ILM’s Top 77 Tracks of 2018

There are pretty obvious commercial reasons why they would share and promote the side of the album that sounds the closest to mainstream pop rather than the less familiar side.

I think that, as with afrobeats c. 2012 or therabouts, it represents a fascinating *potential* way forward for pop, I'd love to hear a breathy American R&B singer over a beat like Que No Salga La Luna.

(xpost - 'Girlfriend' is surely the big Christine consensus pick, right?)

The interplay between flamenco and modern digital production techniques is what makes it compelling (not to mention the voice) but nothing else in pop has anything like the clicks and handclaps than run through it, its use of space and texture and rhythm seems very particular.

― Matt DC, Thursday, January 31, 2019 11:33 AM (seventeen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

100. It's more than just a fusion of those two styles. There's loads of influences and interesting rhythms and textures going on, and that's apparent from my first listen.

while the Rosalia album wasn't quite what i wanted from her it still felt exciting and fresh to me and i'm really looking forward to hearing what she does next. while i'm far from an expert on flamenco if there's anything else similar happening in the flamenco/pop crossover space i'd love to hear it

Holding out for some Tiwa Savage ITT

I shared imago's distaste for malamente but the album is better and I've really warmed to her voice

this nino de elche album is off its box

Wouldn’t “One Kiss” be another contender? It was my favorite mainstream pop track of the year, along with the Arianas.

Or Aya Nakamura’s “Djadja”? Although I’m probably conflating its massive real-world popularity (in these parts anyway) far too much with any ILM traction (or awareness).

I thought One Kiss placed last year? or am I thinking of New Rules?

new rules was #2 last year I think

re: Rosalia, from a pure production point of view, it's incredibly difficult to get those kinds of claps to sound so clear and ripply in a mix, as I've learnt this year. Extra points just for that

It really does feel like 'One Kiss' has been around for years

to Imago:
Niño de Elche and Rosalía are often grouped together as flamenco "iconoclasts". They have performed on the same nights. He has defended her approach in interviews. I see no division to be had there: they're both fascinating. I voted for both. I love music.
But I mean, you just said you're not familiar with her catalogue (and it shows). As a punishment, you should watch the video of that Spanish guy who talks about and analyzes her compositions and concepts for 40 minutes (it's entertaining). He's eager to show how flamenco rhythms are everywhere in her songs, including the hits. "Tepid synth pop", listen, we hate that as much as you do.

track 2 of the rosalia album already a big improvement yes. i will accept that i spoke hastily!

I will be shocked if the 1975 don't get at least two more in

got this year's idiotic holding-forth -> schooling -> shamefaced backtrack out of the way outside of poll hours at least

even 'pienso en tu mira' has grown on me now

I still think Toast is probably the closest thing to being objectively the best track of the year, the instrumental production alone makes it the most banging track I've heard, and her flow / voice is charm x1000. It's another instance of that "huge space - crisp level of details" perfect balance.

It probably came out just a tad late in the year to gain traction

the video of that Spanish guy who talks about and analyzes her compositions and concepts for 40 minutes (it's entertaining). He's eager to show how flamenco rhythms are everywhere in her songs, including the hits.

There's probably a thread in how listeners tend to over-emphasise instrumentation at the expense of rhythmic and melodic patterns when mentally filing music away but that's something that's been going on for decades.

Koffee’s Toast, Nabozo? I went with Ragamuffin - song of the summer for me.

Ragamuffin has cool bars over an old familiar version, but it has nothing on her true hit song imo. But I love everything she's done so far and we're witnessing pure talent in actualization, so it's hard to argue about it being your song of the summer :)

Indeed. It’s hard to vote against one’s song of the summer though. And I had to choose just one.

Hm, just listened to the Autechre track. Not sure what to make tbh. Seemed a bit pointless at first, then my mind started focusing in and picking out more of the variations in the noise, which is how this kind of thing is supposed to work, I think. Was into a lot of this kind of thing as an undergraduate, though, and usually want ... more, compositionally, or else for the drone to be richer somehow, e.g. with the kinds of drift properties in some of LaMonte Young's drone pieces. I'll give it another try or two.

i love “toast,” didn’t hear it quite early enough for it to make my ballot :(

"Ngiyesaba" by Simmy is gorgeous, wow

"Soco" was kind of fun.

as i said previously i voted for the simmy album as its one of the best things ive ever had

but recently after working for over a decade in rugby ive been moved to a new office in coventry and the ring road makes me really anxious

but every time hamba juba comes on it really soothes me and has been an audible medicine which i really appreciate

Nabozo, dancehall is not permitted to appear in the ILM best tracks poll, sorry, even in the case of the empirically determined #1 track of the year "Toast"

glad I slept through imago's pendulum swing on Rosalia :) I will say in your defense that, as good as some of the videos are, whenever I've tried to pick off an individual track to put on a mix, it doesn't sound right, hence my only voting for the album

rosalia didn't make either of my lists but it's obv what she's doing is really special, never heard an album like that in my life

did I read breastcrawl and dog latin's posts right? neither of you have gotten into krautrock yet? if so, that is an enviable problem to have

Nabozo, dancehall is not permitted to appear in the ILM best tracks poll, sorry, even in the case of the empirically determined #1 track of the year "Toast"
― rob, Thursday, January 31, 2019 3:15 PM (thirteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Alas, science has often been at the mercy and the prey of uneducated popular movements, or of the powers of irony, but knowing always that it shall prevail one day.

http://i.imgur.com/N9qh4XP.jpg

28: Lizzo – “Boys – 251 points – 10 votes
video

Lizzo - Big GRRRL Small World

http://www.thesinglesjukebox.com/?p=25987

If you love nitpicking and hate fun, there’s plenty of critiques you can volley at “Boys”: its bass-and-cowbell groove is maybe two steps removed from “SexyBack,” the message is a bit muddled, and Lizzo’s “gay boys” line is a head-scratcher that nearly stops the track in its tracks. But if you love funky, freaky summer bops featuring a face-melting guitar solo and one of our most singular pop stars flipping tired rap tropes into a gleeful bacchanalia, this is a glorious gift delivered from on high. Needless to say, I fall into the latter category. – Julian Axelrod

Imagine James Murphy producing Missy Elliott. – Alfred Soto

don't get me going

v much looking forward to her record this year

the guitar solo really makes this

I love nitpicking and I hate fun but I'll give this a fair crack

i was an early Lizzo booster on this board and I certainly don't begrudge her success (or, nearly as important, what it means culturally for her to break through to the pop world) but the kind of pseudo-Bruno Mars, funk faking arena anthem rock she's doing with "Boys" is anathema to me.

This is way better than her early stuff, I don't begrudge its placement at all.

the guitar solo really makes this

― ufo, Thursday, January 31, 2019 7:39 AM (one minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yep, opens up the song

"Juice" is way better.

thankfully "juice" came out in 2019

Was hoping this would make #1 so the top track would have the same name as last year, also it's much better than the other Boys

"akanamali" definitely crossed over from tsj. the discussion on his album's thread has been reasonably active all year so i think simmy's music must have come up there quite shortly after being released, no tsj-acclaim needed.

"amablesser" was nominated btw, so it could still make it! (tho honestly i doubt it would place above "ubala" et al.) i nominated it but didn't end up having room for it on my ballot lol.

"banomoya" might be my favorite of all the songs i hadn't heard before from this poll so the post upthread stating that it was a big hit in south africa tells me that i should probably just start listening to south african radio already

― dyl, Thursday, January 31, 2019 12:30 AM (eight hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

“AmaBlesser” was a big pop hit there too (just like “Akanamali” itself, the other Sun-El singles did very well too). The Mlindo and Simmy albums are both currently top 10 streaming in SA. It’s actual popular music. Finding the right radio station would be a treat, no doubt!

xp

― breastcrawl, Thursday, January 31, 2019 1:51 AM (seven hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i listen to a couple durban stations online at times. try Ukhozi 90.8 FM or Gagasi 99.5. i don't know any stations in Joburg or Capetown though.

"Juice" is way better.

― Your sweetie-pie-coo-coo I love ya (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, January 31, 2019 9:41 AM (seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

thankfully "juice" came out in 2019

― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Thursday, January 31, 2019 9:41 AM (six minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

honestly I'll be shocked if it's not at least top 20 next year

same tbh

only way i could see it not being is if she releases an even better single

12 months is a loooooong time

"Juice" almost inspired me to post my first selfie video a couple weeks ago.

i was an early Lizzo booster on this board and I certainly don't begrudge her success (or, nearly as important, what it means culturally for her to break through to the pop world) but the kind of pseudo-Bruno Mars, funk faking arena anthem rock she's doing with "Boys" is anathema to me.

― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Thursday, 31 January 2019 14:40 (ten minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

think it's in ILM's contract that there has to be one of these in every countdown

a dissenter?