Montreal’s Chromeo, an ’80s-leaning electro-funk duo, is readying a new album for next year. As a teaser, Dave 1 and P-Thugg just released the LP’s first single, “Night By Night” (Green Label Sound), which you can download below. MAGNET asked Dave 1 to make us a mix tape, and he did so, with this disclaimer: “So a couple of weeks ago, I did a best-of-2009 playlist for Flavorwire, and I’ve been losing sleep ever since. I mean, it’s pretty on point, but then I can’t believe I forgot some key, essential, emblematic songs. Like Jeremih’s ‘Birthday Sex.’ So I have to do it over, constitutional-amendment style. They had the privilege of getting my freshly off-the-cuff first draft; MAGNET gets the well-thought-out and marinated version. Here are the best songs of 2009. When there’s a * next to a title, it means it’s a personal favorite. When it’s without a *, then it’s a perfectly objective selection—and if you don’t agree, sorry to break it to ya, but you have bad taste.”
“Night By Night” (download):
https://magnetmagazine.com/audio/NightByNight.mp3
1. Drake “Best I Ever Had”
What happens when you combine a true-school hip-hop beat, impeccable wordplay, catchy crooning and you give the song away for free, without any label push whatsoever? The biggest radio hit in the country, of course. Then Universal puts it out on iTunes and still sells hundreds of thousands of said free song … really? Musically, this the perfect combination of high-brow verbal virtuosity and hooky pop appeal. But perhaps more importantly, it’s a lesson in head-scratching for the music industry in 2009. Video
2. Jeremih “Birthday Sex”
Girl you know I-I-I-I-I. Nuff said. Sheer genius. Video
3. Phoenix “Lisztomania”
Flaunting abstruse lyrics over a Strokes-y groove and ever-so-sophisticated arrangements, the Frenchies did the unthinkable. Not only did they achieve the status of “only legit rock band where the drummer is an extra,” the also conquered America. Video
4. Boys Noize “Jeffer” *
When Eminem said that nobody listens to techno, he was right. In 2009, people listen to dubstep. Except that this is a techno song that I can bump on repeat for an hour. I did so this morning, in fact. You’ve got ’90s-house key stabs, jumpy drums and a bunch of weird bleeps and buzzes all over the place. Yep, it’s techno. But—cue echo-y vocal effect here—it’s funky. Video
5. Keri Hilson (feat. Kanye West and Ne-Yo) “Knock You Down”
A beautifully uplifting pop masterpiece. The test is easy: If you don’t like this, then you have the confirmation that you are, indeed, a racist. Video
6. Duck Sauce “aNYway” *
Yeah yeah, I put a star next to this one because it’s my little brother and all. He teamed up with the inventor of ’90s house to resurrect ’90s house. Creative, eh? Hey, it’s a huge it in the U.K. Video
7. Birdman (feat. Lil Wayne) “Always Strapped”
This has to be the hardest rap joint of the year. That beat? Bumpin! I also like the fact that every time Wezzy raps alongside his father, he purposefully dumbs down his style and still comes off brilliant. (Remember “straight up out the water with my Marc Jacobs goggles”?) Video
8. Tiga “Love Don’t Dance Here Anymore” *
This is a 10-minute disco jam produced by Soulwax with funny lyrics written by Gonzales. You’ve never heard it, and it’s a shame, because it’s splendid. Video
9. The-Dream “Fancy” *
While we’re on the topic of longer songs, who would expect a seven-minute autotune rambling session from the radio killah, and moreover, who would expect it to be brilliant? This year’s sophomore effort by The-Dream wasn’t nearly as good as “Love/Hate,” but it did feature this delicately crafted oddity, which I deem a must-hear. Video
10. Alicia Keys “Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart”
I apologize for the R&B overload; Gucci Mane aside, it wasn’t a great year for rap. I also apologize for even charting Alicia Keys; I was never a fan. But this joint just came out and it’s just too good. Pure Kate Bush meets Pat Benatar meets New Power Generation mid-tempo ’80s ballad. (But she just had to sneak in her cheesy piano at the end.) Nevertheless, see how there’s no little start on this one? Objectively speaking, this is the 10th best song of the year. Video
