Here is a list of some of the best tracks the month of February had to offer. You can find a playlist of all the best songs of 2018 on the Daily Lobo Spotify page, Daily Lobo Music.
Logic — “44 More”
Not even a year after the release of his album, “Everybody,” Logic is back with the debut single from his newest album, “Bobby Tarantino II.” “Everybody” was a prime example of where Logic lacks musically, getting carried away with trying to make music with a message and forgetting about the music itself. Logic’s work loses its ability to entertain. Thankfully on “44 More,” Logic finds his groove again, proving he can move away from socially charged music to make something purely fun.
Frank Ocean — “Moon River”
Frank Ocean takes a break from rap-influenced singles, such as “Biking” and “Chanel,” and takes a turn at covering Andy Williams’ classic song, “Moon River.” It’s not hard to imagine this song as an outtake from Frank’s 2016 “Blonde” with its high-pitched vocals and lo-fi ambiance. It easily could have fit within the track listing of the critically acclaimed album. Frank’s “Moon River” is the new rainy day anthem.
Khalid and Normani — “Love Lies”
“Love Lies” is one of the lead singles from the “Love, Simon” soundtrack. Having read the book, “Love, Simon,” this song does not seem to fit within the film, but alone the song stands strong. Khalid’s sound has progressed only a little from his work on “American Teen.” It is just a little, but it’s enough to appreciate. Normani’s voice is the real driving force behind this sweet tune. Where Khalid falls short, Normani is there to progress “Love Lies” to a higher quality.
A$AP Rocky, Gucci Mane, 21 Savage — “Cocky”
A$AP Rocky, Gucci Mane and 21 Savage all have reasons to be cocky. Each rapper coming off of a great year of music have found each other to be cocky together. Although each rapper takes time to flaunt their recent success, none outshine the others. Surprisingly, their voices sound just different enough to tell apart but similar enough to compliment each other’s flows. If you find yourself out on a drive to blow a paycheck at the retailer’s, just blast “Cocky” and spend an extra $100 or so.
SOB X RBE and Kendrick Lamar — “Paramedic!”
“Paramedic!” is at the heart of the Top Dawg Entertainment’s latest endeavor on the “Black Panther Album.” With Kendrick Lamar’s presence looming throughout the album, he takes a break from the spotlight and allows California rap collective SOB X RBE to take over for an explosive three minutes. “Paramedic!” is without question the hardest hitting song of 2018 so far.
Ravyn Lenae — “Sticky”
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“Sticky” is the leading track for Ravyn Lenae’s newest EP “Crush.” “Sticky” captures so much of Ravyn’s musical ability in one song, her lyrical genius, her Splenda-sweet voice and her ability to produce a light, quirky song that stays true to its more serious R&B roots. Ravyn has joined the ranks of SZA and Kelela as the new age of female dominated R&B.
Bret Faiyaz — “Make Luv”
Bret Faiyaz’ most recent album, “Sonder Son,” finds inspiration from The Weeknd and a hint of Kelela. The same inspirations can be found in the promotional track, “Make Luv.” Unlike The Weeknd’s angelic voice, Bret finds his personality in a raspier set of vocals. Female R&B goddesses dominated 2016 and 2017 — Bret Faiyaz is one of the first male artists in 2018 to release a quality collection of R&B jams.
Car Seat Headrest — “Bodys”
The world’s most gawky and awkward rockstar capitalized on the success of 2016’s “Teens of Denial” with a complete re-recording of his 2011 Bandcamp cult classic, “Twin Fantasy.” Every track is categorically better on this new version, especially the track, “Bodys.” Its cheeky meta lyrics combined with captivatingly ascending instrumentation creates an atmosphere that encourages the listener to both dance and cry into their pillows.
Parquet Courts — “Almost Had To Start A Fight/In And Out Of Patience”
Combine Talking Heads with Minor Threat, and you might get something close to the New York art punk band, Parquet Courts. Ahead of the release of their sixth album in May, the band dropped a track that is really two songs in one, “Almost Had To Start A Fight/In And Out Of Patience.” The jerky chord progressions of the first half flow excellently into the punchiness of the second, creating one of the more unique tracks the band has released yet. Also, the music video is absolutely insane.
Kyle Land is a news editor and music writer for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @kyleoftheland.
Colton Newman is the photo editor and a music writer for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at photo@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Coltonperson.
