As summer comes to an end, I want to take the time to reflect on some of my favorite songs that came out in 2019. Honestly, 2019 has been an incredible year so far in terms of music. With so many great songs to choose from, it’s difficult to narrow down a list of ten, so I’m including fifteen hit singles! A fair warning: I am a huge fan of K-pop, so six of these tracks are K-pop songs. Notwithstanding, here is my list of favorites from 2019 that I listened to all summer long, in no particular order:
1. “Rollercoaster” by The Jonas Brothers
This was my favorite song from the album Happiness Begins. The entire album blew me away, but I can never seem to get enough of this particular song. I’m glad to have The Jonas Brothers back in 2019 with an incredible album to accompany their unexpected comeback! I hope to see more albums like this one in the future from The JoBros.
2. “I Don’t Care” by Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber
This was the first song released by Ed Sheeran off his No.6 Collaborations album. After I first listened to it, I knew the rest of the album was going to be just as good…and it was! Ed Sheeran never disappoints me with his music, and I hope this continues to be the case for years to come.
3. “19” by Stray Kids
When it comes to K-pop, my favorite group is Stray Kids, and this song comes from their album, Clé 1: Miroh. While it isn’t the title track, it is my still my favorite song off the album. This song considers the excitement of turning 20 despite also being anxious about leaving your teenage years behind. It talks about wanting to grow up while remaining nostalgic at the same time. The group itself consists of members Woojin, Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin,, and I.N.
4. “Talk” by Khalid
I’ll be listening to this song, not just in 2019, but for years to come. The song is super catchy and Khalid’s voice is unique and incredible. I love Khalid’s music, and this song is definitely one of my favorites! “Talk” comes from his album Free Spirit and it’s a bop!
5. “Sucker” by The Jonas Brothers
When I heard that The Jonas Brothers were reuniting, I couldn’t believe it and set my expectations high. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. This title track was the first song released from their newest album Happiness Begins and I still listen to it on repeat to this day. Thank you, Jonas Brothers for coming back.
6. “Make it Right” by BTS
This song comes from the group’s newest album, Map of the Soul: Persona. While it is not the title track, it is still my favorite song from the album. Also, BTS teamed up with Ed Sheeran to make this song, so that’s really cool. As a slower-paced track, it would make the perfect wedding song if any of the BTS ARMY are interested? The group consists of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook.
7. “ME!” by Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie
I enjoyed Taylor Swift’s album, Reputation, but was equally as excited to hear the announcement for her album Lover. I remember watching the music video for this song at midnight on the day of its release: I was completely blown away! The addition of Brendon Urie to this song added an extra component that I didn’t know I needed. Since then, the entire album has been released and it consists of 18 songs!
8. “Kill this Love” by Blackpink
This song, from the album Kill This Love, proves why Blackpink is my favorite female K-pop group, and I was very much excited for their 2019 comeback! As expected, the song and music video did not disappoint. To make the comeback even more appealing, Blackpink performed at Coachella this year, and I enjoyed their performances from the popular event. I look forward to this group continuing their global success. The group consists of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa.
9. “Eclipse” by GOT7
This song comes from the album Spinning Top: Between Security & Insecurity. I wasn’t sure what type of title track to expect from GOT7’s newest comeback, but I was blown away by this inclusion. It is a slower-paced song accompanied by an intense choreography that highlights the members’ incredible skills. The group consists of Mark, JB, Jackson, Jinyoung, Youngjae, BamBam, and Yugyeom.
10. “South of the Border” by Ed Sheeran featuring Camila Cabello and Cardi-B
Ed Sheeran’s collaboration album was so impactful that I had to put two songs on this list. “South of the Border” itself reminds me of summer with lyrics like, “jump in that water be free!” As you probably rightfully assumed, I enjoyed this entire album. However, this song, along with “I Don’t Care,” were my two favorites. Ed Sheeran did not disappoint, and Camila Cabello and Cardi B were the perfect additions.
11. “Say My Name” by ATEEZ
Hot rookie group ATEEZ! This whole list could have consisted of only ATEEZ songs, because their songs are always impressive. However, this particular song comes from the album TREASURE EP.2: Zero to One. I chose this song over the others because the choreography is amazing, the lyrics are amazing, and the music video is amazing. While this song was released in January, it was the perfect way to ring in 2019! I included it in my Summer Playlist because it continues to be one of my favorite songs to listen to. The group itself consists of members Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho.
12. “Let Me Love U” by WayV
This song is performed by the Chinese boy group, WayV. Actually, WayV is one of the subunits of NCT. Some people don’t consider them to be a part of NCT anymore, but still I do. The song is from their album Take Off. Although it is not the title track, it remains my personal favorite from the album. I also highly suggest watching their self-filmed video for this song because it’s adorable. WayV made their debut in 2019 and currently consists of members Kun, Ten, WinWin, Lucas, Xiaojun, Hendery, and YangYang.
13. “Goodbyes” by Post Malone featuring Young Thug
While I’m not a harcore Post Malone fan, I really enjoy his music. “Goodbyes” was released back in July and considers the disintegration of a relationship. I thoroughly enjoyed this track and cannot wait to listen to the entirety of Hollywood’s Bleeding.
14. “BOOM” by NCT Dream
This song was released in August, but it still made its onto my summer playlist. To begin, it’s important to understand that NCT Dream is one subunit of NCT. However, the main concept of the Dream subunit is that its members can only remain in the group until they reach the Korean age of 20 (19 in the United States). NCT Dream has one member, so far, who has aged out of the group, so he wasn’t a part of this recent comeback. Regardless, this title track will stay stuck in your head for days, but it is well-deserving of all its success. The current members of NCT Dream are Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung.
15. “If I Can’t Have You” by Shawn Mendes
I remember when Shawn Mendes was still on Vine while providing us with 10-second clips of him singing. Now he is one of the world’s most well-known artists! “If I Can’t Have You” was released as a single as there are no plans for a complete album. Still, I was glad Shawn Mendes released this track because it has proven to be an excellent driving song. I’m excited to see what Shawn Mendes brings us in the future.
