Looking for some new tunes to blast on Canada Day?
Below are 15 (give or take) of my favourite Canadian tracks from 2019. This list runs the gamut from rap to rock to folk and everything in between, with selections from across our diverse country: you’ll find Avril Lavigne and Carly Rae Jepsen alongside Calgary hardcore punk, BC hip hop, Montreal art rock, northern electronica, East Coast anthems, West coast rock, and much more.
“Creator Made An Animal” – Snotty Nose Rez Kids (ft. Boslen)
The Haisla Nation hip hop crew unleash their sharp lyrics and hypnotic rapping on this defiant track from their TRAPLINE album.
“Lame” – The Beaches
“Lame” is a delicious power-pop kiss-off from The Beaches’s latest EP.
“U Got It” – Goodbye Honolulu
This new single from Toronto stoner punks Goodbye Honolulu (former classmates of The Beaches) boasts more of the group’s trademark snotty vocals and pop-punk hooks.
“Tell Me It’s Over” – Avril Lavigne
There’s a lot of good stuff on Avril Lavigne’s latest album (her first since recovering from a life-threatening Lyme Disease diagnosis), but a girl group groove and tortured lyrics make this vintage ballad one of her best.
“I’ll Be Your Girl” – Carly Rae Jepsen
This standout from Carly Rae Jepsen’s Dedicated recalls early Britney Spears.
“Qaumajuapik” – Riit
This icy track from Nunavut throatsinger Riit is a hypnotic slice of electronica.
“Baby Mine” – Arcade Fire
In this unlikely cover (recorded for Tim Burton’s Dumbo remake), the Montreal art-rockers add dreamy Orbison-ish flourishes to a nearly eighty-year-old Disney lullaby.
“Wish You Were Here” – Marianas Trench
This standout from the Vancouver pop-rockers’s ghost story-themed concept album combines haunted lyrics with deliriously dance-able hooks.
“Little Star” – Iskwé
“Now all I see today is how they wash away our little star,” sings electronica artist Iskwé on her latest offering, a poignant lament for oft-forgotten victims.
“Submerged” – Tanya Tagaq
This fascinating piece from the genre-defying Tanya Tagaq mixes intense throat-singing with Nine Inch Nails-esque industrial soundscapes.
“Out of Touch” / “In The End” / “Days Without Light” – Mandible Klaw
Calgary’s finest hardcore group contributed three brutal tunes to a East vs West Coast punk split LP this February.
“Can’t Remember” – Tasha the Amazon
The Kitchener-born rapper deems herself “Cobain in a gold chain” in this introspective single from her forthcoming album.
“Canada Boy” – The Northern Pikes
This lively track is a standout from the Saskatchewan rockers’s latest effort, Forest of Love.
“Sonny’s Dream” – Corey Hart and Alan Doyle
An unexpected collaboration for sure – eighties icon Corey Hart with former Great Big Sea frontman Alan Doyle, joining forces for a sweet cover of Ron Hynes’s poignant East Coast classic.
“Sundays” – Evangeline Gentle
Singer-songwriter Evangeline Gentle, who was recently a featured guest on Terra Lightfoot’s Longest Road Show tour, shows off their lovely voice on this gorgeous love song from their upcoming debut.
Do you have any new Canadian tunes to recommend? Comment below!
Musings by Madison 