First, no one can be objective, there’s no truth in music. Then, it can be mentally difficult for artists to accept these insights. We are music fans above all and we never want to hurt anyone. Our goal is only to discover new talents and to bring them to our readers’ ears. We know they don’t always have the time to listen to everything we scan and write about during the year so these lists are just recommendations of what they should first focus on. Nothing more.

We know it’s a shared subjective feeling: 2018 has been another great year for music. We got introduced to fascinating newcomers with strong concepts that prove that albums are certainly not dead yet. Some rising singer-songwriters confirmed their defining style while a few established artists successfully re-recorded their masterpiece or explored challenging new soundscapes. You can find below the 30 albums that made 2018 according to our staff and stay tuned for our usual 100 Tracks of the year list next week.

30) Amen Dunes – Freedom

[su_divider]

29) Kadhja Bonet – Childqueen

[su_divider]

28) Yves Tumor – Safe in the Hands of Love

[su_divider]

27) Whitney Ballen – You’re A Shooting Star, I’m A Sinking Ship

[su_divider]

26) Tirzah – Devotion

[su_divider]

25) CupcakKe – Eden

[su_divider]

24) Rosalía – El Mal Querer

[su_divider]

23) Tomberlin – At Weddings

[su_divider]

22) Sidney Gish – No Dogs Allowed

[su_divider]

21) Ezra Furman – Transangelic Exodus

[su_divider]

20) Kali Uchis – Isolation

[su_divider]

19) Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer

[su_divider]

18) Frankie Cosmos – Vessel

[su_divider]

17) U.S. Girls – In A Poem Unlimited

[su_divider]

16) Ariana Grande – Sweetener

[su_divider]

15) Ex:Re – Ex:Re

[su_divider]

14) Car Seat Headrest – Twin Fantasy

[su_divider]

13) Tierra Whack – Whack World

[su_divider]

12) IDLES – Joy As An Act of Resistance.

[su_divider]

11) illuminaties hoties – Kiss Yr Frenemies

[su_divider]

10) Mr Twin Sister – Salt

[su_divider]

9) SOPHIE – Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Sides

[su_divider]

8) Low – Double Negative

[su_divider]

7) noname – Room 25

[su_divider]

6) Soccer Mommy – Clean

[su_divider]

5) Beach House – 7

[su_divider]

4) Robyn – Honey

[su_divider]

3) Lucy Dacus – Historian

[su_divider]

2) Snail Mail – Lush

[su_divider]

1) Mitski – Be The Cowboy

[su_divider]

Next month, U.S. Girls will be releasing their sixth studio album “In a Poem Unlimited”. So far, we’ve heard the disco-infused first single “Mad As Hell” as well as “Velvet 4 Sale” and the third single, “Pearly Gates”, is a featuring with vocalist James Baley. The music is signed by their longtime contributor Louis Percival. Like for the previously released tracks, “Pealy Gates” comes with a video and it was directed by Chrissy Jones.

About the track and video, Meg Remy detailed:

[su_quote]Some years back a story was recounted to me about a man attempting to convince a woman to engage in unprotected sex by saying, ‘Don’t worry, I’m really good at pulling out.’ I thought this was a hilariously stupid thing to say and knew one day I would build a song around this line.[/su_quote]

Watch the religiously charged video of U.S. Girls‘ “Pearly Gates” below:

[su_youtube_advanced url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9PLXHDEUFE” width=”200″ height=”200″]

“Pearly Gates” is featured on U.S. Girls‘ upcoming sixth LP “In a Poem Unlimited” due out on February 16 via 4AD/Royal Mountain. Check the tracklist below:

1. Velvet 4 Sale

2. Rage Of Plastics

3. Mad As Hell

4. Why Do I Lose My Voice When I Have Something To Say

5. Rosebud

6. Incidental Boogie

7. L-Over

8. Pearly Gates

9. Poem

10. Traviata

11. Time

U.S. Girls will also be playing their new album on stage through North America and Europe, including a gig in Brussels at Botanique for festival Les Nuits on May 1 [to be announced soon]. If you want to know more about it, follow the band over Facebook and Twitter.