Best Albums of 2018

This year I listened to music for catharsis, for mornings, for joy, for calm, for breezy afternoons. Women have always been excellent creators of music though this year I think I was a little more inclined to seek it out or today's culture appropriately actually gave our female musicians the attention they deserved. Otherwise, I didn't have an album or two that I have totally fell in love with (such as Kendrick's DAMN., Chance's Coloring Book, or Sufjan's Carrie & Lowell). So my top five are all fantastic and favorites though they may not be not a classic in my personal connection to them. Regardless, strong showing of musical output.

Sidenote: here's a Spotify link to a bunch of my favorite songs of the year and then a link for my little Music Collective project's group of songs.

Here are ten of my favorite, most listened to, most life-giving albums which I deem the best albums of 2018. I included a one-sentence reason why. Then followed up with an honorable mention list.

10. Israel Nash - Lifted
Why?: Because I needed a lazy, laid-back album every now and then.

9. Mountain Man - Magic Ship
Why?: Because I needed a warm album to greet me in the morning.

8. Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy
Why?: Because I needed the pure joy this album brings.

7. Leon Bridges - Good Thing
Why?: Because I needed the smooth, smooth vocals and hooks of another Leon album.

6. Kendrick Lamar & Co. - Black Panther: The Album
Why?: Because I needed more Kendrick to accompany my favorite superhero movie.

5. Snail Mail - Lush
Why?: Because I needed more hazy girl rock in my life.

4. boygenius - boygenius EP
Why?: Because I needed THREE MUSICAL GENIUSES TO UNITE THEIR POWERS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF HUMANITY.

3. Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
Why?: Because I needed a perfect pop country album. (Who knew?)

2. Troye Sivan - Bloom
Why?: Because I needed an unapologetically queer pop album.

1. Haley Heynderickx - I Need to Start a Garden
Why?: Because I needed those vocals with those emotions. Wow.

Honorable Mentions (A bunch more, listed alphabetically)

Anderson .Paak - Oxnard

Ariana Grande - Sweetener

Beach House - 7

Big Red Machine - Big Red Machine

The Carters - EVERYTHING IS LOVE

Chvrches - Love Is Dead

Dermot Kennedy - Mike Dean Presents: Dermot Kennedy

First Aid Kit - Ruins

Jorja Smith - Lost & Found

Kimbra - Primal Heart

Lucy Dacus - Historian

Lykke Li - So Sad So Sexy

Niklas Paschburg - Oceanic

Noname - Room 25

Saba - Care for Me

Vince Staples - FM!

Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar