Top 50 Songs of 2016 (#50-#41)

   The Top 50 countdown of my favorite music videos for 2016 is sadly over. Congrats to The Dutchess Fergie and her erotic milk campaign ad!

   Now, the time has come to shine some technicolor light on the best tracks of the past year. Songs released between January and December 13, 2016 - except for singles from a 2015 album commissioned in 2016 (sorry "Stone Cold") - were considered for this prestigious honor. Many singles that were officially serviced in 2015 from a parent album released in 2016 may not have made the final cut, as they were likely included on last year's list (ex. "Victorious" by Panic! At the Disco).

   Many artists appear on this list more than once (some even a whopping four times), huge chart toppers did not impress me nearly as much as they did the rest of the world, and tracks from across the music spectrum are included. With the year coming to a close, the recently announced Grammy Award nominations, and numerous other year-end lists, it's fun to look back at all the noise and magic of the past 12 months.

#50. "Chewing Gum" by Nina Nesbitt

   To support an edgy, new look and sound, Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt shared the Tove-Lo sounding “Chewing Gum”. Opening with an instrumental intro eerily similar to "Talking Body", all is forgiven with the first listen of Nesbitt’s alluring vocals. The artist warns her temporary lover that what they have in the moment, certainly won't last forever. With a clever premise, risque delivery and production, the single highlighted the honest, blunt and sass-filled songwriting. "Oh, you know that I'm down for whatever, I told you that it won't be forever, oh how come you still think that you're the one, baby I'm just chewing gum, until the flavor's gone," she teases on the chorus.

#49. "Come To Brazil" by Alaska Thunderfuck 5000

   While a handful of RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants have made a serious, Top 40 worthy push when it comes to their respective album releases, reigning queen Alaska Thunderfuck 5000 does not deviate from her successful brand of inappropriate comedy-pop. Featured on her sophomore effort Poundcake, the infectious, pop diva-referencing “Come To Brazil” is tongue-and-cheek pop at its finest, with a handful of humorous gay culture jokes throw in for good measure. However, the production is so sharp and appealing that it’s not completely insane to imagine it playing on the mainstream radio airwaves.

#48. "Piece By Piece (Idol Version)" by Kelly Clarkson

   Though released in 2015, Kelly Clarkson made sure her seventh studio album delivered a memorable moment well into 2016. “Piece By Piece (Idol Version)” came to fruition after a show-stopping, emotional performance on the stage that originally made Clarkson a star. Singing directly to her disappointing father, comparing him unfavorably to her current husband, the pop production was stripped away the second time around to allow the artist to shine on her own. The live performance was immediately serviced as an official single, it reignited interest in the parent album and it eventually became the first song from the effort to crack into the Top 10.

#47. "Stop Desire" by Tegan and Sara

   Love is hard to stop once it really gets rolling. Sparks started to fly for Tegan and Sara on "Stop Desire", a passionate, optimistic highlight off Love You to Death, the duo’s eighth studio album. After expressing some frustration with playing hard to get during the intro, the heat was turned up as the track progressed, guiding the sisters towards a frenzied night of seduction and pleasure. With its foot in the electro-pop genre, hypnotizing synths created a dance-worthy environment that today's biggest pop star would kill to have. Tegan and Sara have effortlessly taken control of a usually generic field and injected some true passion and talent into its veins.

#46. "No Place Like Home" by Todrick Hall

   Todrick Hall impressed millions with the Beyonce-like surprise release of his Straight Outta Oz visual album this year. Even with featured celebrity guests, Hall was able to make a lasting impression on his own, with the dark and aggressive “No Place Like Home”, the album’s effective opener. The ominous introduction showed that the artist wears immense talents on his sleeves as he delivers attacks at the state of society and how “stars” truly act and are treated in the midst of flashing lights and tabloid headlines. “And if you're lost out there, in the night, wishing on stars, wonderin' who you are, just know that you're never alone, and there's no place like home,” he sings, while trying to remain optimistic.

#45. "Tears" by Clean Bandit feat. Louisa Johnson

   English electro-pop group Clean Bandit said goodbye to a founding member this year, but were able to team up with The X Factor champion Louisa Johnson for "Tears" before the departure. The big, bold, empowering anthem, with Johnson's smooth, convincing vocals at the forefront, worked effortlessly to effectively drive the message of strength home. With hints of the band's trademark, tinkering dance production and a dash of R&B vocal inspiration, the track stayed true to the band's sound while still pushing their artistic boundaries. The modern disco influence took form of a 21st century version of “I Will Survive”, what could be a better compliment?

#44. "Please" by Neon Hitch

   Neon Hitch embraced her independence and finally released her debut album this year. "Please", the project’s lead single, revealed personal life information regarding love, career struggles and the willingness to live freely. It all tied in perfectly with the artist's relaxed upbringing and artistic trajectory over the last couple of years. With scaled back, tranquil production as the backdrop, Hitch gave an emotive, commendable vocal performance of wanting to be loved for exactly who she is, no judging or criticism necessary. The tender ballad succeeded thanks to the straightforward approach to the songwriting. "I know we just met each other, but there's so much about you, I must discover," she delicately sang.

#43. "If Your Man Only Knew" by Erik Hassle

   We are finally getting a new Erik Hassle album in 2017, one that features the resentful "If Your Man Only Knew", a moving, appropriate tribute to the late Aaliyah. While Aaliyah's 1996 track contained more of an edgier, hip-hop vibe, Hassle took the song down an electro-pop path that highlighted the intrusive percussion and always-effective vocal delivery of the Swedish artist. Hearing the artist dismiss the supposed advances of an ex made it clear that he wanted no part in the past. As he reminisced on the day his former lover walked out the door, Hassle focused on the lasting pain of that first cut to completely ignore the possibility of a second time around.

#42. "Hands" by Various Artists

   Pop heavyweight songwriters Justin Tranter and Julia Michaels impressively combined the talents of 24 artists, including Britney Spears, P!nk, Adam Lambert, Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez and RuPaul, for "Hands", a heartfelt tribute in remembrance of the 49 hate crime victims who lost their lives during the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando on June 12, 2016. A previously shelved collaboration between Tranter, Michaels and producer BloodPop, the song took on new life one day after the Pulse shooting. The song features delicate, piano and string-driven production, courtesy of co-producer Mark Ronson, as individual artists tackle verses of the unstable balance between hate and acceptance, before they all join for a rousing chorus.

#41. "Close" by Nick Jonas feat. Tove Lo

   To build buzz for his sophomore album, Nick Jonas chose the moody “Close”, a collaboration with Swedish pop star Tove Lo, as its official lead single. While he previously dabbled in the world of electro-pop, the then-new effort stuck with the R&B sound of his debut release. Inspired by his relationship with Olivia Culpo and carried by subtle trap beats, an alluring, tinkering intro and an always-seductive vocal performance from Jonas, the single opted for more of an emotional connection with a simplistic yet still textured approach, rather than noisy, dance energy supported by over-layered production. When the enticing, sensual vocals of Tove Lo were added, a song filled with passion and unease was effortlessly formed.