A Tough Pill to Swallow: The Top 50 Songs of 2021

Screenshot of Injury Reserve’s “Knees” video by There Stands the Glass.

My ranking of the fifty new songs I loved most in 2021 bears little resemblance to There Stands the Glass’ Top Albums of 2021 list.  The disparity is intentional.  A forthcoming accounting of the 50 best live performances I caught in 2021 will contain further deviations.  Injury Reserve’s disquieting “Knees” meant the most to me in recent months.  The rest of the songs are sequenced by personal preference with a bit of flexibility for optimal playlist appeal.  Here’s the Spotify playlist.

1. Injury Reserve- "Knees"

2. Coi Leray- "No More Parties"

3. J Balvin and Skrillex- “"In Da Ghetto"

4. Tokischa and Rosalía- "Linda"

5. Priya Ragu- "Lockdown"

6. Little Simz- "Rollin' Stone"

7. Cake Pop, Pritty, Aaron Carter and Ravenna Golden- "Satin Bedsheets"

8. The Streets- "Who's Got the Bag"

9. Celeste- "Tonight Tonight"

10. Billie Eilish- "Lost Cause"

11. Badbadnotgood- "City of Mirrors"

12. Chlöe- "Have Mercy"

13. Sir the Baptist featuring Anthony Hamilton- "Jesus in the Ghetto"

14. Rod Wave- "Tombstone"

15. Remi Wolf- “Anthony Kiedis”

16. Blackstarkids- "Juno"

17. Shannon & The Clams- "Year of the Spider"

18. Olivia Rodrigo- "Brutal"

19. Amyl and the Sniffers- "Freaks to the Front"

20. Willow featuring Cherry Glazerr- “¡Breakout!”

21. Elle King and Miranda Lambert- “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”

22. Roman Alexander featuring Ashley Cooke- "Between You & Me"

23. Tinashe- "Bouncin'"

24. Megan Thee Stallion- "Thot Sh*t"

25. IDK with Swae Lee and Rico Nasty- "Keto"

26. Jungle- "No Rules"

27. Jana Rush- "Disturbed"

28. Nightmares on Wax- "Miami 80"

29. Earl Sweatshirt- "2010"

30. Slowthai featuring James Blake and Mount Kimbie- "Feel Away"

31. Pooh Shiesty featuring Gucci Mane- "Ugly"

32. Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar- "Family Ties"

33. Saweetie featuring Doja Cat- "Best Friend"

34. City Girls- "Scared"

35. Kevin Gates- "Plug Daughter 2"

36. Maxo Kream- “Cripstian”

37. Tony Allen and Danny Brown- "Deer in Headlights"

38. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss- "High and Lonesome"

39. Samantha Fish featuring Tech N9ne- "Loud"

40. Rauw Alejandro and Anitta- “Brazilera”

41. Céu - “Chega Mais”

42. Adele- "All Night Parking"

43. Cécile McLorin Salvant - "Ghost Song"

44. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis- “Albuquerque”

45. Willie Nelson- "Too Sick to Pray"

46. Brittney Spencer- "Sober & Skinny"

47. Lauren Alaina- "It Was Me"

48. Moby, Mark Lanegan and Kris Kristofferson- "The Lonely Night"

49. Loretta Lynn- “I Don’t Feel at Home Anymore”

50. Sarah Brand- "Red Dress"

Links to 16 previous year-end There Stands the Glass surveys begin here.

Concert Review: Adam Doleac and Roman Alexander at KC Live

Original image by There Stands the Glass.

I joined a throng of approximately 5,000 unmasked revelers in the KC Live block of the Power & Light District on Thursday, June 3.  The delirious sense of joy permeating the free Hot Country Nights concert by country up-and-comers Adam Doleac and Roman Alexander was so infectious that I considered removing my homemade John Deere face-covering.

Only the usual bugaboos making KC Live a problematic space for live music prevented me from surrendering to the communal elation.  Canyon-esque echoing, sound-bleed issuing from the surrounding establishments and alcohol-fueled chattering among revelers made hearing Doleac and Alexander challenging.  Although I was positioned just 30 feet from the edge of the stage, the performances were often drowned out by the surrounding dissonance.

The Instagram clip I posted of Alexander performing his biggest hit reflects the atmosphere.  The young women near me can be heard coordinating a Snapshot video during the hometown show by the man who was raised near Parkville, Missouri.  Their endeavor was consistent with a flirtatious ambience resembling a massive speed dating event for country singles.  Music was a secondary consideration.

Stages give pop-oriented country acts like Doleac and Alexander an opportunity to embrace or defy the slick sound of their radio hits.  The compromised environment of Thursday’s show made it impossible to ascertain the intentions of either man, although fiddles and pedal steel guitars were nowhere to be seen.

Doleac covered Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” and Fountains of Wayne’s “Stacy’s Mom.”  Alexander’s attempt to play what might have been a Kings of Leon song failed to cut through the tumultuous racket.  In spite of the challenges inherent in attending concerts at KC Live, I know I’ll be back.  Hot Country Nights is far from perfect for music-oriented country fans, but the buoyant atmosphere and the price of admission is irresistible.