2018 has been a really different year for music. It’s the first year I feel like rap has taken the forefront, and the rock/indie rollout has been relatively scarce. While I consider myself an Indie rock fan at heart, I’ve found 2018 fascinating due to the vast amount of diverse rap albums that have pushed boundaries.

20. Parquet Courts- Wide Awake!

19. Low- Double Negative

18. Shame- Songs of Praise

17. Travis Scott- Astroworld

16. The Voidz- Virtue

15. Kali Uchis- Isolation

14. Brockhampton- iridescence

13. MGMT- Little Dark Age

12. Beach House- 7

11. Denzel Curry- TA13OO

 

10. Twenty One Pilots- Trench

People may initially dismiss Twenty One Pilots as a faux-edgy, Linkin Park look-a-like for a new generation, but Trench shows a maturity on all fronts for the band. The lyrics are sharper, the production is slicker and the all-around songwriting quality makes Trench one of the best pop albums of the year.

Best Tracks: Levitate, Morph, My Blood, Neon Gravestones

 

9.. Earl Sweatshirt- Some Rap Songs

Earl Sweatshirt is a rapper who’s remained relatively off my raider until the release of Some Rap Songs. The short song structure and bizarre uses of sampling reminded me of Madvillainy, but Earl brings his own style that makes this album stand out in a crowded year for rap. Don’t let the cute title fool you- this album has some of the heaviest and most crazy beats I’ve ever heard, which immediately earned it a spot in my top ten.

Best Tracks: Shattered Dreams, Nowhere2go, Azucar

 

8. J.I.D.- DiCaprio 2

Every since J.I.D. showed his potential in his debut album The Never Story, I’ve been anxiously waiting for the followup. DiCaprio 2 delivered in every way, with more aggressive flows and top-notch songwriting. Sure, he may sound a lot like Kendrick, but it’s still one of the best collections of rap songs this year and I can’t wait to see where J.I.D. goes next.

Best Tracks: Slick Talk, 151 Rum, Workin Out

 

7. Against All Logic- 2012-2017

Under the name Against All Logic, electronic producer Nicholas Jarr released this under-the-radar gem back in February and it remains one of the years best. At its core, 2012-2017 is a laid-back house album, perfect for a rooftop nightclub in Seattle, but there is still a lot functioning beneath the surface. Jarr brings an eclectic mix of soul samples, piano riffs and experimental manipulations of noise that make this the best electronic release of the year.

Best Tracks: This Old House Is All I Have, Some Kind of Game, Cityfade

 

6. The 1975- A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

I used to hate The 1975. I found their first album cliche and annoying, and the second long-winded and mostly dull. Still, I couldn’t deny their ability to produce some solid tracks such as, “Chocolate” and “Love Me,” so I went into this album at least vaguely interested. Turns out, A Brief Inquiry to Online Relationships is the greatest thing they’ve ever done. The lyrics are sharp and relevant to the modern era, the production is slick and the songs are incredibly catchy and varied. It certainly maintains the bands typical sound, but they’ve streamlined it into their most consistent and smartest project to date. With its cultural references, millennial themes, and occasionally heavy subject matters, this album is the perfect pop-rock album for of our times.

Best Tracks: Give Yourself A Try, Love It if We Made It, It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)

 

5. Pusha T- Daytona

The first release of Kanye’s five-album rollout in June, Pusha T’s Daytona is the most aggressive and assertive of the bunch. Pusha T has had a monstrous year, from his long list of guest features to his Drake beef (he destroyed Drake), and this album is his centerpiece. Each of the seven tracks shows Pusha T at his strongest, as he hops on relatively simple beats and delivers some of the hardest verses in rap this year. Daytona gave the already acclaimed artist a new burst of life into his career, and I can’t wait to see where he’ll go next.

Best Tracks: If You Know You Know, The Games We Play, What Would Meek Do?

 

4. U.S. Girls- In a Poem Unlimited

The best pop album of the year came from a band that was almost completely unknown. U.S. Girls’ breakthrough release, In a Poem Unlimited, is an experimental pop piece that is both beautiful, catchy and strange at all times. The combination of ambient sounds with hip-hop beats reminds me of understated acts like Portishead, but the vocal melodies would not be out of place on a Beyoncé album. To any fans of pop, indie, female vocalists, funk or R&B- check this album out. It’s worth your time.

Best Tracks: Velvet 4 Sale, Rosebud, Pearly Gates

 

3. Anderson .Paak- Oxnard

Oxnard has to be the most fun rap album I’ve heard in years. The eccentric West Coast rapper returned with his big major label debut, and it’s as eccentric and energetic as anyone could have hoped for. The production is slick, emulating numerous sounds from funk to reggae to neo-soul, and Anderson’s flows always compliment the beats perfectly. He also boasts a stacked list of guests, including Kendrick Lamar, J, Cole, and Dr. Dre, who all make a significant mark on their respective tracks. There’s not a dull moment in the hour-long runtime, and it’s an album I’ll be returning to for years to come.

Best Tracks: Tints, 6 Summers, Cheers

 

2. Kids See Ghosts- Kids See Ghosts

Kids See Ghosts by Kanye West and Kid Cudi (under the name Kids See Ghosts) is the third of Kanye’s albums this summer, and it’s one of the craziest rap albums I’ve heard since Danny Brown’s Atrocity Exhibition. The production is catchy, reminiscent of the “old Kanye” everyone says they long for, but the songs are unconventional. “Freeeee” and “Feel the Love” are perfect examples of this, as they include Kanye making gunshot sounds, strong vocal refrains, and rock instrumentation that feels almost out of place in modern rap. There are certainly more standard Cudi and Kanye songs, like the incredible “4th Dimension” and “Reborn,” but they only add to the album as they feel at home with the record’s themes of depression and recovery. This is an album that may be bizarre upon a first listen, but its genius only becomes clearer with multiple listens.

Best Tracks: 4th Dimension, Freeeee (Ghost Town Pt. 2), Reborn

 

1. Arctic Monkeys- Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino

I’ve been a big Arctic Monkeys fan for a while, so maybe I’m biased, but Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, the bands experimental space-lounge epic is the best album of the year. This can be a difficult album to swallow for some, as the jazzy piano-based songwriting is a large departure from the band’s previous works. But the result is a collection of smart, thoughtfully written songs that blur the line between David Bowie and Father John Misty and I absolutely love it. There are clever and memorable lyrics throughout the album (especially in the opener “Star Treatment”) and the melodies and vocals really hit hard. I personally think this album is superior to every previous of Artric Monkey’s release, bar their debut, and this is an album I’ll be listening to for the rest of my life.

Best Tracks: Star Treatment, One Point Perspective, Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, Four out of Five, Batphone