Hey, guys. Me again. I just saw Dumbo, the latest in Disney’s increasingly ubiquitous stream of live-action remakes, which no one seems to care about despite the stupid amounts of money they make. You can skip it. Outside of a couple funny moments and some earnestly cool visuals, it’s a blasé mix of enjoyably bad and disgustingly competent. That being said, the movie’s ending makes me a bit nervous.
I’d put a spoiler warning, but I can’t imagine any of you are terribly invested about how this remake of a 1941 animated movie from a twenty-years-washed-up Tim Burton differs from the source material, so fuck it. The movie begins with the birth of Dumbo the elephant, who turns out to be your fairly standard Tim Burton protagonist. He’s an outcast, a bit of a loner, he’s pale, his eccentricities lead people to make fun of him and call him a freak. But he also has a special talent, and he showcases this talent to bring great success for himself and the people around him (who exploit him at times, but their hearts are in the right place). One day, an opportunistic millionaire named V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton), who has a children’s entertainment empire including his own theme park, decides to take Dumbo and his merry crew under his wing (no pun intended). He promises to make all their dreams come true, but of course all he really wants is to exploit Dumbo’s talents for profit. He puts Dumbo on a pedestal to show the world his gift, but the elephant is distracted by family matters and kinda blows it. After that, Keaton gives Dumbo one more star performance, and Dumbo purposefully tanks it, burning down Keaton’s Dreamland from the inside and rescuing his friends in the process. Finally, when all’s said and done, Dumbo retires from showbiz to be among his own kind, leaving the indie oddballs he came from better off for it. And guys, I think it might be about Tim Burton.
Sure, it’d be a very gutsy move (and almost impossible to pull off, one would think) to make a Disney movie about sabotaging your own Disney movie to destroy the studio, but look at it this way: firstly, it’s pretty well known that every Burton protagonist is essentially a self-insert, and Dumbo checks all the boxes. Second, Vandevere is the most transparent metaphor for Walt Disney ever put to film (and there have been some pretty fucking transparent ones out there). Dreamland is Disneyland to a T, and if Burton can get away with portraying him as a two-faced miser who hates children, anything’s possible. With that in mind, this film makes it pretty explicit that Dumbo wants out, not just from Disney’s empire, but from film as a whole.
But that’s not even why I’m so concerned about the ending. The film diverges heavily from the animated original throughout, but the ending is a particularly notable instance: rather than becoming a beloved star, Dumbo abandons the limelight, following his mother to live with his fellow elephants in the jungle. It would have been nice from a narrative perspective if they’d brought up the notion of setting the animals free earlier in the movie, but this is about the most satisfactory way you could end a Dumbo movie in 2019. Here’s the thing, though: this particular franchise of live-action Disney remakes has a couple of other movies about animals in the jungle.
I don’t want to speak for everyone, but it’s always felt to me like these remakes are going somewhere. There haven’t been any direct connections between them, but they all carry this general idea that the story’s not over yet. It’s happily ever after, sure, but it’s a kind of happily ever after that leaves just enough unresolved to open up the possibility of exploring this world more (which, admittedly, is what Disney does most of the time anyway). There are certain traits they have in common: all of the ones in the past few years have had a markedly similar tone. The princess ones (Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast) tend to be mostly faithful adaptations, where the animal ones (The Jungle Book, Dumbo) tend to veer off course from the source a bit more.
Consider the parties involved: Dumbo is Burton’s second Disney reboot franchise (he previously helmed Alice in Wonderland), but he clearly wants out. The only other two-timer is Jon Favreau, who helmed The Jungle Book (another movie about animals in the jungle) and will also direct The Lion King (another movie about animals in the jungle). He’s also this series’ only holdover from the Marvel universe, the director of Iron Man now tasked with handling multiple flagship films in Disney’s live-action reboot… universe?
On its own, Dumbo ending in the jungle isn’t enough of a reason to suspect Disney wants to use all these live-action remakes to take one last stab at a cinematic universe, but this isn’t the thing that led me to this idea. It was actually when Favreau was first announced as The Lion King‘s director back in 2016. The idea was what, to have the guy who made an animal movie do it again? People were debating how it could be classed as a “live-action” movie without any live-action elements, and I posited that it may differ from the source material by including some sort of human characters. In doing so, it could even connect itself to The Jungle Book. And now that Disney is bringing another of their major characters into this CG jungle locale, who knows?
So yeah, I’m a little worried about Tim Burton, and I’m very worried that Disney might be turning all their classic movies into a cinematic universe of increasingly-bland live-action imitations, and if they do, it might be a disaster and might actually collapse Disney’s hold over the blockbuster film industry, which might be what Tim Burton wanted all along. I give the movie a C.
Yes, it’s finally here, folks! After what feels like (and is) three months, I’ve finally compiled a definitive list of my top 50 albums of 2018 (until about a year from now, when it becomes embarrassingly inaccurate). It was an arduous process continually halted by an endlessly busy semester, but it’s finally here, and the takes are hot. Before we get into the list proper, here’s a few honorable mentions:
Oneohtrix Point Never’s Age Of is the electronic producer’s most expansive album to date, fusing sounds ranging from medieval folk to industrial metal to create a seamless and thoroughly enjoyable landscape. The 1975’s A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships is a masterful piece of maximalist kitsch, finding the band at their most euphoric and their most insufferable all at once. Johnny Rain’s Idol Blue is great in many of the same ways A Brief Inquiry is great, but with a melancholy electro-R&B tilt that lends to some killer tracks. Franz Ferdinand’s Always Ascending is better than you remember, and Zeal & Ardor’s Stranger Fruit proves metal’s most exciting new voice is still on the rise. Hanson’s String Theory is one of the year’s hidden gems, as is Lil Wayne’s Dedication 6: Reloaded, a stellar mixtape overshadowed by its long-awaited cousin Tha Carter V. On the subject of hip-hop, Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacywas one of the year’s best debuts, Earl Sweatshirt’s Some Rap Songs was one of the most stellar comebacks, and Busdriver’s Electricity Is On Our Side is another worthy addition to the cult favorite’s catalogue. Finally, Parquet Courts’ Wide Awake is as good as everyone says it is, and Macy Gray’s Ruby, the R&B legend’s most far-reaching record to date, is easily one of the year’s most underrated.
Now, on with the list!
50) HEAD OVER HEELS – Chromeo
Since Canadian electro-funk duo Chromeo first debuted in 2004, they’ve only sharpened their groovy craft, and Head Over Heels is their most star-studded, soulful, well-orchestrated record to date. Some of the hottest rising stars in R&B (like DRAM and Amber Mark) make appearances, but the real stars of the show are Chromeo, who turn out in full force on one track after the next.
Trent Reznor’s pioneering industrial rock outfit Nine Inch Nails returned this year with Bad Witch, the band’s ninth studio album and third release in as many years. Like Blackstar through a noise-colored lens, Bad Witch is a brief-but-expansive collection of industrial aggression, jazzy fluidity, excellent transitions, and proof positive that after over 30 years in the game, Reznor still has some tricks up his sleeve.
Best tracks: “Shit Mirror,” “God Break Down the Door,” “Over and Out”
48) LILLYANNA – teddy<3
Teddy Geiger’s already-long career has followed a fairly typical path: she first made her name on the little-remembered reality competition In Search of the Partridge Family, which also happened to spawn Emma Stone’s career. After making it to the finals, she went on tour with Hillary Duff and became a minor teen heartthrob. After her star faded, she started working behind the scenes, wrote every single hit song Shawn Mendes has ever released, came out as a trans woman, and made a really solid indie rock album. If I had a nickel!
Best tracks: “Under the Blue,” “I Was in a Cult,” “Get Me High,” “Body and Soul”
47) ONEPOINTFIVE – Aminé
After first making waves with his viral hit Caroline and subsequent album Good for You, Aminé took his sound in a new direction this year with ONEPOINTFIVE, a harder, bassier collection of trap-infused bangers that proves the Portland rapper’s unique vibe and vulnerable attitude can fit the modern sound like a glove. Featuring off-the-wall energy, raw emotion, and some deserved braggadocio, where Good for You established Aminé as a rapper, ONEPOINTFIVE carves out his own spot in the game.
I don’t think I’ve ever made as complete a 180 on an artist from their first album to their second album as I have with Charlie Puth. The pop singer, who came up lending his venerable falsetto to insipid piano ballads, took a hard left towards funk with Voicenotes and its lead single “Attention,” a track that I only find more praise for as time goes on. But even when Puth does slide back into heartbroken ballads on this album, there’s a considerable change in technique, an emphasis on polish and sound that only elevates the luxe R&B sound the album has to offer.
45) TRANQUILITY BASE HOTEL + CASINO – Arctic Monkeys
Speaking of artists who took a sharp turn from one album to the next, Arctic Monkeys made their long-awaited comeback last year with Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, and at first, people didn’t really know what to think. The band known for their dark, polished indie rock sound returned after five years out of the limelight with a downright sleazy space-age lounge pop record, a record whose thousand-yard stare and deadpan sarcasm remind the listener more of Alex Cameron than they do Alex Turner. However, like much of Alex Cameron’s work, it’s also really intriguing and really funny, especially given the nerve it takes for a band with Arctic Monkeys’ fanbase to release an album like this.
Best: “Star Treatment,” “Four Out of Five,” “The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip,” “The Ultracheese”
44) BUDDING ORNITHOLOGISTS ARE WEARY OF TIRED ANALOGIES – Milo
When you’re listening to a rapper like Milo, you pretty much know what to expect. Sparse, off-kilter beats, verbose bars with absurdly esoteric references, and some classic modern ambivalence delivered with an ironic bite. Budding Ornithologists has all that in spades, but it also finds Milo holding back a little, moving away from freeform instrumentals to a more subdued, calculated sound, which lends the album what just may be the one thing Milo’s been missing: a sense of maturity.
Best: “Nominy,” “Lowcoup,” “Deposition Regarding the Green Horse of Rap,” “Sanssouci Palace (4 Years Later)”
43) YOUNG & DANGEROUS – The Struts
To the untrained eye, The Struts doesn’t seem all that different from the increasingly-maligned Greta Van Fleet: a young band making waves in the rock world for their ability to mimic an earlier time. But make no mistake, The Struts are no two-bit copycats. Their unabashed glam sound has all the electrifying camp of classic rock’s most glamorous groups and all the compositional legit-ness of its greats. The Struts kick ass, folks.
2018 was full of pop-country crossovers, but none were more potent, danceable, and above all fun than Kylie Minogue’s Golden, the Aussie pop icon’s first album since her 2015 Christmas LP. While also being a phenomenal dance record, it’s easily Minogue’s most personal record in recent memory, owing in part to the fact that she co-wrote every song on the album. Minogue deftly takes what could easily have been a kitschy country cash-in and turns it into one of the year’s most honest, mature, and expressive pop albums.
Best: “Dancing,” “Stop Me from Falling,” “A Lifetime to Repair,” “Raining Glitter”
41) FM! – Vince Staples
Vince Staples and “it” producer Kenny Beats join forces on FM!, a summery concept album that’s as much of a rollercoaster ride as a 22-minute record can be. Vince is as sharp as ever, and each of the album’s illustrious guests comes out in full force for this eclectic beach party of an album. If there’s another record out there that can go from Earl Sweatshirt to Tyga in four tracks, I don’t wanna hear it.
Best: “Outside!,” “Don’t Get Chipped,” “FUN!,” “Tweakin'”
40) SR3MM – Rae Sremmurd
Is it a hot take to say that SR3MM is the most ambitious album of 2018, bar none? After two acclaimed albums in a row spawning platinum hit after platinum hit, it seemed like hip hop’s hottest duo could do no wrong. So naturally, they upped the ante. SR3MM consists not just of Rae Sremmurd’s third record as a group, but also of Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi’s respective solo debuts, packaged together as a massive triple album. The results are a great (if slightly overwrought) Rae Sremmurd album, plus a pair of extremely promising debuts by the two brothers. It was as risky a move as we’ve seen this year, but it elevated Swae’s star, introduced Jxmmi to the world, and cemented that Rae Sremmurd is here to stay.
Best: “Perplexing Pegasus,” “Powerglide” feat. Juicy J, “Rock N Roll Hall of Fame,” “Touchscreen Navigation,” “Offshore” feat. Young Thug, “Hurt to Look,” “Brxnks Truck,” “Anti-Social Smokers Club” feat. Zoë Kravitz, “Chanel” feat. Pharrell
39) SHAWN MENDES – Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes is another artist I’ve come around on considerably over time, but his was a more gradual turnabout. I still contend that his first batch of singles was pretty poor, but as time went on, an earnest personality started to develop, and as pop hits became few and far between in 2017-18, I found myself really appreciating his output. Shawn Mendes is a stellar pop album, and probably the most aptly-named self-titled album I’ve heard recently. This is Shawn Mendes distilled, a collection of influences ranging from stadium rock to soulful R&B that proves the babyfaced hitmaker has more than just catchy tunes to offer (although he’s also packing plenty of those).
Best: “In My Blood,” “Nervous,” “Lost in Japan,” “Queen”
38) NØIR – Smino
Where we last saw Smino, the Chicago upstart was making waves with his dark, soulful debut blkswn in 2017. The difference between that album and his sophomore record NØIR couldn’t be more night and day. The former is a tuneful, contemplative record in the vein of many of the time’s rising R&B stars. NØIR, on the other hand, is buoyant, jittery, and obtuse, the sort of album that those who aren’t familiar with Smino’s work might find unwelcoming. But between the rapper’s syrupy falsetto, off-kilter instrumentals, and wacky bars, I’ve found this album gets more rewarding as you listen.
Best: “KOVERT,” “TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD,” “WE GOT THE BISCUITS,” “LOW DOWN DERRTY BLUES”
37) TURN OFF THE LIGHT, VOL. 1 – Kim Petras
After a seemingly-endless streams of stellar singles, Kim Petras finally gifted us with a full-length project on Halloween night with Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1, a spooky collection of club-ready bangers featuring pulsing EDM, soaring vocals, and a surprise appearance from Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. It may be short, but it’s as complete a dance-pop record as any, and it showcases Petras’ winning mix of vocal range, arrogant swagger, and sense of humor that makes her one of the most exciting pop acts to come out in recent memory.
Best: “Close Your Eyes,” “Turn Off the Light” feat. Elvira, “Tell Me It’s a Nightmare,” “I Don’t Wanna Die”
36) CZARFACE MEETS METAL FACE – CZARFACE & MF DOOM
Hip-hop supergroup CZARFACE has been popping out one excellent old-school rap album after another these past few years, the Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck joining forces with 7L and Esoteric for a project that combines comic book machismo with reference-laced lyricism and stately finesse. It stands to reason, then, that the group would inevitably drop a collaboration with the game’s most sinister supervillain, MF DOOM. It’s a pretty delightful LP that adds to the group’s ever-expanding mythos and earns another winning spot in MF DOOM’s illustrious discography.
Rico Nasty’s boisterous rock-‘n’-roll persona and equally brash style has made her one of the most talked-about up-and-comers in the game right now, but her Nasty mixtape proves she isn’t all hype; she’s got enough style, flow, and content to smoke any of her contemporaries. Her sing-songy emo ballads are as resonant as anything Juice WRLD’s put out (and markedly less misogynistic), her electric rock-infused brag raps are in a lane all their own. She’s held her own on tracks with cults of personality like Aminé, Doja Cat, Injury Reserve, and Lil Yachty, and it’s easy to see why she works so well off all these disparate artists: she has a voice all her own.
Robyn’s long-awaited comeback album (her first since 2010’s Body Talk) may be the Swedish pop darling’s most bittersweet to date. While it does traffic in glossy, pulsating Eurodance instrumentals, Honey can hardly be called a dance record. It’s introspective, moody, forlorn. It seems most influenced by post-disco dance records of the early ’80s, or the polished sophisti-pop of Everything But the Girl. Either way, it’s a record unlike anything out there right now, and after 8 years, I can say with confidence that Honey is worth the wait.
Best: “Missing U,” “Send to Robin Immediately,” “Honey,” “Between the Lines”
33) CAUTION – Mariah Carey
Speaking of long-awaited comebacks, few artists still working today have achieved as legendary a status as Mariah Carey. With dozens of world records under her belt (most weeks at #1 on Billboard for any song and any artist, bestselling artist of the ’90s, one of the bestselling artists of all time, etc.), she has no need to prove herself. But with new artists coming for her crown and her last record, the absurdly-titled Me. I Am Mariah… the Elusive Chanteuse, being seen as a disappointment, she did have a bit to prove on this record. And prove it she did, as Caution finds Mariah once again securing a spot in the modern R&B landscape, proving she can go toe-to-toe with any artist in the game, even fifteen albums into her career.
Best: “A No No,” “The Distance” feat. Ty Dolla $ign, “Giving Me Life” feat. Slick Rick and Blood Orange, “8th Grade”
32) BLACK PANTHER: THE ALBUM – Kendrick Lamar
In the midst of a legendary run of albums that turned Kendrick Lamar into the undisputed kingpin of modern music, he took on his biggest challenge yet: making a good soundtrack album. No doubt, taking on the task of accompanying music for Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther is no small task, but if anyone could pull it off, Lamar could, and pull it off he did. Despite an eclectic litany of guest stars and a focus on single material not present in Lamar’s previous work, Black Panther has just as exquisite an attention to detail, and manages to synthesize the film’s weighty themes while incorporating elements of its pan-African aesthetic and Lamar’s own keen ear.
Best: “X” w/ ScHoolboy Q, Saudi & 2 Chainz, “Opps” w/ Vince Staples & Yugen Blakrok, “King’s Dead” w/ Jay Rock, Future & James Blake, “Pray for Me” w/ The Weeknd
31) AM I A GIRL? – Poppy
Poppy’s whole haunted doll thing was fun while it lasted, but by 2018, even her fans could see it was time for her to break out of her shell. Poppy.Computer succeeded in lending her a force of personality outside of her YouTube mythos, but Am I a Girl? propels the viral sensation forward by expanding her sound, moving away from high-end electropop to a fluid collection of sounds that finds her exploring ’80s dance, personal ballads, and even metal. Her collaborators range from Kate Nash to Diplo to Grimes, and her influences cover an even broader range than that. The album tells a story, and it’s not just the story of a mysterious online psyop; it’s the story of an artist who’s moved away from games, away from Titanic Sinclair’s strange art project towards a pop star in her own right.
Best: “Fashion After All,” “Time Is Up” feat. Diplo, “The Rapture Ball,” “Am I a Girl?”
30) EPHORIZE – CupcakKe
CupcakKe’s brazenly sexual persona, Ghostface Killah-esque one-liners, and overall wokeness have earned her a rabid online following, but the music community as a whole really took notice in the first week of 2018 with the release of Ephorize, her most polished, front-to-back solid album to date. It’s full of fiery lyrical dexterity, colorful EDM-infused production, and a pointed mix of over-the-top sexuality and longing for genuine connection. CupcakKe’s always had it in her, but we’re finally seeing one of the standouts in a crowded field of stellar up-and-coming rappers spread her wings.
29) EVERYTHING’S FINE – Jean Grae and Quelle Chris
A disciple of Talib Kweli, Brooklyn underground MC Jean Grae is one of the best rappers of all time (you heard me). Her husband, Detroit rapper Quelle Chris, is another stellar underground artist whose star has risen off the critical success of his last album, Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often. Now, the two come together for Everything’s Fine, quite possibly the strangest album released in all of 2018. The jazzy, dreamlike record is anchored by bubbling instrumentals and appearances by the duo’s rapper friends (Your Old Droog, Denmark Vessey), beloved comedians (John Hodgman, Nick Offerman), and people who fall into both categories (Hannibal Buress). The real meat of it, though, is the lyrical five-dimensional chess being played by Grae and Chris, who seem to be fully in touch with every note of this album.
Best: “My Contribution to This Scam,” “Breakfast of Champions,” “Zero,” “Waiting for the Moon” feat. Mosel and Anna Wise
28) OXNARD – Anderson .Paak
From Hellfyre Club underground darling to Dr. Dre’s latest prodigal son, Anderson .Paak’s star has been on the rise for some time. But with his third album Oxnard, a hotly anticipated record featuring contributions from the biggest names in hip-hop (Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Pusha T, Dre, Snoop Dogg, Q-Tip, 9th Wonder), .Paak has proven he can stand out in the company of kings. Oxnard feels more like a curation of sounds than his previous records, a collection of collaborators in the vein of Travis Scott, but with .Paak still very much holding it all together. It’s a record that speaks to the artist’s newfound luxury, but also to his ability to blend joy and aggression, pointed political commentary and jubilant, toothy energy. With yet another album on the way in a matter of weeks, .Paak has nowhere to go but up.
Spanish pop artist Rosalía made waves stateside this year with El mal querer, an experimental pop album infused with folk and flamenco, divided into eleven chapters, and inspired by a 13th-century Occitan novel. Yeah, it’s a weird album, but as much as I appreciate a good concept piece, what truly grounds El mal querer is the real emotion behind its subject matter, the ways in which Rosalía’s honest lyrics and limber vocals give this story of a toxic relationship a timeless element, equal parts grounded in centuries-old folk tradition and modern romance.
Best: “MALAMENTE,” “QUE NO SALGA LA LUNA,” “PIENSO EN TU MIRÁ,” “RENIEGO”
26) TA13OO – Denzel Curry
Denzel Curry owns, folks. Between his tryhard rock god image and at-times backpacky lyrics, SoundCloud rap’s golden child has earned himself a fair share of detractors, but at the end of the day, he’s reached a level of musical poise that few in his stage of artistic development can reach. On the three-part TA13OO, Curry further cements his signature aggressive trap sound while branching out to explore ’90s grooves and nü metal impudence, joined by some of the few artists who could be considered his contemporaries (JPEGMAFIA, J.I.D, etc.) I don’t think TA13OO is the height of Curry’s powers, but it certainly proves he’s more than a one-trick pony.
Best: “BLACK BALLOONS” feat. GoldLink and Twelve’Len, “SWITCH IT UP,” “VENGEANCE” feat. JPEGMAFIA and ZillaKami, “BLACK METAL TERRORIST”
25) 12 LITTLE SPELLS – Esperanza Spalding
A jazz darling since the mid-aughts, Esperanza Spalding first entered the public eye in 2011, when she beat out the likes of Justin Bieber and Drake to receive the Grammy for Best New Artist, becoming the first jazz artist ever to do so. Since then, she’s carved out a commendable niche in the genre, dropping one strange, delightful album after the next, and 12 Little Spells could be her strangest yet. Released as a series of singles and videos in the 12 days leading up to its release as a full album, each track on 12 Little Spells has a different tone and mood, corresponding to the respective parts of the human body each song represents. Produced largely by Spalding herself, it’s a thoroughly personal record, and a testament to the true essence of jazz as an organic, free-flowing piece of artistic expression.
Best: “12 Little Spells,” “To Tide Us Over,” “You Have to Dance,” “With Others”
24) SWIMMING – Mac Miller
The criticism is as obvious as it is unnecessary: would this album still be where it is on this list if Mac Miller hadn’t died this year? Eh, probably not. But nothing exists outside of context, and Swimming is the most stirring final release of an artist’s life we’ve heard since David Bowie’s Blackstar. Swimming is an exercise in restraint, finding Miller forgoing the often fast-paced nature of his genre of choice to acknowledge the gradual process of self-acceptance. It’s the mark of an artist who was just getting started, leaving the confines of genre behind and exploring new heights of self-reflection. If only we got to see where he’d go from here.
Best: “What’s the Use?,” “Ladders,” “Small Worlds,” “So It Goes”
23) HIVE MIND – The Internet
I notably snubbed The Internet’s beloved 2015 album Ego Death from my AOTY list that year, and while I’m still not in love with that record, I’ll be the first to admit that Hive Mind really won me over. It’s a jazzier, more mature extension of their existing sound, and it’s reflective of a band whose chemistry has grown exponentially. Between vocals, bass, drums, guitars, and keyboards, every element is in lockstep, effortlessly giving way to one another to create a breezy, soulful album that rewards repeated listens (thanks in part to the sharp penmanship of Syd and Steve Lacy). This is another act whose star I think fully intends to keep rising, but if this is just the warm-up, wait ’til you hear the real deal.
Best: “Roll (Burbank Funk),” “La Di Da,” “Look What U Started,” “Hold On”
22) IN A POEM UNLIMITED – U.S. Girls
In a Poem Unlimited is the sixth album by U.S. Girls, Meghan Remy’s experimental solo project. I’ll be honest and say I haven’t heard any of Remy’s earlier stuff yet, but this record is definitely the mark of an artist who demands to be heard. It’s a stellar, expansive pop album marked by soaring instrumentation and biting, lyrically sharp commentary that’s equal parts achingly personal and scathingly political. It’s bold, it’s brash, it’s artful, and honestly? It’s fun.
Best: “Velvet 4 Sale,” “M.A.H.,” “Poem,” “Time”
21) SUPERORGANISM – Superorganism
I was mesmerized by Superorganism’s DIY charm from the moment I heard their debut single (and the first track on this album) “It’s All Good” back in early 2017. After a series of poignant, catchy, experimental pop bangers, they finally came together early last year for their debut album Superorganism. The London-based collective gives a new meaning to dream pop with their eclectic mix of jarring vocals, cartoony sound effects turned to brilliant instrumentals, and angsty subject matter covering everything from body image to prawns. Imagine if Lorde had her own Brockhampton, and you’ll start to get an idea of Superorganism’s sound.
Best: “Everybody Wants to Be Famous,” “SPRORGNSM,” “Something For Your M.I.N.D.,” “Night Time”
20) ACRYLIC – Leikeli47
You’ll recall that on last year’s list, I gave props to Leikeli47’s mixtape Wash & Set. Indeed, the masked MC has been on the rise for a number of years now, but Acrylic is an unprecedented expression of her brash personality and dirty, club-ready sound. At its core, the album is a fierce celebration of resilient womanhood, and black womanhood in particular, through the lens of her particular set of hardships and triumphs. It’s full of hooky, eclectic production, ear-catching one-liners, and an ear for songcraft that places the mysterious rapper in a league of her own.
Best: “Tic Boom,” “Roll Call,” “Girl Blunt,” “Hoyt and Schermerhorn”
19) HEAVEN AND EARTH – Kamasi Washington
You can tell I’m cultured because I have multiple jazz albums on my AOTY list. Nah, but while I’ve always been interested in jazz as a genre, pure jazz has always been just slightly out of my wheelhouse, and a two-and-a-half-hour (over three if you count The Choice), largely vocal-free opus like Heaven and Earth isn’t something I’d have the commitment for from an artist less proven than Kamasi Washington. But Washington has a stellar record for making, well, stellar records, and Heaven and Earth is no exception. This is unadulterated, freeform, conceptual, ludicrously expansive jazz jazz, but more importantly, it’s a tight, focused piece of music where not a single note feels out of place. And that’s saying something, because there’s a lot of notes.
Best: “Fists of Fury,” “Can You Hear Him,” “One of One,” “The Space Traveler’s Lullaby,” “Vi Lua Vi Sol,” “Will You Sing”
18) ISOLATION – Kali Uchis
Kali Uchis has been flying under the radar for a few years now, building a cult of fans and critics around her unique blend of old-school soul and futuristic bedroom pop. With Isolation, her first full length LP, she’s made it abundantly clear that she’s one to watch. Receiving acclaim for her songcraft, excellent vocals, and ability to seamlessly blend genres and eras, she’s already been showered with comparisons to some of the greats, and it’s easy to see why. We may not realize it all the time, but the vast, vast majority of albums have something weighing them down, and for a 15-track LP to be this consistently good is relatively rare, especially for an artist’s first album. No doubt, Uchis has an uphill battle to becoming a titan of the industry, but her talent is second to none.
Best: “Body Language (Intro),” “Your Teeth in My Neck,” “Dead to Me,” “After the Storm” feat. Tyler, the Creator & Bootsy Collins
17) ASTROWORLD – Travis Scott
Travis Scott wandered in music limbo these past few years as a master of his craft without a great piece of work to back it up. If ASTROWORLD had been as overwrought as Rodeo or as stagnant as Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, it might have spelled the end for Travis’ vie for legendary status. Luckily for him, ASTROWORLD is everything it set out to be and then some. Scott steps out of his comfort zone on multiple tracks, proving himself the undisputed master of his own blend of psychedelic trip-trap while venturing into even more progressive territory with his typical deluge of top-tier collaborators. The only thing that disappointed me about this album is that Young Thug wasn’t on it (my favorite songs from each of his previous records are the ones that feature Thug, so this isn’t completely superficial, but it’s a mark of a good album when that’s the least you can say about it).
Best: “SICKO MODE,” “STOP TRYING TO BE GOD,” “SKELETONS,” “5% TINT”
16) CHRIS – Christine and the Queens
I’ll admit that my first encounter with French synth-pop artist Christine and the Queens (her self-titled 2015 debut) was a bit of an underwhelming one. I was obviously very into the idea of a queer French art pop star bringing a funky, sophisticated new wave sound to the modern landscape, but the record didn’t strike me as a particularly great synthesis of that concept. Chris, on the other hand, is exactly what the doctor ordered. It fuses French pomp and American pop bombast to create an explosive, contagious dance record with some poignant commentary that’s probably better elaborated on the French side of the album. Like her previous, this record was released in both French and English, and while I’ve tended towards the English version myself, I’d recommend giving both a listen.
If you’ve heard the name “Tierra Whack” being floated around as the next big thing in hip-hop, and you’re wondering what makes her so special, look no further than Whack World, a mixtape and accompanying video that sets the still-new artist apart as one of the game’s singular talents. Simply put, between mesmerizing instrumentals, colorful metaphors, and heaps upon heaps of personality, a fifteen-minute Tierra Whack album is better than what most artists will have in their entire careers. The amount of juice Whack is able to squeeze out of a one-minute song, and the subsequent ability to do this over and over and over, with a different result every single time, is a rare marvel.
If the name “Kimbra” doesn’t ring any bells, look at the woman to the right and imagine her yelling in Gotye’s ear. Yes, Kimbra is, in the truest sense of anyone on this list, a one-hit wonder, but where her counterpart Gotye shied away from the limelight and from traditional music altogether, following up on “Somebody That I Used to Know” with continued notoriety in her native New Zealand and three albums of her own, the most recent of which is Primal Heart. The record is as eclectic and powerful as its laundry list of collaborators, including executive producer John Congleton, production from the likes of Skrillex and Andrew Maury, and writing help from Ian Kirkpatrick, Robin Hannibal, and Natasha Bedingfield (??!!!). Reminiscent of St. Vincent (another Congleton collaborator), it’s a stirring mix of ancient, droning rhythms and modern, electrified production, built around Kimbra’s own impeccable vocals and songwriting capabilities.
Best: “Everybody Knows,” “Like They Do It On the TV,” “Lightyears,” “Version of Me”
13) STREAMS OF THOUGHT (Vol. 1 & 2) – Black Thought
Black Thought, the lead vocalist for The Roots and one of the most acclaimed rappers of all time, finally goes solo on Streams of Thought, a series of EPs each in collaboration with a legendary producer befitting his intricate flows (respectively, 9th Wonder and Salaam Remi). The first record is a tight five tracks, finding Thought fully in his lyrical zone and firing off his signature head-spinning polysyllabic schemes and metaphors with a few special (and perfectly-timed) guest appearances. Vol. 2 is a smoother record, imbued with Remi’s old-school soul sound and a bit of a tilt towards radio friendliness (Thought even sings a hook on on of the EP’s tracks). Still, all the pomp and circumstance is built around Thought himself, and after more than 25 years in the game, he still makes a strong case for being the best we have.
British avant garde pop duo Let’s Eat Grandma are a rare breed. Having first caught the ear of critics in the UK and beyond with their 2016 debut I, Gemini, the duo combine the self-aware angst and hypnotic vocals of the likes of Lorde and Lana Del Rey with the futuristic glitchy electropop of folks like Charli XCX and SOPHIE (who co-wrote and produced two tracks on this album). The group has bite, charm, anguish, rage, vocals that can effortlessly flow between gratingly in-your-face and mesmerically soft, but what truly binds this album is a spirit of discovery. There’s plenty of experimentation going on in pop right now, but Let’s Eat Grandma have proven themselves to be among the genre’s most daring and exciting up-and-comers.
Best: “Hot Pink,” “It’s Not Just Me,” “Falling Into Me,” “Donnie Darko”
11) NEGRO SWAN – Blood Orange
Dev Hynes (a.k.a. Blood Orange) sometimes appears to be the glue holding the modern music scene together, with his sphere of influence ranging from A$AP Rocky to Carly Rae Jepsen, from Blondie to Beyonce, from FKA twigs to Florence + the Machine. But at the center of it all, Hynes himself can seem to be lost in the shuffle. Negro Swan, his fourth album under the Blood Orange moniker, is as solid a piece of work as one would expect from any of his illustrious collaborators, and easily his most accomplished album today. It’s equal parts grandiose and intimate, a testament to the anxieties of Hynes’ black, queer experience, and a jubilant revelry around the life that sprouts from these anxieties.
Best: “Saint,” “Hope” feat. Puff Daddy & Tei Shi, “Charcoal Baby,” “Out of Your League” feat. Steve Lacy
10) DAYTONA – Pusha T
DAYTONA was the first entry in Kanye West and GOOD Music’s earth-shaking five-album run this summer, and quite possibly the most impactful of the whole affair. Kanye’s self-imposed seven-track limit renders some of the series’ lesser albums a sense of incompleteness, like some artistic vision was sacrificed in order to trim it down. DAYTONA, which was in the works before Kanye’s scheme was devised, is impeccably crafted. It doesn’t need to be a moment longer or a moment shorter; it captures Pusha T’s luxuriant coke rap vision in a concise, inspired, and gimmick-free way. If anyone was under the impression that Pusha was washed up and chasing hits, DAYTONA steered them straight, and notched a dent in Drake’s seemingly-impenetrable force field in the process.
Best: “If You Know You Know,” “The Games We Play,” “Come Back Baby,” “Santeria”
9) LOVE, LOSS, AND AUTO-TUNE – Swamp Dogg
Like the R&B Captain Beefheart, Swamp Dogg’s eclectic sound has made him one of the great cult figures in music history. Known for his raw commentary, lowbrow humor, and tendency to experiment, he’s had as illustrious and various a career as anyone, starting over 50 years ago and continuing to this day as he drops Love, Loss, and Auto-Tune, his latest radical reinvention and one of the year’s most downright brilliant albums. Built on the splintered, intrusive ambivalence of 21st-century life, the album swims through splendor and misery with a detached air, taking cues from Bon Iver as maximized, electrified vocals populate a sparse, synthetic soundscape. Few artists in their 70s can claim to be as radical, or as necessary, as Swamp Dogg.
Best: “I’ll Pretend” feat. Guitar Shorty & Bon Iver, “I’m Coming With Lovin’ on My Mind,” “Sex With Your Ex,” “Star Dust”
8) SWEETENER – Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande’s facing a considerable bit of backlash right now, but it wasn’t too long ago that, in the wake of one personal tragedy after another, the whole public was on her side. After the success of its singles, one could argue that Sweetener was a surefire hit, but Grande goes above and beyond with this record, combining mature, sentimental ballads with bouncy Pharrell jams to create the most polished, poised pop album of 2018, and far and away Grande’s best album to date. This is a Grande who still had something to prove, an artist putting her full body and soul into expressing a whirlwind of emotional depth in a cogent blockbuster pop album.
Best: “sweetener,” “breathin,” “no tears left to cry,” “get well soon”
7) ROOM 25 – Noname
Needless to say, everyone was waiting with bated breath for Noname’s debut studio album Room 25. After a series of mind-blowing guest appearances on Chance the Rapper records and a pretty damn stellar mixtape (2016’s Telefone), it remained to be seen where the Chicago rapper would go from there. Noname’s always given off the impression of someone wise beyond her years, but Room 25 backs that up on a technical level, with finely-tuned arrangements and songwriting that elevates the rapper from an always-welcome treat to one of the most enriching artists of her generation. More refined than ever, but still brimming with potential, Noname has nowhere to go but up.
JPEGMAFIA is a post-apocalyptic SoundCloud rapper. Known for his brash, glitchy sounds and brazenly political bend, even his more frivolous tracks are delivered with the urgency of an artist with nothing to lose. Whether he’s delivering engrossingly absurd one-liners (“AR built like Lena Dunham”) or expressing grim nihilism, he does it with style and ease, managing to appear in equal parts like the ravings of a lost soul and the masterstroke of a high-end artiste. It’s grounded in a variety of influences (ranging from Playboi Carti to Ol’ Dirty Bastard), yet painfully present and, on some level, almost timeless?
Best: “Real Nega,” “Baby I’m Bleeding,” “Macaulay Culkin,” “I Cannot Fucking Wait Until Morrissey Dies”
5) KIDS SEE GHOSTS – KIDS SEE GHOSTS
Bet you didn’t expect another Kanye album to show up on this list. Or maybe you did, I don’t know. Like a lot of people, I honestly didn’t fall in love with KIDS SEE GHOSTS on the first listen. I enjoyed the atmosphere of it and a lot of its moments, but I could say the same thing about ye, and I still don’t love ye. But over time, I just found myself coming back to it. A couple times throughout this year, then as I was working on this list. It covers so much ground in a scant seven songs, equal parts spacious and stuffed. Its psychedelic sound gives it a firm place in Cudi’s discography, its immaculate arrangement bears the clear mark of Kanye, but the heart of the album is something entirely new, and maybe something we’ve needed for a long time.
Best: “Feel the Love” feat. Pusha T, “4th Dimension” feat. Louis Prima, “Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)” feat. Ty Dolla $ign, “Reborn”
4) BE THE COWBOY – Mitski
Am I hopping on the Mitski bandwagon by heaping still more praise on Be the Cowboy? Well, first of all, I’d be remiss not to point out that I did give props to her 2016 album Puberty 2 on that year’s AOTY list. Second of all, yeah, kinda. Be the Cowboy is the sort of album that’s just enough in my blind spot that it might have ended up a few notches lower on my list if I didn’t have my friends constantly in my ear about it throughout the year. Still, even if it’s not the kind of music I normally listen to, it’s a goddamn phenomenal album, and I’d say it’s deserving of all the praise it gets, regardless of who that praise comes from. The composition, the lyrics, the melodies, it’s all fucking brilliant. Mitski is one of the great living musicians, and Be the Cowboy is her best album yet by a long shot. Sorry if I’m a poser for saying that.
I mean this as a sincere compliment: this is the most bullshit album title I’ve ever heard. Most artists can’t say they worked with Madonna, Vince Staples, and Hatsune Miku before they had an album, but SOPHIE is not most artists. The Scottish producer has made waves in the past few years for her brash, surreal electronica, mixing glimmering sugar with thrashing steel to create a markedly artificial yet overwhelmingly emotional soundscape, as best exemplified by her groundbreaking debut studio album OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES. Like the title, the album itself is equal parts stilted and mechanical, flowery and writerly, and endlessly evocative. Beneath a torrent of alien sounds lies an unflinchingly honest statement of self, exploring issues of gender, sexuality, identity, and humanity over a 40-minute lifetime.
Best: “Ponyboy,” “Is It Cold in the Water?,” “Immaterial,” “Whole New World / Pretend World”
2) GOLDEN HOUR – Kacey Musgraves
Like the Oscar for Best Picture, it’s pretty rare that the album to receive the Grammy Award for Album of the Year can make any reasonable claim to actually being the album of the year. Golden Hour is one of the rare exceptions. Kacey Musgraves has been a subtle trailblazer since she first hit the country scene with her 2013 debut Same Trailer Different Park, but where her first two records subverted old-school country conventions with a knowing wink, Golden Hour sets a new precedent. It’s a warm, enveloping piece of music, a tale of heartbreak and healing that invites even the upper echelon of modern country to step their game way up. Country music hasn’t been this relevant, this exciting, this essential in decades.
Best: “Slow Burn,” “Oh What a World,” “High Horse,” “Golden Hour”
And the #1 album of 2018 is……
1) DIRTY COMPUTER – Janelle Monae
Dirty Computer represents Janelle Monáe’s coming out, in a number of ways. Firstly, in a literal sense, where her previous albums had alluded to her sexuality in increasingly obvious ways, this album and the accompanying film state it outright. But the reason it took this long to be made obvious is because this album also represents the coming out of Janelle as an artist: her previous records, The Electric Lady, The ArchAndroid, and Metropolis: Suite I, were part of a continued saga, a sprawling sci-fi concept piece dubbed Metropolis. As those albums went on, the narrative continued to unfold, but personal truth seemed to creep into the frame, as the saga of Cindi Mayweather grew increasingly metaphysical. On Dirty Computer, the story collapses in on itself, and Janelle’s android persona is unraveled to make room for the woman herself. It’s as adventurous, revolutionary, and jubilant as Monáe’s previous work, but with a newfound urgency, a necessary timeliness that removes Janelle from her sheltered box and puts her firmly at the top of the music world. From sex positive jams to tongue-in-cheek political nihilism, each track is approached with deep thought, careful arrangement, and imbued with the extravagant, flamboyant, crazy, classic, life of Janelle Monáe.
I’ll admit I’m a little burnt out from schoolwork, so this one’s gonna be short and sweet. January’s always a weird month: an eclectic mix of monster hit singles, left-field collaborations and interesting newcomers. This month saw pop-punk singers team up with SoundCloud rappers, respected punks cover old-school hits, legendary acts make big comebacks, and some surprising pivots into political ballads. Here are some of my favorites.
25) 7 RINGS – Ariana Grande
The most exciting part of Ariana Grande’s recent string of hits (for me, at least) is the extent to which they hearken back to the colossal dominance of late ’00s-early ’10s pop/R&B. In today’s dire pop scene, Ariana brought forth new life by taking pages out of the books of folks like Danity Kane, Ciara, and this song’s most clear influence, Fergie. Interpolating Rodgers & Hammerstein and Soulja Boy in the same breath is the type of bonkers move we just don’t see in the pop world these days, but at least Ariana knows what the people want.
24) HELLO HAPPINESS – Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan returns with another modernized, infectious disco track off her forthcoming thirteenth studio album of the same name, Hello Happiness. It opts for a more glimmering, poppy sound than her previous single, “Like Sugar,” but is just as likely to get the dance floor grooving with its killer bass and Chaka’s stunning-as-ever vocals.
23) DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE – Adia Victoria
On “Different Kind of Love,” Adia Victoria proves that you can be old-school without being derivative. Her gothic mix of bluesy vocals and ’50s instrumentation creates a refreshingly-new track that makes me excited to be hearing more from her. It owns.
22) WHIPLASH – Theophilus London feat. Tame Impala
I’ve never really known what to make of Theophilus London, which seems to be a pretty common response when his name comes up. He’s never stuck out to me as one of the greats, but he does great work with his friends in high places, and this killer track with Tame Impala is no exception. Theo’s energy is on point, but it’s really this funky Kevin Parker instrumental that pushes the song over the line.
21) HAZY SHADE OF WINTER – Gerard Way feat. Ray Toro
My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way returns with his fourth single in as many months, “Hazy Shade of Winter,” a rollicking Bangles cover that smacks distinctly of the theme song from an anime. It seems to be taken from the soundtrack to The Umbrella Academy, the forthcoming Netflix series based on Way’s acclaimed comic book series of the same name. If this description doesn’t give you enough incentive to listen to the song (or the mere concept of a semi-obscure Bangles track covered by half of MCR), I don’t know what to tell you.
20) SILENT RIDE – Boogie
Boogie’s had a lot of great music come out in the rollout for his recent Shady Records debut, Everythings for Sale, but “Silent Ride” stands out from the rest as the mark of a true artist: it’s not just a unique voice, a unique personality. Nothing else sounds like “Silent Ride.” Its atonal vocals, somber storytelling, and dry wit firmly place Boogie in a lane all his own. That’s a big part of the reason it sticks more than his previous single, and a sign of great things to come for the rapper.
19) I REMEMBER – Betty Who
Another month, another delightful, irresistible pop banger from Betty Who.
18) MILAN (STICKY FREESTYLE) – Topaz Jones
Topaz Jones first came onto my radar when he dropped “Powerball” back in 2016, but I’ll admit I haven’t been keeping up since. Either way, he’s back now with “Milan,” a short but absolutely loaded freestyle over Ravyn Lenae’s “Sticky.” If you’re looking to be met with a barrage of witty, thoughtful, intricately-laced bars and you only have a minute to spare, this is the song for you.
17) STARMAN – Garbage
Remember Garbage? Yes, Shirley Manson’s post-grunge powerhouse is back after a few years in the dark with “Starman,” an electrifying cover of the David Bowie classic. It combines Garbage’s crunchy, industrial sound with Bowie’s starry-eyed mysticism to create a more-than-worthy cover and a welcome return for a great band. And speaking of covers of classic songs by female rockers,
16) DON’T STOP ME NOW – The Regrettes
I’ve always dug the Regrettes (Feel Your Feelings, Fool! came pretty damn close to making my AOTY list a couple years back), but their cover of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” hits me in a way few of their other songs have. It could just be the amped-up energy of the source material, but it’s the fusion of the Regrettes’ own riot grrrl energy that makes the track work. Whatever it is, it goes off.
15) UNSHAKEN – D’Angelo
D’Angelo goes cowboy on “Unshaken,” a single from the soundtrack to Red Dead Redemption 2. The combination of Rockstar’s acclaimed Western action franchise and the reclusive R&B legend seemed an unlikely pairing, but “Unshaken” proves D’Angelo is up to the task. It’s a riveting, vulnerable number that’s the exact kind of single one would want to hear in a video game and could indeed beckon a new era of video game singles by artists who can work in a more atmospheric setting (the soundtrack also features the likes of Willie Nelson, Nas, and Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme).
14) DANCING WITH A STRANGER – Sam Smith and Normani
I’m always down for a dance track from Sam Smith. While a duet between him and Fifth Harmony standout Normani could easily have been a watered-down, glacial ballad, but the two artists thankfully played to each other’s strengths on “Dancing with a Stranger,” a reflective dance-pop track that lets both of their phenomenal voices shine.
13) SAY MY NAME – Hozier
Hozier did release an actual single this month (“Almost (Sweet Music)”), but frankly, it didn’t do nearly as much for me as this lounge-y, soulful cover of Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name.” Hozier’s ballads have always carried the air of a woman scorned, so this cover works a lot better than one might expect. I was also fond of another cover of a ’90s girl group hit, Weezer’s “No Scrubs,” but at the end of the day, it comes down to that: “No Scrubs” had to change to fit Weezer. Hozier effortlessly wrapped “Say My Name” around his own ethos.
12) BAKE FREESTYLE – Young M.A
Young M.A has built a career out of ear-catching freestyles over beloved beats, but “Bake Freestyle,” lifting the classic instrumental from Clipse’s “Grindin’,” may be her best yet. Hip-hop may already have an exorbitant surplus of “Grindin'” freestyles, but M.A seems to breath new life into one of the game’s most overdone instrumentals. The Brooklyn MC has always had a hard, effortless swagger about her, a nonchalantness that’s added to her allure (and, admittedly, hindered some of her weaker tracks). Here, the bars seem to fall out of her, giving her the air of an O.G. taking a quick dip in the rap game, masking the relentless technicality that goes into her performance.
11) MODERATION – Florence + the Machine
Just half a year after their 2018 record High as Hope, Florence Welch and Isabella Summers return with “Moderation.” The song seems to employ some of the elements some felt were missing from her most recent LP: while fans certainly enjoyed the album, some critics felt the album worked too hard to subdue Welch’s vocal prowess, opting for a stripped-back sound that didn’t reflect the album’s singles or do the singer justice. “Moderation” is a return to the “Dog Days Are Over” sound, a stomping, soulful hit that lets Welch’s raw power shine through.
10) LAND OF THE FREE – The Killers
One of the more hotly discussed singles of the month was “Land of the Free,” a stadium-ready power ballad ruminating on America’s current political turmoil courtesy of those modern day Bobs Dylan… the Killers. Yes, this is certainly an unexpected move from the band who gave us “Somebody Told Me,” but I’m not complaining. Sure, it’s not the most innovative track out there (Putting a gospel choir on your protest song? Genius!), but it’s well-written, it’s clearly got some real emotion behind it, and it’s good to see artists from all different corners of the industry speaking out about the issues that matter to them.
9) SONG 31 – Noname feat. Phoelix
Critical darling rapper Noname returns with “Song 31,” another smooth, soft-spoken track featuring jazzy flows and a veritable four-course meal of lyrical dexterity. There’s no doubt about it at this point that Noname is on pace to be one of hip hop’s most beloved MCs, seeming to top herself with each record and still having nowhere to go but up.
8) SOUND OF AN ORCHESTRA – MIKA
Did you know MIKA put out a new song this month? Well, he did, and it slaps. The flamboyant British singer known for glammy pop hits like “Grace Kelly” and “Popular Song” returns with “Sound of an Orchestra,” which sounds pretty much exactly like you’d expect. There’s no telling if this is just a loosie or a sign of more to come, but a little research revealed that it actually comes from an Italian TV series called La Compagnia Del Cigno. Who knew?
7) YAYO – Pharoahe Monch
The legendary Pharoahe Monch puts his own spin on coke rap with “Yayo,” a loose single in anticipation of his forthcoming fifth solo album. It’s no secret that Monch is one of the rap game’s preeminent lyrical voices, but “Yayo” is easily his most electrified output since his 2014 album PTSD. The bars come fast and furious, swerving through intricate wordplay and rhyme schemes as he delineates the coke game and pays homage to Naughty by Nature.
6) THIS LAND – Gary Clark Jr.
I like Gary Clark Jr., but as with any artist that traffics in an “old school” sound, I was waiting for the extra push to really get me excited about him. “This Land” is that push. Clark brilliantly interpolates Woody Guthrie on this scathing blues-rock takedown of how racism manifests itself in modern-day America, particularly highlighting how calls for diversity and equality seem to go out the window as soon as a black person becomes financially independent and begin to “encroach” on American institutions, as Clark illustrates through a tale of using his newfound wealth to buy “Fifty acres and a Model A / Right in the middle of Trump country.” It’s as powerful and poignant a rumination on American racism as we’ve seen in recent years, and it also goes hard as hell.
5) JAWBREAKER – Injury Reserve feat. Rico Nasty and Pro Teens
Here’s a collaboration I didn’t know I needed: Injury Reserve and Rico Nasty team up on “Jawbreaker,” a hilarious, ranting alternative hip-hop track airing the artists’ grievances about the modern-day fashion world and critics of their unique personal styles. Groggs and Ritchie both kill it, but the real star is Rico Nasty, who fits snugly into Injury Reserve’s unique corner of the rap game despite her typically abrasive, metal-infused sound. All in all, it’s just a funny, fiery track with a lot to love.
4) I’VE BEEN WAITING – Lil Peep and iLoveMakonnen feat. Fall Out Boy
Now, here’s a collaboration I really didn’t know I needed: SoundCloud rap’s queerest duo, Lil Peep and iLoveMakonnen, team up with Fall Out Boy (???) for the latest single off their forthcoming collaborative album, which the pair was working on when Peep died. “I’ve Been Waiting” is by no means a perfect song, but for me, its imperfections are kinda what makes it work. Makonnen, known for his awkward, atonal delivery, is the smoothest sound on the track, seeming to swim between The Human League and Simple Minds across lines like “When I fall apart, your needle sews my heart.” Peep, on the other hand, seems even more aggressive than usual as he wails how he’s totally doing fine. And Fall Out Boy is just… super doing the whole Fall Out Boy thing. It sort of feels like three different songs, but when it comes together, as when the three artists trade off on the hook, it really comes together.
3) SELFISH – Little Simz feat. Cleo Sol
This list has been full of great female MCs, and Little Simz is no exception. The British rapper gave us “Selfish” this month, the latest single from her forthcoming album GREY. It’s a self-reflective song about high standards that also features mellow, danceable drums, a jazzy hook from Cleo Sol, some surprisingly funky bass and keys, and Simz’s typical lyrical fervor. She gives the impression of wisdom beyond her years, seeming to impart it on the subjects of her verses even as she questions her own decisions. I went back and forth a lot on where on the list this song belonged, but at the end of the day, it’s hard not to love it.
2) HARMONY HALL – Vampire Weekend
If there were ever a triumphant return this month, it would have to be Vampire Weekend, coming back from a six-year hiatus with “Harmony Hall,” the delightful lead single from their upcoming album Father of the Bride (which I correctly guessed the title of, by the way). Where Modern Vampires of the City was filled with a cold, insular attitude in line with its urban motif, “Harmony Hall” seems to exude warmth, even despite the devastating uncertainty of its content. Only Vampire Weekend could imbue a line like “I don’t wanna live like this / But I don’t wanna die” with the exuberance of a cheesy Phil Collins track. It’s pretty damn wonderful.
1) JUICE – Lizzo
Speaking of pretty damn wonderful, Lizzo seems to only grow more powerful with each successive single. This is especially true of “Juice,” an ’80s-tinged empowerment anthem in the vain of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” which she’s already singlehandedly channeled into two high-profile TV appearances and could easily make her first genuine hit if she keeps up its momentum. One would be apt to think that every single Lizzo’s dropped since “Good as Hell” has been a smash, but “Juice” is a true star-maker, and Lizzo’s the true star it calls for.
Here’s a playlist of all this month’s picks! Except for “Milan” and “Bake Freestyle,” neither of which are on Spotify.
The 2019 Oscars are coming up fast, and with that in mind, I decided it’d be a good time to share my thoughts on some of the nominees. More specifically, I’m gonna look at some of the major nominees, pick out which one I think stands the best chance of winning, which one I think deserves to win, and which film inside or outside the nominees truly earned that distinction. Let’s kick things off with some of the music categories.
Best Original Song
Who will win: This year is a pretty solid one when it comes to the Best Original Song category. With a lot of stiff competition, there’s not a bad one in the whole batch here (give or take Jennifer Hudson’s milquetoast power ballad “I’ll Fight”). That being said, there’s not much debate here when it comes to who’s gonna win. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s “Shallow”is a chart-topping smash, a critical darling, and (without giving too much away) likely to be the only major love A Star Is Born gets from the Academy this year.
Who should win: I have nothing against “Shallow.” It’s sweet, well-written, and really reflects the different styles of the two characters. But I’m not even sure I’d say it’s the best song in A Star Is Born. It’d be great to see Kendrick Lamar and SZA take home an award for Black Panther‘s “All the Stars,” but I’m left with the same problem: it’s not even one of my favorite songs on that soundtrack. So, despite my love for Kendrick, I’m giving this one to “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings,” the titular Ballad of Buster Scruggs. It’s a timeless, transcendent overture that gave me dramatically overblown expectations for a B-grade Coen Brothers movie.
Who should really win: There are so many missed opportunities in this category. The Golden Globes had Dolly Parton and Annie Lennox duking it out for their beautiful ballads “Girl in the Movies” and “Requiem for a Private War,” but neither one of them got any recognition from the Oscars. Neither did Sade, who seems to have split the vote between her two stellar soundtrack contributions, A Wrinkle in Time‘s “Flower of the Universe” and Widows‘ “The Big Unknown.” Yeah, you’ve gotta pick one, but it’s fucking Sade! The Widows song is better anyway! Just pick it! Anyway, there’s a few other worth mentioning, like Khalid and Normani’s “Love Lies” (which was from the Love, Simon soundtrack, believe it or not), Celine Dion’s “Ashes,” the wonderful Quincy Jones/Chaka Khan/Mark Ronson collab “Keep Reachin’,” and The Coup’s “OYAHYTT.” But the song that truly deserves it is actually another song from a film that did get nominated: Black Panther. If there’s one song I wish could take home this award, it’s “King’s Dead,” if partially to see Future do his “la di da di da, slob on me knob” bit in front of Christian Bale.
Best Original Score
Who will win: This is as crowded a field as any this year, with Beale Street, BlacKkKlansman, and Black Panther seeming to be duking it out for likeliest winner. BlacKkKlansman has a great score, but probably not a best-of-2018 score. Beale Street is easy to love, but I’m actually gonna go out on a limb here and say that Black Panther, being unlikely to score in any of the major categories this year, could take home this one. It also has a pretty damn good score, with composer Ludwig Göransson deftly fusing a cinematic sound with hip-hop and myriad African influences to create an unforgettable Afrofuturistic soundscape.
Who should win: Admittedly, it’s tempting to say that Black Panther deserves this one, too. But if anyone’s getting the short end of the stick in this race, it’s Isle of Dogs, a film with a breathtaking soundtrack whose only real argument against winning in this field is the fact that Alexandre Desplat already won last year. And admittedly, I would love to see Göransson get some recognition. So sure, Black Panther.
Who should really win: While all the aforementioned soundtracks are perfectly good, there’s a lot of serious snubs in the category this year. The amount of iconic, groundbreaking soundtracks that didn’t get a shot at Oscar gold are almost too many to name: Merrill Garbus for Sorry to Bother You, Colin Stetson for Hereditary, Anna Meredith for Eighth Grade, Trent Reznor for Mid90s, Michael Giacchino for Incredibles 2, Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow for Annihilation. It’d honestly be fantastic to see Annihilation take this one, but I’ve gotta give it up for Jóhann Jóhannsson, the late great composer who gave us the best work of his illustrious career with Mandy, a film that deserves all the recognition it can get.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Who will win: This race seems, for all intents and purposes, to be split between If Beale Street Could Talk and BlacKkKlansman. Any of the other nominees has a halfway-decent chance of pulling it out from other them, but those two stand on top. And to me, it seems like If Beale Street Could Talkhas slightly better odds in this race. We’ll have a better idea of how good a shot it has once the WGA winners come out, but Barry Jenkins does seem to be in the Academy’s good graces more so than the other nominees here.
Who should win: As much as I’d love to heap all the awards praise on Jenkins’ rhapsodic Beale Street, I recently saw BlacKkKlansman for the third time (having been unsure how I felt about it the first two times) and I came to a realization: the script for that movie is incredible. You’re talking about a race between Spike Lee and Barry Jenkins, two men with a particular gift for adapting an existing source to their own style, but after decades of Academy neglect, Spike really went all out with this one.
Who should really win: In terms of people who deserved a nomination in this category, I would’ve liked to see some love for Paddington 2 and The Death of Stalin (with maybe Widows thrown in there). But honestly, this one’s all BlacKkKlansman. Seriously, see this movie with subtitles and watch the magic happen.
Best Original Screenplay
Who will win: This one seems poised to go to The Favourite,Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest off-the-wall masterstroke featuring some deliciously dramatic Victorian absurdism. Granted, it’s a somewhat contentious film, as the go-to consolation prize for films beloved in the Academy with no real shot at Best Picture, but The Favourite (which does have a shot at BP, by the way) takes the cake.
Who should win: The Favourite.Next question.
Who should really win: Okay, there’s a couple excellent scripts I think deserve a nod in this category, in particular Eighth Grade and Sorry to Bother You, but I gotta be honest. There’s only one winner here, and it’s The Favourite.
Best Director
Who will win: Among a crowded field of excellent directorial turns (give or take a haphazardly vehement Adam McKay), this one seems poised to go to Alfonso Cuarón for Roma.Full of intense, understated majesty, Roma is the kind of movie groups like the Academy just reflexively heap awards upon. Cuarón’s been at it for a while, and Roma is about to be his most decorated film yet.
Who should win: I don’t want to be unkind to Roma, because it’s a really great movie. I think. Even after seeing it, I’m really not quite sure how I feel about it. Looking at the rest of the field, there’s a lot of strong contenders. I still think BlacKkKlansman has some glaring flaws, but it’s one of Spike’s most refined turns yet. Cold War is great for pretty much the same reasons Roma is great, and just like Roma, I’m really not sure how I feel about it. I think this one’s gotta go to The Favourite for me, though. Lanthimos’ innovative innovative use of editing, design, and camera work elevates it to the stuff of genius.
Who should really win: So many people got left out of this category. No love for Paul Schrader, even though First Reformed was decidedly better directed than it was written. No love for Panos Cosmatos, who continues to be lightyears beyond the rest of the game with Mandy. Not even any love for Barry Jenkins, who poured his heart and soul into every frame of If Beale Street Could Talk. We also didn’t get a nod for Ryan Coogler, whose auteur style elevated Black Panther above standard Marvel fare; Lynne Ramsay, who brought her uncompromising, intense vision to You Were Never Really Here; Steve McQueen, who just absolutely fucking crushed it with Widows; or any of the stellar first-timers like John Krasinski, Bo Burnham (who bested Cuarón at the DGAs), Ari Aster, and my personal favorite, Boots Riley. I’m trying to be realistic about the fact that Sorry to Bother You never stood much of a chance of taking home Oscar gold, but if it deserved love in any category, Best Director is the one. Every fame of this film is done with pure passion, the rebel spirit that inspires all the most groundbreaking films.
Best Supporting Actor
Who will win: This one’s a lock for Mahershala Ali. Since taking home the Golden Globe in this category, it’s been pretty well-established that he was destined for the Oscar for his calculated role in Green Book. His only semblance of competition for it is Sam Elliott, who could finally take home a prize for A Star Is Born. But as much as Sam deserves an Oscar, his role in A Star Is Born is emblematic of everything wrong with the film, and the Oscars can’t give every award to a living legend who just happens to not have one (we’ll get to that in a minute).
Who should win: This one’s a bit of a dry crop this year, but out of all the nominees, I particularly enjoyed Richard E. Grant‘s role in Can You Ever Forgive Me? It’s a great film that probably deserves a little more recognition, and Grant’s performance is reflective of what’s so great about it: what could have easily been a caricature of an old, gay alcoholic is imbued with stunning depth through the hands of Avenue Q playwright Jeff Whitty and Enough Said director Nicole Holofcener (weird, right?).
Who should really win: Frankly, the only two people who really earned their spot in this category are Grant and maybe Adam Driver. Other than that, there’s a lot of people I would’ve liked to see get some love, including the late Anton Yelchin for Thoroughbreds, Brian Tyree Henry for If Beale Street Could Talk, Cedric the Entertainer for First Reformed (one of the year’s most pleasant surprises), Michael B. Jordan’s mystifying turn in Black Panther, and Hugh Grant’s role in Paddington 2. Still, one role clearly stands out to me as the frontrunner for this category, and it’s Daniel Kaluuya for his jaw-dropping performance in Widows. After only seeing him in two major roles, I’m convinced Kaluuya might be the greatest living actor. Watch the rapping scene and you’ll see what I mean.
Best Supporting Actress
Who will win: Regina King.
Who should win: Regina King.
Who should really win: Regina King. (Although I would’ve really liked to see a nomination for Tessa Thompson in Sorry to Bother You and/or Jennifer Jason Leigh in Annihilation).
Best Actor
Who will win: At the end of the day, this one’s a battle between Christian Bale (Vice) and Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody). Both gave transformative, out-of-the-box performances as their respective historical figures, but all things being equal, the Academy’s likely to tip their hand in favor of Rami Malek. He sung, he danced, he stepped outside of his robotic typecast, and he played a beloved rock star. What more could the Academy ask for?
Who should win: Maybe it wasn’t fair to exclude Bradley Cooper or Willem Dafoe from the conversation up above, but I honestly feel like Christian Bale and Rami Malek went above and beyond the rest of the herd this year, and I’d be perfectly satisfied with either of them winning.
Who should really win: Like I said, the other folks in this category didn’t especially jump out at me, but there’s a few others I think deserved a shot. Few actors could’ve complemented the insane world of Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You better than Lakeith Stanfield. Joaquin Phoenix and Ethan Hawke’s solemn, embattled performances is You Were Never Really Here and First Reformed (respectively) were a sight to behold, and John Cho went above and beyond in Searching. If there’s one role I would’ve particularly delighted in seeing nominated, it’s Tom Hardy’s gonzo performance in Venom, which might genuinely be the best of his career. But speaking of off-the-wall turns, nothing stuck out to me more than Nicolas Cage in Mandy. Cage is as seasoned a veteran as anyone, and he synthesizes the many facets of his storied career into one otherworldly journey into the depths of madness.
Best Actress
Who will win: Those of you who’ve been out of the loop might be taken aback by this, but the experts all agree: this one’s going to The Wife. She’s got the SAG, the Globe, the Critic’s Choice Award, the Satellite, the Hollywood Film Award, and she’s going to have the Oscar. After such a long and storied career, this is really more of a conciliatory award for Glenn Close, but that’s not to belittle her performance in The Wife, which is excellent as always.
Who should win: That being said, she is among a pretty competitive category, and between Melissa McCarthy, Lady Gaga, Yalitza Aparicio, and Olivia Colman, it’s hard to say this should really be Glenn Close’s year. Colman gives a serious starmaking performance as the mad Queen Anne in The Favourite, and it was clear she was deserving of the Oscar from the moment the film came out.
Who should really win: Here, it’s tempting to also say Colman, who just absolutely rips shit in The Favourite. A few others are at least worthy of consideration, though: there’s Elsie Fisher’s amazing debut in Eighth Grade, which puts her in the conversation for future Hollywood royalty. There’s Viola Davis’ stern, chilling turn in Widows, another great entry in a near-pitch-perfect career. There’s Kiki Layne, the unsung hero of If Beale Street Could Talk. But really, there’s one person who truly deserves this award, and it’s Toni Collette. We’ve known Collette to be one of Hollywood’s serious talents for decades now, but Hereditary elevates her to a whole other level. I’m tempted to say it’s one of the best horror performances I’ve ever seen.
Best Picture
Who will win: It’s an uneasy Best Picture crop this year. After Bohemian Rhapsody and Green Book‘s twin upsets at the Golden Globes, it became clear that the best film may not reign supreme this year, and after scooping up top honors from the AFI, National Board of Review, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and (most ominously) the Producers’ Guild, it seemed like Green Book might have it in the bag. But consider this: The Oscars are different. The film that blazes through the other award shows often falls short at the Oscars. The Golden Globes are a historically poor indicator for who will win the Oscar (even though they name two winners). The Producers’ Guild tends to have the best shot, but they also get it wrong a lot, especially in the past several years. No, after weighing all the options, I think this one’s most likely to go to Roma. It’s a favorite among pollsters at the moment, and the kind of movie that’s you can’t really picture not charming Academy voters. It’s by no means set in stone, but that’s what I’m gonna say.
Who should win: As those of you who read my best-of-2018 list know, The Favourite is my favorite out of the nominees. With ten nominations, it certainly seems to have a strong contingent of fans among the Academy, but there’s not enough there to say it has a solid chance at Best Picture here. However, there have been whisperings of a potential dark horse this year, a film that seems to have an actual shot at winning in what would be one of the most exhilarating upsets in recent awards history: Black Panther. It’s just a rumor at this point, but people with a degree of insider knowledge say that Black Panther is being talked about as one of the most serious candidates for this awards (“Black Panther or Green Book“). If this were to actually happen, it would obviously be incredible, but maybe Black Panther deserves it, too. It wasn’t my absolute favorite movie of 2018, but giving something Best Picture sends a certain message, and giving it to a black political superhero blockbuster like Black Panther sends about a dozen exciting messages at once.
Who should really win: This is a tough one, honestly. The easy answer would seem to be saying that Sorry to Bother You, my favorite film of the year, deserves to take home Best Picture, but while I think it would be great to see it nominated, I don’t know. As I said, it sends a certain message to give a film Best Picture, and Sorry to Bother You is the kind of movie that might actually be cheapened my taking home that award. Put another way, the worst thing about Moonlight is that it won Best Picture. There’s some others I’d like to have seen nominated, including Eighth Grade, Paddington 2, and Blindspotting (which was so robbed this awards season that it’s even gotten robbed in my article about things that got robbed), but at the end of the day, I think the movie I’d most like to see win is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. If any movie is likely to stand out as the most influential, important, and well-liked movie of 2018, it’s that one. Also, it would send all the messages that giving it to Black Panther would send plus the added clout of it being an animated movie.
Last year, my 2017 top movie ranking was delayed a number of weeks so I could make time to see a few of the 2017 films I hadn’t yet been able to, particularly Phantom Thread. While that exercise proved largely unnecessary, I’m much more confident that I’ve seen most of what I care to see from this year. Obviously, tastes change, and rarely do the most well-liked movies of a particular time hold up to a few years’ consideration, but for now, here are my top 20 favorite movies of 2018. But first, some honorable mentions.
Honorable mentions: For starters, this has been an especially great year for superhero films, and while only two made it onto the list, I’d like to shout out the genre’s other triumphs this year, particularly Deadpool 2,Aquaman, and Teen Titans Go! to the Movies. On the topic of animation, this year also gave us Wes Anderson’s beautifully-captured Isle of Dogs and Pixar’s worthy sequel to one of their finest moments, The Incredibles 2. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of A Star Is Born, I do have to acknowledge its tactful storytelling and brilliant performances. Charlize Theron’s Tully is weird, tough, and one of the year’s most underrated movies. Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! outshines the original, and on the subject of stellar sequels, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is as great as everyone says it is. Crazy Rich Asians is the greatest rom-com in a number of years, and did wonders for representation (though it’s not quite as captivating as the John Cho-led thriller Searching). Can You Ever Forgive Me? is an excellent drama that I’m sure will stick with me more than most others this year, and Disobedience, another LGBT drama (this one from the visionary Sebastián Lelio), deserved more praise despite being overshadowed by another certain Rachel Weisz lesbian drama. I had difficulty choosing who to mention between Skate Kitchen and Mid90s, as despite their similar setups, neither deserves to be overlooked. Don’t let anyone tell you Ocean’s 8 isn’t great, and don’t overlook The Ballad of Buster Scruggs either. Finally, this year gave us two great, well-received-yet-overlooked comedies, John Francis Daley’s Game Night and Kay Cannon’s Blockers.
20) THE DEATH OF STALIN (dir. Armando Iannucci)
Armando Iannucci’s name has become synonymous with biting, ceaseless political satire, and it’s hard not to look at The Death of Stalin in the same light as The Thick of It or Veep. However, by removing the floor of TV’s need for resonant character growth out from under it, Iannucci’s brand of comedy goes off the rails, fueling a madcap, ridiculously grim romp through Soviet Russia’s post-Stalin power vacuum. It’s a brilliant exercise in comedic setting and character that sticks in your brain more than you might expect.
19) BLACK PANTHER (dir. Ryan Coogler)
It’s impossible to praise Black Panther without pointing something out that a thousand other critics and fans have already gotten to, but I’ll try to sum it up. There are strong elements to every piece of the film, but the true jewel that holds Black Panther together is its writing. It plays within and subverts the standard Marvel formula, setting up a heartfelt story with true stakes and emotional weight that manages to retain the epic scale of Marvel’s most high-profile releases while grounding itself in a distinct unity of time and place. In all elements (give or take a weak climax and bizarrely subpar special effects), it’s at least on the same level as some of Marvel’s best, but it’s the underappreciated elements, the costume and set design, the storytelling, the groundedness, that truly push it over the top.
18) A QUIET PLACE (dir. John Krasinski)
Frankly, I’m as surprised as anyone by the fact that I’ve included multiple horror movies in my top 20 this year, especially given the breadth of stellar films in my more preferred genres. But A Quiet Place is a bit of a marvel, a tight, self-contained, meaningful horror film from Office star John Krasinski. It’s fruitful to compare the film to Netflix’s Bird Box, which traffics in a similar theme of a monster using our own senses against us. It was watching Bird Box fairly recently that allowed me to go back and appreciate what’s so great about A Quiet Place: it’s apocalyptic without being nihilistic, it doesn’t rely on gimmicks or cliches, it doesn’t get burdened by the necessity for lore and detail. It knows what it’s trying to say, and it says it in the simplest, most elegant way possible.
17) BLACKKKLANSMAN (dir. Spike Lee)
As a Spike Lee movie, BlacKkKlansman is… odd. Which is to say, it’s not as odd as you might expect. Spike’s quirks are still there in spades (the movie opens with an uncut clip from Gone with the Wind, then an Alec Baldwin monologue, then the actual start of the film), but where it succeeds is where it differs from the legendary director’s increasingly-oblique filmography is in its more straightforward elements. Being based on a true story, its storytelling is more classical, linear, self-contained. As the darkly-comic tale unfolds, it’s grounded by an brilliantly unreadable performance by John David Washington and some excellent work from the rest of the cast (one of the film’s most welcome surprises is Topher Grace’s performance as David Duke). Its more formalistic elements mostly lend to the film’s sense of discomfort and, paradoxically enough, its placement in the real world.
16) VOX LUX (dir. Brady Corbet)
Before you give Vox Lux a watch, you should know that it’s weird, mean-spirited, and uncomfortable. It begins with a school shooting and ends with fifteen minutes of concert footage. Frankly, it’s no wonder so many critics were turned off by Brady Corbet’s “fuck-you” method of storytelling and development. Like his previous film, Childhood of a Leader, Vox Lux tells the story of a seemingly-innocent child growing into a monster. If you’d like, you can see it as A Star Is Born‘s evil twin: both feature a talented unknown taken under the wing of an industry veteran who turns them into a star. But Vox Lux tells the story in its own way: it begins with Celeste’s (Raffey Cassidy) initial brush with success and suddenly shifts to 13 years later, where she (Natalie Portman) is prepping for a new tour. The film is peppered with jarring touches, like the stark aforementioned depictions of terror attacks at the beginning of each chapter (they’re very relevant, mind you), as well as having the credits at the beginning and Willem Dafoe’s uncomfortably verbose narration. All these touches may serve to make the movie insufferable as time goes on, but they stuck with me enough for me to include the film.
15) HEREDITARY (dir. Ari Aster)
Hereditary is something else, man. It’s got stunning visuals, twists and turns, some completely bonkers plot points, and a killer soundtrack, all anchored by a career-defining performance from Toni Collette. If you think you know where this movie’s going, think again. It’s a pulse-pounding thrill ride that succeeds brilliantly as a horror film while also giving way for, as previously mentioned, some brilliant technical work on all sides of it.
14) YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE (dir. Lynne Ramsay)
We Need to Talk About Kevin director Lynne Ramsay returns with another stunning psychological drama, You Were Never Really Here. As a crime film, it’s stark and compelling, but its depiction of trauma is truly astonishing, making for one of Joaquin Phoenix’s most vulnerable performances to date. Ramsay’s vision is uncompromising and wholly unique, and You Were Never Really Here may be her most refined expression of that vision yet.
13) UPGRADE (dir. Leigh Whannell)
Frankly, I liked Venom (as an unexpectedly large group of people seemed to), but I’ll admit that it has some deficiencies in many of the ways in which movies are typically considered “good.” If you’re looking for something with the heart and humor of Venom that’s also got stellar action, breathtaking visuals, and an incredible soundtrack, look no further than Upgrade, a film about a man who gets a superpowered AI implanted into him after an accident leaves him paralyzed. Director Leigh Whannell is largely known for his horror work with partner-in-crime James Wan, and while both dipped their toes into the action genre this year (Wan with the aforementioned Aquaman), Whannell brings his horror sensibility to this off-the-wall, at times gut-wrenching sci-fi tale.
12) FIRST REFORMED (dir. Paul Schrader)
First Reformed tells the stark, solemn story of a pastor (Ethan Hawke) having a crisis of faith. It wouldn’t do the film’s supernatural journey justice to describe it in such basic terms, but it would also dampen the ethereal experience to describe its directions in too much detail. Writer/director Paul Schrader is a living legend, and First Reformed is his finest work since 1985’s Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. The film’s leads, Hawke and Amanda Seyfried, offer some of the best performances of their career, and Cedric the Entertainer’s turn as Hawke’s megapastor boss is one of 2018’s supporting role highlights. It must be seen to be believed, end of story.
11) PADDINGTON 2 (dir. Paul King)
Paddington 2 is currently the highest-rated film in Rotten Tomatoes’ entire database, with a 100% rating based on over 200 reviews. And with good reason, too: like the original Paddington before it, this sequel is an absolute delight, so full of love and passion and kindness that it stands out not only as a knockout within its peculiar subgenre of live-action films based on beloved animated characters, but as one of the greatest family films yet conceived. It’s hilarious, visually stunning, and rapturously enjoyable for kids and adults alike. Hugh Grant gives a completely game performance as the movie’s over-the-top villain (a role portrayed with equal panache by Nicole Kidman in the original).
10) ROMA (dir. Alfonso Cuarón)
It’s about time I finally own up to how excellent Alfonso Cuarón is. Despite how much I adore Children of Men, Prisoner of Azkaban, and Y Tu Mamá También, I was a bit of a naysayer when he was the talk of the town after Gravity. I’m still not exactly sold on that film, but I’ll admit Roma got me. The somewhat-operatic story is fine, the characters are relatable enough, but Roma truly stands out as one of the most visually-stunning films of our time. The amount of care and precision palpable in every frame of this movie is breathtaking, and masterfully-integrated soundtrack and stoic, timid storytelling, it creates an old-school sense of grandeur that’s completely mesmerizing.
9) WIDOWS (dir. Steve McQueen)
If any film has been robbed of its place in this year’s award-season conversation, it’s Widows, a breathtaking heist film by 12 Years a Slave visionary Steve McQueen. It’s got stunning visuals, great action, an unavoidably necessary message, and perhaps the year’s greatest ensemble cast, particularly in its four titular widows and a terrifying turn by Daniel Kaluuya. Most of the films this high up on the list “blew me away” to some degree, but I was most surprised by Widows. If you think you’ve seen all the year’s must-see releases, don’t sleep on it.
8) IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK (dir. Barry Jenkins)
Like Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight and Medicine for Melancholy before it, If Beale Street Could Talk is a captivating romance with a musical sensibility and an unquestionable grasp on filmmaking as an art form. Barry Jenkins captures love in a way few filmmakers have truly been able to capture, and he brings that keen eye to James Baldwin’s classic novel. If you’re looking for a truly resonant, profoundly emotional experience, this film is for you.
7) ANNIHILATION (dir. Alex Garland)
Alex Garland’s latest is a sci-fi film for the ages, a mix of mindbending turns, heart-wrenching drama, unforgettable visuals, and stellar performance from its stacked cast. Between Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, and Oscar Isaac, the film takes what could be two-dimensional characters and gives them enough resonance to add to the film’s cosmic scale, with the year’s most memorably intense soundtrack and a number of unforgettable moments, particularly in its jaw-dropping finale.
6) BLINDSPOTTING (dir. Carlos López Estrada)
I ended up putting off Blindspotting for the longest time, but I would strongly advise anyone not to do the same. It offers perhaps the most nuanced, necessary commentary on our current state of affairs in film this year, as well as amazing visuals by acclaimed music video director Estrada, a killer Bay Area hip-hop soundtrack, and stellar lead performances by Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal, who also wrote the script together. It’s a great buddy comedy, a great drama, a great satire, and another woefully underrepresented entry in the year’s pantheon of great films.
5) EIGHTH GRADE (dir. Bo Burnham)
Eighth Grade did for me what I think Lady Bird did for a lot of people. Both films are the first works of already well-known directors, and like many people felt Lady Bird was, Eighth Grade is almost unnervingly real. It’s unflinching, easily the truest portrayal of the middle school experience ever put to film. It’s resonant as a truthful depiction of one of the most emotionally tumultuous times in a young person’s life, and we feel the intense highs and lows of the lead’s daily goings-on, particularly thanks to a starmaking performance by the wonderful Elsie Fisher. Like I said, many of the movies on this list have taken me aback, but it takes a truly great filmmaker to really get to the core of its audience, and Bo Burnham does just that with Eighth Grade.
4) THE FAVOURITE (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)
There’s so much to love about The Favourite. It’s one of the funniest movies of 2018, it’s got a captivatingly twisted love triangle between three phenomenally gifted actresses, its visuals are unheard-of, its storytelling is experimental, and it’s gay. It’s an overwhelmingly exciting film to take in as a whole, but it’s the little things that really elevate it to new heights, out-of-nowhere lines like “People shit in the streets around here. Political commentary, they call it,” or absurd moments like a sudden cut to a music hall where an opera singer full-throatedly sings the word “music.” It’s Horatio, the fastest duck in the city, and the brothel owner named Mary Magdalene. I could go on, but at the end of the day, I’ve just never seen anything like The Favourite, and I don’t intend to let up on it any time soon.
3) SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (dir. Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman)
It often takes some time to truly appreciate how groundbreaking, paradigm-shifting, revolutionary a film is, to understand just how much of an impact it has. Such is not the case with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which is already rightfully being heralded as not only the best Spider-Man movie, or even the best superhero movie, but one of the greatest animated films of all time. Truly, there’s never been anything like it. Its immaculate visuals took years to bring to life, its sense of humor, heart, action, adventure, character, style, every sensibility you could think of is top-shelf. One doesn’t want to oversell it to a viewer, because no film is perfect, but I’ve yet to meet anyone who was disappointed by Into the Spider-Verse. It might eventually float its way to #1 of 2018 if it stands the test of time, which I can only imagine it will. For Miles Morales, there’s no way to go but up.
2) MANDY (dir. Panos Cosmatos)
Aside from a penchant for neon visuals and the casting of Nicolas Cage, Into the Spider-Verse and Mandy couldn’t be more different. The second film by Italian visionary Panos Cosmatos, Mandy lets Nic Cage loose on a level never before thought possible. It gives a nail-biting build-up for the legendary actor with a glacial, macabre first half in which Cage’s character is pushed to his very limits. But when the title card finally appears an hour into the movie, it’s no holds barred. This may very well be the best Nicolas Cage performance, but it’s certainly the most Nicolas Cage performance. And even taking away Cage in all his glory, the movie’s still pretty stellar. It’s got amazing visuals, an awe-inspiring soundtrack by the late great Jóhann Jóhannsson, a hippie sex cult, a chainsaw fight, and a cheddar goblin. I rest my case.
1) SORRY TO BOTHER YOU (dir. Boots Riley)
Is Sorry to Bother You the most narratively cohesive movie of 2018? No. Does it have the absolute best ensemble of 2018? No. But giving it #1 on this list isn’t really a technical honor. No movie in 2018, and very few movies ever, have stuck with me the way Sorry to Bother You did. The energy of both its director (first-timer Boots Riley) and its leading man (Lakeith Stanfield) is something we’ve never really seen before. I talked up the simplicity and elegance of some of the films on this list, but Sorry to Bother You is noteworthy for having so much to say, and so much going on. Practically every scene, for better or worse, warrants a full essay’s worth of cultural, critical, and theoretical analysis. It’s bold both as a political statement and as a work of art, a thrilling, hilarious, terrifying, madcap train heading full-speed through hell to revolution on the other side. Sorry to Bother You is miles ahead of its time, and therefore the timeliest film of the year. It’s the truest definition of a must-see.
2018’s particular musical climate produced the makings of a perfect storm of bad Top 40 content. Between the overvaluing of streams, the utterly lackluster mainstream pop scene, and the sheer inexplicability of some of the highest-charting songs of the year, this was certainly not an easy one for me. But I put in the work, and now we have my top 15 worst hit songs of the year.
15) TASTE – Tyga feat. Offset
A lot of artists with what Chris Brown would describe as a “controversial past” weaseled their way back onto the scene this year, but few are more infuriating than Tyga and the inexplicable success of his throwaway summer single, “Taste.” Two years since his rightfully-maligned relationship with Kylie Jenner and three years since his last top 40 hit, I like many had assumed we were done with this guy. But between this generic track and his moderately successful collaboration with Iggy Azalea, we are forced to face the cold, hard truth that somewhere, out there in the world, someone likes Tyga.
14) TAKI TAKI – DJ Snake feat. Ozuna, Selena Gomez, and Cardi B
Look, I like DJ Snake. I like Cardi B. I don’t have anything against Ozuna, or even Selena Gomez. But this song is a goddamn mess. The rushed hook is a mess, the underwhelming-yet-grating drop is a mess, the bizarre buildup to Selena’s utterly mundane third verse is a mess, it’s just a complete failure of a collaboration. I wish I could say that the saving grace is a decent Cardi verse, but truth be told, Cardi B is often only as good as the material she’s given, and “Taki Taki” gives her nothing to work with.
13) I LIKE ME BETTER – Lauv
I guess the only questions I have about this one are “what,” “who,” and “why?” But let’s be fair here. “I Like Me Better” was a sleeper hit that snaked its way up the charts over the course of 2018, boosted by its inclusion in the Netflix film To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Lauv’s twee, flaccid electropop sound would seem to paint him as a sort of off-brand Bazzi, not that either of them have a good excuse for being as successful as they are. There’s so little to like about “I Like Me Better,” from its whiny, stringy drop to its tepid lyrics and lifeless vocals. It fails to justify its existence as a song, let alone as a hit.
12) FILTHY – Justin Timberlake
This stuttering attempt at a “SexyBack” clone left audiences and critics unsure how to feel at the beginning of the year. I, like many others, still kind of wanted to like Justin Timberlake, and relied on the often-true sentiment that the song would get better with age. Now, a bloated album, disastrous halftime show, and a mediocre attempt at a summer jam later, we can state it outright: “Filthy” sucks. The cheesy lyrics could be more than excused (I’ll admit to dearly enjoying the earnest “what you gonna do with all that MEAT” line) if not for the truly untenable production work, arguably the worst in Timbaland’s career.
11) I’M UPSET – Drake
Drake’s one of the savviest movers in the industry, and this year of blows overcome proves it, if not for the one gigantic, glaring misstep dead in the middle: “I’m Upset,” the third single off Scorpion. Released just a day after Pusha T’s phenomenal album Daytona and Drake’s fiery response “Duppy Freestyle,” what could’ve been an under-the-radar throwaway single became a whiny, tactless blip in the middle of the most heated rap beef in ages. But even barring its unfortunate release date, “I’m Upset” is as generic and underwhelming as they come, a mark of an era that may be over for Drake just as soon as it began: the era when he could get a no-effort track to the top of the charts.
10) BEAUTIFUL – Bazzi feat. Camila Cabello
A recounting of 2018’s worst would be incomplete without a mention of this collaboration between the year’s two least interesting new stars: sappy viral breakout Bazzi and Fifth Harmony’s overwrought maverick Camila Cabello. The downbeat collaboration has everything you’d expect from these two: grating vocals, inane lyrics, and an utter lack of entertainment.
9) LIGHTS DOWN LOW – MAX feat. gnash
Based on the other singles I’ve heard from him, I actually like MAX, but this song just got on my nerves. It’s a typical white-guy-with-acoustic-guitar song with an added dose of underwhelming pop-EDM slop. And that’s not to mention gnash, a rapper of no notable qualities who first inexplicably hit the airwaves with 2016’s “i hate u, i love u.” In sum, it’s like you took three of the worst kinds of pop around today and synthesized them into a single, inescapable hit.
8) PSYCHO – Post Malone feat. Ty Dolla $ign
Now, since I know Post Malone is a hill many will die on, let me start this by noting that I liked several of his singles this year (“Better Now” came within a few inches of making the best list). But I’m sorry, folks, no matter how much play it gets, how many accolades it accrues, how much I continue to increasingly appreciate Ty Dolla $ign, I’m never gonna not hate “Psycho.” It’s not catchy, it’s not clever, it fails at capturing its title or the energy of its artists to an almost hilarious degree, and a year of steady success hasn’t brought me any closer to liking it.
7) END GAME – Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran and Future
“End Game” is one of the more chemical, forced attempts at a left-field collaboration in pop history. Taylor’s grating hook in which she insists she has a “big reputation” is the least of this song’s worries, as she’s joined by Future, the safest rapper she could’ve possibly picked to collaborate with and yet the least sensible choice to connect with Taylor. And speaking of connection, she and Ed Sheeran need to have a real heart-to-heart about the fact that they have absolutely zero chemistry. The beat isn’t doing any of them any favors. Nothing connects with anything else on this track, and while I continue to enjoy several of reputation‘s most reviled tracks, “End Game” falls flat for me.
6) FEFE – 6ix9ine feat. Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz
I
I had reservations about including this song on the list, because for those of you who haven’t given it a listen (fair enough), Nicki actually delivers a pretty great verse. But at the end of the day, the success of Nicki’s verse only makes the song that much worse. The way things are going now, 6ix9ine and his success will go down in infamy, but not because of his pedophilic actions; it’ll be because of his brazen attempts at cashing in on his own reputation as a pedophile. And if that is the case, it’s certainly not gonna be a good look for Nicki, who cosigns Tekashi’s most grotesquely garish provocations on this song.
5) SAD! – XXXTENTACION
Not that I think it matters at this point, but I’m willing to accept that XXX wanted to change. I’m willing to accept that he could’ve been led down the right path and redeemed if he’d had the chance. What I refuse to accept is the idea that he was special. Out of about a half-dozen hit singles in a year’s time, the writing’s on the wall: this guy was a hack. Just look at “SAD!,” a two-and-a-half-minute song with exactly four lines of lyrics that fans stubbornly insist spoke to them. And while he had an eclectic style, all his songs are like this in one way or another. Whether he’s feeling “SAD!” or “BAD!,” he never brings enough tact or talent to it to justify the cult of ego he built up in his life.
4) HIM & I – G-Eazy and Halsey
Honestly, this might have made it onto last year’s list, but I don’t really care. This shit sucks. I don’t know if it’s G-Eazy’s robotic delivery or his humdrum lyrics, but he can’t bring any emotion to a track, and Halsey doesn’t exactly put her best foot forward either. If you’re gonna make an edgelord love song, at least put some heart into it. This sounds like a song that got left off the Suicide Squad soundtrack for being too on-the-nose.
3) THUNDER – Imagine Dragons
I actually know for a fact that this one made it onto last year’s list, but come on, guys. Is this okay? Is this the level of effort we’re all cool with? Did this song elicit any kind of emotional response from anyone? For what it’s worth, I can at least grant Imagine Dragons that they haven’t released anything quite as bad as this (although maybe I’d change my tune if I gave their latest album a listen). “Thunder” is inexcusable.
2) FREAKY FRIDAY – Lil Dicky feat. Chris Brown
After building up enough popularity and goodwill to score himself a top ten hit, Lil Dicky was at a volatile point in his career: this single could make or break him on a commercial level. It had to be catchy, have broad appeal, and stay true to his spirit and values. So, he made a song about how cool Chris Brown is. What starts out as a concept for a song that (at the very least) couldn’t possibly age well spirals out of control as Dicky heaps praise upon Chris Brown to increasingly infuriating levels. It reaches a fever pitch at the end, when Dicky manages to get Ed fucking Sheeran to stop by and sing about how Chris Brown is soooo cool. Maybe Dicky needs the publicity, but Ed Sheeran has no excuse for being a part of this. Things close off with Kendall Jenner singing as Lil Dicky masturbating in her body, a moral can of worms that audiences shouldn’t have to deal with and another entry to a stack of reasons Lil Dicky should have had like, one person listen to this song before he put it out.
1) GIRLS LIKE YOU – Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B
1.5 billion views on YouTube. Sixteen weeks atop the Billboard Radio Songs chart. Seven weeks atop the Hot 100, and another twenty spent in the top ten. A Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. A remix by St. fucking Vincent of all people. And for what? “Girls Like You,” the most grotesquely undercooked, uninspired, lifeless, charmless, faceless, unlikable pop song to berate the radio in years, perhaps one of the least enjoyable #1 hits of all time. It can’t even be picked apart because there’s nothing to latch onto, no performance, no instrumentation, no effort, the closest thing to literal silence you can pass off as a pop single. Maroon 5 has been doling out clunkers like it was their job these past few years, but “Girls Like You” is a new low.
Stay tuned in the coming days for the next entry in my year in review series, The Best Movies of 2018.
It’s officially 2019, which means it’s time for my annual end-of-the-year lists (a scant month after everyone else’s). I have a thing about waiting for the moment the year’s over to put a definitive stamp on it, but now that we’re into 2019, I’m starting things off on a high note with the top 20 best hit songs of 2018. Here, I’m defining “hit” as a song that appeared on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 or spent time in the top 40 at any point this year (since the Billboard charts are kinda broken right now, I’ve chosen to generally disregard songs that appeared for a short time due to the success of an album, as well as songs that were featured on last year’s list). With that out of the way, let’s kick things off with the list’s most tenuous entry.
20) HIGH HOPES – Panic! at the Disco
This song made an appearance on my “Songs of the Month” list in the month of its release, and at the time I remarked that it was Panic!’s best shot at a hit song in 2018. I don’t really remember what compelled me to offer that particular praise for it, but clearly something prescient came over me, because “High Hopes” is Panic! at the Disco’s first top five hit ever. And while I’ve heard a fair bit of hate for it since it climbed the charts, in preparation for this list I came to understand a bit of why it so enamored me on my first listen: say what you will about the band’s recent tendency towards over-arrangement and the felt loss of their former chief songwriter, but “High Hopes” has a fucking hook, man.
19) ALL THE STARS – Kendrick Lamar and SZA
The way things are shaping up right now, Kendrick Lamar is about to add to his stellar list of accomplishments with an Oscar nod for Best Original Song. “All the Stars,” the strange centerpiece of Lamar’s beloved-yet-underrated Black Panther soundtrack, has emerged as a frontrunner in the category, and while it may not be the album’s absolute greatest moment (we’ll get to it in a bit), but SZA and Kendrick deserve all the recognition in the world. The song is sweeping, cinematic, and perfectly suits its placement as the grand finale to what many consider Marvel’s finest hour.
18) BIG BANK – YG feat. Big Sean, 2 Chainz, and Nicki Minaj
Shallow as the song may seem at first, “Big Bank” encompasses a rare moment of national unity in hip hop. Compton kingpin YG links up with superstars from all four corners of American hip hop: Atlanta’s 2 Chainz, New York’s Nicki Minaj, and Detroit’s Big Sean. Together over a bubbly DJ Mustard instrumental, each artist does what they do best, and the result is one of the superior posse cuts of a year where hip hop reigned supreme.
17) BOO’D UP – Ella Mai
Ella Mai’s syrupy R&B throwback “Boo’d Up” was easily the sleeper hit of the year. The UK singer has been moving in the shadows since she signed to DJ Mustard’s label a few years ago (Side note: this has been a much bigger year for DJ Mustard than we realized, huh?), but after opening for Kehlani on her SweetSexySavage tour, it was “Boo’d Up” that made her a star. And with good reasons: with its chill ’90s instrumental, sugary-sweet lyrics, and Ella’s own mellifluous vocals, it’s kind of timeless.
16) BREATHIN – Ariana Grande
In Grande’s flurry of unbelievably high-profile songs this year, “breathin” sort of got lost in the fray. It lacks the brazenness of “God is a woman,” the grandeur of “no tears left to cry,” or the undeniable hit quality of “thank u, next.” (Or the stellar music videos of all three of them.) But let’s not be too hasty here. “breathin” is an excellent goddamn song. Its layers of arrangement build to near-“Into You” peaks, the vocals are pitch-perfect, and it’s got hooks on hooks.
15) STIR FRY – Migos
It’s fair to say that Migos’ Culture II, released in January of this year, was a bit of a flop. Sure, it sold, but after the monumental success of the original Culture and the year of absolute dominance that followed, the follow-up was supposed to mean something. Still, as bloated and repetitious as the album may be, at least one good thing came out of it: “Stir Fry,” one of Migos’ best songs to date. Over bouncy Pharrell production (there’s another producer who had an unexpectedly-big year), the trap trio deliver some of their strongest work yet, both as pop song craftsmen and as rappers.
14) HOW LONG – Charlie Puth
There are plenty of good tracks on Charlie Puth’s latest album Voicenotes, and out of all of them, I’ll admit “How Long” is kind of a retread of “Attention.” But by virtue of being the only Charlie Puth song to have major chart success this year (and the fact that I’ll take as many “Attention”s as Charlie can pop out), here it is on the list. Puth’s really gotten into his groove this past year, both literally and figuratively. All it took to make me turn around on the once-reviled singer is some funky basslines and… that’s it, actually. I’m a they of simple pleasures.
13) UPROAR – Lil Wayne
“Uproar” is the perfect comeback song: Swizz Beatz’s ringing instrumental emulates an alarm sounding as Wayne asks with increasing glee, “What the fuck though? Where the love go?” Wayne’s absence from the game left many wondering if he had enough goodwill to stage the comeback he deserved, but the success of “Uproar” and Tha Carter V prove that he’s not going anywhere.
12) IN MY BLOOD – Shawn Mendes
We saw a few new sides of Shawn Mendes this year on his revelatory self-titled new album, but what seemed to stick with people the most was “In My Blood,” a fierce ballad that lets Mendes show off some impressive emotional depth. Interestingly, the themes of this song don’t differ all that much from his breakout hit “Stitches,” but it’s the epic instrumentation, Mendes’ powerhouse vocals, and the vulnerability of his lyrics that elevate this song to a new level.
11) APESHIT – The Carters
As the year winds down, the consensus seems to be that Beyonce and Jay-Z’s highly anticipated collaborative album Everything Is Love was a bit of a letdown. Of course, “letdown” by Beyonce and Jay-Z standards still leaves a lot to love, and “APESHIT” is one of the album’s treasures. By reworking an unreleased Migos track, the couple create a celebratory track that opens up new avenues for both of them. Twenty years into her career, Beyonce never seems to slow down, taking on every new wave that comes her way and taking her music in increasingly bold new directions. Everything Is Love isn’t exactly a proper step forward for either artist, but it’s a satisfying ending to the latest era of their illustrious careers.
10) NO TEARS LEFT TO CRY – Ariana Grande
I always try to avoid including more than one song by the same artist on any of my rankings, but sometimes a musician has too strong and eclectic a (month/year/etc.) to be ignored, and perhaps nowhere is this more clear than with Ariana Grande in 2018. Sweetener alone encompasses what could easily be three distinct eras of an artist’s career (a post-Manchester era, a Pete Davidson relationship era, and a Pharrell era), and Grande did so much more outside of that this year. Still, it all started on that fateful date, 4/20, with “no tears left to cry.” The sheer scale of this song is something you’re more likely to find in ’90s R&B ballads than modern pop, and Grande deftly approaches it with a spirit of moving on and taking the next step towards the future (an increasingly-common theme in pop; see: “Happier” by Bastille, “Reborn” by Kids See Ghosts, and a certain other Ariana song). It’s an awe-inspiring display by a singer at the height of her powers.
9) I LIKE IT – Cardi B feat. Bad Bunny and J Balvin
There’s nothing I could say about this song that anyone who’s been around this year doesn’t already know, but I’ll leave it at this: of all Cardi’s smash hit singles this year, “I Like It” is the most promising sign for her career going forward. It’s a crowd-pleaser with ties to her own cultural heritage that shows she can effortlessly tie pop and hip-hop into an infused bow.
8) KING’S DEAD – Jay Rock feat. Future, Kendrick Lamar, and James Blake
This track is, somewhat surprisingly, a bit of a love-it-or-hate-it affair. Do you find Jay Rock’s verse repetitive and obnoxious or fun and enjoyable? Is Kendrick’s hook mundane or inspired? Is Future’s high-pitched “la di da di da” interlude hilarious or grating? Personally, I had my doubts from the beginning, but I love every second of this track. Frankly, although it’s barely featured in Black Panther, I hoped in vain that this would be the song to receive awards-season nods for the film, just because I so badly wanted to see it performed at the Oscars. Also, Kendrick’s showstopping final verse is one of his best this year.
7) LEMON – N.E.R.D feat. Rihanna
We’ve been completely dry of new Rihanna music this year, and her absence is felt on the barren pop charts of 2018. However, there was one glorious bit of solace, a blip just strong enough to recognize: “Lemon,” the big single of N.E.R.D’s phenomenal late 2017 album NO_ONE EVER REALLY DIES. Pharrell gets the party started, Rihanna drops a verse that puts her high up in the small camp of non-rap artists we want to hear a rap album from, and the beat is so good that Pharrell essentially used it again on Ariana’s “The Light Is Coming,” and it still kinda worked.
6) ONE KISS – Calvin Harris feat. Dua Lipa
Calvin Harris’ throwback dance tracks have become one of my favorite parts of the current pop landscape, and “One Kiss” is no exception. The ’90s-infused track is accentuated by Harris’ refined production chops, as well as Lipa’s sultry pipes and the song’s memorable hook. There’s not too much to say about it, but there’s plenty to love.
5) SICKO MODE – Travis Scott feat. Drake
Comparisons between “SICKO MODE” and various multi-tiered songs of the past, particularly “Bohemian Rhapsody,” have become somewhat of a meme recently, and while the comments are mostly in jest, the songs do share a number of structural similarities. You’ve got the epic-seeming opening, which here entails a menacing intro from Drake, with stark keys seeming to build to what would’ve already been a great collaboration. Suddenly, just as things seem to be reaching a peak, a four-count heralds a new sound. This middle section, which here contains a cameo from Swae Lee, is my personal favorite, but after a short two minutes, it makes room for part three, an actual back-and-forth track between Drake and Travis, finally delivering what many tuned in waiting for. This is Travis Scott’s proggy songcraft at its finest.
4) THIS IS AMERICA – Childish Gambino
The trouble with analyzing much of Donald Glover/Chidlish Gambino’s work is that on some level, a lot of it is a joke. The comedian-turned-rapper-turned-icon has been vexing audiences and critics throughout his career, but “This Is America” is especially puzzling. The video isn’t, mind you. The video tells you exactly what it wants to say, and with a level of intricacy and attention to detail seldom seen. Many critics, however, have complained that the song itself lacks the lyrical depth and meaning to reflect its apparent subject matter. This, in turn, leads some to speculate whether the song is meant to reflect that subject matter whatsoever, and whether its tone is more characteristic than the lyrics themselves, and whether the in-your-face title “This Is America” clearly establishes the song as another troll, mocking the listener for attempting to find deep meaning in even the song’s most mundane lyrics, and some have found meaning in those lyrics, and all this critical picking apart leaves us with only one conclusion: this song did exactly what it set out to do.
3) FINESSE – Bruno Mars and Cardi B
Released at the very beginning of 2018, it’s tough to believe that “Finesse” made it this far without being trampled by the year’s hit parade. But when all’s said and done, this is a damn near perfect pop song. Being Cardi B’s first pop crossover, it can be seen in a key step towards her absolutely massive success this year. It also closed out Bruno’s 24K Magic era, and may have played a bigger role than we realize in allowing a 2016 album to receive a Grammy for Album of the Year in 2018. It’s also, again, a really good song. Cardi and Bruno’s chemistry over the new jack swing throwback is electric, and the track is just impossible not to groove to.
2) THANK U, NEXT – Ariana Grande
Oh, you didn’t think we were done with Ariana, did you? Where “Finesse” was definitively the first big hit to come out of 2018, “thank u, next” is really the last. Released at the beginning of November, the first single off Grande’s next album skyrocketed to the top of the charts and stayed there for the rest of 2018, and with good reason: in a year largely devoid of big pop songs, “thank u, next” is the perfect fix. It’s the kind of zeitgeist-y instant smash that’s been sorely missing from the public consciousness these past few years, and by laying the groundwork for the genre to survive in an era dominated by the hip hop release cycle, it may indeed have saved pop music. Only time may tell if “thank u, next”‘s influence carries into next year’s crop of hits, but if any artist is truly representative of 2018 in popular music, and its impact on the coming sound, it’s gotta be Ariana Grande.
And then there’s Drake.
1) NICE FOR WHAT – Drake
For an artist whose entire business model is reliant on consistently being on people’s tongues, 2018 was an especially interesting year for Drake. Beginning with his widely-celebrated charitable doings in the video for smash hit “God’s Plan,” things quickly took a number of strange turns. In May, Pusha T dropped “Infrared,” a scathing, laser-guided apex to years of subliminal shots between the two rappers. Drake quickly responded with “Duppy Freestyle,” only to be hit back with the already-legendary “The Story of Adidon,” in which, among other scathing attacks, Pusha reveals Drake’s secret illegitimate child. That was the most earth-shaking story in Drake’s sphere this year, but that’s not even to mention Scorpion, the “In My Feelings” challenge, or his multiple questionable relationships with underage women.
Which brings me to a crucial point: this isn’t about Drake. I don’t consider myself a big Drake fan, I didn’t think Scorpion was a good album, I didn’t love many of the things he did this year, and while I’m aware the story about him dating the 18-year-old wasn’t true, I still don’t think it’s a great look for him to have so many close relationships with teenage girls. But this isn’t about Drake. This is about “Nice for What,” Drake’s long-gestating stab at a women’s empowerment anthem. First of all, as a women’s empowerment anthem, it’s surprisingly tactful, a humanistic, far-reaching sentiment unexpected of the artist who once said “I hate calling the women bitches, but the bitches love it.” And separate from that, it’s a pitch-perfect summer anthem, deftly weaving a variety of samples and influences into an almost overwhelmingly-warm sensation (I literally got goosebumps hearing this song at a pool party this summer). I may look back on this with regret in a few years, and I wrestled with where to put it on this list for a while, but for now, here it is, the best hit song of 2018.
Stay tuned for the worst hit songs of 2018, coming soon.
Six movies into the DCEU, and it’s clear they’ve already cut their losses. After dismal returns on a slapdash Justice League tentpole release, Aquaman sets a clear course for where these movies are going: away from the cinematic universe model (which, it turns out, doesn’t work for most people) and towards a series of standalone films handled by acclaimed directors with ostensibly less studio interference.
Of course, the film does maintain its place in the DC timeline, if only in one scene (wherein Amber Heard’s Mera reminds Jason Momoa’s Aquaman of his triumph over Steppenwolf), but the writing’s on the wall: this movie is about no one but Aquaman, sets up nothing outside of Aquaman, and feels no need to remind you of characters who are more well-liked than Aquaman.
It’s also striking how much of a James Wan movie this is. The director, most known for his horror films (Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring) and his well-liked addition to the Fast & Furious franchise, has a distinct artistic sensibility if not an auteur style, and if one were to imagine what a James Wan-directed superhero movie would be like (not that anyone was especially clamoring for that), Aquaman would be the answer.
But I’m dancing around the real question here: did I like the movie? Well, yeah. I liked it a lot, actually. It’s got some solid storytelling, a real sense of scale and adventure, and a lot of stunning visuals. It could be described as Black Panther meets King Arthur– or, in my dad’s words, Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Gilligan’s Island– but what it’s most analogous to, in my mind, is Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. I’m not the world’s biggest fan of those movies, but in the modern superhero landscape, I admire them for their camp factor, and Aquaman has that sensibility in spades.
Sure, there are problems. Because it doesn’t take itself too seriously, it expects the audience to give it a lot of leeway in terms of yada-yadaing certain plot elements and relying heavily on established cliches (the “chosen one” narrative is pretty under-established, and many of the movie’s plot points make no sense without it). Some characters are underdeveloped or oversimplified, some dialogue too expository. It’s also definitely longer than it could be at just under two and a half hours. Black Manta has a great story, but he’s pushed to the sidelines to such an extent that the movie would feel more complete without him, especially given that the sequel’s foreshadowed big bad is… Stephen Shin?
Still, awash in a sea of stunning visuals, killer action, and some really good comedic moments, these issues didn’t weigh on me too much as I was watching the movie. My aforementioned dad wasn’t much of a fan, but whether or not you think it’s a good movie, you’re likely to have a lot of fun with it.
As some of you may have noticed, I haven’t posted much outside of my songs-of-the-month lists this past [checks calendar] year. I started this blog when I was thirteen, and while I’m proud to have been keeping it going as long as I have, you may be surprised to learn that I have less free time as a college student than I did as a 13-year-old. I do intend to post more in the coming year, and I’m trying to rework the songs-of-the-month strategy to allow me to do that, but that’s where I’m at right now. Thanks for sticking with me.
You know the drill. I’m late, finals, yada yada. This list is gonna be similarly low on verbiage to last month’s list, but it’s 30 songs! And regardless, I’ll get back into the swing of things soon (and probably retool these lists as a concept in general, maybe to shorter weekly lists or longer, less frequent ones). For now, enjoy these sick tunes. As a reminder (since this may be the last time I do it this week), this list is generally based around songs that were released in some capacity separate from an album in the month of November.
30) FEELING OF FALLING – Cheat Codes feat. Kim Petras
I’ve always thought Cheat Codes was a pretty okay group, but I don’t usually pay much mind when they put out new music. Once they’re all over the radio, I tend to get into them a bit, but with this latest single, I feel like Kim Petras’ stellar vocals push it over the top. The drop is meh (Is it just me, or have EDM-pop producers forgotten how to make drops in the past couple years?), but it really does grow on you.
29) BABY – Clean Bandit feat. Marina and Luis Fonsi
Now, Clean Bandit, I like. They actually put out an entire album of pop bangers this month, including another single (“Playboy Style” with Charli XCX and Bhad Bhabie) that also came within an inch of making this list. But this song is notable for another reason: the return of Marina “Marina and the Diamonds” and the Diamonds, the pop cult favorite who hasn’t put out an album in nearly four years. Also present is Luis Fonsi, one of my personal favorites among the recent barrage of Latin crossover acts. It’s a strange mixing of talents that make this song come together, but the results are undeniable.
28) ONEDERFUL – Armani White
Philly rapper Armani White comes through with “Onederful,” an infectiously sunny jam that, thanks in part to a boost from Anthony Fantano, has already made the rising artist a slew of new fans.
27) LIGHTS ON – Tyler, the Creator feat. Santigold and Ryan Beatty
Coinciding with the release of Illumination’s Dr. Seuss’ Benedict Cumberbatch’s The Grinch, Tyler, the Creator surprised-dropped a Christmas EP headlined by lead single “LIGHTS ON,” with acclaimed singer Santigold and rising pop star Ryan Beatty. It’s a cheery, lo-fi Christmas track that’s perfect to break out at any holiday event.
26) OFF DEEZ – J.I.D feat. J. Cole
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve liked more of J. Cole’s stuff than usual this year. In addition to popping out his second-best album to date, Cole turned in a slew of impressive features, and I’d be remiss not to shout out his blistering turn on the lightning-paced “Off Deez,” a single off Dreamville signee and one of 2018’s “it” rappers, J.I.D. It’s fun, it’s fast, and it’s off-kilter, a great introduction to J.I.D’s own unique vision.
25) REQUIEM FOR A PRIVATE WAR – Annie Lennox
The Best Original Song category at this year’s Golden Globes is absolutely stacked, with appearances by Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Troye Sivan, Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton, and legendary Eurythmics frontwoman Annie Lennox, whose atmospheric, ethereal centerpiece of the A Private War soundtrack reaffirms her place in the pantheon of modern vocalists.
24) PUFF DADDY – JPEGMAFIA
Hey, 2018 wasn’t all bad. At least we have JPEGMAFIA.
At the start of this month, LCD Soundsystem came out of nowhere with an excellent cover of Heaven 17’s “Fascist Groove Thang,” a new wave protest song that rallied against Thatcher and Reagan in the lingo of funk. It’s easy to see this song’s utility in a modern-day landscape, and I can’t think of a group more fitting than LCD Soundsystem to drop a cover (although the “Electric Lady Sessions” title makes me wonder what a Janelle Monáe feature on here would sound like).
22) TWERK – City Girls feat. Cardi B
City Girls and Cardi B is a collaboration I’m surprised hasn’t happened already, but also one that I’m grateful for. This bounce-infused track might be the most twerkable song with “twerk” in the title I’ve ever heard.
21) ONCE UPON A TIME – IDK feat. Denzel Curry
Denzel Curry and IDK are building up a rapport as rap’s latest dynamic duo, dropping bouncy back-and-forth bars on “ONCE UPON A TIME,” their fourth collaboration this year.
20) THE MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING – Chance the Rapper
Chance the Rapper’s been dropping loosies on occasion the past few months, and his latest, “The Man Who Has Everything,” is up to the high standard we’ve come to expect. Chano channels old-school Kanye as he airs his dirty laundry over a phenomenal soul sample courtesy of Jeremih (huh?).
19) DON’T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD – Brian Newman feat. Lady Gaga
2018’s star triple-threat Lady Gaga teams up with her longtime jazzman Brian Newman for a soulful cover of the surprisingly-versatile Nina Simone standard “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” For a song that’s been covered in every genre from metal to reggae to disco, Gaga’s choice to show off her vocal chops with a classical jazz version is a choice, but one that pays dividends for her.
18) LITTY AGAIN FREESTYLE – Tory Lanez
Tory Lanez and Joyner Lucas traded barbs last month, and you wouldn’t be blamed for not paying too much attention. The battle-in-name-only featured the two trading minor barbs over each other’s beats with no clear winner. There was at least one good thing that came out of it, though: “Litty Again,” Tory’s second response and arguably his most impressive display of rap craft to date. The hits come fast and furious, and with Tory now stepping up to the plate with Royce da 5’9″, he could be setting himself up for newfound notoriety in the realm of beef.
17) E COLI – The Alchemist feat. Earl Sweatshirt
Earl Sweatshirt put out a new album this month, but even more so than either of the two singles off that record, if you’re looking for a show of force by the reclusive rapper, look no further than “E Coli,” a cut off legendary producer Alchemist’s latest project. The track is slight with a down-tempo swing, but still absolutely mesmerizing.
16) NEVER MEANT TO CALL – Claud
Bedroom pop artist Claud Mintz (f.k.a. Toast), who some of you may recognize from their appearance in Clairo’s “4EVER” video, returns this month with their new single “Never Meant to Call,” arguably my favorite song to come out of its entire niche of the pop world. It’s infectious, unique, and brimming with potential.
15) THE BIG UNKNOWN – Sade
It’s fucking Sade. Also, Widows is amazing and the fact that it isn’t a bigger part of the best of 2018 conversation is a criminal crime.
14) NOTHING BREAKS LIKE A HEART – Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus
I’ve neglected to include the music video for this song, a bizarrely tone-deaf exercise in wokeness that substitutes all America’s causes and battles with celebration of freedom fighter Miley Cyrus. It’s a tremendously bad video for the best song Miley’s been involved in in a long time. The track comes from Mark Ronson’s forthcoming album of self-described “sad bangers,” while also kicking off the release cycle for Miley’s next record, and it succeeds in making me thoroughly excited for both projects. It feels like Miley has finally harnessed her voice’s true power, where she’s suffocated it with attempts at soaring highs and hip-hop hardness for so long.
13) PARTY FOR ONE – Carly Rae Jepsen
A month and change later, it’s still unclear whether “Party for One” is a loosie or the beginnings of a rollout for her long-awaited E•MO•TION follow-up, but regardless, it’s new music from Carly Rae Jepsen, so I’m not complaining. Masturbation anthems are an underappreciated tentpole of the pop landscape, and CRJ’s latest is a fine addition to the esteemed pantheon.
12) HURRICANES – Dido
Fucking Dido came back this month, and her new single “Hurricanes” is one of the finest comebacks in recent memory. It’s transcendent, mixing Dido’s classic style with a modern sensibility and creating an utterly riveting five minutes that reminds us all our favorite indie pop darlings crooning softly over lo-fi hip hop beats wouldn’t be shit without the OG.
11) LUX PRIMA – Karen O and Danger Mouse
Just your standard, run-of-the-mill nine-minute opus from the no-brainer duo of Karen O and Danger Mouse. This song is an otherworldly experience of the sort that can often feel cheap, but every element is perfectly in place on this track. It’s breathtaking.
10) GETTING DOWN THE GERMS – Gerard Way
Say what you will about My Chemical Romance’s jaded teen fanbase, but Gerard Way knows what he’s doing. His last single, “Baby You’re a Haunted House,” was a crunchy, catchy power-pop banger, and his latest is even better. “Getting Down the Germs” has a catchy hook, some pretty great lyrics, and several flute solos.
9) LOVE HAS ALL BEEN DONE BEFORE – Jade Bird
You’ve heard of an Anglophile, but English singer Jade Bird sure does have a taste for Americana. After releasing her debut EP Something American (ahem) last year, she returns with her fourth single so far this year, “Love Has All Been Done Before,” an absolute powerhouse of thrashing vocals and masterful craft.
8) CONCEPTION – Black Thought feat. Reek Ruffin
Roots bandleader and top-five rapper of all time Black Thought stakes out on his own with “Conception,” the single off his recently-released second chapter in his string of Streams of Thought EPs. The track provides his typical masterful lyrics and commanding presence, but also introduces us to his latest alter ego, Reek Ruffin, who in turn imparts a new revelation: Black Thought can kinda sing, man.
7) FLICKER – Rina Sawayama
If there’s any justice in this world, Rina Sawayama is going to be a big deal pretty soon. The budding pop starlet makes full use of her smooth, syrupy pipes on “Flicker,” a pop banger with a touch of Whitney Houston and an impressive amount of lyrical and vocal depth. It’s also maybe the first pop song I’ve heard make reference to “tak[ing] the piss,” which is frankly incredible.
6) PUSSY IS GOD – King Princess
Speaking of LGBTQ women making waves in pop, King Princess has released her first single since acquiring an ever-increasing slew of new fans off the back of her stellar debut earlier this year: “Pussy Is God,” a song whose title may read like a direct response to Ariana Grande, but whose content embodies the wholly unique sound of pop’s latest innovator. Basically, its title alone may make it groundbreaking, but there’s much more to it than that.
5) MINE – VINCINT
I’d never heard of VINCINT before this track crossed my path, but apparently he first made waves as a finalist on Puff Daddy’s reality singing competition The Four. Whatever it is, he’s got an amazing voice, this song is an absolute smash, and I’m definitely going to be looking forward to whatever he does next.
4) OODLES O’ NOODLES BABIES – Meek Mill
In the short time since his release from prison in April of this year, Meek Mill has risen to become a fierce advocate for criminal justice reform and one of the most impressive, consistent rappers in the game today. “Oodles o’ Noodles Babies,” the befuddlingly-titled single off his new album Championships, a fiery examination of an inner-city upbringing that sets the stage for a new era of Meek’s career as one of the most relevant, relentless voices in the game.
3) MOVEMENT – Hozier
Another stellar new single from Hozier, this one off his long-awaited follow-up to his beloved debut. Between mesmerizing lows and earth-shaking highs, it’s a song that feels more like a follow-up to his hit “Take Me to Church” than anything else he’s released in the time since, which is far from a bad thing. It’s the same sort of engrossing, religious experience that moved audiences to give a guy like Hozier a top ten hit to begin with.
2) SUNDRESS – A$AP Rocky
Fun fact: two of my housemates briefly appear in this video. A$AP Rocky tends to thrive off of unlikely collaborations (think of his previous work with Skrillex, Moby, Rod Stewart, Lana Del Rey, etc.), and on this track, he joins forces with Tame Impala and Danger Mouse for a phenomenal pop track that’s frankly the most exciting new music from A$AP Rocky we’ve heard in a while (and I liked TESTING more than anyone else seemed to).
1) THANK U, NEXT – Ariana Grande
Was there ever any doubt? “thank u, next” is just the jolt of energy the pop world needed, and its timeliness, message, and sheer earworm quality elevate it to the point of being instantly iconic. It’s extremely rare for a November release to leave its mark on that year (if anything, it tends to belong to the next year; see: “Uptown Funk!”), but “thank u, next” became one of 2018’s defining moments with a scant two months left in the year. Ariana has set the blueprint for pop to survive in an age where hip-hop reigns supreme and Billboard continues to struggle with accounting for streaming. She’s also released exactly the kind of moving-on anthem needed to bring the genre out of its recent doldrums. I don’t know if pop is poised to make a big comeback next year, but if it does, you can thank Ariana. Next.
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