The 57 Best Songs of 2018
When this year began I envisioned this list to include new favourites by Rihanna, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga (Ally Maine is not the same) and Justin Timberlake. Sadly, my two queens stayed silent while Gaga did deliver in different, non-ARTPOP ways, and I can’t remember what happened to the other one.
Thankfully, Ariana Grande delivered on the singles front, Charli XCX exists and queer pop stars all strutted out at once ready to serve. Many artists still don’t know how to choose their singles, though, so we’re including anything that was added onto Apple Music from 1 Jan 2018 until now.
Let’s go, girls…
57. Sabrina Claudio — ‘Cross Your Mind’
56. City Girls — ‘Broke Boy’
55. Clean Bandit — ‘Solo (feat. Demi Lovato)’
The one and only time that Clean Bandit have ever snapped. Ily, Demi.
54. CupcakKe — ‘Duck Duck Goose’
53. Tove Styrke — ‘Vibe’
52. Kendrick Lamar & SZA — ‘All The Stars’
This would’ve been Top 20 if SZA hadn’t re-recorded her verse.
51. Lily Allen — ‘Pushing Up Daisies’
50. BROCKHAMPTON — ‘WEIGHT’
49. Kacey Musgraves — ‘High Horse’
48. Dua Lipa & BLACKPINK — ‘Kiss and Make Up’
47. Calvin Harris & Sam Smith — ‘Promises’
Petition for Sam Smith to finally make that dance album he’s born to do in 2019.
46. Aminé — ‘REEL IT IN’
45. Wolf Alice — ‘Don’t Delete the Kisses (Charli XCX x Post Precious Remix)’
44. MNEK — ‘Girlfriend’
43. Silk City & Dua Lipa — ‘Electricity’
42. Sabrina Carpenter — ‘Paris’
41. Little Mix — ‘Wasabi’
40. Troye Sivan — ‘My My My!’
39. Years & Years — ‘Hallelujah’
38. Robyn — ‘Honey’
37. Ryan Ashley — ‘Chest’
36. CamelPhat & Christoph — ‘Breathe (feat. Jem Cooke)’
The beginning of this reminds me of Madonna’s ‘Get Together’, which is only about 15% of why it’s so amazing.
35. Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa — ‘One Kiss’
34. Mariah Carey — ‘GTFO’
33. MØ — ‘Nostalgia’
32. Charli XCX & Troye Sivan — ‘1999’
31. Robyn — ‘Missing U’
30. Troye Sivan — ‘Lucky Strike’
29. BROCKHAMPTON — ‘1997 DIANA’
28. Rina Sawayama — ‘Cherry’
27. Christina Aguilera — ‘Accelerate (feat. Ty Dolla $ign & 2 Chainz)’
26. Rita Ora — ‘Girls (feat. Cardi B, Bebe Rexha & Charli XCX)’
I am literally writing my Master’s thesis on this song.
25. Alice — ‘Heartbreak Hotel’
24. Slayyyter — ‘BFF (feat. Ayesha Erotica)’
This would probs be #1 had it came into my life earlier in the year.
23. Kelela — ‘LMK (Remix) feat. Princess Nokia, Junglepussy, CupcakKe & Ms. Boogie’
Kelela turning the best song of 2017 into one of the best of 2018… Her mind.
22. Tove Styrke — ‘Sway’
21. Ariana Grande — ‘God is a woman’
Such a pivotal moment for the good sis Ari. We stan.
20. Charli XCX — ‘Girls Night Out’
Finally, I can add it to a list.
19. Drake — ‘Nice For What’
18. SOPHIE — ‘Immaterial’
17. The 1975 — ‘It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)’
The video is worth a watch but it interrupts the song and this song just doesn’t deserve to be interrupted.
16. Shawn Mendes — ‘Lost In Japan’
NOT that god awful Zedd remix. Only the flawless OG version. Soz, Zedd.
15. Ariana Grade — ‘thank u, next’
14. Mariah Carey — ‘A No No’
Wait for the Cards B, Lil’ Kim and Missy Elliott-assisted remix to feature on next year’s list.
13. BØRNS & Lana Del Rey — ‘God Save Our Young Blood’
12. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper — ‘I’ll Never Love Again (Film Version)’
Key words: ‘Film Version’.
11. Ariana Grande — ‘no tears left to cry’
Forever fuming that the video intro isn’t part of the song but forever obsessed with how bloody lush this song is. She gives me all the tears!
10. Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin — ‘I Like It’
Cardi B killed any ‘one hit wonder’ chat with this one.
9. MNEK — ‘Tongue’
I get overwhelmed thinking of this song because its release was just such a major moment that was so criminally overlooked. Give MNEK the world. And give me the pink suit from the vid.
8. Azealia Banks — ‘Anna Wintour’
I debated this one hugely but issa gargantuan bop.
7. Friendly Fires — ‘Heaven Let Me In’
I hope Britney heard this and is currently recording a disco album because of it.
6. Sam Bluer — ‘Body High’
My favourite new pop star of the year.
5. NAO — ‘If You Ever (feat. 6LACK)’
Simply transcendent.
4. Hayley Kiyoko — ‘What I Need (feat. Kehlani)’
What a rush.
3. Ariana Grande — ‘everytime’
Also my third most played song *ever*.
2. Troye Sivan — ‘Bloom’
Deserved to be the ‘Teenage Dream’ of Summer 2019.
1. Charli XCX — ‘No Angel’
I PAAAAWTY. GET NAAAAWTY. ‘No Angel’ is not only Charli’s best single to date but she’s generally just that bitch. An undeniable anthem, an irresistible sing-along, a so-good-it-should-be-bad banger. We stan.
-end of list-
And there we have it! Music was actually loads better than it was in 2017 even though the year itself was an absolute shit storm!
A special shoutout goes to Vengaboys’ ‘We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)’ for being a staple throughout the year and Slayyyter’s just-released ‘All I Want For Xxxmas’ for the end-of-year banger.
XO, Ross
