As with albums, the continued diversification of single releases gave us a really interesting mix this year—possibly our most eclectic yet.
A lot of beloved legends from multiple generations proved they still have plenty left in the tank; veterans like Skepta and Scorcher all had at least a hand in some of the year’s biggest tracks, and then we got a stunning passing of the torch when Dave and Kano connected on “Chapter 16”. Elsewhere, AJ Tracey and Jorja Smith reconnected for the instantly likeable “Crush”, while Donae’O stunned everyone with his late-summer album, Spectrum, which included the feel-good house banger “Nights Like This”, featuring Omar, Lemar and the House Gospel Choir.
We also had mystery and intrigue as a masked Timothee Chalamet EsDeeKid held audiences rapt with two new Scouse-rap anthems: “LV Sandals” and “Phantom”. In fact, British rap as a whole was more varied and featured more interesting voices than ever before. South London natives Jim Legxacy and Dave both feature heavily on this list—and rightfully so. Both MCs, whose works are complementary but still very different from one another, put out a bunch of songs this year that proved just how philosophical, emotional and layered rap can be at its best.
There was also a lot of great dance music. There was the melodic, housier side of things like Morgan Hislop’s impossibly catchy “Sitting By The Phone”, and then there was the poppier, but still dancefloor-minded PinkPantheress who found more viral success with “Tonight” and “Illegal”. Then there were the grime and rap crossovers, an increasingly fertile territory here in the UK. Italian producer Saint Ludo and Liverpool’s Kasst 8 sealed the 6’7 rhymer’s rise to the top with their viral banger “Subliminals”, and Boy Better Know’s Skepta gave us at least half a dozen anthems, including “Cops & Robbers” with Sammy Virji and two dynamite Fred again.. team-ups. All in all, it was another stellar, if fractured, year.
Before we look forward to the year ahead, check out the songs we were bumping the most this year below—and to read more or see the official videos just click through the links. The full playlist can be streamed on the flip.
50. Morgan Hislop — “Sitting By The Phone”
49. MssingNo — “Think Of Me”
48. Amber Jade & Screama — “Into My Eyes”
47. DJ Q & KDOT — “Bassline”
46. Zara Larsson — “Midnight Sun”
45. Natanya — “Dangerous”
44. J Hus f/ Asake — “Gold”
43. Scorcher & Smila — “9:17 PM”
42. Chinx (OS) — “Silence”
41. QuincyTellEm f/ Figs0 & Treez0 — “M.W.G.A”
40. Jords f/ Bashy & Kojey Radical — “Fuji”
39. Rimzee — “Thoughts In A Cully”
38. Digga D — “DPMO”
37. Saint Ludo f/ Kasst 8 — “Subliminals”
36. afrosurrealist f/ BexBlu, Saiming & Awaiting Kvng — “elephant roundabout”
35. TR Gobrazy — “Handbag”
34. Knucks f/ Blaqbones — “GOLD TOOTH”
33. Playboi Carti f/ Skepta — “TOXIC”
32. Tems — “Big Daddy”
31. YT — “Girls Trip”
30. SL f/ Knucks & Sainté — “Summertime”
29. SINN6R — “Personally”
28. Jorja Smith — “The Way I Love”
27. Jim Legxacy f/ Dave — “3x”
26. Skye Newman — “FU & UF”
25. Skepta & Fred again.. — “Back 2 Back”
24. MOLIY f/ Shenseea, Skillibeng, Silent Addy — “Shake It To The Max (Fly)”
23. Olivia Dean — “A Couple Minutes”
22. DAMEDAME* — “Promise”
21. Jim Legxacy — “stick”
20. Nia Smith — “Limit”
19. Olivia Dean — “Man I Need”
18. Odeal — “London Summers”
17. kwn — “do what i say”
16. EsDeeKid f/ Rico Ace — “Phantom”
15. Dave f/ Jim Legxacy — “No Weapons”
14. EsDeeKid f/ fakemink & Rico Ace — “LV Sandals”
13. Sammy Virji f/ Skepta — “Cops & Robbers”
12. Central Cee — “Limitless”
11. Rema — “Baby (Is It A Crime)”
10. PinkPantheress — “Tonight”
9. Dave f/ Tems — “Raindance”
8. RAYE — “Where Is My Husband”
7. PinkPantheress — “Illegal”
6. Tyla — “Chanel”
5. AJ Tracey f/ Jorja Smith — “Crush”
4. Skepta, Fred again.. & PlaqueBoyMax — “Victory Lap”
3. Jim Legxacy — “father”
2. Donae’O f/ Omar, Lemar & The House Gospel Choir — “Nights Like This”
1. Dave f/ Kano — “Chapter 16”