Music

The 54 Best Songs of 2017

By JON PARELES and JON CARAMANICA

Clockwise from top left: Sylvan Esso; Sharon Jones; the xx, Smokepurpp; Cardi B; and Luis Fonsi with Daddy Yankee. Gabriela Herman for The New York Times; Karsten Moran for The New York Times; Tony Cenicola/The New York Times; Kyle Johnson for The New York Times; Amy Lombard for The New York Times; and Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

The pop music critics of The New York Times share their picks for the best songs of the year.

Jon Pareles

JAY-Z “4:44” (Roc Nation)

The unequivocal apology at the center of Jay-Z’s album wrestles with an ideal soul-guajira backdrop: “Late Nights & Heartbreak” by Hannah Williams & the Affirmations.

MAVIS STAPLES “Little Bit” (Anti-)

With concern and righteousness in her husky voice, over wiry blues guitar lines, Mavis Staples confronts gun violence and police shootings, staying hard-nosed and stalwart.

LIL PEEP featuring Lil Tracy “Awful Things” (Lil Peep/First Access)

Grungy guitars, sputtering trap beats and Lil Peep’s raw-throated voice add up to a tormented, abrasive love song from the singer and rapper who died this year at 21.

U2 turns its attention to some big questions on “The Blackout.” Chona Kasinger for The New York Times

U2 “The Blackout” (Interscope)

Is democracy facing an “extinction event”? U2 ponders the situation with buzzing, wailing guitars and a dance-floor thump.

WAXAHATCHEE “Never Been Wrong” (Merge)

A melodic blare of indie-rock guitars, pausing for brief sunbeams of vocal harmony, carries Katie Crutchfield’s scathing indictment of someone’s emotional gamesmanship.

On the title track from her album, “Pleasure,” Feist explores multiple sides of desire. Elizabeth Weinberg for The New York Times

FEIST “Pleasure” (Interscope)

Tense, raw, lo-fi and asymmetrical, “Pleasure” is both a plea and a self-interrogation about desire.

    KELELA “Take Me Apart” (Warp)

    Hovering slow-motion anticipation alternates with ecstatic rushes as Kelela offers a late-night tryst. The lyrics’ aquatic imagery parallels sounds that could come from underwater.

    The duo Sylvan Esso made a track about radio songs that fits the format down to its running time. Gabriela Herman for The New York Times

    SYLVAN ESSO “Radio” (Loma Vista)

    The sheer joy of a well-made pop single overwhelms cynicism about formulas, formats and marketing, as synthesizers bubble and tingle through a track that clocks in at a formula-perfect 3:30.

    MURA MASA “Messy Love” (Anchor Point/Downtown/Geffen)

    Minimalism goes pop with the producer Mura Masa’s airtight, artificial, catchy track full of plinking gongs and looping piano.

    WILLOW “Oh No!!!” (MFSTS Music/Roc Nation)

    Skeletal but frantic percussion and bass drive this panicky admission of fear of commitment.

    IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE “The Chant (Iquo Isang)” (Merge)

    Reaffirming and warping her Nigerian heritage with African-tinged electronic funk, Eno Williams sings in Ibibio and English about drawing strength from a remembered traditional chant.

    LAURA MARLING “Soothing” (More Alarming/Kobalt)

    Two basses plucking in tandem cradle Laura Marling’s resolute voice as she turns away an ex who wants a second chance.

    JULIA MICHAELS “Issues” (Republic)

    Love equals group therapy for two as Julia Michaels details, and accepts, both her and her guy’s worst tendencies over stately strings.

    Protomartyr issues a warning to the next generation on “My Children.” Drew Anthony Smith for The New York Times

    PROTOMARTYR “My Children” (Domino)

    A measured drone accelerates and keeps accelerating toward a wailing psychedelia, as Joe Casey grumbles and barks his thoughts on the plight of the next generation: “Good luck with the mess I left.”

    GRIZZLY BEAR “Three Rings” (RCA)

    A six-beat rhythm, subdivided multiple ways and supporting an array of melodic fragments and guitar lines, propels this onetime Brooklyn band’s song through separations and reconciliations.

    DUA LIPA “New Rules” (Warner Bros.)

    Dua Lipa sings brash, big-voiced pop with self-empowerment in mind. Over the Caribbean-tinged beat of “New Rules,” she reminds herself not to succumb to old temptations.

    TYMINSKI “Southern Gothic” (Mercury Nashville)

    Twangy guitar and haunted-house electronics carry a song about Bible Belt hypocrisy.

    The final album Sharon Jones recorded with the Dap-Kings includes a powerful gospel song. Karsten Moran for The New York Times

    SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS “Call on God” (Daptone)

    The soul belter Sharon Jones, who died in 2017, never got around to recording a whole album of gospel; there’s just this song, fervently insisting on divine generosity.

    JOAN SHELLEY “If the Storms Never Came” (No Quarter)

    Intertwined acoustic and electric guitars, harking back to Pentangle, carry a serene modal melody and thoughts about how disruption is essential.

    CHRIS STAPLETON “Without Your Love” (Mercury Nashville)

    Tucked away near the end of Chris Stapleton’s “From A Room Vol. 1” is this folky, dramatic plea for a lover’s return.

    The xx’s Romy Madley Croft, center, sings about the performance of everyday life in a song from the band’s latest album. Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

    THE XX “Performance” (Young Turks)

    How much of everyday life is a defensive facade? In this drumless, string-backed ballad, Romy Madley Croft hopes her “brave face” will be seen through, but she doesn’t expect that to happen.

    LES AMAZONES D’AFRIQUE “I Play the Kora” (Real World/RFI Talent/3d Family)

    A Pan-African women’s supergroup sings for African feminism, demanding respect and opportunity, atop deep, strange studio funk.

    ED SHEERAN “Shape of You” (Atlantic)

    Here’s clockwork catchiness: layer upon crisp layer, all staccato rhythm including the vocals.

    Josh Tillman, who records as Father John Misty, made an album filled with songs perfect for the era of outrage. Andrew White for The New York Times

    FATHER JOHN MISTY “Pure Comedy” (Sub Pop/Bella Union)

    The idiom is cabaret piano ballad with electronic reinforcement. Meanwhile, the lyrics see humanity from afar and it’s not pretty: biologically predetermined, deeply superstitious and greedily self-destructive.

    Jon Caramanica

    1. CHRIS JEDAY FEATURING J BALVIN, OZUNA AND ARCÁNGEL “Ahora Dice” (Universal Latin)

    Best Latin pop, best Latin trap, best post-reggaeton, best posse cut, best heartbreak anthem, etc.

    A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie shows off his versatile style on three songs with a host of collaborators. Krista Schlueter for The New York Times

    2. A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE FEATURING KODAK BLACK “Drowning” (Highbridge/Atlantic); DON Q FEATURING A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE “Protect Ya Patek” (Highbridge/Atlantic); A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE FEATURING FABOLOUS “Wild Thots” (soundcloud.com/a-boogie-wit-da-hoodie)

    Depending on the company, A Boogie can be brawny, cheeky, blustery, whatever he wants.

    3. BRETT YOUNG “In Case You Didn’t Know” (Big Machine)

    Love as a meditation that’s bigger than circumstance.

    4. CHARLIE PUTH “Attention” (Atlantic)

    Mean, low, greasy, desperate and yet somehow glistening.

    5. SAHBABII FEATURING LOSO LOADED “Pull Up Wit Ah Stick” (Casting Bait/Warner Bros.)

    The melodies are intoxicating on this sweet hymnal about casual violence.

    6. ASHLEY MCBRYDE “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” (Warner Nashville/Atlantic)

    A hearty, expertly written country song about hope after hopelessness.

    7. LOUGOTCASH FEATURING REMY BOY MONTY “Pipe Down”; LOUGOTCASH “Make 10” (Gwinin)

    Back-to-back slaps from one of hip-hop’s most instinctual hook men.

    Lil Uzi Vert is a rapper who is helping to melt traditional hip-hop into something different. Whitten Sabbatini for The New York Times

    8. LIL UZI VERT “XO Tour Llif3” (Generation Now/Atlantic)

    This is 2017 hip-hop, the Salvador Dalí remix.

    9. LIL PEEP FEATURING LIL TRACY “Awful Things”; LIL PEEP “Better Off (Dying)” (Lil Peep/First Access)

    R.I.P. (and watch out for imitators).

    10. SNOH AALEGRA FEATURING LOGIC “Sometimes” (ARTium)

    Revisiting the groove of the mid-1990s, back when hip-hop and R&B were still equal dance partners.

    DJ Khaled was responsible for one of the year’s sunniest songs. Jake Michaels for The New York Times

    11. DJ KHALED FEATURING JUSTIN BIEBER, QUAVO, CHANCE THE RAPPER AND LIL WAYNE “I’m the One” (We the Best/Epic)

    A song so much like sunshine that it essentially disappeared at the first gust of fall wind.

    12. JACOB SARTORIUS FEATURING BLACKBEAR “Hit Me Back” (RCA)

    Kids these days already know: technology is here to keep us further apart, not unite us.

    13. CARDI B “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” (KSR/Atlantic)

    Seems silly to keep griping about New York rap when this is here, no?

    After a big 2016, Frank Ocean released “Chanel” as a surprise this year. Chad Batka for The New York Times

    14. FRANK OCEAN “Chanel” (Boys Don’t Cry)

    He sings like he’s pleading but there isn’t a hint of need underneath.

    15. SAM HUNT “Drinkin’ Too Much” (MCA Nashville)

    The best Sam Hunt song of the year wasn’t the one that topped the Billboard country chart for 34 weeks.

    16. PRETTYMUCH “Would You Mind” (Syco/Columbia)

    The ecstasy of the peak boy-band era is due for a comeback — this has that, and also harmonies, and a sense of history.

    17. MATT OX “Overwhelming” (soundcloud.com/matt_ox)

    An argument for every precocious preteen to be armed with a professional video crew, a SoundCloud account and a fidget spinner.

    18. BAILEY BRYAN “Hard Drive Home” (300/Warner Nashville)

    An outstanding country song about heartbreak from a young singer who’s already looking past Nashville.

    19. NICKY JAM FEATURING WISIN “Si Tú La Ves” (Sony Latin)

    Exuberant reggaeton carnival music.

    20. THE BLAZE “Territory” (Animal 63)

    Birthing music for new planets, new solar systems.

    Luis Fonsi, left, and Daddy Yankee had one of the biggest singles of the year — even without Justin Bieber on the remix — with “Despacito.” Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

    21. LUIS FONSI AND DADDY YANKEE FEATURING JUSTIN BIEBER “Despacito (remix)” (Universal Latin/RBMG/Def Jam/Republic)

    Justin Bieber probably still doesn’t know the words, but everyone else does.

    22. JESSIE REYEZ “Gatekeeper” (FMLY)

    Raw catharsis for anyone who’s ever dealt with a Harvey Weinstein, a Charlie Rose, a Louis C.K.

    23. MABEL FEATURING KOJO FUNDS “Finders Keepers” (Capitol)

    Post-speed garage R&B is back.

    Smokepurpp is a SoundCloud rapper making music in one of the most exciting underground scenes of the year. Kyle Johnson for The New York Times

    24. SMOKEPURPP “Ski Mask” (Alamo); LIL PUMP “Molly” (Tha Lights Global/Warner Bros.)

    Peak punk from the Beavis and Butt-Head of SoundCloud rap.

    25. ED SHEERAN “Dive” (Atlantic)

    The happiest blues.