Who saw this coming? Many of 2018's highly anticipated blockbuster R&B and hip hop albums have already arrived — including that mythic Jay-Z X Beyonce collab project. The stealth album continues to be a Thing. However, urban acts have also embraced economy, or concision, with The Weeknd presenting an album masquerading as an EP. Ever the gamechanger, the supposedly 'cancelled' Kanye West has orchestrated a series of micro-albums from the Wyoming wilderness — among them his own ye. (All but Harlem R&B singer Teyana Taylor's KTSE have seven tracks.) West's studio output even extinguished A$AP Rocky's much-hyped art-rap opus TESTING. But there have been major disappointments in 2018. Justin Timberlake's Man Of The Woods bewildered fans, and critics, with its deviation into Americana. Tinashe's Joyride failed to deliver on the promise of her epochal debut, Aquarius. And, again emanating from West's camp, Nas' NASIR is too slight, surfacing six years after Life Is Good. Besides, the GOAT's rep is tarnished by Kelis' allegations of domestic abuse in their marriage — something he doesn't address… So which albums are the most zeitgeist in 2018 so far?
1. VARIOUS, BLACK PANTHER THE ALBUM
Marvel's box office hit Black Panther should go down as the year's defining pop culture phenom. But Black Panther The Album, curated by Kendrick Lamar (with Top Dawg Entertainment boss Anthony Tiffith and producer Sounwave), is also trailblazing. The project isn't a soundtrack but rather a companion piece, with only three songs used in the film (All The Stars, a duet between Lamar and SZA, plays over the end credits). Indeed, in the same way that Prince personalised 1989's Batman album, Lamar explores Black Panther's macro themes of colonialism and diaspora – the MC actually channelling its central characters (notably T'Challa, the King of Wakanda, on the title-track). He's joined by an impressive ensemble cast of trans-Atlantic stars – including TDE's ScHoolboy Q, Khalid and buzz Brit Jorja Smith. Even cooler, Black Panther spotlights South African artists, such as the femcee Yugen Blakrok (eclipsing Vince Staples on Opps), Babes Wodumo (Queen of the EDM subgenre Gqom), and Sjava. Black Panther The Album spans Afro-futurism, post-trap and avant 'n' B – ranging from bangers like The Weeknd's Pray For Me to the spectral Bloody Waters, with Ab-Soul, Anderson .Paak and James Blake (!). Musical vibranium.
2. JANELLE MONAE, DIRTY COMPUTER
In promoting her third album, Dirty Computer, Janelle Monae revealed to Rolling Stone that she identifies as pansexual — being "a free-ass motherfucker". The Kansas City native originally assumed the guise of the android Cindi Mayweather for her high-concept albums. Yet Dirty Computer represents Monae's most immediately autobiographical work as she asserts herself as a black queer woman. While Monae relies on traditional instrumentation, she's as inventive as ever. Monae time travels between '80s New Wave, contemporary hip hop, and Afro-futurist psychedelia. The greatest influence on Dirty Computer is Monae's late ally Prince – who, though uncredited, contributed to the groovin' electro-funk Make Me Feel. Monae invites other auteurs into her world. Awesomely, Beach Boy Brian Wilson harmonises on Dirty Computer's prefatory title-track. The Aerosmith-sampling Pynk is accented by Grimes. Oh, and composer Jon Brion produced an interlude. Outside music, Monae has charmed Hollywood, starring in the Academy Award-winning Moonlight. And, surpassing the visual album format, she approached Dirty Computer as an "emotion picture", shooting an accompanying film.
3. CARDI B, INVASION OF PRIVACY
The hip hop scene has consistently underestimated The Bronx's Cardi B (Belcalis Almanzar) – initially because she found fame as a stripper with a huge social media base, before appearing on the reality TV series Love & Hip Hop: New York. But, like Lil' Kim, Binderella has exposed the latent sexism in hip hop. With Invasion Of Privacy, she proves herself no novel single artist. Almanzar is an authentic spitter – with LOL punchlines. Invasion Of Privacy offers more trap bangers in the Bodak Yellow mould. Nonetheless, Almanzar gets deep. On Invasion Of Privacy she opens up about relationship turmoil, while stressing her sexual liberation and economic independence, LEMONADE-style. Almanzar celebrates her Latin ancestry on the festive I Like It. Listeners will barely notice the hipster guests: Chance The Rapper, Kehlani and SZA. Currently expecting a child with 'secret' hubby Offset from Migos, Almanzar isn't touring behind Invasion Of Privacy. Mind, she is capitalising on the boom. She's featured on Jennifer Lopez's Dinero (alongside DJ Khaled) as well as Rita Ora's posse-cut Girls.
4. KIDS SEE GHOSTS, KIDS SEE GHOSTS
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Only Kanye West could identify a means to upstage himself. The second of his Wyoming Sessions endeavours, ye provided insight into West's mental health challenges (though not those controversial political matters). A week later, he dropped another album with the cult fave KiD CuDi as the super-duo KIDS SEE GHOSTS. In fact, their eponymous set is the better realised. Of course, the pair have history. West signed CuDi to GOOD Music in 2008. In recent years, the buddies had their differences, but they've rebonded. As with ye, there is a factitious, but empowering, humour to KIDS SEE GHOSTS – the combo intervening in the narratives surrounding their respective struggles with depressive illness. The two projects are interlinked by the epic Freeee (Ghost Town Pt 2) with Ty Dolla $ign. Both Yeezy and CuDi have imaginative flair. Yet the voluminous KIDS SEE GHOSTS bridges CuDi's not-so-secret fervour for rock (remember his grunge LP Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven?) and West's postmodernism. The album may have countless contributors (including Justin Vernon), but it never feels overcrowded. The finale, Cudi Montage, ironically samples Kurt Cobain's obscure Burn The Rain. Hip hop psychedelia with pathos.
5. LILY ALLEN, NO SHAME
Lily Allen might have the comeback of the year in No Shame. The Londoner faced a crisis of confidence with her last outing, 2014's Sheezus. (Her Hard Out Here video caught heat for espousing white feminism.) Allen withdrew into her creativity, cutting music with old allies like Fryars. But No Shame is her most candid LP. Allen ruminates on substance abuse, her marriage breakdown, and motherhood, while thematising modern selfhood. The opener, Come On Then, is a meta-commentary on the tabloid narratives about her. Sonically, Allen rediscovers her roots in British indie, reggae, hip hop and, crucially, hybridisation. She dips into Jamie xx-style electro-trop (Lost My Mind). More intriguingly, Allen generates her own grime-pop. The star has close connections to the grime scene, having recorded with Stormzy (plus she's dating underground MC Meridian Dan). And her synergy with Giggs on the genius Trigger Bang is legit. Above all, the dancehall banger Waste, with Lady Chann, has gotta be a single.
6. KALI UCHIS, ISOLATION
Kali Uchis (aka Karly-Marina Loaiza) has the sleeper album of 2018. The Virginian has progressively built her profile since first airing a 2012 mixtape. She's blessed songs by everyone from Gorillaz to Tyler, The Creator to Daniel Caesar. With her debut, Isolation, Loaiza modernises – and expands – lounge music. The singer/songwriter taps into her Colombian-American heritage, filtering Latin jazz into contemporary R&B. Loaiza is a canny curator (and networker), collaborating with both Damon Albarn and Tame Impala's Kevin Parker (the shoegaze disco Tomorrow). Tyrant is a Sounwave-masterminded dancehall duet with Jorja Smith. Loaiza's urban experimentation recalls neglected '90s artists like Ambersunshower, Imani Coppola and Nicole Renee. Happily, in the streaming era, she can foster an audience. Loaiza's latest single, After The Storm (featuring Tyler and Bootsy Collins), was helmed by BADBADNOTGOOD and carries an ace Pete Rock remix.
7. THE CARTERS, EVERYTHING IS LOVE
There have long been rumours of a collab album from Jay-Z and Beyonce. Some speculated that it would surface ahead of Beyonce's spectacle at Coachella – renamed Beychella. Instead the Carters surprise-released EVERYTHING IS LOVE amid their UK On The Run II Tour. The power couple have irrefutable musical chemistry – stretching back to 2002's '03 Bonnie And Clyde. The flossy EVERYTHING IS LOVE fulfils a trilogy with LEMONADE and 4:44 about their marriage, family life and wealth consolidation. It isn't necessarily innovative. EVERYTHING IS LOVE straddles Blueprint-mode soul (SUMMER, serviced by the seasoned Cool & Dre) and trap. The headnodder 713 samples Aussies Hiatus Kaiyote. The tech-trap banger APESHIT, produced by Pharrell Williams and featuring two thirds of Migos, is among the year's killer singles so far. Filmed at The Louvre, home of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Ricky Saiz' video is as symbolic as it is sublime – the Carters and their dancers claiming the museum as a black space. Amazingly, on EVERYTHING IS LOVE, Queen Bey not only outshines Jay-Z, but also out-raps him. Nevertheless, the LP is a triumph for Mr Carter. The man has previously cut transient joint albums with R Kelly (which he surely wants to forget, too!), Linkin Park and Kanye West. This stands.
8. THE WEEKND, MY DEAR MELANCHOLY,
In contrast to his elusive avant 'n' B rival Frank Ocean, The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) maintains a steady output. Prior to Coachella, the Canadian unveiled the mini-album My Dear Melancholy, – some of which was recorded in Melbourne on tour. Ostensibly the project signals Tesfaye's return to the murky underground vibes of his seminal House Of Balloons mixtape following 2016's hyper-pop Starboy. My Dear Melancholy, has a sleek electronic orientation, Tesfaye teaming with French techno don Gesaffelstein on the highlights I Was Never There and Hurt You. Oddly, IDM-type Nicolas Jaar has a writing credit for the hit Call Out My Name. But Tesfaye has inadvertently forfeited any mystique. The songs here are clearly inspired by his high-profile romances with supermodel Bella Hadid and Disney starlet Selena Gomez. TMZ illwave?
9. PUSHA-T, DAYTONA
Like Run The Jewels' Killer Mike and El-P, Pusha-T (Terrence Thornton) has defied hip hop's generationalism. In the '90s, the Virginian trapper was active in Clipse with his older brother Malice, pioneering minimalist street hustler rap. He subsequently signed as a solo act to Kanye West's GOOD Music, issuing 2013's lowkey My Name Is My Name. Two years on, West declared him President. In the interim, an Aussie augured Thornton's commercial rebirth. Curiously, dude rapped on Tim "Timomatic" Omaji's Delilah. Thornton has long touted a third album, King Push, but eventually switched to the title DAYTONA. DAYTONA was the first of West's Wyoming Sessions albums to drop. It quickly went viral – largely because Thornton savagely disses Drake for alleged ghostwriting on Infrared, but also because of its punk vanitas cover art (West splashed out to license a 2006 photo of the late Whitney Houston's disarrayed bathroom, with drug paraphernalia). Still, devoid of pretension, DAYTONA will endure for Thornton's hardcore rhymes and West's taut, sample-based beats. Thornton is the anti-cloud rapper, leaving fake MCs in a cloud of dust.
10. JORJA SMITH, LOST & FOUND
The hottest newcomer of 2018? It has to be Jorja Smith, from the UK's West Midlands. The soulstress created waves after premiering the compelling Blue Lights – a song which, sampling Dizzee Rascal's Sirens, protests racial profiling – via SoundCloud in early 2016. Drake reached out to Smith and she prominently featured on his 'playlist', More Life. Smith then won the 2018 BRITs Critics' Choice Award (following Rag'n'Bone Man). Smith's understated debut Lost & Found contemporarises the '90s neo-soul aesthetic while spanning sumptuous trip hop and classic UK garage. And, yes, it entails Blue Lights.
