Digital High’s Top 20 of 2023 [Parts 1 & 2]
20. “Break” – Holiday87 ft. Minke
19. “I’m Not Here To Make Friends” – Sam Smith ft. Calvin Harris & Jessie Reyez
18. “Waffle House” – Jonas Brothers
17. “Arizona” – Dempsey Bolton
16. “Pixelated” – Juliana Madrid
15. “SOME THINGS” – tobi lou
14. “Better Place” – *NSYNC
13. “scenic route” – sundial
12. “MODERN JAM” – Travis Scott ft. Teezo Touchdown
11. “Scientists & Engineers” – Killer Mike ft. André 3000, Future, and Eryn Allen Kane

10. “What A Time To Be Alive” – Fall Out Boy
FOB has a knack for making sad songs sound so happy. Sure enough, they were up for the task again on this So Much (for) Stardust standout. With societal chaos as their muse the longtime rockers infuse morose lyrical contemplations with a high intensity, high adrenaline auditory backdrop to create this moment of cogent juxtaposition.

9. “Cheerleader” – Liza Anne
2023 was DH’s introduction to sympathetic singer+songwriter Liza Anne and her ‘othered’ anthem. The genre-fluid cut features fuzzy, alt-instrumentation and lyrical backing all in service of supporting those that need it the most. Here’s to more of that effervescent positivity in 2024.

8. “Unity (Baauer Remix)” – Röyksopp ft. Karen Harding
As a deep-seated fan of Karen Harding, DH appreciated her debut album release this year. But while those cuts were outstanding in their own right, it’s a remix of a feature of hers finding its way onto the countdown (confused yet?). Röyksopp’s euphoric, piano-led “Unity” is massive, but Baauer’s flip is next level. Big bass and big melodies make this so moving (in more ways than one) and so dang…good.

7. “Summer Baby” – Jonas Brothers
The only double-dippers on this list are here for good reason, that being their underrated The Album cut “Summer Baby.” It’s a simple serenade at first listen, an easy groove meets pop harmonies, but is made major by the enduring charm of Nick, Joe, and Kevin. Their familial chemistry channels the fun, fervor, and fidelity found throughout the rest of the record and concentrates it on this quick-hitter of a sunny season smash.

6. “Rush” – Troye Sivan
2023 was a big year for the Aussie multi-hyphenate; starring in HBO’s wild ride The Idol, releasing his third album Something To Give Each Other, and receiving a good roasting from Timothee Chalamet. But back to that second point, his LP was fresh, a touch risqué, and unapologetically queer; all working in concert on this piece of house-pop satisfaction. An unyielding tempo and titillating vocal stylings steer this in the direction of dance dominance and to steal a line…it’s so good, it’s so good.