A few weeks ago, Charli XCX announced that she would use her time in quarantine to craft a new album. Highly collaborative, this project titled how i’m feeling now has already been introduced by the glitchy single “forever.” The British future pop artist has now unveiled the sophomore single, “Claws,” which was produced by 100 gecs‘s Dylan Brady. On her socials, she has also teased another track with Brady and Danny L Harle that we’re so impatient to listen in full. In the meantime, stream “Claws” below.

Chicago-based producer-songwriter Laura Les and Los Angeles-based producer-songwriter Dylan Brady, together, make up the fascinating whirlwind duo of future-pop group named 100 gecs. Their critically acclaimed debut album, 1,000 gecs (2019), is now anticipating a start-to-finish remix treatment, and their first offering of both the decade and the remix album is the hooky rework of their digi-cute track “ringtone.”

The backbone of the original track still remains intact, however, 100 gecs did not shy away to provide a complete cosmetic makeover that redefines the track entirely and demonstrates just how close pop music runs in their blood and veins. Extra instrumental alterations and additions on “ringtone” compliment the powerhouse features, each of which bring their own personalized flair to the remix – Charli XCX with her signature auto-tuned vocals to kick off the party-pop banger, transitioning into Sarah of Kero Kero Bonito with her soft-spoken verse that builds up to the blissfully lethal energy of Rico Nasty, whose introduction paired with the distorted guitar sounds like an old school heartthrob punk rock anthem:

“I think I might be addicted to your kisses, Lovestruck, baby, you’re the piece I’m missin’ / I know you’re what I’m lookin’ for and I’m so tired of wishin’ / We can do it now or later, it don’t make a difference”

“Ringtone” remix is now the third single, following up from the “745 Sticky (Injury Reverse Remix)” and “money machine” remix by A.G. Cook, off their highly anticipated remix album 1000 gecs & The Tree of Clues. The release of this track is accompanied by a very DIY, gec-fashioned visualizer of Laura and Dylan passing back and forth cut-outs of Charli XCX, Sarah (Kero Kero Bonito), and Rico Nasty on popsicle sticks in a dark room.

[su_youtube_advanced url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmX4UPiVS-w”]

Like every December, we close a year of music with our traditional lists. After the Best Albums and Best EPs and Mixtapes, we’re happy to unveil the songs that made 2019 according to our team. Are these the best releases of the year ? Maybe yes, maybe no. But for sure, they represent what we have loved over the 12 months.

2019 is also the end of a decade and, even if the blog did not exist 10 years ago, we will try to share our favourite tracks of this era during the first quarter of 2020.

Finally, I’d like to mention that HighClouds would not be the same without its team of dedicated writers. People don’t always realize it but running a blog and contributing, even only from time to time, requires a lot of energy on top of your full-time job. So thank you to each of you for this.

And now, here are the 100 tracks of 2019, as well as a huge Spotify playlist to go through our selection and discover some other amazing tracks that almost made the cut this year. Thank you for reading us and see you next decade!

[su_spacer]

100. 0171 – “1000 Words”

99. Modern Feelings – “Culture”

98. STAINWASHER – “Joy For Me”

97. Alina Bea – “King of Nothing”

96. Lowly – “baglaens”

95. Yot Club – “no way !”

94. Helado Negro – “Running”

93. BEA1991 – “Did You Feel Me Slip Away?”

92. Deaton Chris Anthony, Clairo, Coco & Clair Clair – “RACECAR”

91. Sandy – “Signals”

[su_divider top=”no”]

90. Common Holly – “You Dance”

89. Teen Body – “Validation”

88. SOPHIE, Doss – “Whole New World (Sophie and Doss remix)”

87. Emily Reo – “Ghosting”

86. Barrie – “Darjeeling”

85. Caroline Polachek – “Pang”

84. 박혜진 Park Hye Jin – “I DON’T CARE”

83. Kraków Loves Adana – “Follow The Voice”

82. Jessica Pratt – “Aeroplane”

81. Ariel – “Dream Team”

[su_divider top=”no”]

80. Spellling – “Under The Sun”

79. MUNYA – “It’s All About You”

78. Von – “Dealer’s Gone”

77. Makthaverskan – “Demands”

76. SASSY 009 – “Maybe in the Summer”

75. Jessie Ware – “Adore You”

74. PAT – “Love Will Find a Way Home”

73. XUXA SANTAMARIA – “Rudos Del Mar”

72. Ascendant Vierge – “Influenceur”

71. Thom Yorke – “Dawn Chorus”

[su_divider top=”no”]

70. Nilüfer Yanya – “Baby Blu”

69. Saeyers – “Cruise”

68. Quinn Christopher – “Erase Me”

67. The Dawdler – “Sylvie”

66. TR/ST – “Iris”

65. Jai Paul – “He”

64. Maria Somerville – “Brighter Days”

63. Morabeza Tobacco – “Orinoco”

62. Eartheater – “Fontanel”

61. Otha – “Tired and Sick”

[su_divider top=”no”]

60. Eugenia Post Meridiem – “Anjos”

59. Vagabon – “Water Me Down”

58. Lala Lala, WHY? – “Siren 042”

57. Jackie Mendoza – “De Lejos”

56. Dorian Electra – “Flamboyant”

55. Crack Cloud – “The Next Fix”

54. Chromatics – “You’re No Good”

53. Hana Vu – “Order”

52. Magdalena Bay – “Only If You Want It”

51. Ebhoni – “TGM”

[su_divider top=”no”]

50. Cherushii, Maria Minerva – “A Day Without You”

49. Maluca – “NYC Baby”

48. Tyler, The Creator – “EARFQUAKE”

47. JPEGMAFIA, Helena Deland – “Free The Frail”

46. Blue Hawaii – “Still I Miss U”

45. Oklou – “Forever”

44. Crumb – “Ghostride”

43. Ariana Grande – “NASA”

42. Weyes Blood – “Movies”

41. Pure Bathing Culture – “All Night”

[su_divider top=”no”]

40. Beauty Queen – “The Only One”

39. Couch Prints – “Tell U”

38. 070 Shake – “Morrow”

37. JORDANN – “Café Speed”

36. Lizzo – “Juice”

35. 100 gecs – “Money Machine”

34. Hand Habits – “can’t calm down”

33. Jenny Hval – “Ashes to Ashes”

32. (Sandy) Alex G – “Gretel”

31. Arlo Parks – “Super Sad Generation”

[su_divider top=”no”]

30. Grace Ives – “Anything”

29. Burial – “Claustro”

28. Sharon Van Etten – “Seventeen”

27. pronoun – “stay”

26. Requin Chagrin – “Sémaphore”

25. BEA1991 – “My Own Heaven”

24. Billie Eilish – “bad guy”

23. Sorry Girls – “One That You Want”

22. Japan, Man – “Stop Staring”

21. Drauve – “Haunted”

[su_divider top=”no”]

20. Big Thief – “UFOF”

[su_divider top=”no”]

19. MUNA – “Number One Fan”

[su_divider top=”no”]

18. Claud – “Easy”

[su_divider top=”no”]

17. Danny Brown – “Dirty Laundry”

[su_divider top=”no”]

16. Angel Olsen – “Lark”

[su_divider top=”no”]

15. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Want You In My Room”

[su_divider top=”no”]

14. Caroline Polachek – “Door”

[su_divider top=”no”]

13. Boy Harsher – “LA”

[su_divider top=”no”]

12. Magdalena Bay – “Venice”

[su_divider top=”no”]

11. Erika de Casier – “Do My thing”

[su_divider top=”no”]

10. Men I Trust – “Numb”

[su_divider top=”no”]

9. Charlotte Adigéry – “Paténipat”

[su_divider top=”no”]

8. Σtella – “Samba”

[su_divider top=”no”]

7. GEORGIA – “About Work The Dancefloor”

[su_divider top=”no”]

6. Lana Del Rey – “hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have”

[su_divider top=”no”]

5. Aldous Harding – “The Barrel”

[su_divider top=”no”]

4. Big Thief – “Not”

[su_divider top=”no”]

3. Charli XCX, Christine and the Queens – “Gone”

[su_divider top=”no”]

2. FKA twigs – “Cellophane”

[su_divider top=”no”]

1. Clairo – “Bags”

[su_divider top=”no”]

Firstly, albums are not a thing of the past! Lof of people have claimed that this format was not relevant anymore in the streaming era, but the artists below have proven the contrary this year. Albums remain the best way to fully express an artistic direction and a vision.

Then again, it’s never easy to definitively rank albums so we guess that this list is only a photography of our tastes at this very moment. In one year, it could be totally different…

Finally, if you like any of these releases, and we’re sure you will, don’t forget to support the artists. Streaming is a good start, but it’s unfortunately not enough.

On Friday, we will unveil our Best Tracks of 2019 and you can already check the 20 EPs and Mixtapes that made our year. But for now, here are our 50 favourite albums of the year (you can also browse the entire list with our Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page).

[su_spacer]
[su_divider top=”no”]

50. Konradsen – “Saints and Sebastian Stories”

49. Sneaks – “Highway Hypnosis”

48. Tobi Duchampe – “The Saddest Game.”

47. Kelsey Lu – “Blood”

46. PAT – “Love Will Find A Way Home”

45. XUXA SANTAMARIA – “Chancletas D’Oro”

44. Toro y Moi – “Outer Space”

43. The Japanese House – “Good At Falling”

42. Dorian Electra – “Flamboyant”

41. Bodywash – “Comforter”

40. Holly Herndon – “PROTO”

[su_spacer]
[su_divider top=”no”]

39. Stella Donelly – “Beware of the Dogs”

38. Black Belt Eagle Scout – “At The Party With My Brown Friends”

37. Carla dal Forno – “Look Up Sharp”

36. Octo Octa – “Resonant Body”

35. TR/ST – “The Destroyer – Part 1”

34. Sharon Van Etten – “Remind Me Tomorrow”

33. Thom Yorke – “Anima”

32. Common Holly – “When I say to you Black Lightning”

31. Jessica Pratt – “Quiet Signs”

[su_spacer]
[su_divider top=”no”]

30. Boy Harsher – “Careful”

29. Two People – “First Body”

28. Charli XCX – “Charli”

27. Nilüfer Yanya – “Miss Universe”

26. Yeule – “Serotonin II”

25. Noah – “Thirty”

24. Crumb – “Jinx”

23. Morabeza Tobacco – “Morabeza Tobacco”

22. Tyler, the Creator – “IGOR”

21. Clairo – “Immunity”

[su_spacer]
[su_divider top=”no”]

20. Angel Olsen – “All Mirrors”

[su_divider top=”no”]

19. Aldous Harding – “Designer”

[su_divider top=”no”]

18. 100 gecs – “1000 gecs”

[su_divider top=”no”]

17. Danny Brown – “uknowhatimsayin¿”

[su_divider top=”no”]

16. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Dedicated”

[su_divider top=”no”]

15. JPEGMAFIA – “All My Friends Are Cornballs”

[su_divider top=”no”]

14. Sir Babygirl – “Crush on Me”

[su_divider top=”no”]

13. Chromatics – “Closer To Grey”

[su_divider top=”no”]

12. Men I Trust – “Oncle Jazz”

[su_divider top=”no”]

11. FKA twigs – “MAGDALENE”

[su_divider top=”no”]

10. Lana Del Rey – “Normal Fucking Rockwell!!”

[su_divider top=”no”]

9. Weyes Blood – “Titanic Rising”

[su_divider top=”no”]

8. Jenny Hval – “The Practice of Love”

[su_divider top=”no”]

7. Maria Somerville – “All My People”

[su_divider top=”no”]

6. Requin Chagrin – “Sémaphore”

[su_divider top=”no”]

5. Big Thief – “U.F.O.F.”

(It was really not easy to decide and it could have been “Two Hands” as well)

[su_divider top=”no”]

4. Caroline Polachek – “Pang”

[su_divider top=”no”]

3. Grace Ives – “2nd”

[su_divider top=”no”]

2. BEA1991 – “Brand New Adult”

(and artwork of the year)

[su_divider top=”no”]

1. Erika de Casier – “Essentials”