Do any of ya’ll have some random mid-2010s songs you still listen to frequently that were not that hugely popular when they came out or did not stand the test of time? Whether it is a song by a big artist that was just sort of drowned out by the magnitude of their hits, or a song that sort of went viral by an artist that was not very big at the time and is still not very big now, there are quite a few gems from this time period that I still listen to so frequently. I feel a lot of the music that was coming out between 2014-2017 was very experimental and just different. For one, this is the era that streaming truly started to take off, so I think artists were kind of throwing everything they had in their arsenal at the wall and seeing what sticks. You really never know what is going to catch fire and go viral, and I think that especially at this time artists were just combining as many sounds and styles as possible and hoping their creation would blow up. Also, this was sort of an era where what was popular in a lot of different genres was starting to change. For example, in Hip Hop, this is the time period where Emo-Trap music started to take off, and it is also the time period where “Pop” music shifted from Pop-Rock artists like Imagine Dragons to Electro-Pop artists like Charli XCX. Because of this, a lot of the music from these years is just unlike anything else that you will hear. Anyway, let’s just get into the list. Please let me know in the comments below if you love any of these songs as well, and let me know what other not as big songs from this era you still love too!

REALITI – GRIMES

Surprise, surprise! I found another reason to write about Grimes! Maybe I should rename this blog The Grimes(and other good music) Podcast, because I have definitely written about her quite a bit since I started this blog. Out of all of the phenomenal songs on her critically acclaimed album from 2015, Art Angels, my favorite has actually got to be ‘Realiti.’ I would not think that this is a popular pick, as some of her most famous from her career are on this album(such as ‘Kill V. Maim,’ ‘Flesh Without Blood,’ and ‘Venus Fly’) and they definitely have drowned out the greatness of ‘Realiti.’ One of the reasons I really love this song is because it seems so personal to Grimes. Whereas most of her music has a grand theme with a hidden meaning behind it, ‘Realiti’ is way more literal; she is just trying to tell the world how she feels and thinks about this song. I also love how sweet and “poppy” this song is. A lot of her music has metal, hip hop, or alternative rock elements to it, but this song is just a straight synth-pop banger. If you are a fan of some of her music and do not know this song, please check out ‘Realiti;’ and if you are a huge fan of hers like me and just have not listened to this song in a while, please stream ‘Realiti’ below.

FEELS – KIIARA AND JAI WOLF

‘Feels’ is one of those gems by two very awesome artists in their own right collaborated to make a masterpiece that was not nearly as big as it should have been. Kiiara is a singer-songwriter that has done quite a few collaborations with Electronic music artists in the past; she has the perfect voice for EDM and synth-pop music, so it is not surprising that this is the kind of music she typically makes. Jai Wolf is a very big international DJ who’s remix of M83’s ‘Midnight City’ and original smash hit ‘Indian Summer’ have turned him into a very popular touring EDM artist. “Feels’ is a lowkey Pop-House joint that is actually very sad and dark when you think about the lyrics. The song is about a relationship between Kiiara and a significant other where she and the other person are drowning their emotions in drugs and alcohol constantly; in the song, Kiiara talks about how she does not know how her significant other can say they “know her” because, at this point, she does not even know herself. The sweet and pretty melody and vibe of the instrumental creates a pretty interesting and cool contrast with the lyrics. If you like EDM and have not checked this one out, definitely give it a listen because I know you will love it.

YOU ARE THE RIGHT ONE – SPORTS

If someone were to ask me what my favorite song is from the mid-2010s was that I really think everyone should check out because it is just so good, I think ‘You Were the Right One’ is always going to be the first song that would come to mind. This track is just so perfect, and with the boom that Indie-Pop and Indie-Rock has been experiencing in the last year, I am kind of surprised that this song and the band Sports in general have not blown up. ‘You Were the Right One’ has one of the catchiest riffs of any song you are ever going to hear; it sounds like if Tame Impala were to do a weird poppy psychedelic remix to the iconic Eric Clapton song ‘Wonderful Tonight.’ The tone of the lyrics on this track goes so well with the super sweet and trippy melody; ‘You Were the Right One’ is about someone looking at their crush from across the room, hoping that the crush approaches them because they are too shy to initiate a conversation themselves. It is just such a cute and perfect song, and if you love Indie music, you have to listen to this song. Trust me, you will love it because it is just perfect for what it is.

BDTDT – LONDON JAE

When I decided to make this list, this was probably the song I was most excited to write about. ‘Bdtdt’ is one of those random gems that should have been way bigger than it was when it came out; I actually hope that it still can somehow catch fire on TikTok, because I really would love to see what London Jae could do if he got bigger. In hindsight, including B.o.B. On the song may not have been his best idea in the scheme of trying to get bigger. This track is obviously sort of a novelty; I mean, a lot of people would laugh when they first heard the refrain, because who the hell would make a song with the refrain being someone yelling ‘bdtdtdtdt'(the sound that an AK-47 makes when being fired). This is the kind of song where when you turn it on, the first thing everyone will do is look at you with a puzzled face, then they will start laughing, and finally, they will jam the hell out because it is so catchy and such a banger. If you are a fan of trap music, please show London Jae some love and check this song out because it is just great.

HEARTBREAKER – CHERUB

Cherub is one of those bands with one hit that everyone knows(especially everyone who is into the party lifestyle), but never blew up from that hit in the way that they should have. They are definitely not a one-hit-wonder, because they are very popular with the Electronic music and Synth-Pop communities, but I feel like they should be way more mainstream because their music has so much crossover with Indie and Alternative music, as well as the Electro-pop sound that is currently taking over the Pop genre. Out of all of their bangers that I feel like should be way bigger than they actually are, I think that ‘Heartbreaker’ tops the list. This track is a Synth-Pop banger with an incredibly funky riff and it is so damn catchy. The best thing about this song, though, is the lyrics. On ‘Heartbreaker,’ Cherub is singing about a stuck up rich girl that they know who thinks she is all that. She goes around telling everyone how great she is and is constantly doing cocaine, then goes home and cries to her mom every night. I know that this sounds depressing, but the way that Cherub sings about it is hilarious. They are basically just trying to tell this rich girl to get over herself and be happy with who she is. If you are into Synth-Pop and Funk music and do not know this track, check it out because I know you will love it.

LOVE AGAIN – GIBBZ

If you were to actually listen to one of these songs after reading all of this(which I hope is not actually the case because all of these songs are great), I hope that you go with the song ‘Love Again’ by Gibbz. Gibbz is an artist that I have hoping would blow up for years; he is such a talented producer, and he has a sound and style that is totally his. I also really love how real and honest he is, and how his personality just oozes onto the track with his lyricism and really sweet melodies. ‘Love Again’ is a super funky Synth-Pop ballad about someone that Gibbz had recently fallen in love with at the time it came out. I love how honest and beautiful the lyrics on this track are; it has got to be an amazing feeling to meet that person that makes you believe that love is real after being heartbroken by so many people for so many years. The melody of this song is just so sweet and funky and beautiful. If you are into Synth-Pop music, you will most definitely love the track ‘Love Again’ by Gibbz.