Happy Holidays, schmappy schmolidays. Don't get me wrong: Wishing joy and goodwill to the world is totally my jam, but when it comes to superficial TV specials, "Sleigh Bells" repeated ad nauseum on the radio and frantic shopping for seasonally obligatory gift-giving...well, you've lost me. There are so many other reasons to be excited for this brumal time of year: snow frolicking, hot toddy consumption, cross-country skiing and, most of all, end-of-year music roundups from Rolling Stone, Treble, Billboard, Pitchfork and Tiny Mix Tapes.
It's sort of dumb to get giddy over best-of-the-year brouhahas; when it comes down to it, you like what you like, no matter what some webzine has to say about it. But as an—ahem— "audiophile" (and ardent Rihanna fan) I also think it's fun to reflect on what made the past year special for music (and Rihanna). So fun, that I'll dish on some of the past year's trends right now, before the big guns have their say.
The sax resurges (Bringin' Saxy Back?)
George Michael, eat your heart out and move over—a fresh generation of saxophone-loving artists has arrived. Katy Perry and Lady Gaga incorporated some wailing solos in their adequate summer singles "TGIF" and "Edge of Glory"—Perry's smash hit featured none other than Kenny G to carry the bridge. But the toast of this year's sax-studded town is Bon Iver, who caps his stunning self-titled album with the handsome track "Beth/Rest."
The cut embraces an '80s adult contemporary aesthetic, akin to something from a jewelry store jingle. Gaggles of critics hated, but I was hooked after the third listen. When that sax soars over gentle synth and electric guitar at the song's climax, it gives me the shivers—who knew that such cheesy production would lend itself so well to such a gorgeous and cathartic song? "Beth/Rest": far and away the best track of the year.
Pathetic rap (I'm a Creep, I'm a Weirdo)
The new "big thing in the current R&B and hip-hop scene: playing the self-depreciative role of a creepy, pathetic, desperate, drunk and sexist loser. Look no further than the burgeoning crooner The Weeknd. Abel Tesfaye's now-infamous mantra in the song "Lonely Star"—"Baby, I could fuck you right"—is the epitome of rock-bottom petulance. Drake and Terius Nash (a.k.a. The-Dream) also showcase pitiful alter egos with their respective cuts "Marvin's Room" and "Wedding Crasher." In each, an anti-hero makes a drunken and libidinous plea to an ex for a rebound. Aubrey Graham spits out over the phone "I know you still think about the times we had," while Nash croons, "Let me sing you my drunk song; I hate to have to crash your wedding, but here it is."
But these schmucks pale in comparison to Tyler the Creator, whose weird-and-creepy routine has catapulted him to the fore. Take his single "She," in which he transforms into an a masturbatory stalker. The shtick is thoroughly unsettling. For better or worse, this fascinating trend of debauched creepiness has rooted itself in the industry, and may be here to stay.
Eupean club music (Europop til you drop)
Robyn broke onto the American dance scene last year with her impressive album Body Talk, and since then more Europop has crossed the pond than ever before. Robyn hit the ground running in 2011 by releasing "Call Your Girlfriend" as a U.S. chart-topping single in April, accompanied with a stop-what-you're-doing-and-watch music video. Londoner Katy B gained attention in the spring with her own dubstep-influenced fare, making a name for herself with "Katy on a Mission" and "Broken Record." The Romanian feel-good pop song "Stereo Love," yesterday's news on the international club scene, took off in the United States in early 2011. And midsummer saw the indie veterans Handsome Furs release Sound Kapital, a finely-constructed homage to Russian industrial dance music. Even Rihanna's anthemic single "We Found Love" boasts more than a tinge of European flair.
Swells of Chillwave
The '80s and psychedelia-inspired musical movement took a gap year in 2010, but it's back. Toro Y Moi opened the year with his sophomore album Causers of This, featuring the boppin' barrel-o'-monkeys banger "New Beat," (too much, I know). Genre pioneers Neon Indian also released a sophomore album, Era Extraña; while not as resplendent as their earlier Psychic Chasms, it still shone with radio-friendly singles like "Polish Girl." But the absolute crème de la crème was Washed Out, with their album Within and Without. The gorgeous yet indescribably sad "Amor Fati" is a somnolent journey to another place, tinged with summer memories. It's rare for a song to inspire nostalgia and wistful thoughts so easily ... wait, I'm overselling this, aren't I? Whatevs, just go listen to the song already.
Adele: 'nuf said.
"Someone Like You"? Damn…just damn.
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