Shockingly enough, 2017 has flown by and we're closer to 2018 than we are to 2016. And with these past eight months have come some really incredible new music releases. Here are 17 of the best songs of 2017 so far.
17. "I Don't Wanna Dance" - COIN
After the release of their new album, How Will You Know If You Never Try, in April, I'm just convinced COIN have mastered the art of the perfect indie-pop song. "I Don't Wanna Dance" perfectly encapsulates that.
16. "Green Light" - Lorde
Lorde is queen and Melodrama, her most recent album and return to the music scene after almost 3 years of silence is pure genius (see here). "Green Light" was the first promotional single that introduced the new album, and received an incredible amount of well-deserved attention, so it has to make this list.
15. "I Miss Those Days" - Bleachers
Hidden in the middle of Bleacher's June release, Gone Now, is "I Miss Those Days," a true, honest, fun, saxophone-filled, absolute jam. I have tried too many times to express in words how great this song is, but I tend to fail. That's probably as close as I'm going to get.
14. "J-Boy" - Phoenix
One week post-Gone Now release, we saw French synth-pop band Phoenix's Ti Amo crash onto the scene. The Grammy-award-winning group's lead single was "J-Boy," released in late April to successful reviews and was named "Best New Track" by Pitchfork. Yes, it is that good.
13. "Want You Back" - HAIM
If you only know the ladies of HAIM as Taylor Swift's friends, you are missing out. They gained success with their first album in 2013, but the three sisters are back making even better music than before. This first single was released in May and has been killing it ever since.
12. "The Man" - The Killers
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The Killers are still making music? Yes, and you can get their fifth album, Wonderful Wonderful, on September 22nd, 2017. In the meantime, listen to "The Man," the lead single released on June 14th. It's nothing like "Mr. Brightside" but it's definitely the disco-rock sound that we love this band for.
11. "Older Now" - 888
The epitome of an alternative rock jam is this song. "Critical Mistakes" saw success in 2016 but it's clear that this band has found exactly where they belong in "Older Now" and their certainty makes their talent undeniable.
10. "Malibu" - Miley Cyrus
Contrastingly, the uncertainty and unpredictability of Miley Cyrus are what makes her so incredible. Who is she, really? With "Malibu," we might now know for sure. Her newfound simplicity and mellowed out music are likely to be what grounds her forthcoming album, for which we cannot wait to finally arrive.
9. "Slide" - Calvin Harris
There is literally nothing like this song, it is just so good. I never get tired of it; I will dance every time it is on, no matter what. I actually had a hard time believing it was actually released in 2017, because it feels like it's been around for a lot longer. But that might just be because I listen to it every day.
8. "Ever Since New York" - Harry Styles
Oh, Harry Styles, how I love you. Before the release of his first solo studio album, I included this song on my spring playlist because it was performed live on Saturday Night Live and I fell in love with it. Many months later, here I am, still begging people to listen to this song because I'm still in love.
7. "Still Feel Like Your Man" - John Mayer
If you aren't in love with this new John Mayer, I don't have much to say to you. "Love On The Weekend" was the perfect introduction to his new era, back and better than ever. But the true growth is in the heart-wrenching honesty of songs like "Still Feel Like Your Man," chronicling his inner struggles with letting go throughout the album.
6. "where do you go" - Flor
If you know nothing else about Flor , know that they are cool. In every sense of the word, at all times, simply, utterly, absolutely cool. "where do you go" is a jam, and in my opinion, the best song off their new album. They're currently running the summer music festival route (did you see them at Lolla this weekend?) and still have Made In America in Philadelphia and The Meadows in New York to go. See them.
5. "Feel It Still" - Portugal. The Man
If any song deserves to be on this list, it has got to be this one. "Feel It Still" has spent the past 12 consecutive weeks at the number one spot on Sirius XM Alt Nation's Alt 18. Literally every week for the past three months no one has bumped it from the number one spot. I can't really think of anything more impressive than that.
4. "Suit and Jacket" - Judah & the Lion
Do you know "Take It All Back," the lead single off Judah & the Lion's latest album? You'll like this one even more. Folk rock is at the heart and soul of this band and "Suit and Jacket" will tug at your heartstrings in its honest lyrics while staying true to the sound.
3. "Bad Behavior" - The Maine
I couldn't tell you one negative thing about The Maine. April saw the release of their sixth studio album, Lovely Little Lonely, but the hype began in January with the release of this single, "Bad Behavior." The nice thing about The Maine is that while they have grown and changed over their ten years, as one should, the best way to describe them is cohesive and consistent. They're the same band you fell in love with in 2007, it's the same sound you know and love because they know who they are and they're loyal to their sound. You can't ask for anything more.
2. "Humongous" - Declan McKenna
In case you didn't know, Declan McKenna is literally 18-years-old. In 2015, at 16-years-old, he released "Brazil" which was praised as a "sharp critique on sports, money and power," and even gained recognition from Adele on his incredibly mature and successful songwriting. Needless to say, the stakes were high for "Humongous," his latest release. And it did not disappoint. He's still killin' it (and I hope you caught him at Lolla this weekend, too.)
1. "I'm The One" - DJ Khaled
Don't fight me on this.
