This year has been a whirlwind of emotions from the public and artist perspective. With turbulent politics and tensions high this year, the music has been a solace of hope for many; Highlight Magazine staff included. Our staff have picked their favorite album to come out in 2018. From pop punk to dream pop, we have the eclectic array of tunes to get you through the rest of December.
“I haven’t stopped listening to it since I heard about it. It sounds like an early 2010 pop-punk album and is a solid album from beginning to end.” – Ally Fisher
“It is truly the pop album our society deserved in 2018. My dad, sister, and I listened to it on repeat our entire drive from Pittsburgh to Atlanta in the summer. With songs like Valentine, Want You Back, and Talk Fast, it shows how much they’ve all grown as vocalists, lyricists, and musicians in general.” – Erika Rose
“She continues to not only evolve her own sound, but contribute new narratives to old country’s sound. I also love the feminist undertones on “Mother” and “Wonder Woman”; the wordplay on “Space Cowboy” (“You can have your space, cowboy”); and her sonic experimentation on “Oh What a World” and “High Horse” that truly diverges from her genre and previous bodies of work.
Basically — ‘Golden Hour’ is familiarly Kacey, but it wasn’t a ‘safe’ album, in my opinion. It paid off in a sublime way.” – Stephanie Smith
“I keep having too reassure myself because I’ve enjoyed a lot of albums this year, but It’s definitely Entertainment by Waterparks. It’s been a bit since I’ve been this captivated by a band and Entertainment definitely solidified my love for Waterparks. The whole album is intoxicatingly catchy. I don’t think there’s an album I danced or sang to more in 2018.” – Annette Hansen
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Accurately, it was the best professionally for Ariana Grande and worst personally. Every emotion from her relationship with Pete Davidson to her lingering feelings of warmth and longing from Mac Miller (who she split earlier from this year). Each track is like a window into her mind, full of aesthetic color. The softness and power emitting from Grande on this record (especially so on “every time”, “R.E.M.”, “better off”, “goodnight n go” and “pete davidson”) show her evolution into a new chapter.” – Bridjet Mendyuk
“Easily one of the best albums The Story So Far’s put out and some of the best songs they have ever written. “Proper Dose” and “Take Me as You Please” have become instant TSSF classics they will be playing for a long time to come. With a mix of stripped down tracks and traditional pop punk tunes we’ve heard from the band in the past, Proper Dose is a pop punk album the masses will be listening to for a long time.” – Rachael Dowd
