Top 10 Best Songs of 2023
These songs set the mood for 2023. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the absolute best in music that 2023 had to offer, taking into consideration critical acclaim, as well as commercial and cultural relevance.
Transcript
00:00 "Watch me dance, dance the night away"
00:04 Welcome to MissMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the absolute best in music
00:09 that 2023 had to offer, taking into consideration critical acclaim as well as commercial and
00:15 cultural relevance.
00:16 "Yeah, I can love me better than you can"
00:22 Number 10.
00:23 Is It Over Now?
00:24 Taylor's Version (From The Vault)
00:26 Taylor Swift
00:27 Taylor Swift's 2014 album 1989 is widely credited with transforming her into the pop
00:34 icon she is today.
00:35 "Baby, was it over then?
00:38 Is it over now?"
00:42 The re-recorded version, released on the 9th anniversary of the original album, included
00:46 five From The Vault songs that didn't make the cut in 2014.
00:51 Among them is "Is It Over Now?"
00:53 An electro-pop ballad that finds Swift reflecting on a past relationship marred by mistakes
00:58 from both partners.
00:59 "Dread awkward blind dates later, if she's got blue eyes I was surmised that she'll
01:05 probably date her"
01:06 Believed by some to be referencing her romance with singer Harry Styles, the song was praised
01:11 for its catchy production and Swift's distinctive songwriting.
01:15 Nearly two decades into her career, Taylor Swift's reign as a pop icon is certainly
01:21 far from over.
01:22 "So the one thing I've been wanting, I've been waiting for"
01:28 Number 9.
01:29 "Say Koom Saa" (Paramore)
01:32 No one knows what exactly the future holds, and sometimes it's best to simply embrace
01:36 things as they come.
01:45 This sentiment is perfectly captured in Paramore's 2023 dance-punk single "Say Koom Saa".
01:51 The biting track, released as the third single from their long-anticipated sixth album "This
01:56 Is Why", featured lead singer Hayley Williams delivering verses in an unusual spoken-word
02:02 style.
02:03 "Lucky for me, I run on spite and sweet revenge, it's my dependence on the friction that really
02:08 hinders my progression"
02:09 "Say Koom Saa" is greatly influenced by the styles of British post-punk bands like
02:14 Dry Cleaning and Yard Act, and explores the singer's apprehension about a bleak future
02:19 and the chaos needed to survive.
02:22 Backed by an equally chaotic production, this song showcases Paramore's willingness to
02:27 experiment without ever compromising their roots.
02:37 Number 8.
02:38 "Vampire" (Olivia Rodrigo)
02:40 Following the success of her debut album "Sour", which launched her into superstardom, fans
02:45 had sky-high expectations for Olivia Rodrigo's sophomore effort.
02:50 Needless to say, the singer did not disappoint.
02:59 Rodrigo gave fans a lot to sink their teeth into with "Vampire", the lead single from
03:04 her second album "Guts".
03:06 Lyrically, the bloody infectious song employs gothic metaphors to describe a past lover
03:12 who exploited and ultimately drained the life out of her.
03:19 Sonically, the track stays true to Rodrigo's signature style, opening as a piano ballad
03:27 before evolving into an epic pop rock smash.
03:31 "Vampire" claimed Billboard's number one spot for two non-consecutive weeks and
03:36 bagged Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo
03:41 Performance.
03:45 Number 7.
03:46 "Paint the Town Red" (Doja Cat)
03:49 Love her or hate her, Doja Cat continues to prove she is a rebel with enough talent to
03:54 back it up.
03:55 The rapper/singer opened the year with a more diabolical appearance, providing fans with
04:00 a glimpse of what was to come.
04:09 That persona took center stage on "Paint the Town Red", a jazz-influenced hip-hop
04:14 track that seemed to address her controversial behavior towards her fans.
04:18 Her smooth rap flow, combined with the bouncy production, solidifies this as the most devilishly
04:24 wicked song of the year.
04:33 It not only gave Doja Cat her first solo number one US single, it also became the fastest
04:38 solo female rap song to reach 100 million Spotify streams.
04:42 Consider the town officially painted red.
04:50 Number 6.
04:51 "Princess Diana" (Ice Spice)
04:55 This list would be incomplete without the biggest breakout star of 2023.
05:04 Ice Spice solidified her status as rap's new princess by teaming up with none other
05:09 than the queen of rap herself for this fiery hot remix of "Princess Diana".
05:15 Nicki Minaj takes the burgeoning star under her wings, lacing Ice Spice's laid-back
05:19 flow with her lethal heavy-hitting bars.
05:29 Despite their distinct rap styles, the two are able to blend them seamlessly into a cohesive
05:34 and electrifying collaboration with an undeniable pull.
05:38 The song propelled Ice Spice further into the spotlight, securing her second top ten
05:43 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
05:50 She previously achieved this feat with "Boyz A Liar Part 2", a joint effort with British
05:55 singer Pink Pantheress.
06:02 Number 5.
06:03 "A&W" (Lana Del Rey)
06:06 Coming in at a staggering length of around 7 minutes, "A&W" is Lana Del Rey at her
06:11 absolute finest.
06:17 Released as the second single from her ninth album, the song unfolds as a two-part narrative,
06:22 presenting a sensual coming-of-age story.
06:25 It begins with the singer reminiscing about her innocent California childhood over a classic
06:30 folksy acoustic vibe.
06:34 Then, around the four-minute mark, Del Rey flips things on its head.
06:43 The song takes on a more down-tempo trap sound as she mumble raps about her sexual maturity
06:49 and involvement with a mysterious man named Jimmy.
06:54 "A&W" earned rave reviews for its subversive production and earned Del Rey Grammy nominations
07:04 for Song of the Year and Best Alternative Music Performance.
07:08 Number 4.
07:09 "Last Night" (Morgan Wallen)
07:12 Morgan Wallen, the country music sensation, dominated the charts in 2023 with his album
07:17 One Thing at a Time.
07:19 Not only did it spend 15 weeks atop the Billboard 200, it also produced his first number one
07:25 single "Last Night."
07:32 The song vividly recounts a drunken conversation between Wallen and his lover on what seems
07:37 to be their final night together.
07:40 With minimal production backing the track, Wallen's vocals take center stage, allowing
07:45 him to narrate the tale with raw emotions.
07:55 Just like its parent album, "Last Night" was a massive success, reigning supreme on
07:59 the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 non-consecutive weeks, tying for the second longest run ever.
08:06 It also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song.
08:16 Number 3.
08:17 "Kill Bill" (SZA)
08:18 Murder never sounded as good as it does on SZA's revenge fantasy track "Kill Bill."
08:31 Inspired by the Quentin Tarantino films of the same name, SZA applies the good old-fashioned
08:37 revenge plot to her own romantic life.
08:39 The song's lyrics detail the singer's elaborate plot to take the lives of her ex-boyfriend
08:44 and his new girlfriend.
08:51 What begins as a rather harmless fantasy takes a tragic and pretty heartbreaking turn by
08:56 the end when the singer executes her plan, revealing her own profound loneliness.
09:01 "Kill Bill" received overwhelming praise for its candid songwriting and relatability,
09:07 to a certain extent.
09:08 It hit the top of the Hot 100 following a remix with Doja Cat, earning SZA her first
09:13 number one single.
09:22 Number 2.
09:23 "Dance the Night" (Dua Lipa)
09:25 The 2023 blockbuster Barbie is widely credited for a lot of things.
09:30 It boosted box office revenues around the world, led to a global shortage of a specific
09:35 shade of pink paint, and gave us the infectious disco hit that is "Dance the Night."
09:46 Performed by Dua Lipa, who also co-wrote it, the song talks about dancing through all of
09:50 life's challenges and appears, rather fittingly, in the movie's choreographed party scene.
10:02 With its shimmery synth production and funky bass line, "Dance the Night" seamlessly
10:06 extends the thematic vibe of Lipa's album Future Nostalgia.
10:11 It foreshadowed the film's eventual box office dominance, peaking at number six in
10:15 the US and topping the charts in the UK.
10:24 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:28 "Padam Padam" (Kylie Minogue)
10:30 More than 40 years into her career, Kylie Minogue is still serving bops.
10:36 "Love from the Other Side" (Fallout Boy)
10:41 Fall Out Boy returns to form with this anthemic rock opus.
10:46 "Fly Girl" (Flo)
10:53 Flo featuring Missy Elliott.
10:55 This slick collab brilliantly fuses old-school and futuristic R&B sounds.
11:07 Back on 74.
11:08 "Jungle" (Fall Out Boy)
11:09 All of the extravagance and allure of 70s disco in under four minutes.
11:15 "White Horse" (Chris Stapleton)
11:22 Don't let the cowboy hat fool you.
11:25 Chris Stapleton has the makings of a rock star.
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11:50 "Flowers" (Miley Cyrus)
11:54 Miley Cyrus has come a mighty long way from the regular teenage girl leading a double
11:59 life as a pop star on Hannah Montana.
12:09 These days, she's fully embodied the latter identity, undoubtedly proving her worth on
12:14 2023's "Flowers."
12:16 The track has been described as an anthem of self-love and acceptance and reflects on
12:21 Cyrus' newfound independence following a breakup.
12:31 With subtle nods to her past marriage to ex-husband Liam Hemsworth, "Flowers" brilliantly incorporates
12:37 Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man," flipping the entire song on its head.
12:41 Cyrus kicked off the year with a bang as "Flowers" soared to the top spot in the US and 37 other
12:47 countries, breaking global Spotify records along the way.
12:54 Which of these tunes was the soundtrack to your 2023?
12:58 Sound off in the comments below.
13:05 Do you agree with our picks?
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