ILM’s Top 77 Tracks of 2018

'Boys' and 'Powerglide' are the most enjoyable of today's rollout so far.

Sometimes it reminds me of Arthur Russell too

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, January 30, 2019 10:29 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yes! I could never quite place this.

I approve of “Powerglide”, love that song (although I haven’t played in ages)

played *it

what is that sad keen i hear in the distance?
it is the tormented wail of a bloc of aggrieved superfans crying out as one: "TOO LOW"

http://i.imgur.com/VKqR92T.jpg

23: Robyn – “Honey” – 261 points – 8 votes – 1 first place vote
video

Robyn

http://www.thesinglesjukebox.com/?p=26399

Sex-as-a-sugary-food is well-worn metaphor, but it has hardly ever sounded as sumptuous and intimate as it does here. Robyn’s continued exploration of the gooey heart of desire — equally melancholic and pornographic — may exude sex, but these golden waves also carry something else. Robyn knows there’s a sliver of sadness that accompanies abandon, and once again she manages to dig into that fraction of a state of mind and deliver four minutes of bliss. She’s giving us what we want and what we need. – Matias Taylor

Did you know “Hang With Me” is a cover? The original is an shy, intimate, almost folky love song, to which Robyn adds the “recklessly, headlessly” chorus and all that Robyn Energy: conviction via big strobing synths, turning a wallflower’s song into a big synthetic light-projection of a violet. This is what Robyn does; for a while, it seemed like it’s all Robyn did anymore. “Honey” is the closest Robyn’s gotten to that quiet draw again. She flips the conceit of The Weeknd’s “What You Need” and drains it of sleaze: the “you won’t get what you need” seems less like a neg than unguarded honesty. She gets lost in her verses, voice almost a hum, lyrics remarkably explicit but sounding more like snuggling against someone’s shoulder. Unlike “Missing You,” it evokes artists other than Robyn (most obviously Róisín Murphy), but it still sounds like nothing else in the alt-pop world, which is a goddamn achievement. – Katherine St Asaph

Too high.

*arises from lie-down* not low enough

lol xp

hey just be thankful this is likely her only placement xps

Honey is so gorgeous. That bass sounds so incredible and warm on headphones. Then those little Moments In Love vocal affects appear and I'm done. I really liked Missing U, but this blows it away.

― kitchen person, Thursday, 27 September 2018 01:22 (four months ago) Permalink

idk why i didn't vote for this

will be absurd if "missing u" or anything else from the album does better than this

The single that broke the internet ILX.

did robyn break the site? haven't been able to log in for fifteen minutes

oh I forgot about "missing u" that's almost certainly showing up

Honey is incredible. It was my #3 and I probably could have voted it #1 easily but I put a couple others ahead of it. Today I might reorder the ballot.

If another 1975 track places and Blackpink don't make it I'm changing my vote on Simon's poll.

Or possibly just taking the site down forever, heh.

Fairly sure this will be it for Robyn on this list. I voted for Because It's In The Music which has been my highlight since day one. I think I'm on my own with that one.

bass really does sound fantastic on this and it's even better coming after the preceding two tracks on the album

no way are blackpink making it though, i don't think there was much love for ddu-du ddu-du from the thread

just mercifully discovered I've left the house without my earphones

well then you don't get to enjoy this

http://i.imgur.com/SH2MpJJ.jpg

22: Eris Drew – “Hold Me (T4T Embrace Mix)” – 268 points – 9 votes – 1 first place vote
video

iso queer sprinkles-y house techno electro breaks etc

no way are blackpink making it though, i don't think there was much love for ddu-du ddu-du from the thread

But... it bangs. Almost nothing from this poll bangs. I NEED BANG.

It was hard to narrow down tracks from the Robyn album, the whole thing is very much of a piece. I thought this was the statement song and the best one, for that matter. Though I did vote for a couple others.

at a guess, this is another eight and a half minutes of exquisite minimal moodz

I like Honey more than I like the album, if that makes sense.

I liked Octo Octa better than Eris Drew. Is that pic from The Wicker Man ?

"honey" has a really excellent video

I love the 1975 but "I always wanna die" and "give yourself a try" seem a little superfluous on this list. the other two that will almost certainly place are much more my idea of the sorts of songs that should place on year-end tracks lists, and also happen to be insanely good, so buckle up ILM

also is it normal historically for there to be such a small difference in votes between the songs in the high 70s (6 votes for #77) and in the low 20s (8 votes for #23)? how was turnout this year compared to other years?

eris drew was my no. 1 vote

It was hard to narrow down tracks from the Robyn album, the whole thing is very much of a piece. I thought this was the statement song and the best one, for that matter. Though I did vote for a couple others.

― omar little, Thursday, January 31, 2019 11:18 AM (one minute ago

otm

I voted for Because It's In The Music which has been my highlight since day one. I think I'm on my own with that one.

you're not!

Turnout was up a little from last year, but last year was the all-time low, I think? Number of votes doesn't matter so much as placement, I'd imagine.

xxxp

Many many xps: I've had a cunt of a day; the Mlindo album is perfect. Thanks, ilx.

And the waves come in and they're golden
But down in the deep, the honey is sweeter
And the sun sets on the water
But down in the deep, the current is stronger

i've had that in my head a lot these past few months

xps turnout was a little up from last year but compared to last year the points haven't really started jumping yet - last year's #22 was 286 points and 11 votes for example and this year fell behind in comparison a while ago

Getting a vague Italo Kruder & Dorfmeister vibe from the Eris Drew remix. Feels nice.

It was hard to narrow down tracks from the Robyn album, the whole thing is very much of a piece. I thought this was the statement song and the best one, for that matter. Though I did vote for a couple others.

― omar little, Thursday, January 31, 2019 11:18 AM (one minute ago

otm

― Your sweetie-pie-coo-coo I love ya (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, January 31, 2019 11:21 AM (two minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

agree with this, my fav song was Send To Robyn Immediately, which I'm pretty sure I voted for

*mix rather than remix.

my robyn vote was for the album (natch) and "Between the Lines"

(and yes, i know and like "French Kiss" too)

Love “Honey”, song + album. I’ve never been a Triple A Robyn stan, but she got me this time. The album was my #5, I think.

My vote was for “baby forgive me”

i'm glad that so many are getting into the Mlindo album, wasn't expecting it to happen in this thread where he hasn't even placed though lol

and yeah "Hold Me" rules

i'm guessing "missing u" isn't showing up seeing how badly the vote must be split

Speaking of forgiveness, I forgive you for ruining the poll all of you 1975 stans.

holy shit, hold me is so good

i've always *liked* Robyn but never was 100% onboard, but this one was one i loved so much i might have to go back to her earlier work and see what i missed.

xps re: Mlindo: I know 'it's not even on RYM!' isn't a signifier of very much, but it's not even on RYM!

going back to Robyn's earlier work after Honey was disappointing, a fair few great singles but not any great albums