top 40 of 2018 | 30-21

30. Kasey Musgraves - "High Horse"

Is this the first country/dance crossover since "Cotton Eye Joe"? I mean nobody saw that one coming either, but I think we're all glad it exists, right? Same here.

In all seriousness, as someone who spent three years as a country radio disc jockey and drowned every day in a sea of banal pedal steel and scooped notes, I love seeing country stars branch out and get experimental.

29. Jay Som - "O.K., Meet Me Underwater"

There's something pleasant and calming about Jay Som's music. The combination of her soft delivery and her college rock guitar progressions put my mind in a happy place. This is one of two songs she released this year that were outtakes from her full-length LP last year.

28. CHVRCHES - "Grafitti"

CHVRCHES delivers yet again with another album of just-edgy-enough-to-dance-to synthpop. This track was my instant favorite, but the keyboard progression that carries "Really Gone" is one of the best I've ever heard from any artist of any era.

27. Morgan Willis - "Beyond The Stars"

I mean, just...how awesome is this?! If you don't feel like a sci-fi hero in an early '80s made-for-TV movie while listening to this, what are you even doing, my man?!

26. Gryff - "Jessie"

This is where I give (the abbreviated version of) my semi-regular spiel about how so many modern artists who emulate '80s synthpop barely miss the mark and end up sounding more modern than they think they do (which is not necessarily a bad thing!). I don't know what they're doing down under in Aussieland to get this shit so, so, right, but add Gryff to the list of Aussie synthwave artists who absolutely, convincingly nails this sound. (A list which, incidentally, previously only included my buddy Absinth3.)

25. Chris Huggett & Parallels - "Golden"

Some more flawless synthwave here from either a guy who's been in the synth game a long time or a nerd who has very carefully chosen his stage name and Parallels, who are kind of OG's in the synthwave scene. Seriously, if you like this stuff, check out their first two albums. This track is 1986 beach driving perfection.

24. Confidence Man - "Boyfriend"

I heard this one in the movie To All The Boys I Loved Before, co-starring America's 2018 boyfriend, Noah Centineo. It's the kind of thing that makes you want to peacock around and maybe kick someone's ass in the process.

23. The Midnight - "Lost Boy"

The lead single from their fourth full-length LP shows New York's The Midnight growing ever more confident and owning the hell out of the synthwave sound. They definitely win my "Favorite Album Art of the Year" award for this one too!

22. Hayley Kiyoko ft. Kehlani - "What I Need"

It's really great to see some queer representation in pop that isn't a cis white gay dude or a riot grrl lesbian (not that I don't absolutely love both of those things, but diversity is nice)! This is an absolute dancefloor decimator -- just listen to that synth bass!

21. Soccer Mommy - "Cool"

To fully appreciate this one, you have to listen to it the entire way through. You'll be fooled at first as I was that it's just an average midtempo alt rock song, but in its last 30 seconds, it does something so bizarre and unsettling that really makes it burrow into your psyche. I didn't really appreciate how influenced by '90s alt rock these folks were until watching the music video, either.