2018 is another banner year for music with more new artists joining the successful route and the music being diverse more than ever with the continuous uprising of K-pop and Latin joining the usual pop, hip-hop, R&B and alternative sound. A whole slew of great soundtrack songs also made waves in 2018. Here are the songs that I loved in the past year.
1. Girls Like You - Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B
This is arguably one of the most streamed songs of 2018 and with 2 artists combining to give this hot, it was pure musical bliss. Maroon 5 has once again re-established itself as one of the greats and Cardi B is slowly making her mark in the international music scene. And with a superb music video that features several appearances from great women (J.Lo, Ellen, Gal Gadot etc.), this is one of my listening pleasures from last year.
2. God's Plan - Drake
Drake emerged victorious once more and gave a new album that is both a commercial and a critical success. His song "God's Plan" is an offbeat track that puts a deeper meaning and message that the rapper successfully relayed to his fans.
3. Fake Love - BTS
The resurgence of K-pop can be attributed heavily to the rise of BTS in the US and international scene. Their single "Fake Love" continues on their tradition of great narratives and strong lyrics. Combine it with a banging choreography and a visual spectacle video, then they can never be wrong as this was one of the best in 2018.
4. 2002 - Anne-Marie
This song may come as something that is not as well known by a lot. But with Anne-Marie's great vocals and inspired lyrics "2002" puts us into nostalgia on the years that have passed and how we grow through those years.
5. Without Me - Halsey
Halsey is perhaps one of the most talented female singers of this generation and she has shown it by great lengths in her single "Without Me". This is both an emotional and captivating song that touches one's heart. The future is bright for this talented artist.
6. Shallow - Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
The film "A Star is Born" is a masterpiece in cinema and also in terms of its soundtrack. The duet of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper is one enchanting single where you will feel all the emotions of love, discovery and togetherness.
7. I'll Never Love Again - Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga reminded us once more how talented and how great a singer she is. This tear-jerker ballad is full of emotions and pain and Gaga effortlessly sang it with her heart. This is one of the few songs that make me tear up from time to time in 2018.
8. Boo'd Up - Ella Mai
Newcomer Ella Mai blasted into everyone's consciousness with her single "Boo'd Up". Her vocal tones and the soothing R&B sound was a breath of fresh air on a music industry that is often dominated by hiphop.
9. If Our Love Is Wrong - Calum Scott
Calum Scott may not be as widely successful as other male singers in the industry but he surely delivers with emotional juggernauts. His single "If Our Love is Wrong" is a gem and one can relate to the message of acceptance and braving storms just to feel the love.
10. Malibu Nights - LANY
LANY is indeed a talented bunch and with songs that normally border the pop/upbeat tones, it was a great thing to have a fresh softer tones with "Malibu Nights". It has certainly become a favorite in karaokes and streaming services worldwide.
11. Breathin' - Ariana Grande
This list would not be complete without Ariana Grande. She released her latest album the past year. "Breathin'" is a stand-out as it focuses more on her vocal chops and shows the Ariana that is emotional and heart-felt.
12. Love Lies - Khalid and Norman
Khalid is force in the music industry already and I am happy to see Normani join him in this single. She is a talented lady and deserves to have more success in the years to come. "Love Lies" is one of the best collaborations of 2018 and with it being part of the "Love, Simon" OST, it certainly got its place as one of the best.
13. Idol - BTS ft. Nicki Minaj
Kpop royalty BTS joins Queen Nicki in this collaboration for the ages. "Idol" made waves across all media which is indicative of how strong this combination is. And with a colorful video that comes with it, it was indeed one of the masterpieces of 2018.
14. X - Nicky Jam & J Balvin
Latin feels continue to make waves and in 2018 it was Nicky Jam and J Balvin's turn to shine. This danceable track is a great addition to one's groove list and for sure you would find it hard to stop dancing.
15. Perfect - Ed Sheeran
One of the more successful tracks of 2018, this Ed Sheeran song ruled almost all charts it is in globally. "Perfect" is a song people could easily relate to and with a beat that is easily infectious, it shows once more the strength of Sheeran both on singing and songwriting.
16. Better Now - Post Malone
Post Malone's career continues to grow exponentially and in 2018 he keeps pushing for the top. His song "Better Now" is one of the most downloaded songs of the past year and the rapper/musician is here to stay for sure.
17. I Like Me Better - Lauv
Lauv finds moderate success commercially but I would have to say that he is one talented artist. His song "I Like Me Better" is one of my personal favorites in 2018 and you would definitely groove to its beat when you're listening.
18. The Middle - Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
Another great collaboration for 2018. This dance/upbeat song was a surprise hit with audiences and people just can't get enough of it.
19. Thank You Next - Ariana Grande
Never mind the backlash this single gave to Ari. This song remains to be one of the best hits she have had in her years as an artist. "Thank You Next" is catchy and listening-worthy indeed.
20. This Is America - Childish Gambino
Childish Gambino is such an artistic bundle. The talented actor/musician released "This Is America" in 2018 and accompanied it with a controversial yet artsy video that kept his fans following to his every beat.
21. Rewrite The Stars - Zac Efron ft Zendaya
Carried over from the 2017 release of "The Greatest Showman", this collaboration from talented Zac Efron and Zendaya is one of the few songs on 2018 that elicited several cover versions. It goes to show how great this song is.
22. I Like It - Cardi B, J Balvin & Bad Bunny
Cardi B is slowly making her mark in the male dominated hip-hop world. Her song "I Like It" gave Cardi her first hit and showed the world how talented she is.
23. In My Blood - Shawn Mendes
One of my ultimate male solo artists stan is Shawn Mendes. But without any bias, "In My Blood" was one of the best vocal masterpiece of 2018. Shawn's powerful vocals combined with the wonderful lyrics make up for one great single.
24. Delicate - Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift's recent album may not have hit it as big as her prior releases but Taylor is Taylor. From all her releases of the past year, I really enjoyed "Delicate". It gives us an upbeat tune but with a deep meaning showing us how much of a human Tay-Tay really is.
25. High Hopes - Panic! At the Disco
Panic! At the Disco is one of more talented acts in today's music industry and with those high vocal chops from frontman Brendon Urie one could just be left in awe. 2018's "High Hopes" is one of the band's best efforts to date.
26. All The Stars - Kendrick Lamar & SZA
"Black Panther" was a success at the box-office with a great OST that includes wonderful songs like "All The Stars". Kendrick Lamar and SZA successfully combined their talents to give us an orgasmic listening pleasure.
27. In My Feelings - Drake
The dance craze of 2018. That is enough to have this song in this list and Drake shows us that he is indeed a power in terms of commercial viability. "In My Feelings" also spawned several dance covers of famous stars in the past year.
28. End Game - Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran and Future
This is one of the underrated collaborations of 2018. "End Game" for me is a masterpiece and with the combined talents of Swift, Sheeran and Future, it was definitely a must hear.
29. Back to You - Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez not only co-produced the Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" but she also gave us one soundtrack to back the hype. "Back to You" is a simple song that has been a part of a lot of people's playlist in 2018.
30. For You - Rita Ora and Liam Payne
Rita Ora and Liam Payne combined to give us "For You". This song featured in the film "Fifty Shades Freed" and with both the artists strong vocals, it was indeed a gem from the get go.
Here are the other songs that made headlines in the year that was.
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