Top 50 Singles of 2014: 45-41

45. Gravitonas - People Are Lonely (ft. Army Of Lovers)



A stark, melodic ballad bringing together two of Swedish mastermind Alexander Bard's pet projects. Delightfully weird, yet emotionally mainstream.

44. BTS - Danger



A charismatic hip-hop track with an addictive, guitar-fueled hook. Remixed later in the year with an equally good, slowed down tempo.

43. Dami Im - Super Love



An Avicii-style dance track that could have been generic if not for Dami Im's superbly soaring vocals.

42. Crayon Pop - Hero 



An off-kilter duet that sounds a bit like Abba on crack. Won't be for everyone, but it's definitely for me!

41. Michael Jackson - Love Never Felt So Good 



An unreleased track by a musical legend, updated with today's production while still retaining its classic, groove-filled feel.

Don't forget, if you'd like to listen to the Top 50 Singles Countdown in full, download the audio version!

Dami Im - Living Dangerously

"So tell the fear to fear me"

Let's talk about Dami Im and her astonishingly powerful voice. It's on full display in this track from her upcoming album (out Friday). It's the kind of voice that forces you to stop whatever you're doing and pay attention. Even better than that, Living Dangerously confirms that she's still walking down the wonderful lane of dance pop. I love soaring vocals over intense dance beats. This song is very dramatic and loud. It doesn't have many quiet bits, which could be a bad thing if the lyrics weren't delivered with such passion and fire. This is the Dami Im I fell in love with on X-Factor. I grew to adore Super Love and thought Gladiator was alright, but I think this is the first time an original song has allowed Dami to really let it rip. More of this, please! I'm not sure if this'll end up being the next single or not, but it should be.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Dami Im - Gladiator

"Gonna fight for your love"

What a voice Dami Im has! I'd go so far to say she's my favorite X-Factor winner ever, but a lot of that is going to depend on the material she's given when it's time for that all-important debut album. After being initially underwhelmed by her last single, Super Love, I found my affection for it growing each day. I hope the same thing will happen with this song. On the surface, Gladiator seems way too trendy and melodically familiar, but that special essence that Dami brings to a song should push it over the edge for me. If someone like Demi Lovato was singing this (and honestly, it sounds like one of her dirgy self-empowerment anthems), I'd probably dismiss it outright. And if I'm being completely honest, I still want more from Dami, because she's better than this kind of soundalike material. But it's still Dami, and she can make even a mediocre song special.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Dami Im - Super Love

"They can't bring us down, down, down"

I adored Dami Im when she was on (and won) Australian X-Factor. Weird, then, that when her debut single was released a few weeks ago, I had an initial reaction that was kind of cold. The cartoony outfit they stuck her in for parts of the music video certainly didn't help. More than that, I dismissed the track as an EDM, Avicii rip-off, which I am so so sick of. And that's partly true. It is a rip-off, down to that country-esque breakdown that they haven't quite committed to after the chorus. But then something strange happened. The melody stuck. And stuck. And I can't get it out of my head. The song has gotten better with every single listen and I'm now a total convert. Judging from the Australian itunes charts, I'm not the only one. Dami Im's voice remains remarkable, and cuts through any calculation that might otherwise sink the song. This is good stuff, and I'm angry with myself for not realizing it right off the bat. Plus, Dami recently met with K-Pop Star BoA, and her surprised enthusiasm reminded me just why I fell in love with her in the first place.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Dami Im - Alive

"Ain't nothing gonna slow me down"

Oh, jeez. X-Factor Australia has done what no other country's XF can manage: they've gotten the winner right four years running. And this year, they've come away with what I think may be the best XF winner in the show's history, regardless of country. Wait, scratch that. They may have just come away with the best talent show winner in history (and god knows I watch a lot of them, from American Idol on... in eight countries and counting). If you haven't had the luck to see Dami in action yet, I give you Exhibit A. Exhibit B. Exhibit freaking C. The voice, the style, the personality... everything worked in conjunction to make her the deserved frontrunner the entire series. As with most talent shows, the "first single" winner's track is a little bland and completely contrived, so don't judge Dami solely on Alive. Imagine her instead as a future global superstar. If anyone's capable of that, it's her.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.