Country and Rap Are Dominating 2018
My new music “discovery” in 2018 has hardly been that at all. I often feel like a poser among musicheads because, despite my diverse (and often snobby) music taste, it has been a long time since I have been good about seeking out new music. Call it the “Spotify effect”; I used to live on Pandora, which chose songs for me based on what it appeared my music taste was oriented towards. This led me to the discovery of several artist and bands I would not have been previously familiar with. Now, my music streamer of choice renders me much more inclined to just seek out the exact artist, song, and/or album I want to listen to. I stick to my favorites.
So, this year has followed a similar pattern, wherein my “first-time listens” have been much more reactive than proactive. What I’ve found is that, whether it’s new releases from some of my favorite artists (Florence + The Machine, Arctic Monkeys, Young The Giant), or the long list of radio singles that play during my commutes to and from work, the year has ranged from just okay to very underwhelming.
What has been evident from the few highlights of the year in music, though, is how both commercially and in artistic innovation, the niche genres of Country and Hip-Hop have been leading the way.
For all the hemming and hawing many (including myself) like to do over the state of radio music, there is usually some quality pop music to write home about; the kind of tune that is both catchy AND worth repeated listenings. However, Ariana Grande’s thoroughly good Sweetener notwithstanding, this year has seen some less-than-impressive offerings from some of the bigger names on the scene. Taylor Swift’s and Camilla Cabello’s albums have gotten at least decent reviews, but the majority of their radio singles have been such hot garbage that they do little to pique any interest in hearing the rest of the body of work. Justin Timberlake, who is used to being king on the pop scene, faced such criticism for his February album that his stuff hardly reached the airwaves at all. Post Malone, Bebe Rexha, and Maroon 5 all have offered inoffensive, but fairly unimpressive earworms.
Conversely, some of the only intriguing content on the radio the last several months has come from Rap and Hip-Hop. At the beginning of the year, it was the singles from Kendrick Lamar and co. off the Black Panther soundtrack. At the start of the summer, it was hits from the queens of Rap: Nicki Minaj’s “Chun-Li” and Cardi B’s “I Like It.” From there, Childish Gambino’s political anthem “This Is America” staked an early claim for the best song of 2018, and Drake’s one-two punch of solid hits “God’s Plan” and “Nice For What” remain on the radio today.
This carries over to beyond just chart-toppers, though. We’re reaching the penultimate month of the year, and the clear two best albums of the year to me— really, the only two that have stood out to me —are a Country and Rap album, respectively. Namely, Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour and Travis Scott’s ASTROWORLD. I was caught off guard by just how notably good both are; in the case of the former, because I have never been a Country fan in the least, and in the case of the latter, because I had unfairly assumed he was a pop-influenced mumble rapper. I was first taken with Scott’s mind-blowing SNL performance several weeks back, and that took me to streaming ASTROWORLD, which is a cohesive, thrilling listen for commercial and critical audiences alike. And Musgraves, with lyrics equal parts tender and unapologetically sassy, has a voice as smooth and calming as the music that accompanies it.
The critical successes aren’t limited to these two examples, either. The next tier of good 2018 albums, I would argue, are still isolated to Country and Hip-Hop, with the aforementioned Black Panther album, Chris Stapleton’s From A Room: Vol. 2, and Beyonce and Jay-Z’s Everything Is Love all for your consideration.
Rap and Country, for as popular their stars are and devoted their fans are, remain divisive genres, with voices of criticism as loud as those in approval. Perhaps it’s time to take a closer look at the best of both, and recognize that just maybe, the most groundbreaking music of our day is coming from these artists.