Rihanna's "Work" is so disappointing. It's very difficult to listen to. Admittedly I haven't kept up with her recently, but I don't like this song.

@ArcticFox -- Some great picks! I was also skeptical of Daya, and I'm still somewhat warming up to the chorus. I'm starting to like it though, she has a good voice.

I liked this song which @musicguy93 introduced to me. Unique sound!

The 1975 - UGH!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXaU0QzByIM

Here are two favourites of mine that I hear on the radio all the time ...

Laidback Luke featuring Trevor Guthrie - Let it Go
hIGnKUidrBM

Diplo and Sleepy Tom - Be Right There
This one is actually from 2015, but it never charted here in Canada until February 2016.  It contains an interpolation of the 1993 hit Don't Walk Away by Jade
w-5PHBFLMLk

Rihanna's "Work" is so disappointing. It's very difficult to listen to. Admittedly I haven't kept up with her recently, but I don't like this song.


I don't think so at all. I was actually afraid that it was going to sound like last year's "Bitch Better Have My Money", which I despise. So she did better than I expected. There are many other great songs on her ANTI album, but this one is still good.

I don't think so at all. I was actually afraid that it was going to sound like last year's "Bitch Better Have My Money", which I despise. So she did better than I expected. There are many other great songs on her ANTI album, but this one is still good.


I have to admit what I have in bold was the worst song I can remember from her. Rihanna- Work, while it's not one of my favorite songs from her, it's still a huge improvement and the beat/instrumental is really good. One thing I realize about Rihanna- Work is that the way she expresses her lyrics is nothing new. She's done this style in many of her other songs from the past. Rihanna is from Bridgetown, Barbados and she has that strong Caribbean blood in her.

Work isn't great, but its the best thing we've heard from her since probably 2012.  Her last album was terrible...absolutely unlistenable.

Let's start this thread by listing some of your best and worst songs of 2015.

Here's what I consider the best and worst of the past year (in no particular order):

Best
Britney Spears & Iggy Azalea "Pretty Girls"
Daya "Hide Away"
Meghan Trainor f/John Legend "Like I'm Gonna Lose You"
Tori Kelly "Nobody Love," "Should've Been Us," and "Hollow"
Halsey "New Americana"
David Bowie "Lazarus" and "Blackstar"
Eden xo "Too Cool to Dance" (actually from 2014), "The Weekend" and "Hold Me Now" (THompson Twins cover heard on Scream Queens pilot)
Nick Jonas "Levels"
Tove Lo "Talking Body" and "Moments"
Fall Out Boy "Centuries" (though I got sick of it when it got overplayed, then I warmed back up), "Uma Thurman" (That Munsters sample, man!), and "Irresistible" f/Demi Lovato (Music video spoofs "It's Gonna Be Me" by NSYNC and features Chris and Joey)
John Williams - Star Wars: The Force Awakens score
Ennio Morricone - The Hateful Eight score
Jason Derulo "Want to Want Me" and "Cheyenne"
The Weeknd "Earned It," "Can't Feel My Face," "The Hills," and "In the Night"
Little Mix "Black Magic"
Taylor Swift "Style," "Bad Blood," and "Wildest Dreams"
Charlie Puth "Marvin Gaye" f/Meghan Trainor and "One Call Away"
Wiz Khalifa f/Charlie Puth "See You Again"
Lucius "Born Again Teen"
Disturbed "The Sound of Silence" (S&G cover)
Rihanna f/Paul McCartney and Kanye West "Four Five Seconds"
Nico & Vinz "That's How You Know"
Selena Gomez "Good For You," "Same Old Love," and "Hands to Myself" (Surprisingly a much better singer than her ex)
Omi "Cheerleader"
Fetty Wap "Trap Queen" (Even though I could never understand a word he was saying. I guess I like it because I thought he kept saying, "Eden xo" over and over.)
Flo Rida "GDFR" (Goin' down fa reeeeaaaal!  8) Yeah, it did get a little overplayed at its peak)
Ed Sheeran "Photograph"
Adam Lambert "Ghost Town" and "Another Lonely Night"
Ella Henderson "Ghost"
Zara Larrson "Lush Life"
Jess Glynne "Hold My Hand"
Maroon 5 "This Summer's Gonna Hurt"
Demi Lovato "Cool for the Summer" and "Confident"
Adele "Hello" and "When We Were Young"
Ellie Goulding "On My Mind," "Love Me Like You Do," "Army," and "Something in the Way You Move"
Drake "Hotline Bling"
Elle King "Ex's and Oh's"
Kaya Stewart "In Love with a Boy"
Natalie La Rose "Somebody" and "Around the World"
Tinashe "Player"
Chris Brown "Zero"
Robin Shulz "Sugar"
Major Lazer "Lean On"
Ariana Grande "Focus"

I'm probably missing a few. There were a lot I liked, most of which flopped or KJ103 stopped playing.

Worst
Rihanna "Bitch Better Have My Money" (One of the worst songs I have ever heard in my life)
David Guetta "Hey Mama"
Anything by or featuring Justin Bieber
Anything by or featuring One Direction or Zayn
Anything country
Silento "Watch Me"

Work isn't great, but its the best thing we've heard from her since probably 2012.  Her last album was terrible...absolutely unlistenable.


Which one, Unapologetic? I don't like "Pour It Up", but I liked "Diamonds", "Stay", and "What Now".

Finally, a dance hit for 2016!

2zOVo__8Muw

Not as good as their 2012 hit "I love it" but I'm dying for anything that can get me off my feet  ;D

'All About That Bass" star Meghan Trainor came out with her latest single "No". It sounds like a early 2000s Britney Spears song to me. I liked it at first but after hearing it about two or three times it's difficult to listen to.

It's not on YouTube yet but it is on sale, and on music streaming services.

Which one, Unapologetic? I don't like "Pour It Up", but I liked "Diamonds", "Stay", and "What Now".


So you don't like her newer hip-hop style? I remember how "Pour It Up" and "Looooove Song" (featuring Future) were always playing on the hip-hop stations in 2013, while the other songs you mentioned plus "We Found Love in a Hopeless Place" were more on the pop/top-40 stations.

Her later material is even more hip-hop, like "B**** Better Have My Money" and "Work".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loSB0lDDvks

My local rock station plays mostly retro songs whenever I tune into it, but today I heard a decent recent hit that I liked.

Eliot Summer - Halfway to Hell

fixXsNMqNKc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loSB0lDDvks


I definitely need to make time to listen to this whole album.

'All About That Bass" star Meghan Trainor came out with her latest single "No". It sounds like a early 2000s Britney Spears song to me. I liked it at first but after hearing it about two or three times it's difficult to listen to.

It's not on YouTube yet but it is on sale, and on music streaming services.


I think "NO" is going to be another "Focus". It'll probably debut really high and then drop down the charts at a fairly rapid pace once people realize that it's not a good song.

I think "NO" is going to be another "Focus". It'll probably debut really high and then drop down the charts at a fairly rapid pace once people realize that it's not a good song.


Speaking of Focus, Ariana Grande's latest single Dangerous Woman from the unreleased album of the same name dropped today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFrMDGfW_Sg

It's okay. It's not catchy nor does it showcase impressive vocals, but it's not particularly offensive either. A boring song overall.

Zayn Malik also released his new single LIKE I WOULD (all caps). I like it overall, but I'm not crazy for it or anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqLzjlA2hYw

Another bland week for pop music unfortunately. There's way too many shallow sad songs. I can use some songs with some melancholy, but most of these don't do anything for me.

Zayn Malik released his billionth bland song this year with MSN-era style titling, BeFoUr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIrXpp_Nlt4

Iggy Azalea released her new song Team. Warning for those who aren't tone deaf.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSTRTv0xVlU

A new promising artisted debuted. Fragile by Kygo (feat. Labyrinth) isn't pretty good. The studio version is available on streaming sites and Soundcloud.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycUjorgixyA

If I Were Sorry by Frans is a pretty boring song in my opinion. Apparently it's been nominated as Sweden's song for Eurovision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4emC0VDQGz8

Be Alright by Ariana Grande is slightly bland, and not as interesting as the previous week's Dangerous Woman. Her album isn't shaping up to be as bad as her previous one though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4emC0VDQGz8

Let It Go - James Bay (Billboard Hot 100 Peak: #35)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsPq9mzFNGY
A nice, soothing folk/blues/soft rock song. I love listening to it when I'm studying and relaxing at night. It's a great way to slow your heart rate down and calm your nerves while you're getting ready for bed. I even recommend it for listening in bed to get yourself to fall asleep. Not to say it's boring - it's just great for easing yourself for sleeping.

Piece by Piece (Idol Version) - Kelly Clarkson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FHYBQxURQo
A beautiful and emotionally resonant song. I find it to be incredibly touching and it is such a tearjerker! I love this version of the song even more than the original. The stripped-down production makes the song more powerful and enhances the lyrics to the finest degree. Gorgeous!

Oui - Jeremih
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtcP0PFifpE
The trap beats are irritating, but the instruments aren't bad. If the beats were softer and were replaced by subdued *stomp + clap* beats I would find it much more pleasant to listen to. It's not a bad song overall, but I wouldn't buy it. The beats ruin the commercial potential, but if were to be played on the radio I would listen to it. I give it a 7/10.

Never Forget You - Zara Larsson & MNEK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTyN-DB_v5M
It's not your typical catchy song, but it's more of an interesting learning experience. A mix of UK garage, dubstep, 2-step, and even a tiny bit of drum n' bass, it has a very innovative approach to dance music. I enjoy the uniqueness of the song, and it is one that should not go ignored. However, if more songs are made like this it's going to ruin the genre-bending style and it will quickly get annoying. These types of songs have to be rare.

Middle (feat. Bipolar Sunshine) - DJ Snake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvPT2QuCIOA
Following in the same vein as last year's hit "You Know You Like It", it incorporates distorted vocals, hazy synths, mild trap beats, looped sound effects, and an unconventional rhythmic structure, kind of like the song above and most mid 2010's trap EDM songs. I'm totally digging this! I love the cyber psychedelic atmosphere of the song, and it sounds totally original! Even better, it still sounds melodic and pleasant! It has a juicy bass, but the treble is totally existent - and very prominently so. This song is perfect for lounging and dancing!
(P.S. - Just because this is trap does not mean that this is hip-hop. This is dance! Just because you have crap artists like Fetty Wap and Future incorporating trap beats into their terrible rap tunes does not mean that that is trap! This is real trap music!)


These are the most recent good songs that have become hits in the USA. There are a few more other hits, but they aren't good, or I at least don't care for them. Here is a list of rising songs on the Billboard Hot 100, they could hit the top 40 soon. Some of these are also just songs that are starting to receive a good amount of attention, which in turn results in chart appearances, and if the favorable attention continues, could turn into chart success.

Potential rising hits:
America's Sweetheart - Elle King
Under the Influence - Elle King (only released on Alternative Rock radio, but has the potential for crossover success)
Wild Things - Alessia Cara
Sugar (feat. Francesco Yates) - Robin Schulz
YOUTH - Troye Sivan
New Romantics - Taylor Swift
Came Here to Forget - Blake Shelton
Something New - Zendaya

Those are all the good ones.