20
"Play The Game Boy"
A*M*E
The perfect pop song of 2012. Earworm hooks laced with sugar-sweet electropop.
19
"Anything Could Happen"
Ellie Goulding
Amoungst all the butterfly vocal licks and thunderclap beats lies the fragile heart of Ellie Goulding, never before exposed like this.
18
"Boring Bitches"
Etta Bond/Raf Riley feat. Lady Leshurr
More a rant than a song, but totally redeems itself with a drop so insane it will shudder the bones of every boring bitch from the "east to the fucking south".
17
"Esta Noche"
Azealia Banks
Shame about the spat between producer Munchi and Banks, because Esta Noche would've been the perfect breakthrough for Moombahton into the mainstream, and another genre calling card for the ever flexible Banks.
16
"You Know You Like It"
AlunaGeorge
A song the band have yet to match on any level; the cheeky bassline, silky vocals and jittering beats make for the sexiest song of 2012.
15
"Tidal Wave"
Sub Focus feat. Alpines
If for nothing but those glorious final 30 seconds, Sub Focus managed to make Drum& Bass truly ethereal.
14
"Ride"
Lana Del Rey
If Born To Die was a record where Lana hinted at a fragile core underneath her 'gangster Nancy Sinatra' persona, "Ride" is the full on emotional revelation; it sounds like her most personal song to date.
13
"Latch"
Disclosure feat. Sam Smith
Paid no attention to the rules of the underground, and did everything that was uncool. Campy, falsetto vocals (from the brilliant Sam Smith) and an exuberant, bouncy rhythm, it ended up being the biggest breakthrough for the band so far.
12
"Everything Is Embarrassing"
Sky Ferreira
A total reinvention for the previously robotic pop-doll, "Everything is Embarrassing" sounds lush from Blood Orange's production, but also wry and pessimistic in its lyrical content. "Maybe if you tried then I would not bother"; it's a truly tragic teenage anthem.
11
"Thinkin' Bout You"
Frank Ocean
Despite many epic and brave sounds on Channel Orange, the record's highlight comes from it's subtle, understated opening number proper. Ocean's lyrics are vague but poignant, the song rarely peaking in mood, the song is a daydream on a lazy day. It's a perfect introduction to Frank.
10
"Walk With Me"
Memoryhouse
The definitive indie love song of 2012, full of clumsy and sweet lyrics: "this life could be graced with symmetry" / "I rest my head on your shoulder". Melodically wonderful, the husky voice of singer Denise Nouvion is what really carries the song straight to your heart.
9
"In The Dark"
Nite Jewel
Understated, confusing and mysterious, "In The Dark" is the warm heart of One Second of Love.
8
"Running"
Jessie Ware
Sade's "No Ordinary Love" reinvented for the 21st century, and I do not make that comparison lightly.
7
"Genesis"
Grimes
Weird, unfriendly, yet totally haunting, "Genesis" was Grimes' breakthrough track, and one that did nothing commercial to achieve this, merely brought to the table everything she was about, and we were hooked.
6
"Wildest Moments"
Jessie Ware
This year's "Someone Like You" in my eyes, a love song so universal it can apply to any sort of relationship, and a timeless melody.
5
"Angels"
The xx
Although not completely de-sexed, "Angels" is the most honest, fragile love song that the seductive and suggestive xx have written to date, and you can hear it in Romy's trembling voice.
4
"These Streets Will Never Look The Same"
Chromatics
Desolate and despairing as its subject matter, "These Streets..." is a near 8 minute dirge, one that wallows in its own regret and loneliness. But amidst its hypnotic synths and icy piano chords, this heartbreaking track could easily go on for double its running time, and indeed it feels as if it does, in the best way possible.
3
"Myth"
Beach House
If "Norway" was the nearest thing to epic that Beach House had managed thus far, "Myth"'s soaring guitars and euphoric vocals push the band to an entirely new emotional peak.
2
"110%"
Jessie Ware
2012 was undoubtedly Brixton sweetheart Jessie Ware's year, and 110% was the track that really made the UK sit up and listen. Over a skittering, unfamiliarly speedy beat and ethereal, heavenly pads, Jessie whispered sweet nothings in our ear before letting her voice float away into the clouds. Mysterious, quirky and beautiful.
1
"Paradise"
Wild Nothing
Sparsely filled and structured, the few elements that make up "Paradise" combine to make it magical. Like Bon Iver's "Calgary" that topped my list last year, "Paradise" is a song that makes a journey. In this case, it is one that starts off with a short couple of verses before dipping into a lengthy break that takes up most of the song, building and building, before returning for a glorious climax, at exactly the right exhilarating moment. The track's finest flourishes however, come in the form of its funky guitar lick and charming flute hook, that dance a celebratory dance over the simmering pads.
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