Choosing just 50 songs in a year already jam-packed with bangers is no easy feat. But as 2014 checks off its halfway mark, we wanted to give our shout-outs to the songs we've been spinning on repeat these past six months—from pop hits to indie rock anthems to hip-hop, R&B, metal and even obscure electronica. The Myspace staff and contributors got together to put together this list of 2014 faves so far. See which ones made the cut.

"2 ON" – TINASHE (FEAT. SCHOOLBOY Q)

(RCA)

When Tinashe first released herBlack Water mixtape, she posited herself as kind of an earthy type. So it was surprising to hear her go full Cassie on her breakout single "2 On," an ode to getting bent and twisted and turnt. To hear a singer so gently coo that she's "so faded I'm on one," and make it seem pretty cool, is a testament to her capabilities as an artist and creative to do just about anything she sets her mind to. Tinashe might just have a promising career on her hands.

—Steven J. Horowitz

"AIR BALLOON" – LILY ALLEN

(Sheezus, Regal/Parlophone)

Forget the hot mess that is Sheezus, 'cause "Air Balloon" is blissed out perfection. Whether this is actually about escapism or, you know, getting high, Lily Allen channels innocent, childlike daydreams on this banger. She abandons her usual pinch-of-salt formula for a lighter shade and the result is an irresistible jam, complete with euphoric, up-in-the-air vocals. And if you're not a fan, Lilz is probs out here like, 'Whatevs, flying above my haters like it's nothing to me.'

—Kristen Yoonsoo Kim

"ANCORA TU" – RÓISÍN MURPHY

(Mi Senti, The Vinyl Factory)

Best known as a Euro pop starlet along the lines of Robyn, Irish singer Róisín Murphy released her first studio output in seven years, showcasing a different side—and a different language. Comprised of six Italian covers despite the fact that Murphy has zero experience speaking the language, "Ancora Tu" stands out as the EP's best, taking a campy Italian pop number from 1976 and turning it into a moody and melancholic new wave ballad.

—Lee Mills

"BOOM CLAP" – CHARLI XCX

(The Fault in Our Stars OST, Atlantic)

Anyone with an ear to the ground knows that Charli XCX can sling a pop hook and wedge them between equally ample verses. (She did it on Icona Pop's "I Love It," not to mention the same for her electric jolt of a single "SuperLove.") "Boom Clap" might be her most potent creation yet. It simmers with a fervent intensity before exploding into a firework of a chorus. This probably won't be Song of Summer (even though she's already on "Fancy"), but damned it if should be.

—Steven

"BUNKER BUSTER" [ROUGH MIX] – VIET CONG

(Self-released)

When almost everything drops out of "Bunker Buster" except a muted guitar and a loping three-and-a-half-on-the-floor and the lyric "Tell me where you came from," it's about the most effective minimalist rock moment since Lower Dens put out "Brains." It's not exactly thrilling—more chilling, really, a flash of asceticism from the Calgary band, recently resurrected of post-punk luminaries Women. Viet Cong don't even need to put out a properly mixed version of this off-kilter and lopsided mesmerizer—it drives past "Feel the Pain" without stopping and moves straight to clanging harmonics before building back to its thesis riff. It's a linear route, but there's a lot of scenery along the way.

—Dale W. Eisinger

"CHILDS PLAY" – SZA (FEAT. CHANCE THE RAPPER) (Z, TDE)

The wobbly second track on SZA's impressive TDE debut soars from ambient background music to must-hear hit, thanks to an impressive turn by Chance, who wades into the stream of the song's warped Casio beat, easily at first and then insistently thrashing about before settling back into the groove. The result is a song that showcases Chance's true gifts as an MC and SZA's ability to take the simplest of ingredients and make great music that sounds very much like what the Internet wants to hear today.

—Benjamin Meadows-Ingram

"CONSTANT AUTUMN" – GRIDLINK

(Longhena, Handshake Inc.)

Longhena is transcontinental grind unit Gridlink ending on top of their game, and "Constant Autumn" is their finest two minutes. That opening riff is so blissful, it's hard to fathom that madness that comes after it. Gridlink packed more riffs and rage into this song than most bands do their whole careers. How else does Jon Chang make "I remember when we were in love / But time has taken that from us" sound so nasty?

—Andy O'Connor

"DELOREAN DYNAMITE" ­– TODD TERJE

(It's Album Time, Olsen Records)

As you might have been able to guess from the title, Todd Terje's "Delorean Dynamite" is like hopping in a time machine and traveling back to the peak of the 1980s. A dazzling seven-minute journey of neon arppegiated synths, the single showcases the Norwegian producer at his best: retro flair and an unmistakable ability to get you up off your butt and dancing. If you were going to pick one song from 2014 to bring da club down, "Delorean Dynamite" would be your best bet.

—Lee

"DISTRACTIONS (TOUGH MIX)" – MOTION STUDIES

(Godmode)

Now here's quintessential New York dance music unabashedly channeling LCD Soundsystem (even going so far as to nickname it "Robin Thicke Is Playing at My House") with the vintage touch of an Al Green sample. This track comes from Godmode's dance-punk squad Motion Studies, led by the frustratingly talented Tyler McCauley, and it bottles the fun madness of city living into a dance floor-tearing number. Quite frankly, it's one of the most exhilarating things I've heard all year.

—Kristen

"DO IT AGAIN" – RÖYKSOPP & ROBYN

(Do It Again, Röyksopp/Cherrytree)

A match made in electronic heaven. Röyksopp and Robyn's collaborative EP Do It Again didn't disappoint, perfectly amalgamating the former's leftfield-leaning electronica with the latter's radio ready synth pop. Of the five songs, the title track is the catchiest and most Robyn-sounding, an electro pop anthem that's sure to kick start any dance party. If your toes aren't tapping by the end of "Do It Again," you might want to check to make sure you're still registering a pulse.

—Lee

"DON'T TELL NOBODY" – TINK (FEAT. JEREMIH)

The perfect reflection of young, dumb love, Tink and Jeremih's collab is the sleeper for song of the summer. Over woozy production handled by Da Internz, Tink coos out tongue-twisters about her man's indiscretions and rhythmically rattles off her plans for retribution before coming back for more. It's the reality behind (and, really, the antidote) to bitches-ain't-shit songs like K Camp's "Cut Her Off." Bonus points for Jeremih gliding smoothly over the hook.

—Claire Lobenfeld

"DOWN ON MY LUCK" – VIC MENSA

(Virgin EMI)

Vic Mensa isn't the first rapper to blur the line between being a singer and rapper, but few have done it as casually as the Chicago upstart. "Down on My Luck" throbs like a club's heartbeat; the melody zags before culminating in a harmony-pilfered bridge for the times. It makes sense that he toured with Disclosure—Vic could very well be dance music's best new rapper.

—Steven

"FINE" – KYLIE MINOGUE

(Kiss Me Once, Parlophone/Warner Bros.)

"Fine" is Kiss Me Once's inauspicious closing track, overshadowed by other cuts that are starrier (collaborations with Pharrell, Sia and Ariel Rechtshaid), trendier (dipping their toes into dubstep and contemporary EDM), and, well, sexier (pretty much everything). But it's the song on the record that best captures the eternal optimism that lies at the core of Kylie's appeal: When you're down and out, hit the dancefloor and think of her.

—Jamieson Cox

"FUCK KD" – LIL B

(Hoop Life)

In Lil B's endlessly prolific ascendance as messiah of good vibes, watching the Bay Area rapper take an effectively nonsensical feud with a professional basketball player so seriously is nothing short of artistically flawless. This is how things work for Lil B: He decides he's just that important and then he manifests that importance. Taking a swipe at one of the best players in basketball—and possibly proving his extrasensory powers with the Based God's curse (no ring for you, KD)—shows just how far his ego stretches. He's never coming back from the based world because he's bringing everyone else into it. It barely matters this song is the sound of strutting to your table in a white tuxedo.

—Dale

"GANGSTA" – SCHOOLBOY Q

(Oxymoron, TDE/Interscope)

For the opening track of his major label debut, Schoolboy delivers what just may be the year's hardest rap record to date. From the eerie opening check in from his daughter ("Hello? Hello? My daddy's a gangsta!") to the final bars ("gangsta shit!"), the track is a black on black on black, hoodied up and drugged out mind fuck that plays like so many of Schoolboy's best songs—as a trip through the haunted funhouse of street life, where everything is shadow and misdirection and you question everything you see. The result is a haunting, fresh take on a rap trope as old as Schoolboy himself. And it bangs. Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock!

—Benjamin

"HAIL TO THEE, EVERLASTING PAIN" – THE BODY (FEAT. THE HAXAN CLOAK)

(I Shall Die Here, RVNG International)

For followers of the sonically expanding realm of HEAVY music, both Providence metal outfit The Body and British electronic producer The Haxan Cloak have been coincident bullet points for the last few years. So when it was announced they'd be working together on an entire album, I Shall Die Here, any listener worth half an Evian Christ B-side was ready to put heads through brick for this Paul Oakenfold-locked-in-an-iron-maiden track. There's little use describing these harrowing sounds—they are otherworldly. This was the first taste we got this year of metal's still-budding hate-fuck affair with the electronic world. And man it tastes good: like iron, like concrete, like blood.

—Dale

"HEY NOW (SASHA REMIX)" – LONDON GRAMMAR

(If You Wait – Remixes, Columbia)

A legend among legends, Sasha's got the kind of DJ cred where he could take a pop song, do whatever the hell he wanted and more or less get away with it. But for his take on "Hey Now," the bits and pieces he plucks London Grammar go largely untouched, opting to gently layer a bouncy beat underneath Hannah Reid's vocals and those warm and inviting keyboards. A first listen reveals a fairly straightforward remix, but there's actually a great deal of subtlety going on here—he's managed to transform the overall mood to a much happier one while keeping the flavor of the original.

—Lee Mills

"GOOD NEWS" – DALEY

(Days & Nights, Polydor/Republic)

Maybe the only white people with real soul are the ones born across the pond? Thoughts? Racking up quite the roster of blue-eyed soul, newcomer Daley holds his own against heavyweights like Sam Smith and Adele. His single "Good News" is the perfect blend between a well-crafted drum machine beat and an uplifting string section that compliments his solid pitch vocals. The whole record is pretty damn solid and I had the pleasure of watching him belt Chaka Kahn so he pretty much can do no wrong. Will be interesting to see where this kid lands.

—Liz Culley

"GOODY TWO SHOES" – DUCK SAUCE

(Quack, Fool's Gold)

Duck Sauce, the DJ super-duo of Armand van Helden and A-Trak, turns basic filter disco cuts into acts of benevolence: They isolate the richest, most ecstatic little bits of forgotten funk and disco relics, and spin them off into glorious loops that spin and slowly mutate. The result is songs that feel like taking the first bite of a decadent dessert over and over again without getting full or bored. "Goody Two Shoes," built from a sample of THP's 1979 track "Good to Me," is the best song on their April debut full-length, Quack; it dives underwater and explodes back up again, reflecting a million tiny beams of sunlight.

—Jamieson

"GUST OF WIND" – PHARRELL

(G I R L, i Am Other/Columbia)

It's a pity that Pharrell released his frothy, flirty G I R L during one of the coldest, most miserable winters in recent memory: his pop-soul confections are pure summer, all sunshine and warm breeze. "Gust of Wind," a collaboration with his robot pals from Daft Punk, is a perfect example—a slice of nimble yacht-funk accented by stabbing strings and Pharrell's agile falsetto.

—Jamieson

"I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT MY MOTHER'S LOVE" – SUN KIL MOON

(Benji, Caldo Verde)

Mark Kozelek has trafficked in endless sadness for over two decades, but he's managed to outdo himself on "I Can't Live Without My Mother's Love." Every lyric is so goddamn heavy, it's hard to pick just one to highlight. Kozelek bristly picks his guitar, but it can never keep up with the pace of the emotion in his words. The chorus of voices that perks up throughout sounds like everyone praising Kozelek's mother, like everyone praising every mother. Mother's Day was a month ago, but this'll still give you all the feels.

—Andy

"I LOVE YOU BUT I'M LOST" – SHARON VAN ETTEN

(Are We There, Jagjaguwar)

Sharon Van Etten has a way of talking about her troubles without ever feeling like a complainer. The singer's epic, dreary fifth album Are We There is never drab even when the songs drag across the floor like a lover's leaving steps. "I Love You But I'm Lost" is a terrific Van Etten song because so many of her tracks find her searching for love or lamenting a past, bitter love. Now, even amid the blossoms of a great romance, she's realized that love isn't a safe destination. If you're still lost within yourself, love's just another detour. But this song is a lovely side road on the way to discovering that the trip will be longer than we imagined.

—Caitlin White

"I LUH YA PAPI" – JENNIFER LOPEZ (FEAT. FRENCH MONTANA)

(A.K.A., Capitol)

J. Lo has had a consistent knack for cranking out bangers—enough so that she's actually made it seven studio albums deep (her eighth, A.K.A., drops June 17). "I Luh Ya Papi" is yet another extension of her hot streak, in spite of (or perhaps because of?) its simplicity. Over a splotchy Detail-helmed beat, she sings maybe five notes throughout the song, sometimes nonsensically ("Boy you the shit, go take a power shower"). That's part of its charm, though. J. Lo is so far gone that her songs don't even need to make sense. You're going to like it anyways.

—Steven

"LILAC IN HAND" – AMEN DUNES

(Love, Sacred Bones)

Damon McMahon, for the last eight years, has been making truly beguiling music under the Amen Dunes moniker. Enter "Lilac in Hand," the first single from new LP Love. Here, McMahon strips away the swirling incantations of 2011's Through Donkey Jaw in favor of straightforward hand percussion, acoustic guitars, and (relatively) undistorted voice. We're used to a visionary sense to McMahon's elastic vocals. But there's a fresh kind of hallucination across Love, and exemplified in "Lilac in Hand." It can't be infatuation because the sounds laid bare point to something more mysterious and pure--this is far from superficial and it slinks around the heart, "moves like a shadow." This feeling will resonate with those who know this kind of love. I feel sorry for those who don't.

—Dale

"A LITTLE GOD IN MY HANDS" – SWANS

(To Be Kind, Young God/Mute)

The New York no wave band's 13th studio album is a brutal gift to its listener. Running about two hours long, To Be Kind proves to be both exhaustive and a testament to the fact that listening to music is rarely a passive activity. But who would torture themselves for that long if there weren't treasures along the way? There are a handful of gems on this record, and "A Little God in My Hands" is probably my favorite cut from it. The track slinks into a diseased funk groove before Michael Gira sneers with murderous contempt and I can't help but flash my fangs a little bit whenever I'm listening to this in public.

—Kristen

"LOST IN THE DREAM" – THE WAR ON DRUGS

(Lost in the Dream, Secretly Canadian)

"Lost in the Dream" is the whispering, head-bowed reflective track on Adam Granduciel's album of the same name. The psychedelic brand of Americana he's been peddling in The War on Drugs has always been finely balanced between boisterous blooms of noise and the moments when he knowingly pulls back. While the record has darker and more voracious moments, it's the toned down feel of the title track "Lost in the Dream" that brings Granduciel's lyrics into the spotlight. "Love's the key to the things that we see," he croons over lowing keys and harmonica interludes. It's a folk song snuck into a rock album, and easily the best incorporation of harmonicas this year.

—Caitlin

"LOVE ME LIKE I'M NOT MADE OF STONE" – LYKKE LI

(I Never Learn, LL/Atlantic)

There's a guttural, wrenching quality to Lykke Li's voice that makes everything she sings feel like the foremost thought on her mind. It's this thickly sung desperation that makes "Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone" one of the most emotional tracks of the year. It's an on-your-knees, begging sentiment that asks the other to see past your flaws, and embedded in the question is the sad knowledge that they probably won't be able to do that. Very sparse, quiet strings highlight Li's bleating plea "Love my scars so I can heal." It's a punch in the gut in the best way and showcases her visceral songwriting in all its painful glory.

—Caitlin

"LOVE NEVER FELT SO GOOD" – MICHAEL JACKSON

(Xscape, Epic)

The posthumous Michael Jackson album Xscape, and in particular the lead single "Love Never Felt So Good," had all the makings of a disaster. We're going to take an unreleased MJ demo from 1983 and repackage it for 2014! To make it even better, we'll slap on vocals from Justin Timberlake and call it a duet! Yet somehow, it all works. This sounds like vintage MJ, and not just studio leftovers that have been picked up off the scrap heap, so much so that it makes you wonder how this never made it onto an album back in the day.

—Lee

"MAGIC" – COLDPLAY

(Ghost Stories, Parlophone)

At 8:45 a.m. on a Monday, nothing really sounds good on the radio. La Cienega is a bitch, they are always ripping up the damn road by the Beverly Center and if you are listening to the radio you have three choices: Steve Harvey, Ryan Seacrest or Carson Daly. Brandi Garcia doesn't start until 10 a.m. on KDay and you STILL HAVE 15 minutes before KCRW gets cracking. Therefore, you hate your life. And I hated my life until a friend gave me a MIX CD (no typo) with no names of any songs. Just blank. The first song was a melodic rock song by what I presumed to be an unsigned band. I could barely make it to the next song. I kept skipping back, listening again and again. I called my homie and asked, "Who is this first track? Someone you saw at SXSW?" I yelled on speakerphone. "No dude, that's the new Coldplay," he said. Coldplay? This is Coldplay? As in the like older English dude rockers? I was perplexed. But, then again, when has Coldplay sucked? That's right, they never sucked and always seem to keep up with the times without losing who they are at the core. This song also makes me sad and want to fall in love at the same time so there's that.

—Liz

"MESS ON A MISSION" – LIARS

(Mess, Mute)

The lead single from the Liars' Mess is all chaos—decidedly so—and that's the draw. A literal mess of synths and confusion loosely tied together by a blippy heartbeat and orbiting around a chorus that dabbles in white noise, "Mess on a Mission" is a challenge to anyone in search of easy listening and the perfect intro to an accomplished album that takes a similar approach to pushing boundaries and sounds throughout.

—Benjamin

"MOVE THAT DOPE" – FUTURE (FEAT. PHARRELL, PUSHA T, CASINO)

(Honest, Epic)

Rap's been making illicit activity enticing since time immemorial, but Future's tribute to the underground working man has a chorus so catchy you'll hum it at your office job where you wish you were selling drugs. The addition of two of the minds behind Clipse's "Grindin'"—Pusha T and Pharrell—gives the song almost too much legitimacy. Now get back to work!

—Andy

"NO MORE" – SHLOHMO & JEREMIH

(No More, WEDIDIT/Def Jam)

The first official single from the collaborative EP that no one would have ever thought they wanted (until a string of songs, including this one, convinced everyone that it was the collaborative EP that they had to have), "No More" takes The Weeknd's half-dead dark room fantasies and injects them with just enough heart to bring the club to life. This is a song for 3 a.m. at that fly-ass secret basement spot, where the lights are low, the walls are wet and the room is just starting to turn, when it's time to get close, hold tight and press the issue because what comes next just might make the night.

—Benjamin

"NOT ON DRUGS" – TOVE LO

(Truth Serum, Universal)

The chorus of Tove Lo's titanic "Not on Drugs" glitters and explodes, like confetti bombs colliding in slow motion. Opening her March EP Truth Serum, it's a reasonable sonic approximation of the mind-melting, crushing sensation new, intense love can impose on a person; like that love, you'll never want the song to end.

—Jamieson

"OR NAH" – TY DOLLA $IGN (FEAT. WIZ KHALIFA AND DJ MUSTARD)

(Beach House, Pu$haz Ink/Taylor Gang/Atlantic)

There are plenty of R&B fellows doing the saucy, drug-imbibing, street-tongued schtick, but Ty Dolla $ign does it the best. It's that slight sense that his bitches-this, hoes-that might all be a little bit of a joke that adds to his charm. Where "My Cabana" and "Paranoid" allude to it, "Or Nah" is his most in-on-the-joke. The slinky DJ Mustard production, replete with methodical bed squeaks, plays backdrop to his questionnaire for future bedmates: "Is you really 'bout your money or nah? Can you really take dick or nah?" But his most heartfelt crooning comes on, "You gon' make them eggs cheesy with the grits or nah?" We get it, Ty. And we're in.

—Claire

"PLATINUM" – MIRANDA LAMBERT

(Platinum, RCA Nashville)

This heartbreak hotel is buoyed by a big bottle of bleach, as country's resident rebellious queen croons "What doesn't kill you only makes you blonder" and flips a stupid girl stereotype into a crowing triumph. "Platinum" is her fifth record's title track and packs as much head-tossing and self-aggrandizing into three minutes as possible. "My heels and my hotels they just got taller" she drawls with a smirking pride. And yes, you caught a hint of vocal fry squawk on the end there. Girl, we wouldn't have it any other way.

—Caitlin

"PLAY" – KATY B (FEAT. SAMPHA)

(Little Red, Rinse/Columbia/Sony)

A deep cut from Katy B's fantastic sophomore effort Little Red, "Play" finds the British vocalist collaborating with U.K. pop contemporary Sampha. I'm a sucker for songs that cast love and lust in musical terms, and "Play" is a great example: Katy and Sampha call out to each other and describe their blooming affection using various musical effects, which then spring to life in the song as they're being described. When Katy sings about "a hundred harmonies," she dissolves into component vocal threads that weave together; it's a maneuver that's playful and gorgeous in equal measure.

—Jamieson

"PRINCE JOHNNY" – ST. VINCENT

(St. Vincent, Loma Vista/Republic)

Punchy, woozy and ambient, only Annie Clark could make the pleading "So I pray to God to make me a real boy" transcend any Pinocchio-related jokes and feel like a major emotional moment. Initially the song is abuzz with a cathedral of voices in chorus behind Clark, but as it builds, a buzz saw guitar begins to battle with the choral overtones. The contrast between the two is chilling, magnificent and ruthless—much like St. Vincent herself.

—Caitlin

"PROBLEM" – ARIANA GRANDE (FEAT. IGGY AZALEA)

It started with "Thrift Shop" and "Talk Dirty," but with "Problem," Ariana Grande made the sax sample a trend. Hers is a break-up song for those past moping, but Max Martin's candy coated-production makes it accessible to even the most in love. Iggy shows up strong, her toughest since "Pu$$y," bolstering Grande's final run of "Head in the clouds/Got no weight on my shoulders." It's so much empowering fun, even Big Sean's Ying Yang Twinz impression doesn't ruin it.

—Claire

"RAIN SONG" – ANTWON (FEAT. LIL UGLY MANE)

(Heavy Hearted in Doldrums, Aesop)

Antwon, even though he's still on the up and up, is already rivaling The Weeknd when rapping about fame weariness, as is evident on "Rain Song." In a way, it's the aftermath of "Make It Rain," when the party ends and you just want someone to go home with. Lil Ugly Mane, however is the real star, bringing in lush down-tempo production (as "Shawn Kemp") and verses about being perpetually stuck in dead-end situations.

—Andy

"ROLLIN'" – KID INK

(My Own Lane, Tha Alumni Music Group/88 Classic/RCA)

"Rollin'" is a fucking banger and a fantastic song to listen to while driving on the 101 South with the windows down. Period. I had the pleasure of attending a private album listening for Kid Ink's My Own Lane and maybe it was the taco truck or maybe it was the sheer amount of DJ Mustard-produced tracks but I immediately let my friends know that this dude was going to be a strong contender for most-played on the radio waves this year. With other singles like "Show Me" and "Iz U Down," I am sticking to that statement. Kid Ink is cute (sorry mom, I luh me some tats) and he has stuck to a formula that is working for him and while it might just be working for right now, feels like we need to live in the moment and roll with it.

—Liz

"SALAD DAYS" – MAC DEMARCO

(Salad Days, Captured Tracks)

Indie's Resident Weirdo isn't just a talentless, gap-toothed goof. Mac will creep you the fuck out, but not long before sweeping you away with a strange and pretty tune made with swirly guitars of pastel-tone dreams and joke shop confetti. If you saw him, you'd probably think he lives off an eternal high—that is until he convinces you otherwise with the sigh of a "Salad days are gone." Oh Mac, don't you know that if you always eat salad, it will always be salad days?

—Kristen

"SANCTIFIED" – RICK ROSS

(Mastermind, Def Jam)

To put it bluntly, Mastermind was far from Rick Ross' best album—bloated, overwrought, generally lacking any semblance of originality—except for one song. "Sanctified" is a behemoth of a track, replete with an original vocal line from Bettye LaVette that plays like a gospel sample and an impeccable verse from 'Ye that makes up for Ross rapping, "Fellatio's amazin', make grilled cheese for you, the best." It's simply the best gospel song masquerading as a rap jam this year.

—Steven

"SEASONS (WAITING ON YOU)" – FUTURE ISLANDS

(Singles, 4AD)

Future Islands really hit their mark with Singles, the group's fourth album, but reeled in a much bigger audience with their indie hit "Seasons (Waiting on You)." (You can thank their epic performance on Letterman wherein Sam Herring is such a loveable dad type.) But even without a TV push, the song stands alone. It has all of the makings of an '80s pop gem with a contemporary production sheen. Plus, it's hard not to turn into one giant goosebump when he sings, "People change / And some people never do / And when people change / They gain a piece, but they lose one too." Chills.

—Steven

"SERIOUS BUSINESS" – UNITED NATIONS

(Temporary Residence)

I don't know who the hell is in the hardcore/thrash supergroup United Nations. It doesn't matter and I like it better that way because it's more analogous of their aggressively political philosophy: a largely faceless and obviously powerful group with a complex set of behind-the-scenes workings does more harm than good. They haven't put out an album in a few years—Never Mind the Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures being their most recent—and this new slap, from the upcoming album The Next Four Years, does not disappoint. And more: Temporary Residence continues to be one of the year's most stabled labels. Thrash on.

—Dale

"THIRSTY" – MARIAH CAREY

(Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse, Def Jam)

I am always down for a Mariah banger. Don't get me wrong, many childhood afternoons were spent perfecting my dolphin pitch to "Always Be My Baby" with hairbrush in hand, but I love when she sings about ridiculous shit on a nice bumping beat. Shall we reminisce? Like what about her lyrics on "Obsessed" or "Shake It Off?" Like what the fuck is the "Calgon commercial" or how in the world is she going to reference her face by singing "He's all up in my George Foreman"? Like, I can't. But at the same time I really can because "Thirsty," which was crafted with the help of Hit Boy and Rich Homie Quan, is a solid Mimi track. Anyone that can effortlessly sing about Instagram, singing the word "Instagram," is a boss.

—Liz

"WHERE YOU REST YOUR HEAD AT NIGHT" – PLANNING FOR BURIAL

(Desideratum, The Flenser)

Planning For Burial, the one man gloom-metal project of New Jersey's Thom Wasluck, penned this year's ode to longing with "Where You Rest Your Head at Night." His guitars resemble Jesu going through a rough breakup, and they cease to let up during the course of the song. Piano at the end adds a post-rock touch, but this is far too emotional to be featured in an Under Armour commercial. Loneliness never sounded so pummeling.

—Andy

"WHO DO YOU LOVE" – YG (FEAT. DRAKE)

(My Krazy Life, Pu$haz Ink/CTE World/Def Jam)

The lead single from YG's strong My Krazy Life is a big hit for good reason: It's a perfect distillation of what 2014 rap sounds like so far—rooted in California, with DJ Mustard on the beat and Drake somewhere (in this case, heavily) in the mix. "Who Do You Love" is built for the car or the club and yet still feels right at home on the radio. Of course, it never hurts when Champagne Papi shows up to destroy a verse on your behalf.

—Benjamin

"WORDS I DON'T REMEMBER" – HOW TO DRESS WELL

(What Is This Heart?, Weird World)

For the first single from his upcoming album, What Is This Heart?, Tom Krell a.k.a. How To Dress Well explored a new territory. Known for his lo-fi renditions of Tevin Campbell-style R&B, Krell has gone a little bit more grown and sexy this time around. It's his most polished work to date, and you can still hear the ambient, experimental influence of William Basinski throughout. When it comes to indie side of R&B, Krell is king.

—Claire

"WUDA CUDA SHULDA" – 2 CHAINZ (FEAT. LIL BOOSIE)

(Freebase, Self-released)

You could have had a song with Mike Will Made It. You could have recorded a banger with Lil Boosie. You could have just seen a spaceship. You could be getting Booise money. But you didn't, and you never will. That's why 2 Chainz had to make this song, and you couldn't.

—Andy

"YASSS BISH!!" – NICKI MINAJ (FEAT. SOULJA BOY)

(Young Money)

Can't say Nicki Minaj doesn't know how the Internet works. She might be one of the biggest rap superstars in the world, but she chooses collaborators of the people (see: Young Thug, Lil' Herb). Soulja Boy may not be new to the game, but he's still one of the Internet's truest loves. When you mix him on production duties and a hook inspired by RuPaul's Drag Race contestants, you've got one one odd hodgepodge. But Nicki's here to show you that collage goes hard.

—Claire