Spotify Wrapped - Walking Through My Most Played of the Year
PLUS! A new show in LA this Thursday (12/19) - SEE YOU THERE.
IMPORTANT UPDATE - There’s another Mendel show in LA this week!! Two artists on stage together, trading originals and covering each other. Then we run it back with two more artists. I’ll have a lot more to say about how and why in a future MMM but for now, if you are in LA I would LOVE to see you there.
Let’s get into it, because it’s that time of year. Spotify Wrapped graphics taking over your instagram feed. The brave pal who posts their Tidal Top 5. (Which, side note, are any of y’all on Tidal and should I be???? It’s starting to seem like… yes?)
They’ve really hit on a winning formula. People love to share their favorite music! Not that I know anything about that. These songs have all played such big parts of my year, to scroll through this list is a special way to reflect on the past 12ish months.
100 songs is way too many to read about, let alone, write about, so I’ll keep things quick in hopes of finding you something new to love. Let’s go.
Oh! Before we do, I’m hard at work on the Maxies right now. So in the meantime if you’re craving new music, drop a comment with your top artist this year and I’ll reply with a recent discovery I know you’ll love.
On to my top 100. Categorizing sections as they make sense to me. We start with the top 5.
Songs 1-5: The songs I could’ve bet my rent on being here.
Remi Wolf - Toro. Yeah, obviously. I was and am obsessed with this song. It’s so hot, it’s so bold, and the motorcycle roar at 0:50 is the most genius sound used in a song this year. Holy moly, good luck not listening to it 100 times before January.
Mk.gee - Dream Police. Listen, I am here to tell you it is safe and ok to like Mk.gee. I have never understood a single word he has sang on this entire album and frankly, I’ve never needed to. The melodies carry all the emotion you need, and of course he is playing a guitar like no one else. Adventurous music, I’m glad he’s broken through.
Lola Young - Wish You Were Dead. Not you!! No this isn’t about you!! Strap in for a blistering, sinister little number. Co-produced by main Remi Wolf collaborator and former MMM featured artist, Solomonophonic. You’ll feel comfortable in the sonic universe - but for as much as Remi is LA, Lola really feels like London to me. This song is a damn hit.
Clairo - Sexy to Someone. I’m literally blushing just hearing that piano rain down. It’s cozy, it’s gentle, it’s hot as hell. Blossoms into such a gorgeous and lush chorus, haven’t been able to stop listening. This song makes me feel good.
Adrianne Lenker - Fool. A song that really devoured me at times this year. The guitar line and tone are so intoxicating, Lenker’s voice is too perfect? The interwoven guitars we hear near 0:40 are so great, and almost give the song a ‘stuck-in-time’-ness even as it propels forward.
Songs 6 & 7: Honorable Mention Top 5’s
I think you shift these calculations around by a day or two and these two songs find their way into the top five no problem.
Medium Build - Cutting Thru The Country. There’s a lot of Medium Build here. This song in particular has such an interesting form, the repeating/evolving lyrics with relentless drive forward. It’s such a good to pick up the energy. NOTHING IS FOREVER NOTHING IS FOR SURE. oof. .
Remi Wolf - Cinderella. The brighter side of Remi, that whistle gets me smiling every time. Brass band is killer. Undeniable singalong section with the Low tide moon’s so bright section. And Me and the boys in the hotel lobby is just perfect. Feels so good to soak in this one.
Songs 8-18: Ok this my ACTUAL music taste.
Those seven are endlessly repeatable for me, and clearly stole the show. But these next eleven feel like such a better display of the further edges of what I like. Oh, and here’s the playlist if you wanna listen along.