Megan Thee Stallion, ‘Plan B’
Megan Thee Stallion’s performance on “Plan B” reminds us why she is rap’s Great Hot Hope, drawing similarities to hip-hop icons Lil Kim and Queen Latifah. Megan puts a thick coating of humiliation over an ain’t-shit dude over a particularly specific sample stolen straight from the Nineties — Jodeci feat. Raekwon and Ghostface Killah’s “Freek ‘N You (Mr. Dalvin’s Freek Mix)”: “The only accolade you ever made is that I raped you.” —M.C
Becky G and KAROL G, ‘Mamiii’
After years of anticipation, Becky G and Karol G finally collaborated — and the result was one of the year’s most wonderfully biting breakup songs. Over a reggaeton rhythm with a few Mexican gritos tossed in for good measure, the two vocalists swap scathing lyrics about bad lovers and encourage one other. —J.L.
Wet Leg, ‘Wet Dream’
The delirium-tinged second song from the Isle of Wight’s biggest indie-rock export Wet Leg mixes giddiness with boredom as it advises a self-important paramour to take his Buffalo 66 DVD and stick it someplace else. “Wet Dream,” which received Harry Styles’ approval when he performed it at a BBC session last spring, is a high-octane kiss-off tune that will inspire fed-up young ladies for years to come. —M.J.
Carly Rae Jepsen, ‘Western Wind’
On this sun-dappled love ballad, Canada’s reigning pop doyenne embraces California’s radiance. Jepsen’s restrained vocals (even when she hits a high note! ), a lazy-afternoon beat, and a fluid guitar solo dropped in the middle of “Western Wind” all point to a Laurel Canyon-inspired direction for her still-in-the-works fifth album, though the chorus’s brain-Velcro melody rivals the catchiest bits of Jepsen’s stellar discography. —M.J.
Romeo Santos, ‘Sus Huellas’
Bachata heartthrob Romeo Santos returned to music this year in the most Romeo way possible: he released the baroque, lovesick song “Sus Huellas” on Valentine’s Day. He depicts the lingering anguish of a shattered heart via highly emotive, melancholy lyrics, blending his characteristic voice with synth wisps that offer a twist to his classic bachata. —J.L.