Paiges Top 10 Songs of 2018 by This Autumn Eve Lyrics
Number 10: “Dirty Car” by Studio KillersWhile “Party Like It's Your Birthday” was a fun but underwhelming return by Studio Killers after a long hiatus, their follow-up single, “Dirty Car”, is a wonderful bop that feels like the true return of Cherry and the gang we’ve been waiting for. It's kinda repetitive and has some pretty lude lyrics (oh no the horror), but it's still incredibly fun and has a lot going for it that makes the song enjoyable for me and worth putting on the list. The instrumental is the best part of this song, with this consistent earworm of a melody played by instruments that I can’t quite place, but are unique and fun. Cherry also has a wonderful voice and gives a wonderfully fun performance as always. “Fun” is the best word I can use to describe this song, and that's good enough for me!Number 9: “The Ultracheese” by Arctic MonkeysTranquility Base Hotel and Casino was an album that tore a lot of people, myself included. While some people argue it hasn't aged well, others love it, others yet miss the old Arctic Monkeys style, and some people see the appeal, but just couldn't get behind it. I'm in the last camp, and yet I seem to be one of the only ones who remembers that this album even exists. I suppose it's because “The Ultracheese”, the closing track, is a new favorite for me. Something about this track stands out from the rest for me, and is very nostalgic for me as well. Every part of this song, from the vocals to the acoustic instrumental and leading piano, create this atmosphere of regret in the style of a song you'd hear in The Great Gatsby and I love it. The lyrics are wonderful too, and they combine together to make a timeless song that I find myself coming back to, even if I don't return to the album itself.Number 8: “Fly Octo Fly ~ Ebb & Flow” by Off the HookJust let me self-indulge for a bit, because if I didn’t include any Octo Expansion music I would not forgive myself. Splatoon 2 consumed my life over the summer, due almost entirely to the Octo Expansion DLC that came out on June 14th for it. The music in the game was fantastic, and while it never got a physical release in the states, Japan got a physical CD release, so I’m counting it. This song is weird if you've never played Splatoon because it’s completely gibberish, but trust me, this song is a BOP. AND it plays during the final boss, and the main melody comes from the “test passed” jingle, and then the one minute mark remaining point comes and it's a reprise of “Ebb & Flow” which is one of the Splatfest songs and it's big and climatic as you're riding this grind rail and saving the world and mAN I love this game so much. If you have a Switch, please, play this fantastic game, I’m begging you. It's bizarre, but you won't regret it.Number 7: “Can't Call It Love” by Deva MahalI had actually forgotten about this song until pretty recently, and it's a shame I did, because Mahal has such a great voice and style. I don't listen to soul often, but it's a genre I enjoy, and Run Deep was an album that really solidified that for me. This song has a wonderful vibe, with this bass riff in the background and Deva's smooth voice that can go hard when the song needs it but also has a level of restraint I admire. I'll admit the marmite line is kind of off-putting, but the rest of the lyrics are really good. Basically, the song is about infatuation and how a meaningful relationship can't ride on that alone. It's a good message, and the delivery is so sharp and full of heart and soul. You can tell that Deva Mahal loves what she does, and has she has an absolute blast singing. When the singer is having this much fun, it's impossible to not have fun as well.Number 6: “Whoa” by Inner Wave & Banes WorldAt this point in the list comes the songs that I listen to fairly regularly. I'll admit, I've never listened to Banes World before this, but any friend of Inner Wave is a friend of mine, and they did a great job on this collab with one of my favorite bands. This song would be higher if it was longer, since the song only clocks in at around 2:21, but the time it is here is really nice! The vibe is lovely and chill, with some nice change-ups on the instrumentals and vocal performances from Shane and Pablo that both fit what the song is going for really well. It's a track that sounds weird at first, but it quickly grew on me, and now I love it. It's short but sweet, like a lot of other songs I've put on the playlist. The song didn't really need more time, and the short nature of the track adds to the theme of the fleeting time that the two spend together quite well, so I don't mind. Plus, it's Inner Wave! Of course I'm going to be a fan!Number 5: “Beton” by C418I have always been a lover of soundtracks and instrumentals, and one of the soundtracks that have always stood out to me was the soundtrack for Minecraft. Say what you will about the game itself, but the soundtrack is actually quite beautiful, ambient enough to not really interfere with whatever you're doing, but still present with a calm and even melancholy melody. It's a beautiful game soundtrack, and when I was told that C418 had made a new album that wasn't tied to a game, I was interested to see what he would do with his own work.
The first single I listened to was “Beton”, and it's still my favorite off of the album. My first listen was absolutely magical. The track starts out with this style straight from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, a game franchise I love to death, and captures this mystical feeling with long backing electronic notes and short melody notes that are electronic but don't sound like machines. That is, until the song completely flips on its head and turns into this cyberpunk-sounding melody with a synth melody and this kicking percussion that just feels so good. It's not a jarring transition, but it's a wonderful one that keeps this track in your head. The song switches back and forth between these two styles and I adore it; both sound so good and it's refreshing to have such a dynamic instrumental track like this.Number 4: ”Cheerleader Effect” by Carpenter BrutWhile I was listening to GUNSHIP, I got a recommendation for an artist called Carpenter Brut. The two have collaborated in the past, and both dropped an album this year. One of the singles from Carpenter's Leather Teeth won my affection immediately. “Cheerleader Effect” has the makings of a synth rock classic: memorable vocals, a rocking melody, great lyrics, and so, so much fun to be had.
The song is dark, and gives this vibe of a punk post-apocalyptic world that is intriguing and grabs your attention. The instrumental is subdued at times and really present in others, giving the vocals room to breathe when they need it and pushing forward the melody when it needs it. The melody is almost entirely carried by the vocals, and Carpenter has this unique voice that really sells the tone of this song, capturing both the dark and fun elements wonderfully.
The climax is definitely the best part here, with the building instrumentals and the soft vocals getting louder and flowing into the last chorus, carrying the energy from the build-up. It's so wonderful and contributes to this bop that deserves to sit alongside its wonderful synth contemporaries.Number 3: “Conception” by Black Thought, ft. Reek RuffinI've talked about this song extensively, but it still has stuck with me. Now that the initial adrenaline of the first listen has died down, is this song really as good as I thought at first? In my opinion, yes, yes it is.
The track opens with this slow saxophone and slow vocals that back the rest of the track. It's a wonderful backing track that adds so much to Black Thought's vocals. He sings the chorus and raps the verses, although the chorus is credited under another pseudonym. I'm not entirely sure why, but both his singing and rapping voice are fantastic, and they have a contrast that makes both performances interesting and enjoyable. Black Thought has a fantastic rapping voice that spits out lyrics in a clear and concise way that just feels so good and so much more personal than any of the mumble rap I've had to hear over the past few years. It's nice for someone like me who has trouble making out words sometimes to be able to listen to someone who has a clear voice that I can understand perfectly. Just listening to his powerful performance over the wonderful backing music makes for a great listening experience. And that's not even counting the lyrics, which are just wonderful. The lead-up to the chorus is my favorite part, where he raps about “fracturing the laws of attraction again” and it a.) hits home and b.) sounds phenomenal with his flow. This is a rap song I can get behind and listen to on repeat, which is saying something.Number 2: “Feels Like Summer” by Childish GambinoYes, I did like “Feels Like Summer” more than “This is America”. Sue me.
Do you ever find a song one day that just speaks to you lyrically more than anything else. This year, that was “Feels Like Summer” for me. This song perfectly captures what it is like to be a youth growing up in 2018, when you are old enough to know exactly what's going on, but young enough where you can't do anything. Society seems to be going a million miles an hour, but I and many others feel left in the dust as the older folk make decisions that will drastically change our entire lives. With everything that is going on all at once, sometimes I just wish that things would just slow down for once. I also can apply this song to various aspects of my life as well. I am asexual, and while both my peers and the new sexual revolution speed ahead and accomplish so much, I feel left behind a lot of the time. The lyrics “I'm hopin' that this world will change, but it just seems the same” hit home so, so much. Plus I live in southern California, so the heat metaphor is most certainly not lost on me.
The song has this vibe of forebodingly nostalgic, which I love so much. Glover gives a great performance as always, and the other aspects of this track just continue to highlight the meaning of the song that resonates with me like nothing else. I'll always be sad “Feels Like Summer” never made it on the Genius Top 50 list, but I'm happy it exists, and it will always have a place in my heart.Number 1: “DARK ALL DAY” by GUNSHIPAnd finally, we have my jam for the ages, “DARK ALL DAY”. This song dropped unexpectedly into my feed in July, and I quickly fell in love. This song became my top song of the summer, and a mainstay of my top jams. Where do I even begin with this song? The instrumentation is fantastic. This song is a synthrock song that has a SAXOPHONE. And it's GREAT. The other instruments add well to this dark and mysterious vibe they're going for, which a combination of synths and traditional instruments that play off of each other incredibly well. The drums are a highlight along with the sax. The drummer just goes all out, and it makes this song much more fun. The sax and drums could carry this song alone, but they don't have to. The rest of the song lives up to its great instrumentation. The catchy and fun but still dark melody, vocals, and lyrics all pair themselves with the instrumentation to creates a song that rocks. Everyone performing in this song is having the time of their life and it shows, and it's just perfect. I could not think of a better song to have at my number one slot.
Honorable Mentions:“This is America” by Childish Gambino“Sunflower” by Post Malone & Swae Lee“When You Grow Up, Your Heart Dies” by GUNSHIP“Shane” by Leon Canoe“Mr. Fear (Make Mama Proud Remix) by SIAMÉS
The first single I listened to was “Beton”, and it's still my favorite off of the album. My first listen was absolutely magical. The track starts out with this style straight from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, a game franchise I love to death, and captures this mystical feeling with long backing electronic notes and short melody notes that are electronic but don't sound like machines. That is, until the song completely flips on its head and turns into this cyberpunk-sounding melody with a synth melody and this kicking percussion that just feels so good. It's not a jarring transition, but it's a wonderful one that keeps this track in your head. The song switches back and forth between these two styles and I adore it; both sound so good and it's refreshing to have such a dynamic instrumental track like this.Number 4: ”Cheerleader Effect” by Carpenter BrutWhile I was listening to GUNSHIP, I got a recommendation for an artist called Carpenter Brut. The two have collaborated in the past, and both dropped an album this year. One of the singles from Carpenter's Leather Teeth won my affection immediately. “Cheerleader Effect” has the makings of a synth rock classic: memorable vocals, a rocking melody, great lyrics, and so, so much fun to be had.
The song is dark, and gives this vibe of a punk post-apocalyptic world that is intriguing and grabs your attention. The instrumental is subdued at times and really present in others, giving the vocals room to breathe when they need it and pushing forward the melody when it needs it. The melody is almost entirely carried by the vocals, and Carpenter has this unique voice that really sells the tone of this song, capturing both the dark and fun elements wonderfully.
The climax is definitely the best part here, with the building instrumentals and the soft vocals getting louder and flowing into the last chorus, carrying the energy from the build-up. It's so wonderful and contributes to this bop that deserves to sit alongside its wonderful synth contemporaries.Number 3: “Conception” by Black Thought, ft. Reek RuffinI've talked about this song extensively, but it still has stuck with me. Now that the initial adrenaline of the first listen has died down, is this song really as good as I thought at first? In my opinion, yes, yes it is.
The track opens with this slow saxophone and slow vocals that back the rest of the track. It's a wonderful backing track that adds so much to Black Thought's vocals. He sings the chorus and raps the verses, although the chorus is credited under another pseudonym. I'm not entirely sure why, but both his singing and rapping voice are fantastic, and they have a contrast that makes both performances interesting and enjoyable. Black Thought has a fantastic rapping voice that spits out lyrics in a clear and concise way that just feels so good and so much more personal than any of the mumble rap I've had to hear over the past few years. It's nice for someone like me who has trouble making out words sometimes to be able to listen to someone who has a clear voice that I can understand perfectly. Just listening to his powerful performance over the wonderful backing music makes for a great listening experience. And that's not even counting the lyrics, which are just wonderful. The lead-up to the chorus is my favorite part, where he raps about “fracturing the laws of attraction again” and it a.) hits home and b.) sounds phenomenal with his flow. This is a rap song I can get behind and listen to on repeat, which is saying something.Number 2: “Feels Like Summer” by Childish GambinoYes, I did like “Feels Like Summer” more than “This is America”. Sue me.
Do you ever find a song one day that just speaks to you lyrically more than anything else. This year, that was “Feels Like Summer” for me. This song perfectly captures what it is like to be a youth growing up in 2018, when you are old enough to know exactly what's going on, but young enough where you can't do anything. Society seems to be going a million miles an hour, but I and many others feel left in the dust as the older folk make decisions that will drastically change our entire lives. With everything that is going on all at once, sometimes I just wish that things would just slow down for once. I also can apply this song to various aspects of my life as well. I am asexual, and while both my peers and the new sexual revolution speed ahead and accomplish so much, I feel left behind a lot of the time. The lyrics “I'm hopin' that this world will change, but it just seems the same” hit home so, so much. Plus I live in southern California, so the heat metaphor is most certainly not lost on me.
The song has this vibe of forebodingly nostalgic, which I love so much. Glover gives a great performance as always, and the other aspects of this track just continue to highlight the meaning of the song that resonates with me like nothing else. I'll always be sad “Feels Like Summer” never made it on the Genius Top 50 list, but I'm happy it exists, and it will always have a place in my heart.Number 1: “DARK ALL DAY” by GUNSHIPAnd finally, we have my jam for the ages, “DARK ALL DAY”. This song dropped unexpectedly into my feed in July, and I quickly fell in love. This song became my top song of the summer, and a mainstay of my top jams. Where do I even begin with this song? The instrumentation is fantastic. This song is a synthrock song that has a SAXOPHONE. And it's GREAT. The other instruments add well to this dark and mysterious vibe they're going for, which a combination of synths and traditional instruments that play off of each other incredibly well. The drums are a highlight along with the sax. The drummer just goes all out, and it makes this song much more fun. The sax and drums could carry this song alone, but they don't have to. The rest of the song lives up to its great instrumentation. The catchy and fun but still dark melody, vocals, and lyrics all pair themselves with the instrumentation to creates a song that rocks. Everyone performing in this song is having the time of their life and it shows, and it's just perfect. I could not think of a better song to have at my number one slot.
Honorable Mentions:“This is America” by Childish Gambino“Sunflower” by Post Malone & Swae Lee“When You Grow Up, Your Heart Dies” by GUNSHIP“Shane” by Leon Canoe“Mr. Fear (Make Mama Proud Remix) by SIAMÉS