The 100 best songs of 2021

The Times music staff makes a playlist filled with picks for the 50 best songs of the year, plus 50 more to hear, to savor and to be surprised by.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  Entertainment December 21, 2021 The 100 best songs of 2021 Psychedelic soul, leftfield pop en español and breakthrough SoCal hip-hop lead our picks for the only playlist you need for 2021. SHARE       READ MORE ADVERTISEMENT How director Benjamin Cleary cloned Mahershala Ali in 'Swan Song' In the Apple TV+ drama "Swan Song," Mahershala Ali plays a terminally ill man who meets a perfect replica. Here's how director Benjamin Cleary managed to clone his lead actor for his feature debut. SHARE       READ MORE He made one of the year's most acclaimed movies. Ryûsuke Hamaguchi talks about 'Drive My Car' As "best movie of the year" prizes pile up, including a shout out from former President Obama, director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi explains "Drive My Car." SHARE       READ MORE ADVERTISEMENT COVID-19 derails Grand Park New Year's Eve countdown, other in-person events A growing number of holiday events in Los Angeles County have been canceled or postponed amid a rash of new coronavirus cases. SHARE       READ MORE Appreciation: For all her hedonistic L.A. delight, Eve Babitz mattered because she was so serious Eve Babitz, the L.A. author and reveler who died last week at 78, captured the erotic joy of the city, but always kept an eye on the ravages of time. SHARE       READ MORE 'He deserved so much better': L.A.'s hip-hop community mourns the loss of Drakeo the Ruler His peers and associates remember the South Central rapper who was fatally stabbed at a local music festival: "There will never be another Drakeo." SHARE       READ MORE Bad guys in banking movies are usually noisy. 'Azor' shows the horrors of silence. Why director Andreas Fontana's "Azor," about the complicity of high finance in Argentina's "dirty war," is such a potent banking movie. SHARE       READ MORE ADVERTISEMENT Thank you for reading the Los Angeles Times Entertainment newsletter. Invite your friends, relatives, coworkers to sign up here. Not a subscriber? Get unlimited digital access to latimes.com. Subscribe here. Copyright © 2021, Los Angeles Times 2300 E. Imperial Highway, El Segundo, California, 90245 1-800-LA-TIMES | latimes.com *Advertisers have no control over editorial decisions or content. If you're interested in placing an ad or classified, get in touch here. We'd love your feedback on this newsletter. Please send your thoughts and suggestions here. You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from The Los Angeles Times. Manage marketing email preferences · Unsubscribe from this newsletter · Terms of service · Privacy policy · Do Not Sell My Personal Information · CA Notice of Collection FOLLOW US