While we didn’t do a full episode on the new music in December, I figured I’d still look at the charts and rank the best of what charted in the month. Which wasn’t much new music, there were a lot of Christmas tracks re-entering and we skip those.

1. SZA – I Hate U -A classic soul sound accentuated by SZA’s honey vocals, but the beauty of the music sugarcoats the fury of the lyrics.
2. Juice WRLD & SUGA – Girl of My Dreams – There’s a lot of interesting concepts going on in this cut, but it doesn’t feel disjointed or scrambled because of that. 
3. Chloe – Have Mercy – A slow burning sexual anthem with excellent vocals.
4. Adele – To Be Loved – Adele and some piano chords. That’s all it needs to be good. 
5. Adele – My Little Love – Soulful love song to her son, while confessing the insecurities of every parent. I love you, but I’m terrified I might accidentally kill you/send you to therapy for your entire adult life. 
6. Juice WRLD – Burn – I like the dark, spacey, multi-layered production. Feels like a complete contradiction to the weight of Juice’s lyrics. 
7. Adele – Oh My God – feels like a throwback to the alt-pop of like 8 years ago or so. I like that sound but the track on the whole doesn’t do anything special for me. 
8. Adele – Can I Get It – simple and upbeat, but something just feels a little… flat. I can’t put my finger on it though. 
9. Adele – I Drink Wine – I know this is getting all the rave reviews, but I feel like it’s really just a pedestrian self-reflective/motivational song
10. Kodak Black – Super Gremlin – Relatable lyrics about a lost friendship but nothing much else here to separate it from a thousand other trap tracks. The really lazy beat doesn’t help its case. 
11. GAYLE – abcdefu – not an awful break up/fuck you song but the first line of the chorus is so cringe that it brings the rest of the song down with it. Possibly the dumbest three seconds in pop of the year.
12. Oliver Tree – Life Goes On – As unpleasant as the toxic relationship it described.
13. Lil Durk ft. Morgan Wallen – Broadway Girls – The release rivalry/race/future lawsuit over this song is more interesting than the track itself. The hick hop (ugh) track gets the trap treatment and it’s… well, not much. I mean, I nothing this song. It’s not bad from a production standpoint, but it’s not particularly good either. I just can’t find many feelings on this one besides: bleh.