The Best Musical Moments Of 2023
From hilarious parody songs to soaring ballads, these are the best musical moments of the year. As the year comes to a close, the writers of Pop Culture Planet are sharing the Best Of 2023.
Barbie | “I’m Just Ken”
As if Ryan Gosling couldn’t be any more perfect, he outdoes himself in the hit Barbie with his unforgettable, catchy song “I’m Just Ken.”
In what should have been a cringe and comedic moment of relief in the film, audiences everywhere were belting out “I’m just Ken, anywhere else I’d be a ten” weeks after strolling out of theaters. It’s no surprise either with the song being written by songwriting and producing powerhouse Mark Ronson — being performed by a shirtless Ryan Gosling was just the cherry on top.
Most recently, Gosling released an I’m Just Ken EP featuring four different renditions of the Oscar contender of a song, including holiday, acoustic, and disco versions.
- Danielle Forte
Daisy Jones and the Six | “Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)”
Daisy Jones and the Six is a captivating period drama set in the vibrant music scene of the 1970s. The show, based on Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling novel, brilliantly captures the essence of a tumultuous era in rock 'n' roll history — and delivered a stellar album with songs by the cast.
While every song on the soundtrack is a hit, “Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)” stands out. The song was originally written by and for the band before Daisy made her iconic entrance into the group. When she hopped on the single as a feature, it was clear as day that the singer would not be leaving anytime soon. Neither of the show’s lead singers had previously trained professionally for singing, making this song and album even more impressive. The real and raw sound feels very 70s and has been compared to Fleetwood Mac, but also stands alone. This song was the start of the band’s real success and catalyst for the show’s drama and future dynamics, making it one of the most notable musical moments of 2023.
- Jordan Bohan
Glamorous | “Cell Block Tango”
Glamorous didn’t have the staying power to get a second season on Netflix, but it did deliver a sickening musical number that deserves some major love!
While at a summer vacation house, Marco (Miss Benny) and their new group of gay friends put on drag and perform “Cell Block Tango” from Chicago completely full out. In a word, it is iconique.
- Kristen Maldonado
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies | “I Want More”
Can I cheat here and just say the entire Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies soundtrack by the brilliant Justin Tranter? I can’t tell you how obsessed I was with every song, I even bought the vinyl and a DVD copy of the series!
I was first introduced to Rise of the Pink Ladies by actress Marisa Davila posting about the making of “I Want More” on TikTok. I was so impressed that it led to me watching and falling in love with the show, despite not liking the original Grease. While that was the gateway to bring me into the world, I also have to give a shout out “Merely Players,” “All In,” “Pulling Strings,” “Land Don’t Look So Bad,” and “Crushing Me.”
Please give Justin Tranter and their entire team their flowers — they did that!!
- Kristen Maldonado
Heartstopper | “Ur So Pretty”
Heartstopper has always had an outstanding soundtrack with a mix of popular and up-and-coming artists. The second season that came out this year featured Taylor Swift, Maggie Rogers, Conan Gray, The 1975, and Fitz and the Tantrums.
The most notable song of the season was “ur so pretty” by Wasia Project. The band is composed of William Gao, who plays Tao in the series, and his younger sister Olivia Hardy. The song plays in the final scene after an intense heart-to-heart conversation between Charlie and Nick. The song fits the scene so well not only in tonality but lyrically as well, accompanying the desperation of love and care that Nick and Charlie have for each other. This exact scene and song has gotten the TikTok edit treatment countless times and really had a moment this year.
- Jordan Bohan
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series | “Can I Have This Dance?”
So many musical moments came out of the season finale of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, it’s hard to just choose one! However, Gina (Sofia Wylie) and Ricky’s (Joshua Bassett) performance of “Can I Have This Dance?” was a showstopper.
Not only were their vocals on point, but they danced around the whole room as Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron did in High School Musical 3. This sweet moment solidified their relationship as the cutest couple at East High and their star quality that will lead them further in life. Might I add an honorable mention to a great performance that came from Liamani Segura with “Dreams Don’t Die?” It was so powerful and her emotional execution truly moved me while watching the series.
- Paola Cardenas
Joy Ride | “WAP”
When the friends lose their passports, they pose as KPOP group Brownie Tuesday and perform a ridiculous version of “WAP” to prove they’re stars who don’t need ID to travel in Joy Ride. They tap into Ashley Park and Stephanie Hsu’s Broadway roots and Sabrina Wu’s beatboxing skills and it is simply magic.
- Kristen Maldonado
The Little Mermaid | “Part of Your World”
There wasn’t a dry eye in the theater as Halle Bailey performed her stunning rendition of “Part of Your World.” It was truly a revelation as she added a complexity with her acting choices and dynamic runs. It just solidified that she was the perfect choice to play Ariel in the live-action The Little Mermaid.
In the original film, Ariel only has that one song — which surprisingly almost didn’t even make it into the animated film! — so it was exciting that they took advantage of Bailey’s voice by adding in more internal dialogue songs for her.
- Kristen Maldonado
The Super Mario Bros, Movie | “Peaches”
I don’t think anyone saw this moment coming in 2023! Bowser, the primary antagonist in Nintendo's Mario franchise, sings a song about his love for his enemy Princess Peach while playing the piano.
The hilarious and multi-talented Jack Black lent his songwriting abilities to write the romantic tune for his character Bowser. After a mere 13 days of being released, “Peaches” garnered 18.6 million streams and sold 8,000 downloads worldwide. I’m not saying “Peaches” was the defining moment in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but I’m also not saying it wasn’t…
- Danielle Forte
Schmigadoon | “Over and Done”
This season of Schmigadoon tapped into darker musicals of the 60s and 70s. My favorite number had to be a Dreamgirls-style number called “Over and Done” sung by the incredible Ariana DeBose. My go-to karaoke song is “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” and this song feels like a spiritual successor to it. I just love a belty ballad and this one takes the cake!
- Kristen Maldonado
The Summer I Turned Pretty | “Party in the USA”
The Summer I Turned Pretty has had a ton of fun musical moments over its first two seasons. In season 1, Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Steven (Sean Kaufman) stole the show dancing to “I Like That” by Bazzi during the debutante escort dance, with Casalegno sharing with Pop Culture Planet that “every second on that wood floor was [his] most favorite of the whole series.”
Now in season 2, Steven is back on the dance floor with Taylor (Rain Spencer) dancing to “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus. While the dance was choreographed by Taylor and Belly’s (Lola Tung) in their childhood, it’s sweet to realize they performed it around Steven so much that he had it memorized. This dance moment is also crucial in the budding romance between him and Taylor this season.
- Kristen Maldonado
Wish | “This Wish”
Yup, a second Ariana DeBose song has made this list. What can I say? She has a voice of gold! While Wish got mixed reviews, you can’t deny the magic in the songs written by Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice. In “This Wish,” DeBose’s character Asha makes a huge wish for the people in her kingdom to have more after learning King Magnifico is taking their wishes and will never grand most of them. With DeBose’s soaring vocals and Michaels and Rice’s soul-stirring music, I still have chills.
I have to give an honorable mention to “At All Costs,” which I’ve also been playing on repeat. Chris Pine and DeBose sound great together and I love the message of having dreams so precious that you will do anything to protect them.
- Kristen Maldonado
Zoey 102 | “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life”
Everything about the karaoke scene in Zoey 102 is hilarious. We see Chase (Sean Flynn) forced into a performance of “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” with Zoey’s fake boyfriend. He surprisingly rises to the occasion and hits that high tenor with ease! That is until, they go into a Dirty Dancing-style lift and he… goes down. I’m still laughing!
- Kristen Maldonado
