Here are my top ten songs of 2018. The best of the best... in my opinion. This is the final part of my series counting down the top 20 songs of the year. If you want to see numbers 20 through 11, click here. If you want to see the rules I placed on myself, as well as see what my honorable mentions are, click here. Without further ado, let's do this.
10. "Gold Purple Orange" by Jean Grae & Quelle Chris
Album: Everything's Fine
Genre: Jazz Rap
This is definitely one of the weirdest songs I've heard all year. The jazz instrumentation is so trippy and off-color with a sharp stand-up bass thudding in your ear, horns sweeping across the soundscape, and these dissonant piano chords plucking away. The production is strange, and I love it. It's oddly beautiful in how off-putting it is. Jean Grae and Quelle Chris are both excellent rappers, and they each have their own distinct styles. The lyrics are smart and hilarious, and they compliment the flows. And I love the saxophone solo. It does and does not fit the music at the same time. It's hard to explain why it works, but it comes together masterfully. Plus, this song has one of my favorite music videos of the year. It's absolutely hysterical. Check it out.
9. "Heaven's Only Wishful" by MorMor
Album: Heaven's Only Wishful (EP)
Genre: Alternative
Right when I heard those guitar chords at the start of the song, I instantly fell in love. It's a beautifully simple song, with MorMor's soothing voice singing over the melody. The verses lead to pre-choruses that introduce lush synths that give the song an 80s vibe. And the chorus is just downright infectious. MorMor's vocals are so subtle, yet incredibly pleasing, and when they explode at the end of the song, it's fantastic. I discovered this song pretty late in the year, and I am very glad I did. I can't wait to see what else this guy comes up with.
8. "Over and Over and Over" by Jack White
Album: Boarding House Reach
Genre: Experimental Rock
I've never been a huge Jack White fan, but holy crap, I love this song. The guitar riff is dirty, the drums have a great oomph, and Jack White's vocals sound absolutely chaotic. The weird gospel that appears when "over and over" is sung is so strange, but it's incredibly infectious. The synths and bongos that pop up in the mix are unexpected, but add so much character to the song. My favorite part of the song is the guitar solo near the end. It has so much punch. In fact, this whole song is like a punch in the face. If you want a good rock song to head bang to, this is it. I also give a special honorable mention to "White Station Zebra." Good stuff.
7. "The Reason They Hate Me" by Daughters
Album: You Won't Get What You Want
Genre: Industrial Noise Rock
If "Over and Over and Over" is a punch in the face, then "The Reason They Hate Me" is many repeated punches in the balls. This might be my favorite album of the year, and I easily could have put any song off of here on the list, but I went with this one because even though it's aggressive, disgusting, and pissed off, the groove is phenomenal. The crunchy guitars and buzzing synths have so much rage put into them, and the shouts perfectly compliment the pent up aggression this song has. And the solo is absolutely insane. This song is an assault to the senses. It's the perfect horror movie soundtrack... and by that I mean the song itself is the horror movie. Listen to it, but be warned: it's intense.
6. "Morph" by Twenty One Pilots
Album: Trench
Genre: Alternative
Similar to Jack White, I've never been a big Twenty One Pilots fan, but I must say, I am thoroughly impressed with this album. It's the best and most mature they've ever sounded. I chose "Morph" for this list because of the production. The beat is incredible, and the synths that are used throughout are phenomenal. I love the groove, and Tyler Joseph's rapping has improved immensely. The best aspect of the song, though, is that beautiful chorus. Tyler's falsetto is gorgeous, and the way he sings "I'll morph to someone else" is just incredible. This is the best Twenty One Pilots has ever sounded, and I hope they continue with this sound.
5. "We Appreciate Power (ft. Hana)" by Grimes
Album: n/a
Genre: Nu-Metal Art Pop
You probably read what I listed in the "genre" section of this addition and thought to yourself "...what?" That's fair. This is a weird song with a strange assortment of genres. With that being said, my goodness, this song is incredible. That heavy guitar sample is so powerful, and the other samples are strange yet wonderful pieces of ear candy. The vocals of Grimes and Hana are beautiful and the chorus might be my favorite of the year. And that bridge is absolutely euphoric. This is the first Grimes song I've ever heard, and I am curious to see what else she has. I hear she's going to be releasing a new album in 2019 and this song should be on it. If the album is as good as this track, then I am sold.
4. "Rats" by Ghost
Album: Prequelle
Genre: Metal
As far as rock and metal goes, this is the best the year has to offer. I love the gothic atmosphere this song has, and the guitar riff and organ emphasize the feel of the song so well. The vocals have so much character to them, and the plague theme the song has is wonderfully realized. Plus, the singer's chants of the word "rats" at the end of the chorus are so catchy, over the top, and cheesy in all the best ways. And that ending is phenomenal. Honestly, this song is worth listening to for the last 30 seconds alone. This song is very reminiscent of 80s hair metal, except I think that this is better. This song is a blast to listen to, and every time I hear it on the radio in my car, you know I'll be singing along to it.
3. "Pearly Gates (ft. James Baley)" by U.S. Girls
Album: In A Poem Unlimited
Genre: Art Pop
Important question: why has this song not taken off? As far as modern pop music goes, especially this year, this is leagues above everything on the radio. The groove is absolute ear candy, and the guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, and turntables (yes, turntables) are all used beautifully. The lead singer has a Gwen Stefani sound to her voice, and it works very well with this song. James Baley's vocals on the chorus are irresistable, and the way he ends this song is perfect. In A Poem Unlimited is the most overlooked album of the year, in my opinion, and "Pearly Gates" is the biggest highlight of the album. Listen to this, then listen to the whole album. Do it!
2. "Hunger" by Florence + The Machine
Album: High as Hope
Genre: Art Pop
This song was my number one for a really long time. This is the best pop song of the year, no question. Right at the start of the gate when Florence sings "at 17 I started to starve myself," I was interested. I stayed for the beautiful pianos, the fantastic bass, the great groove, and the gorgeous soaring strings at the end of the song. What made me absolutely fall in love in song is Florence herself. Her voice is transcendent in this track, and her songwriting is deep, mature, and blissful. The way she sings about hunger and how we strive to be full is something that just captivated me. I adore everything about this song, and it's a shame that this did not take off like her previous singles did. Same with the album. High as Hope is probably my second favorite album of the year behind You Won't Get What You Want. Everything about this song is beautiful, and you should listen to it.
1. "TONYA" by BROCKHAMPTON
Album: iridescence
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
When comes to music, I'm not much of a crier. In fact, very few songs get me close to crying. "Tonya" is one of those songs that got me close to crying. Iridescence shows Brockhampton at their most personal, and this is one of the most powerful statements on the album. They sing about how they've reacted to fame, while talking about themes of depression, escapism, and even Stockholm syndrome. It's a heavy song, but it's executed so beautifully because of the writing. Every member plays their part in the song, and it plays out in the best way possible. Not to mention the instrumentation is gorgeous. The piano sounds amazing and the actual beat that is used is wonderful, with this steady drum beat and a nice reversed cello sample (at least I think it's a cello). And the way it all comes together at the end is the perfect combination of beautiful and tragic, with Matt Champion screaming "I don't matter" in the background. I put this at my number one because no song in 2018 hit me the way "Tonya" did. This is easily the group's best ballad, and one of their best songs in general. Please, listen to this song. There's a reason they called themselves the "best boy band since One Direction."
Thank you for reading! My top 10 best and worst movies of 2018 lists should be out soon, so stay tuned!
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