Welcome back to another installment of my musical Year End Countdown! If by chance this is your first time tuning-in to this series, please feel free to revisit Part 1 here to see which songs took the #15 through #11 spots.
Without further ado, let’s crack into my personal Top 10!
#10. 6ix9ine, Nicki Minaj, Murda Beatz – FEFE
I’m sure I’ve made it quite clear in my ‘5 Hip-Hop Tracks I Should Probably Hate From 2018’ post that I am no way a fan of Tekashi 6ix9ine – and that’s persona aside. Mostly every other song that I’ve ever heard from him was so horrendously composed, it was enough to give me an aneurysm.
Luckily, ‘FEFE’ is a pearl in Tekashi’s oyster-bedded music discography. With it’s subtly infectious production, minimalistic mono-flow, and clever wordplay, it stood out to me as one of the better Hip-Hop tracks of the year.
It’s short, sweet, and has impeccable replay value. Yes, the lyrics aren’t the most poetic or thought-provoking, but their boastful mannerisms and cocky demeanor are what embodies Hip-Hop, especially in 2018. Nicki Minaj’s feature on this track adds another layer of entertainment and fun.
The two work seamlessly together with Murda Beatz, coercing you to jam from start to finish. Truly, “Murda on the beat so it’s not nice!” was a lie. Because this was nice!
#9. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next
Although I personally think that Sweetner’s singles ‘God Is A Woman’ and ‘No Tears Left To Cry’ are sonically superior to this entry, it outweighs both when comes to emotion. Indeed, ‘Thank U, Next’ is the most I’ve ever felt from an Ariana Grande song.
Having her love life be one of the most talked about media threads of 2018, I found it very mature of her to address the matter in a respectful ode of gratitude. It wasn’t some sappy dirge, reflecting solely on all the negatives her past relationships bore, but a recollection of how she has grown through what she’s been through.
This catchy, bursting sass of Pop has somewhat of a cloudy, fairytale-like feel to it. It’s effective in humanizing Grande in a way that no other song has done before. It even earned her first ever #1 on Billboard (much deserved). And the sincere vulnerability lining her lyrics are heartwarming to say the least.
“I know they say I move on too fast/ But this one gon’ last/ ‘Cause her name is Ari/
And I’m so good with that (So good with that)” , she admits while coming to terms with her flaws and embracing her own authentic brand of self-love. Truly it’s a touching track with a ton of replay value that makes you wanna say “Yeah, yee”.
#8. Wallows – Pictures Of Girls
Up and coming Indie-Rock band Wallows includes Netflix’s ’13 Reasons Reasons Why’ star Dylan Minnette, whose dragging vocals on this track are oddly appeasing and much appreciated. They fit the moody, nostalgic vibe of the song, while not bordering on the lines of being overbearing or arid.
The vintage guitar rifts, wailing synthesizers, and the way the band allows the production and instrumentation to consume you in the chorus is simply incredible. And suddenly, you begin sharing the band’s sense of yearning for this female persona. You’re no longer satisfied with the memory of this girl, you want to be in her presence once more.
“Now I find it hard to remember/ All the times I’ve tried to forget her” , Dylan confesses while still trapped in the psychosis of his reminiscence. The entire song feels surreal, like waking up from a very trippy dream.
And I cannot let this entry go by without mentioning one of my favorite outros of 2018. “You should be down in Hollywood/ (You should be down in Hollywood)”, the band exchanges back and forth as the savory strings slowly lull you back to reality. It’s repetitive yes, but I feel a deeper sense of pining with each time it’s verbalized.
#7. Cardi B – Get Up 10
Obviously the best song off her debut album ‘Invasion Of Privacy’, Cardi Bardi Spicy Mami Hot Tamale channels her inner Meek Mill for a vicious, ambitiously-charged track filled with bars! As the howling siren blares periodically on the track, you’re put on-edge anticipated what’s to come.
Cardi’s lines are delivered in a brazen blaze of honesty. Every single bar matches who the media and we as music-listeners have known Cardi to B. (Ha, see what I did there?). She asserts herself in this track, putting all the haters and doubters on notice. Ensuring listeners that she means business and she will persevere.
Around the middle section of the track, the beat intensifies and all hell breaks loose. Somehow you become the toughest badass in the room. Suddenly, you feel invincible and you’re out to achieve everything you’ve set your heart out on, to grasp everything you deserve. And this is the case for me, EVERY TIME I listen to this song.
Seriously, there’s a virus-like charisma about it that is very transformative. It allows you to embody and self-identify with Cardi’s rag-to-riches story, while motivating you to get back on your own grind. This is one of those tracks that will propel you out of depressive states and land you back on your feet again. As the exiting chorus suggests “Knock me down nine times but I get up ten, bitch”.
#6. half.alive – still feel.
Smooth, funky, and riveting are words that initially come to mind when trying to describe this impressive piece of musical art. And I think I pretty much summed up how epic this song is in a previous post. I recall how ensnared I was by its sonic opulence and soulful core.
As I mentioned before, the track speaks to being lost internally and losing ties with parts of yourself – mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. And it’s very other-worldly, production helps further draw this idea out, while the song bounces intermittently between moments of calm and fervor.
Furthermore, you can actually feel what the persona of this song is going through. And it’s very much relatable. Life has a way of making us feel lost and stagnant, put this is one of those songs that helps you fend the forces of feeling helpless.
The dynamic chorus renders positivity “I still feel alive/ When it is hopeless, I start to notice/ And I still feel alive/ Falling forward, back into orbit.” It reassures you that although you may be feeling out of touch with self, you’re still alive, you can still return to yourself and be re-born into something much more powerful. Altogether, a cosmic-shifting mood!
Do you agree with the list so far? Which song do you think deserves the top spot? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. And be sure to return next for the Top 5 conclusion.
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Thank you so much for reading and I’ll see you next time on Introverted-Insight!
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Terran Brice
Sidebar: This second installment was pretty tough to put together. But I’m looking forward to closing out with my Top 5.