Genius is many things, but first and foremost, it’s a website that lets users read and annotate song lyrics. Thanks to some very smart people working behind the scenes, we’re able to track how many times each annotation gets opened, and come December, that information helps us ascertain the most popular lyrics of the year. In 2023, nine of the year’s 10 biggest lyrics come from songs recorded by just two artists, and get this: Neither of them is Taylor Swift.
The No. 1 lyric of 2023 on Genius is the chorus to “FE!N” by Travis Scott, an artist who blew up our site back in July when he released his fourth studio album, UTOPIA. Frequently opened annotations are generally attached to lyrics with lots of intricate wordplay and metaphors that need unpacking, but in this case, it’s really just one word repeated over and over again.
FE!N, FE!N, FE!N, FE!N, FE!N (Yeah)
FE!N, FE!N, FE!N, FE!N, FE!N (Yeah)
FE!N, FE!N, FE!N, FE!N, FE!N
FE!N, FE!N (Yeah), FE!N, FE!N, FE!N
One reason fans might’ve been interested in this chorus is the mystery surrounding whose voice is actually heard on the recording. Do a little googling, and you’ll find all sorts of debates on Reddit boards about whether it’s Travis or guest Playboi Carti rapping “FE!N” ad nauseam. Some people think it’s both artists, and some contend it’s neither. (Could it be Sheck Wes?) Genius was able to settle the argument, as the lyrics on our song page were verified by Travis, and he confirmed that it’s his voice alone on the hook. Case closed.
There’s also the question of what Travis and Carti mean by “FE!N,” an alternate way of spelling “fiend” that ignores the whole “i before e except after c” thing. “Fiend” often refers to someone struggling with addiction, and that could tie into Scott’s line about how what he’s sipping is not kombucha. He might also be labeling himself a devil or demon, perhaps in reference to his public vilification in the wake of the Astroworld tragedy in November 2021.
The No. 2 and No. 3 lyrics of 2023 as measured by Genius annotation data also come from a Travis song, “MELTDOWN,” and both are the work of Drake. Here, it’s fairly obvious why people were so intrigued. Drake’s verse is basically an extended diss aimed at Pusha T and his frequent collaborator Pharrell Williams, and in the year’s No. 2 lyric, Drizzy accuses some unnamed foe of tattling to the cops and being afraid to visit his hometown of Toronto.
You talk to the cops on some therapist shit
You act like you love this American shit
But, really, the truth is you scared of the 6
Yeah, you scared of the 6
Yeah, you scared of the 6
Your bodyguard put in some work on a fluke
Now you wanna go and inherit that shit
The year’s No. 3 lyric finds Drake informing Pusha that he’s melted down some iconic jewelry that once belonged to Pharrell. Indeed, Drake can be seen wearing several of Pharrell’s chains—which Drizzy presumably purchased anonymously at auction—in the music video for his song “Jumbotron Shit Poppin.” So it’s possible Drake’s pettiness actually led him to destroy these pieces. In the same series of lines, Drake insinuates that Louis Vuitton is a lesser brand now that Pharrell has assumed the mantle of men’s creative director, a post previously held by Drake’s friend Virgil Abloh.
Man, fuck all that spinnin’ the narrative shit
I melt down the chains that I bought from yo’ boss
Give a fuck about all of that heritage shit
Since V not around, the members done hung up the Louis, they not even wearing that shit
Don’t come to the boy ’bout repairing some shit
Don’t come to the boy about sparing some shit
You lucky that Vogue was suing ’cause I would’ve been with the Wassas in Paris and shit
Rounding out the Top 5 are a pair of lyrics from Lana Del Rey’s acclaimed Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd. Coming in at No 4., it’s a segment of the third verse of “A&W,” which Pitchfork recently named the best song of 2023. The lyric in question finds Lana remarking on how female victims of abuse are often discredited or shamed by the public—to the point they decide to keep quiet.
If I told you that I was raped
Do you really think that anybody would think
I didn’t ask for it? I didn’t ask for it
I won’t testify, I already fucked up my story
The Ocean Blvd cut “Peppers” provides the year’s No. 5 lyric, though it’s not a LDR original. The song’s chorus is sampled from Canadian rapper Tommy Genesis’ 2015 song “Angelina,” which references actress Angelina Jolie and her famous turn as the video game character Lara Croft.
Hands on your knees, I’m Angelina Jolie
Hands on your knees, Angelina Jolie
Let me put my hands on your knees, you can braid my hair
Do a fat criss-cross in the back somewhere, ha
Additional lyrics from “A&W” and “FE!N” occupy slots No. 6 though No. 9. We finally get some new blood at No. 10, thanks to people’s fascination with Miley Cyrus’ 2023 self-empowerment disco-pop anthem “Flowers.”
I can buy myself flowers
Write my name in the sand
Talk to myself for hours
Say things you don’t understand
I can take myself dancing
And I can hold my own hand
