2018 TOP 20
20. Snail Mail: Lush
My most controversial/optimistic view when it comes to albums is that albums can still be very good even if only half of the songs are good, sometimes even less (Iâm talking about American Football here because I am usually thinking about American Football because I did not have fun time in tenth grade). Luckily for Snail Mail, I didnât find the second half of her 2018 release bad, it just wasnât nearly as memorable as the first half. Luckily for me, the first half of âLushâ is 20 minutes of gorgeous music. From its muted, vaguely nostalgic intro, to the grander âPristineâ, to the lonely and lost âStickâ, the album never loses this dewy/dreamy quality that sits just on top of whatever room the sound occupies. Itâs a weighted blanket: comforting and soft sounds you can wrap yourself in to, for just one minute, feel safe which I needed in 2018. I donât know if âLushâ will be one of the top twenty albums I think of when I look back at 2018 in a few years, but right now, I canât imagine a 2018 without it, meaning it most definitely belongs here on my top 20 albums of 2018.
19. Joyce Manor: Million Dollars to Kill Me
Life can get substantially easier when you figure out the simple truths about yourself. I discovered that I was a Pisces through and through my senior year of high school, when a classmate, upon hearing it was my birthday, told me, âEverything about you makes sense now.â Despite my protests, nothing has or will change the fact that I am deeply emotional and day-dreamy, essentially, a Pisces you can spot a mile away. Iâm also an emo bitch, most likely a side of effect of the Pisces thing, and unlike those emotionally healthy people that grew out of their emo phase in ninth grade, I donât think I ever will. Iâve come to terms with this, and this led to me realizing that Joyce Manor is a fucking stellar band. They continue to be stellar in their 2018 album âMillion Dollars to Kill Meâ, which delivers the frantic energy and enticing guitar-driven melodies that made me fall in love with their 2014 album, âNever Hungover Againâ. âMillion Dollarsâ is much more subdued than their previous works, gentler even. To me, it doesnât come off as being washed up but rather as a natural course of, maturation. Theyâre growing into their new sound wonderfully, with the albumâs title track easily being one of my favorite songs released this year. âMillion Dollarsâ does the best thing an album can do, which is keep me excited for the bandâs future while keeping me totally happy with the bandâs present.
18. The Vaccines: Combat Sports
Speaking of high school, look whose back with a killer release! Seven years after their breakout album, âWhat Did You Expect from the Vaccines?â, and around five years after I started listening to them, The Vaccinesâ âCombat Sportsâ sounds just as bright, bouncy, British, and boyish as they did when I found them, which is a relief. One of my worst habits as a music listener is my tendency to find an album from an artist who has plenty of other great, acclaimed releases and never listen to anything other than the first album I found. This has happened repeatedly; despite how much I love, âBlack on Both Sidesâ, âItâs Dark and Hell is Hotâ, âHospiceâ, and âSlanted and Enchantedâ, I have never listened to another Mos Def, DMX, or Hospice album, and I only recently gave Pavementâs âCrooked Rain, Crooked Rainâ a shot, which was smart because âCrooked Rainâ might be better. The Vaccines were, until this year, stuck in this limbo, as I had generally ignored their previous two releases, though from the little Iâve heard from âCome of Ageâ that might have been the right decision. However, I am glad to say that âCombat Sportsâ is a triumph. It brings the fun and charisma of âNorgaardâ and âPost-Breakup Sexâ in tracks like âI Canât Quitâ and âOut On the Streetâ while keeping the slower sincerity of âSomebody Elseâs Childâ on tracks such as âMaybeâ and âYoung Americanâ. Itâs my âroll down the car windowsâ album of 2018 and I canât wait to see if anything can top it in 2019.
 17. Saba: Care for Me
It would have been a shame if I had missed Saba because I donât really care for Chanceâs âEverybodyâs Somethingâ and âColoring Bookâ as a whole. It wouldâve been a shame if my brother hadnât convinced me to give Nonameâs âRoom 25â a shot and I never heard âAceâ, her track with Smino and Saba. It really wouldâve have been a shame if, after listening to âRoom 25â, my phone had died as I sat in the library, as it was on 1 percent when I decided to give Saba a shot and watch his NPR Tiny Desk concert. And after my long road to Saba, what I found was not only, in my humble opinion, the cutest rapper out now (Iâm open to other opinions on the cute debate, but Sabaâs smile is number one and itâs not particularly close), but also the best, young, male rapper I found this year (number one is probably the best but that is also up for debate. I enjoy talking about these things feel free to hit me up). His flow on âLifeâ is one of those âoh yeah I guess old heads have a point this fast, intricate, carefully crafted hip hop is astoundingâ moments, and the hook on âBroken Girlsâ is inescapably sticky and fun while keeping the darker, heavier atmosphere of the song. Yet, the most impressive thing about Saba is his storytelling, which I think is a majorly underrated aspect of rapping, and his double-song âProm/Kingâ was one of maybe four tracks that made me cry this year (it was as I walked into my astronomy class, which is terrible in terms of timing but great in terms of memorability). I love Saba now, which is to say, I âCare for Himâ.
16. Antarcticgo Vespucci: Love in the Time of Emails
Not much makes me warier of a piece of art than critique of modern technology, i.e. the internet, social media, and the like (also on the list, woke music about the daughter you just had and the words âvoidâ, âcallousedâ, and âbruisedâ showing up in a poem. So much bad, youth spoken word, just so so much). So, under normal circumstances, I would have skipped over Anarctigo Vespucciâs new release, but since âPostâ, âWorryâ, and âTo Leave or Live in Long Islandâ are some of the best albums Iâve listened to this year, Iâd say Jeff Rosenstock deserves the benefit of the doubt. And âLove in the Time of Emailsâ makes the record four for four (Wendyâs, if youâre listening, bring back spicy nuggets), though it would be stupid to ignore Chris Farrenâs contributions on the album. Farren is the star here, with his vocal ability to switch between the poppier tracks like âKimmyâ and âWhite Noiseâ to the more pop-punk moments in âBreathless on DVDâ and âNot Yoursâ being what defines the albumâs aesthetic. It is power-pop and a great album and it is, somehow, only my second favorite Jeff Rosenstock project this year.
15. The Pillows: FooL on CooL generation
No one reading this should feel even remotely interested in listening to this album, unless, by some chance, you happen to be a fan of the anime FLCL. If that is the case, the Pillows (the band responsible for FLCLâs soundtrack, which is one of the best parts of the show) has an album out on spotify, featuring iconic songs Last Dinosaur AND Little Busters. âFooL on CooL generationâ is the soundtrack to FLCLâs two sequels, FLCL Progressive and FLCL Alternative, neither of which I have seen (and I donât know if I really want to. Iâve heard a lot of mixed reviews and it makes me nervous), but the fact that I havenât seen the shows hasnât stopped me from falling head over heels for this release. It has the same vibe as the FLCL soundtrack Iâve been listening to all year, which is to say, the Pillows are very good at creating rock music that can both blend into the background and grab your head with two hands and bang it for you. And though this soundtrack is missing killer tracks like âRide on Shooting Starâ, âInstant Musicâ which is one of my favorite songs of the year, and âHybrid Rainbowâ, âFooL on CooL generationâ is way more consistent all the way through and is an overall much more enjoyable listen. Everything I love about FLCL is reflected in the Pillowâs music; theyâre able to establish a  nostalgic dreariness without the music sounding mundane and then shatter that oppressive peacefulness with this incredibly fun, invigorating crescendo that leaves me feeling victorious. Because thatâs what FLCL is about. It says âlife can be boring and when we are young, we often try to grow up too fast and we miss how whacky things around us are. But if you let life happen around you, life is wild and fun and, sometimes, if youâre lucky or patient, youâll winâ. And yeah, in the show, victory can come in the form of using a Gibson Flying V as a bat to send a baseball-shaped bomb the size of a small school building back into space and saving your entire, boring little town. Other times, its beating your dad in an airsoft gun fight. Sometimes, you win but youâre not the hero, in fact, you were just there. Is all of this conveyed through the music alone on âFooL on CooL generationâ? Probably not, but if youâve watched the show, hopefully you can at least see why itâs what I get out of this album. And if you havenât, itâs only six twenty minute episodes (and made by the people who made Neon Genesis Evangellion, if youâre a weeb reading this. Though, I will warn you, the shows have nothing in common except for a whiny, little boy as the central protagonist). FLCL changed a lot about my view of art, from how and why it should be made to what makes art good and effective. I will always be thankful to it, and by extension, the Pillows, for how they shaped my life and continue to provide me with some killer entertainment.
 14. Kids See Ghosts: Kids See Ghosts
2018 was a rough year for a lot of people, and, in a lot of ways, Kanye West made it worse. Overall, I would say he definitely made it worse for me, being a fan of his. I thought his first release of the year, âYeâ, was as uninspired as it was uninteresting. What I love about Kanye is that all of his prior works sounded like he had an idea and wanted to make the most intricate, grandest, and dopest version of that idea he could. âYeâ doesnât sound like it has half the effort of even âLife of Pabloâ and was simply a disappointment. It wasnât as nearly as his antics online, from his recent spat with Drake to his public devotion to the right wing, the latter leading me to ignore this album for awhile after its release. I loved Kanye, and my favorite Kanye album is â808s & Heartbreakâ, the Kanye album with the most Kid Cudi inspiration, but with all the negativity Kanye had brought me in 2018, I didnât think âKids See Ghostsâ would be worth it. Â And it wasnât; even now Iâd say it was a net negative year for my relationship with Kanye, but goddam if this album isnât fantastic. Itâs ambitious Kanye again, teamed up with this raw and emotionally open Kid Cudi. â4th Dimensionâ has an almost âJesus Walksâ feel to its beats. The album opens on this big, clouds-in-the-sky sample followed by a silky-smooth Pusha T verse followed by Kanyeâs erratic, ad-libbed gunshots, indicating, âyes Kanye is back on his bullshit but in a new wayâ which is how the best Kanye albums start. The album does fall off at the end, I think, which is especially tough when the album is only 7 tracks and 23 minutes. I love a short album, but if itâs not consistent, every bad song is a bigger percentage of the album thatâs bad. Iâm still lower on Kanye leaving 2018 than I was going in, but this album does nearly everything it can to keep him in my good graces.
13. Pusha T: Daytona
Itâs hard for me to look at âDaytonaâ now without comparing it to âKids See Ghostsâ. Both were released by GOOD Music this year, both are seven tracks and around 20 minutes long, and both were produced by Kanye West. So what Pushes âDaytonaâ ahead? A few things. One, holy shit Pusha T is really good at rapping. I grew up pretty sheltered, especially when it came to music. This lead to first rap song I ever fell in love with being Eminemâs âMocking Birdâ, which I was only able to listen to on my cousinâs hacked DS. This also lead to me missing Clipseâs âGrindinâ and the rest of Pusha Tâs career, until I got into Kanye West my freshman year and heard him absolutely devour his verse on âRunawayâ (probably still my favorite Kanye song). This is all to say, man I wish I had known about Pusha T longer to save me from misguidedly believing that Eminem was ever the best rapper alive (to clarify, I donât think Pusha ever was either. But I donât think I ever would have put Eminem over anyone if I knew how many amazing rappers were out there so, thanks mom) (side note, Iâm convinced that Spotify has some sort of agenda, because Iâve listened to âGrindinâ way more times than I have âWeird Honeyâ but âGrindinâ wasnât on my Top 100 of 2018 and âWeird Honeyâ was? Just release the raw data Spotify, let me see exactly how many more times I listened to âMy Boyâ than âProviderâ and Iâll be happy). Second (back to why âDaytonaâ is higher than âKids See Ghostsâ), I think the peak of âDaytonaâ is higher than âKids See Ghostsâ, meaning, I think âThe Games We Playâ is better than âFeel the Loveâ. KSG has more tracks that I like, but there is really nothing that comes close to âThe Game We Playâ. Itâs on the shortlist for my favorite songs of the year; it may even be one of my favorite rap songs period. From Pushaâs heavy, pendulum flow, to the bars, to the Samurai Champloo-esque beat its everything I want in a rap song. He doesnât kill it on every track, sadly, but this song makes âDaytonaâ one of 2018âs unforgettable albums.
12. Clairo: diary 001
At times, it feels like there is just too much music out there, especially in the rap and indie scenes. It doesnât help when the aesthetics and sounds all sort of blend together. I wouldnât say that Clairoâs âdiary 001â break through the of lo-fi, indie, Bandcamp white noise cloud. Rather, she runs it through an air purifier and uses her sound to fill a balloon and asks you what your favorite animal is. Itâs a fun album to listen to, which I canât say for every pop or indie album Iâve listened to this year. Itâs a really fun album to sing along to, which is easy, since Clairoâs writing is as simple and inviting as it is honest and vulnerable. Thereâs not much to parse but thereâs plenty to enjoy, even if the EP is only fourteen minutes long (barely longer than Car Seat Headrestâs SONG Beach-Life-In-Death which was my third favorite song from the band that delivered my least favorite live performance). I did feel a bit strange putting an EP on this list, but considering how short some of this years best albums were and the fact that there are other EPs I loved from this year, I would be lying to myself if I kept âDiary 001â off my list or put it any lower.
11. Curren$y, Freddie Gibbs, and The Alchemist: Fetti
There are always the artists you want to enjoy. I really wanted to love Freddie Gibbsâ other 2018 album, the self-titled âFreddieâ, and for the first few listens I did. Yet, as the plays piled on, I realized that the album was just okay. It had almost everything I loved about âPinataâ, the album that made me fall in love with Freddieâs tough, braggadocious style (Gibbsâ persona is a kind of rap game Gaston from Beauty and the Beast). Sadly, I found its production got old quickly and the latter songs dip off. It was disheartening. A few months later, as 2018 seems like it may finally be wrapping itself up as it headed into December, I hear Gibbs has another album with New Orleans rapper Curren$y and producer the Alchemist. As of right now, Iâve only had a few weeks with this album and Iâve got to say it deserves this number 12 spot. Yes, Iâm wary of recency bias, as it took a bit for me to sour on âFreddieâ but there are a few things that give me a bit more confidence in âFettiâ. First is the production. The entire album has a hollow, shadowy vibe that creates space for Gibbs and Curren$y to thrive in, as well as lending the project a sense of cohesion that doesnât sour into mundanity (man does 4:44âs production get repetitive). Second, both rappers really shine in this album. Iâve been a fan of Gibbs before, but this is my first time listening to Curren$y and shame on me. Heâs smooth and sounds extremely New Orleans, like the old coworkers that tried to convince me that A.I was ten times the player Kevin Durant is and ever will be became one of the slickest rappers of 2018 (if anyone is interested, my old coworkers were also New Orleans rappers and would rap almost every shift. Letâs just say they were better at basketball analysis then they were rapping). What really makes âFettiâ work, though, is the interplay between the two rappers. Itâs almost like (back to basketball for one last time) the duo of Dame Lilliard and CJ McCollum. Are either the best rapper out right now, no and I wouldnât say itâs particularly close. But on any given night they can have the best performance, and over the season their team is generally successful. Part of that success is, while the duo are also in close in terms of skill, Portland definitely belongs to Dame and âFettiâ is, in my opinion, clearly Curren$yâs album. Heâs the best part of the majority of the songs, but on the rare occasion he does falter a bit, Gibbs is there to make sure the song still slaps, see âNow and Later Gatorsâ. âFettiâ might not stay my twelfth favorite album of 2018 forever, but itâs great enough for me to keep me rooting for these two.
10. Harunemuri: harutosyura
There arenât a ton of reasons for me to like Harunemuriâs 2018 album âharutosyuraâ. Most of the album isnât in English, which should be a problem for me considering I primarily listen for lyrics (although I think I could make an argument that English is no longer an obstacle, as I am currently getting back into k-pop for the fourth time in my short life. Though, considering there are two other albums on my list made by Japanese artists so maybe Iâm just a weeb). The album is extremely experimental, with plenty of songs layered with heavy effects, and melodies ranging from poppy to rock often within single songs, which is nothing to say of the vocal performances. Harunemuri seems to love this rapid, almost anxious rambling pace when delivering her lyrics, closer to spoken word poetry than traditional singing, yet there are places where the music drives her to place where she, and often myself while listening along, has to scream. And I love that. I like how easily this gets my heart racing, how it keeps me off-balance always guessing whatâs coming next, how at times the music can feel like a spectacle. After months of listening to this album, there still arenât any individual songs that stick out, as the album feels like a cohesive unit that demands to be listened to as such. It has momentum, both the individual songs and the project have a kind of centrifugal force that pulls me in and keeps me within its orbit. This album is a tough recommend (unless you just happen to be a huge fan of Claire de Lune, which briefly appears on this album and is easily the strangest sample Iâve heard all year) but its also easy for me to see why fans of this album, including myself, love it.
9. Kendrick Lamar: Black Panther Album Music From and Inspired By
Sometimes, the world gets lucky. Everything aligns, the planets, the stars, and one of the best directors gets one of Hollywoodâs biggest IPs and gets the worlds best rapper to do the soundtrack AND somehow it still manages exceed expectations (oh also they got one the hottest actors alive to be the primary antagonist and though he did not exceed expectations in terms of hotness, definitely met them and made his kinda underwritten character very appealing). Itâs crazy to me that this movie came out this year, as this year has felt like was the rumored, uncut version of Black Panther that clocked in at like five hours or something crazy like that. Then again, I canât imagine it coming out any other year. This album was a chance for some of musicâs big names to get music out before releasing full projects this year: 2 Chainz, Khalid, SZA, Vince Staples, Jorja Smith, Anderson .Paak, Future (unfortunately? Verdicts still out on âslob on me knobâ personally), and Travis Scott, not to mention Kendrick, ScHoolboy Q, and Isiah Rashad whose only music this year is on this album. So yeah, if you are a fan of literally any of those artists, this is a good album to check out. Itâs almost like our generationâs we are the world, except instead of funding a charity for Africa, the crew of Black Pantherâs soundtrack (and to a further extent, everyone behind the movie) are celebrating the massive impact and dominance they have over American culture. Itâs a well-earned victory lap, as well as an incredibly well made and enjoyable one.
8. Travis Scott: Astroworld
While trying to figure this yearâs top twenty, I was surprised by how far up my list Travis Scottâs âAstroworldâ made it. I think a few months spent complaining about its length and reading about how Sicko Mode is this generationâs Bohemian Rhapsody had soured me on the project as a whole (itâs not, in case anyone is wondering. Sicko mode isnât even the best song by either Travis or Drake. I still think Travisâ best song is Maria Iâm Drunk and Drakes is Know Yourself and now Iâm sad again because Iâm thinking about how disappointing Scorpion was). What I forgot was that Travis managed to craft arguably his best album to date, and one of my favorite albums in 2018. He continues to adapt Kanyeâs peculiar ability to get the most out of artists, allowing them to fit into the albumâs specific tone or aesthetic while still sounding like themselves (Travis also takes the âletâs get a Bon Iver feature to fit onto this rap songâ mantle from Kanye, which I never thought Iâd see). Are these features a crutch for Travis? Sure, heâs still only an ok rapper at best and the worst tracks on the album are the ones where Travis is by himself and has to showcase that. But that only applies to 6 of the 17 tracks and in his defense, the opening track, Stargazing, is fantastic despite the lack of features. In fact, Astroworld may have the best four songs of any album this year, with Sicko Mode being the best song on the project (though a Nav-less Yosimite would be stiff competition). The album is as diverse as it is good, constantly shifting up tempos and moods. One moment it can be jamming on No Bystanders (which has a âBITCH!â comparable to Sheck Wesâ on âMo Bambaâ) the next its close and eerie with 21 Savage on NC-17, which, can I take a minute here to talk about what a year itâs been for 21? Aside from this verse, which was my favorite of his this year, heâs fantastic on Metro Boominâs âNot All Hero Wear Capesâ and 21âs own âi am > i wasâ. He seems to consistently better every year and at some point, heâs gonna be unarguably a top 5 rapper out. Shit, he might already be there. Back to Travis, my biggest fear with this album is that it doesnât feel like Travisâ sound has necessarily evolved. âAstroworldâ feels, at time, like Travis cleaning up and trying to perfect a sound he muddied up on âBirds In the Trapâ. 2018 was a year of new heights for Travis, but hereâs to hoping he can fly even higher.
7. Young Thug: On the Rvn
Iâve never been quite as ready for someone to break a promise as I was when Young Thug declared that he wasnât going to release any more music in 2018. Of course, being Young Thug, heâs released three projects in 2018 (not to mentioned the teased âBarter 7â), with the last of these being the EP âOn the Rvnâ. The EP is only six songs, clocking in at a quick 22 minutes in which Young Thug showcases every reason I continue to love Young Thug. His songs are a great balance of fun and turnt, as Thug has a sort of swiss army knife utility along with an ability to identify exactly what a song needs from him. Whether that means switching up flows, singing, playing with tone/inflection, adlibbing, or utilizing autotune, he knows what is going to make him and, quite often, his feature sound the best. Take my two favorite tracks, âClimaxâ ft. 6lack and âSinâ ft. Jaden Smith. Despite 6lackâs experience as an r&b singer, Thug takes the singing responsibility on the hook with this breathy falsetto that is sampled throughout all of 6lackâs verse. Thus, 6lackâs cool, smoother voice is highlighted and gives the entire track an almost lacquered feel. Meanwhile, on âSinâ, knowing that Jaden has a penchant for delivering his verses in a breezy, flowy, not-quite sing-songy style, Thug goes for his more conventional, deeper voice and focuses the emphasis and rhythm of his verse. Thugâs plodding grounds the song while Jaden is allowed to create the songs height. To top it all off, Thug has a song with Elton John, in which he blows the legendary singer-songwriter out the water. Jeffery just loves adding to his GOAT case. This isnât Thugâs best project or even close, but since heâs easily one of my favorite rappers out right now, Iâll get a ton of mileage from any above average project he drops. (Final thing before I leave, âAudemarâ is his best song this year and I want to find a way to frame his âskrrtâs on that song and hang them on wall as my most prized possession).
6. Brockhampton: Iridescence
The worldsâ best boyband has a new sound. And itâs exciting! Just maybe not as exciting as it could be. Itâs understandable, I canât imagine itâs easy to follow up the release of three mixtapes in twice as many months, as well as the well-deserved explosion of popularity that comes from dropping some of the best and freshest sounding hip hop of 2017. Considering all the buildup, âIridescenceâ does well to show that Brockhampton is still growing and still great, just in a new way. After the groupâs (correct) decision to kick out one of its most important members after sexual misconduct allegations came out, many, including me, were curious about the direction their sound would take. From âIridescenceâ, it seems that their answer is less of a role for Kevin Abstract (which is sad for me, because heâs still my favorite musician of the group. It was clear from the singles released prior to âIridescenceâ that his presence was going to be lessened going forward. Hopefully that changes). and Matt Champion (who, after four albums, I still canât remember what any of his verses are about? Like they sound good I just donât know what the fuck heâs trying to say) and more opportunity for Dom (the best rapper of the group), Merlyn Woods (the cutest member), Joba (the most exciting/highest variance member), and Bearface (the hottest if I was still in middle school/a local). âIridescenceâ is Brockhamptonâs most melodic project yet and feels the most vulnerable, which are both exciting propositions. Yet, itâs a bit too long and there are some experimental moments like the ending of âVividâ and some moments that sound pulled out of the Saturation Series that sound a bit old hat like âWhere the Cash Atâ. At the end of the day, this is only Brockhamptonâs third best album (itâs like the Dark Souls 2 of the Brockhampton discography. Also, this is mostly for my brother if heâs reading this, after going back and listening to all the Brockhampton albums, I admit that Sat 3 is the best overall. My favorite songs are still on Sat 2, but Sat 3 is the better album. You win). Still, at their third best, itâs good enough to be one of my favorite and most exciting albums of the year.
5. Ichiko Aoba: qp Â
I think one of the most powerful things a meal or song or any piece of art can do is evoke something from your childhood. Like no matter how old I get, when I make myself Vietnamese porridge and add too much black pepper, that first bite is always going to remind me of my grandmother taking care of me when I was sick. Ichiko Aobaâs âqpâ is an fantastic album on its own, but what lands it here on this list is its ability to evoke the calming sounds of the âBasket of Plumsâ cd I would listen to as a kid. The cd is a compilation of songs written by the Plum Village Monastery, a Buddhist monastery founded by Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. It was a mainstay in my house growing up, my early music library consisting mostly of âBasket of Plumsâ, âAbbey Roadâ, and the Vietnamese karaoke cassette tapes âThe He Treâ (which probably are to thank for my ability to enjoy music where I have no idea what the singers are saying). That being said, itâs not like âqpâ doesnât stand on its own merits. Aobaâs voice has this immediately intimate quality to it, which when paired with her ability to create wispy and intricate melodies makes some songs sound how dewy spiderwebs look. Yet, thereâs nothing overwhelming about her music. Itâs familiar, friendly, and comforting, all without crossing the language barrier. If you ever have a night where you canât fall asleep, maybe there are too may things to do when you wake up or too many things happened during the day, give âqpâ a try. Maybe youâll get lucky and itâll bring you back to a simpler time.
4. Jeff Rosenstock: POST
Looking back, âdumbfounded, downtrodden, and dejectedâ is not only a great way to kick off an album and the new year but also a great warning to what 2018 had in store for all of us. This albumâs January 1st release represented a lot of 2018 for me; how much fun the year would be, how tumultuous and chaotic the year would be, how the year would take an eternity to end (Let Them Win is a good song but it has no business being 11 minutes long). Most importantly, starting in the new year with âPOSTâ was indicative of just how much Jeff Rosenstock I would listen to this year. Iâve spent the entire year going through his catalogue, starting with âPOSTâ, moving onto my favorite of his albums, âWORRYâ, before checking out his time with Bomb the Music Industry, then finding out his project with longtime friend Chris Farren, Anarctigo Vespucci, had a new album (see number 16 on this list). The guy is good at making music and heâs made a lot. Of all the things Rosenstock does well, from writing simultaneously catchy and furious lyrics to composing fantastic instrumentals (Iâm a huge fan of the drums on this project and became an even bigger fan after seeing him live and realizing that the drummer was Asian! Iâve seen maybe a total of 15 Asians at rock shows over the year and the drummer was probably the first Iâve seen onstage), I think itâs the tremendous amount of energy that heâs able to cram into songs that keeps me coming back. Take the one-two punch of âYr Throatâ into âAll This Useless Energyâ. Both songs are about this force thatâs trapped in the body and it manifests itself, not only through the lyrics and Rosenstockâs vocal performance, but in this nervous/excited energy that radiates out from the music into you and it sounds like Iâm listening to the audio equivalent of being exhausted and drinking a red bull, only to have your heart pounding while the rest of the body is total limp. It also helps that it sounds like Rosenstock is trying as hard as he possibly can on every track, sometimes to the point where it sounds like he thinks his effort wasnât quite enough. Itâs the same desperate/motivated feel that I love about Panucci Pizzaâs âDonât Tip the Delivery Boyâ and that I thought was missing on âYeâ, and since âPOSTâ is built on it, itâs remained one of my absolute favorite albums of the year.
3. Vince Staples: FM
In terms of everything outside of rap, Vince Staples is my favorite rapper by a longshot. From his twitter, to his Hot Ones appearance, to every interview or video Iâve ever seen of him (especially the video where he and Hannibal Burress discuss the real or fake tough guys of the NBA), he comes across as incredibly funny, clever, charismatic, and enigmatic. All of those attributes came across on his first album âSummertime â06â, though, I think that album suffers from running on too long. The first CD is close to perfect, and while the second half has some good songs, I think it does more harm than good for the album as a whole. Thatâs not a problem with âFMâ. Being only 22 minutes, every song is important, and every song is fantastic. Itâs Vince doing what Vince does best: bringing his gritty, sobering storytelling to bright, bouncy, interesting beats. Yet thatâs not all Vince brings on âFMâ. The entire album is strung along by this radio show theme (with a personal highlight being the âNew earlsweatshirt â Interludeâ but more on him in a bit) that makes the short album flow by even faster. The album also benefits from having a clear best song (makes the album stand out more in my memory when thereâs one track I always want to go back to), in my opinion, which is âFUN!â, a song with near infinite replayability (the line âfried catfish at the ritz in Japanâ stands out as one of my favorite of the year) and a really FUN music video (my second favorite of the year, behind This is America). Vince is quickly reaching the point where I stop deeply wanting a musician to release more music and, instead, just sit back and enjoy what theyâve given me so far (the list is Earl after this year, Frank Ocean, Outkast, and the Mountain Goats). Thereâs nothing quite as exciting as one of your favorite musicians release an album and it turns out to be your favorite, and thatâs exactly what he has done here with âFMâ.
2. Earl Sweatshirt: Some Rap Songs
      My favorite rapper dropped a new album! For the first time in three years! And I love it!
To top it all off, this is the first project heâs released since Iâve become a fan of his, which always makes that album a little more endeared in my heart (the same reason why the Mountain Goatâs âBeat the Champâ, Kendrickâs âTo Pimp a Butterflyâ, and Kanyeâs âLife of Pabloâ all hold special places in my heart). I had invested so much into the release of the album, from Earlâs song on Vinceâs album to the two fabulous singles Earl released before the album to freaking about the two seconds of audio he released on his Twitter a few weeks before the album rolled out. Which is why I was disappointed the first time I listened to the album. I think I was expected some sort of perfect masterpiece after three years of not releasing music, some manicured and particularly perfect album, something close to what I got from Frank Oceanâs âBlondâ. But thatâs not what âSome Rap Songsâ is. âSome Rap Songsâ is weird, highly experimental, and incredibly open, like looking at an open wound someone cut for the sake of art. And after a couple dozen more listens, I love it. Earlâs production is one of my favorite things about his music and he continues his streak of picking these heavy, static-y beats, now laced with highly modulated samples. Itâs a lovely contrast, with Earlâs deadpan, brutal and honest lyrics backed by these eclectic, unpredictable beats. It turns out I canât not love Earlâs music; itâs my musical funny bone. Itâs why I, a generally indecisive person, was so quick to decide he was my favorite rapper. The burst that starts off âOntheway!â hits at the base of my spine and the beat on âPeanutâ leaves my jaw numb. His line âlot of blood to letâ off âThe Mintâ is on the short list of lyrics I would want to turn into a tattoo. The closer is sunnier than any song Iâve heard Earl release but still sounds distinctly like Earl. Every time I come back to this album, I find something new to love. These are some of the best rap songs of the year, and who knows, at this rate this album may be a classic in my eyes when his next album drops.
1.Tierra Whack:Whack World
In honor of my favorite album of 2018, Iâll keep this review ultra-brief. Tierra Whackâs âWhack Worldâ is as fun and entertaining of fifteen minutes that is out there. A perfect, peculiar blend of pop, rap, techno, and country(?!), itâs the actual closest thing this generation has to Bohemian Rhapsody. With the amount of music being released everyday being larger than ever and the fact that we have more access to all that music, itâs remarkable that Tierra Whack already has her own distinct, remarkable voice. I donât think Iâve ever been this excited for a musician career. It feels great.









