From musicians whose success in 2013 spilled over to 2014, to newcomers who broke into the scene and made this year their year, here’s a list of acts whose songs we sang along to and gave us a serious case of LSS.
Ariana Grande
Her team did good in making her stop trying to be this generation’s Mariah Carey. Her semi-slutty moves, cat ears, signature high ponytail, soaring vocals, and catchy songs worked for her, though.
Nicki Minaj
The rapper’s more laidback look was refreshing, but thankfully she still had a thing for shocking videos, such as the one for “Anaconda,” which had her flaunting her huge behind (as usual).
Jessie J
She said she felt more appreciated outside the United Kingdom, and that was proven when her collaboration with Grande and Minaj, “Bang Bang,” proved to a worldwide hit.
Iggy Azalea
The Australian rapper showed that white girls can rap, and make money, after her hit collaborations with Jennifer Lopez (“Booty), Charli XCX (“Fancy”), and Rita Ora (“Black Widow”).
Taylor Swift
Her song “Shake It Off” was pretty unexpected, but in a good way. The country world’s loss is the pop world’s gain, and we couldn’t be more thankful. Her latest album “1989” was, as expected, a treasure chest of catchy and relatable hits that will continue to be heard next year.
Sam Smith
The breakthrough artist was a big hit, thanks to his soulful voice, soaring vocals/impressive falsettos, sad songs, and relatable lyrics.
Meghan Trainor
She broke into the scene singing about being plus-size (“All About That Bass”) but demonstrated that she’s no one-hit wonder with the equally catchy follow-up “Lips Are Moving.”
Ed Sheeran
He’s an example of a great male singer-songwriter with several hits from his latest album “X,” such as “Sing,” “Don’t,” and the LSS-y “Thinking Out Loud.”
Sia
Known for penning hits for big stars, Sia became famous herself this year, thanks to her single, “Chandelier.” She also showed that you don’t have to do sexy dance moves or sing about sex to be popular.
John Legend
We were thankful to discover that Legend is still around. His song “All of Me” was a videoke favorite, a wedding staple, and everyone’s anthem.
Beyonce
Her family life wasn’t a hindrance to a successful career. Her 2013 “Beyonce” album spilled over some hits this year such as “Partition,” “Pretty Hurts,” “Flawless,” and “7/11.”
One Direction
Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Liam Payne comprise this year’s hottest boyband with hits “Midnight Memories,” “You & I,” “Steal My Girl,” and “Night Changes.” The group’s “On the Road Again” tour is scheduled next year.
Katy Perry
Katy’s 2013 “Prism” album continued to produce hits in 2014 like “Dark Horse,” “Birthday,” and “This Is How We Do,” while the singer delivered amazing live performances and visually arresting music videos.
Pharrell
He finally achieved mainstream success this year when “Happy” became an earworm. It had everyone singing along. People used it as a ringtone. Others even made their own “Happy” videos.
