Dexter’s Beat Laboratory Vol. 21 | Top Tracks of 2017

by: Robyn Dexter Dec 29, 2017

Dexter’s Beat Laboratory is a weekly collection of songs from DA music editor and staff writer Robyn Dexter. With a taste that can only be described as eclectic — to say nothing of a name that lends itself to punnery — DA is happy to present a selection of tracks personally curated by Dexter for your listening pleasure.

This week’s Beat Lab will take a slightly different format.

When I started using SoundCloud in early 2014, I made playlists weekly (read: obsessively). I’ve backed off a bit in recent years, but I still take time to collect songs for my yearly “best of” playlist, which I create every January and add to throughout the year. In late December for the past three years, I narrowed it down to my 50 favorite releases of the year. They range from hard-hitting anthems to serene soundscapes, which truly sums up my music preferences.

My favorite part of this year musically has been all the refreshing innovation I’ve seen from some of my favorite artists. Many of them have branched out completely, forming sounds and styles that are entirely unique to them. In an industry where so much music seems to just be regurgitated over and over again with only slight modifications, it’s been thrilling to discover new artists and hear new material from my favorites that’s 100 percent original.

Without further ado, here are my 50 favorite songs of 2017, in no particular order.