My 2018 in Music
See more year-end selections from the collective here.
Music today shines like the sun. There are days you’re walking to work when a friend texts you “look up,” and you do, and you reply back, “wow, I’ve never seen such a shade of blue.” Sometimes you’re with your coworkers or family, and you all happen to agree the weather is perfect. Occasionally, you catch a sunset, and its beauty staggers you. Maybe you even schedule time to revisit that same spot, but the sunset changes each time. Maybe it’s never as magical as the first time, or maybe it gets better and better and better. Maybe you’re wishing you had more time to revisit your favorite sunsets.
Every day zillions of rays of light fall upon the earth, and it is impossible to see them all. That’s how music feels.
Like the sun, music has always been sacred to me. I have had hundreds of life-changing experiences thanks to music. But this year I consciously recognized that certain things are not sacred. For example, artists are not sacred — they are human beings like you and me. The “album” is not sacred — it’s an invention. Recordings are not sacred — they are ingenious, but they are not sacred. And we all know that charts, award ceremonies, and critics’ end-of-year-lists are far from sacred.
Only one thing really matters: the music itself. The universe vibrated for eons before the first monkey threw a wad of dookie at his buddy, and it will vibrate for eons after the last audiophile lays her head down in the dust.
In that spirit, this is not a definitive guide. It’s not a list of my top ten albums. It’s not even an absolute list of my favorite music from 2018. That list is far too long and growing all the time. Instead, it’s just a sampling of the music I loved this year — and music that I remembered to share.
P.S. If you’d rather listen than read, here’s a mix.
ALBUM
Dirty Computer - Janelle Monaé
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I’ve already been informed that I’m late to the Janelle Monaé party, but better late than never! From the first few minutes of the album’s accompanying full-length “Emotion Picture,” I was hooked. Dirty Computer takes the deeply intimate storytelling of pop, hip hop, and R&B and frames it in a futuristic, sterilized, dystopian world. It’s Beyoncé’s Lemonade meets THX-1138. Apparently this isn’t new territory for Monaé, as her earlier music concerns itself with similar sci-fi themes. Though set in the future, Dirty Computer is as influenced by the past as it is attuned to the present. Lyrical references that already sound dated and overdone (“If you try to grab my pussy cat, this pussy grab you back”) drift just above an extensive set of inspiration spelled out in the liner notes, like this one for the title track and album opener:
INSPIRED BY PECOLA BREEDLOVE; GENESIS 3:16, GENESIS 9:20–27, AND LEVITICUS 18:22 AND 20:13; THE ZONG SLAVE SHIP; THE CORDED VIRGIN BELTS IN ANCIENT ROME; AND THE SECRET PRISONS AND DETENTION FACILITIES IN CHECHNYA
More importantly, the music is delicious. Seamlessly flowing from neo soul to pop anthems to hip hop and funk, the album brings together Monaé’s varied music styles with contributions from Brian Wilson, Zoë Kravitz, Grimes, and Pharrell Williams. What’s strongest is the songwriting, as shown in the songs’ versatility, like how Swiss DJ-producer EDX transformed “Make Me Feel” — the album’s Prince-like banger — into an irresistibly heavy EDM wobble worthy of the best Las Vegas nightclub. Taking it back to her roots, Monaé performed the song dressed like a Rhythm Nation-era Janet Jackson while briefly singing and dancing James Brown’s “I Got the Feelin.’” More recently, the Easy Star All-Stars and producer Michael Goldwasser dubbed out “I Like That” so naturally that it sounds like it was always meant to be reggae.
In a time when resisting dystopia is part of daily existence, I’m grateful for artists like Monaé, turning pain and confusion into feel-good funky power.
COVERS ALBUM
Remain in Light - Angelique Kidjo
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If you had told me that somebody covered Talking Heads’ greatest album and actually did the thing justice, I probably would’ve laughed. But that’s because I had never heard Angelique Kidjo, a Beninese artist that has been making amazing music since her debut album Logozo in 1991. Over a decade earlier, Talking Heads released Remain in Light, a Brian Eno-produced dance rock masterpiece that experimented with African polyrhythms, funk, and electronics inspired by Fela Kuti. With her track-by-track cover, Kidjo returns the album to its roots in West Africa by making it as relentlessly ecstatic as the original.
COOL FACTOR
K.O. - Miss Red
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Of Moroccan/Polish descent, Israel-born, she sounds like a demon songstress stranded on an unknown, invisible island halfway between Jamaica and England. Surrounded by whirlpools, perched on the edge of a volcano, she squeaks, mutters, croons, and cries her incantations to nobody in particular — the whole world — over pummeling industrial dub beats. Her name is Miss Red and her (much more well-known) producer is the Bug. Together, they created the coolest damn album of the year.
CHILL FACTOR
Con Todo El Mundo - Khruangbin
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Here’s the worst thing you can say about Khruangbin: it’s too easy. It’s like smooth jazz. You could play it in a department store or a weed dispensary, and most likely nobody would notice in either place. But Khruangbin fans would notice. And we’d be delighted because even though the band sounds just like all their influences — James Brown, Thai funk, surf rock, even a little Texas blues— they also only sound like just one thing: Khruangbin. On their 2018 full-length, they riff on the same musical patterns heard on their 2015 album, The Universe Smiles Upon You. And I’m okay with that? Yes.
SOUNDTRACK
Black Panther - Various
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Nothing really to say except: Kendrick Lamar. SZA. Schoolboy Q. 2 Chainz. Saudi. Khalid. Swae Lee. Vince Staples. Yugen Blakrok. Jorja Smith. SOB X RBE. Ab-Soul. Anderson .Paak. James Blake. Jay Rock. Future. Zacari. Babes Wodumo. Mozzy. Sjava. Reason. Travis Scott. The Weeknd.
EP
Crush - Ravyn Lenae
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How many times have I listened to these 17 minutes? From the organ keys in the first fifteen seconds to Steve Lacy’s trademark rickenbacker to Ravyn’s seductive cooing, it’s entrancing. Five songs, straight up r&b, funk, and soul.
EP RELEASE IN THE TRADITIONAL FORMAT OF A BUNCH OF WHITE GUYS PLAYING INSTRUMENTS AND ANOTHER WHITE GUY SINGING
Consolation - Protomartyr
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Punk rock is funny. It’s either super serious or super not serious. Or seriously not serious, yet super serious. Or something. This band seems somewhat serious, if not goofy. Everyone says they sound like the Fall but I never really listened to the Fall much, so I just look at the lead singer and can’t stop thinking about the Blues Brothers. Doesn’t matter. Their newest EP is a solid 15 minutes of post-punk with a divine five-minute centerpiece called “Wheel of Fortune,” featuring the Breeders’ lead guitarist Kelley Deal. The theme is ancient, the structure is unorthodox, and when the key chorus line hits — “I decide who lives and who dies”—it’s transcendent.
SINGLE
“I Like It” - Cardi B
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Take a classic song, loop it, and crank the bass. It’s hard to mess up the formula, and Cardi B and her crew do it to perfection. In this case, it’s a 50-year-old Latin boogaloo classic turned ratchet amalgamation of salsa and trap. Perfect for the commute, the office, the bar, the outdoor party, the wedding, the strip club, and the morning after — not necessarily in that order.
DANCE
“Pick Up” - DJ Koze
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For seven whole minutes (or 10 on the extended disco version), this track repeats the same simple elements over and over and over again. Holy. House. Music. It sounds like ABBA, Madonna, and Kylie. It sounds like Chic, Jamiroquai, and Daft Punk. It sounds like Luomo or Hercules & Love Affair. So sad and so ecstatic. Too long, too short. Minimal and amazing. Plus, the video is hilariously self-conscious.
REMIX
“Funky Sensation” - Disclosure
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After their impeccable 2013 debut, Disclosure went years without another heavy hitter. But that changed this year with a string of diverse and uplifting house singles masterfully crafted for the dance floor. First there was “Ultimatum,” a funky world beat elevated by the ecstatic singing of Fatoumata Diawara. Then were was “Moonlight,” another funky one with creative use of a heavenly choral sample, chopped up into a drop unexpected as it is satisfying. But for me — and my bias will show — the winner is “Funky Sensation,” a loving rework of Gwen McCrae’s disco classic. Complete with string section, soulful vocals, and massive beat, it’s nothing short of insatiable.
ONE-MIN WONDER
“Hungry Hippo” - Tierra Whack
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If I try to write more than this, the song will end before I finish. Just trust me and turn it up.
MIX
#Disco4Ronny — Moto Tembo
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Obviously.
THE MOST
Marc Rebillet
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Nobody describes Marc Rebillet better than Marc Rebillet. On Bandcamp, his bio reads, “I’m an idiot for a living.” True, but his Twitter bio gives a better sense of his musical style: “Reggie Watts on bath salts.” The man is an improvisational music savant, dropping the craziest, catchiest beats beneath the silliest lyrics you’ll ever hear. That’s why I invented this “superlative” for him. He’s got it all. Best song about pirates? Check. Best song about LAN parties? Check. Best song about the iPhone vs Android debate? Check. Best song about fashion? Check. Best song about beautiful buttholes? Check. Best “Fuck Donald Trump” song? Fucking check.
POP
Drake
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When you’re an old man like me, you can no longer depend on intuition to know what’s popular. You have to actually look around. And when you look around, as Anne Lamott says, you’ll start to see. Though I’ve been aware of Drake’s sway for awhile, something changed on an afternoon in May while lounging on South Beach in Miami with my primo. We were trying to look cool, chillin in shades on the insta stories, playing classic salsa off the bluetooth speaker, and preparing ourselves mentally for the bachelor party weekend ahead. Suddenly we noticed a bunch of beachgoers — young dudes all in matching black-and-white slides, young ladies flashing vibrant bikinis — swarming to an impromptu dance party forming around a boombox 50 feet away from us. There was nothing special about the speaker. In fact, it couldn’t even handle the levels. To be honesty, it kinda sounded like shit. But nobody cared. It was blasting “Nice for What.” And so I started to see.
LIVE
Yaeji
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The future is female. The future is nonbinary. The future is a Korean-American woman in an oversized white t-shirt.
Roll over Beethoven. Rock is dead. Let’s dance.
A question: what is the future of live music? I once believed that ability to play “real” instruments — drums, guitars, microphones — was the sole mark of musicianship, and so the best drummers, guitarists, and singers were the best live performers. Then James Murphy “played Daft Punk for the rock kids” and my paradigm shifted such that I entered the world of electronic dance music, and soon enough I equated spinning records with saving souls. More recently, in 2014, the Knife attempted to “shake the habitual” by relying on pre-recorded tracks, glitter, and wild aerobic dance moves to transform their live performance into a celebration of sexual diversity, political resistance, and pure ecstasy. I remember people hating it. That’s what happens when you shake the habitual, I suppose. But I loved it. The concept stirred my imagination. Maybe it was a glimpse into the future of live music.
The video embedded above is from 2017, so it’s a bit different than the Yaeji many of us saw on tour in 2018. It’s more of a traditional DJ set. But when I saw her live (three times this year like an aspiring fanboy), she spent less time mixing and more time strutting to the edge of the stage to sing along while hyping up the crowd. A little less DJ, a little more MC. A little less house, a little more pop. Not trying to be anything. Shaking it up. Feeling good.
I’ve listened to Yaeji’s mixes — she’s a great DJ. I’ve played her tracks to death — she’s a dope producer. But the best part about Yaeji is still seeing her live, alternately tripping out to her whispery dark vibes and shaking your ass to the hits. Whether it’s the third “raingurl” of the night (the grave sin she committed at 1015 Folsom) or her remix of Charli XCX’s song “Focus,” the show will end epically. She’s playing the hits, so just shut up and dance.
ONE OF 1001 ALBUMS
Closer - Joy Division
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This album didn’t come out in 2018. Maybe you already knew that. But you may not know that I’m just completing year three of a 20-year project to dedicate every week to a single selection from the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Though Gillian Welch put up competition with Time (The Revelator), I must say that my favorite discovery this year was the final album released by Joy Division just before lead singer Ian Curtis’ suicide in 1980. Of course, I’d listened to Closer before… but never this closely. When you really listen — and with the hindsight of knowing what drastic steps the lead singer would take — you step into the “heart and soul” of the man and the deathly music he helped mold. And it makes all the difference. It’s easily one of the darkest albums ever released, and it’s also one of the best albums ever. Period.
ONE SINGLE FROM ONE OF 1001 ALBUMS
“International Jet Set” - The Specials
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Looks like 1980 is the winner year in 2018. Notably, I’d never listened to ska until this album. But it’s a funny thing: this song can hardly be considered such. Though the album kicks off with traditional ska, it quickly detours through a dizzying and seemingly incongruous set of styles, including dub, rockabilly, calypso, and beyond. It’s truly a bizarre listen. And then there’s “International Jet Set,” the final full song on the album before the brief reprise at the end. Is it elevator muzak? Twisted psychedelic reggae? Some sort of dark disco concoction? I can’t say! All I know is that I’m captivated.
MUSIC VIDEO
“Apeshit” - The Carters
It’s black beauty, power, and pride standing comfortably alongside one of the most famous art collections in the world. Pretty tough to beat.
