Best Albums of 2018
Who would've ever known that all Cudi had to do was link up with Kanye in order to make an amazing project? Cudi is simply at his strongest and coldest, both lyrically and vocally, on this album, and I love how Kanye shows his appreciation for Cudi's psychedelic production style here.
There's seriously not a single bad song on this album. It's so damn good. I never would've thought that Ye and Cudi would make such a great team, but here they are.
Who knew that Cudi was gonna make a perfect album? If I was told that in 2015, I would've laughed and called it 'horses***' due to his disastrous 'Speeding Bullet' album.
Most people think Kanye West is just a meh guy these days with not much to look at, but he also proved them wrong. He's a genius in everything. The production, verses, lyrics, everything is fantastic here.
I can't say more here. This is perfection. 11/10.
Best on this entire list and definitely of the year. No bad song in the entire thing. This guy's best in the game. He's lyrical, smart, not corporate, and never desperate for attention.
And unlike Eminem, as much as I love him, he didn't diss other rappers in the game for attention. Instead, Denzel didn't say names and just mentioned that people go the corporate directions of rapping about drugs, lean, and money, and all that. And how he's never gonna do that.
This guy is among the best I've ever heard, and he will probably be just as strong next year.
This album is BRUTAL. This album is NOISY. This album is HEAVY. This is what people listen to when they wanna tear down the drywall in their bedroom.
This is what it sounds like in the mind of a psychopathic madman chasing after you in a dark swamp with a rusty meat cleaver. This is the album that we definitely needed this year, maybe the whole decade! This dropped at the perfect time in the mood for the Halloween spirit. Everyone on this site should be listening to this.
Some good modern industrial rock. It's also kind of noise rock too.
Best album to come out in years! Fantastic odyssey from the pioneers of metal!
I really liked this album, especially Lightning Strike and Sea of Red.
Long live rock and metal, even if it's not in the mainstream. (Popularly ≠ Rate)
The only problem with this album is it's too short, well, at least for Haken. Other than that, it's easily the best album of the year.
I was extremely worried about this album. TØP hadn't made a bad album, and I was worried that this would be the exception. I loved the singles, but what if they were the only good ones? I was relatively new at the time, so I was excited but afraid that it would flop and wouldn't be very good. Boy, was I wrong.
This might be their best yet, and maybe even one of my favorite albums of all time. They nailed everything: the production, the atmosphere, the lyrics, the mood, the passion. Everything is there. This album sounds fantastic. It's different, but it still sounds like Twenty One Pilots. None of the songs sound like they don't belong.
"Jumpsuit" is the perfect opener. This is how an album should open, with a bang, an explosion of sound that you don't forget. This is followed by "Levitate," and it transitions into "Levitate" PERFECTLY. The lyrics are complicated but not confusing. It is a perfect metaphor for leaving things behind (in Tyler's case, his Christianity). It revolves around Clancy, who lives in a city called Trench, which he is fond of as a kid. But as he grows up, he starts realizing flaws with it, flaws that start growing until it becomes filled with toxicity and nonsense, and he decides to abandon it.
Ladies and gentlemen, THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE. Not extremely confusing, nor cheesy, nor extremely literal, nor pretentious, as a concept album should be. And Tyler's vocals, oh my god, they have improved so much. His falsetto sounds amazing, and let's not forget Josh's dynamic drumming, which has also improved from the simple, unimpressive drumming of Blurryface.
I know Vessel is more unique and polished and more emotional. I know Regional at Best is them at their rawest, their purest, and their most fan-acclaimed. But Trench is so special to me. It's my type of Twenty One Pilots, and in my opinion, their finest work.
Gotta love it when an album makes you want to smile, cry, jump, and embarrass yourself by singing along, and often all at the same time. In all honesty, few albums have made me feel as deeply as Twin Fantasy.
The bitterness and hurt on the original is replaced with newfound wisdom and perspective, replacing heartbreak and spite with reflection and forgiveness. It's beautiful to see an aspiring musician's vision fully realized, especially when we get to go along that journey with him, at least in a musical sense, and that's what makes Twin Fantasy such an experience.
Everyone can stand this, everyone. It's not metal, it's rock. And it's rock that's a lot more appropriately appealing.
This should have been the follow-up to "Back to Basics," then her discography would have been perfect.
Half of the year is almost over... so far it's a very close race between this and Kim Wilde's record for my favorite of the year. This album is diverse in musical influences. It bends the conventional idea of genres and mixes various styles so fluently and harmonically that it really gets the absolute maximum out of modern pop music.
I also reviewed the album in a post.
My love for Post Malone tells me to put this album here!
I give it a 4/5. Post Malone is pretty good, in my opinion.
The Newcomers
He dedicated it to Chester. Where are the LP fans at?
Honestly, this equals MGMT's best works. It's at the level of Congratulations. The difference between the two albums is that you could do acid and listen to Congratulations and zone out with surreal feelings. But with this album, while you're on acid, there's a flurry of real-life emotions going on through your head.
From suicidal thoughts to relationships that didn't work out to friendship, this album has a great amount of emotional content in it. Definitely my favorite of 2018.
I've been waiting for another Pusha T album for a while since his release of Darkest Before Dawn, and unfortunately, it didn't turn out to be the sequel like we were promised. But I am completely satisfied with the fact that Pusha still brings his snarling vibe and Kanye brings his flawless production.
Sheesh, flawless raps from Pusha plus production from Ye? Can't go wrong!
Arctic Monkeys have always changed for each album, but I wasn't expecting this. They toned way down on the guitars and instead mostly relied on pianos and synthesizers to create this glam/lounge-like sound.
This album can basically be described as David Bowie meets Elton John.
I get why people might not like it, but just remember, AM has always been experimental. In my opinion, this album is brilliant.
It's a hard album to get into. I never could imagine Arctic Monkeys going in this direction. Either way, fantastic album.
Why so low? Not my cup of tea, but this is still an instant classic for many. A crushing work.
Earl is such an underrated rapper.
