The 20 Best Pop Songs Of 2015: Idolator Editors Pick Their Favorites

Idolator Staff | December 14, 2015 8:49 am
The 15 Best Albums Of 2015: Editor's Picks
Our editors select their 15 favorite albums of the year.

In some ways, a year can be defined by the music that created its soundtrack for us all. And just as we recently roundup up our editors’ pics for the best albums of 2015, best EPs of 2015 and, hell, even the 50 best songs from 20 years ago, we here at Idolator have also selected our 20 favorite songs from the past 12 months.

Sift through our picks below, and see if some of our favorite slices of pop from 2015 matched your own.

20. ILOVEMAKONNEN, “WHERE YOUR GIRL AT?”

In the space of a few fake orgasm grunts, Makonnen does here what thousands of rap skits couldn’t — make funny sex sounds actually sound funny — without the annoying “skit” part. The song is equally revolting, hilarious and exhilarating. — CARL WILLIOTT

19. TRAVI$ SCOTT, “ANTIDOTE”

Travis Scott Antidote

Travi$ Scott isn’t one you would typically place in the mainstream “pop” arena, but the Houston rapper boosted his fame this year with one of the more ubiquitous songs of 2015, Rodeo‘s “Antidote.”

The artist took every sonic aesthetic he’s become associated with in the rap scene (haunting production, woozy vocals pricked with high-pitched Auto Tune and lyrics overflowing with intense drug usage) and translated it into a raging banger that could be blasted from your friendly neighborhood thug’s car to a college sorority party in middle America. That’s pretty impressive for a tune that wasn’t even meant to be a single. — BIANCA GRACIE

18. EVES THE BEHAVIOR, “ELECTRICAL”

Aussie newcomer Eves The Behavior filled the gloom-pop void created by Lorde’s absence with sublime debut single “TV” and then upped the ante with a even better follow-up. The 21-year-old describes “Electrical” as a comment on the friction between the organic and the synthetic — a description that makes complete sense when you hear her fragile vocal wrapped in crisp synths. — MIKE WASS

17. NIYKEE HEATON, “SAY YEAH”

Niykee Heaton Say Yeah

Niykee Heaton reigned supreme on Instagram in 2015 with an onslaught of eye-popping thirst traps.  She also held her own on SounCloud — dropping a series of gritty, DIY pop anthems that racked up millions of streams. A fiery ode to living in the moment, “Say Yeah” is the pick of the bunch. It evokes late-night summer drives with the roof down and volume turned up. — MIKE WASS

16. LIZ, “WHEN I RULE THE WORLD”

There are more memorable hooks in these three minutes than most artists fit onto a whole album. You almost wish LIZ and SOPHIE had saved some for subsequent songs so you’d have time to digest it all. But then you remember what it was like being a kid and binging on your Halloween bounty. — CARL WILLIOTT