ILM’s Top 77 Tracks of 2018

I don't dislike it, but the hype did her a disservice imho (not financially, of course).

Holter gorgeous
Sheck Wes cool
Rosalía my number #1

huh i should've voted for this, it's beautifully constructed

Not my Rosalía pick, but I won't argue.

Love that Rosalía pick but will both that one and Malamente place?? Didn’t expect her to get both songs so high!

Very good, and I guess “Malamente” is yet to come? My fave of hers is “Di mi nombre”, but I only voted for the album (too low, as I realized when I played it the next day).

I like how thug that track is

im more of a "malamente" stan

yeah that's my pick

oh yeah?

Was this the last one for today?

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

12: Rosalía – “Malamente – 308 points – 10 votes
video

Rosalía (Post-Flamenco Art-Pop From Spain)

http://www.thesinglesjukebox.com/?p=26668

Flamenco-pop, flamenco-tinged R&B, even flamenco rap and flamenco-reggaetón, are nothing new — past heroes like Rosario, Bebé, Chambao, Papá Levante and fusion legends Ojos de Brujo all have enjoyed international fame and can be considered Rosalía’s natural predecessors in that aspect. Rosalía gladly and effectively acknowledges that tradition while contributing to it with her empowered R&B-flavored chants, and the Latin urban sensibilities in El Guincho’s productions. “Malamente” establishes an interesting dynamic between the modern synths and pads and the traditional palmas a compás, which work in counter-rhythm to her cante, for a track that offers a glimpse into the percussive complexities of rumba while feeling at home in one of those alt-pop playlists. It’s a new step in flamenco’s legacy. - Leonel Manzanares de la Rosa

Rosalía’s sophomore album was inspired by a 13th century fable entitled The Romance of Flamenca, a classic love triangle story that centers on Count Archimbaut’s jealousy-fueled transformation toward insanity. He eventually imprisons his wife — the eponymous Flamenca — in a tower, allowing her to leave its confines for no more than two reasons: bathing and mass. He was meant to represent the very opposite of courtly behavior to the story’s readers, and yet, this portrait of a powerful man restricting a woman’s life is just as necessary today. There’s consequently no greater statement that could have started El mal querer than its lead single, “Malamente.” The interaction of its flamenco palmas with minimal percussion and synth pulses pits listeners in a space between the traditional and contemporary. Even more, the spacious world that she and El Guincho create is simultaneously anxious and impassioned. Rosalía’s vocalizing glides smoothly along the beat before sharply piercing listeners with jaleo in the form of “illo!” and “tra, tra!” adlibs. In the album’s narrative, “Malamente” prefaces Archimbaut and Flamenca’s wedding, and the track’s subtitle indicates that the song is an omen. What is it foretelling, exactly? Well, it warns of the tumultuous relationship that’s to come from the Count and his wife, but it’s also a declaration that Rosalía is putting forth regarding her music, that it’s going to be charting unfamiliar territory. Critics may, and have, decried “Malamente” as being disingenuous to flamenco’s roots, positing that Rosalía is a mere cultural appropriator. This is despite her time spent at the Catalonia College of Music, a school where only one student per year is admitted to studying flamenco, and whose flamenco teacher commented that Rosalía was their most memorable pupil. She has also been vocal in desiring to collaborate with people outside the world of flamenco and has already met with artists such as Pharrell and Arca. In a sense, Rosalía’s critics try to force her into her own proverbial tower, but it’s clear that she won’t stay there. With “Malamente,” she delivers that very message to whoever will listen, reimagining new stories for Flamenca and flamenco in the process. – Joshua Minsoo Kim

A student at the station at the beginning of the semester was raving about an artist called Rosalia. I had no idea whom he meant so I nodded politely. Then when he did it again a few weeks ago I realized it's Rosalía, and he's Columbian and should know better.

Mo Bamba is very minor Flockaveli, but very minor Flockaveli is preferable to no Flockaveli.

ffs this is horrible

Wow, beautiful one-two step!!!

Didn't hear the Holter album this year (as I have probably said many times, her doomy electronic songs were the ones that hit me and she moved away from those), but oooh the ending of that track is fucking gorgeous.

― emil.y, Thursday, January 31, 2019 1:49 PM (nine minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

You may like this album, emily. It's less songwriting-focused than some of the last few, more about exploring diverse sounds and textures. Lots of Vangelis and free jazz inspiration. It's my favourite of last year and I wasn't a fan before.

xxp It's Colombian, and you should know better.

Moka outdid himself. I vote to replace the Spain flag with his postcard.

ha, nevermind it continues, 2 points wow.

can't decide if that was an intentional typo Alfred

argh xp

malamente also one of the best pop videos in years

didn't vote for any tracks but I'm pretty psyched for Rosalía to win the album poll, mostly to punish imago but still

this song is tight, rosalía good

ay beat me to the colOmbian joke

i for one am loving these back-to-back placements for bands/artists so we can just talk about them one time for longer vs. two times but for less long

Moka outdid himself

Moka's a woman, btw.

Rosalía seems like the kind of thing I'd like, but neither the singles nor the album quite clicked with me. To be fair, I was listening while trying to cram a bunch of other 2018 music last month, so maybe I should spend some more time with it.

was away, but that was a v good fakeout forks, I'm glad I learned about baby shark just in time to get it

among its many other attractive qualities, the Rosalía album is ~30 mins long

XP, never noticed the accent there before alfred -- i guess i've been pronouncing it wrong in my head all along.

are we rolling all the way to #1 today? thought we were saving the last 12 or 13 for tomorrow

*prepares for the whole class to get mad at me for reminding the teacher about the quiz today*

as I say, the rest of the album was growing on me. But ILM, you've basically handed 12th spot to an ambient intro track

I like 'Pienso...' a lot more than 'Malamente', the beat is great and the bridge section from about 2:20 in is lovely. Another album I need to check out.

sorry, I tend to forget to say "himself or herself" on the internet. Btw Moka, what font is it you're using ?

I meant to spend more time with Rosalía before voting, there's definitely something interesting about the mix of flamenco w/ this type of pop, and I like both of these tracks... I just didn't get round to deeper listening. Now is the time, I guess.

What's the proper pronunciation? I've been saying Rose-ahlia, which is probably wrong.

ILM, you've basically handed 12th spot to an ambient intro track

I get not liking it, but how on earth is this track "ambient"?

yeah that makes no sense

the equivalent of. anyway aaah sorry to play grinch as usual

Rosa-leeah.

xps

ANYWAY

1975x2
ariana x2
mitski
robyn
kacey x2
monae
a certain bromley-based indiepop group :D fuck y'all
sun-el musician
arctic monkeys?
lana del rey
baby fucking shark
sophie (x2?)
as matt has just said it, burna boy

that's 11

the Malamente video is great!

xxp I also missed the Julia Holter album this year, not sure why, will have to remedy that

You pronounce the "i" instead of doing the liaison, so that it sounds a bit more like Rosaliya

peggy gou surely to come btw

What's the proper pronunciation? I've been saying Rose-ahlia, which is probably wrong.

― emil.y, Thursday, January 31, 2019 2:12 PM (one minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I have a sinking feeling it's gonna be one of those things where it's the TH sound but if you do it like that you kinda sound like a dink but if you don't a dink corrects you. Real catch thwenthy thwo

Xp oh ok cool still posting this tho bc imo it's funny

Rosa-LEE-a

Xp myself - It wasn't even that funny ffs will get it thogether

xxp It's Colombian, and you should know better.

― jaymc, Thursday, January 31, 2019 2:05 PM

so should my Autocorrect

wish they would place but highly unlikely: ciara's "level up", mariah's "gtfo"

Love both Rosalía traxx and the album (and the album b4 that)

I wouldn't have predicted it would be this high, but I'm surprised that Jessie Ware's "Overtime" hasn't shown up yet.