Top 50 Singles of 2015: 50-46

50. Darin - Ta Mig Tillbaka



A gentle, nostalgic ode to childhood that ushered in Darin's new mature sound. Not the flashiest track on the countdown, but one with a lot of staying power.

49. Brown Eyed Girls - Brave New World



At first you'll mistake it for some bizarro reinterpretation of Michael Jackson's Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, but then it just gets trippier and you're not quite sure what it is you're hearing.

48. Brandon Flowers - Lonely Town



The most majestic track on Brandon's brilliant second album, it's best paired with the hypnotic, moody 80's video. That hook is everything.

47. Emil Berg - Du Swipa Höger 



A left-field Euro-dance anthem, with one of the most irresistible beats of the year. It's the kind of debut that sets the bar impossibly high.

46. Magnus Carlsson - Möt Mig I Gamla Stan 



The only Melodifestivalen track this year that I bother still listening to, and the only schlager song in the competition. Magnus always delivers the goods.

Top Albums & Mini Albums of 2015: Number 10

ALBUMS

10. Darin - Fjärilar I Magen



In a somewhat surprising turn of events, Darin went full folk-pop on us this year. In doing so, he also released one of his best full-length albums yet. Despite only having one track that could even be considered "dance," the strength of his vocals and songwriting creates a cohesive work with a definite mood and tone.

MINI ALBUMS

10. Donghae and Eunhyuk - The Beat Goes On



Of all of Super Junior's sub-units, Donghae and Eunhyuk's releases have consistently been to my taste. It helps that they're the dancers of the group, and two of the more charismatic performers. This pop-fueled mini album was such a wonderful treat in an otherwise lackluster March. Other than one drippy ballad, it's pure upbeat fun through and through.

Darin - Följa John

Darin's new album (and first with his new sound) came out at the end of the last week. It's a gorgeous suite of autumnal folk-pop with a modern production twist. I love that it's all sung in Swedish, and that we really get to hear Darin's amazing vocals. When I first heard the album, Följa John (Follow The Leader) was the track that stood out. I applaud the new folk direction (mostly), but for me Darin is at his best when he's putting those sensationally powerful vocals to good use on an anthemic dance track. Följa John might not be as "dance" as he's gotten before, but the chorus definitely soars and I'd say it's the most uptempo track on the album. It was actually co-written by Peter Kvint, who also co-wrote some of my favorite songs by the Ark. He's one of my favorite Swedish songwriters, and it's a match made in heaven here. I hope it's a single at some point.

Listen to the song (and others) at this link

Darin - Nobody Knows (the music video!!!)

This is definitely not a new song. In fact, it was released over three (!) years ago. But it is Darin's best song, in a career of pretty awesome songs. I was always upset that it never got a music video back in 2012. The thing about brilliant songs, however, is that they're bound to get discovered and revived eventually. This time it's Asia, with its excellent taste in music, who has taken to Nobody Knows. With this new push comes the big budget music video the track always deserved. Justice doesn't always happen in pop music, but this whole story has made my day. The track sounds as brilliant now as it did three years ago.

Darin - Juliet

Darin released his new single today in Nordic countries, and in doing so pretty much confirmed that he is fully committed to this new folk-pop sound (at least for this album). Juliet is slightly more uptempo than his last single, but otherwise sounds very similat. Honestly, very few people can get away with this kind of Mumford-and-Sons-lite music without driving me absolutely crazy. It's just not my thing. I did, however, love Darin's last release. This one doesn't quite measure up in comparison, but it's a fun summer song and I suspect that it's going to grow on me in a major way. If I'm being selfish, what I'd really like to see is this kind of sound fused with the anthemic club music he was releasing during his stint on Så mycket bättre in late 2012.

Darin - Ta Mig Tillbaka

Just in time for the Melodifestivalen finale, Sweden's ace popstar Darin released new music. Ta Mig Tillbaka (ie: Take Me Back) is a brand new sound for him. Gone is the r&b-influenced dance music in favor of an airy, almost country-sounding folk song. This should be a bad thing, but the track itself is actually kind of amazing. First of all, I'm delighted that he's singing in Swedish, even though I can't understand most of it. When he was on Så Mycket Bättre in 2012 and covered many Swedish-language tracks, I went from casually liking his music to becoming obsessed. He's just got such a stunning voice that's wasted on generic radio pop. If I'm completely honest, I'd probably be a bit disappointed if he released a full album with the tempo of Ta Mig Tillbaka, but then again if every song matches this high quality it could end up as one of the year's best surprises. One quibble, however: the song really should have been released in October. Doesn't it sound like Autumn?



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

Darin - Mamma Mia

"My body is losing control"

Another comeback from an artist that I adore today. After less than a year since the last single from his most recent album, Darin is back with brand new material. First off, I'll get it off my chest that this is not the musical direction I was hoping he'd take. After Nobody Knows, which I think will always be his best song, I realized that with his voice, pure euphoric pop is the perfect match. However, he seems intent to follow something more urban and trendy. BUT... with that said, Mamma Mia (which is definitely not a trendy title, by the way) is an excellent representation of his preferred sound. The Latin elements are just enough to give it its own flavor without making it feel gimmicky. And the vocals... the best male vocals in pop right now... are just as polished and perfect as ever. It's good to have him back (even though I still want another Nobody Knows).



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Nowhere to buy the single yet. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Top 50 Singles Of 2013: 5-1

5. Isac Elliot - New Way Home



The youngest act to ever land in my top ten, and that's thanks to this Avicii-like dance track that outdid Avicii himself. It's absolutely massive.

4. Ola - Tonight I'm Yours



I was always going to love this. Patrick Berger and Kristofer Östergren and Ola working together? It's a match made in pop heaven (and that string section certainly doesn't hurt)

3. Ulrik Munther - Tell The World I'm Here



I've always liked Ulrik's music, but with this song it was as if he was aiming straight for my specific tastes. Bombast, sweeping production, anthemic delivery and a positive message to tie it all together.

2. Darin - En Apa Som Liknar Dig (A Monkey Who Looks Like You) 



Not strictly a 2013 song, but I had to include it because I'm not sure if there was a track I played more often this year. It transcended its place as part of a Swedish reality show and became an enormous hit on its own merits.

1. G-Dragon - Crooked 



For the second year in a row, Korea (and specifically, a part of K-pop band Big Bang) has taken the top spot. G-Dragon remains the coolest pop star on the planet, and this stadium-worthy rock anthem is his best song to date. I knew immediately that it would be in my top five. The more I play it, the more I like it. A pure shot of adrenaline with a frustrated, melancholic core.

Top 50 Singles Of 2013: 40-36

40. One Direction - Kiss You



Their best single from an album filled with tracks that should have been singles. Sometimes all you want is a well-executed piece of radio pop fluff.

39. The Preatures - Is This How You Feel



Undeniably funky track from Down Under. Takes the best of early 80's Prince, performed by a band that sounds very little like him.

38. Darin - Check You Out



Darin's hookiest original song this year, which should have been the single to launch the somewhat bungled promotion for his latest album.

37. Emblem 3 - Chloe (You're The One I Want) 



A surprise summer hit for me, these guys found a sound that hearkened back to the best of late 90's/early 00's sunny radio rock.

36. Ben Ivory - The Righteous Ones 



A statement of intent if there ever was one, tied into an aggressive, smart dance track that deserved more recognition than it got.

The Top Ten Singles By... Darin!

Decent solo male popstars are few and far between, especially in America. By all accounts, Darin should be the world's number one conquering pop idol. I really do think he's that good. Unfortunately, like many other amazing popstars, his music has only really sustained popularity in Sweden. In a way, that's fine, because it keeps him a bit of a secret, but I think some would be surprised to know that he's been releasing albums and singles for nearly a decade now. Here are my favorites:

10. Perfect (2006) - Up until this point, Darin had been a pretty typical r&b singer. With this song, and the accompanying album, he branched out to explore more of a pop/rock angle and laid the template for his best work (which would come a few years later). I consider this track to be very underrated.

9. Astrologen (2012) - Part of his stint on Så mycket bättre, this classic Magnus Uggla ballad was given a real touching update. Darin's vocals match the melody perfectly and this has quickly become one of his best ballads.

8. Breathing Your Love (2008) - A duet with singer Kat Deluna, and perhaps his biggest hit outside of Sweden. It would mark his last big RedOne collaboration before he adopted a somewhat new style.

7. Want Ya! (2006) - Most would probably put Step Up on their top ten list, but I much prefer this follow-up, which is less trendy in sound but far more indebted to the vocal tics and production of Michael Jackson (clearly one of Darin's biggest influences). It's one of his best videos, too.

6. You're Out Of My Life (2010) - His big Melodifestivalen ballad, and the first taste of his collaboration with renowned songwriter/producer Tony Nilsson. Unsurprisingly, it's huge on melody and big pop drama. Yeah, it's overblown, but in the best way possible.

5. Money For Nothing (2005) - His debut single after coming second on Swedish Idol, and still one of my favorites. Part of that is down to the fact that it was written by fellow-Swede Robyn, and part of it is that carefree, bubblegum pop sound. It holds up!

4. Viva la Vida (2009) - I consider this to be the definitive version of the song. I can't even listen to Coldplay's original any more. Darin's delivery and production gives it a dramatic flourish that takes the melody to a new place. It's truly transcendent pop.

3. En Apa Som Liknar Dig (2012) - The second of his Så mycket bättre songs on this list, En Apa is another cover, but completely twisted and reimagined from the original. It's one of the best dance tracks of the year, in any language.

2. Lovekiller (2010) - Taken from my favorite album of his, Lovekiller is pure drama. We're talking soap opera lyrics, choirs and notes that hit the stratosphere. This was an utter shock when it came out. Up to this point in his career, I had no idea what he was really capable of.

1. Nobody Knows (2012) - One of the biggest POP moments of the past few years. It's hard to imagine that a song can sound this big. From start to finish, it's an unadulterated blast of energy and marks the high point (thus far) in his career.

So there you go! But here's the thing, no list is complete without hearing what you think! Leave your top ten Darin songs in the comments!

Darin - Check You Out

"You're used to always getting what you want"

Last week, when I said that Give It To Me was my favorite new track on Darin's just-released album Exit, I was totally mistaken. It's still true that Nobody Knows towers far above everything else on the album (it's one of his top three best singles), I'm quickly becoming almost as enamored with Check You Out. Not only does it adhere to the new dancier sound he's establishing, but it doesn't skimp on the melody. This is big POP music, especially the chorus. The lyrics are great fun, too. It seems that Give It To Me is the next single and, if itunes charts are to be believed, quite beloved by the Swedish public. It's a fine choice, as I outlined last week, but this is better. It should be single #4--just in time for Summer.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Darin - Give Me Tonight

"Say you want me like I want you"

Darin's that rarest type of popstar--one whose music actually gets better with each year of his career. He's the type of male artist we just don't have in the US, and with his recent performances on Så Mycket Bättre (a show that needs to come to America), he may have just reached his peak. Though I haven't had a chance to spend much time with his new album, I can confidently say that nothing is as good as the final track, Nobody Knows (released as a single last year). But that song's so good that it would be a tall order to compete with it. I was a big fan of his last album, Lovekiller, but I'm fine with the shift of sound on this one, since I don't think a Lovekiller Pt. II would have worked. This time around, Darin's gone with a much more international (shall we say, trendy?) sound. Give Me Tonight fits the bill perfectly. It's a soaring dance track that lets hims show off his flawless vocals. Nothing revolutionary, but definitely good fun.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Darin - Playing With Fire

"I can feel it heating up"

I've been going through a big Darin phase right now. After placing his Nobody Knows in my top five of 2012 list and playing his Så Mycket Bättre tracks (especially the epic En Apa Som Liknar Dig) over and over, my anticipation is sky high for his new album. Playing With Fire isn't quite up to par with the aforementioned songs. It's a bit too westernized for me, like something a U.S. popstar would release. That doesn't mean it's bad, of course. And it certainly doesn't damper my excitement for the album. I love that he's continuing along the big, clubby route with his new music. I just hope there are more of those immense choruses that he's been giving us of late. Lovekiller was filled with them, even though the album was mostly ballads. An uptempo version of that style would be AMAZING.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Darin - En Apa Som Liknar Dig

On the first regular music post of 2013, it's time to look at a track from the past few weeks that I neglected to mention. Swedish popstar Darin is set to release his sixth studio album later this month. It's bound to be the year's first great pop release. Until then, we've got some covers of his to tide us over. Darin's been participating in the popular Swedish show Så Mycket Bättre (So Much Better), in which artists cover each others' songs, usually in new and interesting ways. It's a concept I wish would make it outside of Sweden. Anyways, one of the songs Darin covered was Olle Ljungström's symphonic ballad En Apa Som Liknar Dig (A Monkey That Looks Like You). He gave it dance production similar to Loreen's epic Euphoria, and turned it into an amazing pop moment. This is a wave of powerful dance, with a hook that's simply mammoth in sound. It stands right alongside his very best work. I hope there are songs on the album as good as this.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the new album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Top 50 Singles Of 2012: 5-1

5. Studio Killers - Eros & Apollo



I didn't think Studio Killers could trump their last effort, but with this sly, lushly electronic warning about guys who seem to good to be true, they did it. Now bring on the album!

4. Darin - Nobody Knows



Darin at his most bombastic. Though he's had plenty of tracks I've liked in the past, this was a new pinnacle for him. It's huge. Just mammoth in sound.

3. EXO-K - Mama



Speaking of "mammoth in sound"! In my world, there is no such thing as "overproduced," and this track has it all. Choirs, strings, guitar, shout-rapping, dance breaks. It's like an entire album in one song.

2. Loreen - Euphoria



No title in 2012 better described the sound of its accompanying song. This really is pure euphoria. It's so deceptively simple, yet somehow gets better every single time you play it.

1. Bigbang - Monster 



I cannot think of a better song this year. Everything just clicks, from the orchestral production to the gorgeous, sweeping melody, to the flawless, motion-picture-quality music video. It defies language, though the English hook assures that the meaning is clear. Utterly affecting, and a dynamite pop song to boot.

Darin - Nobody Knows

"Can you feel my heart?"

Darin just keeps getting better. To be honest, though I really enjoyed his third album and the first two have their moments, it wasn't until his fourth release, 2010's Lovekiller, that I was truly won over. It's an odd thing, too, because that album was nearly all ballads. I'm usually a pretty uptempo guy, but the melodies were too awesome to resist. Nobody Knows, his new single, is definitely not a ballad. But he's infused that excellent pop melody with some truly epic dance production. It's like he took everything that's awesome about him as a pop artist and threw it into one amazing single. It's a statement of worldwide intent, and deserves that level of recognition. Few pop artists improve with age. If the upcoming album is as perfect as this single, Darin will be the definite exception to that rule.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the last album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Top 50 Singles of 2010: 10-6

10. Darin - Lovekiller



The top ten kicks off with the biggest, cheesiest pop moment of 2010. There is no resisting the overblown goodness of this track. Darin hit it out of the park with this one. The video’s wonderfully over-the-top, too.

9. Kylie Minogue - All The Lovers



The comeback single she’s been searching for for years. It was so magical that it overshadowed everything else on the album. Her biggest late-career highlight.

8. Scissor Sisters - Fire With Fire



A soaring festival anthem that deserved more success than it found. Jake sounds his best on tracks like this. No band does melodic, radio pop better than Scissor Sisters.

7. Mcfly & Taio Cruz - Shine A Light



I never expected that, this late in their career, Mcfly could pull off a pop track like this. It hits you from the first listen and cements itself in your memory. The I Gotta Feeling of 2010.

6. Short Stack - Planets



On first listen, I didn’t think this was anything special. Then I came back to it… and back… and back. And I’m still listening to it constantly months later. Everything came together here.

Top 20 Albums of 2010: 8-7

8. Darin - Lovekiller



Of all of the Swedish pop albums released this year (and there were many), this was right at the top of the list. I wouldn’t have expected that at all. I’ve always been a fan of Darin’s, but never connected to any of his albums. This, a collection of mostly-ballads, shouldn’t have been any different. But it worked. He turned the schmaltz and drama up to eleven and crafted a world-conquering sound that was more than a little reminiscent of the late, great Michael Jackson. More than anything, it ushered him into a new stage of his career. Expect more massive hooks to follow.

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7. Take That - Progress



Who would have thought? This is easily the most experimental “boy band“ album I’ve ever heard. Bringing Robbie back into the fold seemed to inspire a new verve in the band’s music. I’ve never been more than a casual fan before, but this majestic batch of songs yielded a late-Fall sucker punch. It’s one of the more eclectic mixes on the countdown, overseen by producer extraordinaire Stuart Price. What could have been a disaster plays instead like 2010’s best rock-opera.

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