As we head into 2024, we leave behind another year of new music releases and emerging artists. In an increasingly polarized world, music was one of the things that brought people together to celebrate the human experience. Although countless critically acclaimed songs were released in 2023, this list narrows it down to the top five.
#5: “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2” – Ice Spice and PinkPantheress
In terms of breakthrough success during 2023, Ice Spice comes in close second after Taylor Swift, and she will almost certainly snatch the title of “Best New Artist” at the 2024 Grammys. As well as contributing to the “Barbie” (2023) soundtrack, Ice Spice’s collaboration with Swift on the song “Karma” achieved a huge level of fame. Her remix of “Boy’s a Liar,” originally written by PinkPantheress, on “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2,” is set apart by outstanding vocals on this single when compared to other rap songs. PinkPantheress, whose debut album “Heaven Knows” was released in November 2023, is also opening shows on Olivia Rodrigo’s “GUTS” world tour.
#4: “greedy” – Tate McRae (“THINK LATER”)
As Tate McRae’s first single for her album “THINK LATER,” “greedy” is a key example of a song that owed its commercial success to being TikTok and Instagram famous. McRae, who gained popularity after her singles “you broke me first” and “she’s all i wanna be,” depicted her new music as reflective of her “ballsy, obnoxious alter-ego,” according to Billboard. The song is matched with her signature broken-alto style which, along with an addictive, almost intoxicating beat, ensured its popularity.
#3: “Kill Bill” – SZA (“SOS”)
Though SZA’s sophomore R&B album “SOS” was released in 2022, it made its primary impact in 2023, undoubtedly aided with the critically acclaimed single “Kill Bill.” The song follows someone planning to kill their unfaithful ex-boyfriend, and its violent lyrics are compounded with themes of intense heartbreak, revenge, and as SZA herself described it, just “being pissed” “Kill Bill” spent two weeks atop the Billboard Global 200 and later reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
#2: “Is It Over Now?” – Taylor Swift (“1989: Taylor’s Version”)
When historians look back at 2023, perhaps the sole thing they will agree upon is that 2023 was Swift’s year. From her record-breaking, redefining Eras Tour to her promotion of “Midnights,” the “Anti-Hero” singer’s highly anticipated release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” did not disappoint. The re-record came with five new songs that all illustrated how Swift is a mastermind songwriter whose ethereal vocals never fail to bring her stories to life. Yet out of those five tracks, “Is It Over Now?”, which examined the aftermath of a broken relationship, stood apart, evoking Swift’s similar power ballads like “All Too Well” and “Out of the Woods.”
#1: “vampire” – Olivia Rodrigo (“GUTS”)
Released on June 30 as the lead single for Rodrigo’s latest album, “vampire” is an exhilarating entrance into her next musical chapter. While the heavy piano chords and animating production already leave listeners in awe, the jarring, vivid lyrics exhibit Rodrigo at her finest. She sings of her twisted and unhappy relationship with the newfound fame brought about by her debut release, “SOUR,” a motif that Rodrigo explores all throughout “GUTS.” It’s hardly surprising, then, that “vampire” soared to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
