What makes a song something you want to listen to over and over again? Is it the instrumentation, lyrics, live performance, or all of the above? Either way, there is always something about a song that burrows a special place inside your heart. It usually stays there for a lifetime. Songs often serve as a placeholder in time. A great song that connects can be listened to years in the future. It will have the ability to transport you back to the exact moment you loved it the most. In 2023, we were given hundreds of incredible songs by numerous talented artists and bands. Here at idobi, we have done our best to narrow down our favorites from the past year. Everything from pop-punk, metal, indie-pop, alternative and more.
While there have been some incredible remixes and reimaginings, such as Craig Owens’ stripped-back approach to Chiodos’ 2005 breakout track, “Baby, You Wouldn’t Last A Minute On The Creek,” we’re only including new, original singles that have been issued in 2023. These tracks are not in favorable order but instead listed by their release date. We just couldn’t rank them, therefore, all songs deserve the same amount of attention and praise.
Without further ado, idobi Radio presents New Songs We’ve Had On Repeat Throughout 2023, Vol. 1.
“Sad Too Young” — Julia Wolf
Released: January 13, 2023
Baring the depths of her soul, Julia Wolf‘s “Sad Too Young,” pulled from her debut full-length album Good Thing We Stayed, masterfully captures the crushing struggle against the shadows of depression and anxiety while growing up: “Sleepwalking through my youth wish I was there more/I can’t remember half of my life/All the stories they all said that I was there for/Got lost while I was trying to stay alive.”
Upon first listening to Wolf’s “Sad Too Young,” it feels as though she’s crawled into the recesses of your mind to diagnose what’s wrong with your head. Then, with haunting precision, she creeps into the depths of your chest, orchestrating an emotional autopsy to expose the scars these struggles have left beneath the surface of your skin. Articulating with eloquence the paralyzing weight of these struggles, Wolf, through an array of layered vocals, confesses, “I just can’t claw my way out this casket/I got sad too young/Been leaking out love/Since I was a kid.”
As the track crescendos through this bleeding moment of relief, this moment of trying like hell to breathe, Wolf creates a tear-inducing, all-too-relatable, coming-of-age ballad that unravels the ugly fragments of depression experienced at a young age. With unfiltered honesty, “Sad Too Young” unveils the overwhelming emotions entwined in the pursuit of happiness when both your head and your heart seem set on self-destruction. —Paige Owens
“The Summoning” — Sleep Token
Released: February 16, 2023
The metal version of a religious experience, aka Sleep Token, set their path ablaze in 2023 with their third album, Take Me Back To Eden. “The Summoning” offers a nearly seven-minute epic. The track is landmark with massive choruses, neck-snapping breakdowns, and a groovy R&B-inspired outro blended together to perfection. The song takes you on a sonic journey your ears have likely never experienced before, with sublime vocals from their masked leader of worship, Vessel, being the standout, flexing his immense range and versatility. Sleep Token is one of the genre’s most innovative bands. We’re really looking forward to seeing what boundaries they push next. —Sean Mott
“ALL CAPS” — Weathers feat. John The Ghost
Released: February 23, 2023
John the Ghost, aka John O’Callaghan of The Maine, is keeping the Can’t Stop Won’t Stop vibes alive in 2023 alongside future alternative rock legends Weathers. Both O’Callaghan and Weathers frontman Cameron Boyer blend their raw rock voices together flawlessly over heavy rock-tinged basslines. If you’re a sucker for early aughts nostalgia, “ALL CAPS” is definitely the modern rock track for your playlist. It’s both heartwarming and inspiring to see two generations of alternative artists come together to merge sonics and fanbases. Not only did Weathers see a major hit with O’Callaghan, but the Los Angeles-based band fully grew into themselves on their 2023 LP Are We Having Fun? featuring singles “Where Do I Sign?” and “She Hates Me.” Our fingers are crossed for a major tour in 2024, too. —Maria Serra
“T.M.I” — Meet Me @ The Altar
Released: March 10, 2023
“T.M.I” by Meet Me @ The Altar is so much fun to dance to! The track appears on the group’s 2023 debut album Past // Present // Future. While the song exudes a sense of fun, the real standout is the raw and extremely relatable lyrics. The track was absolutely infectious to see live when the trio performed it live during their opening slot for the 5 Seconds Of Summer tour earlier this year. —Yising Kao
What A Time To Be Alive — Fall Out Boy
Released: March 24, 2023
This song is everything that makes Fall Out Boy so great. A stadium-worthy singalong chorus, Patrick Stump‘s quirky, heart-on-your-sleeve, one-of-a-kind lyrics, and insane vocal range—not to mention the group’s larger-than-life, big band feel instrumentals. How do you make a song so grandiose like this even more epic? You add The London Metro Orchestra, some trombone, a trumpet, and woodwinds that work in a way only FOB could pull off.
Without a doubt, the most underrated track on So (Much) For Stardust that perfectly encapsulated what people went through in the past few years.—Patrick Walford
“Satanist” — boygenius
Released: March 31, 2023
We have had the pleasure of watching boygenius basically take over the world this year. With their sophomore album the record wracking up a whopping SEVEN Grammy nominations, including Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year, it has been more than inspiring to say the least. Three queer women in a rock band getting the recognition they deserve is absolutely marvelous.
Known for their absolutely devastatingly relatable lyricism paired with haunting instrumentation, songs like “Not Strong Enough,” “Emily I’m Sorry,” and “Cool About It” were among the favorites from the album. However, there is one song on the album that has a little bit more gust than the rest. “Satanist” is undoubtedly the stand-out track. It feels more aligned with a punk song than the rest. With ugly staccato chords right out the gate, it is nearly impossible not to perk up to “Satanist.” It wasn’t a surprise that the trio chose to perform this on their Saturday Night Live appearance.
They beg for the listener, or protagonist of the song, to be many things: a satanist, an anarchist, a nihilist—all in hopes of taking themselves a little less seriously. With lyrics like “Mortgage off your soul to buy your dream vacation home in Florida/The collateral, the devil’s repossessin’ from me,” this is my favorite song of the year. —Tate Logan
“Everyone’s Dying (Grandma’s Drunk Again)” — Roe Kapara
Released: April 14, 2023
Roe Kapara’s I Hope Hell Isn’t Real made our Best Albums of 2023 list, so it only seems appropriate to include the best song from the record on this one. Many Kapara fans would argue that “Preacher” or “Everything’s Fine (Nuke Song)” should have this spot, as they were the most popular tracks to go viral on his socials. These tracks are definitely amazing and certainly have their strengths. However, “Everyone’s Dying (Grandma’s Drunk Again)” showcases Roe Kapara’s talent and artistry as a whole, wrapped into one perfect effort.
His ability to blend folk rock with narratives of post-apocalyptic nods and macabre visuals shine on this song. His music is entirely weird in a way that is refreshing and bold. It has been said many times, but Kapara has crafted a fully-encompassing universe that his music lives in. Listening to “Everyone’s Dying (Grandma’s Drunk Again)” transports you into a different world. A world where Kapara calls out all his thoughts, feelings, grievances, and admiration one bizarre lyric at a time. “Grandma’s drunk again passed out in her soup/The rats are singin’, there’s asbestos in the roof / Mr. Perkins in the front yard with his gun/The kids are cryin’ as he points it at the sun,” a tale you can easily picture in your mind. Listening to this song feels like watching a movie in your mind. —Tate Logan
“30 Under 13” — Better Lovers
Released: April 17, 2023
From the ashes of Every Time I Die rose Better Lovers, featuring former ETID members Jordan Buckley, Stephen Micciche, and Clayton Holyoak alongside renowned producer Will Putney (END, Fit For An Autopsy) and former Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato. To no surprise, their first single, “30 Under 13,” has enough in-your-face riffs to make you feel like you can lift a car. This song has been on repeat since April and won’t get booted out of the rotation for a long time. 2023 was only the beginning of Better Lovers’ world domination. We’re eagerly waiting for their debut full-length in the new year. —Sean Mott
“Numb” — The Used
Released: April 21, 2023
The Used hit the ground running with their latest album, Toxic Positivity. The progression of “Numb” gives some reminiscence of their previous album, Vulnerable, with the bit of electro-synth beats slowly building up to a continuous flow of lyrics. While they slowed down this song only slightly in comparison, they did so in a clever way.
Feeling like there’s nothing left in you, trying to fight your inner demons to thrive in life is the main message here that’s evident in the lyrics: “The reality is/I’m a ghost/Me and my head are enemies/I’m tired of fighting everything.” There’s something cathartic to slowing down and sitting with the emotions that ravaged inside, which, for The Used, comes out in certain songs. This was a stand out on this track to give a relatable insight into what it feels like to battle yourself. It generates a feeling of connection to not just the band but to fans to showcase that we all have these emotions yet can come out on the other side. —Lizzie Baumgartner
“LosT” — Bring Me The Horizon
Released: May 4, 2023
While Bring Me The Horizon and vocalist Oli Sykes have been showcasing their prowess through a series of uninterrupted triumphs in 2023, the star of the show was their May single and accompanying video for “LosT.” Through a kaleidoscopic blend of electro-tinged metalcore, pop-punk, and an irresistible chorus oozing with the group’s intoxicating charisma, “LosT” boldly pushes the bounds of their sound to reach anthemic levels. The track is infused with a heavy dose of nostalgia and explosive electronics that propel the group’s energy forward to build into a powerful sing-along chorus. Against this backdrop, Sykes growls the earworm chorus, “Why am I this way?/Stupid medicine, not doin’ anything/What the hell is fucking wrong with me?/I guess there’s no remedy/I’m so terribly lost.”
The single and accompanying video for “LosT” complements the thematic exploration of mental health, portraying an internal struggle through a cheeky, cinematic escape from the hospital—mirroring the lyrics of self-doubt. What Bring Me The Horizon navigates across “LosT” is a remarkable display of melancholic emotions that channel their metalcore roots. Bring Me The Horizon has successfully written the blueprint of blending nostalgia while maintaining heightened innovation. —Paige Owens
Wall Of Wax — Heavy//Hitter
Released: May 6, 2023
Brought in a way only Florida heavy bands can, Heavy//Hitter bring a no-bullshit, fuck you mentality to their brand of hardcore/deathcore music, and “Wall Of Wax” serves as a shining example of what makes them a band that will have you coming back for more. You know when a heavy band begins a track with the soundbite of “Looked at me, I could tell he was getting a breath together to tell me, he looked me right in the eyes, we looked at each other, and he said FUCK YOU!”
From the first listen, you’ll quickly get why people have been doing things like throwing couches into the mosh pit at one of their recent shows. “Wall Of Wax” will have you crowd-killing in your own living room and instantly be a go-to pissed-off track for any fan of heavy music.—Patrick Walford
“Baggage” — Bishop Briggs
Released: May 12, 2023
Who knew one of the best tracks of 2023 would open with melancholy jester accordion music? The extremely innovative Bishop Briggs has been a force to be reckoned with since her 2018 major debut album, Church Of Scars. But her June-released EP When Everything Went Dark sees the “River” singer at her most vulnerable. In “Baggage,” Bishop Briggs showcases a healing journey that is far from linear and an acceptance of all the messes, mishaps, and growing pains that come with it. “I’m broken, bruised and damaged/Gave up on feeling balanced/But dammit, that’s my baggage/My heavy, heavy baggage,” she mournfully sings in the chorus.
Admittedly, this is an anthem for everyone who is experiencing grief, anxiety, depression, and the like. Not only is Bishop Briggs sharing her own journey with loss, but she is a voice of strength for listeners fighting the good fight to survive their day to day. Having “baggage” is far from embarrassing, and it’s what makes us all human. Catch us streaming this all of 2024, too, through dark times and fun festivities alike. —Maria Serra
