Friday Finds: Top songs of 2019

DETROIT – The Friday Finds started as something that was just an idea without much direction, but it quickly became what it is now.

For the last edition of 2019, we wanted to highlight favorite tracks released this year, some of which were featured in previous Friday Finds and a few others that weren’t.

Amber’s top 5:

Flowers on the Grave -- The Maine

The Maine’s new album, “You Are Ok” immediately become one of my favorite albums when it was released earlier this year.

Not to get too personal, but I was going through a rough time when the album was released, and it helped me through it.

REVIEW: The Maine releases impactful and emotional new album ‘You Are Ok’

The nearly 9 ½ minute “Flowers on the Grave” ties together the album’s message of hope and resilience, while driving home the notion that it is possible to move on and leave behind the past.

It’s all about growing from who you used to be and what you’ve been through, something that resonated heavily with me this year. While it’s one of the slower songs off the record, it’s a peaceful song with important lessons connected to it.

“You don’t plan life, you live it / You don’t take love, you give it / You can’t change what is written / So when fate cries, you listen / And flowers on the grave / Of the child that I used to be”

The song serves as a reminder that everything, including the bad, is temporary, and growth is always happening, no matter what.

I Don’t Owe You Anything -- Tegan and Sara

Tegan and Sara’s new album, “Hey, I'm Just Like You," consists of songs the twin sisters wrote in high school and recorded this year. They found cassettes of old songs while working on their memoir, “High School.”

I really liked the entire album and had a hard time picking a song that was my favorite.

REVIEW: Tegan and Sara perform intimate, emotional show centered around memoir

“I Don’t Owe You Anything” is pretty straightforward -- it’s about finally moving on from someone and realizing you no longer owe that person anything.

“I don’t ask much / All I want is your touch / It’s the way I love you / It’s why I hate you / But I don’t owe you / No, I don’t owe you anything.”

While the song is a breakup song, it’s refreshing in the sense that it focuses on that moment where you put yourself first when it’s ending after giving what you could.

The entire record is a coming-of age-album of sorts, consisting of songs about love, heartbreak and growing up.

Soulmate -- Lizzo

“Soulmate” is a self-love anthem that I really needed this year.

It’s that song that I would play on repeat over and over again while dancing alone in my kitchen over the summer.

The positive, upbeat jam gives a positive side to being single and loving yourself. It also highlights the importance of always putting yourself first.

“It’s a me, myself kinda attitude / 'Cause I’m my own soulmate / I know how to love me / I know that I’m always gonna hold me down / Yeah, I’m my own soulmate / No, I’m never lonely / I know I’m a queen, but I don’t need no crown”

It’s empowering and fun with a message -- put yourself first.

Hurricane -- I Prevail

I Prevail’s “Trauma” included a mix of heavy songs and slower, more emotional tracks.

While I loved the entire album, especially the heavier, high-energy tracks, I also really liked the slower, more emotional songs.

PHOTOS: A Day to Remember, I Prevail deliver hyped up performances

“Hurricane” blends both slow moments with faster, more aggressive parts.

The track focuses on losing yourself and feeling like you’re not good enough.

“Tell me I was never good enough / Remind me of the demons that I’ve been running from / Tell me who the hell you thought I was / Or just blame it on the person, the person I’ve become”

The theme is rather dark, but the vibe of the song isn’t entirely a sad one.

The calmer parts combine well with stronger verses -- essentially it embodies all that makes the album what is it in one track.

DEAD TO ME -- blackbear

Blackbear’s “DEAD TO ME” is about the end of a toxic relationship.

Filled with hate for someone from the past, the song is energetic and relatable.

It touches on plenty of the thoughts and feelings had when things go bad with someone, while mentioning the dysfunction that came with that loss.

“I’m six feet under the ground, you turned it around on me / Had me thinking that I never really tried / If you told me that you loved me, then you lied / Wrong place, wrong guy, let it die”

Blackbear has tweeted that it’s his favorite song off “ANONYMOUS.” Likewise.

Kayla’s top 5:

No Vacancy -- Rainbow Kitten Surprise

Rainbow Kitten Surprise became my favorite band this year. “No Vacancy” and “Heart” were released in May as “Mary (b-sides).”

“Break first, I break fast / And hope it don’t last too long / Hope you don’t find someone like me / I care, but I’m tired / I swear you won’t die if I turn off the lights / I swear I won’t mind if she’s better than I am”

PHOTOS: Rainbow Kitten Surprise delivers breathtaking show at The Fillmore Detroit

“Available now are 2 old songs we hold near and dear to us. You may have heard us play many different versions of ‘Heart’ and ‘No Vacancy’ over the years,” the band said on Twitter. “These tracks never made it on our original EPs ‘Mary’ or ‘Seven,’ but today is the day.”

The lyrics and melody flow through “No Vacancy,” telling a story that is felt in a unique way by each listener. Like most of their songs, this one is full of emotion and holds nothing back as far as honesty. It is open and draws a lot of emotion from me.

“Save your lights for all the colors, they’ll bring you in your sleep / Don’t waste a light on me / Save your eyes for someone brighter, than I will ever be / Don’t hesitate to bring me to my knees / No vacancy”

The Mask (Stripped) -- Matt Maeson

Matt Maeson had a good year.

I watched as he started to draw in bigger and bigger crowds at his live shows.

His most popular song, “Cringe,” spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Alternative Songs chart in August and was one of this year’s biggest hits.

PHOTO: Matt Maeson gives intimate performance at The Crofoot in Pontiac

He released his first album this year, “Bank on the Funeral.” Then, without skipping a beat, he released an acoustic version of the album. Both versions show how incredibly talented he is. His live performances are not lacking and create an atmosphere perfect to experiencing his music.

“The Mask” is one of my favorite songs by him. It takes an honest look at death. A brutal discussion regarding how we cope with – or avoid dealing with -- loss.

“Were you ever here? / Or just lost on the surface that at the first touch / Just evades in the dust / And it pulled me down / And showed me my demons lined up in a sequence / Forming a crowd / It was so long / With a piece of happy home that they stripped from the bone / I did not react / I settled my grievance by crafting a mask / And I never looked back”

GFY -- Dennis Lloyd

Every song on Dennis Lloyd’s EP “Exident” made it into my Spotify top songs of 2019. The word “flawless” comes to mind. The Israeli musician’s voice and lyrical ability is remarkable.

The song “GFY” features an excerpt from a TEDx talk by Gary Lewandowski titled “Break-Ups Don’t Have to Leave You Broken:"

“And whether your relationship is awful, good, or great, we don’t like endings, we don’t like to lose things. And especially, we don’t like to lose things that are important to us. And make no mistake, relationships are the single most important thing to you in your life. It’s the source of all of your best memories, it’s the source of all of your worst memories. When you think back on your life when you’re 95 or 100 years old and you look back over the course of your lifetime, you’re not going to think, ‘I wish I owned a better phone’, ‘I wish I spent more time on the Internet’, I wish I spent more time at work or sleeping’. It’s going to be any of those kinds of things. It’s going to be: ‘I wish I spent more time with the people I loved.'"

“GFY” uses those words in a way that is extremely powerful, and empowering when it comes to getting over a relationship and moving forward. The entire EP seems to explore the pain, anger and hurt that comes with grieving the loss of something that was once very important to you.

when the party’s over -- Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish, 18, made a massive impact this year. Her song “Bad Guy” peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s “The Hot 100″ and spent a total of 20 weeks on the chart.

Lyrically, her songs are incredible. Her voice portrays immense talent and has a haunting aspect to it. She collaborates on her music with her brother, Finneas. Her debut studio album is called “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?"

Eilish received six Grammy Award nominations. Those include Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. She is the youngest artist to receive noms in each of the Big Four categories in the same year.

“Don’t you know I’m no good for you? / I’ve learned to lose you, can’t afford to / Tore my shirt to stop you bleedin’ / But nothin’ ever stops you leavin’ / Quiet when I’m coming home and I’m on my own / I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that”

No More Suckers -- MARINA

MARINA, previously known as Marina and the Diamonds, came back this year with her first new album since “Froot," which was released in 2015.

“Love + Fear” was released in two parts. The first part, “Love,” was released separately in April. It was fully released later that month. An acoustic companion EP, “Love + Fear (Acoustic),” was released in September.

The acoustic version of “No More Suckers” was released in September, and feels like a more powerful and emotional version of the song.

“Put a stop sign up, you’re not getting any nearer / Wave goodbye to the suckers in my rear view mirror / Don’t reply to your text, can I make it any clearer? / Why can’t you help yourself? / No more suckers in my life / All the drama gets them high / I’m just trying to draw the line / No more suckers in my life / They just keep bleeding me dry / ‘Til there’s nothing left inside”

Bastille dominated the Friday Finds. Eight of the band’s songs were featured throughout the year.

It’s not really surprising, considering they released an album, as well as an extended version of it and were featured on several tracks.

The Lumineers was our second most featured artist, with four tracks appearing.

Other notable artists include NF, A Day to Remember, Matt Maeson and The Maine.

Check out a playlist of all songs featured on the Friday Finds in 2019: