The Year So Far: Best and Worst Radio Singles
For being a music "snob," I listen to the radio an awful lot. And just to clarify, I wouldn't classify myself as a music snob, though many have labeled me as such. I'm not genre-specific, or even genre-exclusionary (now that Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves have me actually listening to Country), I just have a very erratic, inconsistent music taste.
Anyways, because I drive to and from work every day in a car, and because said car doesn't have any capability to play my iPhone/iPod tunes, and because I have a limited amount of CDs, I listen to radio nearly all the time these days. As such, I'm embarrassingly familiar with the wide swath of garbage that litter the "hits" these days (yes, parents, you're right about this at least) but fortunately, with the occasional gem in the rough as well! Here is a very condensed synopsis of what I've heard in 2018. Keep in mind this has already felt like a long year, and there's a ton of music, so it's entirely possible there are numerous songs I like more and less than the ones that have made the final cut.
Best Earworm: "I Like It," Cardi B ft. Bad Bunny and J Balvin
There isn't a whole lot substantive about this song, and I'm not sure it's meant to be anything but a Summer banger. "I Like It" plays that role exceptionally well, though; I don't know that I've ever gotten tired of it. I could do without Bad Bunny's verse, maybe, but the verses from Cardi herself and J Balvin in closing certainly reach that "roll the windows down and blare" baseline. And the hook itself is addicting AF. This may not be a song I'll remember for years, but it's captured my attention more than any other 'song of the summer' has.
This track was doomed to fail from the start. In my opinion, Bebe has one of the most obnoxious pop voices out there, and Florida Georgia Line is the human incarnation of the food Guy Fieri makes. Beyond just my personal preference though, an alt-pop singer and a bro-country duo simply makes for an odd pairing. Somehow, against all odds, it "worked", in that it is an undeniably catchy song, that as has been about as ubiquitous on the radio this Summer as any of Drake or Post Malone's offering. Still, lyrically and musically, this song is an affront to genuine artistry.
I'll admit, recency bias may be reigning supreme here, as I literally just caught this track on the radio for the first time this week. But I'm not sure words can describe my excitement at hearing Leon Bridges on mainstream radio in West Michigan. He is undoubtedly one of the brightest young talents out there, and it's wonderful to be able to see him breaking through. "Beyond", upon the first couple listens, isn't his best offering, but is every bit as heartfelt and smooth to listen to as anything off of Bridges' debut album Coming Home.
Worst Radio Song: "Never Be The Same", Camila Cabello
In fairness, as much as one might rant and rave against the state of radio music, most of it is at least inoffensive to my ears. In general, I may think most songs are dumb and/or unimpressive, but rarely do I feel the need to instantly change the channel. This song is one of those rare examples. Cabello's verses involve her trying a Lemonade-era Beyoncé grunge that simply does not suit the young starlet. Much more cringe-inducing, though, is the bridge, wherein she decides to shriek at the highest pitch she can reach; it's a musical assault, really, and makes for an extremely uncomfortable listen. Cabello is a particularly frustrating pop presence, because, as we've seen with both "Havana" and "Crying In The Club", she can write and sing catchy pop hits while sounding perfectly pleasant. Moreover she seems like an absolutely lovely person. Yet, time and time again she (perhaps at the behest of her producers, I don't know) returns to this sex kitten voice that makes her music thoroughly unenjoyable. This song is the latest, and perhaps most extreme, example.