IDOLTHREAT International Top 20 of 2018

It’s been such an incredible year we’ve changed the rules

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idolthreat

10 min readDec 23, 2018

This is the sixth year now that I’ve put together my own end-of-year music list. In years past, it has been strictly about the best songs, which means sometimes, if an artist has had a truly phenomenal year, they might get two or even three songs in the list.

Then, in 2018, Ariana Grande had a year like no other.

While I was putting this list together, it got to the point where there were four Ariana Grande songs in the top ten. So, as a result, we now have:

“The Ariana Grande Rule”

It’s simple: only the highest ranking song from an artist will make the list; their other songs will be listed alongside them.

This has two huge benefits: one, it makes the list more interesting to read, because I don’t have to talk about the same artist multiple times; and two, it opens the list up and lets in more artists who deserve recognition.

As ever, idolthreat, and the idolthreat Top 20 list, is about the best pop-skewed releases of the year. We’re not looking for songs designed to fit into a certain Spotify playlist, or songs trying to fit a genre; it’s about artists making a statement, giving a shit about their work, playing by their own rules, and creating something truly lasting and noteworthy.

There are two lists each year; one is the Australian Top 20, featuring only songs released by Australian artist, and then there’s the International Top 20, with everyone else. This is that one.

To check out our Australian Top 20 of 2018, click here.

With that out the way, here it is:
the idolthreat International Top 20 of 2018.

(There’ll be a YouTube playlist and a Spotify playlist at the end for you.)

MONSTERS • Saara Alto

see also: Fuego by Eleni Foureira, both from Eurovision

There’s always someone who asks why I’ve put a song from Eurovision into my end of year lists, and if you’re asking that question it’s because you’re not paying attention. I know a lot of people assume Eurovision is a joke contest where quirky, weird performers dress up in ridiculous outfits and make fools of themselves for the public to vote on, but in the past ten years or so, we’ve seen a shift towards a properly great song contest, with countries putting forward excellent songs in an attempt to win. this year Saara Alto represented Finland, and as you’ll see in the video below not only belted out the song perfectly, she also did it while upside down on a spinning wheel, without missing a beat. Properly amazing.

Special shout out to fellow Eurovision contestant Eleni Foureira’s Fuego, which along with having one of the most fierce Eurovision performances of all time…

… also gave us one of the best memes of the year. #yeahyeahfire

KISS & MAKE UP • Dua Lipa and BLACKPINK

see also: One Kiss feat. Calvin Harris, Electricity feat. Mark Ronson and Diplo as Silk City

This was meant to be Dua Lipa’s year off, too. This was the year her album was at the end of its cycle, so all her songs this year were going to be collabs she’s done to fill time in between albums. They’re all great, but her collab with the best K-pop girl group out at the moment — who frankly deserve better — was my standout because, of the three songs she made hits this year, Kiss & Make Up sounded the most like Dua while still sounding like an authentic BLACKPINK track.

There’s no official music video, so you may as well have this lyric video someone’s done with translations and stuff so you can tell who’s singing at any given moment.

YOUR SIDE OF THE BED • Loote

see also: Out Of My Head, Longer Than I Thought feat. Joe Jonas, Back Together

Loote are so underrated. This year they released their first mini album, Single, with this song as the first track off it. They just make such smart, accessible pop music and are brilliant songwriters. I can’t wait to see what they’re going to release in 2019, and I can’t wait to see who they’re going to work with in 2019.

X’S • CMC$, GRX & Icona Pop

This song absolutely caught me off guard the first time I heard it. The clever, clever wordplay in the first verse around deleting x’s from messages made the song stand out above many other songs. It wasn’t until after I looked at the song I was listening to that I realised Icona Pop is on the chorus. Belter.

Also did we know GRX is Martin Garrix?

1999 • Charli XCX

see also: Focus, Girls Night Out, Femmebot feat. Dorian Electra and Mykki Blanco, Out Of My Head feat. Tove Lo and ALMA

Charli XCX just continues to be the Gold Standard in forward-thinking bratty fun party tunes. Her album Pop2 was full of songs only Charli could release. Getting Troye Sivan on 1999 was just the perfect choice for it.

FRIENDS • RAYE

I had this song on repeat for more than a few weeks. I think what makes this song so great is the way the chorus feels so unexpected the first time you hear it — you really don’t know where it’s going next.

LOYAL TO ME • Nina Nesbitt

2018 has seen pop stars rediscover the lost art of the strut. When Troye Sivan released My My My! and performed on SNL, he realised that if he just kept walking to the back of the stage he could then spend the chorus of the song strutting to the front of the stage again. Nina Nesbitt has made exceptional use of the strut in this video but has also put her own little twist on it and made it a ballerina on pointe struts.

I mean just look at it.

Long live the strut.

I’m so happy that this song has finally got some radio airplay and some recognition in Australia.

LOVE LIES • Khalid and Normani

see also: Eastside, benny blanco feat. Khalid and Halsey

This song was almost a victim of the “2018 has felt like the longest year in the world” syndrome. I almost forgot that this song was released this year, but it was, it was on the Love Simon soundtrack. Good stuff.

SIDE EFFECTS • The Chainsmokers and Emily Warren

Look, The Chainsmokers are very hit and miss, I’m not going to deny that. For every Side Effects, you’re going to have to put up with a Sick Boy. That’s the price of musical integrity or whatever. But bloody hell, when they drop a song like Side Effects, it makes all the other terrible efforts worth it.

TIME IS UP • Poppy and Diplo

see also: Am I A Girl, Play Destroy feat. Grimes

Goddess, what can you even say about Poppy? So, Poppy has done a song about being a robot that will outlast all of the humans because the humans are destroying their planet because they’re all idiots. She has done that song with Diplo. I worship at the robo throne of Poppy.

GOING GOING GONE • Maddie Poppe

I did not watch American Idol this year, but from the first opening seconds of the winner’s single I knew they found something special. It’s co-written by Julia Michaels, which is why it has all those really cute little touches about small details in the room like the clock that won’t stop ticking — those are the kind of details that Julia Michaels excels at, and they make all of the songs she writes feel so intimate, and real. The song is gorgeous, Maddie Poppe’s voice is brilliant, it’s a country-pop hit, well done all concerned.

THE MIDDLE • Zedd, Grey, and Maren Morris

Go Sarah Aarons! Take your Grammy!

FAST SLOW DISCO • St Vincent

St Vincent performed at Coachella this year and I obviously I was not there but I did watch the livestream and it was mind blowing. St Vincent is like that movie that comes out and everyone says “oh you HAVE to go and see it” but it becomes a chore because everyone’s telling you to see it, and then you just never get around to seeing it. I’d been like that with St Vincent, and I’m glad I’m finally on board now.

NOTHING TO REGRET • Robinson

see also: Medicine

It was such an honour to be able to play this song on my radio show earlier this year. I fought to get it on air, and it was all worth it. We, as a nation, sent it platinum, which proves sometimes we can be trusted. Album due in 2019. All aboard the hype train.

HURT SOMEBODY • Noah Kahan and Julia Michaels

Knew this’d be a smash from the second I heard it.

As if you don’t sing along with that chorus every time you hear it.

IMMATERIAL • SOPHIE

When did this come out? June? I still have it on heavy rotation. This whole album is exactly what SOPHIE fans had hoped for since Product. I’d probably kill to see SOPHIE live.

HEART TO BREAK • KIM PETRAS

see also: Can’t Do Better, Feeling Of Falling feat. Cheat Codes

This year I got to host the Mardi Gras Parade Pre-Party show on JOY and SBS Radio across Australia, and I got to play this song, and it BLOODY WELL WENT OFF and now Kim’s coming to Australia to do Mardi Gras in 2019.

Could you, er, stop by Melbourne for me, Kim? Thanks.

A PROPER BANGER.

ACID RAIN • THOMSTON

see also: The Heights

Both of these songs are beautiful, but I’ve put Acid Rain in because I don’t think I’ve been struck by a more powerful lyric (and delivery) than “I thought you were holy water, but you were just acid rain”. Acid Rain is, from start to finish, a masterpiece, as well as a masterclass in how to make beautiful, smart pop music. Thomston is an utter genius.

THANK U, NEXT • Ariana Grande

see also: No Tears Left To Cry, God Is A Woman, breathin

Most artists have, y’know, “one” song every album or two which are truly standouts; songs which go on to become modern classics, and get played for years to come. Ariana had four of them this year. Proving she can sweeten anything, she used the end of her engagement to Pete Davidson as an opportunity to recognise growth in a healthy way, as well as turning the whole thing into a self-love anthem for the ages.

The video clip also meant Troye Sivan got to introduce most of the world to that classic Australian pastime of calling things we like “fucken sick”. It happens 24 seconds in, and it’s fucken sick.

MAKE ME FEEL • Janelle Monae

see also: Screwed, Pynk, the entire Dirty Computer visual project

The nerve of releasing the song of the year in February. The gall of dropping a high-concept 48-minute feature film alongside your album. The audacity of just letting everyone else play catch up for the entire year.