favorite songs (of the year) friday

I will always be interested in popular culture, but having a ten year-old has also made me more aware and interested in popular music, too. It is fun watching her have favorites and swoon over current pop stars, as well as watch her come to appreciate some of my golden oldies (The Clash's "I Fought the Law" and Bowie's "Fashion" are favorites) when we give the car radio a rest. But for the most part I listen to the radio with her. I have to draw the line somewhere, however. I refuse to have to suffer some of the songs and artists that the music industry is trying to shove down our throats, like the marble-mouthed Ariana Grande. But there were some bright spots this year. Here are my Top Ten favorites of 2014, in no particular order.

The incomparable Pharrell

"Happy" Pharrell Williams — The song still makes me smile, and his 24-hour version of this video is a pretty amazing feat.

"Love Runs Out" OneRepublic — Just fun, fun, fun.

"La, La, La," Naughty Boy [featuring Sam Smith] — The first time I heard Sam Smith : )

"Night Changes" One Direction — The kid's favorite boy band has grown on me, and they have a folky edge that is coming more to the fore with each song they release. And yes, Harry is my favorite ; )

"Secrets" Mary Lambert — Quirky, clever fun.

"Uptown Funk" Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars — Look out, Prince ... this guy is the funk.

“All About That Bass” Meghan Trainor — Girl power music that is full of fun, too.

"Don't" Ed Sheeran — A twisted anti-love song that never seems to get old, even when you already know the story.

"Tennis Court" Lorde — The kid is talented, and this stripped-down song proves it.

"The Heart Wants What It Wants" Selena Gomez — Another artist inherited from the kid, but she sings this track with real emotion. I like it.


Honorable Mention: Awesome Mix Vol. 1, The Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack

Oh, and by the way, the kid compiled her own Top Ten. By next year I'll probably be guesting on her blog ; )

We did cross over on one song ...

favorite song friday: love runs out

OneRepublic's new song, "Love Runs Out" has a driving beat that just won't quit. I love it. The video is pretty cool, too, with state-of the-'80s special effects. Fun fun fun.

favorite song friday: love me again

This song, "Love Me Again," by John Newman, is already pretty big in England, but has been slowly and surely climbing the U.S. charts. I like its vibe, which brings to mind some of the soulful pop of the 1960s. British music has always been enamored of horns and soul, but in recent years has really been leaning in that direction, from artists like Amy Winehouse to Duffy to Adele.

Newman, who has been playing guitar and writing songs since he was in his teens (he's now 23), wrote the song with OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder.

He has some other good songs available on YouTube: "Losing Sleep," "Out Of My Head," and "Try," all from his debut album Tribute. I especially like "Cheating."

favorite song friday: counting stars

Take that money
Watch it burn
Sink in the river
The lessons are learnt

This song has been out for a while, but every time I hear it I can't help but get caught up in some of the lyrics' poetry and how the song isn't afraid to shift tone a few times. It's got a lot of forward momentum. Watching the video is a hoot, too. It's a little on the slow-tech side, which I like. Enigmatic, but the band just doing their thing. "Counting Stars" is just a good song.

Old, but I'm not that old
Young, but I'm not that bold
I don't think the world is sold
I'm just doing what we're told
I feel something so right
Doing the wrong thing
I feel something so wrong
Doing the right thing
I could lie, could lie, could lie
Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

...

Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard,
Said no more counting dollars
We'll be counting stars

OneRepublic "Counting Stars," written by Ryan Tedder