Camiele’s 100 Favorite Albums of 2018
30. Sudan Archives – SINK EP
From her eponymous debut album to now Sudan’s grown so much artistically, going from gorgeous to flawless in less than a year. The work on the SINK EP is expansive, the depth of it endless. The musical scope is just so wide, and her ability to make sounds that are at once ethereal and of the earth is staggering!
Available on iTunes, Spotify, and Tidal.
29. SiR – November
From the first note you already know you’re in for something unique and brilliant. SiR has such a soothing voice. He doesn’t push for too much, gives each song what it needs vocally. Another artist who uses a conversational type of singing. Just as with SZA, it works for the scope of the album. Honest, brazen, yeah egotistical… but there’s no pretense.
Musically, November is space-aged, full of stars. Plus I always get excited when I see Schoolboy Q on someone’s album. There are shades of You’re All I Need to Get By on track Dreaming of Me. Very old school soul, hearkening to ’70s soul when things were equal parts romantic and interstellar: Al Green, New Birth, Heatwave.
Available on iTunes, Spotify, and Tidal.
28. Meshell Ndegeocello – Ventriloquism
Before it even started, I already knew Sometimes It Snows in April was going to be one of the most beautiful songs in 2018. Of course, Nite and Day was an absolute revelation that I’m sure Al B. Sure couldn’t have imagined in his wildest dreams when he penned it.
Beyond that, Ventriloquism is a master class in the art of reinvention. Meshell truly has created a work of art. Not imitation, but as she says, ventriloquism. She’s managed to actually create a long-form type of divine puppetry. The words come from others, but her voice and personality are wholly hers.
The inspiration behind a project like this, the ambition… Lady Freebird proves yet again why she’s one of the most important artists that we are blessed to have walk among us.
Available on iTunes, Spotify, and Tidal.
27. Sy Smith – Sometimes a Rose Will Grow in Concrete
Sy Smith is a gift. This album is everything beautiful about her as a vocalist and a songwriter. There’s the added bonus of live instrumentation. She’s always incorporated her jazz inclinations into her music, but somehow this is more derived from her foundations, more of the Earth, of her natural self.
It’s a gorgeous, glorious peace of work that sounds like what love is. This is a feeling all its own, and I adore it from first note to last.
Available on iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, and on Sy Smith’s Soundcloud.
26. XXX – Language
Rough. Nasty. Unapologetic. FRNK and Kim Ximya have always been made of this. However, there’s definitely something more calculated in the delivery, something a bit darker than their “fuck what everyone thinks” attitude of their first few singles. I can definitely hear the influence of Clarence Clarity in Language.
Whatever happened between 2016 and this year was no small thing. And the amount of work they’ve given us with this LP is testament to a pair of artists who continue to learn, grow, and explore. Have to say, there’s a feeling of pride listening to this album.
Available on iTunes and Spotify.
25. SLEEQ – Life Minus F Is Lie
Honestly, every time SLEEQ unleashes music it’s a revelation to me. She gets stronger and more powerful with each release, her voice so much clearer about who she is and her journey.
Her choice of collaborators, too, is so interesting. Every artist seems fitting, as if they’re an extension of herself. Using Decadent’s unparalleled vocal leader, Dennis Jin, with the softness of YESEO (track HEAT) was a stroke of genius, each vocalist painting another facet of SLEEQ herself.
She’s a rapper that people need to be screaming from the rooftops about. Until that happens, I hope my love of her will suffice.
Available on iTunes, Spotify, and Tidal.
24. Drunken Tiger – Drunken Tiger X: Rebirth of Tiger JK
Uncle JK wears his legacy on his jacket sleeve, the lapel, and the collar. Every aspect of his history in the industry and his lifetime love affair with hip-hop is steeped in this, his last work under the Drunken Tiger moniker.
His lyrical might coupled with his distinctive delivery are highlighted by not only experience but by the company he keeps. The man doesn’t hurt for straight nasty MCs to collab with, at the top of the list his wife, Queen T, who just massacres every verse she delivers. This also shows Juno at some of his best.
Trust JK to bring true, authentic hip-hop to South Korea. While many newer rappers attempt to wear the culture like a concept, JK and the people he works with on Rebirth of Tiger JK stay true to what hip-hop really is.
Available on iTunes, Spotify, and Tidal.
23. DUMMIE – CAFE BLEU
How is it possible DUMMIE keeps getting better with every single release? Not only that, he continues to dig deeper into himself to give his fans and newcomers something more to consider about him. He’s so much more than what many may think is just a smart mouth and all-around jovial attitude.
I have a feeling we have yet to scratch the surface of everything that makes him who he is.
Available on iTunes, Spotify, and Tidal.
22. Yoon Mirae – GEMINI 2
OKAY! AUNTIE TASHA DID NOT HAVE TO GO THIS HARD ON ’EM THOUGH! The opening song is Rap Queen, and bitches better bow down.
If you wanna talk about an undeniable queen who doesn’t need validation from anyone anywhere…. Yoon Mirae is everything your favorite rapper wishes she was: poised, classy, and could still slap a bitch with a mean bar without her crown slipping. Then she came through with the ’80s Prince cut (a la Do Me Baby). I’m…
Available on iTunes and Spotify.
21. Phony ppl – mō’zā-ik.
Smooth, sensual. Musically gorgeous. There are sweeping sounds, elegant use of synth to reproduce bode instruments. This was my my first encounter with phony ppl, and honestly despite what their name suggests, they’re the real deal. Music that’s rooted in jazz, pure R&B, and soul. I’m in love!
Available on iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, and on Phony ppl’s Soundcloud.
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.