As we almost hit the half-point of the year, a lot of great music has come out, with many potential albums and songs of the year (even just in June alone)! There has been a lot of amazing songs out so far this year, so much that I had too much trouble narrowing down my list to just ten, so you’re getting a list of my top fifteen songs from the first half of 2018.
A Spotify playlist of all the tracks is below, but I will also put YouTube videos if they’re available. Here are my top 15 tracks of the year (so far) in alphabetical order by artist.
A$AP Rocky – A$AP Forever REMIX (feat. T.I. & Kid Cudi)
A beast of a track, my favorite track of Rocky’s latest album “Testing” was originally released about a month before the album, accompanied with my current video of the year (props to Dexter Navy). Right off the bat the sample of Moby’s “Porcelain” instantly got to me, and I knew I was in for a potential song of the year.
Once Testing was actually released, we were actually given a new “REMIX” version that included an intro spoken word section T.I., a new verse from Kid Cudi, plus the trademark Cudi “MMMMMM” as another layer behind the sampled strings from Porcelain. A$AP Rocky raps about even though his A$AP Mob has lost members due to death and controversy, the Mob’s legacy will run forever, and people will remember their name. Cudi’s feature verse actually resonates with the rest of his material released this year, rapping about his usual mental stresses and issues, but he’s put those problems aside, has a daughter that looks up to him, and he’s going to show the world why he’ll be known forever, just like the A$AP Mob.
The YouTube version is still the older single version without T.I. and Cudi, but I really want people to watch this video, and the beautiful editing and camera work that went into it. The REMIX version will be in the Spotify playlist.
Deafheaven – Honeycomb
The first track released from their album “Ordinary Corrupt Human Love” out later this Summer, my favourite Blackgaze band Deafheaven comes back after three years with a beautiful 11-minute track that may confuse a few people with the varying emotion and imagery it may give them as the song progresses. Beginning as a more standard black metal track, we start to get some pretty accessible guitar work around the 4 minute mark that is reminiscent of many of the bands I grew up listening to as a kid, like some emo rock sounding solos I would hear from My Chemical Romance.
The song’s third phase from the 7:30 mark completely flips the dark, harsh black-metal imagery from the beginning of the song, to a very sunny, bright post-rock/shoegaze-y feel. It’s honestly crazy how good Deafheaven is at making a genre like black metal feel so bright and warm. They also recently released a 2nd track, called “Canary Yellow”, which is equally good. Deafheaven’s album could be making a run for my album of the year once it’s all said and done.
Father John Misty – Just Dumb Enough To Try
Though it was one of the first tracks to be released from this amazing album, this song has stuck with me, and is still my favourite off Father John Misty’s “God’s Favorite Customer”. Just Dumb Enough to Try is a great Elton John-esque piano ballad about how Father John Misty’s Josh Tillman is an expert in a lot of things, can carry a conversation, hasn’t had trouble picking up and having sex with women in the past, yet with his current long-time wife Emma, he’s still not sure if he’s fully grasped love, and if he’s the ideal loving husband…but he’s dumb enough to keep trying. I was also glad to see that this song and album focused more on Josh’s own internal struggles with life, love and fame, similar to his 2015 album “I Love You, Honeybear”.
Kacey Musgraves – Wonder Woman
This decision to only choose one song from Golden Hour was tough since I seem to switch my favourite track from this album in and out every week, but I’m sticking with this one for now. Wonder Woman is a clever, fun country pop summerjam where Kacey tells her partner that though she will have his back and support him she’s not Wonder Woman, she can’t solve all his problems and is still human. She may not live up to all his expectations, but she wants him to love her for who she is, even if she can’t give him everything all the time.
I think I went with this with Musgraves track because of the cleverness of the chorus, with Kacey mentioning that she can’t lasso the truth out of her partner like Wonder Woman could, and that she doesn’t need her partner to be Superman.
Kanye West – Ghost Town (feat. PARTYNEXTDOOR, Kid Cudi, & 070 Shake)
The climax of “Ye”, Ghost Town is a crazy epic track with many parts: beginning with an old Shirley Ann Lee sample and PARTYNEXTDOOR, the Cudi “I”VE BEEN TRYIIIING” chorus, maybe the best Kanye singing we’ve heard since 808s & Heartbreak, and 070 Shake’s anthem-like “I put my hand on a stove” ending. Due to the speed in which Kanye made this album, there are still some rough patches with this track. The end of PND’s verse does sound like he’s just bumbling, and the whole hand on a stove line may sound pretty dumb, but it’s one of the “closest” Kanye’s gotten to making a song of epic-sounding proportions since Runaway, Blood On The Leaves, and the outro of New Slaves.
This song’s a bit harder to decipher compared to the other tracks on “Ye”, but I think it’s just supposed to be a crazy high motivational track, symbolising the high points of Kanye’s bi-polar life.
Kids See Ghosts – Reborn
The third Cudi appearance on this 2018 list, the joint Kanye/Cudi joint collaboration Kids See Ghosts drop another motivational, inspirational track about overcoming your issues, whether it be mental issues, addiction, mistakes made in life, or any other stresses. This song transported me back to the end of high school since it sounds like it could have been on one of Cudi’s classic Man On The Moon albums, with the space-y, atmospheric feel. The Cudi “I’m so reborn, I’m moving forward” hook is so simple, yet packs such a huge punch for me musically and with its overall message of moving forward through adversity and struggle.
Migos – Bad Bitches Only (feat. 21 Savage)
My favourite track off the bloated “Culture II”, Bad Bitches Only gets me hyped 2 seconds in. That bombastic Kanye co-production with the trumpet sample gets me going, and then BOOM 21 Savage comes in with that super catchy “Bad Bitches Only” chorus. This is also one of the only songs on the album where I feel like each member of Migos kind of put out equally good verses. For the rest of the album it’s more Takeoff or Offset winning the verse battles, with Quavo only providing hooks.
Ought – Desire
Montreal-based art-rock/post-punk band Ought released their 3rd album “Room Inside The World” in February, and Desire is an amazing 5-minute standout ballad that blew me away, and is hands down my favourite Ought track ever. A lot of great things about this track, first the pronounced bass lines throughout the album, the increasing build-up that adds an element after each minute (the accentuated snare from 2 min onward, then the chorus coming in just before the 3 min mark), and I’m a huge fan of Tim Darcy’s vocal performance on this track, even if some people can’t deal with it. There’s emotion in that voice guys! I guess the being the 2nd “oldest” song on the list, Desire gets extra points for staying on my top songs list this long, even with all the solid releases coming out.
Post Malone – Better Now
#SUMMERJAM. Nothing much to say about this track except it bangs. I’ve mentioned it multiple times on the podcast but this song is destined for the top of the charts once it gets formally released as a single with a video (Post better do this before Solstice!), it will take the world by storm. It’s super catchy, a classic theme of a broken heart and failed love, and Post’s best vocal performance so far in his career. If more parents heard this song they’d probably be super okay with their kids listening to Post Malone and more rap. POP SONG OF THE YEAR.
Rhye – Waste
The first track off Rhye’s second album “Waste”, the song addresses Rhye’s lead man Milosh’s break-up with his ex-wife, and the struggles he had leading up to meeting his new girlfriend. This is a super beautiful, sombre blue-eyed soul track with some haunting string arrangements, that really do convey the emotion of heartbreak and sadness after a break-up. A bit of a shake-up from Rhye’s 2013 album debut which is essentially the perfect music for candlelit black and white Instagram filter sex, it was a bit of a surprise that the first track off their 2nd album would be a sad break-up track.
Technically the “oldest” song on the list, it also gets extra points like Ought’s Desire for keeping it’s spot on this list. Check this track out if you…broke up with someone and need the perfect track for your emotions.
Snail Mail – Pristine
The first single off Snail Mail’s full length debut album, 18-year old Lindsey Jordan (go Jordans!) drops probably my favourite indie rock/bedroom pop track of the year, with “Pristine”. A song that is still kind of naive in terms of meaning, the song is about young teenage love, and a girl unable to stop thinking about an ex, questioning why they don’t love her the same way she does, and that she won’t love anyone else for the rest of her life. But, this song has some of the best guitar work I’ve heard so far this year, and has a great crescendo build-up. Lindsey’s voice also has this insecure emotion to it, just pushes the overall theme more. If you’re fans of other indie pop/bedroom pop groups like Soccer Mommy or Alvvays, definitely check out Snail Mail’s debut album “Lush”, which just came out earlier this month.
SOB x RBE – Paramedic!
My favourite track from the Kendrick Lamar/Top Dawg Entertainment curated Black Panther soundtrack, SOB x RBE drop the track which is essentially the wrestling entrance theme for Erik Kilmonger, the antagonist of Black Panther played by Michael B. Jordan. Basically a “F-you I’m bad ass” track, the 4-member rap group drop consistent bars about Kilmonger, about how he’ll beat you up so bad that a paramedic can’t save you. SOB x RBE also dropped their album earlier this year, after riding the wave from Paramedic! being released. It’s pretty good as well so if you like this track make sure to check out SOB x RBE’s debut.
Soccer Mommy – Your Dog
Another top bedroom pop/indie rock track from this year, Sophie Allison aka Soccer Mommy released her debut studio album “Clean” this year, and “Your Dog” was a definite highlight. “Your Dog” is about Sophie or the singer of the song realising that she was being used in an emotionally abusive relationship, and being treated like a dog/bitch. Fuelled with mixed emotions of anger, sadness and relief, the lyrics mention how she doesn’t want to be treated this way, and even though she’s mentioning moments in the relationship where she was mistreated, she still ended up in his arms and crawling back to her partner.
The video gets a bit darker, with Sophie actually murdering her partner, doing weird things with the body, but at the end, crawling back into his arms at the end of the night…check it out?
Sunflower Bean – Twentytwo
Take one-third 70’s soft rock, one-third classic glam rock, and one-third late 90’s era “Ray of Light” Madonna vocals, and you have Sunflower Bean. “Twentytwo” is my favourite track off Sunflower Bean’s album “Twentytwo in Blue”. Essentially a Fleetwood Mac-inspired soft rock anthem (seriously your parents would love this track), “Twentytwo” explores all the expectations put on a young woman, especially at an age like 22 when they’re maybe just finishing college and taking that step into full adulthood. But as the chorus goes, this woman “will not go quietly” and will not give up even when everything’s not going her way. If you like Fleetwood Mac check out the full album.
Twin Shadow – Littlest Things
Twin Shadow has hit a lot of different genres since he debuted in 2010. Beginning as a darker new-wave indie rock artist, he transitioned to a bit of an R&B artist in 2015, and this year’s release “Caer” seems to be a poppy combination of all his last three albums. Though I wasn’t the biggest fan of this album, “Littlest Things” was definitely the track that seemed the closest to the old Forget/Confess Twin Shadow of 2010-2012 that I love, with the darker new-wave sound with synth hooks. This makes sense given that Littlest Things is actually an older Twin Shadow track that originally surfaced as a demo on his 2015 Night Rally Mixtape…but this version is polished and awesome sounding. If you like this track, check out Twin Shadow’s first two albums, that are both some of my favourites of all-time.
Remember to check out the next episode of the podcast later this week where I delve deeper into each track, and why they’re my favourites of the year!