- Red – Garbage (0 Points)
- Turquoise – Bad (1 Point)
- Yellow – Mediocre (2 Points)
- Pink – Decent (3 Points)
- Blue – Good (4 Points)
- Green – Great (5 Points)
And here you are, folks. For those of you who are wondering, purple and orange remain as the best and worst songs, respectively. However, starting this year I'll be adding something new. For the best song on the year-end countdown, it will be given a ranking of 6 points instead of 5. I think I've explained pretty much everything, so let's get on to the list.
But first, we're going to go back in time and look at the Top 40 songs of last year. Again, keep in mind that the number in parentheses indicates the song's peak position. Here is the American Top 40 for last year:
40. All Time Low by Jon Bellion (#10)
39. Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul (#1, 5 Weeks in 2016)
38. Cold by Maroon 5 featuring Future (#8)
37. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee (#8)
36. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid (#1, 1 Week)
35. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#1, 1 Week)
34. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (#1, 2 Weeks)
33. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller (#3)
32. Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran (#7)
31. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato (#6)
30. Starving by Hailee Steinfeld & Grey featuring Zedd (#5)
29. 24K Magic by Bruno Mars (#5)
28. Let Me Love You by DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber (#1, 3 Weeks in 2016)
27. Mercy by Shawn Mendes (#6)
26. I'm The One by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil' Wayne (#3)
25. Now Or Never by Halsey (#3)
24. Rockabye by Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie (#4)
23. Starboy by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk (#3)
22. Say You Won't Let Go by James Arthur (#5)
21. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo (#1, 1 Week)
20. Believer by Imagine Dragons (#3)
19. Slow Hands by Niall Horan (#1, 2 Weeks)
18. Paris by The Chainsmokers (#3)
17. Issues by Julia Michaels (#4)
16. Love On The Brain by Rihanna (#3)
15. Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey (#1, 9 Weeks in 2016)
14. Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly featuring Camila Cabello (#1, 2 Weeks)
13. Don't Wanna Know by Maroon 5 featuring Kendrick Lamar (#1, 1 Week)
12. Side To Side by Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj (#1, 3 Weeks)
11. Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber (#1, 5 Weeks)
10. Attention by Charlie Puth (#1, 5 Weeks)
9. I Feel It Coming by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk (#3)
8. There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back by Shawn Mendes (#1, 1 Week)
7. I Don't Wanna Live Forever by ZAYN featuring Taylor Swift (#2)
6. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#1, 1 Week)
5. Scars To Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara (#1, 2 Weeks)
4. It Ain't Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez (#1, 1 Week)
3. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (#1, 5 Weeks)
2. That's What I Like by Bruno Mars (#1, 3 Weeks)
1. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran (#1, 10 Weeks)
Looking back at last year's countdown, I thought it was an improvement over 2016. There were quite a lot of songs to my liking that ended up being successful last year. We'll see how 2018 stacks up. With that, I now present to you the Top 40 songs of 2018 on the American Top 40. Are you ready? Let's go!
40. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith (#6) [3; Decent]
Three years have passed since Sam Smith made it big in the spotlight, with Stay With Me becoming one of his biggest hits of 2014. Unfortunately, neither of his successors caught on with the public after that, with the exception of I'm Not The Only One, which was a respectable hit chart-wise. Many were waiting to see what was to come next. At first, I didn't really find it interesting, but I've warmed up to it in record time, and then it kinda died down a bit. Right off the bat, Sam has proven that he is one of the best songwriters around. I do like his voice in this one, and I love how he hits those high notes. So yeah, it's was nice to see him make a comeback last year. I did listen to some of his latest album The Thrill Of It All, and it had some good single choices, such as Pray.
39. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA (#3) [5; Great]
Here, we have the first of three songs from Maroon 5 on the countdown. To be honest, I've been pretty mixed with Maroon 5 in terms of their latest music. Don't Wanna Know and Cold were both straight up garbage, the former which was one of my least favorite songs of last year. My expectations were pretty low coming into the song, and I must say that they seem to have their groove back. What Lovers Do isn't really close to Maroon 5's best work by any means. But here, they do sound more like a band here. I like SZA's contribution. She has a good voice and she uses it well in the song. Adam Levine's voice is decent as well. Personally, I think this is the best song off of Red Pill Blues, which wasn't really good. The song was able to reach #3 on this countdown, so that's nice.
38. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#1, 3 Weeks) [5; Great]
This is probably one of the more controversial singles I've heard all year. But that doesn't make me hate the song any less. In fact, I find it to be really good. Ariana has been the type of artist that usually doesn't disappoint me with her music. God Is A Woman is no exception. Though I can't say it's a stand-out from Sweetener, it's still a great song nonetheless. I love Ariana's voice in this one and she excels at hitting those high notes. I don't have too much else to say beyond that. Again, I don't care what people think. It's a good song overall. It spent some time at the top spot, which was very nice.
37. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha (#11) [5; Great]
I was a little surprised to see this one make the Year-End list for this countdown, but I'm glad it did. Everything about the song is just beautiful all around. I talked about this in my post regarding my Top 50 favorite songs of 2018. This came a little over three months after the release of Glorious, which was also a great song. But Good Old Days manages to be a step up from that. The lyrics are creative and well-written all around. A song that mentions the good old days and reminiscing about the past moves me. Kesha's voice is just phenomenal. I love Macklemore's verses as well. In short, I can safely say that it's one of Macklemore's best songs.
36. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa (#9) [5; Great]
Throughout 2018, Dua Lipa became a mainstay after New Rules became her biggest hit. So, I wasn't surprised to see her continue her presence with her collaborations with artists such as Calvin Harris. It was this time last year that Calvin Harris gave us his groovy new sound when he released Slide and Feels. This year, he bought us One Kiss. Although it doesn't live up to his best work, he still shows that he's a good EDM artist. Dua has a unique voice and she uses it well. The production is solid all around. It has that tropical vibe to it. Overall, it's still a solid song from Calvin Harris.
35. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo (#1, 1 Week in 2017) [1; Bad]
When One Direction took a hiatus, their members decided to go solo. Niall went for a more acoustic music, Harry went for rock, and Louis went for pop-rock. But when Liam released Strip That Down, he went for hip-hop and the result was a mediocre song that I did not like. I questioned its existence from the beginning and I still do. I talked about this last year in detail. But to recap, I'm not fond of Liam's voice in the song. He doesn't shine in any part of the song. The production is relatively weak and Quavo doesn't really add anything. Liam's debut single is the worst out of all the members of One Direction. It's a good thing he has released better music since. For You and Familiar are really good songs, but none of them had the same success as Strip That Down, which annoys me. Oh well.
34. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (#1, 2 Weeks in 2017) [3; Decent]
One of the things I like about reviewing music is that it helps me discover new artists and bands, such as Portugal. The Man. I first came across Feel It Still and that was the first time I heard a song from Portugal. The Man. Believe it or not, these guys have actually been around since the early 2000's. But they were virtually non-existent back then. 2017 was when they started to gain momentum with this sleeper hit, Feel It Still. It's catchy in a way, which is why I liked it at first. But after hearing songs such as Live In The Moment, I kinda stopped caring about it. However, it was still nice to see Portugal. The Man get a hit with this song.
33. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes (#6) [4; Good]
My relationship with Shawn Mendes's music had been relatively mixed in the past. But before that, he had songs such as Life Of The Party and Something Big which failed to graduated Hit-Bound and thus were not bigger hits. Along came Stitches, which was a successful hit back in 2015 and thus bought him into mainstream. Then the next year, he gave us Treat You Better, which after many listens I realized it was not a good lead single from the disappointment that was Illuminate. He also had songs such as Mercy and There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back, both of which were to many people's liking, especially the latter. But even then, not very many people were looking forward to hearing more from Shawn Mendes. When In My Blood first came around, he was hosting the countdown and thus the song would debut straight there instead of spending a week on Hit-Bound. As for my opinion on the song, I can say it's a better lead single than Treat You Better. The song may not be all that amazing, but it's worthwhile. Shawn does good with his vocals. As I mentioned when the song debuted, it has some Kings Of Leon vibes, which is what pulls me in. After listening to his self-titled album, I found some songs to be better than this. But In My Blood is a good song that I can listen to every once in a while. Another thing I can say is that Shawn Mendes has come a long way since he made a breakthrough with Stitches. We'll see what else he can come up with.
32. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons (#3) [5; Great]
Last year, Imagine Dragons made a comeback with the release of Believer and their album Evolve. This year, their success continued with Whatever It Takes becoming another hit. I liked what the song has to offer. Here, it is super fast-paced and the production is top-notch across the board. Dan Reynolds shows that he has a solid voice. Looking at the lyrics, it talks about wanting to be successful and having to do what is necessary to achieve success. It's nice to see them execute it so well. And believe it or not, this was the last single from Evolve as they just released their new album, Origins a month ago. I didn't really enjoy Evolve as a whole, but there were quite a few good songs, Whatever It Takes being one of them. I'm glad it was able to get some success. I sure wish it did hit #1, though. But it was able to spend some time in the Top 5, and that's good enough.
31. Wait by Maroon 5 (#5) [1; Bad]
Like I said before, I've been mixed with Maroon 5 when it comes to their latest music. But unfortunately, Wait is just another one of those songs that I'm not fond of. There's nothing amazing about the song whatsoever. It's really sad that they keep releasing songs like this. I want to hear something along the lines of their older singles and even some of V for the matter. This Summer's Gonna Hurt... was shit, but I liked songs such as Maps, Animals, Sugar, and to an extent, Feelings. But in songs like Don't Wanna Know and Cold, they showed that they're not really a band anymore. It's all about Adam Levine, and nothing more. Sure, Adam sounds okay with his voice. But the rest of the song is just underwhelming and frankly, not good. The lyrical content isn't very well-written. I do not like the use of trap skitters. While I can say that Wait is better than their two recent singles, it's still undesirable. Maroon 5 are capable of better.
30. I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#3) [3; Decent]
So, I did not like Cardi B's debut single, Bodak Yellow. It was one of the most obnoxious songs of last year. I wasn't anticipating any release from Cardi B. Sure, she did have a feature in the remix for Finesse by Bruno Mars. But that's about it. I Like It came around and I wasn't a big fan. But in the later months, I actually started to kinda like it. Well, not to the point where I find it enjoyable by any means. Although I still question some of the lyrics, I do kinda like the Latin vibe here. The verses are okay for the most part. I do like the intro leading up to the song. So yeah, I find it to be decent.
29. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#1, 1 Week in 2017) [4; Good]
The lead single from Tell Me You Love Me is one that sometimes comes to mind when I think of Demi Lovato. I didn't exactly love the song in the long run, but it was something that I enjoyed at times. Demi has a nice voice and she proves it in songs such as Cool For The Summer, Heart Attack, and Give Your Heart A Break. She sounded pretty decent here, but I wasn't exactly big on the chorus because I thought it was too overdone. Looking at the lyrical content, the song is basically a kiss-off to the haters, kinda similar to Shake It Off by Taylor Swift, which I enjoyed. Having listened to all the songs from Tell Me You Love Me, I can say that I thought it was pretty decent. The title track was a huge stand-out from that album. Demi showed what she was capable in that song. I did watch the documentary about her sobriety at one point in time and it gave me chills. This year, she did release Sober, which talks about her struggles of staying sober. After the health scare, I can't help but think of Demi Lovato at this moment. I'm still praying hard that she'll be able to overcome all of this. Demi is a very talented singer overall. Even though Sorry Not Sorry isn't one of her best songs, it was still something I enjoyed.
28. God's Plan by Drake (#3) [2; Mediocre]
I'm going to be straight up and simply say that I don't dislike Drake as an artist. He actually has had some good music in the past. But God's Plan just wasn't to my liking. I remember first listening to the song thinking it wasn't good. I wasn't big on the production as a whole and I don't like Drake's vocal work. It just really didn't grab my attention from the beginning. This is, of course, the #1 song on Billboard for 2018. I'm not exactly thrilled about this. There could've been a worse #1 though. But I didn't think God's Plan was anything interesting for me. But I will admit, he does have some better songs off of Scorpion, such as Nice For What, which I think is better.
27. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar (#3) [5; Great]
From the day I heard The Weeknd in Love Me Harder with Ariana Grande, I knew he would turn out to be something special. Though I didn't care for Earned It, he did follow-up with Can't Feel My Face, The Hills, and In The Night. All of them were really good songs. After that, he had Starboy, which consisted of the title track and I Feel It Coming. This year, he and Kendrick Lamar bring us Pray For Me, taken from the Black Panther movie soundtrack. I talked about this one in great detail when I counted down My Top 50 Songs for 2018. Feel free to check it out if you guys haven't already. But to sum it all up, it reminds me of Starboy in so many ways. The Weeknd does sound good in the chorus. I like Kendrick's verse. He shows that he's one of the best rappers in the genre. The lyrics are well-written and have a meaning to it. It was a definite stand-out from the movie soundtrack.
26. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello (#5) [5; Great]
Before this song came along, I had been questioning Selena Gomez's direction in music for some time. Her singles such as Hands To Myself, Fetish, and Bad Liar were not to my liking at all, with the very latter being the worst of the three. However, I did love her feature in Kygo's single, It Ain't Me, which was my #4 song of last year. She followed a similar path by releasing this song, and the collaboration between her and Marshmello definitely worked out well. If you read my post about My Top 50 Songs of 2018, then you know that I ranked it #2 on my list, and for a very good reason. I love how Marshmello was able to work on the production in the song. The drop after the chorus is just awesome. Selena sounds great with her vocals, and this was something lacking in most of her singles from Revival, which wasn't all that good, as well as Bad Liar and Fetish. I like the creativity when it comes to the lyrics. Simply put, everything about the song is just magical in every sense of the word. As much as I loved It Ain't Me, I found this to be even better.
25. How Long by Charlie Puth (#3) [4; Good]
A follow-up to Charlie Puth's comeback single Attention, this song continued to show that Charlie has improved from the mediocre to bad Nine Track Mind and thus we were able to give a first glimpse of what was to come from his album, Voicenotes. Although not quite as great as its predecessor or Done For Me, Charlie still does a nice job with handling the production itself. I like how he tells a story about his relationship with a significant other. Charlie sounds pretty smooth with his vocals. Although this didn't quite stuck with me in the long run, I still think it was solid all around. After listening to Voicenotes, he has indeed changed for the better. He does have a brother named Stephen, who's trying to venture into the music scene as we head into 2019. Who knows? Maybe he'll end up getting some big hits much like Charlie.
24. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#1, 3 Weeks) [5; Great]
5 Seconds Of Summer made their comeback in 2018 when they released Want You Back. It was clear that the band was doing something different, though I didn't realize it at the time. Then a little over two months later, they gave us Youngblood, and it was obvious by then that the title album would be a departure from its predecessors. I didn't exactly cared for this at first, but I eventually came around to it. It just so happens to be the best song off of the album. They shine in the chorus, and I like some of the cool lines in the song. Youngblood is different, but cool at the same time. It was nice to see it gain worldwide recognition outside of Hits 1 after their previous singles were unable to do so. I believe this was their first #1 on the AT40, I think. But yeah, I'm just happy that it was successful.
23. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#1, 1 Week) [5; Great]
Taylor Swift's latest album, Reputation, had seen some mixed results in comparison to 1989, in part because her singles didn't appeal to many people the same way her last album did. The very controversial lead single, Look What You Made Me Do was pretty much not to anyone's liking at all. Also, her two singles following that (...Ready For It? and End Game) simply flopped. Hopes were starting to die out that Taylor could come up with a hit off of Reputation. But then, Delicate came along and it was a surprise summer hit. I can easily say that it's a much more likable song in every way, and for a very good reason. I didn't feel that way at first, mainly because it was a little boring. But it definitely grew on me with time. Taylor Swift has never really been the one to disappoint me. I love her voice all throughout the song and the production is very nice. It's one of those songs with a chill vibe, as opposed to her other three singles off of her album. Looking back at this now, I can say this will be definitely remembered by me. It's nice to see Taylor get a hit off of Reputation.
22. Thunder by Imagine Dragons (#1, 2 Weeks in 2017) [3; Decent]
The blogging community here has been pretty split on Thunder, and I can understand why. Some people like it, and some others just simply hated it. As for myself, I kinda land somewhere in the middle when it comes to my opinion on the song. My initial reaction to the song was that I found it okay. But with time it did grew on me to the point where I had placed it in My Top 50 Songs of 2017 over Believer. However, I then started to realize why I didn't quite like the song at first. I do still like some things about the song, such as the lyrics which talk about dreaming of doing bigger things, and the catchy line "Lightning, then the thunder". My main problem is that the song is repetitive, and at some point it started to get on my nerves a little bit. Look, I have nothing against Imagine Dragons. But let me be really honest here: while I can say it's not a bad song, they have done better. Songs such as Believer and Whatever It Takes showed me that. But I feel like Thunder is one of those songs I can easily get sick of, mainly because it is repetitive. So yeah, I can enjoy it every once in a while, but it's not something that stuck with me in the long run.
21. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B (#1, 2 Weeks) [5; Great]
24K Magic is an impressive album from Bruno Mars in my eyes. There's quite a lot of good singles that I loved, such as That's What I Like, Versace On The Floor, Finesse, and of course the title track itself. When I heard about his upcoming new single at the time toward the end of last year, I had hopes that either this or Chunky would become the next single and he eventually decided on the former. But it just so happens that this would end up being the last single from his album. While I'm sad that Chunky wasn't a single, he did leave us a nice parting gift when he chose Finesse. And he did so by remixing the song with Cardi B., who has made her presence known throughout 2018. When it comes to making songs with throwback vibes, Bruno does it best. He has the talent and charisma to pull it off. Cardi B adds a lot to the remix of Finesse. But even without her presence, the song on its own is a highlight from 24K Magic. It was awesome seeing the music video, which is basically a parody of the 1990's television show, In Living Color. The song got a lot of love from pretty much every chart, hitting the Top 3 on Billboard and got two weeks at the top here on the American Top 40. This was definitely a nice way to end the 24K Magic era with a bang!
20. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#7) [1; Bad]
There are quite a few people here in particular who likes this song, which is fine. But for me, it just wasn't my cup of tea. It's existence dates all the way back to the start of 2017, when I first heard the song on Hit-Bound. I did give it chance and as I wasn't a big fan of it. I didn't really like the premise the song has to it. I find it be very underwhelming. I'm not big on MAX's voice and the contribution we get from Gnash. Some of the lyrics are very questionable, such as "I promise you that no one else will ever treat you better". I don't know about you, but that turns me off and it reminded me of Shawn Mendes – Treat You Better, which was universally hated by many. To put it short, it wasn't really a good song overall. I can see why some like it, but it's just not my personal taste. Sorry.
19. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage (#5) [0; Rubbish]
As I talked about many times before, I'm finally starting to come around to Post Malone's music. But I never even liked Rockstar. Not even for a second. I first heard it the moment it was released and it was not good at all. But I got even more annoyed when it somehow made it to Hits 1 and from there, things would get worse. I still find the song absolutely annoying to this day. I'm going to echo my own sentiment: There is a lot wrong with Rockstar, and I mean a whole lot. It starts with the production and the beat. I find it to be grating and quite frankly, just awful. There's no other way to put it. And don't even get me started on the lyrics. I'm not a fan of people bragging about feeling like a rockstar and what not. It just drives me crazy. Post Malone's voice is not good whatsoever. There's no part in the song where he shines. 21 Savage hardly adds anything to it. His verse is just awful. It really makes me sad that this was a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for several weeks. At least during its tenure on the American Top 40, the same didn't ring true here. But I was still annoyed seeing it peaked at #5. Seriously, this is just horrific all around.
18. Back To You by Selena Gomez (#4) [5; Great]
This song came around when the second season of 13 Reasons Why came around. Selena is actually the producer of the show. I didn't exactly know about its existence until later on in 2017. I don't really watch the show, though. I remember listening to Back To You for the first time and I thought it was good. It's quite a departure from Revival, which I was mixed on for the most part. The reason being is because in songs such as Hands To Myself, she's whispering and she doesn't sound good in the chorus. Then the year after that came Bad Liar, which was like that song except worse. But in Back To You, we don't get any of that. Selena has a good voice in the song, which is what most of her singles (outside of just a few) lacked from Revival. The production is on point overall. I do like the lyrics of expressing their love for one another. It's a really good song for Selena Gomez. Hopefully, her new album will sound similar to this.
17. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#1, 1 Week) [5; Great]
Ever since Ariana made herself known in 2014, she has become a huge favorite of mine. She has impressed me with pretty much every single she's released, though there have been a couple of exceptions. Simply put, she just has an amazing voice. When I hear her singing, she reminds me of Mariah Carey. The song starts out slow, but then picks up as the first verse comes in. And from there, the rest is just history. I ranked it as my #4 song of 2018 in my Top 50 Songs of the year and I talked about it in great detail in my post. You can check it out if you haven't already. But yeah, it was a great comeback for Ariana and it got to spend one week at #1 here. I'm very grateful for that.
16. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#7) [0; Rubbish]
I first heard the song on Hits 1 while it was trending on the YouTube 15. I questioned its existence from the beginning and things got worse from there. Lauv so far has either been a hit or miss when it comes to my opinion and he's been mostly a miss. I talked about I Like Me Better when I did my Bottom 10 Songs of 2018. I do think he has a okay voice, but the production is weird and obnoxious. However, it wasn't until I seriously paid close attention to the lyrical content and that's when I started to realize just how horrific the song really is. I absolutely loathe the line, "I like me better when I'm with you". This is the kind of stuff that drives me off the wall. But making things even more asinine is that it comes just before the obnoxious production kicks in. Simply put, this song is a mess. Hopefully if Lauv comes up with more music next year, it'll be a lot better than this.
15. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey (#1, 1 Week) [3; Decent]
This song came around at the time G-Eazy and Halsey were still a couple. I remember when I first heard about a collaboration between the two, I was interested going in. Though it took me a few listens, I fell in love with it. Him & I was actually a huge favorite of mine in the first half of the year and I had thought about including it in My Top 50 Songs Of 2018. But after both G-Eazy and Halsey broke up, it kinda lost its meaning and thus I didn't exactly care for it anymore. Don't get me wrong. I still like the song, but not nearly as much as I used to when it was brand new. Halsey's contribution is what I like most about the song. G-Eazy has proven to be a pretty good rapper in my opinion. I like his verses for the most part. I do think both G-Eazy and Halsey can make a good collaboration. However, Him & I just doesn't have the stick factor for me anymore, but I still think it's a nice song by any means.
14. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#1, 4 Weeks) [0; Rubbish]
I talked about this one when I counted down My Bottom 10 Songs of 2018. But to recap, while it's not nearly as bad as Rockstar, it was still undesirable. Again, I will admit that Post Malone does have a decent voice and he has quite a few songs I like. Unfortunately, Psycho is not one of those songs. He does not sound good here. Ty Dolla $ign's verse didn't do anything for it. But probably my biggest concern is the production itself. It may not be as annoying as its predecessor, it's still virtually lifeless. The fact that this was a #1 song just irritates me. So yeah, this was just underwhelming and frankly, not good.
13. Better Now by Post Malone (#1, 2 Weeks) [5; Great]
Luckily though, we get a much better song from him that is ranked higher than his two singles. My initial reaction to Better Now was not the best. But with time, I started to come around to it. Here, Post Malone shows what he is capable of from a vocal standpoint. I like the chorus throughout the song. The production is very solid and the lyrical content is good, and that was something his earlier singles were lacking. I did also listen to his album and there were a few other singles I liked, such as Candy Paint and Stay. Better Now is certainly one of his best singles overall.
12. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line (#2) [0; Rubbish]
Don't get me wrong. I like Bebe Rexha as an artist. I know there are quite a few people who are not fond of her music, and that's okay. But I actually enjoyed some of her singles. In fact, I placed I Got You as one of my best songs for 2017. Unfortunately, Meant To Be is just not one of those songs I enjoy. Bebe collaborating with Florida Georgia Line looks great on paper. But once I actually listened to the song, I find that there's nothing appealing about it whatsoever. Sure, Bebe's vocals are decent. But that is overshadowed by a host of other issues with the song. I don't like the lyrical content. I think it's a cring-worthy and some of the lines are questionable. And I don't like the vocals we get from Florida Georgia Line. Their vocals don't mesh well in the chorus. So yeah, this collaboration did not work out in my favor. It's bad all around. But if it's anything, I'd consider I'm A Mess to be even worse.
11. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (#2) [0; Rubbish]
This is one of those songs that has left me scratching my head from the very start. Marshmello and Anne-Marie both had some good music of their own. I just recently talked about Wolves, which was my second-favorite song in 2018. Also, Anne-Marie was featured in Rockabye, which was one of my favorites for 2017. So when I heard these two were doing a collaboration with each other, I had high hopes that Friends would be interesting. Instead, it turned out to be anything but. Simply put, this is basically the bottom falling out in the world of EDM. Anne-Marie does not sound good at all, especially when it comes to the verses. The rapping was unnecessary and frankly, just annoying. But as much as I loathe Anne-Marie's contribution throughout the song, there's a host of other issues with it as well. And the biggest one of all is that it's a Friend-Zone anthem. It drives me crazy that these two artists were given the green light to make something like this. I don't just listen for vocal talent; I judge based on quality. This is not quality songwriting. It's poorly-written and some of the lines are awful. Another of those issues is the production. Marshmello is a talented EDM artist and he showed what he is capable of in songs like Everyday and Wolves, the latter which I consider to be my #2 favorite song of the year. But here, he puts forth no effort of any kind whatsoever. I'm going to emphasize: THIS IS NOT EDM. Not even close. His successor, Happier, isn't any better. But at least that one has a better meaning. Again, Friends is just EDM hitting rock bottom. Marshmello can do MUCH better.
10. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#1, 3 Weeks) [5; Great]
Khalid made his presence last year when Location was released. I remember legitimately disliking the song at first. But now I'm looking back on it and thinking, "what I was thinking?". What I've found out was that as Khalid started to release more music, he has a decent voice and I didn't question the lyrics. Love Lies is probably my favorite song from Khalid to date. This was taken from the Love, Simon movie soundtrack. Although I never watched the movie, I did enjoy the song for much of the year. Khalid shows that he has a good voice, and it meshes well with former Fifth Harmony member Normani, whom he's collaborating with in the song. Normani shines in her verse. Personally, I think she, along with Lauren Jauregui, are my two favorite singers from Fifth Harmony. However, I can't say too much about them just yet until we get more of their music. But yeah, I do like the song and it was nice to see it become successful.
9. Mine by Bazzi (#1, 1 Week) [4; Good]
I don't really have a whole lot I can say about this other than the fact being that it's the shortest song to ever hit #1 on the AT40. I was a little mixed on this from the start, but I grew to love it. I can't say it was all that amazing, but it was definitely something unique. Bazzi does have a nice voice, and the production is pretty decent. His popularity surged this year thanks to Vine, and as a result the song would end up being a huge hit. Overall, even if it isn't one of the stand-outs from Cosmic, it was still something I enjoyed.
8. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (#1, 5 Weeks) [3; Decent]
Coming into the song, I wasn't anticipating anything Maroon 5 had to offer, especially after the release of mediocre singles such as Don't Wanna Know, Cold, and Wait. Their latest album, Red Pill Blues, was unpleasant and didn't really have any good songs (other than What Lovers Do, which is the best song off of the album). Girls Like You kinda came out of nowhere at the early portion of summer, and to be honest I was mixed on the song from the start. Part of that was because I felt that Maroon 5 is basically trying to sellout just to keep up with its popularity. I normally don't think that way when it comes to judging music. But after releasing more mediocre singles, I wasn't exactly sure. Eventually, I did start to grow into Girls Like You, but not by much. Again, I much prefer to hear something along the lines of their older singles and some of V. But the song shows that it's not always about Adam Levine and there's some resemblance of a band, especially with the use of guitars in the introduction. Cardi B's verse is actually decent. What makes the song interesting is the music video itself. It shows many different celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres, Camila Cabello (who has two songs on this Year-End list, and we'll get more into her in a moment), Jennifer Lopez, and more. After a while, I can actually consider this to be not a bad song. While it's certainly nowhere near their best work, it's still something I can listen to every now and then.
We have a number of songs from the hip-hop/rap genre today that just don't have any meaning whatsoever. There are many examples that come to mind, but I won't get into them right now. Let You Down is a different story, but it wasn't to my liking. My problem is the chipmunk voice that comes in and I immediately get turned off. NF himself does talent when he's rapping. But when he starts singing, his voice makes it sound like he's a little bored. The only reason Let You Down isn't bad is because that one at least has something going for it. I do like the lyrics, but I feel like he executed rather poorly. And like I said, the annoying chipmunk voice doesn't help matters. I definitely see why people like it, but it's just simply not my cup of tea.
6. Bad At Love by Halsey (#2) [5; Great]
The success of Closer is what brought Halsey into mainstream. As a result, she took advantage of her popularity and made some solo music. Last year, she had Now Or Never, which I thought was pretty decent, but didn't really have much to offer. But in Bad At Love, she stepped up. I placed this as my #6 best song of the year. And it just so happens to be ranked #6 on the American Top 40 for 2018. Halsey pretty much shines throughout the entire song here as opposed to its predecessor, where she didn't really show off her voice. The production here is also better in many ways. I can see why some don't really like Halsey, but I'm not one them. I like her and the song itself. Personally, I think this, along with Strangers, are the two best songs off of Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. It unfortunately didn't hit #1 on the American Top 40, but #2 is good enough.
Around the time Havana was Camila's biggest song late last year, she would eventually follow-up with another single from her self-titled album. Much like I talked about with Havana when the song first made its debut, I had mixed feelings from the beginning. Unlike Havana however, whereas that one had got better, this one had only gotten worse. The production here is pretty good for the most part, which is why it's not the worst song on the Year-End list. But where the song really kills me is Camila Cabello herself, especially when it comes to her vocals. She just simply doesn't sound good at all. The way she hits those high notes in the pre-chorus is easily the worst part about it. It sounds like she's trying so hard, and then failing miserably. Her vocals alone are the reason why I was mixed on Camila's solo music. The only reason that the song did so well on most charts was because people were buying into her solo music after her predecessor became a massive success. I can't really say too much about the other members of Fifth Harmony until we get more solo music from them. Look, I get that Camila doesn't have the best vocals, but she has proven to be capable of more when we got Havana. I do hope that we don't get anymore songs like Never Be The Same.
4. Havana (Ooh, Na-Na) by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug (#1, 7 Weeks Total; 3 in 2017, 4 in 2018) [5; Great]
Speaking of Havana, this is where it all began. Back in late 2016, Camila Cabello left Fifth Harmony to venture on her solo career. Most people were not looking forward to hearing what she has to offer. She did release Crying In The Club back in the summer. That one I did kinda like for a while, but in the end it wasn't really interesting. I had mixed feelings on Havana at first listen. But after many listens, I've finally came around to it. I was able to figure out what this song was about. It talks about the city of Havana, where she grew up in. Surprisingly, she has improved on her vocals. I do like Young Thug's verse as well. I was pleased to see this becoming her biggest hit thus far, spending weeks at #1 at the start of the year. I placed it as my #5 song in My Top 50 of 2018. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually looking forward to what Camila Cabello has to offer in the future.
3. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#1, 4 Weeks) [6; Best Song Of The Year]
It was this time last year that Zedd was riding high with the success of Stay, which was also ranked #3 on last year's American Top 40 Of 2017. At the start of 2018, he gives us The Middle. I know this is going to be a very unpopular opinion among many people here. But this is my #1 favorite song of the year. Zedd is the type of EDM artist that loves to take risks when it comes to making music. I did enjoy Starving at first, but I eventually realized that it was not good. The drop was annoying and the lyrics were clunky. Stay was actually one of my favorites and Get Low was disappointing. As for Maren Morris, I've been in love with her ever since I first listened to 80's Mercedes. When I first got word that she was collaborating with Zedd, I was anticipating the song's release. And soon enough, after listening to The Middle for the first time, I actually loved it. Of course, this was used in commercials for Target, which is why the song was a huge success. I get that some people legitimately dislike the song (along with his other singles such as Stay and Happy Now) because Zedd is selling out, but I'm not among that crowd. I think differently. This is my opinion and this is how I feel. It uses the ticking clock similar to the one in Stay, which I find to be interesting. I love Maren's voice. She shines in pretty much every part of the song. She is very talented overall and she shows it in the song. This was my #1 favorite song of 2018 and I'm so happy that it got all of the success it deserved.
2. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (#1, 2 Weeks) [5; Great]
2017 was definitely the year for Ed Sheeran. His success continued when Perfect was released as a single. That on top of several different remixes which came out later on would help it gain even more momentum heading into 2018. As you can recall, I placed this song at #7 on My Top 50 Songs of 2018. The title just speaks for itself. Ed's vocals are just perfect overall. He has the type of voice that meshes well with a love song like this. But it's really the lyrical content that stands out. There's no doubt that Ed is a very good songwriter and this song just shows how talented he is at that aspect. As I just mentioned, there were several remixes that came out during its popularity and I find the one with Beyoncé to be the best of them all. I love her voice and she and Ed have good chemistry together. I'm sure there are some people who will disagree with my opinion, and that's okay. But this is just beautiful on many different levels. If I ever get married someday, I want this to be our song. It's perfect (no pun intended) for any wedding.
1. New Rules by Dua Lipa (#1, 4 Weeks) [5; Great]
I first heard of the name Dua Lipa while I was surfing on the web two years ago and that's when I discovered her new single at the time called Blow Your Mind (Mwah). From there, the whole world started to know more about her as she released more of her music. But it wasn't until the arrival of New Rules that made her well-known. I ranked this as my #10 favorite song of 2018. It's existence began during the summer when I first started blogging, and I thought to myself that it was just another song that didn't stood out to me. But as 2017 came to a close and the world was ringing in 2018, I started to look into the song and realize that it was cool and different. I like the tropical house feel to it. But one of the things I also like about the song is Dua Lipa's unique voice, and she proves it all throughout the song. The music video was a definite stand-out from all the rest. It shows her friends who were having a slumber party with her blocks her from getting back together with her ex-boyfriend, which is really what the song is truly about. Its success was slow, but unprecedented as it had a slow climb to #1, spent many weeks in the Top 10, and eventually lasted a year on the countdown. This song is just special. Congrats to Dua Lipa for achieving the #1 song of the year on the American Top 40. She deserves it.
Top 40 Breakdown:
0 – Rubbish:
40. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
39. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
38. I Like Me Better by Lauv
37. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
36. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
35. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello
1 – Bad:
34. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo
33. Wait by Maroon 5
32. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash
31. Let You Down by NF
2 – Mediocre:
30. God's Plan by Drake
3 – Decent:
29. I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin
28. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man
27. Thunder by Imagine Dragons
26. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith
25. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B
24. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey
4 – Good:
23. Mine by Bazzi
22. How Long by Charlie Puth
21. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato
20. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes
5 – Great:
19. Better Now by Post Malone
18. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA
17. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
16. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
15. Back To You by Selena Gomez
14. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
13. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
12. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
11. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande
10. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha
9. New Rules by Dua Lipa
8. Delicate by Taylor Swift
7. Finesse by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
6. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
5. Bad At Love by Halsey
4. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug
3. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
2. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello
BONUS: 6 – Best Song Of The Year:
1. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
Total Score: 136/200 = 68/100 = 68% (D+)
And with that, Year-End post #4 is complete! Let me know what you guys think in the comments down below. This will officially be my last post for 2018! I would like to thank you guys for reading this blog throughout the whole year. You are all awesome. I hope everyone here has had a good last weekend of 2018 as we ring in the new year! It's been a honor sharing my blog with you guys for over a year now. I'm excited for what's in store for 2019! Again, thank you guys for taking the time to read this! See you all next year!
