Lucinda Williams recently announced that her 11th studio album, titled The Ghosts of Highway 20, will drop on February 5th. Williams has been reasonably prolific, releasing an album about every other year since 2001’s Essence. That’s after taking 18 years to release her first four records.
I’ve wanted to do another song-by-song album review on the blog, and I think the new Williams album might be just the ticket.
Later in my 2015 ‘top songs’ countdown, I will wrote about Carly Rae Jepsen’s album E•MO•TION, the best pure pop record of the year.
Today’s Random iTunes Selection comes from the best pop album of 2007, Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad. This record has more R&B and hip-hop flavors than Jepsen’s but it’s no less a giddy hit machine.
Best Songs of 2015 – #16
‘Cool For the Summer’ – Demi Lovato
The summer of 2015 lacked a clear frontrunner for “Song of the Summer” status. Billboard dissected its own charts and declared OMI the winner for his late-season hit ‘Cheerleader.’ Wiz Khalifa, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Fetty Wap and Walk the Moon all had skin in the game as well.
Demi Lovato broke the unofficial rule that no Song of the Summer should contain the word “summer” but, for my money, her ‘Cool For the Summer’ was certainly one of the best.
Best Songs of 2015 – #17
‘If Love Was Fair’ – Ashley Monroe
Unfortunately my favorite country artist (and one of my favorite anything artists), Miranda Lambert, took 2015 off (though I can’t wait for her inevitable break-up album).
Fortunately her Pistol Annies bandmate Ashley Monroe stepped up to fill Lambert’s shows admirably with solo album The Blade.
Best Songs of 2015 – #18
‘Reality’ – Lost Frequencies
Clocking in at #17 is the year’s best collaboration between a Belgian DJ and a Dutch actor (it was a tough competition, I know).
I was introduced to ‘Reality’ by my 9-year-old daughter, who heard it in her elementary school music class. I loved it instantly.
Meet Me In Montauk 