We all can agree that 2018 was a big year for music lovers and history. This includes record breaking releases and the mammoth rise of young talent like Post Malone, Cardi B, Billie Eilish and the superiority of drake.
No one can doubt that the world of pop music has given us plenty of musical gum to chew, both analytical and emotion filled - this has primarily come from the lyrics in pop music. So before we focus on what is coming in the near future in the music industry, we want to pause for a second and reopen your mind to those analytical and emotion filled seconds that made the world stop. Here are our picks for the most thought provoking lyrics of 2018.
Billie Eilish – “Bitches Broken Hearts”
Writers: Billie Eilish, Emmit Fenn, Finneas O’Connell
This mellow, dreamlike song is an engaging song of an ex that can’t let go of her. Lines like the ones below are the reason this song was able to gain a spot on our list, with its very emotional vision and lyrics one can’t forget about.
“Everybody knows,
You and I are suicide and stolen art (oh yeah),
Pretty moments sews,
Stitches into all your bitches’ broken hearts.”
Drake – “God’s Plan”
Writers: Daveon Jackson, Matthew Samuels, Noah Shebib, Cardo, Yung Exclusive, Boi-1da, Aubrey Graham, Ronald LaTour
Drake is a very well known artist because of his strong lyrics and equally amazing beats. In 2018 he released the song “God’s Plan” this song spent a whopping 26 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10 spot. It's clear that he is dominating in this industry and in the charts, he also broke his own record for the longest time he spent at number one. But, this is all thanks to that one line that defined a generation:
“She tells me do you love me,
I tell her only partly,
I only love my bed and my mama I'm sorry.
Mitski – “Nobody”
Writers: Mitski, Patrick Hyland
Indie Icon Mitski is on our list for her smash hit song “Nobody”. Anyone listening to this song will note how poetic, beautiful and sad the lyrics are. Her lyrics about wanting to change in order for someone to love her hit home with many listeners. To continue, the song speaks about themes that are often ignored like isolation and yearning for things are often taken for granted.
“I’ve been big and small,
And big and small,
And big and small again,
And still nobody wants me.”
The Weeknd – “Call Out My Name”
Writers: Abel Tesfaye, Adam Feeney, Nicolas Jaar, Frank Dukes
“Call Out My Name” only goes on to further prove that Abel is amazing at grouping emotional lyrics about love and heartbreak in his own style, with his amazing vocals. In this song he wrote about a lover who did not feel the same way. The song is filled with lyrics that we were able to relate to but the following lines were the most relatable:
“I said I didn’t feel nothing, baby, but I lied,
I almost cut a piece of myself for your life,
Guess I was just another pit stop, ’til you made up your mind.”
Ouch.
The 1975 – “Love It if We Made It”
Writers: Adam Hann, George Daniel, Matthew Healy, Ross MacDonald
This modern Rock Bank known as The 1975 have always shown us the truth in a very straightforward but lyrically beautiful way and the song “Love It if We Made It” is a great example. The song is able to be very political, emotional and relatable for the listeners with their thought provoking lines such as:
“Start with misdemeanors and we’ll make a business out of them,
And we can find out the information,
Access all the applications,
That are hardening positions based on miscommunication.
Oh f*^k your feelings,
Truth is only hearsay,
We’re just left to decay,
Modernity has failed us.”
Sophie – “Immaterial”
Writers: Sophie, Cecile Believe, Xeon
The artist Sophie has exemplified tremendous growth in the past years. This is because her lyrics are associated with her identity and do not include her material self. She is also great at combining Existentialism in her lyrics in a manner that is very pop-friendly, such as the following:
“Without my legs or my hair,
Without my genes or my blood,
With no name and with no type of story,
Where do I live?”
Kacey Musgraves – “Golden Hour”
Written by: Daniel Tashian, Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves 2018 album Golden Hour contains a wide and beautiful collection of genuine pop music. With gorgeous songs like “High Horse” and “Mother”, it definitely isn’t an album filled with more filler tracks than songs that the listener actually enjoys. But, the song that was chosen for this list is “Golden Hour”:
“I used to get sad and lonely when the sun went down,
It’s different now ’cause I love the light that I’ve found,
In you.
Baby don’t you know?
That you’re my golden hour,
The color of my sky,
You’ve set my world on fire,
And I know, I know everything’s gonna be alright.”
These lyrics are romantic, beautiful and evocative. When the listener takes note of the lyrics it may bring them back to a very clear memory in their mind.
Ariana Grande – “Thank U, Next”
Writers: Ariana Grande, Victoria Monét, Tayla Parx, Njomza Vitia, Kimberly Kryiuk, Tommy Brown, Michael Foster, Charles Anderson
This song may shock some of our readers but don’t get us wrong — we love Ariana Grande, she is a queen who slays at everything she puts her mind to, but we wouldn’t say this is a very poetic song. The reason she is on the list is because she is able to convey her emotions and personal message with only three word and this is summarized in a very memorable, singable and just won't get out of your head lyric: :
“One taught me love,
one taught me patience,
one taught me pain,
now I’m so amazing.”
Yup, alright. Thank U. Next!
Chelsea Cutler – “Out Of Focus”
Writer: Chelsea Cutler
Chelsea Cutler's song “Out of Focus” has lyrics filled with statements we don’t say allowed but do say in our head from time to time, but there comes a point where enough is enough and we just have to blurt it out and live with the consequences. The lyrics sound like they were straight out of someones journal giving them a raw feel and that is why they are on our list:
“I hate the way you smoke cigarettes when you’re drunk,
But you always remember to call me,
And I hate the way you say that you’re right when you’re wrong,
But you always come back home to love me.”
Julia Michaels – “Heaven”
Writers: Julia Michaels, Uzoechi Emenike, Tayla Parx, Morten Ristorp Jensen, Brian Garcia
This song by Julia Michaels was first released on the 50 Shades of Gray: Freed soundtrack. The song is able to capture the drama, fear and overflowing emotions in the film, which is how a good song in a movie should be.
“No need to imagine,
‘Cause I know it’s true,
They say ‘all good boys go to heaven,’
But bad boys bring heaven to you.”
Can we get an amen to that?
Sam Smith – “Too Good At Goodbyes”
Writers: James Napier, Tor Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen, Sam Smith
Yes we know, this is a song that everyones heard a billion times. But rightfully so, the soulfulness in the song is immaculate. Sam Smith's voice alone is enough for a song to be poetry. But what he does differently in this song is he speaks on his own flaws, which is a breath of fresh air but also very surprising. Because it is so raw and honest it digs deep into our soles and is better than most love songs that we have heard.
“But every time you hurt me, the less that I cry,
And every time you leave me, the quicker these tears dry,
And every time you walk out, the less I love you,
Baby, we don’t stand a chance, it’s sad but it’s true,
I’m way too good at goodbyes.”
Selena Gomez & Marshmello – “Wolves”
Writers: Selena Gomez, Marshmello, Andrew Watt, Alli Tamposi, Brian Lee, Louis Bell, Carl Ronsen
Selena Gomez and Marshmellow proved to be a good duo and completely destroyed it on the production and instrumentals side of this track. The track continues to shift from romantic and slow to ecstatic and uplifting, the lyrics do a great job aiding the transition. The song is about doing whatever is asked for your partner especially in times of darkness.
“I’ve looked for love in every stranger,
Took too much to ease the anger,
All for you, yeah, all for you,
I’ve been running through the jungle,
I’ve been crying with the wolves,
To get to you, to get to you (oh, to get to you).”
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – “All the Stars”
Writers: Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Spears, Al Shuckburgh, Soiána Rowe, Anthony Tiffith
The song “All the Stars” was featured in the smash hit movie Black Panther, and it is safe to say it was one of the most raved-about songs of 2018. The track does a great job of combining themes like identity, ancestry, hope, power and resilience — all of these themes are heavily relevant in the movie thus creating a wonderful bridge between music and the world of Wakanda.
“Love, let’s talk about love
Is it anything and everything you hoped for?
Or do the feeling haunt you?
I know the feeling haunt you.”
Logic ft. Alessia Cara, Khalid – “1-800-273-8255”
Writers: Bobby Hall II, Arjun Ivatury, Alessia Caracciolo, Khalid Robinson, Drew Taggart
Although this song came out in 2017, it took to storm in the beginning of 2018. The message is extremely meaningful and much needed. The music video does a great job showing some light in the darkest of moments, and the most confusing moments in life — moments where our faith and foundations of who we are, are questioned. But what is really important is the song uses the real suicide prevention hotline in the title name, so if you are feeling at your lowest and contemplating sucide please call “1-800-273-8255.”
“All this other sh^# I’m talkin’ ’bout they think they know it,
I’ve been praying for somebody to save me, no one’s heroic,
And my life don’t even matter,
I know it, I know it, I know I’m hurting deep down but can’t show it.”
Childish Gambino - “This is America”
Writers: Donald Glover, Ludwig Göransson, and Jeffery Lamar Williams
This may come as a shock for many people as rap music is not seen as being very poetic. But that being said, this song about the anger and anxiety that comes along with the police in America was one that hit home for many people, especially those who have been marginalized by the police since the beginning. Nevertheless whats poetry if not words that make one feel.
“This is America (skrrt, skrrt, woo)
Don't catch you slippin' now (ayy)
Look at how I'm livin' now
Police be trippin' now (woo)
Yeah, this is America (woo, ayy)
Guns in my area (word, my area)”
Conclusion
These are some of our favourite poetic lyrics of 2018 in pop here at Jony Studios.
Because of all the great music that was released in 2018, we definitely forgot a few lyrics, if you think there's one we missed please let us know in the comment section below. Here’s to many years of musical poetry.
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