Three end of year articles? With this variety, I am spoiling you. Having already covered games and films, now we round up all the rest of the media I've ranked for you from 2019. So how did this decade-ending years worth of TV, music and miscellaneous stack up? Let's answer that question right here!
As you might have guessed, we're covering everything that wasn't a film or game here released in 2019. Let's get to it.
Music
Ordinarily, I'd do my favorite albums of the year, but seeing as I only listened to a grand total of 5 full albums, it felt insincere to make a top 5 ranking with no competition it it. Instead, I've taken a page out of Darren's book and gone with the best and worst tracks of the year instead.
The Worst Song of the Year: Taylor Swift ft. Panic! At The Disco - ME!
Whilst probably not objectively the worst song released this year and far from the one that makes my skin crawl when it starts playing in public for the umpteenth time that day (looking at you Sam Smith and Lewis Capaldi), the reason this lands at the bottom of the pile is because of what they did to Brendan Urie.
You'll know me for singing the praises of Urie's 2016 album Death of a Bachelor as one of the best I've heard and I wholeheartedly stand by that. But good god, this flirtation with pop music has gone way too far. Between the uninteresting follow up album Pray for the Wicked, collaborating with Juice Wrld, and performing the lead single from fucking Frozen 2, Panic!'s fall from grace has been rapid and heartbreaking. I genuinely thought that this solo direction for them was going to yield some incredible results, no longer trying to keep the 2006 emo sound on life support. How wrong I was. And here we have what may as well be the final nail in this coffin. Here, Urie is relegated to serve as a crutch for Swifts decade long stint of not realising she is the problem in literally every relationship she is a part of. The dead horse is beaten once again as the pair declare that there is nobody like them, whilst they explain that its their egotistical outlook and possessive attitude that caused the breakdown of this hypothetical relationship.
Outside of this unearned message of self love and confidence by way of narcissism, the question really is 'Who is this for?'; It's not for fans of Panic!, who have now gone three years without any music of real depth. It's not for Taylor Swift fans, who seem more supportive of a confrontational 'girls rule, boys drool' song. It's not for general pop fans, who have found more interesting themes from Billie Eilish and Post Malone this year. The question remains: Who is this for?
Fucking idiots, one would assume.
You'll know me for singing the praises of Urie's 2016 album Death of a Bachelor as one of the best I've heard and I wholeheartedly stand by that. But good god, this flirtation with pop music has gone way too far. Between the uninteresting follow up album Pray for the Wicked, collaborating with Juice Wrld, and performing the lead single from fucking Frozen 2, Panic!'s fall from grace has been rapid and heartbreaking. I genuinely thought that this solo direction for them was going to yield some incredible results, no longer trying to keep the 2006 emo sound on life support. How wrong I was. And here we have what may as well be the final nail in this coffin. Here, Urie is relegated to serve as a crutch for Swifts decade long stint of not realising she is the problem in literally every relationship she is a part of. The dead horse is beaten once again as the pair declare that there is nobody like them, whilst they explain that its their egotistical outlook and possessive attitude that caused the breakdown of this hypothetical relationship.
Outside of this unearned message of self love and confidence by way of narcissism, the question really is 'Who is this for?'; It's not for fans of Panic!, who have now gone three years without any music of real depth. It's not for Taylor Swift fans, who seem more supportive of a confrontational 'girls rule, boys drool' song. It's not for general pop fans, who have found more interesting themes from Billie Eilish and Post Malone this year. The question remains: Who is this for?
Fucking idiots, one would assume.
The Best Songs of the Year
5: Hobo Johnson - Typical Story
When Hobo Johnson and the LoveMakers first caught public attention, it was with a live rendition of thier song Peach Scone as part of the NPR Tiny Desk Contest, which they didn't win, but stood out tremendously. It's been a long wait to see if they could top the unique pairing of a chill rock jam with lyrics detailing the anxiety and panic of modern day unrequited love, but thankfully Hobo Johnson is not a one-off. Typical Story lets the band properly loose with a harder, driving sound, as vocalist Frank Lopes Jr pushes the quirk of his breaking adolescence-like voice further than he did in their breakout song to great effect. In many ways, Typical Story sounds like the full-on progression of the niche that the boys carved themselves out in 2018. Not compromising the fear that rattled their first big song, this song banks more on frustration than fear and taps into quite a raw emotion that others songs have really failed to do this year.
4: Slipknot - Unsainted
I just love the cult aesthetic that drives Slipknot right now. We got that taste of it in All Out Life, but here it's perfected. Unsainted is the best Slipknot have been since All Hope Is Gone and marks a new mutation of the 9 man beast of a band. Whilst the new masks are pretty questionable (Corey Taylor apparently going for the "sex doll suffering an allergic reaction" look this time around), the sound is the best it's been in years. The entire album is more experimental than what we've been given from Slipknot in recent memory and it's 100% to it's strength. The sound has been reinvigorated after the murky time we had in The Grey Chapter, taking more risks and hitting harder than before. You can tell there was a real struggle for identity in the last record that is completely absent here. Unsainted has a darkness to it that is really extracted with the additions of the strings and the choral motif, to feel like it's really plumbing at something sinister. This may become one of my new favorite identities of thie band.
3: Daichi Miura - Blizzard
Miura first come to my attention in 2016 when his song EXCITE was used as the opening for Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. I've kept my eyes on him since, and when he was announced to be lending a song to the new DragonBall Super: Broly movie, I was quite excited. Weirdly, the tone-perfect Japanese pop star has made a song that somehow evokes the raw power of the DragonBall characters, but also works all on it's own as a straightforward pop number about overcoming insurmountable odds. The weirdly hypnotic bass line and the 'Break The Ice' section stand out as particular highlights. All of this is further impressive, when Miura also recorded the song in English. In a world of the legitimacy of K-Pop, I think it's time we started taking J-Pop far more seriously than we do.
2: Don Broco - Half Man Half God
The boys from Broco continue to prove themselves as the most exciting British band to watch, as this intense, almost war-like track thumps through it's three minute run time with some proper power. The guitars punch hard and quick, and the chanting vocals seem to transcend the individual listener and make you feel as if you were at an amped-up concert. The raw intensity is almost entirely absent in their follow up single Action, which feels almost hollow in comparison to this banger. I highly suspect that Don Broco will end up being one of the best rock bands of the next decade. Their catalogue is only stronger with this song in it and it bodes incredibly well for whatever record they're cooking up next.
1: Biffy Clyro - Balance, Not Symmetry
You knew this was going to be here. Whilst it is indeed a grim reminder of one of the worst films in recent memory (Trust me, I addressed that particular shit show in the end of year PopScorn), there is nothing bad to be said about the soundtrack, and it's lead single is an absolute blinder. Balance, Not Symmetry sounds like a Biffy who are finally out of their over-produced era and back to making proper alternative rock. The lineage is easy to hear in this one, with the screams of the first three albums finally being married with expertise with the more anthem-like later works, in what turns out to be quite an emotive song. The flow is jagged, the vocals enraged, everything feels quite turbulent. But that's what makes it sound far more alive than anything off their last album. This feels like a song Biffy cared about. This song feels like it's trying to say something rather than just be another stadium chant. There's real gravitas to be found here. At last, I think my boys are back on the straight and narrow. Can't wait for whatever Opus 8 turns out to be, lads.
TV
I'm normally a film nut, but this year has been one of my biggest dives into TV in my living memory, mostly in part because I have been taking a lot of chances on shows that my fiancee found interesting. Subsequently, this has meant the TV bracket this year has been a hard fight for dominance, which unfortunately excludes Stranger Things third season and The Witcher, as well as a Game of Thrones full series watch-through (Although I may have dodged a bullet on this one) due to just not having enough time to get them seen before committing my thoughts to words.
The Worst TV Show of 2019 - Gentleman Jack
A show where a female industrialist who wrote her diary in code and is hailed as the "first modern lesbian" deserves a better TV show than this. The big problem with Gentleman Jack is the same problem plaguing Doctor Who at the moment; an inability and unwillingness to have flawed, believable leads who are as complex as they are 'strong'. Anne Lister is portrayed here by Suranne Jones, who I am actually quite fond of, as a superhuman fixer-upper who apparently pooled every point they had into charisma, as she can seemingly solve every single problem by either talking down to it or fucking it.
And can we please have a historical drama that doesn't think it invented sex? Despite the fact that there was an opportunity to have a proper exploration of progressive sexual ideals and the baselessness of harassment based on gender or sexual orientation, the text boils down to "man bad, woman good" levels of debate and seems to present same-sex relationships as a new invention. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for inclusion and representation, and if those demographics loved this, then fair enough. What I'm not for is bad scripts that fail to deliver on Lister's character in a fully realized period world and Mary Sue-ing one of the most interesting women in British history.
The Beeb and HBO can do so much better than this lazy excuse for a historical drama.
And can we please have a historical drama that doesn't think it invented sex? Despite the fact that there was an opportunity to have a proper exploration of progressive sexual ideals and the baselessness of harassment based on gender or sexual orientation, the text boils down to "man bad, woman good" levels of debate and seems to present same-sex relationships as a new invention. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for inclusion and representation, and if those demographics loved this, then fair enough. What I'm not for is bad scripts that fail to deliver on Lister's character in a fully realized period world and Mary Sue-ing one of the most interesting women in British history.
The Beeb and HBO can do so much better than this lazy excuse for a historical drama.
The Best TV Shows of 2019
5- What We Do In The Shadows
Outside of a first episode that leans too heavily on the 2014 movie of the same name, this TV adaptation of Takia Waititi's vampire comedy is an absolute riot. Once Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) are given free reign to explore what makes their characters different to Waititi, Clement and Brugh's trio, they absolutely shine. The stand-out may well be Demetriou, who absolutely kills her delivery in every single scene she is in. The laughs are plentiful; from Berry's trademark speech rhythm, to 'Creepy Paper' and Colin Robinson the energy vampire. The show quickly finds an identity separate from that of the movie that works in it's own way, leading to a very enjoyable series with enough of it's own plot to stand proud with hope for a second series. Plus, it might have the best cameo-laden episode of a sitcom in recent memory, complete with a hilarious Skype gag. You'll know it when you see it.
4- Good Omens
This adaptation of the Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman novel might be one of the most faithful adaptations ever to grace screens, and it's all the better for it. David Tennant and Michael Sheen lead a stellar ensemble cast of recognisable British and US actors. The series does fall down a little with some quite bad child actors, ranging from stunted delivery to being flat out annoying, which didn't bode well for the series considering it was competing with Stranger Things, The Umbrella Academy and It Chapter 2 also out this year. Luckily, the rest of the show doesn't suffer any problems, and even if it did, the main relationship between Azriaphale and Crowley would have been more than enough to carry it. The chemistry between Tennant and Sheen is absolutely delectable and each other performance, physically, emotionally and verbally are wonderful compliments to each other. A true joy to watch from start to finish.
3- The Mandalorian
I might still be riding the hype train from this one, but the fact that The Mandalorian is not only a good Star Wars TV show, but better than a lot of the Star Wars movies is a hell of a feat. The Mandalorian understands the smaller scale of it's story and frames it in an tight yet atmospheric view, dripping with lore and new opportunities to explore on screen the kind of stuff the fans have been drooling over in old expanded universe novels and comics. The Mandolorian's (Pedro Pascal) no nonsense, oath-dedicated attitude being shook by a sudden bout of paternal tendencies is a very unique story in the Star Wars canon. Plus, lest we forget our lord and savior Baby Yoda; the alien that united all four quadrants of the audience. He is a precious little being and the very heart and soul of the series. The Cable-esque relationship between Mando and The Child has been an absolute joy to watch, as has the pairs interactions with the wide range of the guest cast. Highlights include IG-11's frantic mechanical shooting and The Tribe descending on the Bounty Hunters Guild to lay a Mandalorian beat down. The series ends on a wonderful emotional beat between our two leads, setting up perfectly for it's inevitable second season. A second season that frankly can't come quick enough.
2- Chernobyl
A show that opens with the loaded question "What is the cost of lies?" is sure to be swinging for the big seats with this dramatization of the Chernobyl disaster. What unfolds is a shocking, humanizing and at times bewildering look into the machine of fear that was the Soviet Union, through the eyes of those it affected, those who tried to hide its machinations and those who tried to solve its problems. Jared Harris leads an absolutely stellar cast that capture the falling apart of the lives of those affected by the 1986 nuclear disaster. Whilst the journey of Harris's Legasov is the primary focus, standout moments come from all over the cast, from Paul Ritter's terrifying and jaded Dyatlov to the scenes of unified madness from the mining crew brought in to tunnel underneath the reactor. As the conspiracy deepens and the true effects of the negligence set in, and the paranoia and blame shifting heightens, the real drama is found in the decisions of these people who helped to create a disaster. The creative team here deliver a shocking story in a meaningful and effective way, with a series that's sure to go down in history alongside other TV giants like Breaking Bad and The Wire.
1- The Umbrella Academy
Considering this has been perched at the top spot since February, I think it's safe to say that I absolutely love this series. A stellar ensemble cast bring this superhero-murder-mystery-time-travelling-drama to life, based on a comic book by Gerard Way of all people. The story of the dysfuntional Hargreeves family is one that delights and amuses for the whole season, which is rare seeing as time travel stories can wear thing very fast. However, its the person at the centre of that time travel story that just about sells the whole story to me. Aidan Gallagher, who plays 50-going-on-15 year old Number 5, is easily the best young actor I have ever seen. He 100% convinces you of this world weary, post-apocalyptic survivor who just so happens to be running around in the guise of a schoolboy. It's absolute genius. Another favourite is Klaus (Robert Sheehan), who simultaneously delivers the biggest laughs and the most poignant moments across the series, as his initial hilariously nihilistic attitude takes a shock from an accidental trip through time. All that is ignoring the great chemistry between Luther (Tom Hopper) and Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), the tragic heel-turn of Vanya (Ellen Page) and the best damn CGI monkey since Caesar in the new Apes trilogy. This series is pure, unadulterated magic given black comedy form. A second season has just finished filming and I am prepared to be surprised all over again. Genuinely one of the best Netflix originals ever.
Life
Well, this is different. Normally the games get shoved into here but seeing as I have dedicated a separate article to them this year, a space has opened up to talk about something quite different. And it's one that I'm going to keep wholly positive. Every year has it's ups and downs, but there is something I really wanted to define my 2019.
The Best Life Event of 2019 - I'm Engaged!
In case you happened to miss that sly reference in the TV section, this year I proposed to my fiance Caroline and thankfully her standards were still low enough for her to say yes! We got engaged in March of this year and we'll be tying the knot in the summer of 2020. We've been together for just over 2 years and I can't tell you just how happy I am. The last couple of years have been ones of constant self improvement; since 2016 was such an incredible shitshow of a year, I started to focus on improving myself in any way I could, and that finally comes to a head next year when I get to marry my soulmate. So there you have it; if for some reason you find yourself in a desperate slump and you need a reason to get up and break through your doubts, just remember that someone agreed to be with me for the rest of our lives. With that in mind, nothing will ever seem impossible!
That's your lot. Go away, 2010's. Ironically, the 2020's is the decade where I leave my 20's and enter my 30's, which is slightly scary. And it's inaugural year is the one I'll get married in, the year the MCU shows comes to Disney+, and presumably the year in which Biffy release another studio album. What's not to love?
That's your lot. Go away, 2010's. Ironically, the 2020's is the decade where I leave my 20's and enter my 30's, which is slightly scary. And it's inaugural year is the one I'll get married in, the year the MCU shows comes to Disney+, and presumably the year in which Biffy release another studio album. What's not to love?
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By Mike Owen@ThatMikeOwen |