I know I'm late to the party (where did the last month go?!) but the sheer number of PJ favourites falling left, right and centre is quite something. This rate is brutal!
I see my #8, #9 and #10 all got eliminated with no other voters, which is unsurprising when you look at the kind of songs that also only managed one voter!
#8: Brandy - Come A Little Closer: One of my favourite songs ever, not just of the 2000s, and now a favourite of my boyfriend's after I introduced him to it early in our relationship. The layering of the vocals and the counterpoint (parallel melodies) towards the end of the song never fail to get me every time. And that key change... *chef's kiss*
#9: Sara Bareilles - Gravity: Absolutely heartbreaking. A song I've performed at open mic nights and listened to countless times, and it's lyrically and musically flawless. "But you're neither friend nor foe / Though I can't seem to let you go / The one thing that I still know / Is that you're keeping me down" is a moment.
#10: Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart: The clear winner of the Alicia Keys rate (with an average that exceeded 10!) and with good reason - it avoids Alicia's primary weakness (her tendency to strain her upper register - looking at you, No One) and leans into the strength of her songwriting. Jeff Bhasker's production really brings out the lyrics while still giving the music the punch it needs, and Alicia's vocals communicate the determination and sorrow of someone trying to get over a lover ("Have you ever tried sleeping with a broken heart? / Well, you could try sleeping in my bed"). While I'm always tempted to name Fallin' as the crown jewel in Alicia's discography, I can't in good faith give it that title when this exists.
