Hello friends!
For my final post before the year ends I want to do some form of round of my favourite 15 of 2015 and this year has really been the year I discovered a huge love for music. Music speaks to people in so many different ways, it is a universal language and there can be days I put on my favourite ballad about lifes struggles because I want to wallow in angst and other days I can put on a huge bop and dance around my room to lift my mood and wear myself out..
This year has also brought us some exceptional new music and new artists and that’s why I’ve decided to list out my top 15 tracks. And believe me it was hard to pick just 15!
Now I must stress I’m no music reviewer, nor do I claim to have an amazing taste in music (though I have a friend who swears my driving playlist is the best he’s seen) – so this list is purely MY top 15 tracks of 2015. So like them or not these are the songs I’ve been turning the volume up so loud it’s entering the red zone on my iPhone..
Anyway without further ado and in no particular order:
- Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself – Jess Glynne
My feel good track of the year – the whole song is about unapologetically being yourself. With lyrics like “I feel like I’ve been missing me,” and “how to see my life through someone else’s eyes” it certainly helps me forget my troubles but the amazing beat is what gets me dancing.
- King – Years & Years
There’s no denying this song is a jam – it reached number 1 as soon as it released. But what makes this song one of my top 15 of 2015 is that I’ve heard it a million times and I’m still not bored… which is more than I can say for other number ones like ‘Cheerleader’ and ‘Uptown Funk’ (if I hear that song ONE MORE TIME!!)
- Drag Me Down – One Direction
Yes One Direction are on the list because my name is Vicki Cummins.. really what did you expect from me? This song has made it on this list because lets face it my poor boys have had a particularly tough year! And when you consider that this is their first single after losing a member – I’d say it’s pretty damn impressive. It’s catchy, fun, has a very old school vibe to it and I’ve had numerous friends of mine, who HATE One Direction with a passion, tell me how much they love this song! Not bad from 0.8 Direction…
- Can’t Feel My Face – The Weeknd
Remember when the weekend just meant Saturday and Sunday? Supposedly this song is about cocaine… which is rather unfortunate… but I try not to think about the meaning whilst I’m bopping my head to the tune. This song has cool vibes.
- Lay It All On Me – Rudimental (ft Ed Sheeran)
I never really expected much from Ed’s second collaboration with Rudimental considering I thought the first was a devastating remix to a beautiful song (I will never not be bitter about it). But actually this song surprised me in so many ways. It’s one of those songs I just have to clap along to. The dance track with the subtle acoustic guitar background worked so well on this – which is more than I can say for Bloodstream.
- Fight Song – Rachel Platton
This song is cheesy as hell! And the first time I heard about it I dismissed it because it felt like one of those songs the winner of X Factor sings as their first single to talk about their fight to win the competition.. you know before we never hear from them again. A bit like ‘The Climb’. I also feel like this song should be accompanied by a montage of tears and looking into the distance on tall buildings… and maybe a horse galloping across an empty field. Nevertheless, despite it’s pure cheese I sing this song at the top of my lungs every time it comes on, usually whilst I’m driving 70mph down the M1.
- Blue – Marina & the Diamonds
Now plenty of you are going to be like “what?” See unfortunately for my dear Marina, her third studio album hasn’t done quite as well as her ‘Primadonna’ and ‘Hollywood’ days. But whilst y’all are missing out on Marina Diamondis I got to listen to this awesome song for the past 9 months. This is truly a tune – it’s got quite sad lyrics but is incredibly upbeat.. It’s an oxymoron of a song that I absolutely love! It’s also very different to her usual style in that it’s quite poppy.. eitherway I think it’s her best on ‘Froot’.
- Lean On – Major Lazer (ft. MØ & DJ Snake)
Major Lazer’s mellow dance track with MØ’s high-pitched “siren-like” voice made for one of the best songs of 2015. Bold statement but just check the stats, this is Spotify’s most streamed song of all time! It’s simply huge and surprisingly did not receive a Grammy nod, though Major Lazer member Diplo did so that’s something at least.
- Pay No Mind – Madeon (ft Passion Pit)
I have to say this song actually holds sentimental value. Every time I hear it I’m taken back to sitting in front of a mixing desk in a small studio in my former student union, the HQ of my beloved Fly FM. When this got added to the playlist I thought “never heard of them, probably some weird indie stuff” – instead I found what was to be one of my favourite songs of all time.
- Want to Want Me – Jason Derulo
I pride myself on the fact that I can both reach all the high notes in this song but I also know the lyrics by heart. After the successes of 2013 with the album ‘Tattoos’ including hit singles like ‘Talk Dirty’ and ‘Trumpets’, Jason came back and managed to top himself with this hit.
- Runaway (U & I) – Galantis
Yes I know another dance track… but I was a student for half of 2015 and in post-student depression for the other half, pretty much all we hear is dance tracks. I don’t know what it is about this song.. it’s not easy to sing along to, the vocals sound robotic and it’s pretty much the same three words repeated over and over again.. but this song just makes me want to dance!
- Together – Ella Eyre
This one I found really hard and not because I was deciding whether or not it should go on the list but because I couldn’t decided which Ella Eyre song deserved a place the most. After featuring on Rudimental’s ‘Waiting All Night’ two years ago Ella Eyre has spent 2015 making a name for herself with big dance-pop hits. Her album ‘Feline’ is one of my favourites this year and this girls got an amazing voice. Special mentions to ‘If I go’, ‘Comeback’ and DJ Fresh song ‘Gravity’.
(BONUS: I got to meet her and she seems lovely!)
- Here – Alessia Cara
Mark my words, 2016 is going to be this girls year – and if it’s not it REALLY should be. Alessia released an EP this year featuring this single which was a huge hit. This is the song for every introvert who’s been stuck at a party when they’d rather be at home with a good book. It’s beautifully written, has a ‘what I call’ eerie melody and really hits home to my 18 year old self. I can’t wait for her album to be released in the UK in March – and after the quality of the EP, I expect big things.
- Black Magic – Little Mix
This song is a bop and 2015 has been such a good year for these girls. The world has been sleeping on Little Mix since their first album but I was there dancing to ‘Move’ and memorising the rap in ‘How Ya Doin’ – now they are finally getting the recognition they deserve with this super-fun pop song. Unfortunately they still haven’t had their big break across the pond despite an amazing third album, lyrically and vocally (I will never get over those harmonies).
- Sax – Fleur East
The newest track on the list so the one I’ve had the least amount of time to dance to but this song is looking to be my party song for a while. It’s like a fun, less annoying version of Uptown Funk. I can see Fleur bringing out more hits in the future – another X Factor alum taking the industry by storm.
So that’s my top 15 tracks of 2015 and I guarantee I will be listening to all of these tonight as I party with some of my closest friends and bring in 2016.
I hope you all have an amazing new year and here’s to getting some awesome new music next year too!
Vicki Cummins 