#270-#266

 #270. The Rions - Night Light (#51, 2021)

17th of 2021

I waited about a week to write this entry. That's not gonna end up seeming like much of a big deal, but I had two reasons for this. Firstly, I know what's coming in this post and it's a section of entries I've feared for writer's block for weeks. Secondly, I wanted to wait until the Hottest 100 actually aired so I could collect my thoughts on that, rather than make any bold statements that might get extremely outdated. It turned out to be the right thing to do, as The Rions' story has added another chapter.

I've said before that The Rions are in elite company as an Unearthed High winning band. No other artist of their tenure has ever had more than two entries on the list, and now thanks to 2025's efforts, The Rions are up to eight. Not just that, but they've appeared on the list for five years in a row. A 10 year older version of me is absolutely frightened at the prospect of covering all of those. Mainly because it just feels like they're getting stuck in a common pattern, just slowly mellowing out and producing lower tempo tunes. More 'polite head nod' than 'active foot tap'. Their two latest entries actually have pretty much the same BPM so you'll forgive me if it takes a while to distinguish them. Aside from the outlier in 2024's "Passionfruit", it feels like the trend at the moment.

That's why I find "Night Light" to hold up a little better in hindsight. It's a version of The Rions that feels more lively, like they're doing everything they can to stand out. It doesn't really have anything to it that feels like a bunch of high school kids jamming out either, so it feels relatively timeless. Well, I'll admit to taking some enjoyment out of saying that you know they're kids because they need a night light, and say 'mummy'. That's okay though, Laufey used the same analogy a year later, and of course, I can now say that's future Hottest 100 entrant, Laufey, I'm talking about. Game's changed.

#269. King Stingray - Milkumana (#56, 2021)

16th of 2021

I realised a little too late that the only thing I wanted to say here is what I'd already said about Glass Animals not long ago (#271). I went into the 2021 countdown only really knowing one King Stingray song, "Get Me Out" (#284). To me it felt like the big breakthrough single, and the one you'd expect to do well. This is what happened! On the other hand, there wasn't a big gap between it and the next single "Milkumana". Between the diminished promotional standpoint and the fact that the title isn't even in English, there's something to be credited about how close it came to being their higher entry. Once again, I've got to give credit to the voters, because they were onto something here.

In case you're wondering, this is not an addition to the surprisingly large number of milk-related songs to make the Hottest 100 (seriously, there's at least 6 without even acknowledging Milky Chance). It's a Yolŋu phrase about passing on knowledge through stories and song. It's quite beautiful when you think about it. The often unexplainable way that music resonates with us and keeps us coming back to it, that keeps it alive for decade after decade. As a by-product of this, it can be one of the most lasting time capsules of a present culture. We likely don't remember the ins and outs of our most deep and meaningful conversations, but we will remember the lyrics to our favourite songs.

Who could resist the charm when it's this fun too? If you have any doubts of singing along to a hook from another language, those should be quashed within seconds with just how infectious this groove is. It maybe runs dangerously close to that overused musical sting used to signal something's taking place in Asia. That can be incredibly off-putting once you start to notice it, but in this context completely divorced from it, no qualms to be had, they nailed it.

#268. Beyoncé - CUFF IT (#24, 2022)

20th of 2022

A while ago I started looking at Beyoncé album rollouts as the equivalent of a mass media event. Something of monumental stature because of the sheer number of resources that go into it. Going up against Beyoncé is like being nominated for the Best Visual Effects Academy Award on the same year an "Avatar" movie came out, you just cannot compete with what she's got at her disposal. Maybe that sounds underwhelming, the idea that money can force its way in, steamrolling the small underdogs. No one actually wants to see that. I see it another way. The idea that Beyoncé is capable of bringing in everything and the kitchen sink to make an album that no one else can make. It doesn't necessarily make it the best thing going around, but the chance to hear things that we can't get elsewhere is something I wouldn't pass up.

Beyoncé's also been around for a long time, so whoever is the main component of her fanbase, it's likely older than the average star. The kind of music fan that might not have the time to just listen to their favourites over and over again. I don't think Beyoncé can afford to coast, otherwise she'll tank harder than you can imagine. Part of that is because I think her brand often does paint over those deficiencies. Her albums don't tend to get lodged into the chart for as long as you might think, and it's just fortunate she makes a big enough opening impression that you don't notice. When "BREAK MY SOUL" (#295) became a Billboard #1 hit, it was a big deal because it was so beyond her standard performance. You can pretend to be above the pop game in some respects, but at the end of the day, you will need to find some hits along the way otherwise you will be pushed aside. I don't think anyone is immune to this.

This is the last time Beyoncé appears in this list but we're going out with a flashy bang. In 2022, Beyoncé revealed that she'd put together a trilogy of albums during the pandemic. The first of those was "RENAISSANCE", a disco & house record, and it's been followed by her Americana & country influenced album "Cowboy Carter". No word on the third album as I'm writing this, but it'd make sense if it came out this year. When I talk about the huge resources she has, these albums really exemplify it. Huge lists of collaborators from all different parts of the music world, with very carefully crafted production and some of the most expensive samples going around. "RENAISSANCE" is just a tour de force of incredible moments that have you adjusting your expectations for what the limits might have been. It's hard for me to say that it tops "Lemonade", but I have so much fun listening to it. Even at over an hour, I don't hear the filler, it's track after track of bold and exciting ideas. Shout out to the middle track list run of "CHURCH GIRL", "PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA" and "VIRGO'S GROOVE". If Beyoncé was ever previously accused of having albums with padded album tracks to house the hits, then look at what she's leaving as deep cuts nowadays.

"BREAK MY SOUL" was the big flashy return statement and it did what it needed to do, but it wasn't actually the big hit on the album. That honour goes to "CUFF IT", which itself has not had tremendous legs but it's still for now one of Beyoncé's most streamed songs ever. Her run of hits from the 2000s seems to be where the loyalty lies currently, and it's hard to compete with that as a newer hit. I feel like "CUFF IT" deserves a seat at that table though, as it's probably one of her most conventional hit songs in a long time. I wouldn't necessarily say it's in line with the music she was making at the time, but you can easily sit it next to those songs and pretend it's a classic hit. Everything about it just pops. It sounds classy if you ignore all the times Beyoncé says 'f**k'. Even if it's never been my personal highlight, I've always just found it to be tremendously fun. Now it's my duty to contradict everything I just said and rank it one spot below a considerably less expensive sounding song.

#267. Violent Soho - Like Soda (#15, 2015)

35th of 2015

When an artist has a particularly successful album, it can ascend them to a higher tier. People have heard of them, and when their songs play on the radio, they stick as 'oh yeah, they did that song'. It presents a massive opportunity going forward once everyone's tuned in at the same time to hear the follow up. We've seen it constantly. Many artists have charted highest with the immediate follow up to what is actually their most popular material, and maybe that's sufficient. We all know that the true stars among stars are the ones who take that moment, seize it, and get bigger than ever before. I find myself rooting for them to disrupt the current order.

It's hard to not get disappointed when they fail on this promise though. It feels like a golden opportunity thrown away, and likely one they'll never get back. Follow ups to the big breakout hit are difficult, and maybe there's an internal conflict between trying desperately to satiate that new audience, or otherwise just follow on the path they've deigned for themselves. I won't claim to always know which path is being taken, because sometimes the future has surprising plans. I do find myself sometimes putting myself into the perspective of that new, on-the-fence listener to try and figure it out. Frankly I'm terrible at it. The number of times I've heard the curious follow up, thought they've nailed it and slowly found that I'm a little alone in that assessment. It starts with MGMT and it continues to this day. Sometimes these assessments go so quickly you have to wonder if enough people even gave it a chance for you to blame the song itself.

Anyway, I immediately thought that Violent Soho had blown it. They had a chance to ascend the Australian rock podium and they offered this song that drags its feet to get going and builds up to a hook that's anything but anthemic. I could just feel the new fans immediately tuning out, as it struggled to limp into the charts.

My assessment probably wasn't on the money. In hindsight, this is an incredibly well performing song with all the pressure put on it. It's right on the cusp of being their highest ever Hottest 100 entry which is not something you can expect to do if you are coasting. Whatever hype they might have lost, it wasn't showing when they scored a #1 album the next year, and dished up more than half of that album as Hottest 100 entries. So I guess "Like Soda" really is what everyone was after in the end, it's hard to imagine it going much better for them.

It took a few years for me to see the light. I think the slow start does cloud my judgement a little but once it gets going, it can run circles with the best of them. There's a chaotic energy to it where it can balance between sounding like the loud Violent Soho of old, but also containing itself for the family photos when you need a moment to sing along with. Same goes for the guitars, which showcase some really crunchy moments alongside tidy riffs to latch onto. Not sure why I ever doubted them.

#266. King Stingray - Let's Go (#35, 2022)

19th of 2022

Something I haven't really mentioned prior to this is the odd state of affairs in the King Stingray camp in the last few years. After the huge success of their first album, you'd think they would be set for the future, but it seems to have all gone belly up. Their follow up album missed the ARIA top 50 (compared to a #6 debut last time), and they've just had unexplained things going on behind the scenes. Lead vocalist Yirrŋa just stopped appearing alongside the band and none of it was explained for a long time. He was somewhat being phased out already because Dimathaya had lead vocals on several songs of their second album. He's not in the band anymore, and they've lost another member since. It's possible they can still stick the landing for their legacy, kind of like how Yothu Yindi's mainstream success was also pretty brief, but I'd be surprised if we see them in this countdown again.

Still, it's a pretty good legacy to leave, and I can see the self-titled album aging pretty well once people go back to it and see just how many hits it has. This is the 5th and final time I dig into that well, and the last time I need to say that King Stingray are very good at doing their thing in a way that requires no comment. I'll try, I suppose.

"Let's Go" is the pick for me because it provides a little extra to it. I'm always fond of songs that wrap up their catchy tunes in a little unsettled tension. For this one, it feels like it's rising all the way until the title lyric comes in. Hardly the best moment on its own, but provides the necessary relief.