Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2021

Greetings everyone, it is I, the Animated Vulture. This is the best of 2021 so let’s just go. Starting with the honorable mentions.

HM. Good Days by SZA

This song doesn’t hit me as hard as it should and I don’t know why, but this is still a beautiful slice of soul with potent lyrics and production that makes me feel like I’m resting right in the middle of the jungle.

HM. What You Know Bout Love by Pop Smoke

This is simply a really nice and relaxing song that’s elevated by truly wonderful dreamlike production. Rest in peace Pop Smoke.

HM. Todo De Ti by Rauw Alejandro

I am SO glad this made the year end instead of Girls Want Girls or that Goosebumps remix.

HM. Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish

I ultimately decided that this doesn’t make my personal top 10 list. It’s a fantastic song don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t hit me in the same way as When The Party’s Over or Everything I Wanted.

HM. Levitating by Dua Lipa

An excellent 80s throwback that well deserves being the biggest hit of the year. Also what is a DaBaby?

HM. Willow by Taylor Swift

Wonderful folk music that has great lyrics and perfectly sells this relaxing feeling.

 

HM. Lemonade by Internet Money and Gunna ft Don Toliver and Nav

Absolute vibe... that is the only thing I can possibly say about this.

HM. Stay by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber

Yeah the lyrics for this one are really bad, but I love that Take On Me synth riff, insanely fun and energetic.

HM. Good 4 U by Olivia Rodrigo

Easily my favorite Olivia Rodrigo hit from this year, man that chorus hits that sweet spot.

HM. Astronaut In The Ocean by Masked Wolf

Yeah I know the lyrics to this one are really dumb but who cares when the beat slaps this hard.

HM. Leave Before You Love Me by Marshmello and Jonas Brothers

I still can’t believe that this production was done by Marshmello of all people.

HM. Telepatia by Kali Uchis

Man this is some bliss, perfect song to meditate to.

With all of that said, on with the list!

I’ve been noticing that my number 10 has been getting a lot of criticism recently and while I did want to defend this song from all that, I began to see where they were coming from, which is why this is at the bottom of the list.

 

10. Save Your Tears by The Weeknd and Ariana Grande

When I say criticism, I mean I’ve seen people saying that this remix ruins the theming of the original Save Your Tears. The original is all about how The Weeknd sees his ex at a party and tries as hard as he possibly can to get back with her, but it’s fully clear that he’s only making things worse and worse for them, and that’s what really makes the original so emotionally compelling. In the remix, Ariana plays the ex, and she actually chooses to take him back since she feels exactly as he does. So it does take away a lot of the emotion the original had. However I still like this song mainly because it still sounds really good. The bubbly synth line sounds amazing and invokes imagery of things like snow, both singers’ vocals sound nice and if you put aside the OG entirely, this version just works as a really good love song. The OG may be better (it would be #2 if it was the version that made the year-end), but I still like the remix.

Let’s take a break from the deep examining and look at something that’s simply an all-around good pop song.

 

9. Bad Habits by Ed Sheeran

This is easily one of my most listened to songs of 2021 because of how much fun it is, primarily because of that absolutely infectious bass line. It powers the whole song to give it a strong pulse, especially when the bright synths are added. Listening to this makes you feel like you are a monster lurking around in the night waiting to strike your next victim, and I’m a sucker for songs that can pull off that sort of thing well. And Ed’s vocal performance helps with this feeling as his voice is mostly able to be smooth while sinister. All helped by a memorable hook and chorus that’s just been stuck in my head. The lyrics don’t have too much of an impact on this song for me, but I like how they talk about how hard it can be to stop doing certain unhealthy things. This is far from being the best song on =, especially compared to Visiting Hours or Overpass Graffiti, but it’s still a fun and groovy jam, and you can’t convince me otherwise.

This is a song that people either really love or can’t stand, you can see what side I’m on.

 

8. Heat Waves by Glass Animals

Honestly I always liked this song, but it took me a while to realize how well this song just works for me. Something that hooks me into this song right away is how creative and weird it is without coming off as overbearing. It pulls off this relaxing atmosphere with the heavy warm tropical synths that when listening, it presents imagery of bright psychedelic colors. There are also several little creative moments throughout the song like the distorted vocals at the beginning and end. Even the song’s lyrical content just clicks with me. The entire song has this feeling of being exhausted, of being absolutely done with whatever situation you’re currently in. To sum up, Heat Waves is pretty much the perfect drug song. I get why people may not like Dave Bayley’s voice and it did put me off at first, but I think it fits perfectly with the type of feeling this song is going for. I really should look at some of Glass Animals’ other works.

So um, country amirite?

 

7. Starting Over by Chris Stapleton

I feel like this genre as a whole has been growing on me a lot over time. I used to have a really hard time getting into country music but now can vibe to a good western tune when I hear it. So I’m happy to call this one of my ten favorite hits of this year, with the primary reason being these lyrics. This song is all about Chris moving on from his old life so he can start a whole new one with his wife, and that he’ll be happy living anywhere as long as he’s with the one he loves. It’s corny sure, but it’s really nice to listen to. Along with the nice sounding light guitar makes this song feel really cozy and comforting, like a cup of hot cocoa in front of a fireplace. This song is mainly here for the lyrics, but it’s still backed up by excellent guitar work and Chris having a nice, relaxed tone. Not quite the thing I return to super often, but it hits just right when I do.

The Weeknd’s 80s throwback song is really good, big surprise.

(EPILEPSY WARNING FOR THE VIDEO)

 

6. Take My Breath by The Weeknd

This is a song I wasn’t expecting to make my best list for a lot of ’21. I thought this song was good, but nothing all that special. I feel like what helped this song click with me is the album it came from, Dawn FM. It really helped me get into this song’s lyrical content, as it has this sense of desperation for escapism, especially since the last song on the album (How Do I Make You Love Me) has him facing the truth that the woman he wants approval from simply will not love him. Added well is the fact that it sounds great, with it perfectly balancing this feeling of partying and the dark overtones. All with a sweeping hook that you can’t help but jam along to. Not my favorite song off Dawn FM (that would be Is There Someone Else, seriously go listen to that album if you haven’t already it’s amazing), but it’s still very much worth your time.

This is an obvious choice for a list like this, but it’s for good reason.

 

5. Leave The Door Open by Silk Sonic

The big collaboration between Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak was something I didn’t see coming, but I’m very glad it happened considering the end result. This has always been a go to relaxation song for many reasons. The funky, smooth production gives off the feeling of being in a warm hot tub. From the gentle keys to the excellently arranged drums. Though I feel like a lot of why I love this is because of the two main performers, Bruno and Anderson. Both of them work off one another so well with Anderson providing smooth verses filled with quotable lines and Bruno giving a fantastic and memorable hook. Both of them give such confident performances that I can’t help but genuinely feel better about myself after listening. Yet this isn’t even the best song off of An Evening With Silk Sonic, shows how great that album is as well.

Time to talk about the man that took 2021’s pop music by storm.

 

4. Industry Baby by Lil Nas X ft Jack Harlow

I’ll admit that it took me a while to really get into Montero (Call Me By Your Name), even if I find it to be a really good song now. Industry Baby however, I absolutely loved since the beginning. The best way to describe this song is that it’s a massive proud victory lap for Lil Nas X after he was able to get big again when everyone thought he’d be a one hit wonder. Pretty much everything about this song screams victory from the powerful trumpets to Lil Nas X giving it his all, and Jack Harlow having a fun and memorable verse that flows surprisingly well with the rest the song. Some highlights in the lyrics include:

“I don’t run from nothing, dog”

“Get your soldiers, tell ‘em I ain’t layin low”

“I don’t f*ck b*tches I’m queer”

“But these n----s b*itches like Madea yeah yeah yeah”

“I don’t clear up rumors”

“Where’s ya’ll sense of humor”

“I’m done making jokes cause they got old like baby boomers”

“All these social networks and computers”

“Got these p*ssies walking round like they ain’t losers”

Whenever you need a song to feel triumphant and that you’re on top of the world, Industry Baby is a massive recommendation. Can’t wait to see what else these guys will be releasing in the future.

Alright, time to rock out!

 

3. My Ex’s Best Friend by Machine Gun Kelly ft Blackbear

I ultimately decided that I’m not exactly a Machine Gun Kelly fan. The only stuff I heard from that him I liked was on his Tickets To My Downfall album and judging from the lead singles for his next album, doesn’t seem like he’ll be able to keep this up. Good to know he’ll at least get this one shining moment, especially with songs like My Ex’s Best Friend, which was absolutely awesome since listen one. Most of this song has this unhinged guitar line that instantly hooks you in and purely addicting throughout the track. We have excellently timed drums that bring you into the chorus that, well as MGK himself put it:

“I can’t get enough of it”

 As for the lyrics, well, I’ll admit this song’s lyrics are ridiculous. They’re about MGK realizing that he hooked up with his ex’s best friend and that his friend (who’s played by Blackbear) has hooked up with his ex. This song’s storytelling is messy and all over the place, but I think that just gives the song charm. This song knows well that it’s pure angsty punk and it absolutely owns it. With a great guest verse from Blackbear, and MGK selling all of that angst perfectly without being overbearing. Absolutely fantastic song that ended up working far better than it had any right to.

This song is as high as it is purely because of how it absolutely slaps and how hard it goes.

(EPILEPSY WARNING FOR THE VIDEO)

 

2. Dakiti by Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez

It’s safe to say that 2021 was a fantastic year for Latin music. We got four different Latin songs to make the year end and they were all fun songs to listen to. Yonaguni is solid and fun, and I already mentioned how great Telepatia and Todo De Ti are. Dakiti however, I fell in love with instantly since it was able to hit just right for me. Throughout this whole song, the production sets this atmosphere that feels dark and tense yet insanely groovy, making this song absolutely perfect for clubs. I know this is what everyone says, but this song truly does make you feel like you are diving deep underwater purely through the sound. Then we have our two main performers both giving great performances that truly help carry the track. Jhay Cortez’s high and scratchy voice compliments and works off of Bad Bunny’s lower voice really well and helps give the two great chemistry, ESPECIALLY on the chorus. Speaking of which, that’s when the song goes ALL out and its chorus that gets stuck in your head instantly and I can’t help but bop to it every time I hear it. Every time I thought this song might’ve shrunk on me I always end up finding something else to admire. Just listen to this song with headphones and with your eyes closed and it will give you one amazing experience.

I had a hard time deciding what was truly my favorite hit song of this year. Mainly because of how even if there was a lot of good music this year, there wasn’t really anything that truly stood out for me personally. That was, until I found myself coming back to this song more and more as the year went on. It was something that perfectly fits as my 2021 anthem, even if I’ll never be in the exact situation this song describes.

 

1. Rapstar by Polo G

My 2021 was hard, like, REALLY hard. It felt like what it exactly was; a year that was bound to suck as it had to carry the aftermath of all the terrible things that began happening in 2020. Throughout the entirety of this year, I felt defeated and exhausted with everything that was going on in my life, and all I wanted were outlets to channel all my frustrations. The one song on the 2021 year end that felt like a direct reflection of all of this was Polo G’s Rapstar. This being helped heavily by the choices in the production. The main hook of the song is this delicate ukulele with heavy piano keys in the back and trap skitters. The ukulele melody on its own is really catchy and soothing, but the piano and skitters help give the song an atmosphere that is both really calming and delivers on the feeling of emptiness and defeatism. While still being able to hit hard when necessary to help drive things home. But of course, this song’s lyrics are what truly put this at number one. This song has Polo G venting about all of the struggles he had to put up with his newfound fame and luxuries, as all it ultimately did was make him feel lonelier than ever. What makes this all works is all of the different details presented. Such as:

“Only b*tch I give a conversation to is Siri”

“Make sure I smile in public, when alone, my eyes teary”

“Takin’ different pills but I know it ain’t gon’”

“Anxiety killin’ me I just want to leave Earth”

“Tryna explain your feelings sound like something you rehearsed”

“Shut the f*ck-I mean please don’t talk”

That last line is especially relatable to me. All of these lyrics feel real, this feels exactly like a person going through depression. Along with Polo’s mellow and tired sounding performance help hit that point home. So whenever he says:

“I ain’t joking do it sound like I’m kidding”

I believe him wholeheartedly, though one line I really want to highlight is this one. When this song truly hit home for me, it never lost it’s weight despite how often I listened to it, and it’s a song I have immense respect for.

Rapstar by Polo G, my pick for the best hit song of 2021.