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!

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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”

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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”

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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”

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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”

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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”

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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”

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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”

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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”

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20. Big Thief – “UFOF”

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19. MUNA – “Number One Fan”

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18. Claud – “Easy”

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17. Danny Brown – “Dirty Laundry”

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16. Angel Olsen – “Lark”

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

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14. Caroline Polachek – “Door”

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13. Boy Harsher – “LA”

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12. Magdalena Bay – “Venice”

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11. Erika de Casier – “Do My thing”

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10. Men I Trust – “Numb”

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9. Charlotte Adigéry – “Paténipat”

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8. Σtella – “Samba”

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7. GEORGIA – “About Work The Dancefloor”

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

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5. Aldous Harding – “The Barrel”

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4. Big Thief – “Not”

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

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2. FKA twigs – “Cellophane”

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1. Clairo – “Bags”

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Like every year, our lists don’t have the pretention to be objective, or exhaustive. We only list the favourite releases of our staff. Also, we probably forgot some very cool stuff and we’re sorry about that. Before unveiling our favourite albums and tracks of 2019, here are the 20 EPs and mixtapes that made our year, as well as a Spotify playlist to (re)discover all these projects.

20. Liss – “Second”

19. Ana Roxanne – “~~~”

18. Chela – “Delivery”

17. Kilo Kish – “REDUX”

16. Andy Stott – “It Should Be Us”

15. Malibu – “One life”

14. Cherushii & Maria Minerva – “Cherushii & Maria Minerva”

13. Hana Vu – “Nicole Kidman / Anne Hathaway”

12. Toro y Moi – “Soul Trash”

11. Christelle Bofale – “Swim Team”

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10. Jackie Mendoza – “LuvHz”

9. Kate Bollinger – “I Don’t Wanna Lose”

8. Kate Teague – “Kate Teague”

7. Magdalena Bay – “mini mix vol. 1”

6. NOIA – “CRISÀLIDA”

5. MUNYA – “Blue Pine”

4. Saeyers – “Saeyers EP”

3. Sandy – “Traces”

2. Dear Japan – “Hollow Hearted Hands”

1. Charlotte Adigéry – “Zandoli”

Before your well-deserved holiday break, we come up with a playlist loaded with good music only. We are aware that it’s not always easy to keep up with all the daily releases and posts. Therefore our team made everything easier just for you. Enjoy our 50 favourite songs of 2019 so far and don’t forget to follow our Spotify playlist to check future additions.

1 GEORGIA – “About Work The Dancefloor”

2 BIG THIEF – “UFOF”

3 ARLO PARKS – “Super Sad Generation”

4 CRUMB – “Part III”

5 REQUIN CHAGRIN – “Sémaphore”

6 YOT CLUB – “No Way !”

7 CARLY RAE JEPSEN – “Julien”

8 070 SHAKE – “Morrow”

9 MEN I TRUST – “Numb”

10 TEEN BODY – “Validation”

11 HAND HABITS – Can’t Calm Down”

12 MARIA SOMERVILLE – “Brighter Days”

13 ERIKA DE CASIER – “Do My Thing”

14 SHARON VAN ETTEN – “Seventeen”

15 BEAUTY QUEEN – “The Only One”

16 MORABEZA TOBACCO – “Ally McBeal”

17 GRACE IVES – “Mirror”

18 BARRIE – “Darjeeling”

19 KEVIN ABSTRACT – “Georgia”

20 ALDOUS HARDING – “The Barrel”

21 EMILY REO – “Ghosting”

22 BOY HARSHER – “LA”

23 AUGUSTINE – “A Scent Of Lily”

24 PURE BATHING CULTURE – “All Night”

25 ΣTELLA – “Samba”

26 CELESTE – “Father’s Son”

27 CHARLOTTE ADIGERY – “High Lights”

28 LALA LALA, WHY? – “Siren 042”

29 PRONOUN – “Stay”

30 STAINWASHER – “Joy For Me”

31 LANA DEL REY – “hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have…”

32 JACKIE MENDOZA – “Mucho Más”

33 BASEBALL GREGG, PECAS, WILLIAM CORDUROY – “The Movies”

34 BEA1991 – “My Own Heaven”

35 GRACIE GRAY – “Morphine”

36 ROSALÍA, J BALVIN – “Con Altura”

37 WEYES BLOOD – “Movies”

38 HATCHIE – “Without A Blush”

39 PECAS – “T-Shirt”

40 FKA TWIGS – “Cellophane”

41 OMAR APPOLO – “Ashamed”

42 MAKTHAVERSKAN – “Demands”

43 SANDY (ALEX G) – “Gretel”

44 CLAUD – “Easy”

45 JAI PAUL – “He”

46 JAPAN, MAN – “Stop Staring”

47 THE DAWDLER – “Sylvie”

48 ARIEL – “Dream Team”

49 EUGENIA POST MERIDIEM – “Blue Noon”

50 0171 – “1000 Words”

2019 is being the year of Jackie Mendoza. Her two previous singles “De Lejos” and “Seahorse”, both among the year’s best songs, showed two different sides of an artist who resisted being defined. Now, Mendoza is putting out her new single “Mucho Más” (“much/a lot more” in Spanish), which again sees her trading in uncharted territory. In what is probably her most experimental track to date, Jackie Mendoza keeps fascinating us with her blend of outlandish electronic sounds and commonplace pop elements. Some of the beeps and synth tones in “Mucho Más” seem to belong to some of the most “out there” Arca tracks, yet Mendoza does not shy away from straightforwardness.

Maintaining an alluring balance between odd minimalism and palatable directness, Mendoza also applies this method to her evasive lyrics, which in this occasion seem to have been written by using a cut-up technique. While she is a pop artist at her core, she voluntarily relinquishes all semblances of melody in favour of pure rhythm. At one point in the song, a basic reggaeton beat pops up and then disappears only to come up again at the end. The opening track to her upcoming EP LuvHZ, “Mucho Más” is her most danceable song to date, and perhaps her most immediately rewarding as well. Watch the Glitchybb-directed video below.

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Queer singer-songwriter Jackie Mendoza was raised in a conservative Mexican family and, like a lot of LGBTQ kids, she was not able to express who she truly was at home or at school. As a teenager, it is not easy to build your own identity when you have to face such strong contradictions. In an interview with NOTION for LGBT history month, she stated: “Repressing this part of my identity made me sad and reclusive for a very long time. As much as I tried, I couldn’t fit into the religious setting because I felt ashamed and invalidated.” As a consequence, Jackie Mendoza found a refuge in arts, starting doing musical theather and eventually music.

Back in 2017, she moved back back to San Diego from New York and decided to come out to her parents by telling them she had a girlfriend. Now totally assuming her sexuality, she naturally sings about it in some her introspective tracks. Softly psychedelic and experimental, her ukulele electro pop ballad “De Lejos” is actually a love song about long distance relationships and dedicated to her partner Lucia. Her latest offering, “Seahorse,” was directly inspired by these animals that take on equal responsibilities in the relationship, ignoring the roles traditionally pre-established by gender.

With her Rusty Santos-co-produced debut EP just around the corner, we invited Jackie Mendoza to pick 20 tracks that are somehow related to her queerness and her experience. You can check her playlist and read her accompanying short statement below. All the previous episodes of Queeropedia are still available via our Spotify profile.

[su_quote]Expressive, energizing, and strong are a few words to describe the artists on my “Queeropedia” playlist. Ever since I came out to my family in 2017, I have felt free to communicate more parts of my identity in my music. Some of these artists inspired me to do exactly that! [/su_quote]

A queer songwriter of Mexican descent based in San Diego, Jackie Mendoza is soon to release her debut EP. The singer-songwriter has been slowly making a name for herself in the alternative music press, though it wasn’t until when she put out “De Lejos” last month that she started getting picked up by major outlets. Jackie Mendoza defines her own material as “ukulele electro pop”, which is arguably the last descriptor you’d think of after listening to her songs. However, it’s true that she started out as a relatively straightforward ukulele-carrying songwriter with songs like “Closer” or “Painting Green”, plain compositions as pretty as they were harmless.

The whole “making a guitar sound like everything but a guitar” thing has surely been done to death by now, so big props to Mendoza for giving that trope a spin of her own with the often-vilified ukulele. Featuring production chops from the esteemed Animal Collective collaborator Rusty Santos, her later work has done nothing but distancing herself from her beginnings. Her new single “Seahorse” is a dream pop song carried by its glitchy drum machines and a twee-ish synth work that screams out DIY. Sparse and loose in structure, “Seahorse” relies completely in its off-kilterness to make an impact. About the track, she detailed:

[su_quote]’Seahorse’ was directly inspired by seahorses. They mate for life and take on equal responsibilities in the relationship; females “plant” the egg inside the male’s pouch and the male gives birth to thousands of seahorse babies while the female looks for food and shelter. The sound of the song was also inspired by the way they swim and move; sporadic and free-flowing.[/su_quote]

Fittingly enough, the video for the song consists entirely of a dead-pixeled single-shot of Jackie Mendoza singing the song by the beach, appearing more as a ghostly hologram than as an artist facing her audience. “Seahorse” is not an instant classic like “De Lejos” but a haunting album track bordering on psychedelic pop, a solid offering off what is beginning to seem like one of the most awaited debut releases of 2019.

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Ray Newlan, Noah Salem – Dreaming – 00:00

Maria Somerville – All My People – 03:18

Dwen – Tr Pp N – 09:05

Kip Nelson – Laced Up – 12:50

Deep Sea Peach Tree – Xanzibar – 15:27

Arlo Parks – Super Sad Generation – 17:45

Bathe – Kimmi – 20:26

Virgin Pool – The Wanderer – 24:45

Hand Habits – Can’t Calm Down – 28:14

Mini Dresses – Rank and File – 31:36

Melby – VCR – 34:05

Jessica Pratt – Aeroplane – 37:53

Jackie Mendoza – De Lejos – 41:13

UTO – Synthetise – 43:47

Konradsen – Baby Hallelujah – 47:08

Pecas – Tshirt – 49:58

0171 – 1000 Words – 53:02

Emmett Kai – Taste The Sunset – 57:00