The 100 Best Songs of 2021

It’s one thing for an Australian artist to capture the attention of listeners at home; it’s another altogether when they take over the world. In 2021, The Kid LAROI did both. We spent a lot of time with the Kamilaroi singer-rapper this year, but it was his Justin Bieber collab “STAY” that elevated him to international star. Electronic trio RÜFÜS DU SOL gifted us their fourth album, Surrender—“Alive”, in particular, is the kind of song you can play on repeat and never tire of. Ghanaian Australian Genesis Owusu’s concept album Smiling With No Teeth is a revolution unto itself. Anangu/Torres Strait Islander singer Miiesha delivered the reflective, personal “Made for Silence”—a dance-ready track in which she confronts her relationship with her mother—and Vance Joy returned after three years, with “Missing Piece”. Beyond our own shores, we loved Ed Sheeran (of course), Adele (of course) and Halsey—whose Nine Inch Nails-produced album, and standout track “I am not a woman, I’m a god”, may not have been the most obvious collaboration, but it’s one that worked perfectly—and proves why she’s one of our favourite voices in pop today.