Songs of the year, number 21: Desire Marea - Tavern Kween [Single Mix] (Official Video)

A euphoric, soaring, almost otherworldly slice of mesmerising disco, this single also serves as an elegant salute on the part of Marea to his aunts, who would haunt the male dominated taverns of Amandawe in pursuit of good times and empowerment. It is a gorgeously atmospheric piece, timeless and stylish. 

Songs of the year, number 22: Moon Kissed - Saturday Night [Official Music Video]

Coming across strong, and with all the pent up energy and yearning of a age group who've been hit particularly hard by successive Covid lockdowns, 'Saturday Night' sees synth pop band Moon Kissed passionately missing the hedonistic rush of Saturday nights of yore. It's a stylish, sophisticated slice of pure pop energy that harks back to both the hedonism of the 1980s and more recent headrush pop acts such as Icona Pop. Time will tell if it stands the test of time, but at the moment it's a handy sonic postcard from 2021 that may well endure. 

Songs of the year, number 23: Courtney Barnett - Write A List Of Things To Look Forward To (Official V...

'Write A List Of Things To Look Forward To' is Courtney Barnett at her laconic best. In this case, trying to be philosophical in the face of a global pandemic and celebrating the small things in life. The song's themes are beautifully illustrated by the video, which celebrates the joy and anticipation of a prolonged postal fuelled friendship.

Songs of the year, number 24: ROSÉ - 'On The Ground' M/V

The debut solo single for BLACKPINK singer Rosé, 'On The Ground' demonstrated a more stripped down, reflective tone suggesting a change of direction away from the turbo charged high energy pop numbers the K Pop band are known for. 'On The Ground' has acoustic pop and electro pop elements, but there's a lack of bombast here and what you have instead is an elegant salute to the simple life. Which might seem odd, given the context, but it really, really works. A classic stylish pop piece that should age well. 

Songs of the year, number 25: Promise And The Monster - Beating Heart (Official Music Video)

Stockholm's Promise And The Monster (aka Billie Lindahl) has been releasing material since 2007. The  mesmerisingly pretty soundscape that is 'Beating Heart' was released as part of the Chewing Gum EP in early 2021. Comparisons to Kate Bush and early Grimes might spring to mind on the first listen, but it really is the track that keeps on giving, one that has created an entire sonic world around itself that you can inhabit blissfully for the almost 5 minutes of this most siren of songs. Breathtakingly gorgeous. 

Songs of the year, number 26: Das Beat - "Ariadne" (Official Video)

A lockdown project created in Berlin in 2020 by Agor (Blue Hawaii) and theatre actress Eddie Rabenberger, Das Beat released their EP Identität in May 2021. The title is presumed to be a reference to Ariadne of Naxos who, having provided Theseus with the ball of twine needed to escape the Minotaur's labyrinth, is then unceremoniously abandoned by him on the nearest convenient island. The video to this moody and atmospheric slice of electro pop includes a beguiling choreographed modern dance sequence between Agor and Rabenberger that is absorbing and apt given the themes of love and abandonment. 

Songs of the year, number 27: Billy Nomates - Heels

Coming on like a snarling, nihilistic scuffed electro punk version of Bette Davis, Nomates was tagged as One To Watch in summer 2020 by The Guardian's Laura Snapes (who definitely knows her musical onions). 'Heels', which was released in early 2021, became something of a musical calling card for Billy, serving as her ticket onto the 6Music playlist and ensuring that she was all packed and ready to go when gigs began to start up again. It remains a banging slice of attitude filled electro punk, and should endure well beyond this year as Billy Nomates star continues to rise.