Our Top Songs of 2018

With 2018 coming to an end, the GMAT Staff reflects on their personal favorite songs of 2018, in no particular order. Listen along with our Youtube Playlist!

Alexandra

"I Hope You're Happy" - Blue October

This song is great. It reminds me of someone I love and I miss so much; it makes me always remember him and feel close to him.

"Shallow" - Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper

Gaga's vocal range just blew me away!

"My Demons" - Fight the Fury

I am a secret metal fan, so when hearing the Skillet frontman was starting a new band, I instantly gave their first album a listen and fell in love.

"Not The Only One" - Papa Roach

I have always been a Papa Roach fan, and after hearing their new single, I really like it. It has a different tone that isn't super heavy, which is awesome and super tasteful.

Carly

“If You Give Enough” - The Lemon Twigs

This song was my introduction to the wonderfully weird world of The Lemon Twigs, and their intricate way of making music. Brian D’Addario’s gentle falsetto is enough to make you teary-eyed, as he sings about insecurities and doubts about our place in the world that we all can relate to. Despite this, “If You Give Enough” also gives off a strong sense of hope. In a cynical society, giving more love than we receive is the true way to survive. Through D’Addario’s lyrics, we find that positivity and being the better person is key to real growth - the mindset is one that has been extremely important to me.

“Twentytwo” - Sunflower Bean

Independence and letting go were big themes of this past year for me, and Sunflower Bean came through with understanding that. Lead singer/bassist Julia Cumming sings of the anxieties that come with growing older in “Twentytwo”, but in a way that is to be celebrated. With its soft beat and Fleetwood Mac vibes, this is a danceable tune that gives both the songwriter and listener control over what brings them down, as well as the chance to look back and reflect on past selves. This song makes me feel invincible every time I listen to it. The lyrics, “I do not go quietly” have become my mantra, giving me the confidence to make my own voice heard.

“17” - The Greeting Committee

I was seventeen earlier this year, and this song was my anthem during that time. Addie Sartino perfectly captures how it feels to be misunderstood and to want something more when you’re a teenager. She sings with conviction and confidence, making this song a declaration of her own. “17” is insanely catchy and almost impossible to not want to jump around to. This song was blasted on many road trips this past year. It is a reminder of the feelings that come with being young and naive, and how important those traits are for our growth forward.

Risa

"Nobody" - Mitski

I think we can all agree, Mitski is our star of 2018, and for every year to come.

"Keep Lying" - Donna Missal

After seeing Donna Missal open for Sir Sly and Joywave, I couldn't get enough of her booming voice. Her voice is just as beautiful live as it is recorded. She sings with such fierceness, but as soon as the song ends, she is incredibly humble and thankful. "Keep Lying" gets me swaying, snapping, and attempting to belt like Ms. Missal does!

"Dying in a Hot Tub" – Palaye Royale

After waiting a while for the 'Side B' album from Palaye Royale, songs like "Dying in a Hot Tub" did not disappoint. The slower paced verses are a great, newer direction for Palaye, but they're perfectly paired with an electrifying chorus. Their acoustic versions of this song are beautiful as well.

"Afterglow" – The Driver Era

This song is so fun. I have been an R5 fan since 2011, so when I heard brothers Rocky and Ross Lynch were creating more music under a different title, I was so excited. If you are familiar with R5, I consider this the more matured version of "Pass Me By" - memories of vacation, brief encounters, and summer time.

"Four Out of Five" – Arctic Monkeys While Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino was hit or miss with Monkey fans, "Four Out of Five" works so well as their single. The crunching, synth-y piano chords is mysteriously sultry, and Turner's flow on the verses is so captivating.

"Imposter Syndrome" – Sidney Gish

I have been loving Sidney Gish all year, as she has been a hot-topic around my city of Boston. After Cavetown released a cover of her song "Imposter Syndrome", it quickly became a favorite of mine off the album No Dogs Allowed. Her lyrics are everything from super relatable ("Every other day I'm wondering, what's a human being gotta be like?") to laugh out loud funny ("I don’t blend in at Pet Smart. That truth holds true at the Wal-Mart. In either case they say to me, 'What the fuck is lost in aisle 3?' ").

"Harvest" - Vundabar

Definitely one of my favorite bands of all time, Vundabar, released their album Smell Smoke this year. While I was so excited to hear long-time show favorites such as "Acetone" and "$$$" recorded, their new song "Harvest" stuck out to me. Most Vundabar songs are high-energy, up-beat songs, but this one, while it still comes in with blaring guitars, is eerily nostalgic and gloomy. Lyrics like "Let me rot in the field, set the seed...Let the moss, let it grow over me" address the harsh reality that sometimes people are hurting so much, that you just have to let them go, and that they'll be better when you do.

"Tyrant" – Kali Uchis

I am so excited that Kali is bringing more Spanish music into the American mainstream. This song is so dance-able!

"Love It If We Made It" - The 1975

While ABIIOR took me for a turn, "Love It If We Made It" captured me. From Healy's harshness of his personal experience with drugs, to the political climate in America, this track epitomizes major themes of 2018.

Livie

"Big Fat Mouth" - Arlie

"Baby" - Clean Bandit ft. Marina and Louis Fonsi

"Simple Romance" - COIN

"If You See Her" - LANY

"Winter ‘93" - Junodream

"Lead Boots" - Neaptide

"Laid Down My Arms" - Del Water Gap

"One Heart and Two Arms" - Margaret Glaspy

"Peach Scone" - Hobo Johnson

Maria

"Never Be The Same" - Camila Cabello