Best Songs of 2018 – Part 1

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By m_x_ 24 Apr 2018, 6:03am

The first quarter of 2018 is over and delivered plenty of exciting new music!

With the constant stream of new releases, it can be hard to stay on top of it all. If you feel a bit overwhelmed and left behind, we've looked back at some of the best songs released between January and March and listed a selection below. Immerse yourself into the music and don't forget to track the music you listen to by scrobbling!

MGMT – When You Die

After the enormous success of their debut album and ironic-pop hits 'Time to Pretend' and 'Kids', MGMT abruptly changed their sound and approach to music by releasing experimental psychedelic rock albums. As a result, they have acquired a polarising fan base, with some preferring the indie anthems of their enormously successful debut Oracular Spectacular while others swear by the more ambitious and complex experiments of Congratulations. With their new album Little Dark Age, MGMT has finally found a balance and the result is a thrilling synthesis. 'When You Die' is easily one of the best tracks on the album with its odd lyrics and its addictive ability to be played on repeat.

Kendrick Lamar – All The Stars (with SZA)

'All The Stars' was the first single taken from the soundtrack of Black Panther, a movie that has broken box office records and taken the title of third-highest-grossing film of all time in the US in only three months. Despite being plagued with the base controversy surrounding the work of British-Liberian artist Lina Iris Viktor, the mesmerising music video for 'All The Stars' has already reached over 25 million views on YouTube and close to a million scrobbles on Last.fm.

Young Fathers – In My View

With their new album Cocoa Sugar, Young Fathers have achieved the feat of creating their most accessible album to date without losing their distinctive creative sound. 'In My View' is a captivating song that combines an intensely riveting instrumental with reflective lyrics.

James Blake – If The Car Beside You Moves Ahead

2018 is proving to be a busy year for James Blake. The English singer-songwriter and producer, who previously worked with big names such as Drake, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean and Jay-Z, collaborated once again with Kendrick Lamar on two songs for the Black Panther film soundtrack. He has also released his first solo material since 2016, a new single entitled 'If The Car Beside You Moves Ahead' which prompted rumours of an imminent new album release. The peculiar song merges his soulful distorted vocals with a hypnotic and atmospheric instrumental as if to make us travel through an alternate universe.

MorMor - Heaven's Only Wishful

MorMor is a Toronto-based artist who mostly writes, records, and produces his work in his apartment. If you searched for his music until recently, you would have found only one song, his debut single 'Heaven's Only Wishful'. With nearly 1 million plays on YouTube and over 500,000 on Spotify, the song struck a chord with many and imposed its undeniable appeal. A second song 'Whatever Comes to Mind' was released on 16 April and MorMor stated he plans on releasing more songs soon.

SOPHIE - Faceshopping

With her new abrasive single 'Faceshopping', producer extraordinaire Sophie is finally reaching new heights. The music video for the song is a disturbingly fascinating visual experience that matches the beat to perfection. Expect Sophie to make a lot of noise once her debut album comes out.

Frank Ocean – Moon River

"If you liked 2017, you'll love 2018". That's what Frank Ocean told his fans at the beginning of the year. And it's definitely about love and romance with his first release of the year, a beautifully dreamy cover of Audrey Hepburn's 'Moon River' (from Breakfast at Tiffany's) which dropped on Valentine's Day. Here's hoping that Ocean gives us more love for the rest of 2018!

Yuno - No Going Back

If you like Jay-Z's iconic 'Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)', you will like Yuno's 'No Going Back'. While the two songs aren't really the same, they combine a potent beat with a catchy piano melody which makes them both irresistible.

Beach House – Lemon Glow

Franco-American duo Beach House explore ethereal intimacy with a hypnotic twist on 'Lemon Glow'. The song was released on Valentine's Day, together with a kind message from the dream-pop duo: "Wishing everyone out there love tonight". Their new album, simply entitled 7, is out on 11 May.

Janelle Monáe – Make Me Feel

Janelle Monáe had a close working relationship with Prince as far back as 2013. Before his tragic passing in April 2016, Prince was working together with her on her upcoming third album Dirty Computer out on 27 April. The result can already be felt with the fascinating 'Make Me Feel' and its brilliant music video! Make sure to tune in when the 'emotion picture' for Dirty Computer premieres on 26 April.

Jack White – Over and Over and Over

Jack White is back with an intoxicating single "Over and Over and Over" to promote his new album Boarding House Reach. The song was originally written for The White Stripes 13 years ago, an echo heard throughout the song and which nostalgic fans of the defunct rock duo will appreciate.

Leon Bridges – Bad Bad News

Soul singer-songwriter Leon Bridges made a name for himself with his song 'Coming Home' and the debut album of the same name. His new album Good Thing is out on 4 May, and judging from the singles 'Bet Ain't Worth the Hand' and 'Bad Bad News', the wait was worth it. Expect some 'good things' indeed!

Snail Mail – Pristine

We featured indie rock band Snail Mail in our 18 artists to watch in 2018. Fronted by Lindsay Jordan, their music continues to impress as they tease an upcoming debut album entitled Lush out on 8 June.