27 Best Songs From 2018

“Curious” By Hayley Kiyoko

Song year: 2018

It can be hard to understand your place in the world, especially if your life doesn’t quite fit a conventional track. Kiyoko’s “Curious” focuses on the emotions of being in a love triangle and the uncertainty of results, complete with a willingness to flip the whole thing over if it gets to that point. It’s also a song from her first real album and likely the starting point of a long career.

“How Simple” By Hop Along

Song year: 2018

As its name suggests, “How Simple” is a relatively gentle song that doesn’t overstay its welcome. It focuses on quieter relationships and some of the complexities that can come with them, especially for people who don’t know much else.

It’s also the opening song for Bark Your Head Off, Dog, a solid album with eight more tracks. Like many album songs, it works as a single but has more impact if you listen to the entire thing in order, so consider pulling it up that way for your fill of indie rock style.

“Beverly” By Low Cut Connie

Song year: 2018

Low Cut Connie isn’t as well known as some other bands on this list, but as the support for frontman Adam Weiner, it’s produced some shockingly high-quality rock and roll hits and gotten endorsements from everyone from Barack Obama to Elton John.

“Beverly” focuses on the feeling of being ignored in a relationship. Although not overly long, there’s plenty of real emotion that many people listening can connect with.

“Fake Love” By BTS

Song year: 2018

Korean Pop bands aren’t as well-known in America as most of the other artists on this list, but they are staggeringly popular in their home country. BTS produced the first Korean album to be certified platinum in the United States and hit the top of both the Hot 100 and Global 200.

“Fake Love” is the second song from their third studio album, with a distinctive fusion style that really gets the groove going.

(If you haven’t heard K-Pop before, check out our favorites from the genre. You might just find out why it’s such a worldwide hit.)

“This Is America” By Childish Gambino

Song year: 2018

It was hard to miss clips from Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” when it first came out, with the video packed full of shocking imagery alongside a mix of trap and hip-hop sounds. Unusually for a song, “This Is America” works best when you watch it rather than just listening, as artist Donald Glover’s visuals take the song to an entirely new level.

Fair warning, though: This video isn’t for kids. Many hip-hop songs trend toward adult audiences, but Childish Gambino goes even further than usual.

“Bad Breath” By Willie Nelson

Song year: 2018

Willie Nelson has been producing hits for longer than many of today’s artists have been alive, and his astounding track record has made him easily one of the most recognizable figures in country music.

“Bad Breath” is the third track on his 67th studio album (one of two albums in 2018 alone!), focusing on ideas of mortality in the aging singer and making quips in a waltz style. “Bad Breath” is unlike anything else on this list, just as Nelson is unlike any other singer.

“Africa” By Weezer

Song year: 2018

“Africa”’s most famous version might be from Toto, but Weezer’s version stands in its own right as an amazing song. Unusually, they brought in “Weird Al” Yankovic for the song as one of the main singers. Although mainly known for his parodies, Yankovic’s expertise in different genres is on full display here as a beautiful cover of a classic song.

Top Songs From 2018, Final Thoughts

This list covers some of the best songs from 2018, but there’s plenty more where these came from. One of the most important things to remember about the music industry is that there’s always more to enjoy. Rather than waiting for the music to come to you, going out and finding it yourself can help you find far more songs to enjoy.