P!nk returned this year and shocked us all with her third consecutive release of I'm Not Dead. Annoying? Yes. But it was difficult to be irritated by her all too consistent music when she released Try as her second single. While it may be a sound we've heard from her a lot over the years, it's a sound she does best. Add the video and that AMA performance into the mix and you've got the reason she's stayed relevant all these years - she's fucking awesome.
29. Begin Again - Taylor Swift
2012 was the year I finally gave into Miss Swift. I could no longer fight my love for her bitter 'fuck you' songs dedicated to her plethora of famous ex boyfriends. And while We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together was a pleasant gateway into Red, it was this song that really solidified my allegiance to her. This song is understated, honest without ever being contrived and beautiful.
28. Diamonds - Rihanna
Ah, Miss Fenty. What can I say that hasn't already been said? In Rihanna's future autobiography (tentatively titled 'Up In Smoke: Drug Addled Memories of an Icon') the chapter on 2012 will be called "The Year of Zero Fucks Given". And yet, from the ashes of trashy instagram pictures, pathetic attempts to deny her reconciliation with a human toilet brush and too much marijuana, rose this song. It's a grower, for sure, and is the shining moment on an otherwise pitch black album. I would say it was a brave single choice but as far as 2012 goes, choosing to release this was probably one of the safest decisions she made.
27. Can't Say No - Conor Maynard
"The British Justin Bieber". Hardly. Justin provokes a reaction wherever he goes, be it deafening adoration or extreme disdain. Conor causes neither. He is simply there (until the sophomore album, anyway). Boring personality aside, this was a cute introduction to his music. The album didn't really have anything quite as fun on it but that's what disposable pop stars are for, right?
26. Spirit Indestructible - Nelly Furtado
Her career proved to be anything but indestructible this year, but Nelly still managed to release one of her finest singles in Spirit Indestructible. The hectic production mixed with the inspirational lyrics summed up the rest of the album nicely and this song is the most exhilarating song from it. It's just a pity only 30 people heard it.
25. As Long As You Love Me - Justin Bieber.
I love Justin Bieber. You hear me, world? I love him. I love this song. I love that Michael Madsen agreed to star in a video with him. I love that we live in a world where Michael Madsen would tell his agent that he was okay with playing the father to Justin Bieber's girlfriend in a music video. Just imagine it. Must have been a lean month in the Madsen household.
24. Go Hard (La La La) - Kreayshawn
I know what you're thinking. Yes, Kreayshawn seems like a complete idiot. If she were your friend, you'd be likely to spend a lot of your time rolling your eyes and humouring her attempts to show you just how 'bad ass' she is. Still, she released this bratty, Ke$ha-esque single this year, which suggests to me that she's a lot more fun than she initially seemed*!
*Her fun factor is clearly directly proportional to how desperate she is for at least one hit single. But isn't this the case for all of us?
23. RIP - Rita Ora (feat. Tinie Tempah)
Rita Bora quickly became one of my favourite people this year when she broke Rob Kardashian's heart and maintained a classy silence when he proceeded to slut shame her on twitter. Sadly, it was probably the only interesting thing about her, as she released one of the most shockingly boring debut albums from a major label artist I've ever heard. RIP still sounds great though. It was a song I refused to listen to for a while, on the grounds that "I already have one Rihanna, I don't need a subpar one as well!" Turns out, subpar Rihanna cast offs are better than a lot of other songs. Who knew?
22. DNA - Little Mix
The UK needed a new girl group. As much as I love them, I have to accept that Girls Aloud are not long for this world after the Ten tour. The Sugababes managed to kill themselves in an ill timed (and shit) release of the dubsteppy (and shit) Freedom. And the less said about The Saturdays, the better. Little Mix are a much needed breath of fresh air. I was listening to this on the way to work today and it hit me just how brilliant it is. I suggest you all play DNA on your iPods on the bus, while a confused old man stares at you and talks to himself. Because that, my friends, is how I came to appreciate it fully.
21. Lemonade - Alexandra Stan
This song makes no fucking sense. The lyrics make no sense. Why is it about lemonade? And most importantly, why haven't I been able to get it out of my head for the past five months?
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