Finally, after counting down from 100 to 51, we reach the actual top 50 pop songs of 2018, if you like exactly the same music as I do.
This has been a strong season with many talented queens, so may the best woman win.
(I mean come on, it’s not going to be a man. On MY list? One cracked the top 10 though. Equal rights!)
#50: Christina Aguilera – “Twice”
This is the least boppy song on the entire list, but with good reason. It’s ALMOST my favourite from Liberation, a twist I didn’t expect. It’s just a classic Xtina ballad that effortlessly recalls the sound of Stripped, proving once again that she’s really been the driving force behind all her creative output since that era.
#49: Nicki Minaj – “Chun-Li”
The intro of the video focuses too much on the fictional “Nicki hate train” that she’s so obsessed with, but still, bringing out a new supervillain persona to channel her rage was the best decision Nicki made this era. Once we get into the fierce song and the rest of the visuals, everything’s great. Let’s not forget, this song won over enough people to finally get Queen released, and deservedly.
#48: Lady Leshurr – “OMW”
This was supposed to be a proper lead single for the debut album Lady Leshurr (super-talented and hilarious though she is) has somehow never released. It was clearly chosen because it sounds like a mainstream hit, so it’s a shame that didn’t manifest. I hope she didn’t get discouraged from exploring this sort of vibe. My only complaint is that, despite being a track designed to launch a rapper… she doesn’t really rap in it. Choices.
#47: Christina Aguilera – “Right Moves” (feat. Keida & Shenseea)
“Twice” came so close to being my top song from the album, but I can’t resist something more fun. Clearly, this song about all the different places Xtina would like to Woohoo was just too ahead of its time for certain people. Don’t be fooled by the trademark screaming adlibs – they’re all calculated and executed with precision.
#46: Mariah Carey – “GTFO”
I’ve never been a professional Mariah stan because it seemed like so much hard work, but this era has been a dream even for a more casual fan like me. Her attitude has been perfect, taking the music just seriously enough while having fun and embracing her meme queen status in a way that feels genuine. The only mistake she made was choosing the pleasant but dull “With You” as the supposed lead single, while the insanely current-sounding “GTFO” was just a buzz track – not that there’s any discernible difference. To be fair, it’s a crap song to perform live when you’re known for standing still on stage, but the super-chilled sound of the studio version is something I never knew I needed from Dr. Care.
#45: Ralph – “Tables Have Turned”
I still don’t know that much about this lady, partly because she doesn’t have a very SEO-friendly name, but I’ve really appreciated some of her classy pop bangers in the last year or so. I love the sophisticated yet bouncy vibe of this song, combined with some more vocoder layers which are always awarded points on this list.
#44: Eleni Foureira – “Tómame”
Eleni had a slightly better known song out this year, which appears slightly higher on this list, but “Tómame” is (almost) a worthy follow-up. Here we’re served a catchy, stuttering hook over a basic post-Despacito Latin beat, which works just fine. I find the line “cold like cola in the freezer” a bit jarring, though. Does she not realise that removes the fizz? Take your own Coke next time Eleni invites you round.
#43: Allie X – “Girl Of The Year”
I like all the Allie X songs on this list for pretty much the same reasons. Big, surprising choruses. Thoughtful, layered productions. Lyrics that simultaneously sound like classic pop cliches while being memorable and quirky. She knows what she’s doing.
#42: 3LAU – “On My Own” (feat. Nevve)
3LAU has done some great over-the-top remixes of pop bangers, including “Bon Appetit” (!), but his electronic productions sounds a bit more serious. There’s some really nice contrast on this song between a light and breezy vocal, a memorable melody and a nice big crash of a chorus with plenty of layers. I think this is becoming a theme?
#41: Benjamin Ingrosso – “Behave”
Here’s another Eurovision act with a song that wasn’t their Eurovision entry. “Dance You Off” was one of the better songs in this year’s contest, but I’ve spent a lot more time listening to “Behave”, the opening track from his album (which… I admittedly haven’t listened to either). I just like this song, OK! The word “behave” has five syllables here, which can only mean one thing: HOOKS FOR DAYS.
#40: Sabrina Carpenter – “Lie For Love”
Another Sabrina song that isn’t even on her album! She’s just throwing away massive bangers at this point, hiding them on Netflix soundtracks to troll us.
#39: Kim Petras – “Close Your Eyes”
As anyone reading this list will probably know, the spookiest thing about Kim’s Halloween-themed EP is that it’s all produced by Dr. Luke (not even ghost produced, which would have been fitting, but they’re actually open about it). Moral debates aside, the songs are really good, and that’s what we’re here for. “Close Your Eyes” is the biggest bop of the lot.
#38: Shift K3y – “Entirety” (feat. A*M*E)
My favourite experience with this full-on EDM club banger was actually at the Goose Fair in Nottingham, where it was blasting from one of those gigantic spinning rides that flip you upside down, with smoke spraying everywhere and disco lights flashing. It was amazing.
#37: Lady Gaga – “Why Did You Do That?
I wasn’t originally expecting there to be a proper pop element to A Star Is Born, so I was pleasantly surprised by the handful of bops Gaga delivered as Ally. I love how this song as used as a plot device, being dismissed as trashy pop by certain characters, while in reality it’s more geared towards her fans than anything else on the soundtrack. I guess almost parodies the style of Gags’ early hits with their distinctive, repetitive hooks. So many layers! She did that.
#36: Jennifer Lopez – “Dinero” (feat. DJ Khaled & Cardi B)
I mentioned “El Anillo” having 250 million YouTube views, so I’m now noticing that “Dinero” less than half that figure. Clearly being bilingual isn’t worthwhile, so we’re lucky she’s even bothering with us English-speaking fans. Fortunately she is, and serving no less than FOURTEEN looks in this fittingly expensive Joseph Khan video (watch out for my favourite moment, where LJO and Cardi are reading each other’s TIME magazine covers). The song is also really fun.
#35: Ava Max – “Sweet But Psycho”
I’ve tried to research this, and there ARE conspiracy theories. Some people seem to think her record label has just been buying copies of the single to keep it in the charts, which is probably a viable marketing strategy now that sales volumes on iTunes must be through the floor. Meanwhile, “Sweet But Psycho” also falls into the category of Cirkut-produced songs that sound suspiciously like they were at least co-produced by Dr. Luke, which I think he probably still does on the DL. Regardless, potentially problematic aspects aside, it’s still a very solid pop bop with an always-welcome Halloween twist.
#34: Jennifer Lopez – “Us”
That’s right bitch! JLO had ANOTHER great song this year that nobody cared about, and this one wasn’t even slightly Spanish! It’s actually a Skrillex collaboration, and I love it. My favourite detail in the production is one of the most satisfying Easter eggs I’ve noticed in a song: the melody of one of the background noises in the second verse is actually an interpolation of an adlib melody from “If You Had My Love”. Legends only.
#33: Kiiara – “L*** Is A Bad Word”
Remember in 2014 when everyone tried to do saxaphone hooks? I think this is the result they were trying for. The subtle, jazzy verses make the honky chorus a genuine surprise on the first run (which I’ve now spoiled, you’re welcome). I love Kiiara’s voice, but the fact that she switches up her style for almost every song while somehow remaining consistent impresses me the most.
#32: Charli XCX & Troye Sivan – “1999”
It does bother me that many of the references in this song are not from 1999, but we get the idea. I do love the fact that you can’t hear the song without instantly picturing the greenscreen and the Matrix sunglasses, which in itself feels like a very 1999 thing for a popstar to achieve.
#31: Ariana Grande – “the light is coming” (feat. Nicki Minaj)
I was just as horrified as everyone else when this song came out. Nicki plays with her flow way too much considering the beat of the song doesn’t even come in clearly until she’s finished, and that vocal sample THROUGH THE ENTIRE SONG is truly horrendous. However, if you force yourself to listen enough, I can confirm you stop hearing it, and it’s all uphill from there. At the end of the day, this ticks all my boxes – stuttering vocal effects, very catchy hooks and a fierce attitude. If this hadn’t been pointlessly fucked with so much, it would be even higher on my list.
@ me if you also like this song, we’ll start a support group.
#30: Clean Bandit – “Solo” (feat. Demi Lovato)
“I wanna FWOOP WOOP WOOP” is the best lyric of the year. Probably Demi’s third biggest bop, after “Instruction” and “Cool For The Summer”.
#29: Phantoms & Vanessa Hudgens – “Lay With Me”
Baby V had a quiet comeback to pop this year (and I’m not talking about “Vogueing Right Now”). If you missed it, this Phantoms feature is a stomping EDM anthem that really goes off, and probably has the best vocals I’ve heard from her. The video is quite funny, although they missed an opportunity for Vanessa to give us one of her famous “shablams” when the drop kicks in.
#28: Mariah Carey – “A No No”
This is definitely the most fun-sounding Mariah song since the iconic “Oh Santa!” and should have been the lead single, with Bianca returning for the video.
#27: Kylie Minogue – “Stop Me From Falling”
With this song, I’m less concerned with the whole pop vs. country debate because it wouldn’t work in any other style. It’s just a really great song. Only Kylie can sound so positive without it being forced.
#26: Blair St. Clair – “Now or Never”
If you saw Blair on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 10, you were probably rooting for her after as a person by the end of her time on the show. Her music was a surprise, though; despite her soft personality and mid-century styling, she really went HARD down the circa-2013 EDM route (with pretty great results).
#25: Alice Chater – “Heartbreak Hotel”
Alice doesn’t shy away from a sample when it clearly benefits the song, and the “Ring My Bell” melody feels right at home here. The song is pretty simple but it really grew on me, and the video made me realise she was taking her pop star image seriously.
#24: Clean Bandit – “Baby” (feat. Marina & Luis Fonsi)
I can’t like more than one Clean Bandit song at once. Each single is great until it’s overplayed to death, and then it’s onto the next one. That’s the only reason “Baby” is higher than “Solo”, but it has a lot going for it. A worthy comeback for Marina, and it FINALLY let them release the album they’ve been promoting for three years.
#23: Allie X – “Science”
Out of all the “Super Sunset” tracks I’ve included on this list, “Science” is my favourite because the crash into the chorus is so striking, yet soft at the same time. It’s just so soothing to listen to, while still being a big electronic production.
#22: The Knocks & Sofi Tukker – “Brazilian Soul”
Both these artists have produced songs I unexpectedly loved, so I’m glad this pairing worked so well. For a song about Brazil, this track is less like a carnival and more like a Caipirinha on a quiet balcony (incidentally one of the only cocktails I don’t like, but you get the idea).
#21: Mariah Carey – “Caution”
The title track is a perfect summary of what the album “Caution” does best. I often find Mariah’s songs to be way too meandering, like she made them up on the spot in one take. In contrast, this is a tight R&B jam that doesn’t sound dated at all, and has a strong structure with a memorable chorus. If we were still in an era where it mattered, I’d say this would have been ideal as a second single (after “A No No”) that came out at the same time as the album.
#20: Alexandra Stan – “MAMI”
I’ve been casually following Alexandra (and INNA, who’s followed a similar path) since 2010, and it’s been a wild ride. At this point, she does whatever the fuck she feels like in terms of musical style, videos (which vary in budget massively), releases and promo. “MAMI” is a triple-language, ultra-catchy bop, and there’s also something about it that sounds slightly weird. They really played that up with the video, in which she hallucinates a porn parody of a cooking show for some reason. We Stan.
#19: Kim Petras – “Heart to Break”
My favourite memory of this bop is from waiting to get into Brighton Pride (we ended up being front row for Britney, so it was almost worth being so early). This was the first song that started booming across the park from the stage speakers, and a literal rainbow spontaneously appeared in the sky directly over us. Kim’s choices might not all make sense, but she’s definitely a powerful pop star in more ways than one.
#18: Sabrina Carpenter – “Paris”
Sabrina’s lyrics tend to lean towards the ridiculous, but here it’s in a good way. She tells a story about getting obsessed with a guy while she’s in the French capital, forgetting about her boyfriend who’s back in boring, un-glamorous Los Angeles. I can’t relate, but I want to.
#17: Ralph – “September Fades”
Again we have a really classy sounding bop from Ralph – I’m struggling to articulate the vibe because it doesn’t really sound like anything else to me. If anyone is putting out pop like this, please point me in their direction.
#16: Ciara – “Freak Me” (feat. Tekno)
This was the most lowkey, low-budget release from Ciara this year, coming out between “Level Up” and “Dose” – I don’t know what it was supposed to be. Regardless, it’s my favourite of the three. I’ve found it really addictive, hence its top 20 placement, although it might seem nothing too special on first listen.
#15: Sean Paul & Jhené Aiko – “Naked Truth”
Sean Paul, seriously? Well, it’s really Jhené’s writing doing the heavy lifting on this song, but I have to be honest, it works great as a duet. I feel like a lot of people will have (understandably) paid no attention to this song or missed it entirely, but I love it. “Mad Love” and “Bad Love” were also great and should probably have made this list, but I’ve listened to “Naked Truth” the most by far.
#14: Sabrina Carpenter – “Almost Love”
Who told Sabrina she could snap like this? The beat is clearly inspired by “Truffle Butter”, a very bold choice for someone in her lane, but one that I feel pays off. I also love the inclusion of cheerleader-style whistles in this song (I don’t know how else to describe them, something sports-related probably). That’s a big hint that she’s serving (admittedly low effort) choreography. The video is an appropriate serve.
#13: Ariana Grande – “breathin”
This song maybe blew up a little too fast, just because it stood out from the rest of Sweetener as the closest she’s come to recreating “Into You” (which, if I remember correctly, nobody gave much of a fuck about until it somehow reached legendary gay anthem status much later). I feel like this song didn’t turn out quite as perfect as it could have, compared to a couple of songs I’ve ranked higher. I wonder if Ariana feels the same as me, given she didn’t actively choose it as a single, she just went along with its self-generated success and then abandoned the campaign in favour of new material. But obviously it’s still really really good.
#12: Tinashe – “Ooh La La”
Bed squeaking noises in the beat aside… I ended up not caring about that initial turn-off. The amazing “Dilemma” sample more than makes up for it, and the overall vibe of this song (like another one we’ll get to in a minute) really shows Tinashe at her best. When Joyride finally came out this year, I didn’t love the entire thing but I think I get where she was coming from, and it really lands for me on this song.
#11: Charlie Puth – “Done For Me” (feat. Kehlani)
I was shook when this song turned out to be even better than “Attention” and “How Long”. Charlie seemed nothing special on his debut album, and I actively dislike more songs than I like from that era, but the taste jumped out this time! I’m not sure what this sub-genre of pop is called, but I’d like it to be brought with us into 2019 please.
#10: Shawn Mendes – “Lost In Japan”
Like I said about “In My Blood”, something about this song just sounds like an LGBT experience. Maybe he’s just that good of a songwriter, so his storytelling has that effect on me? Anyway… this song is just so nice and cute and classic, I can’t get bored of it. If we have to have a man in the top 10, this is the one.
#9: Kacey Musgraves – “High Horse”
This is the only proper uptempo track on Golden Hour, which I can’t be mad about because it’s just so good we don’t even need another one. Kacey’s sweet delivery somehow makes the fairly gentle shade in the lyrics hit much harder, to the point that I always panic when I’m listening, like… wait, is she talking about ME? As she points out, we all know someone who deserves to be on the receiving end of this song, so it’s the perfect song for when you need a moment to fantasise about bringing some self-important prick crashing down to earth. Like people who write essays about their favourite songs.
#8: Nadine Coyle – “Gossip”
“Go To Work” probably would have topped my Top 100 list in 2017 if I’d made one, so I was hoping to be blown away by the next Xenomania banger she came out with. Surprisingly, I much preferred their detour into slower territory on “Gossip” as opposed to the extremely noisy “Girls On Fire”. I’m not sure if anyone was really talking trash about Nadine in the last couple of years, other than gay fans reminiscing about the Tesco era, but the lyrics in this song probably refer to her experience with Girls Aloud and the trash British tabloid culture, which both peaked at the same time in the mid 2000s. Anyway, a bop.
#7: Tinashe – “Faded Love” (feat. Future)
Vocal chopping! I’m sold! The difference here is that “Faded Love” is super chill at the same time. “No Drama” got the biggest push when she dropped the first three songs from the final version of the album, but I personally think this is an infinitely better example of Tinashe’s brand and the kind of vibe she does best. I never seem to get bored of this.
#6: Ariana Grande – “thank u, next”
Ariana is really the only popstar to hold the constant attention of pop fans, the general public and literally all media outlets simultaneously. Nobody else would really have the power to abandon their brand new album mid-campaign and throw out a brand new single, complete with a magically-replenished music video budget. What impressed me the most was the quality of music she was able to casually throw together in a matter of weeks. This song was worth the hype, although it has been a little eclipsed by it.
#5: Louisa – “YES” (feat. 2 Chainz)
I’m not pasting the music video here because it was executed quite poorly, but this song was definitely the single most exciting one I’d heard in years when it first leaked. During the first few seconds, my jaw just kept dropping. Louisa absolutely knew her audience when she released “Best Behaviour”, but this is a whole new level. She channels the spirit of “Dirrty”-era Xtina in a way that even Legend X herself didn’t dare attempt in 2018, with better results than I could have hoped. She was also refreshingly honest when talking about the song, specifically the fact that it was designed to be a shameless banger and 2 Chainz was literally just the first rapper to agree to slap a verse on it.
#4: Alice Chater – “Hourglass”
Time goes by… so slowly. Especially when you’re waiting for popstars in 2018 to start making music like “Confessions on a Dance Floor”. I’d honestly given up on that particular dream, so hearing this song was a very welcome surprise. Someone finally did it!
At the peak of my obsession with this song a couple of months ago, I was shook to see a random tweet announcing that Alice would be supporting Jessie J at the show I was going to that night. Imagine my horror when I realised that Alice’s entire set was being performed with ONLY an acoustic guitar. Her singing was incredible, but seriously, if they’d stuck the proper instrumental on the speakers, Jessie would have walked out to an audience of completely bald fans (and probably assumed we were mocking the “Alive” era).
#3: Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left To Cry”
I feel like this song has been out for well over a year, because it was somehow reminding me of Christmas even though it came out at the end of April? Anyway, I’m still not sick of it. I love the message of the song; it’s the mentality I try to take when I have a really low day. I allow myself to think “OK, this is the peak of feeling shit” and then it’s all uphill from there. Turning that feeling into a major bop is all I could ask for, and Ariana’s done that yet again here.
#2: Eleni Foureira – “Fuego”
I’m so happy we finally got a truly incredible song in Eurovision. This song was honestly made for me. It deserved to come first, not second, so I’m sorry to do the same thing to Eleni again on this list. I’m sure she’s reading this now and feeling bitterly disappointed all over again. Still, I can’t listen to this song without physically feeling the sensation of my wig bursting into flames and slowly ripping off as the chorus/breakdown builds, before finally flying off and turning to ash as the drop hits. Stunning.
#1: Ariana Grande – “God is a woman”
I didn’t consciously think this was my single favourite song of the year, but in my opinion it really stands up to repeated listens brilliantly (and personally I tend to get over songs quite quickly, even ones I love). There’s a perfect balance here between drama, sass, vocals, detailed production… plus my favourite video of the year. It even includes my favourite pop device of all time: the secret mega-chorus that doesn’t hit until you think you’ve already heard the peak of the song (plus this one has a gospel choir).
I admit I also enjoyed the fact that the title caused a very small backlash among ignorant people (although once you hear the lyrics in context, it all makes perfect sense and isn’t saying anything controversial). Yuh.
Clearly since it’s mid-January, this took SO. MANY. HOURS. Never again.
I hope you’ve discovered some new bops. and let’s hope the rest of this year brings us at least 100 more songs as good as these.