Re-Doing My 2018 Best List

I mean two months without posting isn't THAT bad, right? (note this was made before what has been described as my best post to date)

So my best list from last year. I don't really like it anymore. I mean I still agree with parts of it, but then there's stuff like putting I Like It by Cardi B at #2 which yeah no. I don't really like this year very much either, but whatever. So uh here's my redo:

I really couldn't choose a #10 so we're doing a tie:

10a. Travis Scott/a shit ton of other people - SICKO MODE

I don't really listen to this song all that much anymore. But when I do, its always a pretty enjoyable listen. The song's been out for almost a year and I still like so that's impressive I guess. The production here really is a master class in how to do production for rap. There's multiple interesting parts each with their own unique elements. It's pretty genius. In terms of the artists on the track, Drake really Drakes it up on here. He's not bad but like he's just Drake doing his thing, but here's he has some great production so its better than some of his other songs. Travis is actually really good here. His autotune blends nicely with the beat. And then Swae Lee and those featured artists are certainly other artists featured on the song Sicko Mode amiright?

10b. Daddy Yankee - Dura

This is just a jam. It has nothing to do with Sicko Mode to justify me putting them as a tie aside from the fact that I had stuff to say about Sicko Mode and I have nothing to say about Dura.

Some things never change huh

9. Dua Lipa - IDGAF

I'm gonna be honest and say I'm not totally sue why I like this song as much as I do. The beat isn't all that great, and while I do think Dua Lipa is a pretty good singer, she's not the best out there by any stretch of the imagination. I guess I like this because of the lyrics. I went through a break up of sorts around April-ish 2018 that is very similar to the break up described in this song so yay reliability. But even outside of that, I really do love the bitterness of the lyrics that really skirts the line of being petty but narrowly avoids it. Also it doesn't hurt that this barely made the year-end list (#98 I think?) so it wasn't overplayed to death by radio unlike basically every other pop hit this year.

Hey you know what a weak year really helps? One of the not as amazing songs from an amazing album seem better in comparison to the other stuff on the year end list!

8. Charlie Puth - How Long

Since realistically if you're reading this you probably know me decently well, you know I love Charlie Puth for admittedly unclear reasons. Well I'm here to shed some light on my love of Charlie. Nine Track Mind was not a great album. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't that good. Solid 5/10. I listened to it, and basically didn't care about Charlie Puth. Then later on, he released a deluxe version of NTM which featured "Does It Feel", a dancey track that was the first sign of his potential as an artist. He later capitalized on this potential by leaning full into his 80s vibe with Attention and later the whole Voicenotes album, a 10/10 album that explores different sounds and shows how great of an artist Charlie Puth is, seeing that he produced the entire album himself.

oh yeah and How Long was also on the album I guess.

I still find it funny that THIS of all songs topped pop radio.

7. Bazzi - Mine

In a year full of as many songs just not being able to fulfill their grand plans, I really appreciate a song with modest aspirations that completely nails what it is. Bazzi just wanted to create a fun make out song that captures the feeling of a drunken, love filled moment and yeah I'd say he did a pretty good job. This isn't the best thing ever made, but Bazzi knows it's not. But for what it is, a two minute cutesy pop song, I quite like it And hey it doesn't hurt that it sounds *really* good and was shockingly overplay resistant.

Oh boy I'm gonna get some hate for this next one...

6. Post Malone/Ty Dolla $ign - Psycho

Psycho for me is like an old friend. They're not exactly your best friend, but whenever you see them you have a good time. They're basically always there for you when you need them even if you aren't the absolute closest. They can sometimes annoy you with how much they're on the radio but a year out from the overplay you're friends again and I think my analogy just fell apart. 

But yeah I really like this song for some reason. It's somehow both very chill and a jam. Lyrically I literally couldn't care less about it, but Post and Ty both sound great and the beat is really good. Overplay really didn't help this one, but hey that was a year ago.

It's 11:30 and I'm running out of transitions let's just jump into this next one

5. Thomas Rhett - Marry Me

This song is like four spots higher than it was last time on my best list. Is that because it's grown on me? Nope, everything else just shrunk on me. Anyways, at this point, I think you all know the lyrical themes of this song. Thomas Rhett is like in love with this girl he's known for a while but then BOOM he gets friendzoned when he finds out she's getting married. I've ended up basically friendzoning myself with people when I don't make a move because *shockingly* I'm not exactly the coolest most confident person haha. Anyways, this song has hit me pretty hard emotionally after stuff like that happens so I've formed a pretty big bond with it. Shame I heard his new album wasn't great.

Hey look another song that's gone up since last time

4. Kendrick Lamar/Zacari - LOVE.

First of all holy fuck I love Zacari's voice. Kendrick isn't bad here by any means, but Zacari is just so good.

Anyways, why has this song gone up aside from Zacari's godly voice? First of all, the song is very vibey. Like I really enjoy just turning this one during darker days, and it really clicks with me then. Also, similar to Mine, I appreciate that this song basically nails it's humble aspirations. It just wants to be a song that shows how much Kendrick and Zacari(?) love their partners, and how much they want them to love them back. It's really sweet. 

Also that fucking beat. Like damn man.

Fuck uniqueness

3. Drake - Nice For What

What can one even say about Nice For What by Drake at this point. It's Drake making an upbeat tribute to all the working women out there with a beat that he really doesn't deserve. Said beat uses a sample from Lauren Hill which was also used by Cardi B, and in case you couldn't guess Be Careful isn't in my top 2 so Drake: 1, Cardi B: 0. Drake giving arguably the best performance of his career certainly doesn't hurt. Also fun fact about this song that I think literally only I care about: this song had four separate runs at #1. I'm pretty sure that's a record. 

Also Drake please come back soon as much as I joke about stanning Lil Nas X I don't want Old Town Road breaking the record for longest running #1, just drop something and dethrone him. If you can make it be as good as this song that'd be great thaaaaanks.

So I'm pretty sure y'all know my top 2 at this point...

2. Taylor Swift - Delicate

Reputation was quite the album. There were quite a few stand outs, this and Gorgeous come to mind, but the album also produced some of the worst stuff of Taylor's entire career. The public didn't exactly respond well, and while the album did great, single after single kept flopping. Until Delicate. This song slowly climbed the charts, and as it did it slowly grew on me. Now I adore it. The slower beat mixed with the vocal effects on Taylor's voice really create a vibe that's very hard to describe. The lyrics are also shockingly good written. While I do stan Taylor, lyricism isn't exactly her strong suit. But here, she tells a legitimately well written story about a relationship that should be falling apart, but somehow isn't. It's sweet, but at the same time kinda sad. Hits hard on an emotional level.

welp I still have to do some hms don't I?

HM #1: Cardi B/Bad Bunny/J Balvin - I Like It

It's a good, fun, summer song, but #2 of the year. Ehhhhhhhhhhh

HM #2: Camila Cabello/Young Thug - Havana 

I considered putting this on the list for a good period of time, and while I ultimately decided against it this is still one of the best radio smashes of the past few years. It just missed due to not being as fun as Dura, while also not being as interesting as Sicko Mode. Better luck next time Camila.

HM #3: Bruno Mars/Cardi B - Finesse

Fun song. Probably would've made the list if I listened to it anymore.

HM #4: G-Eazy/A$AP Rocky/Cardi B - No Limit

Slaps

HM #5: The Weeknd/Kendrick Lamar - Pray For Me

I don't even like this song THAT much, but holy fuck I appreciate it after hearing Abel try desperately to recreate with Lost in the Fire and Power is Power both of which are kinda ehhhh

HM #6: Selena Gomez - Back To You

Cute song but I don't think I've listened to it in 2019

HM #7: Maroon 5/SZA - What Lovers Do
Great baseline but I don't think I've listened to it in 2019

HM #8: Calvin Harris/Dua Lipa - One Kiss

Hey remember when this was one of the few good songs on the radio last August? That was fun

HM #9: N.E.R.D./Rihanna - Lemon

I like this song but it can get kinda annoying the more I hear it

HM #10: Childish Gambino - This Is America

You know why it's here

alright so I didn't change my #1

1. benny blanco/Halsey/Khalid - Eastside

I'm starting to run out of things to say about this one. It's a sweet but simple song from an artist I like, an artist I don't really care about, and an artist I dislike. Khalid sounds great here because duh it's Khalid. Even when I don't like his songs the man always sounds great. benny blanco does a really good job on the production, with a solid chord progression helping keep the song from getting stale. And Halsey actually does a great job for once! The lyrics tell a tale of young love which whooo relatability. So yeah this is still and probably will always be my favorite song of 2018.

Thanks for reading, and hopefully my next post comes out a lot sooner!