#1. Forever Unknown - sad people, blue eyes
Track: sad people, blue eyes
Artist: Forever Unknown
Album: Say It Back
Another repeat artist and another local to put the 2022 Countdown to rest. Unlike last year, where I had never listened to Teenage Wrist before their new album dropped, Forever Unknown burst onto the scene in 2020 with their debut EP Study Hall and the song "Bury Me", which made it all the way up to #4 that year. I knew this group had incredible potential the first time I saw them live. I've watched them mature from high school teens trying to find a sound, to college rockstars who are just looking for the right break to make it big. Their live shows are fun and energetic, and singer/songwriter/do-it-all wizard Micah SD just seems to be getting better and better.
It is Micah's songwriting that really hooked me on their music. It is rare that I find lyricists who write about specific things that I have felt/am feeling, and it feels like almost every single one of their songs has a line or two that really pummels me internally. When I was writing the review for Say It Back, the song that immediately jumped out of my speakers was "sad people, blue eyes". I must have gone back and listened to the song at least 10 times just that day alone because I was overwhelmed with the power and emotion of it all. Guitarist Blake Bennett has a screaming solo that I know I probably just listened to on repeat 100 times this year as well.
Within a month of this album being released, I knew deep down this would be my #1 track, and "sad people, blue eyes" is far and away the most listened to song for 2022 for me. Say It Back also has a big lead on most played (and probably favorite) album of the year. The production is off the scale, and every song got significant play at one time or another this year. This is also the 3rd local song in the last 6 years to take the #1 spot, following Morning Theft (2017) and Lilieae (2020).
Previous five #1s:
2021: Teenage Wrist - Taste of Gasoline
2020: Lilieae - Level
2019: VNV Nation - Only Satellites
2018: Florence + The Machine - Sky Full Of Song
2017: Morning Theft - Skeleton Twins
Hey, her grandpa likes it.
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