ABOVE: The Script's Danny O'Donoghue had a fantastic year in the charts
SETTING out their inspirational message perfectly, the trio had never sounded more confident or worthy of a place in pop’s hall of fame. Guest star will.i.am sounded wild, but still it was frontman Danny O’Donoghue’s strutting vocals and the super-tight guitars which saw them suddenly turn in to stadium contenders.
Best lyric: “Don’t wait for luck/ Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself.”
2) Train: Drive By
AFTER years of specialising in ballads, the rockers suddenly pulled off their own Moves Like Jagger with an uplifting, catchy riot. The simple guitars bounced like La Bamba and Having spent a long time in the wilderness Train found light at the end of the tunnel.
Best lyric: “On the upside of a downward spiral/My love for you went viral.”
3) One Direction: Little Things
IT’S not just the nice hair that makes them the biggest boyband on the planet – they’ve got a truckful of classic tunes up those tattooed sleeves. Long-time mate Ed Sheeran penned one of his trademark sweet ballads, and the lads did him proud with some gorgeous, tender vocals.
Best lyric: “You still have to squeeze into your jeans/But you’re perfect to me.”
4) Azealia Banks: 212
THE hipsters’ favourite should have become at least as big as Nicki Minaj, thanks to a glorious combination of cheek, charisma and nuclear levels of sci-fi hip-hop. She might have gone quiet now but Azealia’s awesome genre mash-up on this track is ample evidence that she should finish her album, quick sharp.
Best lyric (of the printable ones): “I remember when you were the new young face but you like to slumber, don’t you?”
5) Foals: Inhaler
THEIR previous art-rock only hinted at the giant leap forward on the first taste of next February’s third album Holy Fire. Challenging Muse for genius space-disco, its constantly changing whirlwind of bonkers ideas didn’t give listeners time to catch their breath.
Best lyric: “My lungs are beat, I cannot breathe/Don’t follow me.”
6) Little Mix: DNA
DEBUT single Wings was perfectly fine, but it was the startling follow-up which really showed off the girls’ talent. Balancing old-school soul vocals and a modern attitude, they got the mix just right and rolled straight into making a top album.
Best lyric: “I don’t have any first degree/But I know what he does to me.”
7) Stooshe: Black Heart
IN the year when the original Sugababes got back together, no girlband had come closer to capturing their edge.
Though they portray themselves as a cartoon urban gang, Black Heart showed they can do classic “my man done me wrong” ballads too.
Best lyric: “He’s big and he’s bad – I love him like mad.”
8) Carly Rae Jepsen: Call Me Maybe
IF Justin Bieber ever gives up making music himself, a job as a talent scout awaits. His first protégé Carly’s debut was a master class in addictive sugar-rush pop. The Canadian may be in her late 20s but she caught the essence of being young and in love with pure delight.
Best lyric: “Hot night, wind was blowing/Where you think you’re going, baby?”
9) Nicki Minaj: Va Va Voom
SHE spends half her career as a potty-mouthed loon, so praise be for the times like this when La Minaj is the definition of a futuristic superstar. The equal of her classic Starships, Nicki put on a display of real va-va-voom by mixing her pop suss and turbocharged rapping.
Best lyric: “Boom boom pow, this thing so bingo/Wondering if he could understand my lingo.”
10) Leona Lewis: Trouble
FOR a tune with the chorus announcing: “We’re in a whole lot of trouble”, Leona makes a classy ballad sound utterly effortless. That powerhouse voice has never been better, gliding over a subtle slow burner penned by the magnificent Emeli Sandé.
Best lyric: “You smoked 10, now it’s 20/Bet you wish you’d never met me.”
WITH so much variety to choose from, there were scraps aplenty in Team Playlist when it came to narrowing down our favorite 10 singles of 2012.
Source: Daily Star / Edited: DannyODonoghue.Net
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