Here, we’re charting our favorite songs of 2018, ranging from party jams and breakout singles to pensive compositions and political statements. Scroll through our list below—ranked in no particular order—and tune into all of the tracks in our playlist below. (P.S. Are you following BAZAAR on Spotify yet?)
On her debut studio album, Lost & Found, 21-year-old Smith offers a beautifully vulnerable account of self-discovery. The Best New Artist nominee is especially captivating on “February 3rd,” a silky smooth reflection about emptiness and fulfillment, packaged with a chilled-out vibe and her signature, dreamlike vocals.
Rosalía took the world by storm this year with her second official album, El Mal Querer, where the 25-year-old Spanish singer pays homage to and reimagines traditional flamenco music in her vocals and arrangements. “Malamente” is a mesmerizing, at times foreboding, cut that opens the 11-track collection, intertwining the historic sound with electronic sounds and hints of hip-hop-inspired production.
Ariana Grande has had quite the year, and yet through it all, she’s emerged with gratitude, contentment, and self-love. With “Thank U, Next,” the pop star offers a new kind of break-up anthem, one that promotes growth and self-reflection, all over a catchy melody and perfectly sassy lyrics.
In the past two years, H.E.R. has gone from dark horse to one of the brightest rising stars in music. After dropping an album in October 2017, she released a respected multi-part EP in the fall, I Used to Know Her. The collection includes a spot-on Lauryn Hill tribute, honest portraits of love, and a conscious political statement, but the most resonating cut is “As I Am,” an empowering track about staying true to yourself and encouraging others to love you as you are. “You’d be a fool to not take me as I am,” H.E.R. demands in the chorus, with a soft, steady groove.
With her debut album Clean, which released in March, Sophie Allison (AKA Soccer Mommy) cemented her status as one of the most promising breakout stars in indie rock. “I wanted it to be able to stand the test of time,” she told BAZAAR.com of the record in July. Her single, “Cool,” is a relatable, vulnerable cut about hopelessly idealizing somebody you think you want to be.
In August, Mitski followed up her last highly-praised album, Puberty 2 (2016), with the equally laudable Be the Cowboy, where she shows her complexity as songwriter and artist. Amidst the pensive and melancholy rock tracks, there’s the ironically danceable “Nobody,” where Mitski explores alienation and loneliness over bright guitars and a disco-like rhythm.
It’s the indie Sad Girl supergroup we never knew we wanted but are so grateful to have. Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus joined forces for a self-titled six-track EP that boasts hauntingly honest storytelling—something they master individually and excel at together. The chilling lead single, “Me & My Dog,” was originally composed by Bridgers but gets an upgrade with Baker and Dacus’ harmonies and instrumentation.
Teyana Taylor’s long-awaited K.T.S.E. album was the last—and perhaps the most underrated—of Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music releases this summer. After Kanye’s controversial comments, Pusha T’s feud with Drake, and West’s buzzy collaborations with Kid Cudi, Taylor’s release was almost unfairly overlooked. But in the album, Taylor proves she can hold her own and has been doing so since the start. The Harlem native likens herself to a rose that grew up from the concrete and shuts down backstabbers and fake friends without even saying their names. “But I ain’t callin’ no names out / No, no free promotions,” she sings.
Leave it to two of hip-hop’s biggest stars to create one of the biggest songs of the year. Travis and Drake’s collaboration for the Houston native’s monumental Astroworld album is a multi-part, five-minute journey that features eclectic production, an assist from Rae Sremmurd’s Swae Lee, and samples from The Notorious B.I.G. and 2 Live Crew. It seems the only person who isn’t a fan is Kanye West.
In under two minutes, the Chicago emcee delivers sharp, witty lines with a nonchalant swagger and subtly savage humor. (Her lyric, “My p*ssy wrote a thesis on colonialism,” had fans gasping for air.) A Chance the Rapper collaborator with roots in slam poetry, Noname offers a unique presence in the roster of talented women MCs, countering in-your-face personas like Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. But don’t let her low-key attitude distract you from her skill; on “Self,” she defiantly challenges her listeners to doubt her ability: “Y’all really thought a bitch couldn’t rap, huh?”
In the leading single from his DiCaprio 2 album, Atlanta rapper J.I.D. shows off extreme lyrical dexterity. He raps like a slap in the face: quick, hard-hitting, and you’re left having no idea what hit you. In an Instagram live video, J.I.D. said “151 Rum” was “one of the most impactful songs that I ever wrote in my f*cking life,” and it shows. He details his family’s struggles in poverty, deaths of people closest to him, and how that affected his life.
In August, Devonté Hynes (AKA Blood Orange) released his album, Negro Swan, an exploration into “black depression” and the “ongoing anxieties of queer/people of color,” he said in a statement. Before dropping the work, he teased the record with the single “Charcoal Baby,” which delves into loneliness and the feeling of being an outsider. “No one wants to be the odd one out at times / No one wants to be the negro swan,” Hynes sings in the chorus, over his signature synthy, 80s-inspired sound. The saxophone solo at the end is a treat.
King Princess (Mikaela Straus) emerged as one of this year’s breakout stars after her viral hit single, “1950,” got celebratory shoutouts from celebs like Harry Styles and Kourtney Kardashian. Her mellow pop ballad describes a romance as if it were from a time period when gay people couldn’t express their love in public. With “1950,” Straus shows LGTBQ youth that “we have a right to romanticize our past, even though it’s painful,” she previously told BAZAAR.com.
.Paak has been getting a lot of attention in the past few years, but on this track, he craves anonymity—or at least some privacy for his baller-lifestyle debauchery. Kendrick Lamar provides a perfectly cunning verse that dovetails .Paak’s signature groove and retro-inspired sound.
Rocky had a motley mix of collaborators this year—from Moby and T.I., to FKA Twigs, to Tame Impala—but the standout linkup is his track with Skepta, which appears on his latest album, Testing. The Harlem native and Grime star flex on a surprising flute sample, gloating about taking what’s theirs and reaping the benefits over a DMX-inspired chorus.
Before earning his first number one album with Ballads 1 (and becoming the first Asian-born artist to do so), Joji teased the LP with this melancholy single. The modern power ballad comes off as a twinkling, synthy lullaby, over which the YouTuber-turned-musician desperately sings about being loveless and lonely.
The St. Louis native showcases the nimble, lively, and eccentric flow he does best on this track from his album, NOIR, the follow-up to his celebrated 2017 release, blkswn. On “L.M.F.,” Smino pairs a smacking, bubbly rhythm with clever rhymes and word play, including a herd of Lion King references.
Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga did not take the music lightly for A Star Is Born. They were in the studio with respected songwriters and producers like Diane Warren and Mark Ronson. Gaga tapped into her character to pen lyrics reflecting the storyline. Cooper had Willie Nelson’s son, Lukas Nelson, and his band play with him onscreen. The team kept the songs as authentic as possible for a film that explores identity and artistic integrity, and it paid off. “Shallow,” Cooper and Gaga’s stellar rock ballad duet, focuses on taking risks and diving into change, referencing not only the plot, but also the process behind making the film itself.
On a sturdy bass line and percussion, frontwoman Héloïse Letissier contemplates power struggles and complicated relationships with some cynicism: “It doesn’t matter, does it? / If I know any exit / If I believe in God, and if God does exist,” her chorus goes. The irony is that it’s impossible not to dance to. The track appears on the French artist’s newest album, Chris.
British R&B singer Nao followed up her breakout album, For All We Know, three years later with with Saturn this October. The record was inspired by phenomenon of Saturn’s Return, an astrological event that signals growth, change, and awakening in one’s life. The theme is especially highlighted in the cosmic title track, which Nao co-wrote with Daniel Caesar. “You return like Saturn to me” she and Kwabs sing in the chorus. It’s a sweeping ballad that shows her evolution as an artist and range as a singer.
In her album, Whack World, the rising Philadelphia rapper achieves what we didn’t know was possible: create a full-bodied work that lasts only 15 minutes long, with each song lasting only 60 seconds. “Hungry Hippo” has garnered praise from critics and fans alike, with its light, playful melody and flossy lyrics. “He likes my diamonds and my pearl / I said, thank you I designed it,” is the kind of mood we’d like to start 2019 with.
In their surprise joint album, Everything Is Love, Beyoncé and JAY-Z freely boast of their wealth and success, express their love for each other and their family, and celebrate their blackness. On “Black Effect” they consciously place themselves in the pantheon of African American trailblazers while challenging the everyday struggles and prejudices the black community continues to face.”F*ck a false arrest,” they declare at the end of the chorus.
Don’t let Pusha’s explosive beef with Drake overshadow his album DAYTONA. The seven-song project, the first of G.O.O.D. Music’s streak of summer releases, kicks off with this staggering opener. It’s an obvious hat tip to the rapper’s former life as a cocaine dealer, laced over a Kanye-fied sample of Air’s “Twelve O’Clock Satanial.” The title, which also appears in the chorus, is a wink to his day-one fans. It’s the kind of song you’ll hear blasting through car windows all year long.
On the first single off of her phenomenal record, Be the Cowboy, Mitski delivers an eerie, haunting tone in an ode to her craft. She previously explained to NPR that this song is “all feeling,” and it shows in her impassioned lyrics and climactic instrumentation. “I will be the one you need / I just can’t be without you,” she repeats through the song. The finished product is a chilling composition that will leave you with goosebumps.
The Queen came through on her long-awaited return with not one comeback single, but two. However, “Chun-Li” soon became the standout with its blistering verses and tight rhythms, in classic Nicki style. The rapper likens her her reign in the male-dominated rap game to the first female character in the Street Fighter franchise.
On “Bubblin’,” .Paak ushers in his next era of music with his signature suave take on hip-hop, paired with a more aggressive beat (courtesy of producers Jahlil Beats and AntMan Wonder). His flow is spry and melodic as he gloats about swimming in money while continuing to save up. If you really want your mind blown, listen to the remix featuring Busta Rhymes.
It’s fitting that a track with this much swagger arrives on the first collaboration between two women whose careers have skyrocketed in the past year. As the closing track for her debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy, Cardi saves her most unfiltered, most biting lyrics for last. Lines like, “P*ssy so good, I say my own name during sex,” and, “Leave his texts on read, leave his balls on blue,” sent our wigs straight to the floor.
Amidst becoming a new Star Wars star and creating (and starring in) a new season of Atlanta, Donald Glover also had time to grace us with new music. And he didn’t settle for lightweight earworms; he went for poignant social commentary on the state of race relations, gun violence, and black culture in the country. Paired with its powerful (albeit disturbing) visuals, “America” exposes people’s fixations with petty pop culture and social media trends while ignoring the chaos that surrounds them.
Rap beefs aside, Drake knows how to craft a pop hit. This time, hip-hop’s Sad Boy puts the spotlight on the ladies with a girls’ night out anthem chock-full of Instagram-worthy lyrics and fitting “Ex-Factor” and Big Freedia samples. Drizzy even got a co-sign from Miss Lauryn Hill herself.
At first listen, “Lost in Paris” sounds like an ode to a missed connection in one of the most romantic cities in the world. But, as Misch clarified on Twitter, it was actually inspired by his hard drive of songs, which he literally misplaced in the French capital. The Brit instrumentalist, singer, and producer’s ability to turn the mishap into an exciting jazz/R&B/hip-hop crossover proves his pure devotion to music. It really is a love song after all.
The country darling said she was “on a Bee Gees kick” while making her newest album, Golden Hour, and her single “High Horse” is the perfect proof. Musgraves mixes disco and pop influences on the track, where she tells off a jerk who’s in over his head. (Her sugary voice helps soften the blow.) With the rest of the record, the Texas native shows her versatility as an artist while staying country at heart.
Though he’s been on the come-up in recent years following his breakthrough with Chance the Rapper, Saba still shows that his story is not without struggle. The Chicago rapper gets real, and at times dark, when discussing how the deaths of his cousin, uncle, and friend affected him—all while alternating between a serpentine flow and a hard-hitting rhythm.
In 2015, we got an amazing introduction to Bridges, who perfectly honed in on vintage influences on his debut record Coming Home. (It even got a new life with placement on Big Little Lies two years later.) But if you though the Fort Worth, TX native would struggle to follow up his nostalgia-inspired debut, think again. His sophomore release this spring, led in by this jazzy confection, proved the doubters wrong.
In April, Monáe released her first album in five years: Dirty Computer, a sexually liberating album where she celebrated her true self, and inspired others to do the same. With that in mind, “Make Me Feel” was a fitting lead single, as fans were quick to praise it as a bisexual anthem (the music video featured multiple love interests). Prince didn’t write the song, but he did advise Monáe on the sound of her album before he passed away. When “Make Me Feel” first dropped, listeners couldn’t help but compare it to the late music legend’s “Kiss.” Perhaps that was Monáe’s way of keeping his memory, and music, alive.
The Aussie indie rocker hits back at her biting, misogynist trolls in the lead single off her sophomore album. In the verses, she brushes off taunts from her online—hence “faceless”—critics: “Don’t you have anything better to do? / I wish that someone could hug you.” But she widens the lens with a paraphrased Margaret Atwood quote in the chorus: “Men are scared that women will laugh at them … Women are scared that men will kill them.”
Before releasing her debut album in April, breakout star Kali Uchis linked up with her longtime collaborator, Tyler, the Creator, for a hazy, retro-cool collab brimming with affirmations. “If you need a hero / Just look in the mirror,” she sings in the refrain.
Following other TDE standouts like SZA and Kendrick, one of the label’s newest member made and stunning debut in January, including previous singles “Something Foreign” and “Something New.” SiR (born Darryl Farris) started out writing songs for other artists like Jill Scott and Anita Baker, but he proves he can handle his own on his first studio record, especially on smooth, memorable tracks like this one.
Leave it to Kendrick Lamar to curate and produce a movie soundtrack and have it go platinum, get nominated for a Grammy, and land on the shortlist for an Oscar nomination. The project shed light on some rising African talent and brought forth unexpected collaborations, but the standout track came from TDE’s two biggest stars, who put their spin on the pop-synth sound with Lamar’s sharp lyrics and SZA’s ethereal touch.
Source: Read Full Article