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Best and Worst of Entertainment 2018 Edition: The Lists Awaken


Clappy

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1 hour ago, Katniss said:

Ok I will definitely send my complaints to your address after seeing your #3 :stinkeye:

Guess you can say that how we feel about clappy will

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never be the same.

I let myself out.

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My only real complaint is actually not on your #3, but on your #8, which I think is not THAT bad and just simply works for me in a few ways. While we're all still on the topic of #3, my thoughts on it are kinda in-between. I am not a big fan of it and I could think of better songs from better artists that fall under the similar styling (i.e. Lorde, Lana Del Rey, pre-Lady Wood Tove Lo), but I appreciate its unique atmosphere that is has going for it.

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That and I could also think of far better songs from Camila that are either stuck as deep cuts or never got the push that I think it deserved. "She Loves Control" and "No Crying in the Club" both deserved better.

As always, you make a great list, Claps, and I'll be excited to see what your top ten looks like.

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So... I have to say that 2018 was a big year for me in regards to music in one big way: I started to get up to date on music again! Or at least I tried...

The truth is that it was a blessing to get so up to date on modern music because it opened me up to a window that I really haven't seen since my chart-watching days which screeched to a halt in 2015. Because of this, I have a lot of personal favorites. It was really hard to narrow it down to 10.

Now, it's important to know that I didn't stick with just hits. There are definitely a lot of hits on the list, but it's not reserved to hit songs. Why? Because it's my list. I just don't feel that it would have been as interesting to me to write about if I were to stick with hits, even if it produces more reactions.

Time to start.

5 HONORABLE MENTIONS

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Bazzi - "Mine"
Just do it. Make fun of me. I know painfully well that this song is a meme and a lot of people don't really take it as anything else. It's short, sweet and has a memorable hook that will more likely than not be the only thing this song is known for as it ages. Despite that, I really loved this...what is essentially just an extended meme, ever since I first heard it. It may be very simple and perhaps a definitive "neutral pop" song that poisoned the 2018 pop charts, but something about it hits me hard.

Perhaps the fact that it's a simple love/sex song is why. Maybe just the amazing production and, quite frankly, equally amazing chorus play into it. I don't really know what specifically hits me about this song. Everything about it just works.

Earl Sweatshirt ft. Standing on the Corner - "Ontheway!"
Lo-fi psychedelia is one of my favorite musical aesthetics ever. A lot of my all-time favorite music takes up a sound very similar to what Earl Sweatshirt tried for size this year. The record this came from, Some Rap Songs, is the latest entry in regards to personal albums of the year. While some of it isn't too fully realized, when Earl fully realizes what he can do with this hazy sound, I can't get enough.

Honestly, maybe the only thing that kept me from putting this in the top 10 is that it's so goddamn short. Despite the mind-blowing and strange production, it's only a minute and 41 seconds long. I need more. Perhaps the biggest flaw in Some Rap Songs was that everything was so (intentionally?) half-baked in regards to ideas for the actual songs. This is the shining moment of the album for me, though. It does everything right even if I just wanted it to be even 30 seconds longer.

Grimes ft. Hana - "We Appreciate Power"
Considering the hipster snob loser I am, I'm really surprised I haven't gotten into Grimes at all before 2018. I blame that on my closed-mindedness, but I really wish that I took the opportunity sooner to listen some really breathtaking pop songs such as "REALiTi" and "Flesh Without Blood." This song admittedly doesn't match the same magic as her earlier singles, nor does it match the sound at all, but it's still pretty damn good.

Heavy, industrial pop-rock is something I wish I could hear more of. You have Grimes doing it as well as...another musician who'll be in the top 10, but not many others are taking up the opportunity for this kind of music that is as hard and heavy as it is danceable and catchy as all Hell. It's a true shame. This song has a really thick layer of fear and authoritarianism that I'm sure has already spawned some thinkpieces, but I couldn't care less. It's just a wonderful song that gets you thrashing. Bless Grimes.

Jeff Rosenstock - "Yr. Throat"
I don't know a huge amount about Jeff Rosenstock or his music beyond the fact that he's basically a pop punker who gets a lot of indie cred for his politics or whatever the fuck. Personally, I couldn't care less about politics in pop punk of genres. When I listen to the genre, I just want excellent production and explosive hooks. This song offers that.

Yeah, it's undoubtedly more ambitious and more artsy than most music that sounds like it, as it's a multiparter kind of song, but rather than the ambition resulting in self-indulgence, it just makes the buzzsaw power pop you hear feel all the more big and important. It feels like Rosenstock is just talking about life in general, and I'm there to listen. "What's the point of having a voice if it gets stuck inside your (yr.) throat?" is a question for the ages.Plus, those guitars, man.

JPEGMAFIA - "Baby I'm Bleeding"
hurr durr d   eaTH GRIPS he s OUNDS LIKE DEATH GR IS PS

Whatever, man. I'm sick of the Death Grips comparisons with this guy as much as anyone else. Especially since he's pretty noticeably different. Firstly, Peggy has a lot more personality than MC Ride has had since 2014. He doesn't feel like he's just playing a vague scary character. When you listen to this song in particular, you can tell that this song is filled with so many stupid jokes and meta references. You can tell that JPEGMAFIA is kind of impressed with himself, but I personally don't mind since he has the swagger to back it up.

Secondly, even the music is different. Sometimes, Death Grips, especially 2013 and onward, is a bit too overwhelming musically. It feels too distant and overly aggressive for me who gets tired too damn often. This song, though, is just right. The production is so bizarre and even kinda primitive, but it adds to the catchiness of the song enough that you don't mind. This song is so filled with personality and fun, and it goes to show that you don't need to be eccentric and distant to make abrasive experiments with hip hop sound good.

Hal I. Butt's 10 Best Songs of 2018 (Part 1)

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You like The Strokes?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn-lcvrMOlc

I... think they're okay. I understand that their songwriting is solid, and I respect their influences and what they did with it, but... their song just isn't for me. Something about it is too thin, or maybe just not as impressive in hindsight when so many goddamn bands decided to ape their ideas.

Now, what happens when you take Julian Casablancas and The Strokes' sound and thinly layer it with trippy psychedelic pop? Well, you get what's essentially my favorite Strokes song.

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10. The Voidz - "Leave It in My Dreams"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1nCVWBTays

Now, the slight psychedelic tinge I already mentioned is one big part in why I absolutely adore the song so much and why I prefer it to The Strokes, but it's not all. At the end of the day, aesthetics doesn't matter that much to me. The songwriting on here, for whatever reason or another, just hits me in a way that Julian never has in his previous band.

Consider this song, and The Voidz in general, as what would happen if Arctic Monkeys made their newest album not a generally panned mess. Not all of this band's music has struck with me, but this song has. It's a very bittersweet little ditty of a song, but it feels a lot bigger to me than it really is. I feel like if modern indie rock wasn't so far up its own ass, it'd sound more often like this. No bullshit. Just hooks, with the occasional wonky synth.

 

 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6sUU2wrrKs

God fucking damnit, Kanye. Why? Why is it so hard to just talk about your music beyond the realm of memes and politics?

While Yandhi has been controversial for the past decade, 2018 has been a new low for him. I don't think he has ever been more hated as a person. His horrifically stupid Trump worship has been painful to watch all year, and beyond that, I think the guy just keeps getting exponentially more and more insane.

Probably the most frustrating aspect of it all, though, is that he just keeps making more and more music that hits me in just the right way.

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9. Kanye West ft. PARTYNEXTDOOR, Kid Cudi and 070 Shake - "Ghost Town"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qatEUlouf0o

Outside of Nas' new album which I didn't bother listening to to begin with knowing it wouldn't be worth it, I have basically eaten up every single Kanye-related thing in 2018. Sure, he was mostly a piece of shit all year, but holy hell his music. Daytona was an instant classic (which unfortunately won't have any songs showing up on the list, sadly) and Kids See Ghosts was... well, you'll see, and believe it or not, I genuinely and thoroughly enjoyed the two big joke singles that he put out this year. It's kind of a shame that Kanye is legitimately funny as he wants to be. Consider "Lift Yourself" an honorable mention as well, and I mean that.

This song, though? Easily my favorite solo Ye song of the year. I guess he isn't featured a huge amount on it and a lot of the appeal comes in the stuff that isn't Kanye, but it doesn't make the song any less breathtaking. It feels like an honest-to-god spiritual cleansing and feeling of complete and total freedom. As a matter of fact, if I had to choose an absolute favorite moment of any song of the year... it'd be 070 Shake. She completely obliterates the rest of the song regardless of how good it initially was. And it's a damn good song, even if the outro overshadows the rest of it. I think it's deserved though, because...you can't beat that voice.

 

 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_tWevHRG9g

I have a whole lot of things to be thankful about in regards to "Nice for What." I'll talk about it all later, but I do want to mention what's maybe the thing I'm most thankful about it outside of the music, and that's introducing me to this artist..

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8. Big Freedia - "Rent"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtU1zjRuTdU

It wouldn't surprise me if my gay older brother knew who she was as she seems to be a pretty big figure in drag culture and has been for a while. I'm sure that wherever he is, he's proud of me for getting around to her.

But I'm glad I did. Outside of the truckloads of sass she gives off, this song in particular is crazy in its energy. "TALKIN TALKIN TALKIN TALKIN YADDA YADDA YADDA YADDA" is maybe my favorite starting hook of any song this year. It sucks you straight into the pure chaos. It's kind of a pissed off song, as the anger at someone not paying rent is metaphorical of someone being a general waste of space in your mind.

But it doesn't sound angry, does it? It sounds like a party song, and an amazing one. Once you listen to this song, you will not be able to get it out of your head, I guarantee it. I'm so happy that I found about Big Freedia. Thank you New Orleans, and thank you Drake.

 

 

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God, I really am a Zoomer.

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7. Denzel Curry - "SUMO"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odj8Wy3jPe4

There were 3 singles from Denzel's amazing record, TA13OO, that I was debating on putting in the top 10 because I knew well that one of them would be it. I decided against "PERCS" because while the energy and production may be better, it's kinda knocked down in the preachiness and "anti-mumble rap" sentiment of the lyrics. It was really hard to decide between this and "BLACK BALLOONS," but at the end of the day, I decided to go for the banger.

This is admittedly just kind of a simple boast rap, but it was a ridiculously good one. It's pretty definitive of the late millennial/early Gen Z mindset not just in it being a hardcore boasting trap song, but also the fact that Denzel had the balls to reference both The Last Airbender and Chowder of all cartoons in a verse. I'd like to think he knew what I was doing, and that goal was to specifically appeal to people my age.

As a whole, it's just a ridiculously fun song. Sure, it's no "Ultimate," but it's pretty damn close. Plus, it's not a meme, which is a point in its favor.

 

 

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I think it's worth noting that as 2018 was the first year in a while that I decided to actively choose to listen to whatever's hot and fresh, I've had a personal "holy trinity" of hit songs of the year that have held an especially close place in my heart.

This first one, and the "worst one" (although more appropriately "marginally least amazing one"), is honestly probably the song that started my rebound. It's the one song that SBCcord wouldn't shut the Hell up about ever since it came out and hit the charts, so I eventually realized that I'm a cranky fuck and I should probably listen to it to see what the hype is about.
I think a personal shoutout to SBCcord is deserved.

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6. Ariana Grande - "No Tears Left to Cry"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffxKSjUwKdU

The idea of a "perfect pop song" is one that has always interested me beyond the realm of just listening to songs you really love and perceive as "perfect." Which pop songs are perfect in a "Hey Ya!" kind of way? A "Since U Been Gone" kind of way? Heck, even a "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "Good Vibrations" kind of way? Which pop songs will be eternally beloved for years to come and be ever present even in the brains and hearts of those who "don't like pop music very much"?

I don't think I will ever successfully find a worded answer to the question, but I think that a "perfect pop song" is like pornography...you know it when you see it. Or hear it, in this case. While this wasn't my absolute favorite hit song of the year, it's probably the most monolithic. It's the biggest-sounding and probably the one that had the most hype. It's the one where I truly hope that it will be just as fresh in people's minds in a decade or so. Everything about it hits the right spots in my brain that makes me think so. I feel important when listening to it.

Even beyond how I feel it will be received, it's just an unbelievably beautiful song. In a year painfully devoid of chorus, this one offered one of the very best. It lifts you up into the clouds only for the chorus to temporarily take you back down. It's like a roller coaster of a song. Thank you, Ari.

 

 

 

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On 12/14/2018 at 2:41 PM, Noggy said:

My only real complaint is actually not on your #3, but on your #8, which I think is not THAT bad and just simply works for me in a few ways. While we're all still on the topic of #3, my thoughts on it are kinda in-between. I am not a big fan of it and I could think of better songs from better artists that fall under the similar styling (i.e. Lorde, Lana Del Rey, pre-Lady Wood Tove Lo), but I appreciate its unique atmosphere that is has going for it.

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That and I could also think of far better songs from Camila that are either stuck as deep cuts or never got the push that I think it deserved. "She Loves Control" and "No Crying in the Club" both deserved better.

As always, you make a great list, Claps, and I'll be excited to see what your top ten looks like.

lady wood tove lo does not deserve this slander

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Hello, 2018 has been such an unbelievably shitty, vile year for the pop charts that I'm not even going to talk about a worst 10 list fefe is the worst song of the year and possibly ever best list coming sometime this month

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On 12/15/2018 at 1:00 PM, kev said:

lady wood tove lo does not deserve this slander

With brutal honesty, I couldn't find any particular song from Tove's Lady Wood album that struck a chord on me as much as her previous singles, except "True Disaster," which I thought was very decent at best. I haven't listened to anything from Blue Lips except "Disco Tits," but that's because I don't know what's highly recommended from that album and because it just didn't pique my interests.

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2 hours ago, Noggy said:

With brutal honesty, I couldn't find any particular song from Tove's Lady Wood album that struck a chord on me as much as her previous singles, except "True Disaster," which I thought was very decent at best. I haven't listened to anything from Blue Lips except "Disco Tits," but that's because I don't know what's highly recommended from that album and because it just didn't pique my interests.

lol “true disaster” really is THAT SONG.

Blue Lips is very hit-or-miss, for me.  there really is no evolution in terms of the song writing nor does it feel like a continuation of the Lady Wood chapters, which i think is its weakest point. i do think the production is spot on when it should be, in the first half. second half is super weak in comparasion tho and is reminisced of her first album . l i can see why ppl find her material repetitive, if we’re going through the same themes of love/sex/drugs for the third time lmao. it’s not really an album that’ll win any newcomers over but i think listeners who are used to her schtick will dig they would expect from a Tove Lo album. 

if you want , i highly recommend “stranger” from it. it is easily the standout of the album and def one of the best songs she’s made. may as well recommend the first half because “shivering gold” & “bitches” are stupid catchy. 

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howdy.

Hal's Fav Songs of 2018 Part 2! (5-1)

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I fully understand why people are sick of Kanye this year, even if I don't quite agree. Sure, I'm sick of him as a person. Very, very sick of it. In regards to his social media antics, he's basically made wrong decision after wrong decision after wrong decision. It was kinda horrifying to see.

That said, unlike a certain YouTuber that dished out a hot take for the ages recently (I still love u tho ❤️), Kanye's shitty personality hasn't diminished my complete and total love for his music...

This isn't really about Kanye, though.

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5. Kids See Ghosts - Reborn

The music snob community online totally lost their collective shit when Kids See Ghosts' self-titled debut came out. It was so strange and wild! Kid Cudi was actually making good music again! Fantano gave out his first 10/10 in years! With an album this hyped up despite Kanye and Kid Cudi's equal reputation of "Oh my God, they have completely lost their fucking minds," I tried to reach into it with an open mind.

What I happily got was a genuinely fantastic album that lived up to the hype unlike a certain other crazy hyped "masterpiece." The entire record feels like a wild psychedelic journey, but the highlight is probably the record's tamest song. Sure, Kanye has his amazing production along with a verse on here, but Kid Cudi's the real star here. The dude's reputation as a good musician was as good as rock-bottom not that long ago thanks to releasing one of the most hilariously terrible albums of the decade, but it's easy to forgive when he puts his craziness to good use.

This is a goddamn beautiful song, which is fine as is, but the thing that makes the song so great to me, though, is just the subject matter. Being reborn and moving forward is honestly my year in a nutshell. 2017 was a fucking mess of a year for me, and 2018 was when I finally felt like I had a purpose and reason to keep going. I'd like to thank Kid Cudi for articulating that.

 

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Kero Kero Bonito was never a band that I was very invested in for one simple reason: I can only take so much hyper-sugary electropop. While I do love pop music as much as the next guy, there's a threshold when a song becomes too cute and precious and then I find it hard to listen to. People love Flamingo a lot, but I guess my hot take of the day is that I've always just found that song annoying. It just crosses the line so that the nature of it is too much for me.

Maybe I'm just super predictable that my favorite Kero Kero Bonito song is one where they go a more abrasive route.

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4. Kero Kero Bonito - Only Acting (Radio Edit)

KKB must have done this for me, because to my ears, this is the platonic ideal of music.

They've always made music that's super catchy, and maybe the worst part about Flamingo is the fact that once I listen to it, it's not gonna leave my head for a long time. Here, though, they use their ability to make amazing hooks and use it for good rather than evil... well not really.

That's the other part that makes the song stand out to me, actually. It's a fucking unsettling song. I love buzzsaw guitar and it's what makes the song work cohesively for me, but it gets really messed up and kinda terrifying. The midsection where the groove keeps going but you get treated to guitar noise and screaming from Sarah leads you into what I see as the best part of this version of the song, which is the full-on power pop explosion.

There's a reason that you see "(Radio Edit)" on the title, though. In the original version, Kero Kero Bonito decided to completely destroy the song's momentum by cutting off the last chorus to switch to a dose of genuinely terrifying noise. While this doesn't make it objectively bad by any means, as it's clearly intentionally meant to scare you if the official music video is any hint, but for me, it makes the song unlistenable. I don't like scary music. Just give me the whole package of a stone-cold perfect power pop song with maybe a spoonful of horror mixed in. Thank you.

 

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Sometimes, you have to warm up to a song. All it takes is a few listens to make you go from "this is pretty okay" to "I don't think I will ever get sick of this song."

I don't have much of an introduction besides that.

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3. Drake - Nice for What

When this song came out, I remember the music people on SBC falling completely in love with it. At the time, I still was hilariously behind on current music, so it took a while for me to actually listen to it. At first, I thought "this is pretty good for a Drake song," but then I kept listening to it until I realized I love it with every fiber of my being.

I, as well as just about every chart watcher on SBC, eventually became sick of Drake to the point where listening to God's Plan one too many times could probably induce vomiting. Despite that, all these same people seemed to be able to forgive him briefly when this song first got big, and I can see why. The production and sampling on this song is unbelievable among every other Drake song this year which was just the most bland and typical trap beats possible. It's by no means the prettiest Drake song, but it's probably his prettiest hip hop song.

That, plus the super awesome subject matter, makes the song so feel-good, and it makes for my... 2nd favorite hit song of the year. You probably know what my favorite is.

 

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hehe clappy sux

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2. Camila Cabello - Never Be the Same

Look, even outside of SBC, this song seems to be pretty divisive. Some people love it to death, some find it unlistenable.

For me, personally, I will grudgingly accept that it has its faults. I understand why the super-high bridge throws people into a fit. I accept that a lot of people find the production dull as dirt. That said, I'm just gonna pull the "music isn't something you get points for" excuse that Todd used for his justification for loving "Closer." I couldn't care less about the song's faults. It's all subjective, and art is as powerful or "good" as the individual defines it. I absolutely adore this song, and I just feel nothing but joy when listening to it. What you see as boring production, I see as beautiful. What you see as annoying sing, I generally don't mind. I can even forgive "HEROWEEN" because it's only like 3 seconds in a song that's mostly amazing otherwise.

I don't have much else to say, really. This is another "perfect pop song" to me, or if nothing else, an imperfect yet still delightful pop song. This was actually going to be my #1 for a really long time until...

 

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I don't think it's by any means controversial to say that when people look back at 2018 music, the first two words that'll pop up in their brain is "trap" and "rap." The trap sound dominated the year completely, even if the Billboard charts haven't really shown it.

That's mainstream 2018, though. What about the big and scary u n d e r g r o u n d ? Well, I wouldn't know, but I think that in hindsight, a notable part of the late 2010's will be seen in bizarre underground pop music.

This song would've actually made my top 10 if I waited a bit more to make it, but I digress.

There was a whole lot of acclaimed pop music this year that was also pretty far left of the dial. You had the warped industrial dance-pop of SOPHIE above (although the linked song isn't a good example), you had more sophisticated and chambery stuff like Julia Holter, but I think the formula that I liked the most was the one that Kero Kero Bonito used: take your sugary pop music and pair it with abrasive rock music! If it makes for what I see is the best song of the year, then I think I should trust my instinct.

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1. Poppy - X

I'd like to give Homie a shoutout for even letting me know that this song exists. I thought I had my top 10 for 2018 solid and done earlier this month, and then she linked me this. At first I thought "Damn, this is fucking great. Imma put it in the low top 10," then I listened to it more and thought "Nah this is too good for #7, time to put it in the top 5." Then top 3. And now #1.

Honestly, take everything I said about Only Acting and copy/paste, because this is a truer idea of my personal platonic ideal of music. While I love Only Acting to pieces, I'm not gonna pretend that sometimes I think "what if this was more fleshed out?" This is the answer. The majority of the song is an interplay of two different sounds, that being between soft and gentle summer pop as well as totally bonkers heavy metal. Unlike KKB, though, both parts are equally good. I never think to myself "Man, I'm just kinda waiting for the other sound to come back."

If it were just those 2 parts, though, then the song probably would've stayed in the lower top 10. What makes it number one, though, is the last minute or so. I can only imagine what this song would be if the entirety of it was the last minute. It would probably be among the very best songs of the decade, quite honestly, but surprisingly enough, the fact that it makes up such a small part of this song doesn't ruin it or make me actively wish for more. It feels like a logical conclusion to the first two thirds of the song which focus on the duality of pretty and ugly. It almost feels like a synthesis of the two elements.

Look, I don't know what I'm talking about. Listen to the song. The entire song is basically just hooks, and said hooks are fantastic. If no other song on my list justifies listening to on loop, then it's this one. I really need to listen to more Poppy eventually, because while I'm sure this song is kind of an outlier, I wanna see what else someone who has a song like this in them has to offer.

 

 

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Well after all those complaints I made about this year, here lies a good question.  Did that make 2018 completely irredeemable?

As already established well with my worst list, I did not like this year for singles as a whole.  So much shit that I promise will not last the test of time, hell I guarantee I’ll forget way more than half of this list by the time 2019 list season starts.  But as always, the good stuff always shines far and above the rest.  And to be completely honest with you guys, this is honestly one of the better best lists of this decade.  Like seriously, guaranteed top five best list of the decade.  That’s how excellent I found these hits to be.  Not enough to not change my stance on this year for singles as a whole, but enough to make it not worth my time.  Hopefully the good stuff will last the test of time because there is enough to salvage from this overall depressing year.  As always, let's talk about a few honorable mentions first before we count down...

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“God Is a Woman” – Ariana Grande

This is a better version of Dangerous Woman.  I think I like this more as a work of art more than I do a song if that makes any sense.  Because this video is just gorgeous.  I love it.  I love the live performances.  It really makes think you how far Ariana’s sexual maturity has evolved in her music in comparison to where it was four years ago.  I just wish the song itself had a little more going for it because that chorus is such a profound statement that it makes the verses weaker in comparison.  And speaking about songs taken as statements.

 

“This is America” – Childish Gambino

Would make the actual best list if this was in regards to the total package.  Love the video.  Love the think pieces.  This absolutely works as a statement about modern day America.  But to me, this is a best SONGS list for a reason.  And as a song, it just doesn’t work as well without the music video and especially the gun shots from the video.  Otherwise, it’s just another trap song with heavy amounts of sarcasm.

 

“Feel It Still” – Portugal.  The Man

Almost made the best list again just for kicks now.  This just keeps managing to grow on me no matter how overplayed it gets.

 

“Powerglide” – Rae Sremmurd & Juicy J

I liked Black Beatles just fine and all.  That beat fucking kills every time.  But this revamped sample of Three 6 Mafia’s “Side 2 Side” is even better and kills twice as much.  I don’t know if Rae Sremmurd are splitting up or not since Swae Lee seems to be trying hard to go solo with all the work he’s shown up as of late, but this will probably go down as Rae Sremmurd’s best single.

 

“Bad at Love” – Halsey

I don’t think I ever really named the winner of that Song vs Song review from earlier this year.  New Rules is the technically better song yes, but god does Bad at Love just strike more of a chord with me.  I love it.  So yeah, this song wins.

 

“One Kiss” – Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa

The closest we will ever get to having a Eurodance revival.  And to think, I use to hate Calvin Harris a lot.  He’s seriously gotten so much better than most of the EDM artists we have around right now, it’s crazy.  Also, Dua Lipa.  Excellent as always.  Best new artist of 2018.

 

“SICKO MODE” – Travis Scott

With all the album bombs we went through on the charts this year, Travis Scott's latest album was definitely my favorite.  I don’t know how to word it, but Astroworld is just an experience you have to listen to.  This would probably rank middle tier amongst all the songs from it, but god do all those beat switch ups just get me hyped every freaking time.

 

“Stir Fry” – Migos

In a year with so much interchangeable trap music, Stir Fry stuck out in a good way.  Actually is it fair to really classify this as a trap song?  The moment you get Pharrell to produce your stuff, it immediately stands out for better or for worse.  Either way, this song is still a real breath of fresh air.

 

“Havana” – Camila Cabello

Like I said on my worst list, this song is still great.  But nearly a year of it being around kind of wore out its welcome.  I’m starting to come around it to again though after months of not hearing it, so who knows.  Maybe I’ll look back and think this deserved to be on the best list proper.

 

“Finesse” – Bruno Mars & Cardi B

Shocker.  You know this best list is seriously great if I couldn’t place this one on the best list proper.  But this shrunk on me a bit.  Why you may ask?  Too much Bruno Mars and not enough Cardi B, who fits in the new jack swing genre like a glove.

 

CLAPPY'S TOP TEN BEST HIT SONGS OF 2018

Spoiler

I don't care how many times I have to point this out for these year end reviews in particular but damn, we need to cheer the fuck up. 

https://nypost.com/2018/02/13/americans-are-more-depressed-and-miserable-than-ever/

This was such a dour year.  Everything is all dark and gloomy.  It’s reflective of the mood of the times.  And our popular music reflects this especially well.  If you guys are wondering why trap music is so freaking huge right now, look no further as to this being the main reason why.  It makes me long for the stupidity of rap music of yesteryear.  Even as far back as 2014/2015.  Now who could provide us with something so absurdly dumb?

No, not you Kanye.  I’m beyond sick of you this year with all your political nonsense and Twitter rants.  Anyone else?

0bbdfd90c58cb438fa0b9ca18d4f6683.600x400

Hello, old friend.

 

10. “BIG BANK” – YG (featuring 2 Chainz, Big Sean, & Nicki Minaj)

 

 

Are we sure this was a hit this year and not some forgotten song from the DJ Mustard boom of 2014?  Because good lord, once those xylophones start up ten seconds after the song begins, I lose it every time.  I laugh hysterically.  What a bait and switch.  I’ve got to give it up to DJ Mustard for actually being more experimental with his production as of late.

But this isn’t all about DJ Mustard and this song feeling like an out of place relic in this year.  We’ve got four names that were all really huge back in 2014 and some who still are now.  Where has YG been as of late?  I thought for sure he was done after he couldn’t follow up the shock value of having a song called My N*gga.  Apparently he released critically praised album in 2016 and not a single hit from it.  So hearing him rap about how much more successful he is than you is a fucking joke.  A funny joke mind you.

Let me make it simple.  YG gets outshined by his guest stars.  2 Chainz is amazing.  I can’t believe I ever got annoyed by this doofus.  He’s too funny to hate.  How can you hate someone who thinks himself as big as dinosaur shit?  What the fuck, I’m laughing again.  Then you have Big Sean coming out of nowhere from changing his verse to being about flexing to an out of nowhere political stances.  Huh what?  Ridiculous.  And of course there’s Nicki Minaj because she did way too many guest verses this year, but this is her best one.

At the end of the delay, whenever I need to cheer myself up, this was definitely a go to song for just flat out stupidity and I'm thankful for it...and BIG SHIT LIKE A DINOSAUR DID IT!

 

Spoiler

Don’t act like you’re not surprised.

 

9. “All the Stars” – Kendrick Lamar & SZA

 

 

Yes one of the few times I talked about the hits from this year was me placing this as my number one doing the Spring chart rankings with Wumbo.  If you guys haven’t learned anything about me by now doing those rankings, my number one position doesn’t mean anything doing those.  My opinions change over the course of time like anyone else’s.  My year end number one is fair game.  Shoot I might as well and pull a Double Agent and just place The Hills there until the end of time if you guys want solidity.

I praised the hell out of SZA more than anything else while discussing this last time and I briefly mentioned how Kendrick Lamar did just enough to build up to SZA’s superstar making performance.  Let me course correct just a little bit.  Of course SZA still easily my favorite part of this entire song, but I didn’t give Kendrick nearly enough credit.  His verse is commenting on standing tall while facing adversity and honestly, it makes sense he doesn’t sound fazed at all in his performance.  Even commercialized Kendrick still brings plenty to the table because he’s that great of a rapper.  And yes I said commercialized, he helped create the soundtrack to the biggest movie of the year, there’s no denying it isn’t.

Oh and I don’t think I mentioned this last time either, but if I did, it’s worth repeating.  I love love love this music video.  2018 was a great year for music videos as practically all of the biggest songs of this year were established as such because of their videos.  But I honestly believe this music video is hands down the most underrated.  It’s masterfully done with so many breathtaking visuals.

Great song.  Can't wait for both artists next albums.

 

Spoiler

So how about that latin pop trend?  Yeah…it didn’t go as expected.

Instead of Despacito being the gateway to more Latin crossover appeal, the real trend starter was not the sixteen week number one hit.  It was the still incredibly awful Mi Gente that lead the way for Latin trap music to crossover to the mainstream.  Which is a damn shame since most of it has been pretty bad, but it makes sense since trap music is the hot shit over here right now.

I still wish we got more successful Latin pop music on the charts right now since actual pop music is basically nonexistent these days.  Fortunately though, we had one super successful song this year that gave us the best of both worlds.

 

8. “I Like It” – Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin

 

 

 

Yeah I know, this is classified as Latin trap and all three artists make trap music…but I don’t think it is.  You don’t use that supremely recognizable sample and call yourself a trap song.  I heard this song on my local pop stations far more than I ever did on any rap stations.  But hey being heard on pop stations more isn’t an insult.  It just goes to show how commercially successful your single really is.  And more importantly, it’s really good.

This is the best chorus of the year.  The moment I hear it, the blood just rushes through my veins and I sing along every freaking time.  I’m honestly surprised this wasn’t the Song of Summer.  The Song of the Summer usually has an anthem of a chorus for all the people to sing along too, but I guess people would rather jump out of a moving car instead.

So yeah Cardi B is awesome as always, so why isn’t this higher?  Well…

…yeah I’m sorry, I don’t really care for Bad Bunny’s part.  Like at all.  Besides having a seriously stupid stage name, I don’t really see any real charisma from this guy.  I mean shoot, he gets outshined by Drake on his current song out right now and Drake is singing in really broken Spanish.

Then we have J Balvin, who man, I really owe an apology too from last year.  Out of all the reggaeton artists we are getting right now, he seems to best know his way around a solid groove at least.  He can stay on tempo, he is more charismatic than I gave him credit for last year, and he probably has the line of the song:

Pa-pa-paparazzi, like I’m Lady Gaga

See?  This line just gets me in the right nostalgia.  Because it wants to take me back to nearly ten years ago when pop music was more mindless and fun.

Look I'm not going to shy around it.  I can easily see myself getting tired of Cardi B by this time next year if she doesn't slow it down a bit because she is almost getting to the point of overexposure with how much she is appearing everywhere.  But at the same time, with the amount of good Cardi B is still providing everywhere she is, I hope for nothing but the best for her.  Regardless on if she becomes intolerable or still incredibly likeable, this song is an anthem.  I LIKE IT LIKE THAT.

 

Spoiler

All year long I’ve been keeping track of one song in particular and keeping my fingers crossed that it will succeed.  Because for the first three months, I thought it would fall of the charts entirely.  But it kept hanging in there.  Surviving practically every album bomb from this year.  And even coming inches from cracking the top ten.  And I think you all know which song I’m talking about.  Discord's Best Hit Song of 2018.

 

7. “Delicate” – Taylor Swift

 

 

 

I couldn’t be happier for this song’s success.  Taylor Swift still holds too strong a grasp hold in the music industry to completely drift away like so many of her peers have.  Despite how disappointed I’ve been with practically all of her singles from reputation’s album cycle, I’m still a big fan of her as an artist.  Well not as big as the rest of you are, but still I like her a lot.

This is some of the most onpoint songwriting Taylor has ever written.  Even at her most publically mixed as she was for most of the past year, Taylor still held one huge asset that no one could ever take from her.  Her song-crafting.  This is Taylor at her most vulnerable and I love it when she gets vulnerable because you really see that the old Taylor is still in there.  What this really feels like is a 1989 lost track.  Especially with the vocoder and it being an electronic love song.

For those of you who think Taylor is over, you couldn’t be more wrong.  After all, guess what album was number one on the Billboard 2018 Top 200?  Yeah Taylor Swift will be just fine.  If anything, the fact that Delicate is one of her longest charting singles is proof enough that Taylor knows which single her fans liked the most and what she will lean towards making more of with her next album probably.  This is for the best.

 

Spoiler

I opened up last year about how much I didn’t get why trap music became as popular as it has.  I definitely get it a lot more this year since it reflects the mood of our society so well.  But the amount of it that I will open up to loving, I still have my limitations over.  To make my best of the year list, you have to connect and relate with me in some fashion to stand out.  And one trap banger this year really went that extra mile to spark a connection with me.

 

6. “Ric Flair Drip” – Offset & Metro Boomin

 

 

I mean good lord, this is genius.  Rappers comparing themselves to wrestling royalty like “Nature Boy” Ric Flair.  Fucking brilliant.  The similarities are all there: egotistical, braggadocious, self-centered, flexing, flaunting about buying the most expensive shit, stealing your girl….it’s all there.  Holy shit.  Why has it taken until just now for rappers to try and get my attention by comparing themselves to wrestlers?  I can’t wait for the upcoming brag rap songs about Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock…oh wait, we already have one:

God I still can’t believe that was a thing.  But yeah, besides wrestling references that I adore, this beat fucking slaps.  There’s a reason we don’t see other big name trap rap producers going out there and making their own albums because Metro Boomin is the best we have right now and more often than not, his stuff is pretty good.

But the real star of the show is Offset.  And Offset is easily becoming my favorite rapper of the Migos trio.  He had multiple song stealing guest verses this year.  His bars are often pretty great.  His flow is intimidating.  Most importantly, we don’t see Offset fast-tracking solo projects that aren’t good. 

For real though, if 2017 was the year of Quavo, 2018 was the year of Offset in terms of making a big name for yourself.  And I think this is the song that proves Offset can be great whenever he does go solo. 

 

Spoiler

I swear amongst all of the rap album bombs, it’s always nice to see that there is still a glimmering bit of hope that pop music can recover from its death bed.  Thank you Ariana for being that shining light.  Seriously every single she has released this year has a legitimate chance of making my best lists for this year and next.  This year there will be only one and it’s excellent.

 

5. “No Tears Left to Cry” – Ariana Grande

 

 

There is no way we can’t touch upon this song without directly talking about the Manchester Bombings during her concert.  A real heartbreaking news story that probably changed a lot of people’s aspects on life when they experience such an event.  About a year after said events, Ariana announced her first single off her new album and don’t tell me you didn’t expect it had anything to do with what happened.  And after you answer that hypothetical statement, answer this.  Did anybody expect for the song to turn out the way it did?

I know I sure didn’t.  The moment I heard those opening notes, I was definitely expecting a ballad.  Then all of a sudden, it hits you with an infectious arrangement of disco and optimism.  It’s defiant about just sitting back and it wants you to go out and inspire.

And inspire it did.  It inspired me to not sit back and dwell in negativity.  To keep pushing forward and that everything will be alright.  Which was much needed in a year where the popular culture was very sad and pessimistic.  Ariana Grande was a shining light and gives me hope that pop music will come back swinging.  Seriously, I’ve got a good feeling she will be on future best lists to come.  So thank u, next.

 

Spoiler

Wow did I not expect Khalid to get THIS huge.  When I first heard this song, I saw all the potential in the world for this guy…but I did not expect him to stick around.  And yeah I really liked Location an awful lot at first, but since it stuck around for as long as it did, I got tired of it pretty fast.  And then Khalid started appearing everywhere in 2017 and the aura started to fade pretty quickly as he started to fill out those guest spots on practically every song that needed his deep soulful voice.

Look, I still like him and I’m glad he’s become so successful, but he really needed to slow down a bit and become more selective with his projects.  And then he did.  And he picked up the biggest hit of his career.

 

4. “Love Lies” – Khalid & Normani

 

 

Man, these soundtrack hits are really starting to come back in a big way in the back half of the 2010s.  Yes, for those of you who don’t know, this song was off the soundtrack for the coming of age romance movie Love, Simon.  A very progressive, great teen movie that should have been more successful than it actually was with how well it tackles coming out in this day and age.  And with how John Hughes-esque most of this movie reminded me of, it really needed that big soaring soundtrack smash, and while it got that, it took Love Lies months and months to really become that smash.

Let’s get this out of the way first, the chemistry is what makes this song as excellent as it is.  Not knocking both of their performances because this is the best either artist has ever sounded.  It’s hard to believe that both of these two are as young as they are because they sound beyond their years in terms of vocals and intimate chemistry.  Of course this has come to be expected of Khalid since his voice might be the best for males in pop right now.  And he’s stated for the record that he went into this collaboration wanting to make a song that will always remember and be a career defining song for him.  He’s definitely succeeded on that part for me.

I want to talk more about Normani though.  While it was easy to hate on Fifth Harmony in the peak of their fame, I couldn’t ever find myself to completely do that.  I saw potential in two people specifically that their voices stuck out to intrigue me as to where their careers will go.  One was Lauren Jauregui, who hasn’t had that career defining hit yet, but I’ve liked the road she’s taken so far to get there.  The other was Normani, who got featured the most outside of Camila Cabello.  If this is the road Normani is going to take to get to stardom, I fully support it.

But yeah, this was the sleeper hit of the year taking almost thirty weeks to finally get to the top ten.  The fact that this had longevity shows that the quality wasn’t total shit after all.  More of this please.

 

Spoiler

I think country music is finally starting to become relevant again.

After years and years of getting swept under the rug for mostly pop and rap to dominate the music landscape, country hasn’t been relevant in a long ass time outside of the brief and embarrassing blip that was the bro-country boom.

But with pop music grasping for anything radio safe this year, we saw pop calling Nashville for help and country fully took advantage of it.  I heard more country on pop radios around me this year more than I’ve ever before.  Maren Morris collabed with Zedd on his biggest hit ever, Florida Georgia Line have been on MULTIPLE pop songs, shoot even Dan & Shay had an actual crossover hit.

Ignoring the prior two examples listed above, this is definitely the most country music I’ve seen on a year-end list I’ve seen since I started doing these.  I think it’s only fitting that at least one song makes my best list and it comes from….

tr_photo_shearer_11602_ret_fnl-dabd9023-

…Rhett Sheeran?!?!!

 

3. “Marry Me” – Thomas Rhett

 

 

…man I still can’t come to grasps with this.  I did not expect Thomas Rhett to have this sort of song in him.  The Thomas Rhett I used to know doesn’t make country music and ripped off bigger better pop songs.  Yet here he is on a year-end list with an actual country music song and it completely defies my expectations every time I hear it.

Seriously if you look at the title of that song, you expect it to be a wedding song.  But then, you get to the chorus and find out that it’s about a guy who is losing the love of his life to someone else.  Then you keep listening expecting him to make some big romantic gesture to win this girl back…but then he doesn’t and just keeps drinking whiskey in the back of the church to numb the emotional pain.

…you just don’t get songs like this in country music these days.  This is the type of country music I fell in love with when I was a kid.  Songs about the misery one goes through and how much pain and devoid of any hope one suffers.  And we got this from the guy who gave us “MAKES ME WANNA”.  This bucked my expectations and it’s nice to see Thomas Rhett make such mature strides as an artist. 

Congratulations, you’re no longer Rhett Sheeran.  Keep it up.

 

Spoiler

 

Just because this song isn’t making an appearance on my best list at all doesn’t mean I don’t like it.  Because I do.  It’s good.  I just wish the production did more for it to really stick out.  But without a doubt, buy your stocks in Dua Lipa. This woman is a pop superstar in the making.

 

2. “IDGAF” – Dua Lipa

 

 

Barely made the year end list, but came super close to topping this best list.  This was the only real challenge to make an impact on the charts this year that could have given my number one a fight for its money.  I mean you just don’t hear pop songs like this anymore.  Pop songs with real personality and presence.  I can’t stress enough how much Dua Lipa’s sheer blunt aggression dominates this song.  Like seriously, I kind of feel bad for this guy that Dua Lipa is singing about because when it comes to who won this breakup, I think that the results are clearly leveraging in her favor.

Also let’s give more credit to the instrumentation.  The guitar strumming is good, but that percussion fucking kills.  It only enforces how many laps Dua Lipa is running over this guy.  Like every time those drums get louder, the more cutting Dua’s lyrics get.  When Dua tells this guy that she doesn’t give a fuck, you better hope to god that he gets down on his knees or she will destroy him even more.  It’s been years since we’ve gotten a pop song about break ups that is this detailed and has the instrumentation to back it up.  This is what I wanted “New Rules” to be.

Honestly, I don't want to analyze this any further.  This is one of the few times where the music just speaks for itself.  Just listen and get soaked in its greatness.  And then invest in Dua Lipa.  Don't sleep on her any further and stream her music today. 

 

Spoiler

As I mentioned earlier, it was a very close contest for this number one.  Like this is seriously one of the better best lists I’ve covered for this decade.  And speaking of this decade, I think it is only fitting that my choice for the best hit song of this year goes to not just the most successful artist of this year, but this entire decade.

giphy.gif

Yep.  Let’s do this.

 

1. “Nice For What” – Drake

 

 

I’ve given Drake so much shit over the past few years for not taking a break and going the hell away, but even amongst the constant shit talking, I still like him.  I know I know, I’m so damn sick of him being around all the time like the rest of you are.  But he’s made just way too much music that I’ve liked to outright hate him.  And even with the decline in quality from his albums, they still contain plenty of songs that make me remember why I was a fan to begin with.  And here we are from the biggest album of 2018 comes the best song from that album.

When I first heard this, I was at a loss for words.  I thought for sure entering in to that wonderful Lauryn Hill sample, that this had to be a mistake and that it was a long lost Kanye song.  But no, I was completely wrong.  That definitely sounds like Drake.  And not just any Drake.  An energized Drake who sounds completely alive and not his trademarked mellowed tone as of late.  I guess the formula is that when you give a beat with some real energy, you will get a more inspired Drake.  Congratulations Murda Beatz.  You should have been given a featured credit for this.

Look, I will give Drake his due diligence.  Yeah he sounds alive which helps, but he has a writing credit for this too and this is some great writing.  After all the crap he’s forced onto the listening public over the last four years, it’s nice to know that the old Drake is still in there.  Especially with all the concern trolling he’s had in his singles as of late.  This sounds like a genuine Drake talking about actual women in his life and how they don’t need a man to make themselves feel better.  See?  It’s all about the context in comparison to “Girls Like You” where even Adam Levine admitted months ago before it became huge that he doesn’t know who their song is specifically for.  That’s why “Nice For What” actually feels empowering because Drake’s lyrics are actually relatable.

But you know what my favorite part is?  That breakdown.  It gets me pumped every fucking time and I can just picture anyone listening to this breakdown dancing around and having a good time.  Hell, I can picture the empowered women in Drake’s music video doing the same thing when they heard this.  Which btw, this video is also excellent because all these women are beautiful and are having fun and are most importantly, strong independent women.

I hope what I’m about to say doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass, but I’ll just go out and say it.  I will sit through more of Drake’s overlong slog of albums he’s been forcing out if that means I’ll get one more “Nice For What”.  Best song of Drake’s career.

 

Full Rankings:

Spoiler

1. “Nice For What” – Drake

2. “IDGAF” – Dua Lipa

3. “Marry Me” – Thomas Rhett

4. “Love Lies” – Khalid & Normani

5. “No Tears Left to Cry” – Ariana Grande

6. “Ric Flair Drip” – Offset & Metro Boomin

7. "Delicate" - Taylor Swift

8. “I Like It” – Cardi B, Bad Bunny, & J Balvin

9. “All the Stars” – Kendrick Lamar & SZA

10. “BIG BANK” – YG (featuring 2 Chainz, Big Sean, and Nicki Minaj)

11. “Finesse” – Bruno Mars & Cardi B

12. “Havana” – Camila Cabello

13. “Stir Fry” – Migos

14. “Feel It Still” – Portugal.  The Man

15. “SICKO MODE” – Travis Scott

16. “Bad at Love” – Halsey

17. “Powerglide” – Rae Sremmurd & Juicy J

18. “One Kiss” – Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa

19. “God is a woman” – Ariana Grande

20. “This Is America” – Childish Gambino

21. “Tequila” – Dan & Shay

22. “New Rules” – Dua Lipa

23. “King’s Dead” – Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Future, James Blake

24. “Sky Walker” – Miguel (featuring Travis Scott)

25. “No Limit” – G-Eazy (featuring A$AP Rocky and Cardi B)

26. “I Get the Bag” – Gucci Mane (featuring Migos)

27. “Bodak Yellow” – Cardi B

28. “Better Now” – Post Malone

29. “Whatever It Takes” – Imagine Dragons

30. “Moonlight” - XXXTentacion

31. “How Long” – Charlie Puth

32. “In My Feelings” – Drake

33. “Sorry Not Sorry” – Demi Lovato

34. “God’s Plan” - Drake

35. “MotorSport” – Migos, Cardi B, & Nicki Minaj

36. “Let You Down” – NF

37. “LOVE.” – Kendrick Lamar

38. “Too Good at Goodbyes” – Sam Smith

39. “Happier” – Marshmello & Bastille

40. “Boo’d Up” – Ella Mai

41. “Trip” – Ella Mai

42. “1-800-273-8255” – Logic (featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid)

43. “Youngblood” – 5 Seconds of Summer

44. “Nonstop” – Drake

45. “Lemon” – N*E*R*D & Rihanna

46. “Dura” – Daddy Yankee

47. “Say Something” – Justin Timberlake (featuring Chris Stapleton)

48. “Pray For Me” – The Weeknd & Kendrick Lamar

49. “Eastside” – Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid

50. “Freaky Friday” – Lil Dicky (featuring Chris Brown)

51. “Young, Dumb, & Broke” - Khalid

52. “In My Blood” – Shawn Mendes

53. “Get Along” – Kenny Chesney

54. “Wolves” – Marshmello & Selena Gomez

55. “I Fall Apart” – Post Malone

56. “Psycho” – Post Malone (featuring Ty Dolla Sign)

57. “FRIENDS” – Marshmello & Anne-Marie

58. “Taste” – Tyga (featuring Offset)

59. “Mercy” – Brett Young

60. “The Middle” – Zedd, Maren Morris, & Grey

61. “Simple” – Flordia Georgia Line

62. “Look Alive” – BlocBoy JB (featuring Drake)

63. “One Number Away” – Luke Combs

64. “Thunder” – Imagine Dragons

65. “Heaven” – Kane Brown

66. “Bartier Cardi” – Cardi B (featuring 21 Savage)

67. “Plain Jane” – ASAP Ferg

68. “What Lovers Do” – Maroon 5 (featuring SZA)

69. “Gucci Gang” – Lil Pump

70. “X” – Nicky Jam & J Balvin

71. “Lucid Dreams” – Juice WRLD

72. “SAD!” – XXXTentacion

73. “You Make It Easy” – Jason Aldean

74. “Call Out My Name” – The Weeknd

75. “No Brainer” – DJ Khaled (featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, & Chance the Rapper)

76. “Shape of You” – Ed Sheeran

77. “Mine” – Bazzi

78. “Be Careful” – Cardi B

79. “rockstar” – Post Malone (featuring 21 Savage)

80. “Mi Gente” – J Balvin & Willy William

81. “Natural” – Imagine Dragons

82. “Outside Today” – YoungBoy Never Broke Again

83. “Walk It Talk It” – Migos (featuring Drake)

84. “I Like Me Better” – Lauv

85. “Him & I” – G-Eazy & Halsey

86. “Te Bote” – Casper Magico, Nio Garcia, Darell, Nicky Jam, Ozuna, Bad Bunny

87. “Girls Like You” – Maroon 5 (featuring Cardi B)

88. “Believer” – Imagine Dragons

89. “Meant to Be” – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line

90. “GUMMO” – 6ix9ine

91. “Back to You” – Selena Gomez

92. “Plug Walk” – Rich the Kid

93. “Lights Down Low” – MAX (featuring gnash)

94. “Wait” – Maroon 5

95. “I’m Upset” – Drake

96. “Yes Indeed” – Lil Baby & Drake

97. “FEFE” – 6ix9ine (featuring Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz)

98. “Never Be The Same” – Camila Cabello

99. “Perfect” – Ed Sheeran

100. “Changes” – XXXTentacion

Any further analysis about any songs I didn't cover on these year end lists?  Feel free to ask and I'll gladly share.  And as always guys, thanks for reading.  Next up is the worst movies lists coming in January.

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19 hours ago, kev said:

can’t wait to read this :funny:

Now that I got the time, allow me to elaborate on what I mean by worst lists plural. :funny:

The past two years, I’ve had a new rule in place if I should allow streaming service original movies to appear on my in general movie lists.  I would have to talk about like maybe one or two each year.

In the year of 2018, Netflix especially has been shitting out some pretty god awful original movies.  Like I’m sure if I did a Top 10 for movies period, Netflix would occupy like 7/10ths of the list.

So instead, I’m going to challenge myself and do two different worst lists.  A smaller one specifically for original movies from Netflix that will probably just be a Top 5 list with a few shoutouts to some of the other shit I sat through.  And then a traditional top ten worst list.

So yeah, 2018.  The year Netflix flooded my timeline with too many dogshit movies. 

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1 hour ago, Christmas Clapping said:

Now that I got the time, allow me to elaborate on what I mean by worst lists plural. :funny:

oh damn this is embarrassing, i didn't even notice the plural... the more the merrier ! :Laugh:

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Yes, I made a list this year.

 

Yeah, I know what I said earlier, but ending off the year without a worst list and a best list just feels... wrong, man. Even in a year as shitty as 2018, it's important to deconstruct exactly how we got here. And really, was 2018 that bad a year? You certainly might think so from the worst list, but I feel like the best list is decent enough to at least spark a conversation. But hey, you know what we gotta do first. Against my better judgment, here's...

Wumbo's Bottom 10 Hits of 2018

Spoiler

 

10. "Believer" - Imagine Dragons

 

Yeah, if this song somehow snags a spot on the year-end list two years in a row, that's when you know right off the bat that this year is gonna be a headache to get through. I mean... seriously. This song? I know that we were starved for any hits this year, let alone good or bad, but this one? Really? I can't... wow.

Imagine Dragons fucking killed rock n' roll this year.

 

I don't think that's an understatement. You have four of the top five songs on the year-end rock charts be them, as shitty as they are... yeah, mainstream rock is fucking dead, no matter how much Panic at the Disco or twenty one pilots want to bring it back. So consider this re-placement on the worst list this year as an indictment of the band as a whole. Seriously, fuck this band. I have no nice things left to say about 'em. It ain't 2012 anymore, kids. We're a long ways away.

 

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I... don't want to talk about this guy. If this year was better, I wouldn't have to. But here he is, and here we are. So let's talk about it.

This year was rife not only with bad music, but with music made by vile, unlikeable people. And hey! You know what? If their music was good, maybe it would be less of a problem. Maybe they could be your problematic fave, like R. Kelly was to so many people before we actually started giving a shit. It's not an ideal situation, sure, but it would sure beat having to put up with shit like this.

9. "Gummo" - 6ix9ine

 

I'll admit that I was turned off by Six Ix Nine Ine's brash personality immediately, even before I heard about all the shit he did. And hearing about those pedophilic acts certainly didn't help his case. But let's step back for a second. Divorcing the content from the character, is the song really that bad? Well, it's certainly not good.

I'm sorry, I get that there may be a market for this somewhere, but it isn't me. And I have to be true to myself and put the artists that USE OF A CHILD IN A SEXUAL PERFORMANCE HOW IN THE FUCK-

Sorry, sorry. As I was saying: Fuck this guy. Next!

 

 

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8. "Changes" - XXXTentacion

 

Nope. Not going to dignify this fragment of a song with any commentary. Next!

 

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And speaking of artists who I shouldn't have to dignify as artists anymore...

7. "Wait" - Maroon 5

 

In a year full of confusing, upsetting trends in pop music, Maroon 5's continued success may be the most confusing and upsetting of all. As vile as some of the artists who gained prominence are, they at least fit in with the trends that were riding high in 2018. What in the fuck kind of relevance does Maroon 5 still hold in 20-goddamn-18?

I've listened to this song so many times, trying to find the answer. Why? Why does this song exist, why was it ever popular, and seriously, who is still giving Maroon 5 a platform in 2018? Besides The Super Bowl, of course. Let's hope for a spectacular crash-and-burn Justin Timberlake-style so we never have to hear from Adam Levine and His Fellow MechaBots again. Please? Pretty please?

 

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2018 was proof that you can have both a good and bad year. it was a great year for Ariana Grande commercially, but a terrible one personally. And to really look at the dichotomy that 2018 brought us, let's look at Drake.

 

Yeah, we can't really talk about Drake in 2018 without bringing up this song, which... my God, in a year so full of weak-ass rap songs, this song was a breath of fresh air on principle, but especially because it was effectively tackling the most popular artist of 2018, Drake. This song absolutely destroyed Drake lyrically, and if there were any justice in the world, this would have ended Drake's career. And how did Drake respond? He released this.

6. "I'm Upset" - Drake

 

Let's put the overzealous Degrassi video aside for a second. Easy to do, since it doesn't have a lick to do with the song. Let's have a talk about Drake's pride.

In a career full of intentional and unintentional embarrassment, "I'm Upset" may be the single most embarrassing song of Drake's career. Really, what is this shit? You're gonna parade yourself around like the GOAT in hip hop and release this as a single? This is the sort of thing that should be buried under stacks and stacks of unreleased EPs. This is humiliating, and honestly even more humiliating than anything Pusha T could have done.

Whether you liked Drake this year I think depends upon how much you've liked him as of late. Now, I liked "Nice for What". In fact, I loved "Nice for What". More on that later. But the rest of the year, it seemed that Drake's main motive in his career was taunting me with underwhelming joint after underwhelming joint. I cannot believe that this was actually released as a single; it still boggles my mind that someone with this much clout and talent (yes, it's still there somewhere) decided this was good enough for prime time. This unfinished, sloppy, hastily put together mess. This is not Drake at 100%. This is Drake at like, a solid 10% effort, which I find to be the most insulting of all. Or at least I would, if it didn't feel like this has been his default for a good solid three years now. I'm upset, Drake. Upset that you care so little about your listeners like this.

 

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Of course, if you wanted to convey less personality than Drake did this year, you had to try hard at it, by which I mean not try at all. Meet... whoever this is.

5. "Plug Walk" - Rich the Kid

 

Yeah, sorry Rich the Kid. No amount of ripping off Breaking Bad is going to make me remember you and your shitty, shitty song. How'd this get big again?

 

Ah yes, memes. I really thought we left this shit in 2016 with "Juju on That Beat" being the last, dying remnant of this trend. But no! Apparently, we still have some room for nameless, talentless rappers to come in with a song that's completely unremarkable in every way, except for one line or so that somehow catches on with people. And really, even with meme culture, is this the best we could do? This song has nothing interesting about it. The guy's name is Rich the Kid. This is a template of a rapper more than anything. There is nothing interesting or distinctive about... well, I forgot his name already. Plug walk. I guess.

 

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I admit that it took me a while to get into trap music. But I feel like I've gotten some kind of foot into it now, anyway. Either that or I've just grown numb to it from oversaturation, I'm not sure which. But one genre that still admittedly eludes me... is reggaeton.

Now, I don't tend to put reggaeton on my lists, because the songs are usually so nondescript and bland that they don't elicit a reaction from me one way or the other. And it's not like the songs are usually that bad, they just don't tend to be my style of music. Which makes sense, I don't speak Spanish and I don't share the culture of many reggaeton artists. So if you're going to get on my list, you need to be outstanding in your field... in the worst possible way.

4. "X" - Nicky Jam and J Balvin

 

The one word I would use to describe this song is "pathetic". Because that's how it sounds: pathetic and lame. And in a year full of pathetic and lame songs, I feel like you have to try extra hard to stand out among them. But you know what does it? That stupid synth line that apparently serves as the "chorus" of this wretched song.

Like I said, I don't speak Spanish. But this song just sucks sonically. It literally feels like they had one idea, just one terrible, terrible idea, and that constitutes the whole song. Seriously, that awful synth line repeats four or five times. It's such a terrible musical decision that even with the oversaturation of reggaeton as of late, I have no idea how this became a hit. Even as a non-fan of reggaeton, I can tell a wannabe song when I hear it. And this song has "whining wannabe" written all over it. What a waste.

 

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You know, it was very hard for me to like Drake this year. He was everywhere, and the majority of songs he had or was featured on were just bad. Not even in an interesting way most of the time, just produced without care or trying. Some of the worst songs came from when he tried to prop up then-unknown artists into stardom, and the worst example by far this year was this.

3. "Look Alive" - BlocBoy JB ft. Drake

 

There is absolutely no reason for this song to exist. This droning, tuneless mess that Drake can't save and BlocBoy JB (Who??) does absolutely nothing to improve. It's white noise masquerading as a song, which... it doesn't even do that well because at least white noise helps you sleep! This is too annoying to accomplish even that. It really is a useless track, and spawned a very unfortunate year of Drake to come.

Yeah, I view this song, not "God's Plan" or "I'm Upset" as the precursor to all of Drake's oversaturated, overexposed shit this year. I just had a bad feeling when this was the song he dropped after "God's Plan" and "Diplomatic Immunity", and with the quality of what we got from Drake through the majority of the year, it seems like I was right to be worried. But really, the song just sucks hard on its own and would have sucked in any other year. BlocBoy JB is not even worth talking about because he barely bothers to show up for his own song, and Drake gives off the same droning, boring performance he gives on his very worst songs. 'Look Alive" kinda just makes me want to die.

 

 

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2. "Fefe" - 6ix9ine ft. Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz

 

You ever just...wonder if you're part of the problem by further propping up this shit? Why does anyone need to hear about why this song isn't good? We all know it isn't. There's not much point in jerking ourselves off, saying how superior we are above the community that somehow finds pleasure in listening to this and supporting a garbage rapper accused of pedophilic acts who looks as if a Skittles wrapper was caught in a drive-by shooting. And that's to say nothing of Nicki Minaj, who had an... eventful 2018, to put it lightly. And this is what I view as the biggest misstep of her career, and I seriously think that in the era of #MeToo, she's gonna face some serious backlash for choosing to work with this terrible, terrible human being. And she should really know better. It is truly disappointing to see a once-great artist stoop to this level just to gain relevance again, Katy Perry-style only somehow worse.

But again, it all circles back to the question of whether I should even talk about this. whether it's even worth the conversation. And really? I don't think it is. So in light of picking on this song which we all know is bad and doesn't deserve a mention on any sort of year-end list, I'm just gonna stop here. Cool? Cool.

 

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I think I've stared at this screen for five minutes trying to come up with one thing to say about this song, and indeed this artist. Feels like the well has kinda run dry at this point. There's only so many times you can call out a flagrant lack of effort or care for your craft, if it can even be called that at this point, and it seems redundant to natter on once again when I'm sure this list has been an un-fun one to sit through already.

But a line needs to be drawn, even in 2018. And I'm calling it out here: this is bullshit.

1. "Nonstop" - Drake

 

Everything about this is garbage. Not only the song itself, or the artist's clear contempt for making listenable or interesting music. But how it got big really irks me. As we all know, 2018 was the year of the album bomb, a phenomenon on the charts where most or all of the songs of a hyped album would hit the charts in one week because of album streaming and playlist payola. And whatever, the charts are always gonna be broken one way or another, and this certainly isn't the worst way to represent popular music. But I draw the line at this song somehow making the chart's year-end list just by sheer virtue of being the first song off of Drake's next bloated album project, Scorpion. This just isn't fair. Drake shits out a turd like this for an opening track, and it gets big just due to hype for the album, on which nearly every song, if not every song, is better.

"Nonstop" is the poster child for every mediocre album bomb and trap "banger" this year that collapsed under its own hype and yet somehow racked up enough points to make the year-end. It is the perfect song to illustrate an artist's resignation from making quality music. And it sums up 2018 well as this big, bloated turd of a track that had no right to be as popular as it was... and yet it was anyway. Fuck this song, fuck everything it represents, and fuck 2018. What a waste.

 

 

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You know what? I'm not doing a worst list this year. There were certainly songs that weren't great, but I just don't feel like covering them, especially since some of them were made by some scummy people that I have no desire to listen to again. I'd rather focus on the bright side of 2018 and talk about the hits I actually liked. So sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Before we start the proper list, I want to shout out some honorable mentions:

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"Finesse" - Bruno Mars feat. Cardi B: Starting the song off with Cardi’s verse was a great choice. Her part is very fun and it grabs your interest right away. But Bruno is good too. He has a really good voice that actually does sound like it’s dripping in finesse. R&B throwbacks are really becoming his thing, but I still wouldn’t say I’m tired of it yet when they sound as good as this.

"New Rules" - Dua Lipa: This song was a smash hit for Dua Lipa, and I can see why. It’s unbelievably catchy and oozing with personality in the vocal delivery. The song was originally written for girl group Little Mix, but I’m so glad that Dua ended up recording it. She sells the hell out of this song.

"Pray for Me" - The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar: Kendrick Lamar did a pretty solid job putting the Black Panther soundtrack together. This song is just a treat for my ears to listen to do. The production has some dark, booming synths that fit the mood of the movie, and The Weeknd’s vocals are as silky smooth as ever. Kendrick delivers a strong verse with some vivid imagery of the conflict he faces. It’s a very fitting song for T’Challa. There is a song from the soundtrack I like more (more on that later), but this one has a very cool, intense sound from both artists. It actually gets me pumped.   

"Eastside" - Benny Blanco, Halsey, and Khalid: I enjoy how chilled and laid-back this song sounds. It tells a nice little story reminiscing on a past love, which is a songwriting theme I’m a bit of a sucker for. It’s just a cute little collaboration between Halsey and Khalid. I never would’ve imagined them on the same song, but that’s the beauty of collaborations. Sometimes they can be really cool combinations of people working together.

"Lemon" - N.E.R.D. and Rihanna: this song is a bop. Pharrell has some smooth production here, especially during Rihanna’s verse. And speaking of Rihanna, she is awesome on this track. She has barrels of charisma and her rapping is pretty solid. Pharrell is fun here, but Riri runs away with the track and is the main reason why I love it so much.

"Stir Fry" - Migos: Migos has never been a group I’ve totally loved, but I can’t deny that they have some bangers, including this one. First off, I gotta give a shout out to Pharrell for the super cool, super chill beat. The best he used was from 2008, but it works very well on this song from 10 years later. It’s so poppy and fun, and I love the organs (shout out to the song it samples, “The Champ” by The Mohawks). And the three Migos are on the top of their game here, with the lines flowing as smooth as butter. I even love Quavo’s singing on the hook. And the references to fast food are pretty fun.

"Never Be The Same" - Camila Cabello: I never did make a best hits of 2017 list, but if I did, Havana would be on it. Camila has become such an interesting pop artist to me ever since she left Fifth Harmony. And this song is one of my favorites from her. Is the “your love is my drug” metaphor overused in pop? Maybe. What about the high-pitched way she sings “nicotine, hero ween, morphine?” I don’t care, I actually dig it. I love the dark, electric music that opens the song, and I love the way she belts in the chorus. Maybe this song is a drug because I’ve been hooked.

"Call Out My Name" - The Weeknd: The Weeknd can deliver a really damn good breakup song, holy crap. You can tell he’s been hurt badly by his past love. The absolute desperation of Abel wanting this girl to stay in the relationship and still love him is heart-wrenching. It’s sad to hear how affected he was by the end of this relationship, but at the same time I’m glad we got this song out of it.

 

Now that that's done, let's get to the main event. Here we go:

Kat's Top 10 Hit Songs of 2018

 

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10.  "Bad at Love" - Halsey

 

 I loved this song when Hopeless Fountain Kingdom first came out last yeat, and I still love it now. I’m a fan of songs that tell a story, and it’s really cool how Halsey is giving us looks at her various failed relationships. I especially like how she doesn’t shy away from alluding to same-sex relationships. Halsey has been open about her bisexuality and it’s great--and important--that a notable pop star is showing that type of representation (which you can also hear on Strangers, an underrated track that deserved to be a bigger hit IMO). Halsey’s voice on here is pretty good, especially on the chorus—I love the way she growls, “You know I’m bad at looove.” The production here is also very enjoyable. It’s got a very smooth synth pop groove, and I love the notes of piano you can hear throughout. Halsey May say she’s bad at love, but she’s good at putting out a total jam.

 

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9. "I Like It" - Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin

 Cardi B put herself on the map last year with Bodak Yellow, and her star started to shine even brighter this year. And this song is an absolute banger. It’s a great shout out to her Latina roots, building around a sample from Pete Rodriguez’s 1967 song “I Like It Like That.” I absolutely love Cardi on this song. She has some solid bars, and her personality really shines here. It’s impossible for me to listen to her on this song and not instantly be put in a good mood. Bad Bunny is fine here, but I do agree with Clappy that the best feature on this song is from J Balvin (that “pa-pa-pa-pa-paparazzi like I’m Lady Gaga” line is just too good). I’m also in love with the Latin beat here, which is something you really don’t see in rap music that often. It’s a very fun, groovy song.

 

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8. "IDGAF" - Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa has been one of my favorite discoveries from last year. She has a sass to her and a type of voice that I really dig. Her attitude in this song is great. She truly sounds like she doesn’t give a fuck about this guy anymore. She delivers some great put-downs and the instrumentation is good enough to back her up and make her sound even better. Those drums are powerful. I love the actual chorus of voices on the chorus. Dua’s voice is great, but performing the chorus this way just gives the song an extra jolt of power. This is an excellent break-up anthem.

 

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7. "Love Lies" - Khalid and Normani

 Khalid is someone whose voice I like, but never had a song I really loved...until now. This song just works so well for me. This is a really chilled out R&B track with some good production to compliment the vocals we’re getting from Khalid and Normani. Both of them sound good separately, but together they have pretty great chemistry. This song works well as part of the soundtrack to Love, Simon but is also pretty good to listen to without the context of the movie. I heard the song before I’d even seen the movie and fell in love.

 

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6. "Youngblood" - 5 Seconds of Summer

Oh hey, 5 Seconds of Summer! Remember them? They honestly weren’t on my radar too much after the She Looks So Perfect era of 2014, but this song grabbed me so much that I might have to start paying attention to them again. This is a solid BANGER. Yes, the capital letters were needed. The chorus to this song absolutely explodes with energy and I enjoy it, especially with the synths running underneath the vocals like a heartbeat. The passion that Luke Hemmings sings the chorus with is great. I enjoy how his bandmates join him by the second part of the chorus, which does a smart job of switching up the lyrics. It goes from “say you want me out of your life, and I’m just a dead man walking tonight but you need it” to “say you want me back in your life, so I’m just a dead man crawling tonight, ‘cause I need it.” The dramatics and the push and pull of the relationship described in this song totally work for me. Rock wasn’t a huge presence on the hot 100 this year, but I’m so glad this song gained success.

 

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5. "Sicko Mode" -Travis Scott and Drake

When I first heard this song, I was honestly shook. The constant beat changes in the song threw me for a loop. It’s definitely a weird song because of the way the beat shifts multiple times, but that’s one reason why I love it. All of these different beats come together and make something musically interesting. But the instrumentals aren’t the only great thing about this song. Both Travis and Drake have a good flow on this song and by the end, they mesh well together. Definitely one of the best rap songs I’ve heard this year and so worth the five-minute run time.

 

 

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4. "Nice For What" - Drake

 Drake can be hit or miss with me, but this is definitely a hit. The use of sampling in this song is quite good; I love the usage of Lauryn Hill’s “Ex-Factor.” Big Freedia also has a nice presence here. I like the way he does the intro to the song, and he’s good on the bridge as well (oh, and did you know Letitia Wright is the person who says “watch the breakdown” on the bridge? I honestly didn’t know until I looked this song up to do the write-up, but that’s awesome). Though other people help lift up this track and help make it sonically interesting, Drake definitely holds his own on this song. It’s very nice to see a female empowerment anthem coming from a male rapper. He recognizes and shouts out women for their independence and even promotes self-love. It’s an awesome song with a great music video filled with awesome ladies.

 

 

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3. "All the Stars" - Kendrick Lamar and SZA

Another solid movie soundtrack song that happens to be a collaboration. Kendrick Lamar and SZA work very well together. Kendrick’s verse is pretty good. I love his confidence in delivering his lines as much as the lines themselves, and “Mothafucka I don’t even like you” is such a great diss. I enjoy him on the pre-chorus too. I’m a big fan of SZA’s voice and she sounds heavenly on the chorus. I also have to shout out the production for being suitably cinematic for this song, especially since it’s in the end credits for Black Panther. This song is just a work of art.

 

 

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2. "Delicate" - Taylor Swift

This is, hands down, my favorite song of Reputation. It just sounds so beautiful. I love the dreamy effect the vocoder has on Taylor’s voice. I love the unsure way she sounds when she’s singing “Is it cool that I said all that? Is it cool that you’re in my head?”  I love the repetition of “Isn’t it?” Taylor can be a masterful songwriter and I love the picture she paints of her and the guy she likes. And that bridge is just gorgeous. This song just makes me so, so happy.

 

 

My #1 wasn’t a song that grabbed me from the first listen. It took me some time to really appreciate it. But once I did, I was absolutely hooked. It’s such a lovely slice of pop.

 

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1. "No Tears Left To Cry" - Ariana Grande 

This was it, Ariana’s big comeback single. And...it didn’t totally grab me on first listen. I thought it was fine! But after listening again, I was totally hooked on this song. It’s such a beautiful, uplifting song. It hasn’t been an easy time for Ariana, and my heart hurts for her having to experience those awful Manchester attacks. But I’m so happy she could take such a distressing time in her life and use it to make art in order to heal herself, and possibly others too. The song sounds like flying through the clouds, or a rainbow spreading across the sky, or a warm hug from a loved one. It’s got gorgeous vocals from Ariana, and the production on this is killer. It’s very dancey and fun; Max Martin is a genius. More than any other song on this list, it manages to stir very strong emotions from me whenever I hear it. I’m very proud to call this my favorite hit song of 2018.

 

 

So that's my list! Hope you all enjoyed. And now for the news of my second best music list: it's gonna be a list of my favorite songs that didn't make the hot 100 year end. I don't think this'll be a ranked list, just a casual collection of songs that I love. Be on the lookout for it soon! I have a TV list and a movie list (after I catch up on a bunch of films lmao) in the works too.

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There had to have been some good this year, right?

 

Seems myopic to suggest that just because a year looks bad on the surface, that there could be nothing good within it. And indeed there was! Like most years, I am still quite happy with my Top 10. We have a list of great songs on the way, and I'd like to talk about 'em. Certainly more than I wanted to talk about my worst list this year, so let's go! It's...

Wumbo's Top 10 Hits of 2018

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I feel like people will look at this year and think it was a bad year for pop in general. With all the trap bangers taking precedence over straightforward pop music, you might be inclined to think so. But honestly? Pop is fine. Sure, it's not as strong as it was in previous years this decade, but it'll bounce back! And in the meantime, we've had genuine pop hits this year not just from already-established artists like Ariana Grande, but newcomers to the scene. And in a year where we had this song, I don't think you can reliably make the case that pop was struggling.

10. "New Rules" - Dua Lipa

 

This song is a pop masterpiece, and rightfully the song that propelled Dua Lipa into the mainstream. It's just such an iconic song. Even though I think that pop was doing better than most people do, I will admit that we were struggling with iconic songs in pop music. But I think this song fits the bill better than most this year. It's such a simple concept lyrically, yet it works so effectively. How many times have we heard this type of song before, heralding female empowerment? Nothing wrong with that of course, honestly the more songs we get of that nature the better, but if you're going to make a song like that, you gotta stand out.

And I think where this song stands out is in the lyrical structure and in Dua's enchanting voice. The list format of the pre-chorus is a brilliant way to hook the listener and provide an easy chant to come back to and remember the song. And Dua absolutely sells the melancholy of trying for a man that doesn't love her back, and the empowerment that comes with the new rules she sets for herself. Yet even then, she has to keep telling them to herself lest she forget them. It's an emotional roller coaster of a song, and one of the realest breakup portrayals I've heard in quite some time. It's just a fantastic pop song. Hats off to Dua Lipa for this one.

 

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Of course, it would be absurd to think that pop was the dominating genre of the year. That prize obviously goes to trap music, with all its artists coming out to get a piece of the pie. Now, it's true I found some of these artists reprehensible, both for their music and for their personalities. And honestly, there was a lot of music this year I think we could have straight up done without from these artists. But at the same time, when an artist comes on the scene and gets the genre absolutely right... well, I have to give credit where credit's due. YAH!

9. "Sicko Mode" - Travis Scott

 

I want to set the record straight that I have loved Travis Scott more and more over the past year. True, there are certain quirks and ad-libs of his that tire on me. But I can't deny that he is one of the most ambitious artists in his genre, whether he shows that through his music or his videos. Travis Scott makes me want to stop and pay attention, even if I don't end up liking the song in the end. And "Sicko Mode" grabbed me in exactly the same way. Travis Scott has this timbre to his voice that suggests a whole lot of personality and mood through his music. He's a very moody artist, but unlike someone like Drake, it seems to just elevate his status as an unstoppable force.

Speaking of Drake, he's on this song too. And honestly? After a whole year of getting sick of Drake, I really don't mind him here.  He really helps to bring a hard edge to this song at the very beginning and adds to the mood. Maybe I'm not in love with his parts as much as I am Travis Scott's, but I'll certainly take this over most of Scorpion.

There's so much you could grab onto with this song. The beat changes, the ad-libs, Swae Lee coming in and making more money saying "someone said" than you will ever see in your life... hey, we gotta be realistic here. But yeah, killer song, an attention grabber from the very beginning, and it gave Travis Scott his first #1. Well deserved.

 

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And if we want to talk about well-deserved #1s, we have to talk about the song that took America by storm... for two weeks, tops.

8. "This Is America" - Childish Gambino

 

If 2018 was a frustrating year, then at least it pushed forward my positive thoughts coming out of 2017 to some extent, in that songs like these could legitimately become hits in this new climate. This song fell off so hard I was honestly worried about it getting on the year-end charts, but I'm so happy it did. And yeah, I don't know how great the song would be in a vacuum. That's why it's not higher. But for real, the whole "This Is America" phenomenon was one of my favourite moments of this year.

There's so much to talk about here. The video is clearly the star of the show, with the macabre imagery shown amid Childish Gambino's dancing happily and carefree. I'm honestly not sure how to touch this one properly, because there are so many elements of this video that can be pointed out. If you want opinions on this, honestly, you can go to the thousands upon thousands of thinkpieces written about the song and video, all of which I'm sure say more than I ever could.

Really, I just love this song because of how much of a banger it is. So maybe in that sense, at least, it works on its own. You can sit and pontificate about what the song means in the end, but honestly, the important thing to me for it making this list is that it just kicks ass. I love everything about it. The happy crooning juxtaposed with the gunshots, the ad-libs from various guest artists from 21 Savage to Young Thug, and especially Thug's outro at the end which I think wraps the song up perfectly. It's yet another masterful work from Childish Gambino, who is quickly becoming one of my favourite artists of the decade.

 

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I'm sure we're all sick of hearing "hey, this guy actually made a good song" in 2018. But... hey. This guy actually made a good song.

7. "Marry Me" - Thomas Rhett

 

It's hard to deny how genuinely awesome this song is. And that it came from Thomas Rhett, one of the most generic, formulaic bro-country artists with no surprises up his sleeve, is just the icing on the cake. This is an insanely sharp piece of songwriting, coupled with a genuinely sweet melody. I really do love this song. It marks a growth in Thomas Rhett's songwriting, where he not only experiments with subversion, but does so in a mature way that doesn't involve him running into the wedding and stopping it with some grand romantic gesture. As we all know, that shit don't fly in 2018 no more. Yeah, there are still a few cringey lines here and there. Honestly, any reference to "giving the bride away" just doesn't sit well with me, but especially in this context. And the video kinda takes away from what is supposed to be the message of this song, in that, oh, see, the girl actually DOES want him! Ugh. But overall? This is a huge step up for Thomas Rhett, and if this is what we can expect from him in the future, then I am genuinely excited for a new album from him. 2018 really was full of surprises.

 

Spoiler

 

When your reputation's in the gutter, what do you do? This, apparently. Hey, I dig it. Otherwise it wouldn't be here.

6. "Delicate" - Taylor Swift

 

I don't think I was nearly as hard on Reputation as some people were, but I also wasn't nearly as forgiving of it as some people were. I regard it mostly as a failed experiment, but at the very least I could get what Taylor Swift was going for. It failed spectacularly, yes, but it was ambitious at least. This sleeper hit of 2018, though, does its best to justify the whole project. Because this really is a damn fantastic song. And the fact that it actually stuck around instead of falling off after a few months shows that people want this Taylor, be it her pop side or her country side. No more 'Look What You Made Me Do"s. Just make good-sounding music and get out of your own ass.

I love this song. It sounds so lush and beautiful, and it really does serve as an apology for all the harsh-sounding, unpleasant songs that Reputation spurned out. Now if only "Getaway Car" would take off, then the cycle would be complete. Oh well, baby steps. Hopefully we can get back to 1989 quality soon.

 

Spoiler

 

 

....oh boy.

Yeah, it's hard to think of a celebrity who had a more personally catastrophic 2018 than Ariana Grande. Like, my god. Every second the poor girl was facing scrutiny and problems left and right. And whatever you want to make of her relationship with Pete Davidson or her newest album or whatever, can we all just agree that she deserves a break in 2019? Like, really? I don't know if I would still be around, going through all the shit she went through.

And the saddest part is that she tried to start things off so optimistically too... maybe we can just rewind to that?

5. "No Tears Left to Cry" - Ariana Grande

 

Yeah, I can't be the only one who thinks that this song title looks like a sick joke for Ariana Grande now, as she had plenty of tears left to cry come 2018, I'm sure. But this song still works inside and outside the vacuum. In a vacuum, it's just such a peppy, happy, uplifting pop song. Outside, you can see the connections between this and the Manchester bombing that inspired her to write this. Yeah, she had a rough 2017 too. As I said, she needs a BREAK.

"No Tears Left to Cry" is exactly the pop song we needed this year to lift our spirits. Shame it never went to #1, but nevertheless it still felt omnipresent to me, as it should have been. Ariana Grande really hit gold with this one. It's simple, but effective.

 

Spoiler

 

 

2017 was, among other things, probably Kendrick Lamar's biggest year as an artist. He got his first #1 single with "Humble", and had a few of his other tracks from DAMN make the year-end list, too. Made me excited to see what he would do in 2018, and knowing he was the mastermind behind the Black Panther soundtrack made me all the more excited. And for good reason! Every song off of that album was great, enough for me to consider it one of the greatest albums of the year, which is weird, right? Well...

4. "All the Stars" - Kendrick Lamar and SZA

Look, I can't deny quality when I hear it, ya feel me? And this certainly qualifies. This is an absolutely beautiful song. It's honestly the first moment where I truly *got* SZA's appeal. I always knew she was a great artist, but this song really showcases how amazing her voice is. She gets the chorus and a verse to shine, and she milks every moment of it. Really, she's the reason this song is this high.

I also love the lush feeling of this song, with all the audio and vocal layering. In a year where half the songs seemed half-finished, this song looks like a masterpiece in comparison, and in its own right. I never got tired of this one, and it always brought me up out of a bad mood. God bless Kendrick and SZA.

 

Spoiler

 

Oh yeah. She's back. And you know what?

3. "IDGAF" - Dua Lipa

 

Whenever I put songs by the same artist on a list, I feel like my commentary gets lacking, because I've already said my piece about the artist. Why go on again? But at the same time, I have to be true to myself and admit that both Dua Lipa solo joints deserved to make the list, this one this high.

This is just a fantastic pop song. I watched a lot of Spectrum Pulse over this past year, and he made the surprising comparison to Pink with Dua Lipa's vocals and attitude. But you know what? I can hear it. She takes Pink's influence and translates it into a more modern pop song that still kicks ass. And I love Pink already, so this song had a foot in the door for the best list already. Honestly, I think the biggest stepping stone was whether it would make the year-end at all. But it did, and I'm so happy it did. As far as the rest of the list goes, I honestly couldn't give a hooey.

 

Spoiler

 

I hate you, Drake.

2. "Nice for What" - Drake

 

Specifically, I hate how you can have such a shitty year for song quality, how you can survive a thrashing by Pusha T to go on to make even more mediocre music... and yet, you can also land on my best list with the best song you've made in years.

Seriously, even though this song is so high, which it definitely deserves to be, let's make it clear that it kind of makes me hate Drake even more. He could be making music like this and instead wastes our time with songs like "I'm Upset" and "Nonstop"? No excuses. You've shown your hand, Drake. Now we know you just don't want to put in the effort. and really, you don't need to, because you'll find success anyway. Fuck that noise.

Whew! Christ, that was quite the negative speech for a song in my Top 2. I guess that's how I feel about Drake overall. He is easily the most frustrating artist working right now, and it's specifically this song that makes him so frustrating. Because it is a fantastic song. We have the lingering sample from Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor" effortlessly woven in, a great beat from Murda, and Drake actually trying to make something meaningful and succeeding. This is easily one of the greatest songs of the year, period, but it also makes me wish Drake would do this more. Well, in the year of Drake, at least there was one song worth salvaging.

 

Spoiler

 

You know, I was thinking of doing dishonourable mentions, but the worst list had burnt me out so badly that I just couldn't muster up the energy to do one. Besides, what would I say? "Oh, here's Post Malone not trying. Oh, here's Cardi B not trying." It would be a waste of effort. But in order to close off this shitty year with extra positivity, I figure I can spare some time before my #1 to come up with some honourable mentions. So before we get to #1, let's do that, shall we?

"High Hopes" - Panic! at the Disco

I realize this song probably shouldn't even be talked about, as it'll probably make the year-end list next year, but I just wanna say that if you don't like this song, the problem is you. Seriously, we get a great, uplifting song from Panic amid all the dreary trap and pop, and people don't like it? I don't know what you want anymore.

"Finesse" - Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B

Well, this one shrunk on me. I still love Cardi B on this track, but man... is anyone else getting sick of Bruno? He never really had a great singing voice, and I think his bag of tricks has just about emptied at this point. Still, good vibes. Love Cardi B. Love new jack swing. Enough to make it here.

"Eastside" - Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid

I've kind of passively accepted Khalid as the poor man's pop-accessible Frank Ocean over 2018, but this is the first song where I think I've finally gotten his appeal as an artist. His voice really complements Benny Blanco's production. And speaking of that, this is the best Halsey song since "Colors". More of this, please!

"God is a Woman" - Ariana Grande

Y'all, Sweetener was so much better than we gave it credit for. The experimental pop album we needed in 2018. And though this song isn't quite at the level of "No Tears", it's a pop marvel in its own right.

"Ric Flair Drip" - Offset and Metro Boomin

I don't really have anything to say about this one. It slaps. What you want?

"Pray for Me" - The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar

Years from now when we look back on this decade, I really hope The Weeknd gets remembered for the great artist that he is. Just a fantastic presence on every song he touches.

"Killshot" - Eminem

Can we give Machine Gun Kelly the Accidental Saviour of 2018 Award for bringing back Eminem's firepower? Seriously, this is the best song Eminem's had in years. Thanks for that, MGK!

"The Story of Adidon" - Pusha T

But of course, this was the best diss track of 2018. Probably the best song of 2018, but it didn't chart. And one more time, fuck Drake. YOU ARE HIDING A CHILD

All right! So what could beat all those songs for the #1? Read on...

 

Spoiler

 

When I started off 2018, music-wise, I started with hope. Coming off of the weird yet strangely wonderful year that was 2017, I thought we were in for another great year that would take 2017's trends and elevate them. Instead, for the most part, 2018 felt like 2017 swallowing its own tail. With a slew of forgettable trap hits and dreary pop songs, my hope faded more and more over the course of the year. But for the brief moments in early 2018, I saw potential for the year, and while even most of the hype for those songs has faded, there's one song from the very start of 2018 that stuck with me for the whole year, by sheer virtue of how fun it was and the tone it could have set for the year to come. And whenever 2018 was giving me its worst, I always came back to its best. And here it is. Surprise!

1. "Stir Fry" - Migos

 

"Stir Fry" promises a lot of 2018, in that it set the bar exceedingly high. The combination of Migos and Pharrell is something I never would have envisioned before this year, but it works so well that I wonder why they didn't get together sooner. Quavo rides the beat effortlessly for probably his best hook ever, and it just keeps on chugging along to provide the most enjoyable listening experience I've ever had with Migos. I've accepted that Migos are a fun group, but I feel like this is the most fun they could possibly be. This song is just so happy and upbeat, and it always puts me in a good mood whenever I listen to it. I really can't praise this song enough, and if a year is able to make a song like this a hit, then it can't be all bad. Woo!

 

Full List:

Spoiler

 

1. "Stir Fry" - Migos

2. "Nice for What" - Drake

3. "IDGAF" - Dua Lipa

4. "All the Stars" - Kendrick Lamar and SZA

5. "No Tears Left to Cry" - Ariana Grande

6. "Delicate" - Taylor Swift

7. "Marry Me" - Thomas Rhett

8. "This Is America" - Childish Gambino

9. "Sicko Mode" - Travis Scott

10. "New Rules" - Dua Lipa

11. "Pray for Me" - The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar

12. "Ric Flair Drip" - Offset and Metro Boomin

13. "God Is a Woman" - Ariana Grande

14. "Eastside" - Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid

15. "Finesse" - Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B

16. "Havana" - Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug

17. "Tequila" - Dan + Shay

18. "Youngblood" - 5 Seconds of Summer

19. "Powerglide" - Rae Sremmurd ft. Juicy J

20. "Feel It Still" - Portugal. The Man

21. "No Limit" - G-Eazy ft. ASAP Rocky and Cardi B

22. "King's Dead" - Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Future and James Blake

23. "Lemon" - N.E.R.D. ft. Rihanna

24. "1-800-273-8255" - Logic ft. Alessia Cara and Khalid

25. "Say Something" - Justin Timberlake ft. Chris Stapleton

26. "Whatever It Takes" - Imagine Dragons

27. "Call Out My Name" - The Weeknd

28. "The Middle" - Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey

29. "Bad at Love" - Halsey

30. "Big Bank" - YG ft. 2 Chainz, Nicki Minaj, and Big Sean

31. "God's Plan" - Drake

32. "I Like It" - Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin

33. "Never Be the Same" - Camila Cabello

34. "Sorry Not Sorry" - Demi Lovato

35. "In My Blood" - Shawn Mendes

36. "How Long" - Charlie Puth

37. "Taste" - Tyga ft. Offset

38. "Mine" - Bazzi

39. "Love Lies" - Khalid and Normani

40. "Wolves" - Selena Gomez and Marshmello

41. "Bartier Cardi" - Cardi B ft. 21 Savage

42. "Back to You" - Selena Gomez

43. "Happier" - Marshmello and Bastille

44. "MotorSport" - Migos, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B

45. "Love" - Kendrick Lamar ft. Zacari

46. "Simple" - Florida Georgia Line

47. "I Get the Bag" - Gucci Mane ft. Migos

48. "Too Good at Goodbyes" - Sam Smith

49. "Sky Walker" - Miguel ft. Travis Scott

50. "I Fall Apart" - Post Malone

51. "Friends" - Marshmello and Anne-Marie

52. "No Brainer" - DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper and Quavo

53. "Boo'd Up" - Ella Mai

54. "Better Now" - Post Malone

55. "Bodak Yellow" - Cardi B

56. "Rockstar" - Post Malone ft. 21 Savage

57. "Sad!" - XXXTentacion

58. "Plain Jane" - ASAP Ferg ft. Nicki Minaj

59. "Heaven" - Kane Brown

60. "Walk It Talk It" - Migos ft. Drake

61. "What Lovers Do" - Maroon 5 ft. SZA

62. "Moonlight" - XXXTentacion

63. "Get Along" - Kenny Chesney

64. "Mercy" - Brett Young

65. "One Number Away" - Luke Combs

66. "I Like Me Better" - Lauv

67. "Thunder" - Imagine Dragons

68. "Lucid Dreams" - Juice Wrld

69. "In My Feelings" - Drake

70. "Perfect" - Ed Sheeran

71. "Lights Down Low" - Max ft. Gnash

72. "Girls Like You" - Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B

73. "Young Dumb & Broke" - Khalid

74. "One Kiss" - Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa

75. "You Make It Easy" - Jason Aldean

76. "Let You Down" - NF

77. "Him & I" - G-Eazy and Halsey

78. "Shape of You" - Ed Sheeran

79. "Gucci Gang" - Lil Pump

80. "Yes Indeed" - Lil Baby and Drake

81. "Meant to Be" - Bebe Rexha ft. Florida Georgia Line

82. "Natural" - Imagine Dragons

83. "Psycho" - Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla Sign

84. "Trip" - Ella Mai

85. "Be Careful" - Cardi B

86. "Outside Today" - YoungBoy Never Broke Again

87. "Dura" - Daddy Yankee

88. "Mi Gente" - J Balvin and Willy William ft. Beyoncé

89. "Te Boté" - Nio García, Darell and Casper Mágico featuring Bad Bunny, Nicky Jam and Ozuna

90. "Freaky Friday" - Lil Dicky ft. Chris Brown

91. "Believer" - Imagine Dragons

92. "Gummo" - 6ix9ine

93. "Changes" - XXXTentacion

94. "Wait" - Maroon 5

95. "I'm Upset" - Drake

96. "Plug Walk" - Rich the Kid

97. "X" - Nicky Jam and J Balvin

98. "Look Alive" - BlocBoy JB ft. Drake

99. "Fefe" - 6ix9ine ft. Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz

100. "Nonstop" - Drake

 

 

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Seriously agree about High Hopes.  Love the song for being uplifting and fun in such a dreary hit year.  And the people are complaining about it for being as such just don’t want to be happy.

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