Read time: 1 min 18 secs
If you are an indiewave reader, or if you’ve spent 30 seconds surfing headlines, then you’ll know that I spend a lot of time ranking top songs and heaping praise. On the “music things that surprised me” blog there were some cheeky observations, but if I want to take another step toward earning some editorial credibility, I’ve really gotta start slandering some shit.
So, here is a round up of the worst music I’ve heard so far in 2026:
Malcolm Todd – “Malcolm In The Middle”
This plays like a cross between Panic! At The Disco and “Old McDonald Had a Farm” but it lacks the angsty nostalgia of Panic, and the educational value of Old McDonald.
In general, a lot of this new album Do That Again has a campiness to it that doesn’t land for me. It sounds like a gen z spin on Barenaked Ladies but I doubt that’s what he’s going for. He seems to be the “it boy” right now, and I don’t fully get it, but I admit that I’m probably not his target audience
The Strokes – “Falling out of Love”
I’ve seen a lot chatter online that people hating on this song are just anti-autotune dinosaurs. Autotune is not the issue… I listen to a lot of chillwave, electro pop and rap… The issue is that Julian Casablancas uses the most unlistenable brand of autotune possible. The funny thing is, it’s also the only thing that makes the song somewhat interesting.
Without it: uninspired
With it: one of the worst songs of the year (so far)
Charli xcx – “Rock Music”
My girlfriend had a brat summer in 2024 and made me learn the “Apple” tik tok dance (there is video evidence I will refuse to post). I also somewhat unironically sang along to “I’m so Julia-ah-ah-ah” a few times. So, it’s established, I’m not just a blanket contrarian, and I can now say that it’s tough to tell if she’s earnestly trying to make a good rock song, or poking fun at the genre.
On the hook she steals the Lil Yachty cadence from his viral “I took the wok to Poland,” but it lacks the aura that made you listen enough times that you couldn’t tell if it was still a bit. In closing, I will present one line without comment: “We kiss each other, real incestuous vibes, I know you like that.” Rock n’ roll!
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