After all of the big end-of-the year lists—Best Albums, Best Songs, Best New Artists, Best Videos—there are always a handful of songs and artists that we wish we could have highlighted. This year, we decided to try to do that with one more list. This list features some of the lesser known songs released in 2017 that we kept going back to for one reason or another. Some are potential hits from artists in their early stages, some are a little too left-field for mainstream attention, and some are random gems that we know very little about but still loved listening to in 2017. Hopefully you find something in hear that you like, and we'll see you in 2018.
Falease - "Come Up in a Minute"
Recommended if you like: Rap that puts an equal amount of focus on lyrics and melody
Ohio rapper Falease has a potential breakout hit on his hands with “Come Up in a Minute,” a song that includes the best of both the melodic and lyrical sides of rap music. He bought a one-way ticket to New York earlier this year, and the fruits of his labor will no doubt start paying off soon. The memorable hook sits beside verses with increasingly impressive flows, showing that there’s a lot more to Falease than it might initially seem. If his next track is anywhere near this good, he’ll be having a huge 2018.
Blondage - "Stoned"
Recommended if you like: Pop music with an edge
It seemed like just a few years ago, forward-thinking artists like Charli XCX, Lorde, and MØ occupied this middle ground of pop music where new paths were being forged, risks were being taken, and there was an accessible but edgy alternative to radio hits. Now those three artists are all certified pop stars, and there's a big gap between up-and-coming pop acts and established hit-makers. Danish duo Blondage (Esben Andersen & Pernille Smith-Sivertsen) aren't on the charts yet, but "Stoned" is an excellent song that could have easily been a radio hit, and hopefully is just the beginning for a new act carrying on the tradition of excellent Scandinavian pop music that is at once immediate and interesting.
1010 Benja SL - "Boofiness"
Recommended if you like: Mystery and minimalism
"Boofiness" is an anomaly. We don't have much any information on 1010 Benja SL, but this song has been a low-key favorite among the P&P staff ever since we heard it earlier this year. It's a sparse, piano-driven track with not much to it aside from vocals, piano, and handclaps, but the songwriting here is stellar. Despite being almost six minutes long, it's highly addictive and feels like it should explode into an all-out R&B smash at any moment, except it doesn't do that... at all. Hopefully by this time next year we'll have more info on 1010 Benja SL and more music, but until then, "Boofiness" stays on repeat and this will remain one of those songs we love putting people onto and then shrugging when they start asking questions.
Rozwell Fitzroy - "Block Game"
Recommended if you like: The idea of a Kaytranada and 24hrs collaboration
Rozwell Fitzroy released one song in 2017, and it's called "Block Game." Born and raised in Virginia Beach, Fitzroy has been making music his whole life, but "Block Game" is the only song he officially shared on his SoundCloud this year. That made it hard to keep Rozwell Fitzroy in the conversation, but "Block Game" deserves more shine. It's an out-of-this-world take on modern music, drawing from genres across the board and sounding like some kind of bass-heavy alien lullaby. "I made 'Block Game' after a three-day stretch where I felt like I couldn't make anything," Fitzroy told us. "I set out to make the most outlandish song I made up to that point. It just happened in like 30 minutes while the sun was setting. I remember the moment I made it I knew other people would like this song a lot and that it would do something for them. I was really happy that day."
Octavian - "Party Here"
Recommended if you like: Rappers pushing the boundaries
Octavian was born in France but grew up in South East London, and although "Party Here" isn't his debut, it feels like the start of something specials. He delivers the full package—a crisp, colorful, highly GIFable video to accompany a track that is packed with personality. Producer JGBRM serves up a restless, kaleidoscopic beat that is part tropical party, part futuristic sci-fi score, and Octavian does the rest, switching pace and flows, choosing the perfect moments to let the beat breathe or add some melody to his scratchy delivery. "You're going to blow it's only timing," he sings near the end, and it feels prophetic.
Reddish Blu - "When I Get Too Sad"
Recommended if you like: Amy Winehouse
Reddish Blu is a 19-year-old singer from Massachusetts, and "when i get too sad" is an intoxicating gem that's an ideal fit for late night listening. "I had wrote the song after I got drunk one weekend," Reddish Blu told us earlier this year. "I was in my feelings over some boy. In the song I am singing about how I say things that I don't mean when I'm drunk, and that honestly sometimes it hurts to know the truth and to be blinded by your own thoughts."
Girlhood - "Bad Decisions"
Recommended if you like: Amy Winehouse and huge pop hooks
Girlhood is a duo from London and we really wanted to include them in Best New Artists of 2017, but they simply haven't released enough music yet. In the past, we've jumped the gun and thrown artists on that list too early, so we decided to give them a little more time. If this duo can come up with anymore songs even half as good as the poppy but soulful "Bad Decisions," they'll be on the Best New Artists of 2018 list for sure. Oh and also, they record their music on a house boat, which is sick.
Est-Her - "Last Minute Wedding"
Recommended if you like: Arcade Fire and Autre Ne Veut
Toronto-based musician Est-Her made his debut this year with the stellar “Sympathy,” but the best was yet to come. Months later, he followed up his incredibly promising first track with “Last Minute Wedding.” Produced by P&P favorite Poter Elvinger, Est-Her’s “Last Minute Wedding” manages to sound even more grandiose than its predecessor. Making brilliant use of Poter’s distinctive, runway-ready production style, it's a cinematic, sprawling song that has us eager to hear what Est-Her will cook up in the future.
Busu - "I've Been Coughing Blood"
Recommended if you like: The idea of a Yung Lean and Blink-182 collaboration
Busu wasn’t the only artist to mix pop-punk with rap this year, but he was one of the best to do it. “I’ve Been Coughing Blood” might not take this combination to the extreme like his other track “Curse On You and the Clique that You Claim” does, but it’s just as unique in its approach. The Swedish rapper teamed up with DJ Haydn and Teo Sweden for his album Family, and it paid off.
Scandinavian pop lineage shines through on “I’ve Been Coughing Blood," with an incredible chorus that blends well with the minimal, guitar-led production. It’s got an accessible sheen, but it’s still delightfully different, sounding quite unlike anything else that came out this year.
Clayjay ft. TOBi - "Ride"
Recommended if you like: Anderson .Paak
Los Angeles producer Clayjay and Toronto vocalist TOBi made one of the best summer songs of 2017. Despite the fact that it dropped in October, it's a track that we revisited often for a warm, feel-good vibe. Both of these artists are insanely talented and have bright futures ahead, and "Ride" is a breezy glimpse of things to come.
Jelani Aryeh - "Where We Go"
Recommended if you like: Khalid
Jelani Aryeh is still a teenager and the restlessness of suburban small town living runs through his debut EP, Suburban Destinesia. Music provides an escape, and Jelani created a music and art collective called Raised By The Internet on a Brockhampton fan forum. The EP includes rap verses, sunny pop hooks, R&B touchstones, and glimmering electronic production, but the most instantly impressive part might be Jelani's songwriting. "Where We Go," is a heartfelt indie-pop song powered by a mournful but memorable hook, and it gives a glimpse at the kind of talent that stars are made of.
Yeule - "Separation Anxiety"
Recommended if you like: Ethereal pop music inspired by lucid dreaming
Embodying an aesthetic that can only be described as ambient pop, London and Singapore-based Zoom Lens mainstay Yeule put out one of the dreamiest EPs this year. Drifting like a spectre in the background of her ethereal productions, she beautifully conveyed the feeling of missing someone important with “Separation Anxiety.” Her vocals, which sit deep within the mix of cloudy, atmospheric sound, come across alone, but sound completely at home. It feels just like a lucid dream where control is slowly taken away, leading to a place that’s not quite where intended, but still worth visiting.
Jonatan Leandoer127 - "Hell Rain"
Recommended if you like: Daniel Johnston and Yung Lean
Yung Lean returned this year with the fantastic Stranger, a progressive effort containing some of his prettiest and most adventurous material. But 2017 also saw Lean experimenting with his side project Jonatan Leandoer127 once again, releasing an EP entirely produced by Palmistry. The bare Katla EP sees Lean completely removed from hip-hop, singing over drumless, ambient production. It’s a striking project, and “Hell Rain” is its finest moment. Yung Lean keeps this project quieter than he ought to, and anyone with even a passing interest in his music owes it to themselves to check out “Hell Rain.”
Fly Anakin, Koncept Jack$on, and Tuamie - "Grandma's Spot"
Recommended if you like: Lootpack
Virginia rappers Fly Anakin and Koncept Jack$on linked with New Jersey producer TUAMIE for the Panama Plus project, and it's the type of thing you can play from front to back without skipping. It's rap music for those unimpressed with current trends, and it keeps things interesting with beats that wouldn't be out of place on a playlist with DOOM, Lootpack, and Wu-Tang. Their sound is steeped in sharp lyricism and it's rough around the edges, but the heady production sets it apart from traditional rappers stuck on boring loops and basic samples. Stay tuned for more on these three and their 11-member collective Mutant Academy, but for now check out "Grandma's Spot."
Bobby Raps - "Black Ice"
Recommended if you like: Emotional bangers and Post Malone
Over the past few years, Bobby Raps has solidified himself as a Minnesota legend. The St. Paul artist has worked with The Weeknd and Miley Cyrus, but his most impressive accomplishment artistically would have to be this year’s Mark mixtape. Showcasing his talents as a writer, rapper, singer, and producer, it’s the first full-length project from him that flaunts the full breadth of what he’s capable of. “Black Ice,” a gorgeous and forlorn track that comes around the half-point of the release, should act as a stellar primer for those unaware of his frequently stunning solo work.
GKR - "UPP"
Recommended if you like: Melodic and playful rap
Icelandic rap might sound like a hard sell, but GKR is very much interested in abolishing the idea of a language barrier with his music. With his best song so far, “UPP,” he’s managed to create a hook that’s catchy even if you don't know a lick of Icelandic. The rhythmic nature of the language lends itself remarkably well to rap music, and the way GKR utilizes melody on “UPP” makes for an enjoyable listen regardless of whether or not you can understand what he’s saying. In a year in which Yaeji has people singing along to songs in an entirely different language, GKR’s “UPP” deserves to get some attention, too.
Pincaravan! - "Pop, Lock, & Lemon Drops"
Recommended if you like: Rap music that doesn't take itself too seriously
"I want Namesake. and I to be like Missy Elliott and Timbaland," Pinkcaravan! told us when we talked to her about her a very sad happy birthday EP earlier this year. On that EP and subsequent releases like "Vroom Vroom" and "Pop, Lock, & Lemon Drops," the pair demonstrate undeniable chemistry, building a world that is colorful and tinged with childlike wonder, but grounded by relatable lyrics like, "I can't do no negativity... Oh wait I'm sad again." Nothing about this song is in your face, but it's packed with the kind of phrases and melodies that will worm their way into your consciousness.
Sybyr - "101 Dalmatians"
Recommended if you like: Forward-thinking rap production
It’s been something of a tumultuous year for Sybyr, the subversive rapper formerly known as Syringe. He went missing for a few weeks during June, after going through a “mental episode.” Thankfully, he turned up safe not long after, delivering a promising project and putting his troubles behind him.
Moving past the noisy, aggressive rap that had defined his earlier output as Syringe, he branched out, rapping and singing over more varied and often minimal beats. The highpoint of which is “101Dalmatians,” a song that retains his experimental edge while also being one of his most accessible and hypnotizing songs so far. It’s not a definitive entry point to his music by any means, but it is an excellent example of his more melodic side.
Roy Blair - "Jane"
Recommended if you like: Kevin Abstract and Tyler, the Creator
After going on tour with Brockhampton’s Kevin Abstract as a backing vocalist this year, L.A.-based musician Roy Blair delivered his long-awaited debut album Cat Heaven. It’s easy to see what Kevin saw in Blair. Stylistically Cat Heaven plays out like a sister album to Kevin’s own American Boyfriend, but there’s a lot more to him than that. Blending lovestruck indie with confessional rap, his first album is free of fluff, with him taking on production and vocal duties to fantastic effect. Still, it’s his songwriting abilities that shine the brightest. There are some fantastic songs on the album, and single “Jane” is a great place to start.
Eyedress - "Manila Ice"
Recommended if you like: Mac DeMarco
Manila’s Eyedress took a hard stance with “Manila Ice.” Taken from his album of the same name, the track tackles Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte's deadly war on drugs. The simple but biting lyrics, which he took a step further with the Paco Raterta-directed music video, repeat over and over. It acts as a reminder of the devastating effect the 15-month campaign had on countless families—thousands were murdered by police and vigilantes, and Eyedress is trying to make sure that isn’t forgotten anytime soon.
