2023 was a huge year for global music with record-breaking album sales, streaming, and tours. It was also a year that saw artists like Karol G, Peso Pluma, and Jungkook rise to fame as global pop stars.
And then there's the women in music who ruled the industry. Tyla, SZA, and Olivia Rodrigo released mind-blowing albums while Miley Cyrus, Tate Mcrae, and Doja Cat brought out some of the biggest songs this year globally.
Take a look at some of these chartbusters which also found a spot on popular year-ender lists including Rolling Stones and NME:
1. SZA, Snooze
"I'll touch that fire for you
I do that three, four times again, I testify for you"
The R&B single from SZA’s sophomore album SOS deals with heartbreak, and the desperation to move on. SZA's vocals in Snooze received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. This song brought the Kill Bill singer to the mainstream by earning her 15 nominations at the 2024 Grammy Awards, making her the most-nominated artist this year.
2. Billie Eilish, What Was I Made For?
"Takin' a drive, I was an ideal Looked so alive, turns out I'm not real Just somethin' you paid for What was I made for?"
"I used to float, now I just fall down/ I used to know but I'm not sure now/ What I was made for/ What was I made for?" croons Billie Eilish in this track from the superhit Barbie movie. While the film ruled the box office, this single was also commercially successful on its own. The fourth single from the official soundtrack of Barbie charted in the top 15 of Billboard Hot 100 at 14. The song also earned five nominations at the upcoming Grammys.
3. Doja Cat, Paint The Town Red
"Mm, she the devil She a bad lil' bitch, she a rebel (walk on by) She put her foot to the pedal It'll take a whole lot for me to settle (walk on by)"
The hip-hop queen has earned her first UK Singles Chart number-one spot with Paint the Town Red, making her the first female hip-hop artist in history to top it. This hip-hop track with a jazz-influenced beat from Doja’s fourth studio album disses her critics, as seen in the lines: “Bitch I said what I said/ I’d rather be famous instead/ I let all that get to my head/ I don’t care I paint the town red”. The song, written by Doja, has broken several Spotify records and has also peaked at number one on the Billboard Global 200 chart.
4. Jungkook, Seven ft.Latto
"You lovе when I jump right in All of me, I'm offering Show you what devotion is Deeper than the ocean is"
The urge to be with one’s lover 24/7 is the theme of the official solo debut single from the youngest member of BTS. The UK garage-influenced track broke numerous records earning Jungkook the title of ‘the next king of pop’. Seven, the first single from his solo debut album Golden, charted on top of the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Global charts, making him the only Korean solo artist and the second Korean act after his group to peak atop all three charts. The song also broke the record for the fastest song in history to surpass one billion streams on Spotify. Within four months of its release, the song has set multiple Guinness World records. The song also helped him to be the first Korean soloist to win at the Billboard Music Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards, and the Europe Music Video Awards.
5. Tyla, Water
"Can you blow my mind? Set off my whole body If I give you my time (Ooh) Can you snatch my soul from me?"
Water, another debut that created waves in the music industry, is from Tyla's self-titled debut album TYLA. The R&B track with Afrobeats elements helped Tyla, the youngest-ever South African and the first South African soloist in 55 years, enter the Billboard Hot 100. The song has also been nominated at the Grammys. The song expresses the singer's desire for a passionate and intimate encounter.
6. Peso Pluma, Elle Baila Sola
"Mate, what do you think of that girl? The one dancing alone, I like her for myself Beautiful, she knows she's hot Everyone's watching her dance"
Elle Baila Sola ("She Dances Alone") made history as the first regional Mexican song to top Billboard's all-genre chart. The song also helped Peso Pluma, a 24-year-old Mexican singer, to be noticed in the mainstream. He released Elle Baila Sola as the lead single of his sixth studio album. The singer collaborated with Esbalon Armando, an American-Hispanic group, for the single which is about two friends talking about a good-looking girl at a party.
7. New Jeans, Super Shy
"I'm super shy, super shy But wait a minute while I make you mine, make you mine I'm all nervous 'cause you're on my mind all the time I wanna tell you but I'm super shy, super shy"
New Jeans’ single inspired by 90s R&B and Jersey club songs is from their sophomore EP Get Up. This song became the group's highest-charting song on the Billboard Global 200, peaking at two. Following the success of their singles like Hype Boy, the members of this fourth-gen K-pop girl group created another global hit in 2023 with Super Shy, a song that explores teenage crushes. Foot-tapping music coupled with cutesy choreography makes Super Shy a perfectly packaged K-pop song.
8. Olivia Rodrigo, Bad Idea Right?
"Yes, I know that he's my ex But can't two people reconnect? I only see him as a friend The biggest lie I ever said"
The second single from the American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo's Sophomore album Guts expresses the concerns of a lovelorn 19-year-old. Bad Idea right?, co-written by Olivia Rodrigo, is a rock song with an influence of 90s pop rock. NME described the song thus: "Stuffed with a groovy bass line and the realization that, even though being hung up on an ex will induce lapses in judgments, it can also be seriously dumb fun."
9. Lana Del Rey, Say Yes To Heaven
"If you dance, I'll dance And if you don't, I'll dance anyway Give peace a chance Let the fear you have fall away"
A ballad that explains the narrator's attempt to escape with her lover, Say Yes to Heaven, was written by Lana Del Ray herself. The acclaimed American singer-songwriter, who explores tragic romance and melancholy through her songs, was highly praised by critics for the production and lyrics of Say Yes to Heaven. Following its release, the song peaked at 54 on the Billboard Hot 100, and at 18 on Billboard Global 200.
