Merry Christmas, everyone! As you all know, 2019 is just around the corner, so there’s no better time than now to reflect on 2018 and everything that went down this year — especially when it comes to music.
2018 was full of drama, music firsts, and new artists climbing their way up the charts. From Ariana Grande to Mason Ramsey, 2018 definitely kept us on our toes. Our top ten picks for most memorable music moments of the year are:
10. Beyoncé Headlines Coachella Music Festival
Need we say more? Coachella, the California-based music festival, did not disappoint with their lineup this year. Beyoncé absolutely SLAYED her performance during both weekends back in April, and both performances will go down in history as two of her best. Other artists the festival featured included SZA,Eminem, The Weeknd, ODEZSA, and Migos.
9. Billie Eilish On The Rise
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Innovative singer-songwriter Billie Eilish has been this year’s new artist to watch. When she’s not putting out music videos where tarantulas crawl out of her mouth or black comes out of her eyes, Billie’s busy selling out her first U.S. headlining tour at only 16 years old. Definitely keep an eye on her to see what crazy stunt she pulls next.
8. Bohemian Rhapsody Film Released
Rami Malek stars as Freddie Mercury in the film biography about the Rock band from across the pond, Queen. The movie earned the prestigious title “#1 Movie In the World” a week after its release. If you haven’t seen it yet, get to it!
7. “The Greatest Showman: Reimagined” Soundtrack
The music-filled movie from 2017, The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron , was one to remember. Seriously, we’re still talking about it! Since then, however, The Greatest Showman: Reimagined LP has been released. This album features artists like Kelly Clarkson, Panic! At The Disco, P!nk, and more putting their own twist on the tracks from the original movie soundtrack.
6. Mason Ramsey, A.K.A. Walmart Yodel Boy
After a video was posted on Twitter of a young boy singing and yodeling in a Texas Walmart, Mason Ramsey‘s music career took off. His rendition of “Lovesick Blues” by Hank Williams was the start to his music career. From there, Yodel Boy signed to both Atlantic Records and Big Loud. Mason has since has released a single called “Famous,” which currently has over 35 million streams on Spotify.
5. Eminem vs. Machine Gun Kelly Rap Battle
Back in September, rappers Machine Gun Kelly and Eminem went back and forth in a rap battle. Their diss tracks started off after Eminem went after MGK on his recent album in the song “Not Alike.” From there, MGK fought back with the song “Rap Devil,” which provoked Eminem’s counter track, “Killshot.” The lesson learned here is not to talk smack about another rapper’s daughter unless you want it to turn ugly real fast.
4. K-Pop Takes Over
A new genre took over the charts in 2018, and that genre was Korean Pop. Bands including BTS and MONSTA X are just two of many K-Pop bands that have become sensations around the world. Not only did BTS perform at Citi Field, but they also sold out their show in the stadium in mere minutes! How impressive is that?!
3. Mac Miller’s Legacy Left Behind
Malcolm James McCormick, known by most as Mac Miller, unfortunately passed away last September from an accidental drug overdose. The rapper touched the lives of millions with not only his personality, but with his unique rap albums including his most recent, Swimming, which is now in the running for Best Rap Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019.
2. Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” Video
The talk of the past month has been how Ariana Grande pulled off quite possibly the best music video of the year with “Thank U, Next.” She starred alongside her friends and so many familiar faces including Kris Jenner, Troye Sivan, and Colleen Ballinger, A.K.A. Miranda Sings. In the video, Ariana referenced four classic girl-power films: Mean Girls, Bring It On, Legally Blonde, and 13 Going On 30. On top of that, she also threw in some shade — both good and bad — towards her exes, including Pete Davidson and Big Sean.
1. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in A Star is Born
Both Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper won the world over with their iconic performances in this year’s remake of A Star is Born. Who knew Bradley Cooper could sing?! On top of having grossed over $199.5M in theaters, their duet “Shallow” is currently #11 ranked song on iTunes and is being streamed by hundreds of thousands of people daily.
Featured Image: Warner Bros. Pictures
