My Favorite EPs of 2018

Here is my list of my personal top EPs of 2018

You can find my separate list for top albums of 2018 here.

My Previous monthly lists from 2018: January , February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

My list last year for my top EPs of 2017 can be found here.

*Indicates someone I saw live in 2018

The Best:

Amber Mark - Conexão Genre: R&B / Soul

I fell in love with Amber’s music on her debut EP last year. Working as her own producer on her solo efforts Amber can craft such beautiful melodies that scream Sadé influences. Also that was a bit of low hanging fruit as there’s a Sadé cover on this very EP, but the similarities of the smooth R&B with some exotic influences sprinkled in still remain. Mark also has a talent for writing beautiful and soul wrenching songs that can really resonate with anyone. It’s still early in the journey of Amber Mark’s career but you can bet I will personally be paying attention to it every step.

Proof: Conexão / Love Me Right / All the Work // Bonus: Put You On (Feat. DRAM) /  Love Me Right (Sarz Remix)

Cautious Clay - Blood Type / Resonance Genre: R&B / Indie Pop

Cleveland born singer Cautious Clay has an eclectic vibe to his R&B music. Taking inspiration and sounds from Indie Pop, Electronic music and subtle Jazz notes. His voice is both laid back and controlled, yet still confident and in command. The result is a laid back and smooth listen with pockets of bursting emotion. There’s hints of influences from the likes of Toro y Moi, Tank, Kid Cudi & Blood Orange, yet still very unique in its own right as well.

Proof: Blood Type / Cold War / Elsewhere // French Riviera / Call Me / Crowned // Bonus: REASONS

Frankie Simone* - LOVE//WARRIOR Genre: Synth-Pop / Electronic

Hailing from my hometown, Portland, Oregon, Frankie Simone bursts on with this confident and empowering debut. Proud of her sexuality, Frankie makes music about being and loving yourself she wants to be anthems for anyone needing the support. I would suggest anyone seeing her live if she’s in your town. The brooding energy from the tracks translates well to performances in-person as she glides along the stage interviewing with her talented team of dancers (one of them being her wife) she travels with. Also when she blows up you can smugly say you've known about her from the beginning.

Proof: War Paint / Blow My Mind / Love You Just The Same

Gryffin - Gravity, Pt. 1 Genre: Electronic / Dance

Gryffin's career as an electronic producer has been quite an accelerated accent. With his debut single coming out in 2016, Gryffin has shot up the ladder with his carefully orchestrated and melodically evocative atmospheres he’s able to create within his music. He has shown his upbringing as a classically trained pianist can translate across genres, despelling the notion Electronic music is all plasticity. The crown jewel of this EP is the opener “Nobody Compares to You”, which for me is one of the most beautiful and emotionally impacting songs in Electronic music over the last few years.

Proof: Nobody Compares to You (Feat. Katie Perlman) / Remember (Feat. ZOHARA) / You Remind Me (Feat. Stanaj) // Bonus: Nobody Compares To You (Tyzo Bloom Remix)

Khalid - Suncity Genre: Pop / R&B

The accent for Khalid has been deservingly expedited. With his debut last year, Khalid was discovered as a talent for the masses. He has shown how his emotive, soulful voice can really adapt and thrive in diverse environments with his many features over the year. Whether it’s a hook on a hip hop song, feature on an electronic producer’s track or a R&B/Pop duet, Khalid has become a major sought after collaborator. Khalid didn’t want to keep his fans waiting too long for some solo work; dropping this EP less than 20 months after his debut. Despite the short length of this project I do see a progression in his music from his album. Khalid seems to be gaining confidence and his work is showing. Khalid’s music always was able to convey deep emotion but tracks like “Better” or “Vertigo” have a bit more of a “bite” then anything on American Teen. If you’re tired of his name already, I’d suggest getting used to it, he’s not going away any time soon.

Proof: Vertigo / Saturday Nights / Better // Bonus: Love Lies (w/ Normani) / Martin Garrix - Ocean (Feat. Khalid) / Khalid - OTW (Feat. 6LACK & Ty Dolla $ign) / Better (noclue? Remix)

Louis The Child - Kids At Play Genre: Electronic / Dance

American producing duo are continuing their swift climb up the ranks with their second EP and boy is it a buoyant and euphoric project. Louis The Child’s sounds is like ODESZA and Madeon’s music mated creating a unique mixture of melodic elements with a human hand audibly visible manipulating the track. The melody is created then processed and masterfully ripped apart to create a new overall composition. Kids At Play is a solar system of youthful energy and expression that you can’t help but get up and dance to.

Proof: Breaking News (Feat. RAYE) / Better Not (Feat. Wafia) / LOVE (Elohim)

Rationale - High Hopes Genre: alt-R&B / Pop

For the first EP following up his glorious debut album of 2017, Rationale takes a more mid to high tempo approach. High Hopes is a bit more dancey of an album then his self titled album released just 14 months before. The tremendous voice is still the main actor front and center in the whole vibrant ensemble.

Proof: Explosions / High Hopes / One By One

Seven Lions - Start Again Genre: Electronic / Dance / Trance

I will never forget where I was when I first heard the song “Start Again” and the goosebumps inducing drop 2:30 into the song. I almost broke my damn neck. American DJ Seven Lions has long been one of my favorite artists in Electronic music and 2018 was quite the busy year for him. There were multiple one-off singles released throughout the year; with this four song soirée EP with singer Fiora (featured in all songs) was the only true project released in the year by Seven Lions. Start Again is a pretty diverse offering for only four tracks with the more mellow “Let Go”, to the heavy dubstep influenced “After Dark” collaboration with Blastoyz. The euphoric “Dreaming” is one of my favorite Seven Lions song of all time. But the true moment is the first time you hear Seven literally go ape shit on a track the EP shares it’s name with. The Bonus section is full of some of the many other releases by Seven Lions this year including the elating and and mesmerizing “First Time”.

Proof: Start Again (Feat. Fiora) / After Dark (w/ Blastoyz Feat. Fiora) / Dreamin’ (Feat. Fiora) // Bonus: Calling You Home (Feat. Runn) / Ocean (w. Jason Ross Feat. Jonathan Mendelsohn) / Horizon (w/ Tritonal & Kill The Noise Feat. HALIENE) / First Time (w/ SLANDER & Dabin Feat. Dylan Matthew)

Shallou* - Souls Genre: Electronic / Future Bass

Shallou’s melodic and delicate electronic music is not as boisterous as a lot of its genre peers but is no-less worth your attention. Shallou’s chill environments utilize his keyboard riffs in a way that bring life to his ambient style. Featured singers pop up and enhance the emotions circulating in the world Shallou constructs. If you look at my top played songs in 2018 I would bet the beautiful and heart wrenching “Lie” would be in the top five.

Proof: You and Me / Find ( w/ Kasbo Feat. Cody Lovaas) / Lie (Feat. Riah) // Bonus: count on (Feat. Colin) / Lie (Le Youth Remix) Feat. Riah

The Weeknd - My Dear Melancholy, Genre: alt-R&B

In a way The Weeknd is partly responsible for this blogs inception. I found The Weeknd’s mysterious music when Drake posted on his blog a link to the House of Balloons Mixtape. I found out The Weeknd has his own blog and from that blog I found out about Lana Del Rey when he posted her original (and now deleted from YouTube) video for “Video Games”. That couple month period finding two new musical obsessions led to the inspiration for me to make this very blog. Since then, The Weeknd has been probably the most featured artists on my year end lists. With this EP, The Weeknd returns more to his mixtape and Kiss Land beginnings. Divulging a bit the more pop oriented sounds on the previous two albums. This is a regression I am personally all for. I appreciated the progression and exploration in his music but my favorite Abel is definitely the hazy and low lit aura I was first introduced to him by.

Proof: Call Out My Name / Wasted Times / Hurt You (Feat. Gesaffelstien)