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Artists with albums honored by The Musical Hype as some of the best in 2018 so far include Arctic Monkeys, Janelle Monáe, and Ryan Beatty. 

Rather than sitting and composing the third edition (and second revision) of my best albums of 2018 (so far), I decided to give out some faux awards.  While I have no say in the Grammy awards, I have all the say in the awards given out on my blog/site.  So, after listening intently throughout 2018, I am awarding honors to the top albums in select genres, as well as my pick for the best of the year.  Again, this is a fluid situation – it’s going to continue to change people.  Among the awarded recipients are Arctic Monkeys, Janelle Monáe, and Ryan Beatty. 

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Album of the Year

Winner: (1) Janelle Monáe, Dirty Computer

Runner up: (2) Arctic Monkeys, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino

Why it’s so effin awesome: Dirty Computer is the most important, meaningful, and transcendent album of Janelle Monáe’s career, oozing with socially-charged issues, centering on feminism, identity issues, and sexuality.

Top 10 Best Albums of 2018 So Far/Review Links…

1. Janelle Monáe, Dirty Computer

2. Arctic Monkeys, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino

3. Ryan Beatty, Boy in Jeans

4. Ghost, Prequelle

5. Father John Misty, God’s Favorite Customer

6. Kids See Ghosts, Kids See Ghosts

7. Ezra Furman, Transangelic Exodus

8. Cardi B, Invasion of Privacy

9. Years & Years, Palo Santo

10. Pusha T, DAYTONA

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Best Alternative Album

Winner: (2) Arctic Monkeys, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino

Runner up: (5) Father John Misty, God’s Favorite Customer 

Why it’s so effin awesome: Although starkly different from previous albums, the Arctic Monkeys’ sixth studio album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino is conceptual, experimental, and quirky, featuring prominent use of the piano and incorporates elements of jazz and a ‘loungy’ vibe. Despite being a bit polarizing and strange, there are a number of compelling moments.

Top 5 Best Alternative Albums (Overall Ranking):

1. Arctic Monkeys, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (2)

2. Father John Misty, God’s Favorite Customer (5)

3. Ezra Furman, Transangelic Exodus (7)

4. MGMT, Little Dark Age (11)

5. Marlon Williams, Make Way for Love (13)

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Best Country Album

Winner: (21) Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour

Runner up: (23) Cody Jinks, Lifers

Why it’s so effin awesome: Perhaps what’s most notable about Golden Hour is its distinct appeal beyond the confines of the country music audience.

Best Country Albums (Overall Ranking):

1. Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour (21)

2. Cody Jinks, Lifers (23)

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Best Dance/Electronic Album

Winner: (32) Sofi Tukker, Treehouse

Runner up: (33) Yellow Claw, New Blood

Why it’s so effin awesome: there’s nothing “Batshit” crazy about Treehouse, the full-length, debut album by Sofi Tukker. Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern ‘bring the heat’ and maintain the listener’s attention on the tight, 31-minute LP.

Best Dance/Electronic Album (Overall Ranking):

1a.Years & Years, Palo Santo (9)

1b.Sofi Tukker, Treehouse (32)

2.Yellow Claw, New Blood (33)

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Pop Album

Winner: (3) Ryan Beatty, Boy in Jeans

Runner up: (9) Years & Years, Palo Santo or (14) Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes

Why it’s so effin awesome: Ryan Beatty, an openly gay, former teen-pop artist, is honest about love and sex throughout the course of his stellar debut album, Boy in Jeans. Rather than opt for a traditional modern pop album, Beatty sets himself apart from the crowd. Boy in Jeans features excellent vocals, meaningful songs encompassing important social themes, and outstanding production work.

Top 5 Best Pop Albums (Overall Ranking):

1. Ryan Beatty, Boy in Jeans (3)

2. Years & Years, Palo Santo (9)

3.Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes (14)

4.Christina Aguilera, Liberation (35)

5.5 Seconds of Summer, Youngblood (38)

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Rock Album

Winner: (4) Ghost, Prequelle

Runner up: (16) Jack White, Boarding House Reach

Why it’s so effin awesome: Despite the fact that Swedish metal collective Ghost sings about medieval death via the plague, their melodic fourth album, Prequelle, is alluring and at times, quite beautiful. Ultimately, Ghost delivers a tight, well-conceived metal album with Prequelle. There isn’t a bad song or a truly weak moment to be found.

Top 5 Rock Albums (Overall Ranking):

1. Ghost, Prequelle (4)

2. Jack White, Boarding House Reach (16)

3. Dave Matthews Band, Come Tomorrow (27)

4. Anderson East, Encore (28)

5. Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Tearing at the Seams (34)

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R&B Album

(1) Janelle Monáe, Dirty Computer

Runner up: (17) Kali Uchis, Isolation

Why it’s so effin awesome: Dirty Computer is the most important, meaningful, and transcendent album of Janelle Monáe’s career, oozing with socially-charged issues, centering on feminism, identity issues, and sexuality.

Top 5 R&B Albums (Overall Ranking):

1.Janelle Monáe, Dirty Computer (1)

2.Kali Uchis, Isolation (17)

3.The Weeknd, My Dear Melancholy (EP) (29)

4.Leon Bridges, Good Thing (31)

5.Black Atlass, Pain & Pleasure (37)

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Rap Album

Winner: (6) Kids See Ghosts, Kids See Ghost

Runner up: (8) Cardi B, Invasion of Privacy

Why it’s so effin awesome: The rap album category, like the alternative category, may be highly contested this year.  After a busy June 2018, the best project to come from Kanye West was KIDS SEE GHOSTS alongside Kid Cudi.  KIDS SEE GHOSTS was also the most creative, experimental, and left-of-center project of them all. The eccentricity was a match made in heaven between West/Cudi.

 

Top 10 Rap Albums (Overall):

1.Kids See Ghosts, KIDS SEE GHOSTS (6)

2.Cardi B, Invasion of Privacy (8)

3.Pusha T, DAYTONA (10)

4.Kendrick Lamar, etc., Black Panther the Album Music From and Inspired By (12)

5.Travis Scott, ASTROWORLD (19)

6.J. Cole, KOD (20)

7.Mike Shinoda, Post Traumatic (27)

8.The Carters, EVERYTHING IS LOVE (30)

9.Drake, Scorpion (41)

10.Tech N9ne, Planet (43)

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Underrated Album

Winner: (3) Ryan Beatty, Boy in Jeans

Runner up(s): (7) Ezra Furman, Transangelic Exodus; (9) Years & Years, Palo Santo; (24) YUNGBLUD, 21^st Century Liability; (44) Bishop Briggs, Church of Scars

Why it’s so effin awesome: Ryan Beatty, an openly gay, former teen-pop artist, is honest about love and sex throughout the course of his stellar debut album, Boy in Jeans. Rather than opt for a traditional modern pop album, Beatty sets himself apart from the crowd. Boy in Jeans features excellent vocals, meaningful songs encompassing important social themes, and outstanding production work.

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Best Albums of 2018 So Far

(as of August 8, 2018)

1. Janelle Monáe, Dirty Computer

2. Arctic Monkeys, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino

3. Ryan Beatty, Boy in Jeans

4. Ghost, Prequelle

5. Father John Misty, God’s Favorite Customer

6. Kids See Ghosts, Kids See Ghosts

7. Ezra Furman, Transangelic Exodus

8. Cardi B, Invasion of Privacy

9. Years & Years, Palo Santo

10. Pusha T, DAYTONA

11. MGMT, Little Dark Age

12. Kendrick Lamar, etc., Black Panther the Album Music From and Inspired By

13.Marlon Williams, Make Way for Love

14. Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes

15. Florence + The Machine, High as Hope

16. Jack White, Boarding House Reach

17. Kali Uchis, Isolation

18. BØRNS, Blue Madonna

19.Travis Scott, ASTROWORLD

20. J. Cole, KOD

21. Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour

22. George Ezra, Staying at Tamara’s

23. Cody Jinks, Lifers

24. YUNGBLUD, 21^st Century Liability

25. Lykki Li, So Sad So Sexy

26. Mike Shinoda, Post Traumatic

27. Dave Matthews Band, Come Tomorrow

28. Anderson East, Encore

29. The Weekend, My Dear Melancholy, (EP)

30. The Carters, EVERYTHING IS LOVE

31. Leon Bridges, Good Thing

32. Sofi Tukker, Treehouse

33. Yellow Claw, New Blood

34. Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Tearing at the Seams

35. Christina Aguilera, Liberation

36. Lord Huron, Vide Noir

37. Black Atlass, Pain & Pleasure

38. 5 Seconds of Summer, Youngblood

39. Gorillaz, The Now Now

40. Panic! At the Disco, Pray for the Wicked

41. Drake, Scorpion

42. Judas Priest, FIREPOWER

43. Tech N9ne, Planet

44. Bishop Briggs, Church of Scars

45. Hayley Kiyoko, Expectations

46. Kanye West, Ye

47. Toni Braxton, Sex & Cigarettes

48. Rich Brian, Amen

49. Jessie J, R.O.S.E.

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Best Albums of 2018 (So Far) Tournament! 

Also, to keep things interesting, I thought it would be fun to simulate a 49-album tournament, comprised of four regions named after the four number seeds.  Yes, it’s crazy, but who cares.  The four number one seeds are the top-four albums.  So, that means the order of no. 1 seeds by rank is Janelle Monáe, Dirty Computer, Arctic Monkeys, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, Ryan Beatty, Boy in Jeans, and Ghost, Prequelle.  Here’s the entire breakdown of seeding, as well as the brackets to show how Janelle Monáe fought her way to the championship… or something like that!

Seed	Artist	Album	Rank	Status
1	Janelle Monáe	Dirty Computer	1	Champion; W vs. 1 Arctic Monkeys (2)
1	Arctic Monkeys	Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino	2	Runner-Up; L vs. 1 Janelle Monáe (1)
1	Ryan Beatty	Boy in Jeans	3	Final Four; L vs. 1 Artic Monkeys (2)
1	Ghost	Prequelle	4	Final Four; L vs. 1 Janelle Monáe (1)
2	Father John Misty	God’s Favorite Customer	5	Elite 8; L vs. 1 Ghost (4)
2	KIDS SEE GHOSTS	KIDS SEE GHOSTS	6	Elite 8; L vs. 1 Ryan Beatty (3)
2	Ezra Furman	Transangelic Exodus	7	Elite 8; L vs. 1 Arctic Monkeys (2)
2	Cardi B	Invasion of Privacy	8	Elite 8; L vs. 1 Janelle Monáe (1)
3	Years & Years	Palo Santo	9	Sweet 16; L vs. 2 Father John Misty (5)
3	Pusha T	DAYTONA	10	Sweet 16; L vs. 2 KIDS SEE GHOSTS (6)
3	MGMT	Little Dark Age	11	Sweet 16; L vs. 2 Ezra Furman (7)
3	Kendrick Lamar, etc.	Black Panther the Album Music from and Inspired By	12	Sweet 16: L vs. 2 Cardi B (8)
4	Marlon Williams	Make Way for Love	13	Sweet 16: L vs. 1 Ghost (4)
4	Shawn Mendes	Shawn Mendes	14	Sweet 16: L vs. 1 Ryan Beatty (3)
4	Florence + The Machine	High as Hope	15	Sweet 16: L vs. 1 Arctic Monkeys (2)
4	Jack White	Boarding House Reach	16	Sweet 16: L vs. 1 Janelle Monáe (1)
5	Kali Uchis	Isolation	17	Round of 32: L to 4 Marlon Williams (13)
5	BØRNS	Blue Madonna	18	Round of 32: L to 4 Shawn Mendes (14)
5	Travis Scott	ASTROWORLD	19	Round of 32: L to 4 Florence + The Machine (15)
5	J. Cole	KOD	20	Round of 32: L to 4 Jack White (16)
6	Kacey Musgraves	Golden Hour	21	Round of 32: L to 3 Years & Years (9)
6	George Ezra	Staying at Tamara’s	22	Round of 32: L to 3 Pusha T (10)
6	Cody Jinks	Lifers	23	Round of 32: L to 3 MGMT (11)
6	YUNGBLUD	21st Century Liability	24	Round of 32: L to 3 Kendrick Lamar (12)
7	Lykke Li	So sad so sexy	25	Round of 32: L to 2 Father John Misty (5)
7	Mike Shinoda	Post Traumatic	26	Round of 32: L to 2 KIDS SEE GHOSTS (6)
7	Dave Matthews Band	Come Tomorrow	27	Round of 32: L to 2 Ezra Furman (7)
7	Anderson East	Encore	28	Round of 32: L to 2 Cardi B (8)
8	The Weeknd	My Dear Melancholy, (EP)	29	Round of 32: L vs. 1 Ghost (4)
8	The Carters	EVERYTHING IS LOVE	30	Round of 32: L vs. 1 Ryan Beatty (3)
8	Leon Bridges	Good Thing	31	Round of 32: L vs. 1 Arctic Monkeys (2)
8	Sofi Tukker	Treehouse	32	Round of 32: L vs. 1 Janelle Monáe (1)
9	Yellow Claw	New Blood	33	Round of 48; L to 8 The Weeknd (29)
9	Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats	Tearing at the Seams	34	Round of 48; L to 8 The Carters (30)
9	Christina Aguilera	Liberation	35	Round of 48; L to 8 Leon Bridges (31)
9	Lord Huron	Vide Noir	36	Round of 48; L to 8 Sofi Tukker (32)
10	Black Atlass	Pain & Pleasure	37	Round of 48; L to 7 Lykke Li (25)
10	5 Seconds of Summer	Youngblood	38	Round of 48; L to 7 Mike Shinoda (26)
10	Gorillaz	The Now Now	39	Round of 48; L to 7 Dave Matthews Band (27)
10	Panic! At the Disco	Pray for the Wicked	40	Round of 48; L to 7 Anderson East (28)
11	Drake	Scorpion	41	Round of 48; L to 6 Kacey Musgraves (21)
11	Judas Priest	FIREPOWER	42	Round of 48; L to 6 George Ezra (22)
11	Tech N9ne	Planet	43	Round of 48; L to 6 Cody Jinks (23)
11	Bishop Briggs	Church of Scars	44	Round of 48; L to 6 YUNGBLUD (24)
12	Hayley Kiyoko	Expectations	45	Round of 48; L to 5 Kali Uchis (17)
12	Kanye West	Ye	46	Round of 48; L to 5 BØRNS (18)
12	Toni Braxton	Sex & Cigarettes	47	Round of 48; L to 5 Travis Scott (19)
12	Rich Brian	Amen	48	Round of 48; L to 5 J. Cole (20)
12	Jessie J	R.O.S.E.	49	First two; L to 12 Rich Brian (48)

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The Brackets! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credits: Bad Boy, Boy in Jeans, Domino, Loma Vista, Ultra

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