From hot new jams and chart-topping singles to old-time classics, 2023 has delivered an experience of a thrilling roller coaster, all thanks to the burning pens and artistic prowess of the industry’s best acts. This dynamic array of songs ranges from emotional thrills and soul-elevating sounds to everything in between, all impressively achieving chart-topping success and bagging well-deserved accolades. In retrospect of the best moments we’ve had through the year and in recent times, this piece curates a list of the top 10 best songs in 2023 that will give you an amazing listening experience. Alongside new songs, the surprising comebacks from years before contribute to the dynamic makeup of this era’s music.
Paint The Town Red” – Doja Cat
Doja Cat has treated us to yet another electrifying track with her latest song, “Paint the Town Red,” from the album, Scarlet. This crazy jam not only delivers a shut-up message to her critics but also serves as an anthem for her fans who yearn to see their own naysayers silenced while helping them embrace a distinct identity of their own. This track made history by becoming the first female solo artist rap song in Spotify history to claim the number one spot on the platform’s Global and United States Top 50 charts. It also holds the record as the fastest solo female rap song to amass 100 million streams. “Paint the Town Red” has achieved applaudable chart-topping success in the United States, United Kingdom and 16 other countries and secured a spot in the top five in 10 countries, while also reaching the top 10 in six other countries.
“Cruel Summer”- Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer,” this song currently takes its place on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart as one of the number one most popular and trending song at the moment. “Cruel Summer” originally made its debut as the second track on Taylor Swift’s 2019 album, Lover. Upon release, the song took a stand on the top 30 charts in about 10 countries and was also ranked as one of the best songs of 2019 by Billboard and Rolling Stones. Now, since Taylor performed the song during her sixth headlining concert tour, The Eras Tour earlier in the year, it’s once again claimed grounds on the streaming charts and stars as one of fan favourite songs and trending on all social media platforms.
“Monaco” – Bad Bunny
“Monaco” is one latest track off Puerto Rican rapper, Bad Bunny’s new full-length album. It was released on October 13, 2023, as the third single from the latest album Nadie eh Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana. About four days following its release date, “Monaco” made it to the top spot both on Billboard Global 200 and Spotify’s global charts, where it gained an impressive audience of over 100 million streams. On YouTube, the new music exhibited a rapid rise to prominence, making a noteworthy appearance as a trending video just one hour after its initial release in less than a single day, This helped the new track amass 5 million views on the platform at this time of year that it was released. These achievements underscore the tremendous popularity and widespread acclaim that the song quickly gained across both streaming platforms, solidifying its status as a chart-topping sensation.
“vampire” – Olivia Rodrigo
Three-time Grammy award-winning pop star Olivia Rodrigo is sure to be one of the fast-rising stars of the music industry. She has yet again proved her standard to be far above ordinary when she released ”vampire,” the first single on her most recent album Guts. ”vampire” is a unique and catchy song with big choruses, the song has a combination of both elements of pop and rock, making it a pop rock song. It is evident that Rodrigo did put more effort into writing the lyrics of the song, as it was highly rated with positive reviews from personalities like Laura Snapes of The Guardian She describes it as one which “has a dreamy pigheadedness to it, that has quickly become a Rodrigo trademark”. The song also ranked well on streaming platforms like Apple music and Spotify.
“Snooze” – Sza
Up next on the list is “Snooze” by American songwriter and singer SZA. She unveiled her album title and the release date, during a Billboard cover story published last year in November. “Snooze” is an emotional expression of her feelings for a lover. In the song, she conveys her deep commitment and willingness to take risks for her beloved, regardless of the potential losses and consequences that may arise. Different from the traditional R&B that has been SZA’s previous style, her new projects have some new tunes like a ballad, soft, or heartfelt sound and would make the perfect track for a special occasion, whether in a small town or a big city.
“Flowers” – Miley Cyrus
“Flowers” can be considered the first hit song and the first of fan-favorite choruses of the year. “Flowers” hit the internet with its big choruses and was the first single on her eighth album Endless Summer Vacation. In the United States, “Flowers” made it to first place on the Billboard Hot 100 and maintained this position for over seven weeks, while it also made its debut at number one on the Billboard Global 200 chart and refused to let go of this position for thirteen weeks. The title track also achieved remarkable commercial success worldwide, grabbing the No.1 spot on multiple charts in more than 36 countries. Furthermore, it set numerous streaming records, such as becoming the most-streamed song on Spotify for two weeks after its initial release date. By the second week, it became the fastest song in Spotify’s history to accumulate one billion streams. From all indications, Miley Cyrus took her time to craft the lyrics of the song with the right sound effects, making it express her freedom, and independence from relying on others to make her feel happy even until next summer.
“Dance The Night” – Dua Lipa
This hot jam by Dua Lipa is not just named “Dance The Night” for no reason, as it actually is curated for everyone who wants to dance the night away, putting reality aside for a while and enjoying some little moments in a hot and crazy way possible. For me, it definitely would not do bad as a constant occupier of my workout playlists. Despite being a soundtrack from a movie titled Barbie, the song was able to make its way into the list of TikTok songs and acquired more fame. as a go-to folk song. “Dance the Night” was Dua Lipa’s fourth number-one single in the United Kingdom as it was able to secure first place on the UK Singles Chart, It also made fame in the United States as it was able to make it into the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 10. The “Dance The Night” music video also got nominated for the MTV Video Music Awards.
“I Remember Everything” – Zach Bryan ft. Kacey Musgrave
Taking a quick snip into country music’s magical sounds, we have “I Remember Everything” by Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves.While some interpret the song as a break-up song, “I Remember Everything” actually tells the story of a couple with contrasting perspectives on their relationship. Zach Bryan believes that alcohol is the remedy to ease his troubled mind, as he holds to the notion that grown men should never shed tears, no matter the challenges they face. On the other hand, Kacey Musgraves holds a different view. She believes that when he’s intoxicated, he won’t have the capacity to ease her own emotional turmoil. She sees more of the negative aspects of their relationship, while Bryan, in contrast, fondly reminisces about the little thing and big things of the good times they’ve shared together.
“Calm Down” – Rema ft. Selena Gomez
If there is a perfect song to describe synergy it definitely will be Rema’s “Calm Down” featuring Selena Gomez. The love song is an impressive new sound that held onto its position at the top of the US Afro Beats chart for over 52 weeks. This level of sustained popularity and success is quite remarkable, indicating that the song had a great impact and also captured fans’ hearts, as it continued to remain on their favorite songs list for a long time after its initial release. The song also won many awards while breaking some chart records, a level of success that was a first time experience for the African entertainer.
“Fast Car” – Luke Comb
“Fast Car” is a cover song of Tracy Chapman, performed by Luke Combs, an amazing American country music writer and singer whose songs have earned him three Grammy award nominations. He had previously released a new single, “Love You Anyway,” and a promotional single, “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old,” ahead of his new album, Gettin’ Old. His cover of “Fast Car” became the most popular song on the album, as it was the only song on the album to amass over 65 million streams on Spotify in less than 2 months since its release. He later revealed that this song is also his favorite and holds a positive grip on him.