BEST SONGS OF 2021

Here are the top 50 songs of 2021:

50) Rostam - 4Runner

49) Lorde - Stoned at the Nail Salon

48) Caroline Polachek - Bunny Is A Rider

47) Nas - Nobody ft. Ms. Lauryn Hill

46) Billie Eilish - Power

45) Baby Keem - family ties ft. Kendrick Lamar

44) Wet - On Your Side

43) Arlo Parks - Eugene

42) Leon Bridges - Why Don't You Touch Me

41) Snoh Aalegra - We Don’t Have to Talk About It

40) Sharon Van Etton and Angel Olsen - Like I Used To

39) Tierra Whack - Millions

38) Liza - Lansdowne

37) India Shawn - TOO SWEET ft. Unknown Mortal Orchestra

36) Madlib - Road of the Lonely Ones

35) Isaiah Rashad - Score ft. SZA & 6LACK

34) Charlotte Day Wilson - Take Care of You ft. Syd

33) Cardi B - Up

32) Snail Mail - Mia

31) Tyler, the Creator - WUSYANAME ft. YoungBoy Never Broke Again & Ty Dolla $ign

30) Sweetie - Best Friend ft. Doja Cat

29) Chloe - Have Mercy

28) Lil Nas X - Montero (Call Me By Your Name)

27) Faye Webster - I Know I'm Funny Haha

26) Kanye West - Life of the Party ft. Andre 3000

25) Doja Cat - Get Into It (Yuh)

24) Little Dragon - The Other Lover ft. Moses Sumney

23) Lana Del Rey - White Dress

22) Topaz Jones - Blue ft. Gabriel Garzon-Montano

21) SZA - Good Days

20) Kirby - Break Her Heart for Me

19) Doja Cat - Kiss Me More ft. SZA

18) Shelley FKA DRAM - '93 Acura Vigor with Erykah Badu ft. Erykah Badu

17) Noname - Rainforest

16) Sault - Alcohol

15) James Blake - Coming Back ft. SZA

14) Megan Thee Stallion - Thot Shit

13) Taylor Swift - Nothing New ft. Phoebe Bridgers

12) SZA - I Hate U

11) Japanese Breakfast - Be Sweet

10) Adele - Hold On

9) Cleo Sol - Promises

8) PinkPanthress - Just for Me

7) Normani - Wild Side ft. Cardi B

6) Little Simz - Point and Kill

5) Jazmin Sullivan - Pick Up Your Feelings

4) Olivia Rodrigo - Deja Vu

3) James Blake - Funeral

2) Mustafa - Ali

1) Silk Sonic - Leave the Door Open

Justin LeeDecember 16, 2021

Dec 8, 2021

S7E11 - Lexxicon (Dancehall / Afropop Artist)

Lexxicon is a dancehall/Afropop artist from Toronto by way of Jamaica and the UK.

On his new album, Tropicon Island, he strays away from his dancehall roots and dives head-first into a rich Afrobeats sound.

Guest co-host Amanie Illfated and I talked to Lexxicon about his new album and novel, the third season of Netflix's You, and why Canadian musicians often have to move to another country in order to make it.

Nov 24, 2021

S7E10 - Leila Dey (R&B Artist)

Leila Dey is a Toronto R&B singer/songwriter who has shared the stage with Little Simz, K'Naan, and Melanie Fiona.

Her latest EP Detour explores the disintegration of a romantic relationship and its subsequent aftermath.

Guest co-host Amanie Illfated and I talked to Leila about the allegorical nature of her new EP, how the passing of her younger sister impacted her approach to making music, and her adoration for Ms. Lauryn Hill.

Oct 27, 2021

S7E09 - Zorana Sadiq (Soprano & Actor)

Zorana Sadiq wears a lot of hats, including multidisciplinary artist, soprano, actor and music teacher.

Her latest project, MixTape, is a visceral one-person play that is "part memoir, part scientific inquiry, and part love song to listening."

I talk to Zorana about the art of making a great mixtape, her tenure at Regent Park School of Music where she taught Polaris Prize-nominated Mustafa, and the annoying popularity of Kidz Bop.

Oct 13, 2021

S7E07 - Rollerouge & Deesh (Jam Roller Skaters)

At the beginning of the pandemic, roller skating culture experienced a resurgence on social media and beyond. However, the recreational activity is more than just another nostalgic phenomenon gone viral; there's a rich history of black and brown skating communities that date all the way back to the '70s.

Jared and Deejah, aka Rollerouge and Deesh, are two rising talents from Toronto's jam skating scene.

I sat down with them to talk about the cultural significance of roller skating in the black community, their unfortunate reality of having to navigate safe spaces, and their preferred soundtrack to jam skating sessions.

BEST SONGS OF 2021

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