In 2018, we saw the release of “Black Panther,” “Infinity War,” the Parkland School shooting, which killed 17 people, the Winter Olympics in South Korea, the devastating hurricanes in the southern part of the United States and so much more. Music began to reflect what was going on in America and the rest of the world. Some of the music was simple escapism, and some gave a unique look into the issues affecting communities the most.
Hip-hop continued to be the dominant genre in America, with artists such as Travis Scott and Drake seeing huge success with their albums and singles. A lot of breakout R&B stars stepped into the spotlight such as Ella Mai, H.E.R. and Daniel Caesar. Pop star Ariana Grande came back from the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attacks with her acclaimed album, “Sweetener,” and is currently set to go on tour next year.
Below is a list of 50 songs I believe were the best of the year.
1. Childish Gambino – “This is America”
Childish Gambino, also known as Donald Glover, returned to music this year with a powerful message about many aspects of gun violence in America. The song is an introspective look into police brutality and the debate surrounding gun control and violence after a mass shooting. The song is generally upbeat and might come across as happy to listeners at first, but if you really listen to what he’s saying, Gambino is discussing how Americans tend to put on a happy face even in the bad times. The song is also accompanied by ad-libs from rappers 21 Savage, Young Thug, Quavo and BlocBoy JB, and is accompanied by a powerful video that hones in the message of the song.
2. Janelle Monae – “Make Me Feel”
The Prince protégé and breakout actress has had a big couple of years, staring in acclaimed movies such as “Moonlight” and “Hidden Figures,” but with “Make Me Feel” and her acclaimed album, “Dirty Computer,” Monae is able to prove that she is a mega talent in any area. “Make Me Feel” describes Monae’s sexuality in which she proclaims that “It’s like I’m powerful with a little bit of tender, an emotional sexual bender.” The song has been described as a “bisexual anthem” and is a favorite for next year’s Grammy nominations.
3. The Weeknd – “I was Never There”
After the end of a high-profile relationship with Selena Gomez, The Weeknd returned to what he does best: heartbreak. The standout track “I Was Never There” features stunning production from French producer Gesaffelstein, who should really be given the most credit for creating a gut-wrenching arrangement, accompanied by The Weeknd’s strong vocal performance. This might be the end of heartbreak music from The Weeknd because he rekindled his relationship with model Bella Hadid since the release of his EP.
4. Kali Uchis ft. Tyler, the Creator and Bootsy Collins – “After the Storm”
One of the breakout stars of the year, Kali Uchis first started to receive attention for her duet with Daniel Caesar. Earlier this year, she released her acclaimed debut album, “Isolation,” which features collaborations with Jorja Smith and rapper MIA. The song that is credited for being her break out hit “After the Storm” features vocals from Tyler, the Creator and Bootsy Collins. The song goes in depth about getting out of the rut of life and looking toward the positive things in life, despite how down in the dumps listeners might feel at the time.
5. Kendrick Lamar and SZA – “All the Stars”
In 2017, Kendrick Lamar continued to rise into prominence with the release of his album “DAMN,” and SZA broke into mainstream success with her debut album, “CTRL” and a string of hits such as “The Weekend,” “Love Galore,” and the Maroon 5 collaboration “What Lovers Do.” The Black Panther-lead single, “All the Stars,” sees both the TDE label mates come together for a euphoric rapped/sung collaboration about coming close to your dreams and growing up.
6. Travis Scott – “Stop Trying to be God”
No one has had a better year than Travis Scott. His highly anticipated album, “Astroworld,” moved over 500,000 units during the first week of sales, and his song “Sicko Mode” with Drake just went No. 1, making it the rapper’s first single to do so. Although many listeners can agree the entire album was excellent, with his collaboration with Kid Cudi and Stevie Wonder “Stop Trying to be God,” we get to see Travis get down to earth and discuss remaining humble and not developing a God complex.
7. J. Cole – “KOD”
J. Cole has always been at the top of his game, and 2018 didn’t seem any different for him. His concept album “KOD” sees the rapper delve into topics such as drug abuse, relationships and his thoughts on the new generation of rappers. The title track sees Cole remain confident toward himself but also shows a more vulnerable side by talking about the drug abuse he saw growing up.
8. Drake – “Nonstop”
Drake arguably had the biggest year for any musician or rapper, regardless of genre. He spent over half the year at No. 1 with songs like “Nice For What,” “God’s Plan” and “In My Feelings,” and his album “Scorpion” is seven-times platinum.
9. Ari Lennox – “Whipped Cream”
One of the artists on the Dreamville team, Ari Lennox is an upcoming R&B singer to whom the world needs to start paying attention to immediately. Her single “Whipped Cream” sees the singer delve into topics such as longing for an ex-lover and how she copes with the pain of that. Lennox is set to go on tour with 6LACK later this year and just released a collaboration with J. Cole for the movie “Creed II.”
10. Buddy ft. Khalid – “Trippin”
Compton rapper Buddy has been in the game for years down, featuring on songs with Chance the Rapper, ASAP Rocky, Nipsey Hussle and more. His single “Trippin” is a radio-friendly song but goes on to discuss hard topics such as drug abuse and depression. The song’s message is reinforced with a hook from Khalid, which makes the song more fun to listen to. This year, Buddy came into the spotlight as the main artist with his album “Harlan & Alondra.” The album features collabs from Ty Dolla $ign, Snoop Dogg and ASAP Rocky and introduces listeners to Buddy’s eccentric style.
11. Lil Wayne ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Mona Lisa”
After a lengthy legal battle with producer and rapper Birdman, Lil Wayne was finally able to release the album “The Carter V.” The standout song from the album was by far “Mona Lisa,” an odd look into a relationship with an amazing story-telling verse from Kendrick Lamar that sat in the vault for over four years. Thankfully, Lil Wayne won his lawsuit, and we finally got to hear this amazing track.
12. Ella Mai – “Trip”
Going from singing covers of Fetty Wap songs on Instagram to performing on SNL and the American Music Awards, Ella Mai has had one of the biggest come-ups of this year. The success of “Boo’d Up” is what propelled her into fame, but her second single, “Trip,” off her debut album is what really made her stand out this year. The song’s lyrics about getting over a love that is too good to be true, accompanied by a modern R&B production, creates a perfect song for any occasion.
13. Gallant – “Doesn’t Matter”
Coming back from his 2016 Grammy-nominated album “Ology,” Gallant released a handful of songs this year that stood out in their own way, but his single “Doesn’t Matter” is what really engaged listeners the most this year. The song talks about being there for another person regardless of all of the negative aspects of life that could get in the way.
14. Daniel Caesar – “Who Hurt You?”
If H.E.R. is the new face of R&B for women, then Daniel Caesar is holding it down for the men. The singer received a Grammy nomination for his hit “Get You” during last year’s ceremony. His single “Who Hurt You?” sees the singer talk about his devotion for a new love. The relaxing production and unique vocal performance makes it one of the best R&B songs of the year.
15. H.E.R. – “Fate”
As one of the new faces of R&B, H.E.R., or Gabi Wilson, has been busy collaborating with Khalid, Bryson Tiller and Ella Mai as well as dropping two EPs, touring with Chris Brown and kicking off her own tour. The gut-wrenching cut from the part two, the “I Used to Know Her” EP, is what truly brings out the talent and passion in H.E.R.’s voice and what makes her stand out.
16. Saba ft. Chance the Rapper – “Logout”
Chicago rapper Saba and Chance the Rapper released a deep message about social media and all of the positive and negative feelings that come with our new media age. Both Saba and Chance talk about their experiences with social media and the change they’ve seen in the world over the last several years. This is an extremely relatable song many listeners could hear themselves in. The song is their second collaboration, the first being on Chance’s 2016 mixtape.
17. Jay Rock ft. Kendrick Lamar, Future and James Blake – “King’s Dead”
The second single on the “Black Panther” soundtrack features TDE artist Jay Rock and A-list rappers Kendrick Lamar and Future and vocals from James Blake. The song is a standout track because of the impressive beat, produced by Mike Will Made It and Teddy Walton, which really elevates the rappers’ vocals.
18. Cardi B ft. Bad Bunny and J Balvin – “I Like It”
I think everyone can agree Cardi has had one of the most enticing come-ups in recent memory. After the success of “Bodak Yellow” and “No Limit,” music fans weren’t sure if Cardi would be able to keep up her string of hits. The Latin trap anthem off her highly successful debut album proved to the haters Cardi is able to switch styles and keep listeners interested in more than just her social media presence.
19. Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry”
There was arguably no pop star able to captivate the true feelings of the American 20-something this year like Ariana Grande. After the devastating 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attacks, Grande returned with a euphoric and vocally commanding number about making it out of rock bottom and looking towards the future.
20. Teyana Taylor – “Rose in Harlem”
As part of one of the five albums produced by Kanye West this year, Teyana Taylor’s album KTSE didn’t get the level of attention she fully deserved. The song “Rose in Harlem,” which describes her growing up to be successful despite hardships and samples The Stylistics and a poem from Tupac, was a success.
21. Blood Orange – “Charcoal Baby”
22. Mac Miller – “Self Care”
23. JID ft. Method Man and Joey Bada$$ – “Hot Box”
24. Jay Rock ft. SZA – “Redemption”
25. Noname – “Ace”
26. SOB X RBE – “Paramedic”
27. Black Atlass – “Fantasy”
28. Anderson .Paak ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Tints”
29. Janelle Monae – “I Like That”
30. Pusha T – “If You Know You Know”
31. 6LACK ft. J Cole – “Pretty Little Fears”
32. Chloe x Halle – “Cool People”
33. Childish Gambino – “Feels Like Summer”
34. The Carters – “Apeshit”
35. Ravyn Lenae – “Sticky”
36. Frank Ocean – “Moon River”
37. Mitski – “Geyser”
38. Drake – “Nice for What”
39. Khalid & Normani – “Love Lies”
40. Twenty One Pilots – “Trench”
41. Alina Baraz – “Coming to My Senses”
42. Alex Da Kid ft. H.E.R & Rapsody – “Go”
43. Arctic Monkeys – “Four Out of Five”
44. Florence + The Machine – “Grace”
45. Metro Boomin ft. 21 Savage – “Don’t Come Out the House”
46. Tom Misch ft. Goldlink – “Lost in Paris”
47. The 1975 – “Love it if We Made It”
48. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
49. Brent Faiyaz – “Poison’
50. Shoreline Mafia ft. Ohgeesy, Fenix Flexin and Master Kato – “Bands”
