I always look forward to my Spotify Wrapped because it reminds me of the incredible songs that I listened to over the past year. During my long runs for my StanChart marathon, I was able to rediscover songs that ushered my 2020 before everything changed and songs that eventually became my 2020 soundtrack. Nostalgic pop music pumped me up and motivated me to finish my long runs.
Below are the five rock songs that became a favourite. Feel free to view my previous post where I also shared my favourite hardcore/metal songs.
i’m gonna tell my therapist on you by Pinkshift
I love Pinkshift. Pinkshift has the catchiest songs ever. I have loved all their releases. Pinkshift released “On Thin Ice” back in March 2020 and I was thoroughly impressed. Fronted by Ashrita Kumar, a South Asian woman, Pinkshift has the power to instantly hook you with their catchy hooks and melodies.
The Baltimore rock band released “Rainwalk” on October 23rd, 2020 and it became one of my top songs on my 2020 Spotify Wrapped. I want to watch a 2000s high school movie with “Rainwalk” as the soundtrack. If you love 2000s pop punk, “Rainwalk” will be on replay.
“i’m gonna tell my therapist on you” takes the crown. This song accurately describes my lazy days: being sad again, spiraling downwards because of a minor personal crisis and lines from the classic Bee Movie make a music video appearance. The many times I have confidently screamed “i’m about to kick your ass through the door” to only be vulnerable a minute later as I belt out “the meds aren’t working for me anymore / i think i’m spiraling, i’m spiraling downwards.”
Pinkshift is definitely a band to watch. They will soon become the biggest act in the scene. If you love angsty rock and are looking for a song filled with pop-punk rebellion, “i’m gonna tell my therapist on you” is the song for you.
Athena by Nova Twins
Nova Twins, composed of vocalist Amy Love and bassist Georgia South, is my favourite band! Everyone needs to listen to their entire discography. “Athena,” named after the Goddess of War, soundtracked my speed runs.
The London duo collaborated with Bring Me The Horizon on their song, “1×1,” from their 2020 album, Post Human: Survival Horror. I love that the duo gained new listeners through this BMTH collaboration. Who Are The Girls? was my favourite 2020 album and the closing track, “Athena,” is my favourite track. The chorus in “Athena” is incredibly catchy and listeners understand why Oliver Sykes, lead singer of BMTH, shared that the band’s debut album was his go to record during covid lockdown.
After my first listen, “Athena” was stuck in my head and I was not surprised when it was my 2020 top Spotify song from the past year. “Athena” is an amazing closing track that had me constantly screaming “what do you look like in the morning? / athena, can you feel my body crawling? / athena, in the dark you hear me calling.”
Nova Twins joined Enter Shikari, a British rock band, as the opening act of the Nothing is True & Everything Is Possible 2021 tour. Unfortunately, “Athena” was not part of the setlist.
Bite Back by Fever 333
I love Fever 333, an American trio punk rock band from California, who incorporate rap and punk rock elements in their music. Fever 333 use their lyrics to address the problems the Black community faces in America: racism, police brutality and gun violence. Following the 2020 George Floyd protests, Jason Aalon Butler, the lead singer of Fever 333, shared the incidents he witnessed during the protests in “Bite Back.” The chorus in “Bite Back” is catchy, the screams are unforgettable and the heavy drums will encourage listeners to join Butler’s demand for racial equality when he screams “this time we fight back.”
The lyrics in “Bite Back.” share the realities of being Black in America. The justice system constantly fails Black people and are seen as a threat because of their skin colour. Jason Butler sings in the first verse “they see the weapon in you / no sudden moves if you do / our very bodies are shotties wait ’til we use our minds.” Butler further hopes for the day when contributions of Black people in America will be acknowledged in history and the demolition of statues that represent white supremacy. In the second verse, he sings “i want more pictures of we in books that teach history / i want to be there when the final racist statue falls.”
You, Me & the Class War by Boston Manor
I remember the first time I listened to Boston Manor’s debut album, Be Nothing, back in 2016. I quickly fell in love with the album and named my radio show after the closing track, “Fossa.” I always look forward to their release and I am never disappointed. Their second studio album, Welcome to the Neighborhood, released in 2018 surpassed my expectations. I love songs that make me scream my lungs out and “Funeral Party” did that! My favourite 2018 moment was screaming along with frontman Henry Cox as he shouted “i smell a hypocrite, i smell a snake / you’re a liar and a cheat / i want my money / i want you dead, you fake!”
For their third studio album, GLUE, the seventh track immediately stood out to me. “You, Me & the Class War” is my favourite track from GLUE. Boston Manor confronts a toxic and abusive relationship: “you come home drunk & you smashed your phone.” There is also the lingering fear of speaking up to your abuser: “if I opened my mouth? / what would you say / what would you do to me? / i’m getting tired of the same old excuse?”
Use Me by PVRIS + 070 Shake
The electronic sound PVRIS has adapted in the Use Me album reminds fans of their ever shifting sound. Starting out as a metalcore band, PVRIS has left their rock sound and successfully taken on the electronic rock sound route. Released on August 28th 2020, “Use Me,” the album’s title track, features rapper 070 Shake and the first ever PVRIS collaboration in an album.
Lynn Gunn, the frontwoman, shared that “Use Me” was written after she watched an episode of the HBO show, Euphoria. The idea of relying on someone else as your escape. My favourite part of “Use Me” is the presence of the mesmerising harp sound that reminds me of their outro in “Anyone Else” and “Heaven,” all lead singles from their 2018 album, All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell.
I also loved 070 Shakes’s feature as it complements Lynn’s sound during the chorus: “you can use all of me / take a hit, baby, breathe / i can do all you need / take a hit, baby, breathe / and use me.”
What rock songs do you absolutely love?