We're not even halfway through this year and there's already so much to talk about, and that bodes well for what's to come. So without further ado, let's get into it. Here are a few things that have made 2018 exciting and kept us on our toes for the past 5 months.
1. "This is America" - Childish Gambino
We all knew Donald Glover had it in him to fixate the entire country as his captive audience, but "This is America" revealed to us just how powerful Gambino is as an artist. Whether or not you like the song (and I love it), it's pretty hard to deny the total engrossment brought on by the music video, one of the most discussed music videos in recent years. It started a conversation and produced a surprisingly weighty amount of academic dialogue, especially for a traditionally commercial medium like music videos. Donald Glover has yet again added to his building momentum with a catchy and unforgettable musical moment.
2. Atlanta: Robbin' Season
On the topic of Donald Glover, the wild, surreal, wacky "Atlanta" quickly made me a committed and vehement fan after its first season in 2016. Its wicked blend of sardonic commentary and some of the funniest TV moments I can remember made me wonder how it could possibly develop as a series. Well, these 11 episodes of pure splendor showed me exactly how that could happen. Laced with jaw-droppingly heavy moments and its surreal sensibilities cranked to 11, "Atlanta: Robbin' Season" delves further into the abstract with a vengeance. It's impossible to even describe the brilliance of this season, so if you haven't checked out "Atlanta", do so as soon as you can.
3. "Dirty Computer" - Janelle Monaé
But while we're talking about powerful musical/visual works of this year so far, let's talk about the effervescent and inimitable Janelle Monaé, whose album "Dirty Computer", paired with her 'emotion picture' of the same name, played with brilliant musical and social ideas in an accessible fashion. The resulting album is poppy, but totally infectious, and worth a thousand listens. Monaé has little to prove at this point in her career, but as a consequence of this album, she has at the very least cemented herself as one of the most handily talented entertainers of this century.
4. "A Quiet Place"
John Krasinski, the same man whose face defined awkward reactions in "The Office" years prior, now uses the power of human expression as his malleable tool to craft a taut and tense thriller. The premise is so simple that it's hard to believe this kind of movie hasn't been made yet. Built around the total absence of sound, every little whisper creates so much drama. It wastes no time and it fully engrosses you.
5. "Black Panther"
As a cultural phenomenon, little was as sticky in the fickle stage of mass media as the fierce and totally awesome firestorm that was Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther." Chadwick Boseman serves as a fantastic addition to the MCU, but if there's anyone who shines here, it's Michael B. Jordan. To be fair, we all knew he was going places since he tore our hearts open as Wallace in season 1 of "The Wire". But in the role of Killmonger, Jordan taps into a place of real rage and turns it into a damn compelling Marvel villain.
The film overall pivoted into real-world conflicts and hit tones that were totally uncharacteristic for any superhero movies I'd seen before. Sure, "Infinity War" from later in 2018 may have been more ambitious, but it lacks one thing that Black Panther offered: A soundtrack curated by King Kendrick Lamar himself. From "X" to "Big Shot" to "Opps" to "Paramedic" (especially "Paramedic", I mean, damn), this film came with an incredible soundtrack to match with its visual splendor.
6. "Die Lit" - Playboi Carti
It's impossible to describe. I would never have thought I would be praising Carti like this. But with an hour of infectious, poppy bangers, it's hard to criticize the man. It's simple, it's minimal, but it works so so well. Carti's known for being kind of weak lyrically, but here he proves that it doesn't matter. This album takes everything people call low-effort trash, everything that people criticize about hip-hop's new wave, and relishes in it.
"Shoota" with Lil Uzi Vert is one of the best songs I've heard this year. Maybe the best. Period. It works even though it's not supposed to. I'm not going to pretend Carti is sophisticated. It's the opposite. Carti doesn't strive for any more than he needs to, and thank God for that, because it's that attitude that makes this album palatable and exciting.
