Pop Music in 2018: An Eventful Year in Review
As 2018 has gone by, and now in 2019, let’s rewind and take a second look at major events of 2018, and see which top hits are worth mentioning.
This Year’s Top Hits
2018 has been a truly phenomenal year for hip-hop. Half of the top ten beats on Billboard Hot 100 Year-End chart are from hip-hop artists. See all top 100 songs at the official Billboard website.
Let’s start at the top with Drake at number one with the song of the year, “God’s Plan.” Not only that the song is an unstoppable hit, its music video is also the eighth most-viewed video of 2018 on YouTube with over 900 million views. And if that’s not enough to prove that Scorpion is indeed one of the hottest albums, we’d like to point to “In My Feelings” as another reason. The song, along with the hashtag #InMyFeelingsChallenge, became a worldwide sensation with its unique dance moves; it is also ranked at number nine on Billboard Hot 100 Songs Year-End chart.
Aside from Drake, another hip-hop artist who is killing it this year is, of course, Post Malone. He’s got four songs on the chart: “Rock Star (Ft. 21 Savage)” at number five, “Psycho (Ft. Ty Dolla $ign)” at six, “Better Now” at 13, and “I Fall Apart” at 39.
Let’s now take a look at electronic music. This year, DJs and music producers are going all out with their shows of talent; no mercy. Undoubtedly, 2018 is a fantastic year for Marshmello with three songs on the Hot 100 Songs Year-End chart: “Friends (Ft. Anne Marie)” at number 26, “Wolves (Ft. Selena Gomez)” at 60, and “Happier (Ft. Bastille)” at 80.
Another electronic artist we can’t forget is Zedd, as the only DJ/producer of the electronic genre with a song in the top ten of Billboard Hot 100 Songs Year-End; his “The Middle (Ft. Maren Morris & Grey)” is at number 8.
That’s not all, the song’s popularity has also made Zedd the most nominated electronic artist in 2019 Grammy with three nominations: Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
Artists In Memoriam
We’ve lost many artists and influential figures this year, starting with the sudden death of the young and incredibly talented rapper, XXXtentacion. He passed away after being shot on June 18th; he was only 20 years old.
Another hip-hop artist has also passed away recently: Mac Miller. Police found Mac at his house in California on September 7th. He died from drug overdose at the age of 26.
Lastly, the passing of an artist has left music lovers everywhere, especially ravers, with a heavy heart. Yes, we’re talking about Avicii’s death. The artist that brought us the hit “Wake Me Up” was found dead in his hotel room in Muscat, Oman during his vacation on April 20th. The cause of his death was not revealed out of respect for his family.
Another hip-hop artist has also passed away recently: Mac Miller. Police found Mac at his house in California on September 7th. He died from a drug overdose at the age of 26.
Hardwell Taking a Break from Concert Tours
On September 7th, 30-year-old Dutch DJ/Producer, and two-time top ranker of DJ Mag’s ranking in 2013 and 2014, Hardwell, shocked his fans by announcing an indefinite hiatus from concert tours and performances. Hardwell announced this news on his Instagram, here. Simply put, he wants to take a break from the busy schedules, as well as to take care of himself mentally and physically. He also wants to spend more time with his family and focus on producing music. Hardwell thanks his fans for their continued support.
But no worries, fans. As promised, Hardwell has released a new song called “How You Love Me” featuring Conor Maynard and Snoop Dogg for you to listen to whenever you miss him.
Swedish House Mafia Reunion
Swedish House Mafia, the trio of veteran DJ/producers, is a name we believe most electronic music lovers recognize. They disbanded in 2013, with Axel ‘Axwell’ Hedfors and Sebastian Ingrosso remaining as the duo Axwell / Ingrosso, and Steve Angello going solo. After five years, they’re back in a surprise performance for the 20 year anniversary of Ultra Miami 2018 in March, much to the excitement of their fans. From then, rumor has it that they will be reuniting and producing music together again. Five months passed and on October 22nd, the good news was finally confirmed. The trio announced on their official website that they will perform in a major concert under the name Swedish House Mafia at Tele2 Arena, Stockholm, Sweden, on May 4th, 2019.
Thank U, Next Phenomenon
Ariana Grande, the multitalented singer, has been going through quite the personal crisis this year, from having to deal with the news of her ex’s, Mac Miller, death, to her breaking off the engagement with Pete Davidson. However, these challenges couldn’t keep her away from success. On November 3rd, Ariana released her latest song, “Thank U, Next”, and, as expected, fans around the world fell in love with it. The tune has positive lyrics and several mentions of Ariana’s ex lovers, including Mac Miller, who was referred to by his actual name, Malcolm.
“Thank U, Next” started its first week by taking the number one spot on Billboard Hot 100, making it the first of Ariana’s songs on the top rank. The music video was also a huge success, setting a new record on YouTube. After its initial launch, the video broke the record for most views in 24 hours with 55.4 million views, a clean victory over “Idol” by BTS with 45.9 million views.
If you’re still unhappy, we’re pleased to let you know that Ariana also won Woman of the Year 2018 at Billboard’s Women in Music in Los Angeles on December 6th. We hope that Thai fans will get to see her perform in Thailand again soon.
Spice Girls are Back Together & on Tour
Earlier in 2018, there were rumors that the greatest girl group of the 90s, Spice Girls, were getting back together. Their last performance in the London Olympics 6 years ago had kept fans fervently waiting. Finally, in early November, fans’ prayers have been answered. The girls announce a reunion concert tour for 2019. But fans who hope to see all five Spices on the same stage might be slightly disappointed, as only four of Spice Girls will be performing. Posh Spice, Victoria Beckham, won’t be joining the tour as she decides to focus on her fashion brand instead.
After confirming that our girls are back on tour, a promotional video have been launched for us fans, along with the tour schedule, ticket sales date (tickets available from November 10th), and the reveal of a special guest joining the girls on this tour, Jess Glynne.
Beyonce’s Glorious Performance as First Black Female Headliner in Coachella
After cancelling her show in 2017 due to her pragnancy, Beyonce returns as Headliner of Coachella 2018 as promised. She’s making history by being the first black female Headliner of the festival. Not only that, but Beyonce’s performance at the Coachella is also one of her greatest preformances ever, with the production, dancers, costumes, and special guests that made the crowd go wild such as Jay Z, Beyonce’s husband, Solange, her beloved sister, and the surprise reunion of Destiny’s Child.
Influences from black culture can be seen throughout Queen B’s 1 hour 40 minutes performance. The show sent fans into a global fever; the hashtag #Beychella was trending on Twitter with over 2.2 million tweets in 24 hours.