2018 In Review: Best Songs Of The Year & Best Albums #100–50
Welcome: to 2018 In Review — a 2-part retrospective of the year that was. As I’ve written about throughout the four seasonal round-up pieces, I got married to an angel this year; one who — among so many things — feels music with her whole being the same way that I do. Some very pivotal musical memories were made as a couple this year, from signing the marriage certificate, to sharing our first dance, and so many more as newlywed husband and wife. Suffice it to say, she’s also put up with a hell of a lot of writing and recording, especially as I started a podcast The Good Listeners with my best mate Josh in the latter part of the year. More on that later.
So, for the wrap-up, I’ve kept it again to Albums, Songs and Gigs. For Part 1 here I’ve written about my Top 25 songs of the year. This year, to do something different I wanted to try and keep the Top 25 as songs that didn’t appear on any of my 100 favourite albums of the year. This was surprisingly easy, as I think individual songs on albums I loved just made me want to listen to the whole thing. You’ll have noticed a playlist above with the wider, 100 of my favourite songs of 2018 in no order — take a listen and find something new to love. After songs, I’ve listed out my Albums of the Year, counting down (as is proper) from number 100 to 51. I figured I’d keep it brief(ish) now and write about the Top 50 properly in Part 2.
So without further ado, here are the Best 25 Songs of 2018
But of course, before we dive in we’re blessed for a second year running to have FRANKIE’S HOT PICK™, which is ‘An Evening I will Not Forget’ by Dermot Kennedy. Here’s what she had to say:
Kennedy’s voice is so good it makes me want to throw up in a good way. This song in particular is incredible (especially the way he says cardigan.) Cal got us tickets to see him in Brixton for my birthday this year and it was magical — if you haven’t listened to him already please do, he is a wonderfully wonderful Irish man (sorry Cal)
25) ‘No Wave feat. Denzel Curry’ by IDK
I’ve said it many times this year but IDK is the most underrated rapper around. He released loads of incredible loosies accumulating in an EP last month but this first 2018 single was the one I kept coming back to. His bouncy, fast tongue goes perfectly with friend Denzel Curry’s roar.
24) ‘Hangman’ by Dave
A few months back, Dave scored his first #1 hit with ‘Freaky Friday’ (also the 1st song by a UK rapper to peak at number one as a lead artist since for over 3 years.) But back February he put out the much colder, more serious ‘Hangman’ which took aim at the knife crime which is claiming so many.
23) ‘Salt In The Wound’ by boygenius
I was slow to the genius of Phoebe Bridgers’ album last year so made sure not to delay checking out her supergroup with Julien Baker & Lucy Dacus. Their voices intertwine to create the most beautiful lullabies but this is the fiercest from their phenomenal EP and my highlight. Enough to silence a war.
22) ‘3WW (OTG Remix feat. Little Simz)’ by Alt-J
I’ll be honest, I’m not keeping track of Alt-J in the year 2018. But anything Little Simz does, I listen to — and this is some of her best work yet. She haunts the beat with an unrelenting stream of consciousness which shows why she’s one of the UK’s best. Also check out The Alchemist/Danny Brown remix.
21) ‘High feat. Elton John’ by Young Thug
It was a relatively quiet year for the man AKA Jeffrey. He curated a hit‘n’miss label compilation which relied heavily on him and did many features. But his only solo release was the 6 song EP On The Rvn. It closed with a reworking of Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man’ — a match so perfect it should be carved in marble.
20) ‘Crown & Key’ by Gaika
Brixton’s own Gaika makes music like no one else. Not just in London, but anywhere else for that matter. There are shades of post-Yeezus electronics, patois vocals reminiscent of Popcaan, but really he sounds like none of the above. The single was so wild and individual the album couldn’t live up to it.
19) ‘Millidelphia feat. Swizz Beatz’ by Meek Mill
Fresh out of a 5 month stint in prison for bail violation partly due to a corrupt judge, Meek returned more triumphant than he’s ever sounded before. The choruss “Who love the streets? MEEK, MEEK! Who dropping heat? MEEK, MEEK!” was the rallying cry of a man being granted justice and grabbing it.
18) ‘YO! MY SAINT’ by Karen O & Michael Kiwanuka
The last I heard of Karen O was back in 2014 on her duet with Ezra Koenig for the movie ‘Her’ That was beautiful and this is even better. Teaming up this time with ‘Black Man In A White World’ Michael Kiwanuka they tear through a moody spaghetti-western of a song that makes you wanna yell and cry.
17) ‘Hue’ / ‘Nil’ by SOHN
I tried so hard to pick one from this double-A side release but couldn’t bear to extricate one from the other as I’d always listen to one then have to move to the other. SOHN’s 2 album showed progression but for me he took an astronomical leap forwards with this release. Stunning, broken and vital.
16) ‘Call Out My Name’ by The Weeknd
FINALLY — the King of the Fall has returned with a sound that harks back to the intoxicating nihilism that he made his name on. I’d all but given up on him after the 50 Shades soundtracks, Ed Sheeran duets and celeb relationships. But here he lands back into heartbreak and it just suits him so well.
15) ‘Love What Can I Do’ by Finn Andrews
Andrews’ band The Veils are one of my favourite acts of all time, and over the years I’ve been lucky enough to catch the frontman play solo and know that he is just as stunning alone. This year he treated us to a couple of singles and the stripped back honesty of his voice and lyricism is astounding.
14) ‘Car Confessions’ by Young M.A.
Hailing from Brooklyn, NYC Young M.A. spent another giving tantalising glimpses of why she’s one of the generation’s most promising MCs. This single was the highlight, with a celestial, Heather Headley sampling beat and rhymes that showed that even in contemplative mode she’s still hard as nails.
13) ‘3 Million’ by Lido
26 year old Lido is a electronic genius and across 2 EPs this year he expanded his sound into strange and exciting new places. This was the best example of that — by far his punchiest, hardest-hitting beat ever. The enigmatic line “3 million years in the club” line still means nothing to me but sounds awesome.
12) ‘Bubblin’ by Anderson .Paak
Released in way back in January 2016, it felt like the singer’s reign had gone so far off the back of Malibu but we were hungry for new material. We got shit-talking, braggadocios .Paak on his return which showed off his rap skills. It didn’t appear on the subsequent album but it could have really done with it.
11) ‘I Laugh When I’m w/Friends But Sad When I’m Alone’ by 070 Shake
Like many others I was first introduced to 070 Shake through her appearance across the Kanye produced Wyoming albums that came out this summer. Her voice, simultaneously sweet and guttural soared over Ye’s beats. On her own music, she had the space to carve her own lane, and this was her masterpiece.
10) ‘Love & Drugs II feat. Trippie Redd’ by Kodie Shane
My brother got me onto this one and I’m so glad he did. I’d never heard of Kodie Shane before but she describes herself as “fun, passionate and queer as fuck” which gives you a good idea. She sings with her whole being and her voice is so powerful you get the sense she could easily carve out a decent pop career by playing it straight. But she has so much more to offer. She writes hazy songs about girls who cause her pain and ‘Love & Drugz II’ is the best. One of the strongest hook worms of the whole year, her voice flows like electric syrup. Trippie Redd blends in nicely but she’s the real star.
9) ‘Hands’ by Octavian
What a year this man has had. After the nod from Drake 21 year old Octavian could have played it safe and taken the golden co-sign. But instead he brushed it off and carved his own, fiercely unique lane. Following that break out, first with a hard-nosed street anthem and then with this cloudy, angelic trap lullaby he was telling us — don’t tell me where I’m going next. It was experimental, cool as hell but also a beautiful song. When he raspingly sings “I can’t hear you but you can hear me” he may be talking about jealous rivals but it sounds like searching sweet salvation in some foggy dream.
8) ‘Get The Fuck Off My Dick’ by Vince Staples
When this dropped back in March it was impossible to know where Vince was heading next. Last year’s Big Fish Theory was one of the most vital (and best) releases of the year which saw him experiment with his sonics. This went even further, showcasing his DGAF flexing: “Hard to tell which one more perfect, man, my art or my bitch” as well as the tongue in cheek savviness you can’t get anywhere else: “Missed the mark, I think my label need a marketing switch” I mean, who else gives you that on a song with a title like this? It didn’t end up on the surprise album later this year, but it kept him on top all of 2018.
7) ‘Mo Bamba’ by Sheck Wes
Some songs just don’t make sense until they’re heard in the right context. A casual listen to this song at your desk probably won’t do much — it’s simplistic, dissonant and lyrically empty. But to witness a DJ drop this in a dark room full of sweaty bodies will reveal something pivotal about it that you’d never know otherwise: it gets the people GOING. The long notes held by Sheck are like a menacing war cry, and when he comes back in after the beat cuts out is like a full scale eruption. The producers Take A Daytrip say he lay the vocals in one take and that moment was when their laptop crashed. Miracles by mistake.
6) ‘I Am’ by Jorja Smith
Black Panther: The Album was one of my most listened records this year, for its sheer scope of styles. The moodiest song on it came from UK singer Jorja Smith who, along with a Mercury Prize nomination for her debut album had a pretty huge year. Her album is great, but for me nothing on it tops the bare vulnerability of ‘I Am’ On it, Smith sounds completely heartbroken and her vocals are flawless. When going through my most-listened to songs, this was right at the top — weird for a year so personally free from sorrow. Sometimes music is so great it speaks to you even when you have nothing to say back.
5) ‘Lucid Dreams’ by Juice WRLD
Who knew that one of the buzziest pop rap songs of the year would sample Sting’s ‘Shape Of My Heart’? But then again, who could have foretold hip hop’s continued march into the themes and sounds of Emo? In 2018 the 20 year old Chicagoan went from practically unknown to Top 5 on the Billboard chart and in demand from every titan of the genre. ‘Lucid Dreams’ exists in a post-Lil Uzi Vert world and uses the same, unravelling, raw misery that made ‘XO Tour Llif3’ my #1 Song of 2017. But this isn’t just Mk 2.0; Juice has his own, inimitable yelp that speaks straight to those most painful of emotions.
4) ‘Moon River’ by Frank Ocean
What more can be said the mysterious Frank Ocean? After a landmark year in which he released 2 albums, Ocean spent 2017 dropping loose singles that arguably topped what came before. But then in 2018 he went relatively quiet again (course, not 2012 to 2016 quiet, but still..) What we did get, on top of a feature for A$AP Rocky and one for Travis Scott, was this cover of Audrey Hepburn’s 1961 classic. But when Frank covers something, he consumes it, and makes it entirely his own. His rendition of ‘Moon River’ is impossibly beautiful, dreaming up a song that can never be recorded on waking. A gift.
3) ‘Don’t Miss It’ by James Blake
Another man of mystery, this year James Blake put out 2 singles and a Don McLean cover. Of the 3 songs, ‘Don’t Miss It’ was my favourite. Co-produced by Mount Kimbie’s Dominic Maker it utilises either an opera singer, a theremin or even both to create a mournful, ghostly wail which acts as the perfect spectre hanging over some of Blake’s most confessional lyrics yet. “Don’t miss it, like I did” he begs of the listener, and you start to wonder if it’s he that has become to ghost with unfinished business. And interestingly, the lazy critic rhetoric around this led him to start a long overdue conversation.
2) ‘65th & Ingleside’ by Chance The Rapper
To celebrate his engagement to the mother of his daughter, Chance released this achingly romantic celebration of how the road to love — in reality — is never straight forward. A strikingly honest, autobiographical look at his emotional shortcomings growing up, and how he found the light in the end — he continues his streak of positive, life-affirming rap. It’s crazy how radical a line like “Fuck child support, you supported the kid” still is in hip hop but that’s Chance’s lane. And, of course “Truth is I just really need your finger size, So I can make sure that they make the ring so tight” gives me chills every time.
1) ‘This Is America’ by Childish Gambino
Some art is pointless trying to describe to anyone who hasn’t witnessed it. So before I go any further, if you’ve not heard or seen the video for Childish Gambino’s masterpiece ‘This Is America’ then stop reading now and press play below. This, for me, is not only the best song of the year, but the best video too — hands down. Nothing I’ve encountered in 2018, or before for that matter, has made me simultaneously want to stand in shocked awe and get up and dance like it’s the last night on earth. From the jangly, island vibes of the intro it sounds like maybe it’s going to be a fun ride, but you quickly realise with a lurch that you’ve been lured into a false sense of security. The track quickly descends into chaos, with a trap choir of Blocboy JB, Slim Jxmmi, Quavo, 21 Savage & Young Thug all adding adlibs to the malaise. The imagery is stark and hits hard and the lyrics speak of the impossible position of the Black man in America. Tackling gun culture, racism and authoritarianism — it does in 4 minutes what a billion think pieces couldn’t do. God help us.
Before the Best 100–51 Albums of 2018, a special mention to the artists who just missed the list
Action Bronson, Daughters, Deafheaven, Gazelle Twin, Gorillaz, Kali Uchis, Kirk Knight, Lotic, Low, Novelist, Ocean Wisdom, Pariah, RL Grime, Rolo Tomassi, Rival Consoles, The Soft Moon, Soccer Mommy, $UICIDEBOY$, Tommy Genesis, Trippie Redd and more.
100. Cardi B — Invasion of Privacy || 99. Eminem — Kamikaze || 98. Tim Hecker — Konoyo || 97. Sons Of Kemet — Your Queen Is A Reptile || 96. Architects — Holy Hell || 95. Rae Sremmurd — SremmLife 3 || 94. Jorja Smith — Lost & Found || 93. Charles Bradley — Black Velvet || 92. Eels — The Deconstruction || 91. Rico Nasty — Nasty || 90. Iceage — Beyondless || 89. Confidence Man — Confident Music For Confident People || 88. Tirzah — Devotion || 87. Metro Boomin — Not All Heroes Wear Capes || 86. Thom Yorke — Suspiria OST || 85. Parquet Courts — Wide Awake! || 84. Young Fathers — Cocoa Sugar || 83. Aidan Moffat & RM Hubbert — Here Lies the Body || 82. JMSN — Velvet || 81. Lil Wayne — Tha Carter V || 80. Ryan Hemsworth — Elsewhere || 79. Suicideyear — Color The Weather || 78. Cat Power — Wanderer || 77. Tierra Whack — Whack World || 76. Freddie Gibbs — Freddie
75. Freddie Gibbs & Curren$y — Fetti || 74. Jazz Cartier — Fleurever || 73. Neneh Cherry & Four Tet — Broken Politics || 72. Beach House — 7 || 71. Beyoncé & JAY-Z — Everything Is Love || 70. YG — Stay Dangerous || 69. Leon Vynehall — Nothing Is Still || 68. A$AP Rocky — Testing || 67. Buddy — Harlan & Alondra || 66. Cadence Weapon — Cadence Weapon || 65. Drake — Scorpion || 64. Smino — Smino Noi || 63. Nas — NASIR || 62. The Internet — Hive Mind || 61. Arctic Monkeys — Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino || 60. 6LACK — East Atlanta Love Letter || 59. LUMP — LUMP || 58. Mount Eerie — Now Only || 57. Big Red Machine — Big Red Machine || 56. Ezra Furman — Transangelic Exodus|| 55. Kamasi Washington — Heaven And Earth || 54. Nils Frahm — All Melody || 53. Jeremih & Ty Dolla $ign — MihTy || 52. Mick Jenkins — Pieces Of A Man || 51. Khruangbin — Con Todo El Mundo
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for my Gig highlights and the 50 Best Albums of 2018 next week!
