The (Very) Best Songs of 2023
30 Proper Chunes ft. Caroline Polachek, Crime In Stereo, McKinley Dixon, Latto, Ratboys, Sydney Sprague and more.
VANCOUVER – 2023 was the year monoculture returned to pop music. Whether it was Taylor’s record-shattering Eras tour, Beyonce’s sci-fi disco Ball, boygenius’ mainstream breakthrough, or SZA’s long-awaited return, audiences and the industry-at-large seemed happy to coalesce around a few (mostly established, mostly female) artists. There are a few reasons for this but, I think, it boils down to an increasingly cluttered cultural market and the paradox of choice. Because at the end of the day, we don’t want to make decisions.
We only want to spin Proper Chunes!
While it’s hard to argue with year-end album lists that include Caroline, Lana, New Jeans, and Wednesday, among others, the fact remains: no survey of the musical landscape is complete without considering the year’s best songs. With this in mind, I turned to my P.C.P’s (that is, Proper Chune Pals) Peyton Murphy and Martin “Postcrunk” Bell to help clarify the chaos and zero in on the truly essential songs of the year.
The result is a genre-defying compilation of outright Chunes that deserves to be played loud, and to be played often.
Martin “Post Crunk” Bell’s Top 10
1. “Tyler, Forever” by McKinley Dixon
Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? is without question one of the most ambitious albums of this year. Lush orchestration, theatrical grandeur, and literary themes… But with beats that still slap. On “Tyler, Forever”, Richmond artist McKinley Dixon does all of the above while paying tribute to a fallen friend.
2. “The Caliphate (feat. Vince Staples)” by Earl Sweatshirt + The Alchemist
Alchemist continued his soon-to-be legendary 2023 album run with Voir Dire, a project with Earl Sweatshirt. On “The Caliphate”, weepy dreamlike strings and booming sub-bass provide the backdrop for Earl’s poetic snapshots and wandering wordplay. Vince Staples kills his feature with a cold-blooded, serpentine flow filled with street life double entendres.
3. “Burfict!” by JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown
Peggy. Danny. A lo-fi drum machine. Wow. This is an internet rap fever dream come to fruition. SCARING THE HOES is 14 tracks of these two going absolutely HAM. One of the most exciting collaborations not only of the year but in recent hip-hop history. The album’s unique and obscure sample choices shine here, as the duo bellows over an orchestral worship song turned battle march.
4. “The Hillbillies” by Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar
This surprise cut from cousins Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar had me watching its music video on repeat for nearly a week before it made it to streaming. But it’s so good that didn’t even matter. The immediately infectious Jersey Club style beat and abstract Bon Iver vocal samples lay the groundwork for Keem and K. Dot’s rapid-fire exchanges. After his heavy 2022 album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, it’s nice to hear Kendrick on something infinitely more lighthearted, and building upon the magic that he and Hykeem discovered on 2021’s “family ties”.
5. “FaceTime (feat. Samuel T. Herring)” by billy woods & Kenny Segal, Samuel T. Herring
“Ready to Die, it’s no Biggie” is billy woods’s fire opening line on the jazzy and ruminative “FaceTime”. From there, he and Samuel T. Herring illustrate a nomadic portrait with themes of the lonesomeness of travel and references to the late author Cormac McCarthy. Their imagery is so vivid here I can almost taste mezcal on my lips as I gaze at wild ponies running under the blood-red sun.
6. “Put It On Da Floor Again (feat. Cardi B)” by Latto
“Rip me out the plastic/I been actin brand new”
If you somehow managed to escape 2023 without reading those words as an IG caption, seeing it on TikTok, or overhearing it from a Gen Z coworker… then I simply don’t know what to say to you. Because it was everywhere.
At first, it seems odd that the remix charted and not the original. But from the moment Bronx native Cardi B adds her enthusiastic “What’s happenin’?” to the song’s intro it’s clear why. Her fun, palpable energy was needed to balance out Latto’s more rigid and surefooted verse. That said, both are at their most instantly quotable here.
7. “Sprinter” by Dave & Central Cee
On “Sprinter” London emcees Dave and Central Cee trade punchlines atop punchy bass notes. Quippy references delivered a kilometer per minute with Naija slang artfully peppered in. Pair this with carefree acoustic guitar samples, and a head nodding swing, and you have a hit that was good enough to chart Top 40 in over 20 countries.
8. “Margie’s Candy House” by Larry June & The Alchemist
It was a banner year for producer The Alchemist and his work on Larry June’s The Great Escape was instrumental. On the album’s closer, “Margie’s Candy House,” Larry laments lost loved ones and days gone by over smooth & soulful horns.
9. “SkeeYee” by Sexyy Red
2023 was good to Sexyy Red. The viral success of the St. Louis rapper’s single “Pound Town” led to collabs with Nicki Minaj and Drake, among others. She then dropped the summer smash “SkeeYee”, whose ominous Tay Keith production is disarmed the moment Sexyy boasts about how she “got a stupid butt.” A true Hall of Fame ratchet turn-up anthem.
10. “Johnny Dang (with Paul Wall & DRODi)” by That Mexican OT
This track is so unapologetically Texan. It wouldn’t have been surprising if it topped out as a regional hit. True to his lone star cowboy nature, up-and-comer That Mexican OT ropes listeners in with a hook almost as addictive as the contents of his left pocket. A nice feature from H-Town legend Paul Wall.
Peyton Murphy’s Top 10
1. “Blood and Butter” by Caroline Polachek
If you ask me, Polachek’s album, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You, deserved more than just one Grammy nomination. That said, “Blood and Butter” is a shining example of why it received a nom for Best Engineered Album. A sonic tour-de-force, “Blood and Butter” somehow sounds both restrained and ostentatious, mimicking the push and pull of desire and gratification that Polachek sings so flawlessly about. While there are very few instances in which a bagpipe solo feels deserved, I can say confidently and this is one of them.
2. “A&W” by Lana Del Rey
In some ways, “A&W” feels like a return to form for the singer, born Lizzy Grant. The moody and sardonic first half is reminiscent of my personal favourite Lana album, Ultraviolence, whereas the bratty and uptempo conclusion has Born to Die written all over it. And yet, there’s something about this 7-minute track that is distinctly mature; a masterfulness that can only can only be achieved through a career as consistently strong as hers. Lana at her finest.
3. “bad idea right?” by Olivia Rodrigo
When the first single from Rodrigo’s album GUTS dropped, I was pleased but not necessarily surprised. “Vampire” was exactly what I anticipated from Rodrigo’s sophomore album: a slightly more refined and ambitious version of the tracks that catapulted her to superstardom in 2021. But it was the album’s second single, “bad idea right?” that unquestionably showcased Rodrigo’s artistic maturation and solidified her staying power. Some may feel the track is too derivative of certain aughts pop-bangers, and that may be true. However, Rodrigo’s delivery is more memorable than the song itself. The track is fun because she is fun, and that’s a quality that goes a long way in pop music.
4. “HOT TO GO!” by Chappell Roan
Speaking of fun! After I first listened to Roan’s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, I immediately texted my friends and asked them if they wanted to go to the club that weekend. Roan’s music compels you to dance, and “HOT TO GO!” is no exception. I’ve heard some people complain that pop music isn’t fun or sexy anymore, that it’s too dominated by sad-girl pop a la Billie Eilish. To those people, I say: get your ass up and listen to Chappell Roan!
5. “Cool About It” by boygenius
“Cool About It” is one of the simplest tracks on The Record, but it might be the best. Even though boygenius was my top listened-to artist this year, I certainly have my criticisms of the group’s debut. Certain tracks felt like obvious rejects from the members' respective solo albums, which feels counterintuitive to the project. Conversely, “Cool About It” feels truly collaborative, showcasing each artist’s strength. The result is a song that feels genuine and timeless, effectively capturing a near-universal feeling.
6. “Rush” by Troye Sivan
Honestly, there’s not much I can say about “Rush” that can’t be better gleaned from simply watching the music video. If you haven’t done so already, I strongly suggest you do so now.
7. “I’m Your Man” by Mitski
Like many other long-time Mitski fans, I was pretty taken aback when “My Love Mine All Mine” went super-viral on TikTok earlier this year. Its massive popularity seems to have resulted in a consensus that the soft ballad is the standout from Mitski’s latest album, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We – but I disagree. As much as I adore “My Love Mine All Mine,” this song is a better example of what Mitski does best. Metaphorically rich, it explores complex themes such as guilt, patriarchy, and unworthiness in just a few short minutes. Sure, it’s nice to hear a soft and sweet side of Mitski, but I will always love her more complicated work best.
8. “Mythologize Me” by Eliza McLamb
When I discovered that one of the cohosts of my favourite podcast, Binchtopia, had a music career, I was a bit skeptical. Enjoying an individual's creative work in one discipline offers no guarantee that you’ll enjoy their separate pursuits equally. But, in the case of McLamb, I’m happy to report that she can rock just as well as she can pod. “Mythologize Me” is a Soccer Mommy-esque anthem, a self-aware indictment of the ways in which we allow the projections of others to shape our identities.
9. “Joiner” by Blondshell
Blondshell – real name Sabrina Teitelbaum– seemingly came out of nowhere, but I’m not complaining. Her self-titled debut was one of my most listened-to of the year, offering a steady supply of clever lyrics and big, catchy hooks. “Joiner” is one of the standouts. The pop-rock track tells the tale of an alluring but self-destructive friend, and the conflicting desires surrounding such a relationship. Teitelbaum isn’t afraid to bring humour to the situation, playfully attributing her friends' tendencies towards self-harm to watching too much HBO as a child. It’s a quippy line that sticks long after listening, encapsulating Teitelbaum’s strengths as a songwriter.
10. “Coded Personalities” by Bealby Point
I may be a little bit biased (this is my boyfriend’s band, after all) however, you can’t tell me that this song isn’t a bop. It captures that anxiety-inducing stage at the beginning of a relationship when every word feels high-stakes. When such a relatable premise is paired with a chorus as infectious as this, you’re bound to replay it again and again and again. [Editor’s note: the artwork ain’t bad either]
Ethan’s Top 10
1. “The Window” by Ratboys
“The Window” was without a doubt my song of 2023. Not only is it perfectly constructed and recorded, but it reminds me how much Human Pursuits has grown these past twelve months, allowing me to connect with creatives like lead singer Julia Steiner and the song’s producer, Chris Walla. A timeless, cathartic classic that will stick with me for years to come.
2. “Speed Drive” by Charli XCX
It doesn’t carry the same idiosyncratic significance as “The Window,” but this song made me feel like the baddest bitch riding public transit in 2023.
3. “Morning Pages” by The Japanese House and Muna
I don’t know if it’s a verse, a bridge, or what, but the final third of this song is really special. Only Amber Bain could make wistfulness sound this romantic.
4. “Hypernormalisation” by Crime in Stereo
While they are forever true to their hardcore roots, Crime In Stereo returned this year with a record full of apocalyptic arena anthems. With cover art by Mitchell Wojcik, lyrics that read like Rupi Kaur (if Rupi Kaur wrote the Book of Revelation), and enough riffage to get us from here to Mars, “Hypernormalisation” is the perfect soundtrack for total societal collapse.
5. “Pretty In Possible” by Caroline Polachek
What it lacks in vocal acrobatics it makes up for in funny, funk-adjacent song-writing (“How does it feel to be so… rich?”). Caroline’s ear for melody remains unmatched. Also, seeing her live at The Orpheum was surprisingly sensual.
6. “terrible places” by Sydney Sprague
At a time when “emo” essentially just means music with guitars, Sydney Sprague has emerged as one of the genre’s leading songwriters. Her sophomore album, someone in hell loves you, owes as much to Bloc Party as it does Paramore, as evidenced by this propulsive penultimate track. Two-and-a-half minutes of pressure cooker pop.
7. “DUBBLE BUBBLE” by Zack Villere, 454
My favourite standalone single of the year. The sound effects make me want to karate chop the sun. “I WENT TO SLEEP ON MY RIGHT SIDEEEE.”
8. “Herbert on Holiday” by Spiritual Cramp
As Bandsplain’s Yasi Salek would say, this is “a goddamn beautiful song.” Every single time it makes me think of Leah and every single time I cry a little bit. An anthem for us “acts of service” girlies.
9. “Positive Charge” by The Gaslight Anthem
The first time I heard this Chune, I thought it was anything but Proper. Truthfully, I thought it sucked ass. Oh, how wrong I was! Brian Fallon and co. blew the church doors open with this one, ready to kick ass and take names. I’m especially fond of the mix, which manages to balance low piano notes, high vocal harmonies, and four New Jersey boys thrashing away.
10. “Now That We Don’t Talk” by Taylor Swift
For better or worse, this year Taylor Swift became “bigger than music.” From the Eras tour, to Travis Kelce, to 1989 (Taylor’s Version), she had Swifties and society-at-large in a stranglehold for nine straight months. But while she was booked and busy, she also didn’t miss a beat. Vault tracks “Now That We Don’t Talk” and “Is It Over Now?” rank among her best work; a testament to Swift’s supernatural ability to weave personal narrative into the fiber of every song she writes.
Peyton Murphy is my favourite Gen Z. She lives in Vancouver, BC.
Martin Bell is Postcrunk. He lives in Savannah, Georgia.