Camiele’s 100 Favorite Albums of 2018
60. Jooyoung – Fountain EP
Moody, atmospheric, sensual R&B. A more mature look at Jooyoung the vocalist. Fountain is most certainly in a class of its own, grown ’n’ sexy R&B. A sound best matched with his vocal color, and a welcome return for the vocalist.
Available on iTunes and Spotify.
59. BJ The Chicago Kid – The Opening Ceremony
This is just beautiful. The vocal work on this EP is absolutely gorgeous.
If there’s one thing BJ knows how to do it’s make a damn good love song. It has all the elements of romance without the drippiness of someone pining for a lover. It’s just easy love, plain, simple, honest. I adore the way this man makes love to and out of his music.
Available on iTunes, Spotify, and Tidal.
58. Masego – Lady Lady
There’s something so hauntingly ethereal about Masego. I’ve been waiting for this moment for two years, and I’m so glad that he’s finally put together a collection of work he feels we as an audience are worthy to hear.
It’s emotional, sensual, visceral. It reaches for all the most touch-sensitive parts of us and allows us to get in touch with things that we may be afraid to get in touch with: sex, feeling, arrogance, beauty. Beyond that, Lady Lady is just incredibly musical, illustrious and sweeping.
Available on iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, and on Masego’s Soundcloud.
57. Yeseo – Damn Rules
Sexy electronica, taking it from the crunch and thumpa-thumpa many associate with it (or the sometimes over-the-top dramatics) into something more akin to its older sister, house. Damn Rules is lush, indulgent, housing Yeseo’s soft timbre perfectly. Lovely, decadent, self-indulgent. I adore it!
Available on iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, and Yeseo’s Soundcloud.
56. MFDOOM and Czarface – Czarface Meets Metal Face
Nautical Depth, the album’s pre-release track… Already hit harder than anything that was dropped in the first quarter of 2018. Powerful. Lyrical. Biting. The music does tend to hit one note in general, but the overall darkness of the concept calls for that minor-third edginess.
MF Doom proves just how ferocious a lyricist he is, while Czarface uses character better than any MC I think I’ve heard, at least in the past couple decades.
Available on iTunes, Spotify, and Tidal.
55. Bobby Earth – Cloudy McSunshine
Snarky, cheeky (no pun intended), and a hell of a lot of fun. Cloudy McSunshine is everything fans have come to expect of Bobby Earth. The music itself is still as Wavy and elegant as his company’s namesake. I’ll never not adore the work he creates.
Available on iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, and Bobby Earth’s Soundcloud and Bandcamp.
54. Josh Pan – the world within
There’s incredible tenderness in this album. Josh’s voice is soothing, uncomplicated, but pairs so well with the lilt and sway of the music. It’s sensitive music that has so much heart in it, it’s almost enough to make one emotional. One doesn’t necessarily have to know what he’s been going through to understand how powerful a statement this EP is. All you have to do is connect with the purity of it, understand on a fundamental level how poignant each note is. Really a beautiful piece of work.
Available on iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, and josh pan’s Soundcloud.
53. Cherry Coke – Blind
This is incredibly smooth. It errs on the side of neo-soul, which I haven’t heard with much prevalence in South Korea, its biggest proponent being Nuz. Lovely, light, dreamy.
This is a gorgeous piece of music that went sadly underappreciated.
Available on iTunes, Spotify, and Tidal.
52. Mélat & Jansport J – Move Me II: The Present
Sensual, smooth, lovely. Mélat proves that she’s a force to be reckoned with. Sweet-voiced in an era of singers that confuse the term with infantile. A full and lush voice without pretense, and music that’s soothing and incredibly honest.
Available on iTunes, Spotify, and Melat’s Soundcloud.
51. Oya Noire – Almost There
Earthy, deep, naturally sensual. Oya Noire doesn’t try to reach for too much. She allows the music to ride, her voice wrapping like warm and well-worn velvet around the composition. It’s really caressing music, music meant for lovers and finding and making love, navigating love’s avenues, even those we’d rather not have to go down. Beautiful piece of music. An instance where the composition and the voice work in absolutely perfect concert with one another—neither overpowering the other.
The perfect marriage of composition and vocal.
Always appreciative of your massive music posts that give hours and hours and hours of non-stop music. Some excellent picks, and tons of new music to play xDDDD
You might also enjoy exploring Bohan Phoenix.