibly can.

Honestly, it’s not even a song that gives me all that much to talk about, just a simple yet great song without a lot to criticize. It’s the sort of smooth R&B that I will eat up with no problems, and it remained a frequent listen throughout the year for me. Fantastic song, fantastic album, fantastic all around.

Number 4

So, as I said before, my favorite artist is The Weeknd. Now, after saying that, you may be wondering who my favorite female artist is. The answer, for the record, is Ariana Grande. You should be able to see where this is going.

#4: “Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd & Ariana Grande

For those of you unaware, I would say that my favorite album released in the 2020s so far was The Weeknd's album After Hours. It’s a genuinely great album that is filled to the brim with fantastic tracks, so much so that even if "Save Your Tears" wouldn’t even be among my top five favorite songs from the album, it's still a great song. I will be specifically talking about the remix in this segment, but the original definitely deserves its props.

The original serves as a bit of a turning point in the album. The album's start mainly sees The Weeknd recover from a breakup and try desperately to get his ex back. The first half of this song definitely concurs with that side of the story.

"Take me back, 'cause I wanna stay,

Save your tears for another,

Save your tears for another day"

However, he begins to realize that, at the end of the day, he and this girl broke up for a reason, it's probably his own fault, and it'll be better for the both of them if he leaves her alone.

"I realize that I'm much too late,

And you deserve someone better"

It’s all topped off by some great melodies, including that incredibly catchy "I don't know why I run away" refrain, and that synth motif that pops up throughout the song. However, the main reason why I am hesitant to call it among the best on the album is because I feel like it's missing something to really put it over the top. So, what was it missing? Ariana Grande.

Look, as I said before, The Weeknd is a great singer and is more than capable of handling this song on his own. However, Ariana Grande is also a great singer, and complements this style of production exceptionally well. Sure, her lyrics don't line up with the story of the song in the context of the album, but this remix was a stand-alone single, so it's still solid on its own merits. Also, I'm more than willing to forgive any lyrical slip-ups because she just sounds incredible on this song. Her delicate lower register is well-suited for the verses, and the way that she and The Weeknd harmonize is absolutely phenomenal. In particular, I love when Ariana just goes for it on the final chorus and starts hitting the high notes that she's known for. Even better than that was the part during that same final chorus where the two of them trade off lines on the offbeats and complement each other excellently.

Overall, while you could make the argument that the remix of this song wasn’t really all that necessary, I would still consider it an improvement on the original song. It turned an already great song into something even better than before. Sure, it's not their best team-up - "Love Me Harder" is almost impossible to beat - but this is a very solid effort nonetheless. Excellent song.

Number 3

Undeniably the biggest new artist of this year was Olivia Rodrigo. After she came through with a surprise smash hit in "drivers license" and a followup in "deja vu", I was very curious to see what she would do next. I mean, how do you follow two songs about being sad about a breakup? Apparently with a song about being angry about a breakup. Works for me.

#3: “good 4 u” by Olivia Rodrigo

So, we went from a sad, Swift-inspired singer-songwriter who makes some solid ballads to a Paramore-esque pop-punker who makes some absolute bangers. Yeah, I am fully on board.

Lyrically, Olivia's output this year saw her approaching her breakup through a few different lenses, be they the pettiness of "traitor", the passive-aggression of "deja vu", or the mature reflection of "drivers license". However, the angst of "good 4 u" won me over the most mainly for one reason: it feels the most genuine. Heartbreak can spark a number of emotions, but one that’s almost always guaranteed to show up is anger. And this anger is almost never grounded in rationality or maturity. It’s pissy, it’s immature, and it knows it. Seeing as Olivia is a teenager, it’s no surprise that she was easily able to tap into these raw emotions and absolutely nail what she was going for. She’s pissed off because the guy she was with left her for another girl, and she’s not about to hide it. Are some of these lines petty? Well, yes.

"Well, good for you, I guess that you've been working on yourself,

I guess the therapist I found for you, she really helped,

Now you could be a better man for your brand new girl"

However, it’s all about the framing here. Olivia, in this case, knows she’s going for low blows and is acting irrational because she’s too overcome with emotion to think straight. As such, this reads less like a vengeful, crazy ex and more like a girl just trying to parse out her feelings. And of course, it helps that it’s all so catchy.

Some claim that this song sounds a bit too similar to "Misery Business" by Paramore. To that, I say two things. Firstly, while I concede that the vibes of both songs are similar, I don’t really hear any sort of interpolation or sampling, so I see it as more of inspiration than plagiarism. And secondly, "Misery Business" is an absolute banger that has gone down as a pop classic for damn good reason. And honestly, I think "good 4 u" is indeed on that level.

Finally, we have the production, which was what really won me over on this song. The song has a really solid alt-rock guitar line serving as its foundation, and develops more and more into a full-on rock song as it goes on. The drums, the guitars, and even Olivia's delivery all have way more in line with pop-punk than they do with any of the modern pop scene. Thankfully, I'm a huge proponent of this rise in pop-rock that we’ve seen in the mainstream, so this is no problem for me. The song is fantastically produced, staying reserved and quietly angry in the verses before exploding with Olivia's roaring vocals in the chorus. In particular, the buildup in the last chorus before Olivia's "like a damn sociopath" mic-drop line works exceptionally well. Honestly, the song in general just sounds incredible, and that’s why I like it so much.

In this song's wake, we've seen a good few pop-rock-inspired songs gain mainstream traction, and while I don't love all of them, I like a lot of them, and I think that this song's success is only a good thing if it allows other songs like it to gain traction. This song sounds awesome, is insanely fun to sing along to, and absolutely slaps. When it comes to a massive hit pop song, what more could you possibly ask for?

Number 2

At the end of the day, an easy way for me to get behind a song is for the song to do two things. Firstly, it is energetic, fun, and enjoyable to return to. That alone can be enough to land in my good graces, but if the song also happens to, say, be associated with some great memories I've made, then those two factors combined basically guarantee a song placement on this list. While this song was unable to make the proper Year End Hot 100, it was still eligible under my ruleset, and I am so glad it was, because this song is awesome.

#2: “Pepas” by Farruko

With Latin music becoming more and more mainstream, I'm always curious to see which songs from that market are able to cross over to the States and become hits. This year, Bad Bunny delivered a pair of reggaeton hits, Kali Uchis' "telepatía" became a big bilingual R&B crossover, and we also had "Todo de Ti" by Rauw Alejandro, a Latin synth-pop song. All of this definitely makes me excited to see where the Latin scene could end up going in the future, as there’s a lot of experimentation within the mainstream that has largely branded good results. And of course, this song, with its fusion of mariachi and EDM, was probably the most interesting and easily the best.

This song's instrumental is easily the most interesting part of it. It starts off kind of quiet, but then the punchy drums get added in, which ramps up the energy in the pre-chorus. From there, the instrumental cuts out for the chorus, only for a lone synth to briefly come in before the drop. When the drop hits, it's absolutely insane. The synth is joined once more by the drums, before some mariachi trumpets get added in, of all things! It’s not a combination I would ever have expected to work, but it works ridiculously well! The energy in the chorus turns it into an absolute riot, and it's really fun to sing along to, even if I don’t know what the lyrics mean.

Of course, all of this would be for naught if that energy wasn't able to be properly transferred, and thankfully, it is! The second verse keeps moving at a really steady pace and keeps up that energy, all accentuated by Farruko's delivery. He's got a solid grasp on some great melodies for the first verse and bridge, and his flow and energy on the second verse is just so much fun to listen to. The chorus is anthemic, and speaking from personal experience, it is damn near impossible to play that chorus at the party and not expect there to be moshing. It's just such a fantastic party song.

And finally, the real reason why this song connects with me. As I said, memories can do a lot to boost my affinity for a song, and I have two key ones tied to this song that make me love it as much as I do. Firstly, there was my prom night, where this song came on, everyone went crazy, and it was absolutely awesome. But also, this song became something of an unofficial theme song for my cross country team last fall. We would play it every single time we won a meet, and we happened to do very well that year, so I heard this song a lot. While I am aware that I didn’t contribute much to the team - I am not exactly a fast guy - that sense of community was what made being on that team fun for me, and as such, my appreciation for this song only grew from there.

At the end of the day, this is just a really fun song that I was thankfully able to have a lot of fun with over the course of the past year. It seems to have become a bit of a party staple, and that is absolutely for good reason.

Honorable Mentions

“drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo

This was one that did have to grow on me a bit, but I definitely appreciate it now. It's actually a really well-written breakup song, especially by the standards of a high schooler, and it sounds really good. Was it overrated when it came out? Yes, absolutely. But coming back to it with fresh ears, this was something really solid.

“Streets” by Doja Cat

Sure, the hook's solid and Doja as a whole does what she needs to do here, but what really elevates this to the level of a great song for me is that instrumental. The pitched-down sample, the wiry melody, the bass, it all works so well together to create one of the best instrumentals on a hit song this year.

“Wants and Needs” by Drake feat. Lil Baby

Easily the better of the two collaborations that these two released this year. The beat's got a spacey feel to it, Drake finds a solid flow that suits the beat quite well, and Lil Baby absolutely steals the show. The lyrics themselves may not be anything to write home about, but the flow he brings to his verse was great, and made this an easy standout for me.

“HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY” by Giveon

Across all of the big R&B crossovers we had this year, this was definitely among my favorites. Giveon puts in a great performance and the song is pretty well-written, too.

“You Right” by Doja Cat & The Weeknd

As I said, I am definitely a fan of the recent surge in R&B. It’s hard to make a song about cheating work, but these two both sound really good together, and I really like the nighttime-esque vibe of the song. It sounds quite nice.

“34+35” by Ariana Grande feat. Doja Cat & Megan Thee Stallion

This song is literally based on a bad pun. As a lover of bad puns, I appreciate that, especially considering how catchy and surprisingly resistant to overplay it is.

“Todo de Ti” by Rauw Alejandro

This was apparently a big summer hit in Latin America, and I really wish it was as big up here. Sure, it's not a riot in the way that "Pepas" is, but it’s still an upbeat and fun synth-pop tune that I've returned to a number of times.

“Need to Know” by Doja Cat

This song is weird. Like, really weird. And honestly? I like it. It's catchy, and it's got a stupidly high number of quotable lines. Might be an awkward listen in the car on the radio, but I still enjoy this.

“Way 2 Sexy” by Drake feat. Future & Young Thug

This was my biggest guilty pleasure of the year. It’s catchy and it slaps. It’s not nearly as funny as it thinks it is, but I still enjoy it all the same.

“DÁKITI” by Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez

I really like this song's darker atmosphere and I think it sounds quite nice overall. It's nothing crazy, but I definitely really like listening to this, and I'm glad it was able to become such a big global hit.

And now…

Number 1

One might often assume that hot takes are the most difficult opinions to defend, seeing as the vast majority of people disagree with you, and you will have to try harder to argue your point. However, I feel like doing something like, say, putting the biggest song of the year at number one on a list like this is just as difficult to defend. It’s seen as a basic answer or a safe answer. In general, just kind of lame and predictable. However, I have a counterpoint to such a thought: sometimes, a song is extremely popular because it's just really fantastic.

#1: “Levitating” by Dua Lipa

Am I aware that this is the single most obvious pick I could have possibly gone with? Yes. Do I care? Absolutely not. Mainly because it's actually a legitimately fantastic song that actually ended up becoming very important to me this year.

Funnily enough, it's not even a song that gives me much to say on an analytical level, but I can always try to say something. It's a really upbeat disco-infused song with a solid and steady rhythm that’s easy to dance to. The instrumental itself is simple, with some warped vocal loops providing the melody for much of the song. However, I do think that the drums are punchy, and the addition of the string section for the chorus was inspired. It really helps to make this song feel big. The instrumental also provides a good backdrop for Dua Lipa to sing over. This song is energetic, but still relaxed enough for Dua to stay comfortably in her lower register, where she has always sounded her best. Her verse melody is insanely catchy, playing off of the rhythm in a way that's very pleasing to the ear. 

Her chorus is also infectious, and it just adds to the feeling of fun that this song is trying to produce. This chorus was 100% stuck in all of our heads all year, and yet it’s the kind of earworm you’re more than happy to have around. Of course, it helps that Dua herself actually sounds like she’s having fun. I mean, even with the rapping on the bridge, she sounds like she’s let loose and is having a genuinely great time. This is one of those cases where the lyrics don’t matter to me nearly as much because of just how much fun this is. And this ties into the main reason why this song is topping my list.

So, as I've alluded to, 2020 was not a fun year. We were all isolated, I didn’t really know what to do, and all that I wanted was to go back to my normal life. Then, at the tail end of March 2020, comes Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia, an album filled with the sort of upbeat party songs that I grew up hearing on the radio and had long missed from the mainstream pop scene. Truthfully, it feels like an album that pandered really hard to my tastes specifically, but I love the music, so I’m not about to complain. In fact, "Levitating" isn’t even the best song on the album - that would be "Physical" - so that should tell you just how much I appreciated it as a project. That being said, "Levitating" has always been among my favorites on the album. In a 2020 music scene that was dominated by doom and gloom, this song served as a fantastic source of escapism for me, and I listened to it frequently throughout 2020 and 2021.

Were there more meaningful songs that became hits in 2021? Yes. Is this by any means the best song of the decade or anything? No - in fact, I don’t even think it’s the best Year End No. 1 of the 2020s so far. However, at the end of the day, I do genuinely love this song, it absolutely defined my 2021, and I'm so glad that it's become such a big hit. It’s an incredible song that is 100% worthy of the praise it’s gotten, and while it may be a basic pick, it's my pick for the best hit song of 2021.