Time for Todd to once again embarrass himself by admitting the songs he actually likes! Mashup: "Keep Dreaming" by Dylan LGC: • Keep Dreaming | Top Po...
Yeah, but here's the thing about being a man in his forties (as I am now), you no longer have to hate things because your peers expect you to. Not that my peers really had those expectations in my 30s either, but now I could just throw on a T. Swift shirt and wear it proud and give zero care to anyone who has a problem with it. Also, I have shit to talk about with my niece who just turned 16, which is extra cool.
@@EviePontecorvo There is an attempt to employ a classic joke in there, and yet in spite of knowing what you were trying for I still think what you said was incredibly uncouth. Possibly even just gross. Please never post again without thinking first.
After he mentioned her I thought nobody on this list could write a song like that to save their life. That was before Taylor who could at least come close.
Todd, you occasionally say lines that are absolutely devastating to hear, but "able to command attention, but not affection" is up there as one of your best.
I used to hate imagine dragons but ever since I heard Follow You I just can’t help but laugh every time I hear them. I can’t take them seriously, but hey they always put me in a good mood so I think that’s pretty neat. Bunch of silly fellas
I buy every line of Anti-Hero, including the "my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism" part. When you're depressed in the middle of the night and needlessly psychoanalyzing yourself, you find a way to twist even your good parts into their absolute worst form. Yes, there is a large element of theater to her charitable work and attempts to be relatable, but after struggling with those thoughts all night, more than likely she woke up the next morning and realized that's ridiculous, of course she can be genuinely kind with no ulterior motive, her brain was being stupid and she's great. That's not what she believed at the time though. Side note when I saw As It Was was #3 I knew that #1 could be nothing else.
This reads as very copey from a fan. Philanthropy is one of the most common ways of expressing narcissism for the ultra wealthy! Taylor Swift is absolutely a narcissist I really don’t agree with your interpretation.
You know... We used to have this whole thing called "Southern Rock" for musical acts that weren't quite country but had more of a twang than regular rock and roll.
Yeah, unfortunately, that was replaced by Bro Country, and it's million features of rap artists in a paltry attempt to appear cool and not like a total joke. Too bad for them, they're all jokes. Sorry Florida Georgia Line, you will never _not_ be the musical equivalent of white college frat boys trying to befriend a black student, so their privileged white ass can say the N-word all they want and think they can get away with it.
@@cooperhilinsky6361 Kansas isn't southern rock more hard rock influenced by symphonic prog of yes and Genesis listen to Death of mother nature suite some of their riffs were used by Iron Maiden in the 80s
Yeah, you can thank Kid Rock for driving the last nail into that coffin. He's like the Forrest Gump of musical poseurs, just popping up across the decades & ruining whole genres with his corniness.
@@ambern6069 Same here, as a fellow country hater! It’s understandable to be defensive if something you like is frequently made fun of. I’ll never like country, but I still get that. Doesn’t mean I don’t still laugh every time Todd gets salty about country hate!
@@Jollyjose251 it really should be the other way around. Any music critic who would outright dismiss a genre without actually listening to the music doesn’t deserve to be a critic
Todd: "I would pay Taylor Swift a lot of money to make sure she never sings about her reputation again." Also Todd: (picks a song where Taylor Swift sings about her reputation as his #1)
When you're wrong... I was with him last year when I heard this catchy little tune from _Willow Smith_ ? I was just as surprised and agreed it was the best song of the year.
I know but it’s a good song because it’s about how she knows she’s the bad guy even when her fans are on her side rooting for her … I think that’s self improvement at least.
Lizzo i think is great. I love a girl that’s confident but doesn’t try to yell at the audience “BE CONFIDENT” all she has to do is sing about herself and how’s she’s doing and that’s what inspires people to start to be more self supportive Edit: well fuck…
I think a line from "Juice" really sums up some of what is so wonderful about Lizzo; if she is shining, everybody is going to shine. Just by being her radiant self, everyone else can be a little bit shinier.
Feel like this is one of the big differences between Lizzo and Megan Trainor. Despite both posing themselves as "Body positive" I don't buy it from Trainor at all. Every song of hers seems like she's trying to convince me and herself that she's pretty. It doesn't help that her songs aren't good at all. Lizzo genuinely believes she's the hottest woman on the planet and makes me believe it to. Its a natural confidence that her beauty is so obvious it doesn't need to be justified.
Describing the number one song as being about “the frustration of having no solutions to the problem of being yourself” is pretty incredible. Well done.
Todd:* has pretty much put Heat Waves on the worst list in some way for 3 years in a row* Also Todd:" Ya know what song I should start the buffer with?"
The Taylor Swift narrative has taken quite a few turns. She starts out as the young romantic heroine singing silly love songs like anyone else, but then the inevitable negative attention comes, Taylor absolutely gives a damn about her bad reputation, so she tries a multitude of ways to deal with it. She dismisses the haters because she's actually awesome and those meanies just can't see it. She plays into the idea sarcastically, pretending to embody the worst of what's been said about her through the veil of character. She tries to own being the villain who ruins relationships and friendships on purpose and is directly responsible for the "death" of her old self. She allows this villain self to die so that a new, more chipper self can rise from its ashes (but those haters still need to get a life). And now, Taylor seems to have reached the point of "okay, I'm not actively trying to ruin these things, but it clearly keeps happening," and that leaves her wondering what her role is. She's definitely the protagonist, but she can't claim to be the doe-eyed, squeaky-clean heroine of her youth, yet outright villainy doesn't suit her either. Thus, Taylor has settled on a loose definition of "anti-hero" - a heavily-flawed hero haunted by inner demons and insecurity who tries to do good but frequently messes everything up.
Looking at the honorable mentions, my hypothesis is proven that the best thing Arcane ever did was make both League of Legends and Imagine Dragons as cool as they were to me in middle school.
Arcane is such a great show. Season 1 was a solid 9/10 for me. And I don’t even play League. But even though I love the show, I still can’t get myself to like Enemy. I’m definitely biased against it because I’ve subconsciously trained my brain to automatically dislike anything Imagine Dragons. It’s one of their better songs though.
it’s been over a decade and i still refuse to touch League (had a horrible experience with someone who was obsessed with it) but Arcane was great, especially visually. One of the most visually stunning shows I’ve seen in a minute. Still don’t like Imagine Dragons though but I appreciate Enemy in the context of the show.
About Damn Time is absolutely great and deserves every bit of the praise it gets but everybody slept on 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) and that's a tragedy because that song absolutely SLAPS
I love how Imagine Dragons haunts Todd on a regular basis and honestly I want this lover gone enemy gone nemesis gone begrudging lover story to be made into a romance novel.
Anti-Hero's a bop. It's not quite Style level (I don't know if Taylor's got it in her to make another Style), but Anti-Hero is actually a pretty good song... and I say this as someone who's not a particularly big fan of Taylor Swift at all.
@@SeanStrife A lot of styles appeal is it's production and instrumental. For the past like 5 albums all her pop songs have been produced by jack antonoff and I do feel that as long as she stays exclusively it's not going to happen
@Tuesday's Art well it's a song about global capitalism and labor exploitation exemplified by corporations such as Dole working with the US government to suppress democracy in central and south America.
Todd missed a very crucial part of About Damn Time's resurgence after initially debuting soft - it had a viral TikTok dance. Every once in a while that evil platform uses its powers for good
This potentially being Todd’s last time doing ‘top best/worst songs of the year’ lists makes him seemingly coming full circle on Taylor really fitting and kinda beautiful
As someone who also gets unfathomably embarrassed about sharing my guilty pleasure songs with people, it's always legitimately inspiring to see your best lists!! I hope one day I can defend my own sort of "out there" favorites just as vehemently! :D
A notion I read somewhere that changed my opinion on this is about wine tasting. You don't need to learn how to taste wine. Taste is inherent. Everyone can drink a wine and tell you whether they like it or not. I found that simple sentiment very reassuring. That said, discussion is good and disagreeing is fine. I personally find I tend to like a lot of things for unconventional reasons. Like... I really like the Percy Jackson movie even though it's so awful because I really enjoyed seeing modern CGI portrayals of Greek mythological monsters. I really like goofy rap music and juvenile humour in rap. One Eminem lyric that sticks out to me is "Your booty is heavy duty like diarrhea." I don't even like scatological humour generally, but I find the juxtaposition of the material with the usual braggadocious nature of rap tickles me. I am a huge fan of the structure of a creative work following it's narrative. One of my favourite anime is the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. That anime has an infamous section called the Endless Eight where the characters are stuck in a time loop, and the anime contains eight episodes that go over a day in that time loop. Each episode is basically the exact same (each day is animated differently, so they weren't exactly lazy about it), and it's a notoriously awful experience to watch... but I love it exactly because of that. It is awful and tedious to watch... just like being trapped in a time loop would be. I never want to suffer that shit again, and I love it so much. If it weren't for this misery, I probably wouldn't regard the anime as more than decent. Like many people, I'm a Harry Potter fan. I know an abnormally large amount about the series. The series has gotten a lot of hate over time, initially just as a rejection of it's popularity, and later on because of Rowling's shit opinions... but almost every criticism of the series is garbage. Almost nobody criticizing it even knows basic details of the series, and that pisses in my corn flakes, and if you're going to piss in my corn flakes, I'm going to put my corn flakes in your urethra.... I digress, my second favourite character in the Harry Potter series is Peter Pettigrew, both because of his role in the overarching plot and how he symbolizes so much of the overall story, but also because of how they massacred my boy.
What I love about "As It Was" is that it's one of the few songs that works when you're depressed and when you're happy. Robyn's "Dancing on my own" does the same thing where you can imagine singing it while sobbing or when you finally feel like yourself again, especially the last minute with the drums and the bells.
@@solanumtuberosa Don't forget the occasional JRPG theme. Mousou Katharsis from Megadimension Neptunia VII sounds like a very sweet but happy song whilst the lyrics and the particular arc in the game being depressing AF. I literally cry whenever I hear that song during replays because it belongs to the Heart Dimension arc. That arc is definitely one of the saddest moments in the entire franchise, only rivalled by the conquest ending of MK2.
"everybody's a sexy baby" is an ingeniously unappealing line and it completely makes up for the fact that the hook sounds as tailored to be a tiktok sound as it could possibly be
Well, if you did your research, Taylor Swift is abnormally tall compared to others, and she calls herself “a monster on the hill” meaning she’s really tall, and everyone who’s shorter is “a s*xy baby”.
Honestly, as someone who doesn't like Taylor's music at all (not a hater, just not my cup of tea) I genuinely low-key love that line. When you hear it the first time it sounds absurd and nonsensical, sure, but it makes so much sense when you think about it for a bit. "Everybody is a sexy baby" - everyone is allowed to be both physically attractive and alluring, while also being cute and innocent, making them blameless and perfect regardless of which role they choose to embody. But not Taylor. She's "the monster on the hill". She is not allowed to be sexy or innocent because both of those roles make her seem "monstrous" in the eyes of everyone else. If she tries to be sexy, people say it doesn't suit her. If she tries to be innocent, people say it's just an act. She doesn't fit in no matter what she tries. It could also be referring to what it feels like to have body image issues in a world that values appearance so much. I struggle with that, and I've definitely referred to myself as a swamp monster before, so hearing her describe herself like that really hit me in the heart. But I 100% agree that the chorus was made specifically for TikTok lol
as a 19-year-old, taylor's millennial generation probably thinks of me as the "sexy baby", but i interpreted it as envy over teenagers who are extremely famous and successful almost at taylor's level. which hits hard because even at 19 i feel like i'm too old and underachieving because i'm not some child prodigy. or maybe how looking like a teenager is considered attractive nowadays.
@@Bloomaces156Exactly, I have way too many days of my self confidence crumbling because there's one of these pint sized tiny little girlies and I know that if I tried to pull of that kind of hyper femininity I'd look ABSURD. And then I end up dating the next guy who swears he isn't threatened and then has a meltdown when I want to wear heels in public.
Well he has put Girls Like You at the number 1 spot every year since 2018 because in his words "there could never be a more perfect song so this will be my number 1 for all eternity"
The most peculiar thing about Todd's list this year isn't the 3 country songs... It's the lack of a mention of a Carly Rae Jepsen song in the honorable mentions, regardless of it classifying as a hit.
To quote his Twitter: "I like "The Loneliest Time" a lot. I could have put it on the honorable mentions. I could have put a lot of songs on there. These videos are long and difficult. I forget songs every year."
At the risk of sounding like a Swiftie despite not listening to her stuff of my own free will (my sister was the Taylor fan of the family back in the early 2010s), something that's been on my mind about Taylor Swift since the Witness episode of Trainwreckords is that there's one big thing she has that Katy Perry doesn't, and that is charisma. As Todd noted in that video, 2017 was not a good year for either artist, but Swift had the sheer force of personality needed to survive that, whereas Perry ended up singing with a poop puppet in Vegas. Even "Anti-Hero", a song about insecurity and self-loathing, has those same guts to it, carrying an atmosphere of "I know I suck, but goddamn I'm gonna weather through my suckiness to spite God."
I've been thinking much the same thing - Todd's theory from the Witness episode, about there being two kinds of pop star, really explains why Taylor's career survived and Katy's didn't.
@@wadespencer3623only Taylor *could* beat God to death with just a stapler At least that’s how I feel now that she got the Civil Wars to collab again for her re-recording of “Safe and Sound”
11:33 "Truth is, I've begun to worry about Lizzo's long-term viability as a musician." Well, worry no more. With the fat-shaming and SA allegations against her, Lizzo's long-term viability as an _anything_ is in jeopardy.
If Chris Brown is relevant after punching someone half his size into unconsciousness than Lizzo will be relevant if her choreographer takes the blame for the allegations her dancers have directed at Lizzo.
@@RenaldyCalixteYeah, but Chris Brown is male and has a socially acceptable body type. Lizzo is a fat woman, she’s inherently under a much more critical eye than Brown.
I'm glad the flautist community respects a 👸. I heard of Lizzo first on NPR before she was charting, giving an interview about dropping out of Juilliard to live in a music studio to try and make is as a singer instead. Loved when she actually took off!
I'm glad she's doing her thing but don't let them puppet string you so much. The flute thing was a PR stunt to catch some normies. Don't fall for it brahs
@@kranberryjones1449 she literally majored in music in college and has played the flute for years. Her being a pop artist does not change that. I’ve been a fan years before the whole library of congress thing 😂
Juice was the first Lizzo song I heard, because one of the kids in the rock camp I tought drums at wanted to do it as one of their final songs. They had to censor it being highschoolers but they did it, and they killed it.
Both "Juice" and "About Damn Time" went double platinum - with the former going single platinum in the year it was released - so I'm not sure relying on the charts without accounting for certifications is the right move. Maybe the problem is no one right place to look for all of a year's certifications, but at least Todd could make an exception for songs he both remembers AND have gone platinum (or even gold). It wasn't a decent criteria in the past because, even five years ago, only eight songs went platinum the year they were released. But the next year there were 25 and "Juice" was one, in spite of Juice not making the year-end 100 list. At this point, platinum certification can be considered an alternative to Billboard, sort of like Cash Box was decades ago.
Lizzo is that kind of person who will big themselves up and everyone else in the process. If there is a kind of confidence I would love to have it is the one where when you shine everybody is going to shine (song reference intended). Also I recently found out she was a rapper before Juice.
Imagine being Navy and a Todd fan, Wild Thoughts and This Is What You Came For are the BIG Reviews, and his biggest insight is "you sound tired, go away". Ouch. She shot a man twice in 4 years on record, no subtext to investigate here!
Whenever Taylor Swift gets brought up in a Todd video, it feels like an old rival in an anime returning stronger than ever. Taylor swift feels like the Kevin Steen to Todd's El Generico and it always makes me feel good when she appears.
Taylor finally figured herself out, she knows no matter what people will eat it up so she’s practically just doing whatever SHE wants to do, like evermore releasing randomly at midnight or switching to pop or making her (Taylor’s Version) songs that people are also eating up (ATW 10 Min). She knows no matter what she’s a mainstay name. The Eras Tour debacle finally did it for her I think.. and she’s so powerful that the shake it off lawsuit people just kinda gave up lmao. She’s here to stay, even 16 years in.
Yep, just like her ex John Mayer, Taylor reached the point in her career that she's stopping on caring what kind of songs she releases. And both John and Taylor are extremely similar in their personalities, that's why their relationship was doomed from the start.
I am GenX boomer who quit listening to radio in the late 90s. I appreciate Todds immersion in modern pop music so I dont have to. Most of these yearly countdowns are lost on me, but my employer plays top 40 in our restrooms, which was where i heard and fell in love with As It Was. The 80s synth (there is indeed an aha vibe, but not overused), the melancholic understated melody, the bells--its awesome. And Lizzos fun too!
"You'll never be 23 with anyone but me" is a line with some crazy cognitive dissonance for me, mainly because MC Lars' "Twenty-Three" is all about a friend that took their own life with lines like "We could have grown old together, but instead you'll always be 23"
That 23 song by whats-his-face is just soooooo fucking creepy! Maybe it's because my romantic relationships have been pretty heteronormative (Man and Woman at the time - I am genderfluid but back in my early 20s, I wasn't aware of that. I knew I wasn't cis but not exactly trans, and I did not have the vocabulary for it, so I assumed I was a cis tomboy girl), but that song reminds me of my dipshit exes that would absolutely say something like "Remember you were 23 with me" to my face as a way to assert themselves above me. Also, the video itself, specifically with the woman wearing the VR headset; It has a sexist undertone of portraying her as a successful career woman with a big house, but she's all alone so it's completely empty except for her, and she's portrayed as miserable, and the only thing that has been able to bring her joy is literally reliving her 20s with her good-looking boyfriend where everything is bright and colorful contrasted to her dark and dreary present. To me, it just screams, "See? You could've been happy with me, but you gave that up for a career, so now, instead of a simple, fulfilling country life, you get to dance with ghosts." Just... very "Women will never be truly happy if they try to be like men and pursue a successful career. Just stick to being a stay-at-home wife with a litter of children!" Again, that might not be the intent or message of the song, but that's not the vibe I get from the video, and just being a 35 year old person who was growing up in the tail end of Second Wave Feminism, and was exposed to the conversation around gender roles and cishet white women in particular "bucking the system" and breaking out of the Barefoot and Pregnant in the Kitchen image... that's where my mind is going when I see a cishet white dude, intentionally or not, telling a cishet (white) woman that *he* was her "key", her "chance" at happiness and she squandered it for a career.
@@thevirtualtraveler I just turned 23 and I had a mini crisis on my birthday when I realized that I knew songs about being 22 but I couldn’t think of any about being 23. The relief I felt when I finally realized I had a song that was already super nostalgic to me pretty much cemented it as being *the* song about being 23 for me too
As someone who's neurodivergent and often just struggling with the fact people will hate me for things out of my control... Anti-Hero hit really hard. I listened to Taylor as a kid and hearing that track really resonated with me. I'm so thankful music like that can help me process everything in a way I can't put to words.
@@jsmountain yassssss @ mastermind being a neurodivergent mood. last year I had a mental breakdown and my friend showed me that song as I was slowly going back to normal. it kinda broke me a little bit further.
yes and especially growing up as an undiagnosed autistic taylor fan seeing that "hehe taylor should write a song called maybe i'm the problem hahahahah" meme while coming to the realization that maybe its not about the people around me maybe i'm the problem and that's why no one seems to like me and i can't make any friends and i remember feeling very personally hurt by that joke for some reason. and now listening to anti-hero resonating with every single word it's really powerful.
I appreciate Tate McRae crawling her way onto the best list because her album from this year was really good, maybe next time she'll get a numbered spot
Todd has this quote explaining his fascination with pop music, saying he views it as this big narrative with character development and story arcs, which was a paradigm-shifting notion for me. Taylor Swift's career plays so well into that idea, it's as if it's actually being written.
This is how most pop fans view the genre. We absolutely follow each main pop girl/boy's "storyline" like this, and I think a lot of pop stars fall off when they don't seem to have one or they lose one. It's tricky to define.
@@jepros Honestly seems like the closest comparison is... professional wrestling. No, really: you have faces (Carly Rae Jepsen, Olivia Rodrigo) and heels (50% of the time, that's Kanye West), sometimes faces become heels (Taylor Swift on Reputation), heels become faces (arguably Bieber had temporarily achieved this back in the What Do You Mean era), and faces turned heels turn face again, but with a darker edge (Taylor Swift on Anti-Hero). The "character arcs" regard real people, and everyone knows the whole thing is made up corporate bullshit so that almost frees you from having to worry about how "real" anyone is, because if everyone is fake then no one is. Pop star kayfabe, basically.
@@jepros It's actually simpler, heels are villains and faces are heroes. In wrestling, heels do things like openly cheat during matches without getting punished by refs (until the pivotal moment of course), or do things that are meant to be risible and disgusting to make the audience jeer and root against them - e.g., telling the city the match is happening in that it smells like garbage and looks worse, acting like an arrogant jackass, offstage antics where they attack or bully other wrestlers, so on. Faces are noble and simply in it for the love of the game, basically just imagine Goku and that's a classic wrestling face. So, for comparison, TS's Reputation era was obviously a heel turn, that was literally how _she_ presented it, as her going to the dark side, being the venomous narcissist everyone thinks she is, so on. After that was a gradual buildup to a face turn, as she moved towards more adult, complex music for a while, before finally going huge with Midnights and staging a full time remorseful, reformed heel comeback. Carly Rae Jepsen is an eternal face because everyone loves her, and Nicki Minaj is pretty much always a heel because she intentionally portrays herself as... well, a psycho bitch, pretty much. The thing is that heels can be popular by just being massive pricks to the point where it either becomes funny, or if the promoter screws up and their faces are unlikable, so people starting cheering for the designated villain to win. Ric Flair, one of the greatest wrestlers ever, was basically in an eternal superposition of heel and face for his entire career because he would do heel shit all the time but because he was so likable it came off as just being cool.
The fun thing about being a fan of todd ever since the original youtube run, before TGWTG even, is that I've now reached the point where Todd is my only window into 'pop' music. I have no idea who most of these people are, and I have never heard most of these songs. But hey, if Todd says they're real, then they must be real. Thanks Todd, for telling me what the kids these days listen to, now that the LMFAO's of the world have vanished.
I actually know more than I used to because I got into the habit of using the tv turned to a hits music channel as low background noise when I sleep, so I've heard a lot of the big songs over the last couple years that way, when before I would have been completely lost. I think it's generally been a positive change. It's also nice sometimes to wake up and be able to just laze lying there for a bit while listening to some music.
The fact that the honourable mentions didn't include any songs from the new Carly Rae Jepsens album is a travesty Her being included in the honourable mentions is what got me into her Todd!
Just wanted to say About Damn Time isn't the first time we've gotten her flute skills. Lizzo played the flute in her song Tempo, and it's in the music video too.
I love Lizzo, her music isn’t always for me but when I like a song of hers I usually end up loving it. She’s also just adorable and I love her personality, I would love to be her friend.
@@picahudsoniaunflocked5426 yeah, but when I saw it I audibly gasped, cause those things are hella expensive and my heart clenched up on the thought of its mechanisms filling up with water. i've wanted my own since i was 14 and finally have the finances to start saving up for one now, 10+ years later. still, love the song lol
I really think the entire album of midnights is the whole self realization of Taylor after everything she had been through. staying up at night lying on a bed and then remembering everything you've done,relationship she has been through the mistakes you've made,the realization that you're not perfect,you're not the good guy, it's a really good turning point of Taylor's career.
The lyrics of Anti-Hero remind me too much of shit my mother used to say when she wanted to guilt trip everyone in her life for the rush, so I can't see the song as honest at all.
God I’ve been watching Todd since I was like 16 and now that was 10 years ago and I feel like I’ve been growing into adulthood watching these videos every year and weirdly enough that for the last couple of years I alway end up crying to at least one of the songs Todd picks. As I’ve gotten older I’ve become way more emotional and open with my emotions. Something about the mix of heartbreakers, nostalgic looks back, and triumphant come backs. They always just get to me from one angle or another. For what it’s worth, I grew up my whole life saying “I like every kind of music except country” and because of Todd the songs that make me cry like a little baby are all the country songs he’s introduced me to.
I'm only 19 and I already sorta feel that, especially this year. I can't imagine what's in store for me when I'm 26. If someone told me 5 years ago I'd be close to tears from Todd talking about a taylor swift song I don't think I'd have believed it. I think that's Todd's strongest aspect as a critic; he can make me feel for songs I wouldn't have ever given the time of day without him discussing it. Man, that revenge of the nerd talk in his Bad Habit review REALLY got me.
I’ve been watching since I was like 16 as well and now I’m turning 28 tomorrow! I’ve loved seeing Todd get less angry and more thoughtful as time has gone on and yet his style is still uniquely his. Other creators might do similar work but no one does it like he does.
Every now and then Todd says something that actually moves me and when he said that “yeah it’s over but we all know it’s not the same as it was” it dawned on me pretty hard and was a great sentiment.
He summed up the sentiment of As It Was there very well there. That song always hits me in the “COVID feels” and will be one of the songs I point to when I’m older as defining this period (along with OK Go’s “All Together Now”, recorded remotely from their homes septet during lockdown)
Sometimes I wonder if Todd and I have exactly the same music taste, but then I remember that his videos have been shaping my music taste for the past 7 years
Todd definitely have influenced my taste, but it hasn't meshed with Todd's because I would have put As It Was higher in the list, I think Lizzo is overrated but not bad, and I would have never put Antihero in #1, the closest I got of a #1 for Taylor was willow.
As a non American it's always funny to watch Todd's lists of hits because not alot of the country songs reach us so I watch a best hits list and don't know half the songs hahaha
Lizzo's flute solo in "About Damn Time" is like a modern rewrite of "The Hustle". Not a remake, but a flute solo that goes beyond just being an instrument. The Heart Part 5 reminds me I should probably listen to Kendrick Lamar more often. I like that he "embeds" the samples. He's singing w i t h the samples.
Taylor's lead singles are often bad, but Anti Hero is devastating. It's poignant and thoroughly resigned in a way I wasn't expecting. "I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror" is so biting.
I wouldn't call them bad. They're still good on their own. But they pale in comparison to her other songs. At least, that's how I feel. However, I'm with you on Antihero. It was an instant favorite because it made me feel like she was reading chapters of my life.
Funny how Todd said that Taylor's Reputation era could "Really be the end game" for Taylor. Now, not only did she make the longest #1 by track length (All Too Well TV), but she also put Anti-Hero at #1 on the charts for 8 nonconsecutive weeks, debuted 10 songs in the top 10, and got #1 on Todd's year-end list. Classic Todd-certified prediction 😂
@@theowlsarefun 1989 did it for me. Reputation was the first album of hers I actually listened to all the way through upon release. Folklore was a masterpiece, and Midnights was just cool to hear her go back to some more pop stuff, especially with the alternative/folk elements she mixed in there.
@@theowlsarefun The Folklore/Evermore cycle is my favorite comming from Taylor. And that saying something bc 1989 is one of my favorite pop albums of all time.
Todd's feelings about Taylor Swift gotta be one of the greatest arcs of this channel. I mean, I can't be the only person that watches these every year to see how Todd's feelings have evolved on certain artists. I don't think any 'arc' is better than the Katy Perry one, though. That's just so fascinating beginning to presumed end. Since I don't follow modern music (only modern artist I'm actively rooting for right now is Dua Lipa because I like her sound and the amount of effort she puts into everything despite not naturally being that talented, well and to a lesser extent Lil Nas X because I respect his commitment to shitposting), a lot of these artists are just characters in the Todd in the Shadows Universe to me. if that seems insane, it is, thank you, I'm aware.
the second greatest arc of the channel is Todd‘s resistance and subsequent submission to Queen Bey and her Bey hive, hearing Todd complain about the lack of promotion of the album just made me smile
@@SurgingSpecs oh yeah, I always forget about him! My feelings are 100% the same as his, I couldn’t stand his earlier stuff. Like at all. But now it’s to the point where I often forget that stuff ever even existed because what he’s put out since Uptown Funk has been so good. It’s hard to believe it’s all the same person. And that was damn near 10 years ago now.
He actually made Style (my personal all time favorite Taylor song) his number one best of 2015. Todd's always had respect and admiration for Taylor, which is why he's willing to criticize her when it's deserved because he knows what a truly amazing artist she is at her best
Loved your analysis of Break My Soul and Beyoncé’s career. She absolutely was losing some love in 2018-2019 because people were growing tired of the “greater than everyone” act and this was the best way to get everyone back on her side.
The first mention of WALK THE MOON in lord knows how long. Thank you Todd, my heart is content (They have such good shit that isn't "Shut Up And Dance", y'all should give them a chance)
@@Jollyjose251 best songs of xxxx year doesn't mean the songs are good, just the best from the available batch. Like picking the 5 shiniest turfs in the toilet bowl
@@Jollyjose251 any list with country is a joke? You either have to be trolling or retarded to unironically believe that Also what the fuck is blue whale? that's not an artist I heard mentioned in this video
I am SO happy that Todd gave Steve Lacy some love. Been a Lacy fan for years and even though it blows that a large amount of people only know him through TikTok I'm still glad that he's getting the attention he deserves.
I really connected with what he said about Frank Ocean. After the internet went on hiatus, and with Frank not dropping new music, I latched onto Steve 😅Steve became my Frank substitute Frank Fix! Especially after 2017. I would still put Franks catalogue over Steve’s, but Steve is still young and his best work is ahead of him, can’t wait to see what else he produces this decade. And with Frank at Coachella we might get new music from him too 🤞
I love your year end lists because it fills me in on what I’ve missed while I’m busy listening to the same 5 variously obscure artists/bands on loop all the time.
As a 39 year old Irish man, these lists are always a combo of me thinking "I've never heard these songs because Americans listen to so many artists I've never even heard of due to a vast array of cultural reasons" and "I've never heard these songs because I'm now old as fuck"
@@Jollyjose251 geez it's not that deep. Why are you replying to every comment bitching about Taylor. People are allowed to have different tastes in music. Just chill out
@@Jollyjose251 It’s his list. It’s which songs appeal to him the most. No one has the same taste. I’m not even a fan of all the songs he chose but I still respect his choices and how he explained them with great detail.
So.... is Taylor the only artist to nab the top spot on TWO of Todd's best lists - for Style and Anti-Hero? I am very sure she's the only one that's gotten the top spot on a best and a worst list (cuz ...Ready For It? won the worst list in its year). So that's pretty cool. Taylor Swift - the most frequent #1 getter in Todd's lists. Truly her best achievement.
Honestly I'm loving that this list gets more and more chaotic every year!! It's a great representation of our collective reality disintegrating... but we still got our little songs 💕
Anti-hero is the song that makes me feel seen and like I’ve gone through a therapy session. It’s About D- Time makes me feel excited and like it’s my time to shine. My confidence boosts just listening to this song and I feel like I’m about to go have fun with friends.
The first time I heard Anti-hero I was startled by how accurately it voiced my internal thoughts. I felt exposed, like I had been doing something stupid and suddenly realized someone had been standing there the whole time and seen the whole thing. Even the "Sexy baby" line, though in a different context. My SO and I are a good 7-10 years older than most of our friends, having met in online spaces where that sort of thing doesn't matter as much so long as you have tastes in common. On more than one occasion though, I've been reminded of just how young they are, and felt that awkwardness of being out of place among them. I even refer to them as babies when they dare to remind me that I'm an aging woman in the twilight of her life at 32. It really is one of those songs that cuts to the quick for those of us who get far too into our own heads on sleepless nights.
By far the most perplexing list Todd has made. I was not left upset or giddy by the selections, more-so i found myself trying to understand the points of view he offered that were so different than past music views, this Todd feels more open
The first time I heard Anti-Hero I thought it was the most introspective/depressing she's ever written, and that alone made it one of my favorites of the year, her lyrics made it feel so relatable in such a wild year that 2022 was, truly incredible song. Funny enough, I made a joke while listening that this would top Todd's list and well...not to be narcissistic, but I called that shit 😂
Also called it. Left a comment on the 2015 video. I was tipped off by him putting The Archer as an honourable mention in 2018. That song is basically Anti-Hero but for her relationship with Joe
I’ve been a Taylor fan almost as long as she’s been around, she is one of my comfort artists. Anti-hero really hit home for me. It’s just so cathartic to listen to. I also love how much fun she seems to have with the music videos that she’s made this era.
Don't worry Todd, you can never be as embarrassing as when you had Chainsmokers at #1. e: This is one of your best lists if you ask me! Nice work on the vid man. I know these take an insane amount of effort, so thanks for taking the time on them each year. Here's to 2023
"about damn time" and the album it was on ("special") was one of the highlights of the year for me. i can't tell you how much i listened to it on repeat and how uplifting it was for me...lizzo put her whole chest in that and i am grateful for it 🙏🏽🥰
If you watch all of Todd's best of videos in a row, you will see unprecedented character growth that no other medium has yet to emulate. There's something epic about this year's #1 that's akin to an epic prowreestling feud. This was like Batman vs The Joker. Keep shining on, you crazy diamond!
I don't know if Todd is ever going to see this, but i want to respond to the claim that "he has bad taste and we shouldn't watch him." I know it's likely a joke, but I love watching your videos BECAUSE you unapologetically share your perspective and tastes. There is no pretension, no facade of expertise. It's just you sharing your opinion and analysis of popular music or music in general. At the end of the day, art is here for humans to enjoy, and I love seeing other people's perspectives, and you are able to share your perspective in a way that is entertaining and accessible. That's all, thanks for being you. :) EDIT: I just realized I misread Todd McDonald as Old McDonald. 🤦 Still, I stand by my original point. Even though I will concede that if someone says anything Todd McDonald has done is better than Billy Jean, yeah, they are probably a bigot.
Um, okay. So, first, I didn't say Todd had bad or good taste in music. I was just saying I like his perspective. 2nd, when it comes to any kind of art, I firmly believe that it is too subjective to make any kind of definitive statements like X Song is objectively better than Y Song. Let's take your Old McDonald to Billy Jean comparison. Yes, in most cases, most people would say Billy Jean is better than Old McDonald. But I can think of an audience who may disagree with that... 3-8 year Olds. Because that is the demographic it is actually for, and they don't have the experience or ability to appreciate Billy Jean. (Speaking very broadly of course. I think kids can still like Billy Jean, but hopefully, you get my point.) So yeah, that is why I am not interested in what is "objectively" the best song. I am much more interested in A) whether or not I enjoy the song, and B) other people's perspective on the song, because I think it is interesting. Even if I don't agree with them, I find other people's opinions about art fascinating because I feel like I am learning something new about them, and also indirectly the human condition. Anyway, end of rant. Hope you have a good day.
Somewhat different line of thought: I don’t give much of a rat’s dropping about music, but Todd’s one of the few creators where I wind up watching each and every video he puts out
I saw Chris Stapleton live last year and oh my god when he performed “You Should Probably Leave” it was phenomenal. His voice is just as powerful live as it is on recordings.
I love the comment on "As It Was" as the post-pandemic requiem of sorts for those who survived it, especially while trying to live up to "how young people should live" mantras of pop culture; in some ways, "About Damn Time" is the delayed "Hot Vax Summer" "roaring '20s" fantasy many of us wanted, a chance to either return to form or catch up to the rest of the world willing to give us mulligans, but "As It Was," with its "Viva la Vida" post-recession/empire vibes BTW, is the reality Gen Y+Z live with in the shadow of boomers' and Xers eternal resource wars and self-dealing (except our parents when they're nice lol), a more subtle, bittersweet hope in the form of our willingness to carry on whatever may come. That said the world and especially femmes/LGBTQ/BIPOC, needed Special and Renaissance as album statements in this turbulent and often frightening time and I don't doubt the Grammys will recognize this, besides the sheer musical crispness found on so many of the tracks therein.
I had not made the mental connection to the previous centuries "roaring 20's" and this century's new 20's, but now that I realize how tese two era's will be contrasted... well. I didn't expect to be quite this emotionally mindblown by scanning the comment section in a Todd Top Ten video. Sorry for not engaging with the comments on Harry Styles though, I know nothing of the man.
Oh yeah, the first time I heard As It Was I immediately realized it was really about COVID the same vibes-based, if-you-know-you-know way One by U2 is really about AIDS. I'm surprised I haven't seen it discussed in those terms more.
Thank you for including As It Was. That song was really therapeutic for me that helped me deal with a lot of letting go I've been doing, telling me "Things aren't gonna be the same, and that's ok."
All he lacks now are a Henson vehicle featuring a cod piece and baby groupies and the set will be complete (yes I know I should be shot for that, but at this point I'm just waiting)
yeah and it makes me irrationally angry. i also dislike the way the media talks about him as if wearing (bad) androgynous fashion was such a revolutionary thing. like come on, drag race has been on forever at this point so why is everyone acting like he's so great and bowie's successor?? hell, harry was already famous before David passed away and even then Bowie himself said *LORDE* was the future, not some bland twink from 1D who makes mediocre music
I know the worst of always gets more views, people love hate more then love when it comes to criticism, however I always look forward to this one at the end of every year. You’re a brilliant critic, with a fresh voice and clever analysis, and you’ve been nailing it for years, so keep it up Todd!
"It's biscuits. It's gravy." - Todd in the Shadows, regarding Steve Lacy. I had to rewind to understand it, cause it just flowed right off the tongue. And then 30 seconds later, I realized it was from the song lol
As someone who suffers from winter blues I deeply appreciate these coming at the end of January, always gives me something to look forward to other than January being over. Still waiting for the appearance of reinventor of pop Rina Sawayama though !!
"Anti-Hero" (and your take on it; aging is fun!) reminds me of this line from a They MIght Be Giants song: "I was young and foolish then. I feel old and foolish now." Hope you're doing well, Todd.
great video todd! i really wasnt expecting "abcdefu" by gayle at number 1 on your best list based on all the things youve said about it! very surprising, especially when you called it the greatest song of the 2020's. keep up the good work!
Part of the hate Stapleton gets is jealousy. He came out of the bluegrass world and has managed to become a huge star, which is backwards in modern country. A lot of country artists do their bluegrass album once they're established and Stapleton just came out of the Steeldrivers swinging.
The snippet of lyrics from number 5 hit me like truck. The guy I was 23 with (roughly three decades ago) died a couple months ago. That bit was legitimately hard to hear.
I love how todd simultaneously has the taste of 45 year old man and a 15 year old girl.
And being in the shadows, Todd could be either.
Todd is Schrödinger's UA-camr.
Yeah, but here's the thing about being a man in his forties (as I am now), you no longer have to hate things because your peers expect you to. Not that my peers really had those expectations in my 30s either, but now I could just throw on a T. Swift shirt and wear it proud and give zero care to anyone who has a problem with it. Also, I have shit to talk about with my niece who just turned 16, which is extra cool.
@@beautifulmidnight Really though? 🙄
Todd is actually two 15 year old girls stacked on top of each other, wearing the hoodie of a 45 year old man.
@@EviePontecorvo There is an attempt to employ a classic joke in there, and yet in spite of knowing what you were trying for I still think what you said was incredibly uncouth. Possibly even just gross. Please never post again without thinking first.
Kate Bush missing out on being a contender for Top Ten of 2022 by releasing her song in 1985. Legend.
Really was the only thing she could do to make it fair.
Can we get Top 10 Hits of 1985 next?
More: She missed out on being an unassailable #1 by doing that.
After he mentioned her I thought nobody on this list could write a song like that to save their life. That was before Taylor who could at least come close.
It wasn't a hit in 1985 though it deserved that number one spot
Todd, you occasionally say lines that are absolutely devastating to hear, but "able to command attention, but not affection" is up there as one of your best.
"If everyone is wrong about you, why do they keep saying it?"
Todd putting Taylor at number one AND Imagine Dragons at honorable mentions has got to be one of the best character development crossover arcs ever
Taylor already reached number one in 2015, though.
@@directamplification she dipped since then, just like Imagine Dragons
@@MonzennCarloMallari Okay, fair enough.
Lets be honest though, JID saved that Imagine Dragons song. He really was the star
I used to hate imagine dragons but ever since I heard Follow You I just can’t help but laugh every time I hear them. I can’t take them seriously, but hey they always put me in a good mood so I think that’s pretty neat. Bunch of silly fellas
"When I'm happy about being single, it involves a lot less twerking and a lot more video games." - Todd in the Shadows.
Petition for a video of Todd twerking in the Shadows
This still admits twerking is involved.
Those words spoke from my soul
Less twerking is not no twerking.
mood tho
I can't believe Todd just doomed Glorilla's career like that.
toddstradamus strikes again
I started my countdown to the scandal that ends her career as soon as he predicted big things for her.
Let's be fair... Glorilla had already done a pretty good job of dooming her own career already.
@@Jollyjose251 corny
@@Jollyjose251 you sound like a boring person
I buy every line of Anti-Hero, including the "my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism" part. When you're depressed in the middle of the night and needlessly psychoanalyzing yourself, you find a way to twist even your good parts into their absolute worst form. Yes, there is a large element of theater to her charitable work and attempts to be relatable, but after struggling with those thoughts all night, more than likely she woke up the next morning and realized that's ridiculous, of course she can be genuinely kind with no ulterior motive, her brain was being stupid and she's great. That's not what she believed at the time though.
Side note when I saw As It Was was #3 I knew that #1 could be nothing else.
And confirmed the second I saw a cat 😂😂😂
The “lyrical metaphorical phylosophical miracle” of pop music
“Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby, and I’m the monster on the hill.”
@@Ballin4Vengeance lmao
This reads as very copey from a fan. Philanthropy is one of the most common ways of expressing narcissism for the ultra wealthy! Taylor Swift is absolutely a narcissist I really don’t agree with your interpretation.
You know... We used to have this whole thing called "Southern Rock" for musical acts that weren't quite country but had more of a twang than regular rock and roll.
For a hot minute in the early 10's we had a ton of southern-influenced blues-rock, the type you'd hear at every brewery ever. I miss that.
Yeah, unfortunately, that was replaced by Bro Country, and it's million features of rap artists in a paltry attempt to appear cool and not like a total joke.
Too bad for them, they're all jokes. Sorry Florida Georgia Line, you will never _not_ be the musical equivalent of white college frat boys trying to befriend a black student, so their privileged white ass can say the N-word all they want and think they can get away with it.
Yes- Allman Bros., Skynyrd, Kansas,…it’s a genre sorely missed in my heart.
@@cooperhilinsky6361 Kansas isn't southern rock more hard rock influenced by symphonic prog of yes and Genesis listen to Death of mother nature suite some of their riffs were used by Iron Maiden in the 80s
Yeah, you can thank Kid Rock for driving the last nail into that coffin. He's like the Forrest Gump of musical poseurs, just popping up across the decades & ruining whole genres with his corniness.
Todd getting progressively more defiant over his country picks and berating at his audience is hilarious
Agreed 😂😂😂 as a country hater, I find it hilarious also! 😂
@@ambern6069 Same here, as a fellow country hater!
It’s understandable to be defensive if something you like is frequently made fun of. I’ll never like country, but I still get that.
Doesn’t mean I don’t still laugh every time Todd gets salty about country hate!
@@Jollyjose251 ew no
@@Jollyjose251 it really should be the other way around. Any music critic who would outright dismiss a genre without actually listening to the music doesn’t deserve to be a critic
In it's least commercial form, country is folk music. Jolene, by Dolly Parton is an example.
Todd: "I would pay Taylor Swift a lot of money to make sure she never sings about her reputation again."
Also Todd: (picks a song where Taylor Swift sings about her reputation as his #1)
The duality of men
When you're wrong...
I was with him last year when I heard this catchy little tune from _Willow Smith_ ? I was just as surprised and agreed it was the best song of the year.
I know but it’s a good song because it’s about how she knows she’s the bad guy even when her fans are on her side rooting for her … I think that’s self improvement at least.
Ah I souldn't have read the comments rn
I think the main thing that makes new reputation Taylor better is the self awareness 😂
Lizzo i think is great. I love a girl that’s confident but doesn’t try to yell at the audience “BE CONFIDENT” all she has to do is sing about herself and how’s she’s doing and that’s what inspires people to start to be more self supportive
Edit: well fuck…
I think a line from "Juice" really sums up some of what is so wonderful about Lizzo; if she is shining, everybody is going to shine. Just by being her radiant self, everyone else can be a little bit shinier.
in contrast to *cough* Demi Lovato
Feel like this is one of the big differences between Lizzo and Megan Trainor. Despite both posing themselves as "Body positive" I don't buy it from Trainor at all. Every song of hers seems like she's trying to convince me and herself that she's pretty. It doesn't help that her songs aren't good at all. Lizzo genuinely believes she's the hottest woman on the planet and makes me believe it to. Its a natural confidence that her beauty is so obvious it doesn't need to be justified.
Well this... rings awkwardly now.
😬
I love the sexy baby line if only because of the implication that the opposite of a scary monster is in fact a sexy baby. That’s hilarious
If we ever needed proof that Taylor hasn't played "Resident Evil Village"...
@@typacskLots of sexy monsters and scary babies
Describing the number one song as being about “the frustration of having no solutions to the problem of being yourself” is pretty incredible. Well done.
That hit hard
That fucking raw ass line is gonna stick with me forever.
I'm annoyed I didn't come up with it myself because it describes my life and the lives of so many people I know perfectly.
@@quenepacrossing4675 It's one of those things I feel like I needed to hear.
that was a very raw line from the shadow man
Todd:* has pretty much put Heat Waves on the worst list in some way for 3 years in a row*
Also Todd:" Ya know what song I should start the buffer with?"
Fair point but he's also been using Dylan LGC's year end mashups for the buffer music since 2018. The bit with Heat Waves is the chorus of it.
😊
@@LucisZ39 Heat Waves has never sounded better tbh
Heat Waves I never could get into, though Glass Animals does have a few good songs I can get behind
Three years? It was on the list in 2021 and HM in 2022, what’s the third year?
The Taylor Swift narrative has taken quite a few turns. She starts out as the young romantic heroine singing silly love songs like anyone else, but then the inevitable negative attention comes, Taylor absolutely gives a damn about her bad reputation, so she tries a multitude of ways to deal with it. She dismisses the haters because she's actually awesome and those meanies just can't see it. She plays into the idea sarcastically, pretending to embody the worst of what's been said about her through the veil of character. She tries to own being the villain who ruins relationships and friendships on purpose and is directly responsible for the "death" of her old self. She allows this villain self to die so that a new, more chipper self can rise from its ashes (but those haters still need to get a life).
And now, Taylor seems to have reached the point of "okay, I'm not actively trying to ruin these things, but it clearly keeps happening," and that leaves her wondering what her role is. She's definitely the protagonist, but she can't claim to be the doe-eyed, squeaky-clean heroine of her youth, yet outright villainy doesn't suit her either. Thus, Taylor has settled on a loose definition of "anti-hero" - a heavily-flawed hero haunted by inner demons and insecurity who tries to do good but frequently messes everything up.
I love this!
She's having a marvellous time ruining everything and we love that for her
Chef’s kiss 😚🤌🏻
It's all very Lord Byron.
She does cares about meanies. Like every other public figure.
I can't wait till a country artist covers "Bitch I'm a Cow." Total Todd sweep for sure.
Looking at the honorable mentions, my hypothesis is proven that the best thing Arcane ever did was make both League of Legends and Imagine Dragons as cool as they were to me in middle school.
Arcane is such a great show. Season 1 was a solid 9/10 for me. And I don’t even play League. But even though I love the show, I still can’t get myself to like Enemy. I’m definitely biased against it because I’ve subconsciously trained my brain to automatically dislike anything Imagine Dragons. It’s one of their better songs though.
@@philly_sports1558 i will warn you now no matter how much you love arcane dont play league or look at the rest of the lore
@@somedragonbastard Believe me I won't lol I've heard horror stories
i'm sorry to inform you but it didn't
it’s been over a decade and i still refuse to touch League (had a horrible experience with someone who was obsessed with it) but Arcane was great, especially visually. One of the most visually stunning shows I’ve seen in a minute. Still don’t like Imagine Dragons though but I appreciate Enemy in the context of the show.
"It's Bad Bitch o'clock" is probably my favorite opening line of the year
"Good heavens, look at the time!"
It's our next "It's Britney, bitch." and I love it.
No one will top "i took a DNA test, turns out I'm %100 that bitch"
Actually, now that I think of it, I just remembered an even better one:
"Instead of meat, I eat veggies and pussy!"
About Damn Time is absolutely great and deserves every bit of the praise it gets but everybody slept on 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) and that's a tragedy because that song absolutely SLAPS
I love how Imagine Dragons haunts Todd on a regular basis and honestly I want this lover gone enemy gone nemesis gone begrudging lover story to be made into a romance novel.
Taylor Swift has now become the first and only artist to ever top out two of Todd's year-end best lists, 2015 and 2022.
Anti-Hero's a bop. It's not quite Style level (I don't know if Taylor's got it in her to make another Style), but Anti-Hero is actually a pretty good song... and I say this as someone who's not a particularly big fan of Taylor Swift at all.
@@SeanStrife A lot of styles appeal is it's production and instrumental. For the past like 5 albums all her pop songs have been produced by jack antonoff and I do feel that as long as she stays exclusively it's not going to happen
Hasn't she appeared at the top of the worst list too? What an icon
@@cuber3603 only once at the top😂
@@hassanmansour9857only true legends end up at the top of both lists, iconic
And number one is the indomitable Banana Boat by Harry Belafonte for the 67th year in a row! Todd is such an old soul ❤
10/10 song. Deserved to be higher on the list.
I had to sing that song for chorus in middle school. I don't know what my chorus teacher was thinking.
@Tuesday's Art well it's a song about global capitalism and labor exploitation exemplified by corporations such as Dole working with the US government to suppress democracy in central and south America.
@@burgermind802 Well, that makes me feel more positively about the song. At the time, it felt like an awkward racist caricature.
Certified Fantano comment.
Todd missed a very crucial part of About Damn Time's resurgence after initially debuting soft - it had a viral TikTok dance. Every once in a while that evil platform uses its powers for good
LMAO yess i do remember Lizzo promoting the challenge on her Instagram, i was wondering if he was gonna mention it too
i feel like as it was also had a huge moment on tiktok as just like, background music
Maybe if we don't acknowledge tik tok, it'll go away
I'm old and I don't use TikTok, but isn't every dance on there viral?
It also was a decent dance, which is almost unheard of from tiktok
This potentially being Todd’s last time doing ‘top best/worst songs of the year’ lists makes him seemingly coming full circle on Taylor really fitting and kinda beautiful
I don’t think this will be his last time doing these lists. I think as long as he makes videos he will always do the year end.
Why is he not going to do best/worst songs of the year anymore?
He will obviously keep doing it, they’re his best product
if he ever stops these i’ll CRY. i’ve been watching em since like, the 2017 ones, i love this series it’s so interesting!
As someone who also gets unfathomably embarrassed about sharing my guilty pleasure songs with people, it's always legitimately inspiring to see your best lists!! I hope one day I can defend my own sort of "out there" favorites just as vehemently! :D
I still think the Maroon 5 song Cold featuring Future is a good guilty pleasure song.
A notion I read somewhere that changed my opinion on this is about wine tasting.
You don't need to learn how to taste wine. Taste is inherent. Everyone can drink a wine and tell you whether they like it or not.
I found that simple sentiment very reassuring.
That said, discussion is good and disagreeing is fine. I personally find I tend to like a lot of things for unconventional reasons. Like...
I really like the Percy Jackson movie even though it's so awful because I really enjoyed seeing modern CGI portrayals of Greek mythological monsters.
I really like goofy rap music and juvenile humour in rap. One Eminem lyric that sticks out to me is "Your booty is heavy duty like diarrhea." I don't even like scatological humour generally, but I find the juxtaposition of the material with the usual braggadocious nature of rap tickles me.
I am a huge fan of the structure of a creative work following it's narrative. One of my favourite anime is the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. That anime has an infamous section called the Endless Eight where the characters are stuck in a time loop, and the anime contains eight episodes that go over a day in that time loop. Each episode is basically the exact same (each day is animated differently, so they weren't exactly lazy about it), and it's a notoriously awful experience to watch... but I love it exactly because of that. It is awful and tedious to watch... just like being trapped in a time loop would be. I never want to suffer that shit again, and I love it so much. If it weren't for this misery, I probably wouldn't regard the anime as more than decent.
Like many people, I'm a Harry Potter fan. I know an abnormally large amount about the series. The series has gotten a lot of hate over time, initially just as a rejection of it's popularity, and later on because of Rowling's shit opinions... but almost every criticism of the series is garbage. Almost nobody criticizing it even knows basic details of the series, and that pisses in my corn flakes, and if you're going to piss in my corn flakes, I'm going to put my corn flakes in your urethra.... I digress, my second favourite character in the Harry Potter series is Peter Pettigrew, both because of his role in the overarching plot and how he symbolizes so much of the overall story, but also because of how they massacred my boy.
“You should probably leave” is the anti “Baby it’s Cold Outside” and I love it.
I was thinking the same thing! 😆
What I love about "As It Was" is that it's one of the few songs that works when you're depressed and when you're happy. Robyn's "Dancing on my own" does the same thing where you can imagine singing it while sobbing or when you finally feel like yourself again, especially the last minute with the drums and the bells.
it was extremely fitting that dancing on my own became the phillies unoffical anthem- a phillies fan
I would put "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World in the same category.
YESSS
Tbh you are talking about every anime opening.
@@solanumtuberosa Don't forget the occasional JRPG theme. Mousou Katharsis from Megadimension Neptunia VII sounds like a very sweet but happy song whilst the lyrics and the particular arc in the game being depressing AF. I literally cry whenever I hear that song during replays because it belongs to the Heart Dimension arc. That arc is definitely one of the saddest moments in the entire franchise, only rivalled by the conquest ending of MK2.
Carly Rae Jepsen - “The Loneliest Time” not even being in the honourable mentions felt like an attack tbh 😔✨
No hits, sadly
"everybody's a sexy baby" is an ingeniously unappealing line and it completely makes up for the fact that the hook sounds as tailored to be a tiktok sound as it could possibly be
Well, if you did your research, Taylor Swift is abnormally tall compared to others, and she calls herself “a monster on the hill” meaning she’s really tall, and everyone who’s shorter is “a s*xy baby”.
Honestly, as someone who doesn't like Taylor's music at all (not a hater, just not my cup of tea) I genuinely low-key love that line. When you hear it the first time it sounds absurd and nonsensical, sure, but it makes so much sense when you think about it for a bit. "Everybody is a sexy baby" - everyone is allowed to be both physically attractive and alluring, while also being cute and innocent, making them blameless and perfect regardless of which role they choose to embody. But not Taylor. She's "the monster on the hill". She is not allowed to be sexy or innocent because both of those roles make her seem "monstrous" in the eyes of everyone else. If she tries to be sexy, people say it doesn't suit her. If she tries to be innocent, people say it's just an act. She doesn't fit in no matter what she tries. It could also be referring to what it feels like to have body image issues in a world that values appearance so much. I struggle with that, and I've definitely referred to myself as a swamp monster before, so hearing her describe herself like that really hit me in the heart.
But I 100% agree that the chorus was made specifically for TikTok lol
as a 19-year-old, taylor's millennial generation probably thinks of me as the "sexy baby", but i interpreted it as envy over teenagers who are extremely famous and successful almost at taylor's level. which hits hard because even at 19 i feel like i'm too old and underachieving because i'm not some child prodigy. or maybe how looking like a teenager is considered attractive nowadays.
As a fellow giant woman, this section was the best description of what it's like to awkwardly tower over everyone else
@@Bloomaces156Exactly, I have way too many days of my self confidence crumbling because there's one of these pint sized tiny little girlies and I know that if I tried to pull of that kind of hyper femininity I'd look ABSURD. And then I end up dating the next guy who swears he isn't threatened and then has a meltdown when I want to wear heels in public.
Didn't expect maroon 5 to be number 1 considering they haven't released anything this year but hey it is Todd's favourite band
Well he has put Girls Like You at the number 1 spot every year since 2018 because in his words "there could never be a more perfect song so this will be my number 1 for all eternity"
The most peculiar thing about Todd's list this year isn't the 3 country songs... It's the lack of a mention of a Carly Rae Jepsen song in the honorable mentions, regardless of it classifying as a hit.
OMG YOU ARE SO RIGHT!!
The loneliest time was done durty
I can hear r/popheads typing from here
To quote his Twitter: "I like "The Loneliest Time" a lot. I could have put it on the honorable mentions. I could have put a lot of songs on there. These videos are long and difficult. I forget songs every year."
@@ChandlerKeithFlow ah ok that makes complete sense thanks for the info completely understandable on his part
At the risk of sounding like a Swiftie despite not listening to her stuff of my own free will (my sister was the Taylor fan of the family back in the early 2010s), something that's been on my mind about Taylor Swift since the Witness episode of Trainwreckords is that there's one big thing she has that Katy Perry doesn't, and that is charisma. As Todd noted in that video, 2017 was not a good year for either artist, but Swift had the sheer force of personality needed to survive that, whereas Perry ended up singing with a poop puppet in Vegas. Even "Anti-Hero", a song about insecurity and self-loathing, has those same guts to it, carrying an atmosphere of "I know I suck, but goddamn I'm gonna weather through my suckiness to spite God."
I've been thinking much the same thing - Todd's theory from the Witness episode, about there being two kinds of pop star, really explains why Taylor's career survived and Katy's didn't.
I probably like Perry's hits more, but there isn't much substance to them, anyone could've sung them, whereas Taylor's is very personal.
respect queen katy perry
The simple difference between them is that Taylor Swift would beat God to death with a stapler to stay on top of the world, and Katy Perry would not.
@@wadespencer3623only Taylor *could* beat God to death with just a stapler
At least that’s how I feel now that she got the Civil Wars to collab again for her re-recording of “Safe and Sound”
11:33 "Truth is, I've begun to worry about Lizzo's long-term viability as a musician."
Well, worry no more. With the fat-shaming and SA allegations against her, Lizzo's long-term viability as an _anything_ is in jeopardy.
If Chris Brown is relevant after punching someone half his size into unconsciousness than Lizzo will be relevant if her choreographer takes the blame for the allegations her dancers have directed at Lizzo.
@@RenaldyCalixtewhat upsets me is you might be right
@@RenaldyCalixteYeah, but Chris Brown is male and has a socially acceptable body type. Lizzo is a fat woman, she’s inherently under a much more critical eye than Brown.
Lizzo does have a devoted fan base- I’m a professional flutist and we are all feral for Lizzo
I'm glad the flautist community respects a 👸. I heard of Lizzo first on NPR before she was charting, giving an interview about dropping out of Juilliard to live in a music studio to try and make is as a singer instead. Loved when she actually took off!
I'm glad she's doing her thing but don't let them puppet string you so much. The flute thing was a PR stunt to catch some normies. Don't fall for it brahs
@@kranberryjones1449 she literally majored in music in college and has played the flute for years. Her being a pop artist does not change that. I’ve been a fan years before the whole library of congress thing 😂
My sister and her friends are huge fans of Lizzo. They're pretty artsy and into drag/burlesque, so that may be part of it.
I'm a flutist (although not professionally) and I totally agree.
For the past 4 years I've been binging this channel, and it's always been really interesting to see how these lists evolved since the mid 2000s
I assume you don't mean binging for 4 years straight.
@@TheRagingPlatypus more often than i'd like to admit
W for the St Anger pfp
@@mix3k818 drew it myself in ms paint. not my proudest moment.
he started before 2009?
Juice was the first Lizzo song I heard, because one of the kids in the rock camp I tought drums at wanted to do it as one of their final songs.
They had to censor it being highschoolers but they did it, and they killed it.
Both "Juice" and "About Damn Time" went double platinum - with the former going single platinum in the year it was released - so I'm not sure relying on the charts without accounting for certifications is the right move. Maybe the problem is no one right place to look for all of a year's certifications, but at least Todd could make an exception for songs he both remembers AND have gone platinum (or even gold). It wasn't a decent criteria in the past because, even five years ago, only eight songs went platinum the year they were released. But the next year there were 25 and "Juice" was one, in spite of Juice not making the year-end 100 list. At this point, platinum certification can be considered an alternative to Billboard, sort of like Cash Box was decades ago.
@@calmbbaer what?
Lizzo is that kind of person who will big themselves up and everyone else in the process. If there is a kind of confidence I would love to have it is the one where when you shine everybody is going to shine (song reference intended).
Also I recently found out she was a rapper before Juice.
She still raps sometimes, at least but definitely different beforehand
Yup she definitely makes other people she works with feel big
@@Zlexifi
fucking lmao
Sometimes it’s not easy being a swiftie and a todd fan, but on days like today it’s all worth it
Did you listen to de podcast? The Anti Hero vs As it was episode was SO GOOD
Yes, as a Swiftie and Todd Fan I do agree with Todd at times (like when he made Ready for it the worst song of 2017 because it was pretty bad).
My feelings exactly.
Imagine being Navy and a Todd fan, Wild Thoughts and This Is What You Came For are the BIG Reviews, and his biggest insight is "you sound tired, go away". Ouch. She shot a man twice in 4 years on record, no subtext to investigate here!
My thoughts exactly.
Whenever Taylor Swift gets brought up in a Todd video, it feels like an old rival in an anime returning stronger than ever. Taylor swift feels like the Kevin Steen to Todd's El Generico and it always makes me feel good when she appears.
I did not expect to see an RoH reference relating to Taylor Swift, in one of Todd’s videos... But I can’t say I disagree
All the country artists in this video are Todd’s equivalent of the Bloodline
Yooo RoH references?!?!
This is not a reference I would have ever expected from a commentor on this channel, but I'm here for it.
FIGHT FOREVER *clap clap clapclapclap*
Taylor finally figured herself out, she knows no matter what people will eat it up so she’s practically just doing whatever SHE wants to do, like evermore releasing randomly at midnight or switching to pop or making her (Taylor’s Version) songs that people are also eating up (ATW 10 Min). She knows no matter what she’s a mainstay name. The Eras Tour debacle finally did it for her I think.. and she’s so powerful that the shake it off lawsuit people just kinda gave up lmao. She’s here to stay, even 16 years in.
Yep, just like her ex John Mayer, Taylor reached the point in her career that she's stopping on caring what kind of songs she releases. And both John and Taylor are extremely similar in their personalities, that's why their relationship was doomed from the start.
@@schris3 I agree with everything except I think their relationship was doomed because he was 30 and she was 19...
@@schris3John mayers career is in no way comparable to Taylor's respectfully
I am GenX boomer who quit listening to radio in the late 90s. I appreciate Todds immersion in modern pop music so I dont have to. Most of these yearly countdowns are lost on me, but my employer plays top 40 in our restrooms, which was where i heard and fell in love with As It Was. The 80s synth (there is indeed an aha vibe, but not overused), the melancholic understated melody, the bells--its awesome. And Lizzos fun too!
I cant believe Imagine dragons tops the list yet again, you never cease to amaze us todd
It was peaking when the Iggy verse hit, but its the Adam Levine hook that really put it over the top.
Imagine Dragon deez nutz to the top of the best list
@@thomasgiles2876ok but the production by Marshmello really took it to the next level
@@craigstephenson7676 I still think the David Guetta remix is a bit better than the original tho
this fantano ass comment 😭😭😭
"You'll never be 23 with anyone but me" is a line with some crazy cognitive dissonance for me, mainly because MC Lars' "Twenty-Three" is all about a friend that took their own life with lines like "We could have grown old together, but instead you'll always be 23"
And that's about the time she walked away from me.
Nobody loves you when you're twenty-three.
@@Rob_Thorsman A decade ago, I never thought I would be, at 23, on the verge of spontaneous combustion. Woe is me.
For me, 23 will always be Blink 182's What's My Age Again. Because, as it happens, I WAS 23 when it came out.
That 23 song by whats-his-face is just soooooo fucking creepy! Maybe it's because my romantic relationships have been pretty heteronormative (Man and Woman at the time - I am genderfluid but back in my early 20s, I wasn't aware of that. I knew I wasn't cis but not exactly trans, and I did not have the vocabulary for it, so I assumed I was a cis tomboy girl), but that song reminds me of my dipshit exes that would absolutely say something like "Remember you were 23 with me" to my face as a way to assert themselves above me.
Also, the video itself, specifically with the woman wearing the VR headset; It has a sexist undertone of portraying her as a successful career woman with a big house, but she's all alone so it's completely empty except for her, and she's portrayed as miserable, and the only thing that has been able to bring her joy is literally reliving her 20s with her good-looking boyfriend where everything is bright and colorful contrasted to her dark and dreary present. To me, it just screams, "See? You could've been happy with me, but you gave that up for a career, so now, instead of a simple, fulfilling country life, you get to dance with ghosts." Just... very "Women will never be truly happy if they try to be like men and pursue a successful career. Just stick to being a stay-at-home wife with a litter of children!"
Again, that might not be the intent or message of the song, but that's not the vibe I get from the video, and just being a 35 year old person who was growing up in the tail end of Second Wave Feminism, and was exposed to the conversation around gender roles and cishet white women in particular "bucking the system" and breaking out of the Barefoot and Pregnant in the Kitchen image... that's where my mind is going when I see a cishet white dude, intentionally or not, telling a cishet (white) woman that *he* was her "key", her "chance" at happiness and she squandered it for a career.
@@thevirtualtraveler I just turned 23 and I had a mini crisis on my birthday when I realized that I knew songs about being 22 but I couldn’t think of any about being 23. The relief I felt when I finally realized I had a song that was already super nostalgic to me pretty much cemented it as being *the* song about being 23 for me too
As someone who's neurodivergent and often just struggling with the fact people will hate me for things out of my control... Anti-Hero hit really hard. I listened to Taylor as a kid and hearing that track really resonated with me. I'm so thankful music like that can help me process everything in a way I can't put to words.
Girl, same.
It hit me in the BPD so hard, imagining that everyone actually really hates me and is planning on leaving me.
As a fellow neurodivergent person, I will also recommend "Mastermind". The bridge really speaks to learning how to mask and how much work it is.
The whole album is a neurodivergent mood
@@jsmountain yassssss @ mastermind being a neurodivergent mood. last year I had a mental breakdown and my friend showed me that song as I was slowly going back to normal. it kinda broke me a little bit further.
yes and especially growing up as an undiagnosed autistic taylor fan seeing that "hehe taylor should write a song called maybe i'm the problem hahahahah" meme while coming to the realization that maybe its not about the people around me maybe i'm the problem and that's why no one seems to like me and i can't make any friends and i remember feeling very personally hurt by that joke for some reason. and now listening to anti-hero resonating with every single word it's really powerful.
I appreciate Tate McRae crawling her way onto the best list because her album from this year was really good, maybe next time she'll get a numbered spot
"Driving with my ass closed" is such a profound lyric
Todd has this quote explaining his fascination with pop music, saying he views it as this big narrative with character development and story arcs, which was a paradigm-shifting notion for me. Taylor Swift's career plays so well into that idea, it's as if it's actually being written.
This is how most pop fans view the genre. We absolutely follow each main pop girl/boy's "storyline" like this, and I think a lot of pop stars fall off when they don't seem to have one or they lose one. It's tricky to define.
@@jepros Honestly seems like the closest comparison is... professional wrestling.
No, really: you have faces (Carly Rae Jepsen, Olivia Rodrigo) and heels (50% of the time, that's Kanye West), sometimes faces become heels (Taylor Swift on Reputation), heels become faces (arguably Bieber had temporarily achieved this back in the What Do You Mean era), and faces turned heels turn face again, but with a darker edge (Taylor Swift on Anti-Hero). The "character arcs" regard real people, and everyone knows the whole thing is made up corporate bullshit so that almost frees you from having to worry about how "real" anyone is, because if everyone is fake then no one is. Pop star kayfabe, basically.
@@browncoat697 I'm guessing the closest comparision of "heels/faces" would be "main pop girl" and "flop"? I agree though it does seem similar overall.
@@browncoat697 WE GOTTA PUSH OLIVIA RODRIGO FOR SUMMERSLAM DAMNIT
@@jepros It's actually simpler, heels are villains and faces are heroes. In wrestling, heels do things like openly cheat during matches without getting punished by refs (until the pivotal moment of course), or do things that are meant to be risible and disgusting to make the audience jeer and root against them - e.g., telling the city the match is happening in that it smells like garbage and looks worse, acting like an arrogant jackass, offstage antics where they attack or bully other wrestlers, so on. Faces are noble and simply in it for the love of the game, basically just imagine Goku and that's a classic wrestling face.
So, for comparison, TS's Reputation era was obviously a heel turn, that was literally how _she_ presented it, as her going to the dark side, being the venomous narcissist everyone thinks she is, so on. After that was a gradual buildup to a face turn, as she moved towards more adult, complex music for a while, before finally going huge with Midnights and staging a full time remorseful, reformed heel comeback. Carly Rae Jepsen is an eternal face because everyone loves her, and Nicki Minaj is pretty much always a heel because she intentionally portrays herself as... well, a psycho bitch, pretty much.
The thing is that heels can be popular by just being massive pricks to the point where it either becomes funny, or if the promoter screws up and their faces are unlikable, so people starting cheering for the designated villain to win. Ric Flair, one of the greatest wrestlers ever, was basically in an eternal superposition of heel and face for his entire career because he would do heel shit all the time but because he was so likable it came off as just being cool.
The fun thing about being a fan of todd ever since the original youtube run, before TGWTG even, is that I've now reached the point where Todd is my only window into 'pop' music. I have no idea who most of these people are, and I have never heard most of these songs. But hey, if Todd says they're real, then they must be real. Thanks Todd, for telling me what the kids these days listen to, now that the LMFAO's of the world have vanished.
I actually know more than I used to because I got into the habit of using the tv turned to a hits music channel as low background noise when I sleep, so I've heard a lot of the big songs over the last couple years that way, when before I would have been completely lost.
I think it's generally been a positive change. It's also nice sometimes to wake up and be able to just laze lying there for a bit while listening to some music.
The fact that the honourable mentions didn't include any songs from the new Carly Rae Jepsens album is a travesty
Her being included in the honourable mentions is what got me into her Todd!
He did say on Twitter that he could've put one of her songs on this list and she just didn't make it in or something
Check out Mic the Snare's list. He always has Carly Rae on there.
I really love her new album. Very underrated.
@@Missjunebugfreak she had really unfortunate timing releasing it the same day as midnights
This list is for hit songs. Carly Rae sadly does not have those anymore.
“Grown people need sexy music too.”
Easily Todd’s worst out-of-context sound bite.
But also, true.
Just wanted to say About Damn Time isn't the first time we've gotten her flute skills. Lizzo played the flute in her song Tempo, and it's in the music video too.
I love that she throws it in the pool like she was dropping the mic in the video, it's just perfect.
I wish she'd collaborate w/ Missy again. They could make a Really big hit. Like a Chart Smasher.
@@kimorayn1733 I totally agree, Missy Elliot was a total force in music when I was growing up and Lizzo carries that same energy.
I love Lizzo, her music isn’t always for me but when I like a song of hers I usually end up loving it. She’s also just adorable and I love her personality, I would love to be her friend.
@@picahudsoniaunflocked5426 yeah, but when I saw it I audibly gasped, cause those things are hella expensive and my heart clenched up on the thought of its mechanisms filling up with water. i've wanted my own since i was 14 and finally have the finances to start saving up for one now, 10+ years later. still, love the song lol
Bad Habit being a hit is absolutely sensational to me, I think it’s a masterpiece
I really think the entire album of midnights is the whole self realization of Taylor after everything she had been through. staying up at night lying on a bed and then remembering everything you've done,relationship she has been through the mistakes you've made,the realization that you're not perfect,you're not the good guy, it's a really good turning point of Taylor's career.
The lyrics of Anti-Hero remind me too much of shit my mother used to say when she wanted to guilt trip everyone in her life for the rush, so I can't see the song as honest at all.
God I’ve been watching Todd since I was like 16 and now that was 10 years ago and I feel like I’ve been growing into adulthood watching these videos every year and weirdly enough that for the last couple of years I alway end up crying to at least one of the songs Todd picks. As I’ve gotten older I’ve become way more emotional and open with my emotions. Something about the mix of heartbreakers, nostalgic looks back, and triumphant come backs. They always just get to me from one angle or another. For what it’s worth, I grew up my whole life saying “I like every kind of music except country” and because of Todd the songs that make me cry like a little baby are all the country songs he’s introduced me to.
same here
Looks like there are several of us lol
I'm only 19 and I already sorta feel that, especially this year. I can't imagine what's in store for me when I'm 26.
If someone told me 5 years ago I'd be close to tears from Todd talking about a taylor swift song I don't think I'd have believed it.
I think that's Todd's strongest aspect as a critic; he can make me feel for songs I wouldn't have ever given the time of day without him discussing it.
Man, that revenge of the nerd talk in his Bad Habit review REALLY got me.
I cried too, I'm confused.
I’ve been watching since I was like 16 as well and now I’m turning 28 tomorrow! I’ve loved seeing Todd get less angry and more thoughtful as time has gone on and yet his style is still uniquely his. Other creators might do similar work but no one does it like he does.
Every now and then Todd says something that actually moves me and when he said that “yeah it’s over but we all know it’s not the same as it was” it dawned on me pretty hard and was a great sentiment.
He summed up the sentiment of As It Was there very well there. That song always hits me in the “COVID feels” and will be one of the songs I point to when I’m older as defining this period (along with OK Go’s “All Together Now”, recorded remotely from their homes septet during lockdown)
Those little moments are honestly why I wish Todd wrote written reviews. I feel like they get glossed over by the video format.
Sometimes I wonder if Todd and I have exactly the same music taste, but then I remember that his videos have been shaping my music taste for the past 7 years
Todd definitely have influenced my taste, but it hasn't meshed with Todd's because I would have put As It Was higher in the list, I think Lizzo is overrated but not bad, and I would have never put Antihero in #1, the closest I got of a #1 for Taylor was willow.
As a non American it's always funny to watch Todd's lists of hits because not alot of the country songs reach us so I watch a best hits list and don't know half the songs hahaha
As an American, neither do I ;)
Lizzo's flute solo in "About Damn Time" is like a modern rewrite of "The Hustle". Not a remake, but a flute solo that goes beyond just being an instrument.
The Heart Part 5 reminds me I should probably listen to Kendrick Lamar more often. I like that he "embeds" the samples. He's singing w i t h the samples.
Lizzo gives me some Van McCoy vibes with her disco influences, very catchy and sharp stuff.
It never even crossed my mind that it was her playing the flute until watching this somehow! Fantastic thing to throw at the haters.
@@pinkcupcake4717 i cannot unhear this and i am not mad at it
One of my favorite things about Lizzo is that she's never boring
Yep, I get major Hustle vibes from it!
Taylor's lead singles are often bad, but Anti Hero is devastating. It's poignant and thoroughly resigned in a way I wasn't expecting. "I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror" is so biting.
In my opinion it is one of the best songs of her career, it is Taylor's most self-effacing moment.
As a Taylor Swift fan, I agree that some of her recent singles are kinda bad but Anti-Hero is really good!
I like anti hero but the sexy baby line takes me out of it it’s so goofy lol
@@Venomfan88 listen to this is me trying, mirrorball, and champagne problems
I wouldn't call them bad. They're still good on their own. But they pale in comparison to her other songs. At least, that's how I feel. However, I'm with you on Antihero. It was an instant favorite because it made me feel like she was reading chapters of my life.
Funny how Todd said that Taylor's Reputation era could "Really be the end game" for Taylor.
Now, not only did she make the longest #1 by track length (All Too Well TV), but she also put Anti-Hero at #1 on the charts for 8 nonconsecutive weeks, debuted 10 songs in the top 10, and got #1 on Todd's year-end list.
Classic Todd-certified prediction 😂
Some would say she came back stronger than a 90s trend
She definitely reinvented herself and became better after Reputation. I never liked her but Lover was fantastic and I've been a fan ever since.
@@theowlsarefun 1989 did it for me. Reputation was the first album of hers I actually listened to all the way through upon release. Folklore was a masterpiece, and Midnights was just cool to hear her go back to some more pop stuff, especially with the alternative/folk elements she mixed in there.
@@theowlsarefun The Folklore/Evermore cycle is my favorite comming from Taylor. And that saying something bc 1989 is one of my favorite pop albums of all time.
Toddstradamus strikes again!
The fact that Chris Stapleton has his wife Morgan Stapleton singing background on "You Should Probably Leave" just makes this song even sexier
They do almost everything together. Hope Morgane makes an album with Chris backing, if it hasn't happened already
Todd's feelings about Taylor Swift gotta be one of the greatest arcs of this channel. I mean, I can't be the only person that watches these every year to see how Todd's feelings have evolved on certain artists. I don't think any 'arc' is better than the Katy Perry one, though. That's just so fascinating beginning to presumed end.
Since I don't follow modern music (only modern artist I'm actively rooting for right now is Dua Lipa because I like her sound and the amount of effort she puts into everything despite not naturally being that talented, well and to a lesser extent Lil Nas X because I respect his commitment to shitposting), a lot of these artists are just characters in the Todd in the Shadows Universe to me. if that seems insane, it is, thank you, I'm aware.
I'm in the same boat. The only time I know Taylor Swift put out a song is either Todd reviews it or Jenny Nicholson mentions it (Evermore Park)
I thought I was the only one aware of modern music because of Todd lol
the second greatest arc of the channel is Todd‘s resistance and subsequent submission to Queen Bey and her Bey hive, hearing Todd complain about the lack of promotion of the album just made me smile
@@TheWoolongkit gotta give it up for the Bruno Mars arc too
@@SurgingSpecs oh yeah, I always forget about him! My feelings are 100% the same as his, I couldn’t stand his earlier stuff. Like at all. But now it’s to the point where I often forget that stuff ever even existed because what he’s put out since Uptown Funk has been so good. It’s hard to believe it’s all the same person. And that was damn near 10 years ago now.
That ending!!! I believe Todd's slow, kicking and screaming conversion into a Swiftie is complete
It only took fifteen years
He should definitely attend a Taylor live show.
@@warlordofbritannia "at Fifteen" lol 😄😄
He actually made Style (my personal all time favorite Taylor song) his number one best of 2015. Todd's always had respect and admiration for Taylor, which is why he's willing to criticize her when it's deserved because he knows what a truly amazing artist she is at her best
Is being a "Swiftie" and "respecting Swift" the same thing?
Loved your analysis of Break My Soul and Beyoncé’s career. She absolutely was losing some love in 2018-2019 because people were growing tired of the “greater than everyone” act and this was the best way to get everyone back on her side.
The first mention of WALK THE MOON in lord knows how long. Thank you Todd, my heart is content
(They have such good shit that isn't "Shut Up And Dance", y'all should give them a chance)
Honestly, Todd's annual best hit song lists are very good to listen to as playlists and this year is no different.
@@Jollyjose251 I dunno fam, there's a lotta good tracks on this list
@@Jollyjose251 best songs of xxxx year doesn't mean the songs are good, just the best from the available batch. Like picking the 5 shiniest turfs in the toilet bowl
@@Jollyjose251 FNF deserved it's spot more then those country songs.
@@Jollyjose251 any list with country is a joke? You either have to be trolling or retarded to unironically believe that
Also what the fuck is blue whale? that's not an artist I heard mentioned in this video
@@yungboy4216 this dudes been all over the comments
I am SO happy that Todd gave Steve Lacy some love. Been a Lacy fan for years and even though it blows that a large amount of people only know him through TikTok I'm still glad that he's getting the attention he deserves.
I really connected with what he said about Frank Ocean. After the internet went on hiatus, and with Frank not dropping new music, I latched onto Steve 😅Steve became my Frank substitute Frank Fix! Especially after 2017. I would still put Franks catalogue over Steve’s, but Steve is still young and his best work is ahead of him, can’t wait to see what else he produces this decade. And with Frank at Coachella we might get new music from him too 🤞
I love your year end lists because it fills me in on what I’ve missed while I’m busy listening to the same 5 variously obscure artists/bands on loop all the time.
Yeah, seems we missed nothing this year. Here's hoping there will be any good songs next year.
As a 39 year old Irish man, these lists are always a combo of me thinking "I've never heard these songs because Americans listen to so many artists I've never even heard of due to a vast array of cultural reasons" and "I've never heard these songs because I'm now old as fuck"
It’s always nice to see Todd end the yearly cycle on a positive note
@@Jollyjose251 geez it's not that deep. Why are you replying to every comment bitching about Taylor. People are allowed to have different tastes in music. Just chill out
More like begin the yearly cycle.
@@Jollyjose251 It’s his list. It’s which songs appeal to him the most. No one has the same taste. I’m not even a fan of all the songs he chose but I still respect his choices and how he explained them with great detail.
I use Todd’s Best List to mark the official end of Listmas Season.
go birds baby. we got this tonight, that'll make it even better
"What's hotter than two people trying not to have sex?"
Why is that so true?
So.... is Taylor the only artist to nab the top spot on TWO of Todd's best lists - for Style and Anti-Hero? I am very sure she's the only one that's gotten the top spot on a best and a worst list (cuz ...Ready For It? won the worst list in its year). So that's pretty cool. Taylor Swift - the most frequent #1 getter in Todd's lists. Truly her best achievement.
Rihanna had both the best AND worst hit of 2012 (Take Care and Birthday Cake Remix respectively)
Honestly I'm loving that this list gets more and more chaotic every year!! It's a great representation of our collective reality disintegrating... but we still got our little songs 💕
every time i have my music on shuffle and i hear “anywaaaaaaaaay” i instantly feel so energized. what a great way to start a song.
which song?
@@jepros about damn time
Anti-hero is the song that makes me feel seen and like I’ve gone through a therapy session. It’s About D- Time makes me feel excited and like it’s my time to shine. My confidence boosts just listening to this song and I feel like I’m about to go have fun with friends.
@@missserenity1090 that’s a perfect description and exactly why i love both songs despite them having completely opposite themes!
Todd: "Three. Three country songs."
Todd's primary care physician: "Wow. Scheduling your first prostate screening THAT soon?"
The first time I heard Anti-hero I was startled by how accurately it voiced my internal thoughts. I felt exposed, like I had been doing something stupid and suddenly realized someone had been standing there the whole time and seen the whole thing.
Even the "Sexy baby" line, though in a different context. My SO and I are a good 7-10 years older than most of our friends, having met in online spaces where that sort of thing doesn't matter as much so long as you have tastes in common. On more than one occasion though, I've been reminded of just how young they are, and felt that awkwardness of being out of place among them. I even refer to them as babies when they dare to remind me that I'm an aging woman in the twilight of her life at 32.
It really is one of those songs that cuts to the quick for those of us who get far too into our own heads on sleepless nights.
By far the most perplexing list Todd has made. I was not left upset or giddy by the selections, more-so i found myself trying to understand the points of view he offered that were so different than past music views, this Todd feels more open
The return of Sam Hunt is honestly the most surprising entry in Todd's best lists so far
Now that I think about it willow Smith was far weirder
@@Jollyjose251 okay but what does it need to be credible for? These are all his opinions.
@@Jollyjose251 you have 146 comments on this channel please get a life
Truly the end times are nigh
@@warlordofbritannia only a matter of time till the maroon 5 number 1
@@litarogers3984 shudder
The first time I heard Anti-Hero I thought it was the most introspective/depressing she's ever written, and that alone made it one of my favorites of the year, her lyrics made it feel so relatable in such a wild year that 2022 was, truly incredible song. Funny enough, I made a joke while listening that this would top Todd's list and well...not to be narcissistic, but I called that shit 😂
Also called it. Left a comment on the 2015 video. I was tipped off by him putting The Archer as an honourable mention in 2018. That song is basically Anti-Hero but for her relationship with Joe
It's like 97% that Taylor didn't do this on purpose but I'm convinced that that song is pure Todd-bait.
I listened to that song and….it’s good will never listen to it again but good song
I’ve been a Taylor fan almost as long as she’s been around, she is one of my comfort artists. Anti-hero really hit home for me. It’s just so cathartic to listen to. I also love how much fun she seems to have with the music videos that she’s made this era.
I relate so much to Taylor being suddenly relatable. I never really cared for her music but Anti-Hero is just SO GOOD.
That and Wildest Dreams I think are her two best works ever
@@KingRandor82Don’t forget pop masterpiece Style
Don't worry Todd, you can never be as embarrassing as when you had Chainsmokers at #1.
e: This is one of your best lists if you ask me! Nice work on the vid man. I know these take an insane amount of effort, so thanks for taking the time on them each year. Here's to 2023
😂😂😂😂
@@Jollyjose251 then why are you here?
Paris was the correct choice and he owes no one an apology.
i love that todd will get roasted eternally for putting chainsmokers at #1 lol
@@yserareborn didn't he also put Closer as his #1 one year
"about damn time" and the album it was on ("special") was one of the highlights of the year for me. i can't tell you how much i listened to it on repeat and how uplifting it was for me...lizzo put her whole chest in that and i am grateful for it 🙏🏽🥰
Steve Lacy has had the talent to write hits for a long time. His discography has some real bangers.
If you watch all of Todd's best of videos in a row, you will see unprecedented character growth that no other medium has yet to emulate. There's something epic about this year's #1 that's akin to an epic prowreestling feud. This was like Batman vs The Joker.
Keep shining on, you crazy diamond!
I don't know if Todd is ever going to see this, but i want to respond to the claim that "he has bad taste and we shouldn't watch him."
I know it's likely a joke, but I love watching your videos BECAUSE you unapologetically share your perspective and tastes. There is no pretension, no facade of expertise. It's just you sharing your opinion and analysis of popular music or music in general.
At the end of the day, art is here for humans to enjoy, and I love seeing other people's perspectives, and you are able to share your perspective in a way that is entertaining and accessible.
That's all, thanks for being you. :)
EDIT: I just realized I misread Todd McDonald as Old McDonald. 🤦
Still, I stand by my original point. Even though I will concede that if someone says anything Todd McDonald has done is better than Billy Jean, yeah, they are probably a bigot.
@@Jollyjose251 well they also topped his worst list, so is that an insult to music too?
Um, okay. So, first, I didn't say Todd had bad or good taste in music. I was just saying I like his perspective.
2nd, when it comes to any kind of art, I firmly believe that it is too subjective to make any kind of definitive statements like X Song is objectively better than Y Song.
Let's take your Old McDonald to Billy Jean comparison. Yes, in most cases, most people would say Billy Jean is better than Old McDonald. But I can think of an audience who may disagree with that... 3-8 year Olds. Because that is the demographic it is actually for, and they don't have the experience or ability to appreciate Billy Jean. (Speaking very broadly of course. I think kids can still like Billy Jean, but hopefully, you get my point.)
So yeah, that is why I am not interested in what is "objectively" the best song. I am much more interested in A) whether or not I enjoy the song, and B) other people's perspective on the song, because I think it is interesting. Even if I don't agree with them, I find other people's opinions about art fascinating because I feel like I am learning something new about them, and also indirectly the human condition.
Anyway, end of rant. Hope you have a good day.
Somewhat different line of thought: I don’t give much of a rat’s dropping about music, but Todd’s one of the few creators where I wind up watching each and every video he puts out
I saw Chris Stapleton live last year and oh my god when he performed “You Should Probably Leave” it was phenomenal. His voice is just as powerful live as it is on recordings.
I agree, saw him at the Walmart AMP in Fayetteville and it was a great show
I love the comment on "As It Was" as the post-pandemic requiem of sorts for those who survived it, especially while trying to live up to "how young people should live" mantras of pop culture; in some ways, "About Damn Time" is the delayed "Hot Vax Summer" "roaring '20s" fantasy many of us wanted, a chance to either return to form or catch up to the rest of the world willing to give us mulligans, but "As It Was," with its "Viva la Vida" post-recession/empire vibes BTW, is the reality Gen Y+Z live with in the shadow of boomers' and Xers eternal resource wars and self-dealing (except our parents when they're nice lol), a more subtle, bittersweet hope in the form of our willingness to carry on whatever may come. That said the world and especially femmes/LGBTQ/BIPOC, needed Special and Renaissance as album statements in this turbulent and often frightening time and I don't doubt the Grammys will recognize this, besides the sheer musical crispness found on so many of the tracks therein.
I had not made the mental connection to the previous centuries "roaring 20's" and this century's new 20's, but now that I realize how tese two era's will be contrasted... well. I didn't expect to be quite this emotionally mindblown by scanning the comment section in a Todd Top Ten video.
Sorry for not engaging with the comments on Harry Styles though, I know nothing of the man.
Oh yeah, the first time I heard As It Was I immediately realized it was really about COVID the same vibes-based, if-you-know-you-know way One by U2 is really about AIDS. I'm surprised I haven't seen it discussed in those terms more.
Thank you for including As It Was. That song was really therapeutic for me that helped me deal with a lot of letting go I've been doing, telling me "Things aren't gonna be the same, and that's ok."
If Harry tries any harder to be David bowie i think he might explode
All he lacks now are a Henson vehicle featuring a cod piece and baby groupies and the set will be complete (yes I know I should be shot for that, but at this point I'm just waiting)
yeah and it makes me irrationally angry. i also dislike the way the media talks about him as if wearing (bad) androgynous fashion was such a revolutionary thing. like come on, drag race has been on forever at this point so why is everyone acting like he's so great and bowie's successor?? hell, harry was already famous before David passed away and even then Bowie himself said *LORDE* was the future, not some bland twink from 1D who makes mediocre music
And/or Peter Gabriel
@@Scarfaze724 when he starts singing book of love we panic
You know it's a good day when Todd uploads a best list
You know it's late January when Todd uploads a best list
Until we heard the songs
@@WaitingForTheHook so true. It feels like an elaborate troll
and the most generic comment award goes toooooooo
It’s Saturday today
I know the worst of always gets more views, people love hate more then love when it comes to criticism, however I always look forward to this one at the end of every year. You’re a brilliant critic, with a fresh voice and clever analysis, and you’ve been nailing it for years, so keep it up Todd!
"It's biscuits. It's gravy." - Todd in the Shadows, regarding Steve Lacy. I had to rewind to understand it, cause it just flowed right off the tongue.
And then 30 seconds later, I realized it was from the song lol
Congratulations to Taylor Swift for being the first artist to top two of Todd's best lists
Isn't she also the only artist to top the best and worst list?
@@ringss_ Nope! That'd be Rihanna back in 2012
@@Jollyjose251 r/gatekeeping
@@Jollyjose251 oh wow you're so worldly and cool for disliking popular things. Such sophisticated. Many fancy. Wow.
@Sachi the Cat I thought Taylor got #1 on both list in the same year for her 1989 album.
As someone who suffers from winter blues I deeply appreciate these coming at the end of January, always gives me something to look forward to other than January being over. Still waiting for the appearance of reinventor of pop Rina Sawayama though !!
yes i cannot wait for him to do a video or include rina in one of these lists!!
"Anti-Hero" (and your take on it; aging is fun!) reminds me of this line from a They MIght Be Giants song: "I was young and foolish then. I feel old and foolish now."
Hope you're doing well, Todd.
Those top 4 were literally untouchable last year, I don’t think I can imagine any 4 songs that were more significant.
"Harry Styles might be the first person to have a fluke indie hit on purpose."
Perfect.
great video todd! i really wasnt expecting "abcdefu" by gayle at number 1 on your best list based on all the things youve said about it! very surprising, especially when you called it the greatest song of the 2020's. keep up the good work!
Are you mad?
This isn’t Fantano take this tired joke out to the shed
@@wince9537 no thanks! im actually gonna keep doing whatever i want 😁
Toddthany Shadtano here, giving Gayle a 7/10
@@wince9537 pls explain the joke I dont get it
Part of the hate Stapleton gets is jealousy. He came out of the bluegrass world and has managed to become a huge star, which is backwards in modern country. A lot of country artists do their bluegrass album once they're established and Stapleton just came out of the Steeldrivers swinging.
The snippet of lyrics from number 5 hit me like truck. The guy I was 23 with (roughly three decades ago) died a couple months ago. That bit was legitimately hard to hear.