CN/Mauricio Batista
By Carina Ortiz (J-101 Staff Writer)
With an overwhelmingly amount of diversity, 2018 has some of the best albums.With artists opening up on their addictions and shining a light on deeper issues through music, it is easy to understand why these projects made the list.
Travis Scott showcases his skill yet again on his third studio album “Astroworld.” He takes his listeners on a journey through psychedelic inspired hip-hop with the support of Kevin Parker from Tame Impala, Drake, The Weeknd, and to everyone’s surprise, Frank Ocean.
At only 26 years old, Scott has risen to mainstream rap and everybody can’t help but watch what he does next.
Kanye and Cudi fans were treated to a collaborative album this year. The bond between Kanye West and Kid Cudi was evident on their album, “Kids See Ghosts.”
“Reborn” is the standout track out of the seven on the project. Just over a year of Kid Cudi’s last album, “Passion Pain & Demon Slayin’,” he and West join forces to shine a light on prosperity and the importance of mental health.
Cudi emerges as a warrior after spending time in rehabilitation for his addictions back in 2016. His message seems more powerful now than ever, keep moving forward.
After a four year hiatus, Arctic Monkeys have managed to completely reinvent themselves yet again with their sixth studio album “Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino.” Following the release of their 2013 album, “AM,” they received mixed reviews from classic Arctic Monkeys fans everywhere. With this album having a strong jazz inspired ‘60s lounge-type sound, frontman Alex Turner made it clear that the Arctic Monkeys are still full of surprises.
Card B has become a household name because her huge Instagram presence, to selling millions and dominating the music charts with her debut album “Invasion of Privacy,” Her rags to riches story drew the public in and we were instantly in love. Invasion of Privacy was Cardi’s debut studio album with the hits “Be Careful” and of course “Bodak Yellow.” “Invasion of Privacy” features Migos, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Kehlani, and more.
The soundtrack for arguably one of the best movies released this year, “Black Panther,” was produced by Kendrick Lamar.
The album has a mix of upbeat and mellow hip-hop anthems that features the best names in music today.
Featuring everybody from Vince Staples, ScHoolboy Q, Jorja Smith, Anderson Paak, and more, the soundtrack earned the top position in Billboard’s 200 chart.
After a long break from music, Ariana Grande returned this summer to dominate with “Sweetener.” Following the tragedy of the Manchester attack that happened during her Dangerous Woman tour in May of last year, Grande stayed away from the limelight while working on music without a deadline.
She returned in April to release her first single off “Sweetener,” “No Tears Left To Cry,” charting at number one in multiple countries. Grande left her fans with just a taste of what her album would consist of. “Sweetener” was then released three months later, with hits like “God is a Woman,” “Breathin’” and “Better Off,” Grande collaborated with Pharrell to create a pop-inspired feel good album.
On his fifth studio album, the late Mac Miller expresses his vulnerability through music on “Swimming.” His previous album “The Divine Feminine” was a love letter to his last partner/muse Ariana Grande.
He went from expressing his profound love for someone to opening up about his feelings of loneliness, addictions and overall mental state.
Mac Miller has always been an open book when it came to speaking about his addictions, in specific, and he laid it all out through his music on “Swimming.”
Miller passed away due to what was ruled an accidental overdose on September 7 of this year.