From 'On My Mama' to 'Flowers', to 'Monaco' top ten songs to stream before 2023 ends

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Associated Press Music Writer Maria Sherman, in no particular order. Dive in.

'On My Mama', Victoria Monet Buckle up for some positive affirmations! The 10-time Grammy-nominated Victoria Monet, once best known as a hit-maker for Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony and Chloe x Halle, is getting her flowers these days as a soloist — and passing them right along to the mothers listening.

Her blockbuster single 'On My Mama' is a loving tribute to her mom and her daughter, with Monet's buttery voice and bright brass production carrying throughout. It may very well be the best R&B track of the year — with one of the best samples, utilizing Chalie Boy's 2009 banger «I Look Good.» It takes a real talent to borrow from such a recognizable sound.

Monet doesn't just manage to do that — she makes it her own.

'Monaco' Bad Bunny Bad Bunny's 2023 album, 'Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Manana' is a reclamation of his past sound, the hard-hitting rap that preceded his mainstream superstardom. Perhaps it's an exercise in getting back to the basics while unraveling the complications of fame, the source material for most of the album's lyrics.

At any rate, the combination makes for a more restrained, pointed listen: a true success on the stellar 'Monaco', a Latin trap song with a need for speed that wouldn't feel too far removed on his debut album, 2018's 'X 100PRE' Benito's smooth, somber baritone carries the track, as does the rush sound of a Formula One car that bleeds into baroque production.

'Flowers,', Miley Cyrus There's a thin line between courageous and corny when it comes to uplifting pop records. Far too often, an empowering song with an ascendant chorus loses all tension and hits the ear like a too-sweet dessert.