Angel’s Top 10: October

Whether it’s the finally chilly weather, the proximity to Christmas, or the ever popular Halloween holiday, everybody has their reasons for loving October. This month in particular held a number of great music releases, obscure and otherwise, but also had several songs stand the test of time by maintaining their popularity. Here are my picks for the best songs from the month of October.

#10 I Hate U I Love U (feat. Olivia O’Brien) by Gnash

There’s been a notably scarce number of somber downtempo breakup records on Billboard up until recently, so when a sullen track such as “I Hate U I Love U” gains reasonably favorable airplay (almost overnight), it’s difficult not to take note of. Now, I’m all for songs of this nature, so long as they possess a degree of self-awareness and genuine insight on relationships. Gnash’s latest single surpasses this criteria. His first major radio hit, the minimalistic piano ballad revolves around two exes with conflicting emotions about a breakup, a universally relatable sentiment. Guided by the enchanting vocals of Olivia O’Brien, Gnash raps seamlessly over a light, laid-back beat. However, the real star of this song are the lyrics. They really resonate with a large audience (particularly today’s youth), as they carefully entail every facet of dating in the younger generation.

#9 Black Beatles (feat. Gucci Mane) by Rae Sremmurd

Migos. Young Thug. Lil Yachty. All of the aforementioned artists could be reasonably regarded as comparable to Atlanta-based duo Rae Sremmurd in sound, style, and notoriety. Legendary English rock band The Beatles? Not as likely. However, in their latest single, the twosome seems to hold this firm belief they are the black reincarnations of The Beatles in today’s industry. While I wouldn’t necessarily deem this declaration all that plausible, this doesn’t take away from the quality of the production, instrumentation, and spit-fire verses on the track. “Black Beatles” was destined to be a smash hit the second it hit radio stations. Two of the largest party artists in hip-hop, a bangin’ production by Mike Will Made It, and a guest verse from millennial favorite Gucci Mane are all the ingredients for instant success, and Rae Sremmurd realizes this. Swae Lee, the member of the duo who takes the reigns throughout the song, created a hook to rival all 2016 hooks. “That girl is a real crowd pleaser” has been plastered on every form of social media I can think of, along with a slew of young guys now referring to themselves as “black beatles”. The track is on the forefront of all that is trendy in today’s industry, and judging by it’s continually rising spots on Billboard, doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon.

#8 Lady Wood by Tove Lo

Lady Wood is a murky, dark electro-pop conceptual album exploring themes of raw sexuality by “Habits (Stay High)” singer Tove Lo, and follows the scandalous, careless bad girl approach she mastered with her last album, while thematically exploring concepts of shameless hedonism and self-indulgence. The risque title is a reference to… well you can put two and two together, and goes to show the 29 year old Swedish singer certainly hasn’t lost the candor set forth by her previous projects. Album standout “Influence” (feat. Wiz Khalifa) relishes the singer’s dependency on being under the influence to express any emotion, but also how unreliable the words she says can be while she’s in this state (which is always). Though it could’ve done without rapper Wiz Khalifa’s verse, the ethereal production and muted reverbs in the pre-chorus more than make up for it, and add to the dreamlike vibe of the album. All the tales weaved into Lady Wood are done so with the grace of an experienced veteran, which pleasantly surprised me considering she’s still arguably a bit of a fresh face in today’s industry.

#7 Shoutout To My Ex by Little Mix

Everyone may be getting sick and tired of UK girl-group constantly whining over their exes in just about every single they’ve released thus far, but I personally cannot get enough of it. Whether it’s their producer’s genius aptitude at constructing quintessential breakup anthems or the sheer star power and vocal skills these girls possess, we’ll never know. Either way, “Shout Out to My Ex” is powerful, triumphant, and bouncy, and has Jade, Jesy, Leigh-Anne, and Perrie doing what they do best. Without missing a beat, the girls repeatedly take jabs at their ex lovers with shots like “Hope she ain’t fakin’ it like I did, babe / Took four long years to call it quits / Forget that boy, I’m over it.” Hell hath no fury like these 4 women scorned.

#6 Starboy by The Weeknd

If anyone can pull off dark and sleazy electro-R&B (oh this isn’t a genre? well it is now), it’s The Weeknd. “Look what you’ve done / I’m a motherf—ing starboy,” accuses Abel in the chorus over a Daft Punk assisted soundscape. He has a point. In the past year the world has witnessed the Canadian singer skyrocket from mixtape obscurity to mega mainstream success, and “Starboy” is a testimony to this newfound fame. The titular track off his forthcoming album shows the Weeknd wallowing in his destructively opulent lifestyle, and makes it clear he holds “you” (the public) responsible for the perils and pitfalls he now faces because of it. While I wouldn’t venture out to claim it’s as spectacular as his previous lead singles (“The Hills” really set the bar high), if this is a snippet of what to expect from his next album, color me more than intrigued.

#5 After The AfterParty (feat. Lil Yachty) by Charli XCX

Designated party girl Charli XCX collabed with one of rap’s hottest stars Lil Yachty, and the end result? A bop of epic proportions. After the Afterparty is the first single off the “Boom Clap” hitmakers yet to be named third studio album, and was released October 28th. The record has a progressive pop feel and is laden with Studio 54 references and even a nod to Rihanna herself. “Monday to Sunday doing it our way / RiRi on replay / Cheers to the weekday,” the 24 year old songstress chants over a syncopated synth beat. The single is bubblegum pop at its core, flaunting an infectious piano backing track before the ragingly wicked chorus comes into play.  With the increasingly popular rapper Lil Boat’s verse, it’s sure to make some waves on mainstream radio this year.

#4 This Town by Niall Horan

If there’s one good thing that came out of British pop band One Direction splitting up, it’s the surplus of great music the boys have released as soloists thus far. Zayn started the train with Pillow Talk and then Mind of Mine to boot, and Niall is following in his footsteps with his latest solo effort “This Town”. The song is a gentle acoustic guitar ballad and reflects on feelings Niall never got to relate to an old flame. In an interview with On Air With Ryan Seacrest, Horan announced that “This Town” is the first song he composed for his upcoming solo record, and stated the album was about halfway done and could be expected in 2017. For a debut single, “This Town” is surprisingly intuitive and well-produced. It has a clear narrative, which can’t be said for all his former band member’s projects, and carves Niall’s understated new direction as a solo artist.

#3 Side To Side (feat. Nicki Minaj) by Ariana Grande

Pop music has never been renowned for its subtlety, and while this is a globally known fact, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj take this notion to an entirely new dimension with “Side to Side”, a tongue-in-cheek bop filled with NSFW references and a (not so) encrypted message. “I’ve been here all night / I’ve been here all day / and booo-oo-oo-ooy got me walkin’ side to side,” Grande wails in the intro and chorus. The reggae-tinged melodies coupled with Minaj’s crass tongue and producer Max Martin’s ear for creative hooks helped rocket this song to iconic status shortly after the diva’s premiered the single on the 2016 MTV VMA’s with a sexy live performance. “Side to Side” assists in shedding Grande’s former pristine image of absolute wholesomeness in favor of a more brazen persona, and is a step in the right direction in doing so.

#2 Thriller by Michael Jackson

Ah yes, October. Pumpkins are plastered, temperatures are dropped, and it is now socially acceptable to start breaking out those layered outfits that’ve been collecting dust in your closet, but the best part? The revival of the spooky classics that make Halloween the peculiar day that it is. Think about it. What would October 31st be without the presence of timeless records such as “This is Halloween”, the “Monster Mash”, or the “Ghostbusters” theme song? Not much of a holiday, that’s what. However, there’s one track that embodies the spirit of the spooky. Encompasses the day in it’s eerie entirety. It symbolizes the supernatural.

That song is the 1982 legendary bop “Thriller”, a lively and innovative monster mash-up that encapsulates all that was well in the 80’s pop era. The chilling track featuring door creaks, werewolf howls, and a sinister recitation from Vincent Price, but perhaps the most iconic part is the famous music video that accompanies the song. It quickly became a staple in pop culture due to the fact that nothing like it had ever been done before at the time. It was groundbreaking, and it’s timeless nature has kept it just as prevalent today as it was for the previous millennium.

#1 Joanne by Lady Gaga

One of the hallmarks of any pop culture legend is the ability to continuously reinvent one’s self and their image while still maintaining a level of authenticity and overall cohesiveness. If any artist personifies this statement, it’s Lady Gaga. Her ever changing musical style has ventured in the waters of dance pop, R&B, house music, and even jazz, but never has she dared to be as raw, personal, and emotionally naked as she is on Joanne, her 4th studio album rightfully named after her late aunt. The album impresses early with the punchy “Diamond Heart”, where she first introduces the country twanged accent she adopts throughout every track. “A-YO” follows after, and has Gaga ditching the dance clubs of Los Angeles in favor of a western dive bar. The country instrumentals paired with the finger-snapping melody make it stylistically similar to track four “John Wayne”. Both songs evoke an overwhelming sense of Southern pride and could make the most urban of city slickers do the two-step and hoedown throwdown. That isn’t to say every song is a rustic get-down anthem, however. The titular track “Joanne” embodies the collective essence of the record, with a soft acoustic guitar backing and a nostalgic sense of longing over a lost loved one. One song that took me by surprise was Angel Down, a soft spoken dedication to the BLM movement’s martyr, Trayvon Martin. Thematically, it sums up the comprehensive message of the record. Whether it’s being preached in “Come to Mama”, an ode to loving one another in these troubled times, or the album closer and personal favorite “Angel Down (Work Tape), the sentiment Gaga is conveying is abundantly clear: heal the world.