Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the last Friday of the year! Isn't it weird that this is the last time of the year 2007 that we can say TGIF? Yes, and today is the start of a string of posts dedicated to the top of 2007, discussing the best moments of entertainment and obviously my personal life.

To start this special series, I'll be talking about the 10 songs that made, broke and shook me, from left to right, and everywhere in between, the top 10 songs that truly made my year and have (in a crazy way) taught be to be a better person in life.
This list has got nothing to do with how well it did on the charts or how the single sold. It's based on my personal experiences and my opinion.

I assure you, it won't be Beyonce-dominated.

10. No One - Alicia Keys (Listen)

At one point in time, I felt this song to the deepest place in my heart. I felt like this song truly explained how I feel to one of my old friend, Jup. He was always there to cheer me up whenever I was feeling down and clearly this song was a true explanation of the bond we both shared.

It gives me chills knowing that such songs could explain how I exactly felt for someone, for an old friend or anyone for that matter. I knew that this song was close to my heart.

"I don't worry cause; everything's gonna be alright". Ironically, things took a wrong turn and I think both of us just decided it was best to just go our own ways. Jup was my best friend - and I can't thank him enough for that.

Seriously though, no one is like Jup.

9. The Way I Are - Timbaland (Listen)
I was rather reluctant to choose this song but upon hearing it again, it really is the song that I can relate to in a friendship level. Everybody knows I'm the loud, rather flamboyant type and I can get pretty irritating but it's this specific lot of friends that I'm still close with that makes this song special.

They accept me the way I am, flaws and all. I feel good knowing that no matter what situation that I am put through, good or bad, there will always (and I mean always) these special lot of people that will back me up when I need them.

Most importantly, they won't let me down, no matter what the consequence, they want the best for me and they truly want me to be the best I can be - which is most important to me.

Friends, your honesty and loyalty is what sworn me to be honest to you guys forever.

8. A Town Called Hypocrisy - Lostprophets (Listen)
This song is a representation of the hypocrites around me - the people that won't stop bxtching, mocking and full of pretense towards yours truly. Yes, there's a lot of these hypocrites that just hang around and make me look like a fool as a form of entertainment.

However, what they don't know is that they're the fool. Here I am trying to live my life and there they are, standing, watching my every move, precariously but with fun and laughter, measure my every movement, all in an attempt to make it seem like their lives are better.

But for what? Wasting your time to stare at mine? What's worst, there was this idiot who pretended to show care and concern towards me, asking me rather personal questions when he was clearly mocking me, saying words of assurance when it truly means nothing.

Digression, I think not. Thanks Joakim for sending me the song. I loved it the moment I heard it.
Lostprophet rocks. That is all.

7. Boston - Augustana (Listen)
Released in 2005, I got to know of the song this year by Jup and I instantly fell in love with the song upon hearing Jup's phone ring, weirdly, I heard the song through the phone too.

Every time I hear the piano start playing, I can't help but shed tears. I kinda get emotional when I hear this song because of all the pain in my life. Yes, I wear my heart on my sleeve but truly there is something that is deeper than deep that runs through my life and situations I can barely handle.

I'm still a kid yet I want to run away - to Boston, to somewhere else, I don't know. Singapore is too small and I can't find any form of escapism here. Everywhere I turn, I see the problems that I have and it keeps playing in my head like a broken record.

I know solving problems is a must, but sometimes (in fact all the time) I just want to drop everything, truly start anew - new environment, new life. So yeah, I really want to run away. I might get emotional when I hear this song, but at least I know I'm not alone.

"You don't know me and you don't wear my chains" - the exact words I feel every time somebody talks about me as if they know me. I might smile but you don't know a thing that goes through my head.

6. Work (Put It In) - Kelly Rowland (Listen)
Don't kill me, this song is my JAM! Every time I hear the words, "This ain't gon' be easy", I instantly get ready to dance. This is the feel good song that I listen to when I'm in the pits of my loneliness and that very emotional stuff.

Since this song is just my 'feel good song' and doesn't have anything much to do with my life, this song is actually very kinky. It's like a more polite version of Shut Up and Drive by Rihanna. Unlike Rihanna, Kelly has class and at least says please.

I guess this song does has some sort of connection to me. Like when she says, "I wanna see you work!" and if you don't look at it with sexual innuendos, it actually means to work hard, which is important when you are achieving something.

"Check it, baby! Get it! Do it, baby!" And baby, do it well. Whatever 'it' is.

5. Big Girls Don't Cry - Fergie (Listen)
You won't believe me when I say this but many guys secretly listen to this song as a form of escapism from their ex-es, girlfriends and many other sticky situations (no oompa-loompas here) that they might be going through. I have friends (who are guys) that listen to this song. Obviously changing the lyrics to big boys instead.

This song is simple, pretty much has a feel of Irreplaceable but this is an anthem, regardless of what gender you are, to move on from the bad and find something better for you and your future.

This song, like I've said before is therapeutic and after one listen with full understand of the lyrics, I was able to get myself over something and someone that was holding me back from being who I was - it was a way for me to be myself once again to find peace within myself.

"I hope you know that this has nothing to do with you", pretty much so, because it's about me to improve my own life with or without you. This song was my anthem back then and when I listen to this now, I am fully aware that I can say, I'm doing so much better now.

4. Your Call - Secondhand Serenade (Listen)
This song is extremely close to my heart. It's when you are totally in love with someone and when you shared a part of your life with someone, you just want to say how much this person means to you. The memories shared, the times spent together, all amount to one thing.

Love.

And to think I was so in love, that most of the words in this song truly expressed how I felt in my heart. "Bring life into my deepest hopes", and truly when someone is able to do that for me, I can only say three words.

I love you

"I was born to tell you I love you," and that line gets me every time. It's because you can potentially live the rest of your life alone, you see something great, you go and get it, keep it in your pocket because when something is one in a million, you just wanna keep it.

I'm digressing, I know. But sometimes, all I ask is a phone call. Just one could change everything.

3. Umbrella - Rihanna (Listen)
The most irritating song of the year makes it to my list, and at such high ranking with that. I ignored listening to the song when it first leaked but when the video came out, I thought it was overly sexed-up and I thought the video does not represent what the song signify.

Friendship. And that is why the song is in such high ranking.

Friendship is of most importance to me and when one of my friends is in a pickle, know that I'm always there to provide shelter - cos I'm cool like that. No, but seriously. I'm a person who is always there for his friend.

And when you put that plus creative lyricist, you get Ella, ella, ella, eh eh eh. That's what caught me. It's not only meaningful but catchy too. There are some ridiculous parts of the song of which the lyricist should be shot for.

"Baby, cos in the dark, you can't see shiny cars./And that's when you need me there," FOR WHAT? To provide a torch light?

Ella, ella, ella eh? Indeed.

2. Piece Of Me - Britney Spears (Listen)
Ms Bitchney Spears is my person of the year. People can write shxt about her, create unbelievable-yet-believable stories and take her kids away from her, but she's still soldiering on like the Energizer bunny that she is.

She has so much going on in her life, and she can still stand up for herself. I should take notes. People can be really nasty and talk about you but at the end of the day, perhaps its best to fight fire with fire.

Making the naysayers feel stupid about themselves, and through this song, she managed to do so - even if it isn't her who wrote this song.

In some crazy weird way, she is my inspiration - my bxtchspiration, more like it. I guess that's what you get when you have an interesting life. Everybody wants to know what's going on and pry into your personal business and create shxt about you just so they could feel good about themselves. Damn axxwipes.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, that's what I'm going through now. Do you now understand why she is my bxtchspiration? (Geraleine, you're still the original bxtchspiration)

"Now are you sure you want a piece of me?"

1. Irreplaceable - Beyonce (Listen)
Who else can be number one? As much as this is more likely a bias yet predictable choice, I have a lot of reasons why this song is number one.

Not that I have gone through this exact situation before but I have had friends who thought that I would never be able to find a friend better than they were. Oh boy, were they wrong. I found happiness without the hypocrisy and I became a better person with that.

This song just makes me happy with myself - at least I know that I'll be alright, no matter what the situation that I am in.

This song was so inspiring to me that I wrote it in Malay. I haven't really recorded it, but when I do, I'll be sure to upload it. It makes me happy singing the Malay version and it's funny because I never wrote it in a formal matter. I made it sound real, raw and very casual, still a nice song to listen to. Well, at least my friends tell me so.

The song is also released in Spanish, which by the way, on the day I got the Spanish version, I memorised half of it and now I can sing the song in Spanish fluently. This version makes me happy because of the fluidity of the rhythm and lyrics, especially when Beyonce sounds so articulate singing in a foreign language.

I performed this song (in all three languages) at the CFP @ SP. I haven't gotten the video but when I do, I'll upload.

This is the song of the year for me, no doubt.

So that's it for the TOP 10 songs of 2007 for me! I hope you guys like this list and if you have your own opinions, do share it on my tagboard! :D Tomorrow will be the second part of this 'Top of 2007' series! Keep your eyes tuned to DONT-CHA!

Labels: "Top of 2007" Series