#top50of2018

#1 - Drake - In My Feelings

If you didn’t see this coming, then you don’t know my taste. In a year where Drake, one of my favorite artists, sat on top of the billboard charts for weeks upon weeks, one of those songs was likely to make it onto my list (in this case, 3 of them did: Nice For What, Sicko Mode w/ Travis Scott, and this one). Now this song isn’t at the top of the list because it’s Drake, and I just swallow every song that he dishes out regardless. This song is here because it’s fun, and captures high energy in a unique way. This song was going to go viral because it makes you want to dance. There is no intro. From the moment you press play the beat is going, and after about 10 seconds we are already at the chorus. The verses play 2nd fiddle to the chorus, which continuously pops up with slight alterations, interruptions and sudden rhythm breakdowns that seem to come out of nowhere...because they do! This song is an invitation to get on the dance floor and express your feelings, as Drake is. Throughout the song he is asking a potential love interest if she loves him, and declaring his loyalty to her if she does. So this song is not only an invitation to dance as the sonics are indicating, but an invitation to fall in love as well.

The wild and abrupt switch ups of the production, as well as the heavy New Orleans bounce influence (this was also briefly introduced in Nice For What, but on this song the entire track gives way) keep things interesting, but the overall sentiment of the song holds steady, and is only enhanced by all the effects and samples. It’s a viral song, and there’s not much going on here lyrically, but it’s undeniable. If you throw this on at a party, and people don’t dance, they are probably dead. The epic music video only adds to the viral element surrounding this song. This was essentially 2018 in a nutshell...people jumping outside of cars dancing to Drake...and that’s ok.

YOU HAVE REACHED THE END

#4 - ODESZA - Line Of Sight (ft. Mansionair & WYNNE)

ODESZA is an electronic music band from Seattle, Washington. Let me put the emphasis on the fact that they are a band...not merely DJs. They have a brass section, a drum line, etc. They take their craft seriously, and so should you, because when it comes to EDM, they are doing the genre a great service. "A Moment Apart” is a concept album about an astronaut in space who learns to not go insane by training his mind to accept the sounds that he’s hearing in a musical format rather than a nuisance. This plays a big role in many of the sounds that are found in the different tracks, and also the themes of reaching out & dealing with loneliness. The songs on this set are ethereal and huge. Subwoofer slapping bangers, but also meditative at the same time. Listening to this album is like watching a Pixar film like Wall-E. There’s a lot of heart, without the need to fill up every song with a feature from a pop singer. In fact, ODESZA keeps most of the record in house, only featuring vocalists from/associated with the band with the exception of soul singer Leon Bridges and indie folk artist Regina Spektor. Because the records are as bombastic as they are, this album can easily play well in pop circles (say, the more ambitious counterpart to The Chainsmokers), but there’s still enough nuance going on here to keep it from merely sounding like an endless sea of bass drops.

Line of Sight is a song about needing someone. Even if that someone might not be the best for you, you still feel like you need them. The truth is at the end of the day, you need someone that’s going to help you be strong enough to only need yourself. And that sentiment is expressed at the end of the song. It’s uplifting, expansive, and certainly not the most experimental or alternative thing on the tracklist, but it still touches me in my soul. I had a moment earlier this year where I felt trapped physically in a place I had no business being in. I wanted to break free, but I had to wait. All I had was my headphones and this song got me through that day. I played it over and over until I felt weightless and my stress was gone. That’s what a good song can do for you, and that’s what this song and album has done for me.

#5 - serpentwithfeet - bless ur heart

Josiah Wise, otherwise known as serpentwithfeet, is an alternative R&B singer who relies heavily on mixing gospel music structures with classical elements and prose-like lyricism. His presentation may seem a bit over the top, but it’s so unique and fresh. In a world where trap flavored R&B is king, this stands out in a strong way. He expresses his love for another man with almost Shakespearean level prose.

“Or will my psalms seek the company of lonely breaths? Will they inspire subtle lovers to kiss with mouths they don't have yet? Boy, whoever reads about how much I adore you I hope my words bring them something new” 

#6 - The Swingles - A Little Change In The Weather

#7 - Snoh Aalegra - Time

Snoh Aalegra is a Swedish R&B singer and songwriter that has the chops. She’s got it. Vocally she sits somewhere between Amy Winehouse and maybe even an Anita Baker. “Time” feels every bit as timeless as some of the melancholy ballads that have stood the test of time from the 90s and 80s. Time is the only thing that we’ll never be able to never get back, and even though we can look back, we can’t see ahead. It’s a strange thing to find ourselves trapped in, and Snoh pours her heart out expressing the pain she feels because she can’t get any of the time back she had with someone she still loves.

#10 - Family Of The Year - I’m The One

Family Of The Year has become one of my favorite bands in a very short time period because of their unique perspective. They usually write songs from the vantage point of youthful innocence and energy, but their latest album finds them grappling with sadness and the weight of real life. After all the partying and good times with friends, and the sweeping romanticism of infatuation is over...sometimes you encounter things like heartbreak...loneliness...numbness. Sometimes everything feels wrong because everything is wrong. Sometimes you miss out on an opportunity because you’re not ok. This song captures the essence of realizing exactly who you are and where you are in life when it comes to a relationship.

#11 - Drake - Nice For What

There has only been a couple of years where Drake hasn’t made it onto my list. What can I say that I haven’t already said about him? I’m a fan, I dig his sound, I like the way that he presents his perspective. This is one of the biggest songs of 2018, one of the few number 1 billboard hits on my list this time around...so I imagine unless you are not of the culture, you’ve probably heard this one more than a few times. So, let me tackle the review from a different perspective.

I’ve got a friend who’s a music fan just like I am. Likes all different kinds of styles of music, but he hasn’t dug much into rap, not on the basis of style, but on the basis of content. It’s not good for the human soul, he says. (As if rock and roll, in retrospect has no questionable content whatsoever, but I digress).

Here’s a song by a rapper. One of the biggest songs by one of the biggest rappers. It’s a song about admiring women. From their beauty, to their work ethic, to their independence and autonomy. It’s also a song about encouraging them to have fun, be themselves, and to celebrate who they are. That’s literally all this song is about. It’s catchy...it’s got a New Orleans block party bounce element to it, it’s got a classic Lauryn Hill sample backing it...it’s a hit. It’s positive, and it is also empowering for women, as well as a good show to men to follow his lead.

I must emphasize this is not the ONLY song of this nature in hip hop! There’s lots of positivity in hip hop and there always has been. If you don’t listen or aren’t of the culture, why would you feel the need to speak on what you don’t know about? One of the reasons that Drake has been around for 10 years straight is because he has chosen to be himself and create his own narrative, rather than play into an expected narrative for a male rapper. This is a great track and best played at ignorant levels!

#13 - Years & Years - Howl

Years and Years is a synth pop band from the UK that took me a while to warm up to. I had heard some of their work in passing, and though the lead singer Olly Alexander has a great voice, it just sounded like generic pop music to me. Over time I began to realize the nuances and the clever songwriting contained in their work, and their recent album Palo Santo, a concept album exploring sexuality and identity through a religious lens with R&B influenced pop, ultimately won me over. I can’t stress how much I can relate to this record and the perspective it gives. “Howl” in particular, is a song about a spiritual journey. Reconciling the quest to understand God and turning with little to nothing versus the quest to be and survive in the world as a conscious choice making being can be frustrating and confusing, and that is all represented here. In the chorus, the main character pleads to be heard from God so that he can be given direction, because life has become too much. The context of this song within the album is pretty key. He’s been learning to accept his own identity as a gay man, even taking on some of the negative labels that religious institutions may put on such a person.

“I am the wolf and the enemy now...”