Best Songs of 2023

2023 has come to an end, which means the beginning of the end of the year lists. Our CommRadio Arts & Entertainment department wrote about what they thought were the best songs of the year.

“Collect” by TORRES

Indie rocker Mackenzie Scott, professionally known as TORRES has released yet another pop-rock banger. In 2021 TORRES released two of the best songs of that year “Thirstier” and “Don’t Go Puttin Wishes in My Head”.

While 2022 was silent, TORRES released a new single from her new album “What an Enormous Room” coming out in early 2024. This lead-off single is absolutely incredible. It has a strange beat that pulsates through the body and gets everyone moving.

The upbeat chorus is hard not to enjoy. The whole song has a powerful vibe. It is hard not to feel so cool listening to this song while walking around town.

The melodic shift in the bridge is unexpected but welcome as TORRES is able to showcase her angelic vocals. This beat shift is welcomed as it makes the final chorus even more satisfying as the guitar and drums come back into the forefront.

Overall, this may be her best single yet, and was a pleasant surprise to come from music in 2023. This song is definitely worth a listen. - Jack Freiser

“Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo has risen to the top of the charts with her unique style, and honestly, I have fallen in love with her discography.

Rodrigo released a bunch of new songs this year, but “Vampire” is my favorite.

The song details her anger and pain following a breakup with someone who uses her for their benefit.

While I can’t relate to it the same way many others can, the catchy lyrics and the instrumental have me bopping my head every time.

If Rodrigo keeps releasing certified hits like this, she’ll have a fan in me for a long time. - Ben Palillo

“Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” - PinkPantheress and Ice Spice

When PinkPantheress and Ice Spice decided to join forces and make a song, little did they know their work would explode off the charts. With nearly 740 million streams since its release on Feb. 3, 2023, Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2 has seen success all year long.

The sequel to PinkPantheress’ “Boy’s a Liar”, the song discusses a man of not great character, in other words, a “liar”. The song quickly took off, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has been used in over one million TikToks.

PinkPantheress came out and said that she is picky with her collaborations and that pickiness certainly paid off. She had so much praise for Ice Spice while they worked together on the piece, saying that her “flow is unique” and “a lot of people would struggle with beats she chose”, but she knew Ice Spice would be a perfect fit.

Who knew that a simple Instagram DM would turn into one of the best tracks in 2023? PinkPantheress sent the idea of the collaboration, and three days later Ice Spice sent back her verse. - Anthony Desher

“Barbie World” by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice (with Aqua)

The rap song “Barbie World'' by Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua is part of the 2023 “Barbie” movie soundtrack and can be heard during the movie's end credits. It is only appropriate that they have the Queen of rap, Nicki Minaj, be part of the song since her fans are known as the barbs. Ice Spice, who can also be crowned princess of rap, gained fame last year after her hit song “Munch'' blew up on TikTok.

These two iconic women of rap are the perfect artists to have on this song. Their voices compliment each other well and the energy you get from both of them is unmatched. Aqua is what really makes this song a true Barbie hit. The band is best known for their hit song “Barbie Girl”. “Barbie World” does an excellent job at adding a catchy rap remix to Aqua’s original “Barbie Girl” while also adding uniqueness in the song’s lyrics and beat.

This rap song is incredibly catchy and listeners seem to agree as well. In North America, the song debuted at number seven on the Billboard Top 100 and garnered around 16.2 million streams. As of recently, the song has over 300 million streams on Spotify. This song is a banger and it’s no wonder. The queen and princess of rap on the same track plus the iconic Aqua make this a phenomenal song for not only the “Barbie” movie but in general. - Lailah Acuña

“Castles Crumbling” by Taylor Swift ft. Hayley Williams

Unpopular opinion, but is this the best Taylor Swift song… ever?

There’s no other song in her discography that details the change from America’s sweetheart to a vindictive, conniving woman as perceived by the media after the 2009 VMAs scandal.

Swift and Williams’s voices bend beautifully, especially toward the end of the song.

The bridge stands out the most to me, staying true to the fantasy-esque vibe of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).”

“Smoke billows from my ships in the harbor/people look at me like I’m a monster/now they’re screaming at the palace front gates/used to chant my name/now they’re saying that they hate me” already does damage, but Swift’s soul-crushing voice crack on “never wanted you to hate me” takes fans back to the mind of the 19-year-old girl who thought everyone was out to get her. - Adrianna Gallucci

"Hits Different" by Taylor Swift

It’s obvious that the best song of the year should be a Taylor Swift song, as she absolutely owned the top charts this year. The real question is: which song?

I think “Hits Different” was Swift’s best song in 2023, and it was my top No. 2 song on my Spotify wrapped.

This song dropped on May 26, 2023, and went viral for the lyrics “I pictured you with other girls in love/then threw up on the street.” Swift went insane and unhinged when she wrote this delusional masterpiece.

“Hits Different” is truly unlike any other song Swift released in 2023, and I feel that it stands out as a raw and vulnerable song about womanhood. I will continue to listen to this on repeat in 2024, and it will probably be in my Spotify Wrapped next year. -Grace Bowman

“End of Youth”- Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran released his “Subtract” album earlier in June of this year. There were 14 songs and four additional bonus tracks on the album. However, only one can be the best song of the year and it’s “End of Youth”.

This song describes how grief speeds up the process of having to grow up. The most impactful lines being, “We spend our youth with arms and hearts wide open/And then the dark gets in and that’s the end of youth”

Sheeran’s voice is heartbreaking. Each verse into a chorus is like a car crash about to happen. It starts with a thousand different thoughts rushing and then boom! The realization hits. It’s an absolute masterpiece.

Sheeran perspicuously processed many thoughts and feelings throughout the song. What’s more, Sheeran’s lyrics spoke to everyone who had ever undergone loss or the pain of growing up and accepting reality.

After the craziness everyone in the world has experienced in these past few years, this song hits home. That’s why it should be considered for best song of the year. - Isabel Sweet

“Chemical” - Post Malone

Post Malone’s fifth studio album “AUSTIN,” which was released on July 28, 2023, brought the song “Chemical,” and it has everything a perfect song should have.

“Chemical” is track three on “AUSTIN,” but was first released on April 14 2023 as the album’s lead single. It also was the last track on Malone’s first compilation album “The Diamond Collection.”

A feat of this song is how Malone can tell a lyrical story about a toxic relationship and pair it with an upbeat sound and catchy chorus that somehow mends beautifully.

Some standout lyrics of “Chemical” are “‘Cause I couldn’t leave you if I tried” and “You break me, then I break my rules / Last time was the last time too” which are comparing Malone’s attachment issues in a relationship to an addiction to drugs.

The chorus of the song is catchy and melodic, with Malone singing “Outside of the party, smokin’ in the car with you/Seven-nation Army fightin’ at the bar with you.”

Something about the pop-rock instrumentals married with touches of acoustic guitar makes “Chemical” as addicting to listen to as the relationship Malone is singing about.

When an artist can mix bright production elements with lyrics that tell a sad story, they’re already making a great song, but Malone’s signature sound and vocals are what makes “Chemical” so perfect. - Sarah Gavlak

Jack Freiser is a fourth-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jef5614@psu.edu

Ben Palillo is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email bgp5079@psu.edu.

Anthony Desher is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acd5698@psu.edu.

Lailah Acuña is a first-year majoring in communication. To contact her, email lza5309@psu.edu

Adrianna Gallucci is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email amg7989@psu.edu.

Grace Bowman is a third-year majoring in biology and minoring in psychological sciences. To contact her, email gab5585@psu.edu

Isabel Sweet is a second-year majoring in film production. To contact her, email ips5219@psu.edu

Sarah Gavlak is a second-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, please email sng5393@psu.edu.