This year, I’ve decided to make a year-end list. I haven’t posted anything here for years, and I haven’t posted a year-end list ever, but this year I needed to do something. I missed writing these, and I missed having a more organized way to share my Tweets.
With that being said, this is the only list I will be posting here. I tossed around the idea of a worst list, but in 2018 more than ever, that doesn’t seem fun for me. I don’t want to spend my time writing about the songs of the year that I never want to think about again. I’ve decided to stick to the hits because it’s an easier way to narrow down what I’ll be talking about. So, the only songs eligible for this list appear on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Hit Songs of 2018 list and have not appeared on any previous year’s year-end list.
With that being said, let’s get started with some honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
I Like It by Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin (Year-End #4)
Cardi B ruled the year with an incredible eight appearances on the Year End list, but I think the biggest is also the most notable. “I Like It” is easily the most fun Cardi has packed into one song, and it feels like one of the most defining songs of the year.
Finesse by Bruno Mars and Cardi B (Year-End #14)
“Finesse” is what is expected from Bruno at this point, a fun throwback jam. What ultimately eliminated it from contention was that it’s far from Bruno’s best work and far from his best throwback anthem. I do think it shows a different fun side of Cardi B that I’d like to see more often.
Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (Year-End #18)
As a dedicated Fifth Harmony hater, I always said that I thought Camila Cabello may be the worst singer in pop music, and I don’t really think that’s changed. She just keeps making music that makes that fact not matter to me. While this isn’t “Havana” levels of great, “Never Be The Same” is sort of a hybrid between that soft dream-like pop and a power pop anthem, and for the most part, it works for me. That pre-chorus keeps it off the list.
Bad at Love by Halsey (Year-End #27)
I don’t know if I really wanted a more self-deprecating version of “Ex’s and Oh’s” by Halsey, but I’ll take it. Halsey’s loathsome and usual fake deep solo music took a turn for the listenable here, and I don’t think that she’s necessarily the best singer in the world, but this song is a pretty fun listen. Halsey fans, if this is selling out, then Halsey should’ve sold out years ago.
All the Stars by Kendrick Lamar and SZA (Year-End #47)
This song is probably good enough to be on the list, but it’s also one of the less memorable songs from either of these artists. However, Kendrick and SZA are both premier talents in today’s music scene, and that doesn’t go unnoticed.
Stir Fry by Migos (Year-End #48)
Migos appear on the Year-End list four times, and I’m not sure I entirely understand the appeal behind any of those songs, but I definitely get “Stir Fry” most. It has the most energetic beat of any Migos song on the list, and Offset gets to show off a little bit. I’m not sure about the accuracy of comparing cooking stir fry to making crack.
You Make It Easy by Jason Alden (Year-End #70)
It’s been a while since there was a country hit that wasn’t too slow or boring but still sounds earnest and sincere despite being written by the Florida Georgia Line guys. I don’t think I’ll ever seek out “You Make It Easy,” but I certainly wouldn’t object to hearing it.
And now onto the list proper.
10
I was really tempted to put this higher up on the list, and earlier in the year, I thought it would’ve been a little further up. I don’t really know why it lost steam for me. I think it might be because in the beginning there was so much buzz and it was such an event that it felt more epic than it is. It doesn’t have to be epic. What it is, though, is a really good song.
God is a woman by Ariana Grande (Year-End #62)
2018 was a weird year for Ariana the public figure in terms of both her personal life and her music, and it was definitely a shift in both. Ariana the public figure seemed to be more playful on Twitter and more respondent to fans and trolls alike, and I think her musical persona kind of grew to shift to this. “God is a woman,” more than any of the other songs from sweetener, seems to exude the confidence to back that up, and it’s fun to listen to.
Musically, the main event is Ariana the personality, and she brings a lot of it to the track. Ariana really has never had a problem commanding the mic, but I don’t know if she was always the biggest personality. When she was younger, she’d bring on Iggy Azalea or Nicki Minaj to have the big sassy moments, but I think “God is a woman” proves that Ariana deserves diva status herself.
What probably keeps “God is a woman” from a higher spot on the list is the beat. I think the song sounds great on the chorus, but the verses lack something to be desired. I’m not quite sure what’s missing, but Ariana seems a little left out in the cold by this backing track. I know you don’t want to cover her up, but I think she would have had the personality to shine through even if you gave her a little more.
Still, “God is a woman” lived up to the hype and was a huge moment for Ariana’s new 2018 persona, which has propelled her into one of the biggest superstars alive. She’ll inevitably appear on next year’s Year-End Hot 100 as well.
9
Every once in a while, an artist hits the scene with a ton of buzz from critics’ circles, but you never really know if they’ll catch on. However, sometimes, an artist will appear with a ton of negative press and unfavorable reviews. It is even rarer that these artists, who seem dead on arrival, fix their course and consistently release good music.
Charlie Puth has turned it around.
How Long by Charlie Puth (Year-End #65)
I was firmly on the Charlie Puth is the worst thing ever train in 2016, too, but damn if he hasn’t reversed course.
This year Charlie released Voicenotes, his second studio album which marked a notable shift from the tone of his first, Nine Track Mind. “Attention” was the lead single, and I think that was the one that started to change people’s minds first, and while I like that one as well, I think “How Long” is much better and should stand as the main example of Charlie’s improvement in 2018.
Stylistically, “How Long” is very similar to “Attention.” Rather than borrowing from doo-wop or 60s pop like some of his earlier music, “How Long” seems to lean heavier on funk inspiration, which is a marked improvement in my book. This song has those big build ups just to drop off right as you’re expecting a climax, only to surprise you a few bars later with the moment you were expecting before.
What’s really interesting, and what sets it apart from “Attention,” is that it’s a bit of a lyrical inversion. Rather than calling out the unfaithful ex, he is the unfaithful ex in this song, and that kind of introspection is refreshing. “How Long” is a song by an ex-boyfriend who realizes that he was the problem, whereas “Attention” came off as more of a bad ex-boyfriend blaming a failed relationship on the other involved party.
I hope Charlie Puth keeps up this positive trend because I can totally get behind new funky Charlie Puth.
8
I think there’s some sort of narrative that the pop star is dying, and I don’t know if that’s entirely accurate. Sure, we have new people dominating the charts and gaining big singles, but there are still some old names getting hits. We still have Ariana and Bruno and Adam Levine and Ed Sheeran.
And even if her latest album didn’t perform 100% as well as she would’ve hoped, we will always have Taylor Swift.
Delicate by Taylor Swift (Year-End #24)
Easily the best of the singles from reputation, “Delicate” is a breath of fresh air in terms of Taylor’s career track. While all of the reputation era singles (with the exception of “Gorgeous,” I suppose) deal with the subject matter of Taylor’s public image, I think “Delicate” is probably the most mature. The sentiment here is sort of screw it, I know I’m not the most popular figure in the public eye right now, but there’s one person who treats me like that doesn’t matter, and I think that’s a way more interesting take on her image than say “Look What You Made Me Do” or “End Game” take.
This song is really on this list, though, for what it does musically. “Delicate” is a beautiful song and proof that Max Martin and Shellback still know how to produce hits. While the Jack Antonoff-produced tracks on reputation gained a lot of attention, I actually think “Delicate” sounds better than any of them. It’s sort of a callback to other pretty whimsical hits from earlier in Taylor’s pop career, mainly “Wildest Dreams.” It’s a look Taylor puts on well, and I wish she tried it a little more on reputation.
I’m very unsure what the future holds for Taylor Swift the pop star, but one thing’s for sure, I would love more music like “Delicate.”
7
This is actually the only song I’ve addressed here before way back when it came out, April 2017 on an album review. I stand by the fact that this is nowhere near the best song on its album, but basically anything from that album would make this list.
LOVE. by Kendrick Lamar and Zacari (Year-End #50)
Keeping “All the Stars” off the list doesn’t mean I’m any less of a Kendrick Lamar fan than I was the last time you heard from me, and while “LOVE.” is not necessarily the most characteristic Kendrick song or even close to his best, a mid-tier Kendrick song beats most people’s best day at the office. I do question the choice to release “LOVE.” as a single because it’s not the crowd-pleaser that some of the others probably would be, but it still sounds really good.
The emphasis on Kendrick’s songs is usually the lyrical content, but “LOVE.” really feels like a song you’re meant to just feel more. The classic-sounding bare bones beat adds atmosphere but sounds like the toned-down production that Kendrick and his producers were probably going for. “LOVE.” doesn’t need to be aggressive or in your face to make its presence known, and that makes it a bit of a breath of fresh air on DAMN. and Kendrick’s career discography.
Zacari is a really good addition to this track as well. His voice is smooth and he adds a great hook that complements Kendrick’s verses really well. On an album featuring Rihanna and U2, the relatively unknown Zacari refuses to be outshone and gives a great feature, which is absolutely something that shouldn’t be ignored.
DAMN.‘s album cycle seems to be over, and if “LOVE.” is the last remaining breaths of its mainstream popularity, I’ll certainly take it.
6
I thought this would be way higher early in the year because this seems like maybe the quintessential 2018 song to me, but I don’t know if it’s as enjoyable as it is respectable to me.
Still damn good though.
This Is America by Childish Gambino (Year-End #51)
“This Is America” would be #1 on the list of Most 2018 Songs of 2018, but it ultimately fell short for me in terms of the pleasure value. It’s not bad by any means, I actually think it’s great, I just never want to hear it anymore because it just doesn’t make me feel good. With that being said, “This Is America” isn’t supposed to make me feel good, and I respect that and recognize it as successful.
“This Is America,” musically, borrows from trap more than anything from Childish Gambino’s previous album (or really anything else in his career), and I think he pulls it off. In terms of trap beats, “This Is America” has a pretty good one, and Gambino can pull anything off. He can be a classic rapper or a funk singer or a trap musician and it’ll feel natural and successful.
What sets “This Is America” apart, obviously, is Gambino’s lyrics. “This Is America” is a comment, but not a direct satire, on the state of America and a lot of hot button issues. Gambino addresses gun violence, racism, police brutality and does all of this while seeming new and fresh. I think “This Is America” had a tough job because we’ve all been hearing rap songs about racism since rap’s inception and it’s hard to really make a splash anymore (which is a bit of an unfortunate truth), but I think Gambino did it, and I think people noticed.
“This Is America” deserves a lot of credit for being a deliberate effort, and as long as Gambino keeps making music, he’ll keep ending up on these lists.
5
Every once in a while you hear a song that you’ve known for months and suddenly it hits you. You actually really love that song, and you never knew you did.
What makes things even more confusing, though, is when you are sort of known for hating the artist who made the song. In fact, you’ve mentioned him in a negative light for years now. But still, this one song sticks out to you, and it doesn’t leave your mind. And you keep listening to it and listening to it until you know you have to put it on your best list.
Huh.
Better Now by Post Malone (Year-End #13)
“Better Now” is an extremely petty song, but that allows Post Malone to bring some real personality to this track, and it turns out to be way more than I’ve ever seen from him. I listened to beerbongs & bentleys when it was first released in April, and absolutely none of it sticks out in my head as anything more than meh. Additionally, the other big hits of Post Malone’s career have an absurd lack of personality, and his three other Year-End hits bring pretty much nothing to the table.
But “Better Now,” man.
In “Better Now,” Post starts the course in an accusatory way, calling out a former flame for falling out of love with him quickly and being glad their relationship ended just to turn around and say that he has fallen out of love and is glad that the relationship is over. It’s not exactly an unexpected inversion, but it’s an effective one, and it’s more attitude than Post brings to anything.
The rest of the song hits Post’s familiar tropes; he keeps up the druggy emo boy image he always has. But it’s just a more energetic song than we usually get from Post. This production rivals “Congratulations” for Post’s most enjoyable beat, and Post’s performance is enough to lift it up above the rest.
I may not be a Post stan yet, but I certainly listened to “Better Now” more in 2018 than I ever would’ve guessed.
4
It’s like hard to describe how good this song is.
Boo’d Up by Ella Mai (Year-End #15)
“Boo’d Up” is a boringly perfect song, and Ella Mai is a boringly perfect artist. I rarely get caught off guard by what gets popular, and rarely does someone get to the top 5 who I’ve never even heard of before, but Ella Mai is different. Her debut self-titled, despite being almost completely produced by DJ Mustard, deserved way more attention and credit, but “Boo’d Up” was the lead single that received all that attention.
Ella Mai’s sweet, smooth R&B vocals propel her to the top of the R&B scene when it comes to vocal performance, and you can hear her great performance all over this song. It’s a sort of effortless perfection, and Ella Mai seems like she doesn’t have to try at all for it, which sets her apart from other great vocalists in the R&B scene.
The chorus of this song is basically just random vaguely-heartbeat sounding onomatopoeia, and it’s all you could ever want. There’s some simple beauty in all of it, and it’s all thanks to the elegance of Ella Mai. This song could’ve been her teaching the alphabet and listeners would’ve been captivated.
I don’t want 2018 to be the year of Ella Mai because I want Ella Mai to be even bigger in 2019. I can’t wait for so many more years of Ella Mai.
3
So, to contrast Ella Mai, here you have two guys who have been met with almost nothing but acclaim for years now from the music industry, and while they have nothing to prove, both artists put in some of their best work in recent memory.
Pray For Me by The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar (Year-End #40)
“Pray For Me” is an event because it’s off the soundtrack for the biggest movie of the year, Black Panther, but it would’ve been an event anyway because Kendrick and The Weeknd bring such prestige to everything they do.
Now, I like just about everything Kendrick puts out, but that’s not necessarily true for The Weeknd. I don’t even much like his other song on the Year-End list, “Call Out My Name.” However, The Weeknd’s parts of “Pray For Me” combine the drama he feeds on with the accessibility of his best hits. Sometimes, he seems so melancholy that he gets hard to listen to, but the epicness of “Pray For Me” outweighs it.
Having Kendrick take on the role of a hero questioning a society who worships him really fits just considering the way he’s been treated by the music industry since his debut back in 2011. And he gets deeper into this than I would generally expect for just a soundtrack song, especially because Kendrick has a tendency to not put his all into music that isn’t for his own albums (he does not have the best features track record). However, Kendrick is on his game here, and it makes “Pray For Me” one of the most entrancing songs of the year.
More than anything, “Pray For Me” is epic and The Weeknd and Kendrick sit firmly on the thrones they’ve held for years now.
2
I don’t really know what I expected when this song came out, but the first time I heard it I was stunned. I knew she had talent, but I wasn’t quite sure she had this in her.
It was quite a year for Ariana.
no tears left to cry by Ariana Grande (Year-End #20)
While yes, “God is a woman” is a really good song, it was expectedly good. Mainly because the single that came directly before it was the best of Ariana’s career.
“no tears left to cry” starts with an exposed vocal performance for Ariana, which gives her a moment to show off her voice, but what you’re not expecting is for that to quickly turn into as much raw power as Ariana has in her. For the remainder of the song, Ariana shows off her ability to really dig into a song, and every time that chorus comes back around, she’s ready to belt out with everything’s she got.
And while “God is a woman” lyrically might give her more personality to work with, I kind of feel it more here than I did there. She just has such a presence all over this song. Whether she’s asked to be slower and more delicate or pumped up and powerful, Ariana has it covered, and this song kind of runs the gamut, so it’s pretty impressive how she’s able to keep up.
“no tears left to cry” is one of the most enjoyable listens of the decade, and I’m so glad Ariana is one of the pop stars we kept for 2018. She deserves it.
1
We’ve gotten all the way to #1, and we’ve talked about some bonafide smash hits on the way. That’s why it feels kind of odd for the top spot to go to a song that barely qualifies for the list. It’s easily lower on the Year-End chart than any other song included on this list, but I had to do what I had to do. At the end of the day, I have to go with what I connect most with, and when I thought about it seriously, there was only one answer here.
For the music-listening public, this might’ve been the year of Cardi B or Post Malone or Drake or Ariana. For me, this was the year of Ella Mai.
Trip by Ella Mai (Year-End #92)
“Boo’d Up” was one of the biggest songs of the year, and it deserved to be, but I so wish I lived in a world where “Trip” was the huge hit off of Ella Mai. “Trip” has everything I gushed over “Boo’d Up” for — the simple premise, the smooth vocals, the elegance of Ella Mai — but it does it all better.
Firstly, a song about being mesmerized by love isn’t revolutionary I suppose, but there are so many little moments of perfection in the details Ella includes here. “You take the bullet tryna save me, then I’m left to deal making you bleed” is not a concept invented by Ella Mai, but she has a way of putting things that is so profound that I don’t know if I’ve ever heard anyone say it better.
“Trip” has this beautiful piano piece going throughout, and it’s easy to appreciate at the beginning when the rest of the production is bare and empty. However, when the pre-chorus and chorus come around, you’re working with the standard smooth R&B beat that appears on the rest of Ella Mai, and it just complements the rest so well. It adds a little bit of punch to the song without ruining the sophistication or taking over the other elements.
However, much like everything she touches, the star here is Ella Mai. Ella’s vocal performance is incredible as always, and she engages the listener right from the get-go. She’s smooth, she’s elegant, she’s perfect. The little back-up echoes at the end of the chorus and in the post-chorus are lovely additions and add a little bit more to that refined sound.
All in all, I think “Trip” is kind of a boring kind of fabulous. She’s not overwhelming the listener with personality because she doesn’t have to. Ella Mai charms the listener as simply as she can — and boy, it works so well.
Thank you for reading. It’s good to be back.
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