Thankfully 2018 was far more fruitful in terms of great music than the year prior. I was originally going to do a favourite songs' list, but I felt that the instantly contagious, replayable tune really clicked with me over the past year. What is considered "contagious" and "replayable" is subjective depending on who's listening, so there isn't really a correct formula in which to argue which songs are more catchy than others. This list might be more alien to say, a classical connoisseur, for example. Plus, there are a couple of experimental anomalies in here that would not be received by a larger listening audience. Instead, this list will be a singles/singles-esque (there's a couple non-singles that are like singles) list of tunes that were consistently in my rotation last year. Admittedly I'm not completely consistent in how I rank these, but this hopefully gives you a sense of what I repeatedly returned to, and talk about why, based on their own merits. Unnecessarily long-winded introduction aside...
18: 'Me and Michael' by MGMT
Is it the 1980's again? MGMT seem to think so, and make that thought a reality with 'Me and Michael'. Its a wonderful throwback a golden era of pop, embracing the glistening synthesizers, gated drums, and most importantly, the unbreakable hooks. Although MGMT have been mostly forgotten about in pop music after the follow-ups to platinum-status Oracular Spectacular were much less commercially viable, they stuck by each other, taking risks with different sounds rather than making 'Kids' Part 2'. 'Me and Michael' is a testament to their endurance, as the unforgettable refrain screams bromance, proving they can make a hit whenever they damn well feel like it. After all, Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser are as "Solid as they come".
17: '1999' by Charli XCX & Troye Sivan
As the previous entry suggests, nostalgic reminiscences of the past define contemporary popular culture, or as critic Simon Reynolds argues, we are living in 'retromania'. However this isn't just a shallow "old=cool" statement, its more of a daydream of returning to the carefree life of childhood. Regardless of era, most people hold these simple days fondly in their memory. Charli and Troye do too, fantasising of time travelling "Back to where we came from (came from) / Playin' air guitar on the roof / In the kitchen, up on the table / Like we had a beautiful view", realising it with turn-of-the-millennium bubblegum dance-pop greatness.
16: 'Death Row' by Freddie Gibbs ft. 03 Greedo
If one track epitomised the aggressive punk-like qualities of trap, 'Death Row' may be the one. Freddie and 03 Greedo paint a nihilistic landscape of the ghettos they were brought up in, whilst flexing the riches they fought for in the free-for-all world of the streets. The production is wild; the guttural 808 bass thumps its hulking weight over rapid-fire syncopated snares. Kenny Beats has had an excellent year, bringing beats that ensure that his collaborators (including the likes of Vince Staples, JPEGMAFIA, Rico Nasty, J.I.D., and Ski Mask the Slump God) never disappoint, and "disappointing" this ain't.
15: 'Sports' by Viagra Boys
This post-punk banger from up-and-coming Swedish band Viagra Boys is easily one of the most entertaining songs of 2018. Upon first listen, it may sound a little dumb as Sebastian Murphy recites an image-focused list of stuff to do with sunny campus-based sports in a slurring drawl that devolves into drunken babble by the end of the song. But it's how I would describe a show from Adult Swim for example, unintentionally clever. By merely gargling out images such as "getting high in the morning", "not answering calls", or "buying things off the internet" draws a wonderfully comical contrast between the active lifestyle sports encourages, and the student laziness that ensues.
14: 'In My View' by Young Fathers
As instantaneously contagious as this lo-fi tune is, excellently weaving several sounds (such as hip-hop, soul, gospel and Afrobeat) of the African diaspora together Young Fathers explore lost relationships with plaintive self-analysis. The chorus offers an intelligent gem of wisdom: "In my view, nothing’s ever given away / I believe to advance then you must pay / In my view, love will never come my way". While love can be transcendental in terms of emotional reward, it can also be laborious in a physical sense, as one's presence is needed to warrant it.
13: 'Duck Duck Goose' by Cupcakke
Uncensored, explicit raunchiness is sneered upon by many as "dirty". However, CupcakKe despises these sweeping judgements. Especially after the video for 'Duck Duck Goose was briefly censored from YouTube for being too pornographic, a decision that was met with such outrage YouTube brought it back, with a reasonable age restriction. The song takes what is considered low and trashy, and exaggerates it to ludicrous and hilarious proportions, treating "the dick" as an objectified plaything. There are so many side-splitting bars too: she comedically embraces her body by taking from others' bodies ("My cakes got fatter by usin' cum as the batter"), and reassures the dick ("Look down to your dick and tell him I won't disappoint it") before beheading it for *ahem* personal use ("Cut the dick off, took it home with me / 'Cause any dick that long, it belong with me"). It's batshit insane and makes zero compromises.
12: 'It's Not Living (If It's Not with You)' by The 1975
I've been pleasantly surprised by The 1975 this year. Critics and commentators have accurately described them as an 'algorithmic', 'ironic pop group', an approach that was in an often gratingly edgy way in previous years. However, this is one of their most honest and endearing songs yet. Matt Healy puts us in the mind of two recovering drug addicts. Subject 1 is Danny, a cashier at a mundane petrol station, and subject 2 is Matt himself, a pop-star with celebrity status that he never really asked for in the first place. What would seem like antipodally opposing contexts are connected by a fundamentally human emotion: empathy. The writing on both a lyrical and musical level are stunning, revealing self-destructive feelings in the face of an uninterested, uncaring world, with an 80's pop-rock intimacy that recalls the likes of The Police and Scorpions. Also, can we please take a minute to appreciate their 'running man' moves (1:20) in the video?
11: 'Psycho' by Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign
If someone told me a year ago that Post Malone would make one of the best songs of year, I would have laughed at them until my knees were weak. But, by the month of February, I would have eaten my words, a feast of them. Post has been panned by the music press over the past couple years for shallowly piggybacking off of black culture, with hits such as 'White Iverson' and 'Go Flex' which both essentially listen as focus-grouped carbon copies of melodic trap-rappers. He was reaping the benefits of others' innovations and styles, and subsequently distancing himself from the culture saying he's just a general "musician" or "artist". 'Psycho' however, is just one of those songs you can't argue with, it's staggeringly gorgeous. Rather than replicating another's style, Post builds on the niche he carved out with 'Rockstar' where he shifts his vocals in a bending trill. The notes he hits at the 1:08 minute mark are out of this world. And Ty Dolla $ign affirms himself as one of the greatest feature artists of the moment, with a verse which exudes a light-hearted playfulness to top off an earworm of a song that's simply, smooth as fuck.
10: 'I Woke Up In a Fucked-Up America' by Lonnie Holley
'I Woke Up in a Fucked-Up America' was probably what half the country would have said on the morning of November 9th 2016. Lonnie Holley however, woke up in a fucked-up America upon his birth in February 10th 1950, subjecting him to the segregation of the Jim Crow laws growing up. He did not commercially release a single song until 2012, he was known instead as 'The Sand Man'. From 1979, he made sculptures with found objects from the streets of Birmingham, Alabama, and imparted his knowledge of art in educational activities with children in his local community. These sculptures made up of flora, sticks, discarded goods, bent metal, and his own carvings on stones, are a visual embodiment of his sonic pallet, which is grounded in an earthy grit. 'I Woke Up...' sounds like an earthquake; Lonnie's Tom Waits-like growls of "falling deeper and deeper into a dream" tear through eruptions of bellowing, discordant horns and flurries of primal drum thrashing. It is a jarring representation of a people stuck in a recurring, cyclical nightmare that falls to the jaws of unrelenting hatred, and unconcerned apathy.
9: 'Confirmation' by Westerman
"Don't you wonder why / Confirmation's easier / When you don't think so much about it" is one of the most striking hooks of 2018. In an overthinking state of mind, cognition is a hazed mess; answers shift into frame, only to disappear and give way to more questions, more overlapping trains of thought, and more confusion. 'Confirmation' embodies this notion, exploring these thoughts mutely, but never finding an answer to the chorus' question. Westerman follows a similar suit to the school of Arthur Russell, crafting synth-laden ambient textures embracing organic acoustic drum beats, although his voice is mixed to the fore, as if to softly reassure the listener that it's natural to get trapped in your own head. 'Confirmation' reaches new heights of intimacy, opening the door to the inner workings of a mind that is in a place of deep uncertainty.
8: 'Invitation' by Ashnikko ft. Kodie Shane
I find myself stumped this only has a meagre 17,000 views and 113,000 Spotify streams. Considering the context of highly relevant #MeToo movement, it isn't merely a slap in the face of sleazeballs in clubs, it's a sucker punch to the face of men, powerful or not, who won't accept the word "no". Ashnikko and Kodie Shane come with jabs of aggression against toxic behaviour whilst retaining a cool, unfettered confidence. Ashnikko's second verse reifies this perfectly, bragging that she "could be lickin' on a lolly / Dolled up like a dolly / Short skirt lil' hottie", and "Knock you out without a semi" if you call her "prudish" or "bitchy". And the delivery is like a vicious terrier that growls when you go to stroke it, growling like the crunchy MicroBrute synth-line and booming blurts of bass they spit over. It's a crying shame this badass banger hasn't gained the traction it deserves.
7: 'The Baptist' by Lauren Auder
As we edge into the 2020's, allocating specific genres to certain pieces of music is becoming increasingly anachronistic. Many artists, such as French-born and London-based musician Lauren Auder, are putting several genres into a blender and producing innovating results. 'The Baptist' is a beaming example, rejecting a singular categorisation, but exhibiting dissonant elements of electronica, neoclassical, hip-hop and vocal jazz, to name a few broad influences. Over its six minutes, it sends you into a hypnotic, trance-like state yet retains an aura of grandeur, lathering hymnal church organ melodies and weeping violins onto the electronic soundscape. "'Cause if Christ died for me one time for my crimes / I doubt he would again", Auder's baritone voice quavers painfully, simultaneously confessing his sins and exposing religious doubt. 'The Baptist' puts him on the map, showcasing his prodigious prospects as a potentially seminal artist.
6: 'It's Not Just Me' by Let's Eat Grandma
Also in consideration of the coming decade, 'It's Not Just Me' asserts itself as a blueprint for pop music of the immediate future, not just in terms of the digitally-processed sound but also subject matter and delivery. Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth, accompanied by SOPHIE on production, brilliantly actualise the difficulties of communication of love online, feeling the ghostly presence of a romantic interest's cyber-self, but missing real deal, the physical. "Because the point is that I see it's not just me / The point is that you feel my company / I don't wanna say goodbye / Guess I'll see you when the screen is vibrating", they sing intoned, with the kind of detachment associated with texting. While the voice is impassive here, "I know you're feeling the same way" succeeds with heartbreaking fluctuation. I feel this youthful anguish on every repeat listen, but I'm sure it's not just me, as it speaks to a fundamental grey area experienced by our generation with a warm, loving understanding.
5: 'We Appreciate Power' by Grimes ft. Hana
The media and Internet were particularly perplexed when Grimes and Elon Musk turned up to the Met Gala arm-in-arm, having been introduced via Twitter through a mutual pun on the architectural term "rococo", and the thought experiment regarding artificial intelligence known as 'Roko's basilisk'. To briefly explain the experiment, it is an argument that advanced AI that is progammed to aid humanity to the highest degree would eliminate anyone that attempts to stop its development. So if someone is merely aware of it, they must either unconditionally support the AI, or face inevitable destruction. After the intense press coverage of her relationship with Tesla's CEO, she dropped an unorthodox pop-metal single 'We Appreciate Power'. The title in of itself reads like a self-aware statement on her public image, as if to say "only now that I'm dating a powerful person, the wider public is interested in me", but really it embodies the very thing that brought her and Musk together, Roko's basilisk. Ascending, stuttering guitar shreds drive the listener into submission, as the duo assert the benefits of an all-powerful AI (a God) plugging us into a virtual reality to protect us forever. Grimes and HANA immerse themselves in a dystopian future, pledging their allegiance to the AI overlords, to "the world's most powerful computer", turning around to us to ask "What will it take to make you capitulate?". Brutal, yet philosophically compelling.
(Ok, admittedly I am cheating a little bit with the next two, as they were not released as singles, but I will include them anyway because a) they have the properties of a great single in their immense replay value, and b) I fucking love them and NEED to talk about them)
(Ok, admittedly I am cheating a little bit with the next two, as they were not released as singles, but I will include them anyway because a) they have the properties of a great single in their immense replay value, and b) I fucking love them and NEED to talk about them)
4: 'Shoota' by Playboi Carti ft. Lil Uzi Vert
"Now it's my time" immediately defines 'Shoota' as the song of the underdog. Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert silence doubters, and establish themselves as some of rap's most successful dissidents. Both are often used as prime examples by hip-hop's old guard of the decay of lyricism. However these criticisms often ignore the intentions of 'mumble rappers', who are more drawn to bouncy rhythms and flows that attempt to find their own accent. Uzi demonstrates this to optimum effect in the first minute, rhyming in his boisterous, nasal cadence over dramatic string sections. Despite the lack of a beat, it still has that head-nodding knock to it. Only at 1:09, does producer Maaly Raw drop the beat, making it doubly rewarding, and doubly uplifting. This monumental build of making you wait make it absolutely top-drawer rap that is pure elation. 'Shoota' is an absolute must-play when you feel as if the world is against you, or that you won't make it.
3: 'Bodys' by Car Seat Headrest
Back in 2011, Will Toledo of Car Seat Headrest, recorded an indie rock opera... into his laptop. As adorably rough and lo-fi as it was, echoing the innocence of Daniel Johnston, Twin Fantasy was always a project that Will wanted to return to. And seven years hence, Toledo released a truly sublime re-recorded version, executing his vision with a determined perfectionism, and boy did it pay off. 'Bodys', a cut from the revised edition, crystallises everything that makes Twin Fantasy such an awe-inspiring masterpiece. "This song belongs in the drunk house party scene of an indie coming-of-age film", one commenter puts it greatly. It is cinematic in the best possible way, indulging in thrashing power chords, and bridges in unconventional places that weirdly make absolute sense. Most of all though, 'Bodys' is underpinned by a thrilling sense of motion that carries Will's words with them. Dancing in a passion-fuelled moshpit, he asks "Don’t you realize our bodies could fall apart at any second?" to his significant other, as if the realisation that this moment won't last forever just hit him. It's the triumphant sound of an artist bringing his idea into maximal, high definition.
2: 'Dive' by Beach House
It's been 13 years since Beach House's debut, and their music is still as odd and unique now, as it was back then. It seems to live in its own space and time, almost like it's frozen in a cryogenic stasis, or stuck in a dream it can't wake up from. The first half of 'Dive' epitomises the Beach House aesthetic, washing ice-cold waves of electric organ that shivers in a misty atmosphere, with Victoria Legrand singing cryptic grievances to a lover with a melancholic disassociation lingering in her whispered voice. And then, from the blue, comes a blinding light, a decision. "So you try to hide it / and you know I like it / so I dive to find it". Guitars, bass and drums kick in with maximum volume, lifting themselves into the infinite cosmic planes of space-rock. Legrand described 'Dive' as a "rebirth", one where you can "feel whatever you want" - a completely visceral song. I can't think up a more apt summary. It's an awakening, it's a moment of clarity, it's a dive into the unknown.
1: 'Love If We Made It' by The 1975
Reading the news nowadays is a depressing slog. All we seem to consume from it, directly and indirectly, revolves around violence: war, suicide bombings, racism, rape, populist demagogues in power, fellow human beings yelling at and assaulting one another, obscene wealth disparity, global warming - the list never seems to end. We scroll through this ceaseless list on our social media timelines every day, constantly reminded of the innumerable ills of the world we're inheriting. It's easy to believe the world's coming to an end.
But with 'Love It If We Made It', The 1975 launch an epochal condemnation that meticulously encapsulates the violence that lingers in our 24/7 scrolling timelines. Matt Healy itemises these issues to absolutely devastating effect. Every lyric hits harder than the next: "Fuck your feelings / Truth is only hearsay / We're just left to decay", or "Selling melanin and then suffocate the black men / Start with misdemeanours and we'll make a business out of them", or "Poison me, daddy / I got the Jones right through my bones / Write it on a piece of stone / A beach of drowning three-year olds", I could quote the entire song. He churns the words out from his bottom of his gut, like a wild-eyed preacher of the looming apocalypse; "I moved on her like a bitch / Excited to be indicted" is unrelentingly feral in its delivery.
As much doom and gloom as 'Love It If We Made It' conjures, it's equally hopeful in a bizarre sense. The bleakness of the steady, 80's-inspired darkwave/synthpop/EBM hybrid beat is shattered after the second verse with a Phil Collins-esque drum fill, followed by duly theatrical, screeching licks of guitar. Healy's impassioned chorus cries of "I'd love it if we made it" are belted out with limitless urgency. The words may not serve as a concrete answer the list he toils through, but are spiritedly anthemic."Is it an optimism or a desire?" he ponders in a Genius annotation. Regardless, of whether you feel they are genuinely optimistic, or merely a wishful desire in the face of inevitable defeat, there is an indisputable soul that carries them, one that hopes for a better future for all of us. It's the song that 2018 needed.
But with 'Love It If We Made It', The 1975 launch an epochal condemnation that meticulously encapsulates the violence that lingers in our 24/7 scrolling timelines. Matt Healy itemises these issues to absolutely devastating effect. Every lyric hits harder than the next: "Fuck your feelings / Truth is only hearsay / We're just left to decay", or "Selling melanin and then suffocate the black men / Start with misdemeanours and we'll make a business out of them", or "Poison me, daddy / I got the Jones right through my bones / Write it on a piece of stone / A beach of drowning three-year olds", I could quote the entire song. He churns the words out from his bottom of his gut, like a wild-eyed preacher of the looming apocalypse; "I moved on her like a bitch / Excited to be indicted" is unrelentingly feral in its delivery.
As much doom and gloom as 'Love It If We Made It' conjures, it's equally hopeful in a bizarre sense. The bleakness of the steady, 80's-inspired darkwave/synthpop/EBM hybrid beat is shattered after the second verse with a Phil Collins-esque drum fill, followed by duly theatrical, screeching licks of guitar. Healy's impassioned chorus cries of "I'd love it if we made it" are belted out with limitless urgency. The words may not serve as a concrete answer the list he toils through, but are spiritedly anthemic."Is it an optimism or a desire?" he ponders in a Genius annotation. Regardless, of whether you feel they are genuinely optimistic, or merely a wishful desire in the face of inevitable defeat, there is an indisputable soul that carries them, one that hopes for a better future for all of us. It's the song that 2018 needed.