SEXY NEVER LEFT PRESENTS: Best Songs Of 2009

Last year was great for music, obviously not the commercialised variety, but the more underrated artists.

As previously mentioned, there really was a number of quality releases last year and not always from those individuals in the limelight. So, here are some (not all, as there are a lot more) of my favourite songs from the past year, they are obviously in no particular order:

Backstreet Boys – Undone

I’ve been a fan of these guys since they first came onto the music scene well over a decade ago and I have never stopped being a fan of them. So to hear that they were releasing another album, the follow up to 2007’s ‘Unbreakable’, I was twelve years old all over again. This song is most definitely the highlight on the album for me and showcases exactly why the Backstreet Boys have managed to last so long within music.

Corinne Bailey Rae – I’d Do It All Again

This song hasn’t been officially released yet, but the video for it has made it online, so it has only just made my list because of that fact.

I have been more than ready for Corinne’s new material for quite some time now, especially as she is one of my favourite artists. Having delivered on of the best albums of 2006, you just know that the upcoming project will be just as good and upon hearing this song, I am not disappointed. Yes, it is a very dark choice of song. But Corinne has been through such a lot over the past eighteen months or so and she always puts so much passion into her work, you are left wanting to hear more of her material.

Janelle Monáe – Come Alive (The War Of The Roses)

Janelle Monáe can do nothing wrong for me, I think she’s an amazing artist, I truly do. So when I heard this song, I was made up. It definitely gave me hope that she will one day release something soon, especially as it has been a while since her last project and I’m sure her many fans out there are hungry to hear something new from this artist, she certainly knows how to deliver something great.

This song definitely showcased that Janelle is an amazing talent within music, it’s just a shame she’s signed to Bad Boy, who have a tendency to drain an artist and place them on the backburner for the more commercial artists. Janelle is her own person and definitely deserves a better label that understands her creatively.

Jaspects – 2012 (feat. Janelle Monáe)

This song is what got me into Jaspects latest album, it’s not just the fact that the equally talented Janelle Monáe is on this song, but also the fact that it is such a great collaboration that oozes a variety of sounds. Definitely something very different and I like my music like that.

Joy Jones – Over

Joy Jones delivered one of the best albums of last year, easily one of the best albums. It really was that good from beginning to finish and although I loved the album as a whole, this song stood out for me. It’s just a shame that she’s so underrated, her debut album should be a lot more well known. An amazing artist.

Beverley Knight – Breakout

This is easily one of the best songs from Beverley’s latest album, which is well worth checking out if you haven’t already heard this project. Beverley’s latest album was featured on my best of 2009 album list, but this song in general was one of the best on the project, now I loved all of the album as Beverley certainly knows how to deliver something amazing within music, but this song was one of the first I played over and over. Well worth a listen.

Maxwell – Pretty Wings

Theoretically this song could have made a list like this over a year ago, as the snippet was leaked online and definitely caused a bit of a stir with fans like myself.

But seeing as the official release was on Maxwell’s latest album it has made my list of best songs of this year. From beginning to finish, this song just oozes beauty as it is delivered perfectly by the wonderful Maxwell. This is easily one of the best songs of this year, such a beautiful song.

Slum Village – Dope Man

Last year was a bad year for Slum Village as they lost one of their members, the incredibly talented Baatin, who will continue to be remembered for the great input he had within this group. It was definitely a great year for them musically, as at the tail end of 2009 they delivered their latest, ‘Villa Manifesto EP’, which is a great project and definitely showcase why Slum Village remain one of the best Hip Hip groups around. This song is taken from that very EP and is great.

Raff – Gambler

Raff came from nowhere for me and that was definitely a great thing, as this guy just oozes so much talent. ‘Gambler’ is not only a great song, it also happens to be well written. This song was definitely a highlight of 2009 for me.

Amerie – The Flowers

Easily one of the best songs from Amerie’s latest album, if not, the best. I love this song, it’s that amazing. Infact, I could easily listen to this song on repeat play, which is definitely a sign of a great song. I was looking forward to the latest album from Amerie and I was not left disappointed, this song just gets better with each play It’s just a shame that Amerie is still such an underrated artist within music.