August has been a month filled with promises that couldn't be kept. Many big names (Mac Miller, YG, Nicki Minaj) dropped projects that just came and went. Others (Travis Scott, Ariana Grande, Eminem) were able to live up to the hype or at least put out solid albums. Here are all 10 August releases and the top 10 songs of the month ranked.
Part 1: Every Release Ranked From Worst to Best
10. Mac Miller - Swimming
Release Date: August 3
Rating: 3/10
Swimming was one of the last albums I've reviewed on this site. If you've seen it, forget everything you read. This album was awful, but there's a reason why I thought it was okay at first. I initially thought that Mac seemed more emotional and vulnerable and it seemed like he put together a solid release. However, when I finished it, I never thought about it or even wanted to listen to it again. If I listen to an album that I thought was okay and never want to go back to it, was it good? The answer to that question is no. Looking back on it, this is probably the most boring album Mac has ever made. Every song is about a minute too long, the singing is comically mediocre, the production is dreary and lifeless, and it just feels like a whole lot of nothing. This album is the equivalent to empty calories. It's 50 minutes of filler and nothing more.
Singles
What's the Use? [Kinda groovy but the hook is the only good part.]
Self Care [The only enjoyable track if we're being honest.]
Small Worlds [The worst of his 3 May singles. I get it in the context of this album but it's still awful.]
Best Tracks [read "Most Tolerable"]
Hurt Feelings
Conversation Pt. 1
2009
Worst Track
Small Worlds
9. YG - Stay Dangerous
Release Date: August 3
Rating: 3 or 4/10 who cares anyway
Man, what the fuck happened to YG? He was on pace to be one of the best rappers on the west coast. Still Brazy is an album that will be looked at as a West Coast classic in the coming years. Compared to Brazy, Dangerous is a shitpile. It's funny that this album is called Stay Dangerous because this album is anything but dangerous. Virtually no risks were taken and YG relied more on appealing to the mainstream and bringing back DJ Mustard's stale production. His raps have even fallen off too as he drops so many questionable bars and even plays duck, duck, goose at one point. This album was disappointing beyond belief.
Singles
Handgun - feat. A$AP Rocky [aka the Duck, Duck, Goose song]
Suu Whoop [Meh]
Big Bank - feat. 2 Chainz x Big Sean x Nicki Minaj [One of the better tracks on here.]
Best Tracks
Can't Get In Kanada
666 - feat. YoungBoy Never Broke Again [The only genuinely great non-single. I'll elaborate later.]
Too Brazy - feat. Mozzy
Worst Track
Too Cocky
8. Comethazine - Bawskee
Release Date: August 24
Rating: What's the point/10
Seriously, why the fuck did I listen to this? It's not that it's terrible, it's that it's some of the most generic and forgettable shit I've heard this year. I previously listed Comethazine on my last daily post, 10 Rappers I Strongly Dislike, because I feel nothing when I listen to him. I listened to this and still felt nothing. There's nothing more to say than that.
I'm not bothering with the other sections here.
7. Young Thug & Young Stoner Life Records - Slime Language
Release Date: August 17
Rating: 5/10
If there's anything Young Thug did with this release, it was disappoint. This is probably the most generic and safe album Young Thug has ever made. I used to think that Young Thug was one of rap's most unique personalities and ever since JEFFERY, Thugger has just been...well, meh. On top of having to endure a neutered version of Thug, we also have to endure his YSL friends, who are basically just generic, one-dimensional clones of Young Thug himself. I forgot about most of this compilation, and it's safe to say that I won't be going back to it. It's also safe to say that Young Thug has fallen off HARD and probably won't get back to the same level as he used to be.
Best Tracks
Gain Clout
Chanel (Go Get It) - feat. Gunna x Lil Baby
It's a Slime - feat. Lil Uzi Vert
Worst Track
Oh Yeah - feat. HiDoraah [Basically a "Family Don't Matter" retread without the novelty that made that song good in the first place.]
6. Nicki Minaj - Queen
Release Date: August 10
Rating: 5/10
Boy, has Nicki Minaj fallen off a cliff mentally...and musically. This album may have been a return to rap but it suffers from inconsistency and ego. It's too long, there's too much filler, and the better cuts can barely save this. I would also like to point out that Nicki Minaj has gone absolutely crazy. She has turned to Donald Trump levels of delusion trying to convince people into thinking that her album was number one. First of all, the numbers don't lie, Travis had the #1 spot when you released this album. Second of all, you still sold 185K copies. You should be grateful for those numbers when you're dropping an album for the first time in 4 years. I used to like Nicki Minaj. I got into hip-hop through her music, and she still holds a special place in my heart because of it. But after this whole debacle, I am no longer a fan.
Singles
Rich Sex - feat. Lil Wayne [Boring track that would be even worse without Wayne.]
Bed - feat. Ariana Grande [I have a soft spot for this song. It's catchy and fun.]
Chun-Li [FOR THE LAST TIME, NICKI, CHUN LI WAS NOT A BAD GUY.]
Best Tracks
Majesty - feat. Eminem x Labrinth
Barbie Dreams
Chun Swae - feat. Swae Lee
LLC
Worst Track
Thought I Knew You - feat. The Weeknd
5. Trippie Redd - Life's a Trip
Release Date: August 10
Score: 6/10
This was the last album I've officially reviewed on this site and I'm gonna say that I treated this release way too harshly. This wasn't a great album, but I still thought it was pretty good. Most of the cuts were enjoyable, it felt more consistent, and I felt kind of satisfied when I finished it. I was expecting more of a shitshow given this album's rollout if we're being honest. Is there any progression on this album? Not really. Did this feel more like a cohesive and consistent project than either Love Letter to You? Absolutely. Trippie's singing is still unbearable at points, but there's still some kind of charm about it. Overall, Life's a Trip was pretty okay.
Singles
Taking a Walk [Trippie's XO Tour Llife. Not that there's anything wrong with it.]
Wish - with Diplo [A vast improvement over the original.]
How You Feel [Boring rock song.]
Dark Knight Dummo - feat. Travis Scott [One of Trippie's best songs. Such a banger.]
Uka Uka [It's solid.]
Best Tracks
Missing My Idols
Oomp's Revenge
Gore
Worst Track
Underwater FlyZone
4. Amine - ONEPOINTFIVE
Release Date: August 17
Rating: 7/10
Judging from the cover, you might have gone into this expecting some chill music. You were correct to assume that. I missed Amine. He was one of my favorite up-and-comers last year and it's a shame he's probably gonna go down as a one-hit-wonder with "Caroline." His 2017 album, Good For You, was one of my favorite projects of 2017, and he delivered with some more great music throughout this album. I'd say it's on the same caliber as his 2017 release as Amine delivers more of what makes him unique from other young rappers.
Best Tracks
Dr. Whoever
Reel It In
DapperDan - feat. G Herbo
Worst Track
STFU2
3. Ariana Grande - Sweetener
Release Date: August 17
Rating: 7/10
It's been a while since we've had a great pop album. A lot of pop superstars have either been silent or have been delivering some really underwhelming music. Thankfully, Ariana is not one of them. The vocal performances throughout this album are better than ever, the production is fantastic, and most of all, it feels like pop perfection in every way. I'm thankful Ariana's keeping pop music alive.
Singles
The Light Is Coming - feat. Nicki Minaj [The best of the three singles by far. Pharrell on production can do no wrong.]
God Is a Woman [Gets better with every listen.]
No Tears Left to Cry [Didn't like this one. Had me worried that she fell off.]
Best Tracks
Blazed - feat. Pharrell Williams
R.E.M
Sweetener
Goodnight N Go
Worst Track
Breathin
2. Eminem - Kamikaze
Release Date: August 31
Rating: 7/10
You have no idea how relieved I was when I heard Eminem's surprise album yesterday morning. It would have been really hard to top Revival in terms of sheer awfulness and unlistenability, but I was still skeptical given his track record this decade. Even with his performances on the "Chloraseptic Remix" and "Caterpillar," I still had a reason to think that this would disappoint. Thank Christ it didn't. Eminem went back to his roots and lashed out at everyone. He didn't try to go for broader appeal by recruiting pop singers. He didn't go to Rick Rubin for yet another awful and tasteless classic rock sample. He didn't drag the runtime with a bunch of tracks filled to the brim with dad joke-tier bars. He went back to hip-hop. That was what the fans wanted and by God, he did it. I've been skeptical for the past few years based on whether or not Eminem still has it. This is, without a doubt, the best album that Eminem has released this decade.
Best Tracks
Lucky You - feat. Joyner Lucas
Not Alike - feat. Royce Da 5'9"
Kamikaze
Nice Guy / Good Guy - feat. Jessie Reyez
Worst Track
Normal
1. Travis Scott - Astroworld
Release Date: August 3
Rating: 8/10
You know what? I'm gonna say it. Astroworld lived up to the hype. You wanna know why people didn't think so? Because they don't know how to keep reasonable expectations. I've learned in the past that when an artist is following up on a really good album, you should not expect that same caliber, but something close to it. Travis may not be able to make an album of the same caliber of greatness as Rodeo, but this album is certainly the closest he will get to it at the moment. I never expected another Rodeo. What I wanted was a mix between that album's creativity and the broad appeal of Birds. In that aspect, Travis did a great job with it. The production sounds amazing and fresh throughout, the atmospheric vibe is still here, and Travis' vocal performance was amazing. Is this a perfect album? No, it was a few tracks too long. Is this the best album of 2018? Also no. Is this ONE OF the best albums of 2018? Absofuckinglutely.
Singles
Butterfly Effect [How did this single make the album and not "Watch?" At least that song mentioned Astroworld.]
Best Tracks
Stargazing
Sicko Mode - feat. Drake x Swae Lee x Big Hawk
Stop Trying to Be God - feat. Kid Cudi x Philip Bailey x James Blake x Stevie Wonder
Wake Up - feat. The Weeknd
5% Tint
Houstonfornication
Worst Track
Yosemite - feat. Gunna x NAV [RIP quiet NAV memes. They fixed the audio.]
Part 2: Top 10 Songs
Just warning you, half of this top 10 involves Travis Scott in some capacity. If you don't like him or Astroworld, you're not gonna like this list. It's my opinion. Sorry.
10. Diplo feat. Trippie Redd - Wish [Trippie Mix]
From: Life's a Trip [for the Trippie Mix], California EP [for the original]
Release Date: March 23
"Wish" is a pretty old song at this point, but my criteria when making these monthly lists is that it must be a song that I found this month and it had to have come out in 2018. Technically, the song that I'm referencing here was finally given CDQ this month on Trippie Redd's debut studio album Life's a Trip. The Trippie Mix was the leaked version of this song. The difference between this and the version that made Diplo's California EP is that the Tippie mix included more background vocal effects and the singing sounded more raw and broad. It's a small difference, but it also has a major impact on the emotions that this song invokes. For that reason, I think the Trippie Mix of "Wish" blows the original out of the water.
9. Travis Scott - Part Time
From: Travis' Beats 1 show: .WAV Radio [Song available on YouTube and SoundCloud.]
Release Date: August 3
After releasing Astroworld, Travis Scott brought back his .WAV show on Apple Music for the first time in what felt like ages. After releasing Birds, Travis started this show and had released a few loosies that didn't make the album such as "The Hooch" and "Black Mass." On his post-Astroworld episode, he released "Houdini," which features a guest appearance from Playboi Carti, "Zoom," which features a guest appearance from Gunna, and this song. It's only 90 seconds long, but every second is glorious. The piano loop throughout the track is infectious and catchy and Travis rides it in the best way possible. I'm sad we didn't get a longer, more finished version of this track. It would have fit perfectly on the album.
8. Sheck Wes - Chippi Chippi
From: Sheck's upcoming debut project [MUDBOY]
Release Date: April 19
If you haven't heard of Sheck Wes, let me tell you about him. Sheck Wes is a signee to Travis Scott's label Cactus Jack Records. He came onto the scene this year with his track "Mo Bamba," which shouts out his childhood friend and current Orlando Magic rookie Mohamed Bamba. If that song hadn't come out in 2017, I would have put it at #1 on one of these lists because that song is an absolute banger. What I like about Sheck Wes the most is his pure hype and energy as well as his "BITCH!" ad-lib. The reason why this song is on here is that just this past week, he released a video for it, which he shot at Hawaii while Travis was making Astroworld. This song is more of the same from Sheck, which is raw hype and energy over a banging trap beat. I love it.
7. Amine - Reel It In
From: ONEPOINTFIVE
Release Date: August 15
This was my favorite track from Amine's latest project. In my opinion, this song is a great example of what makes Amine stand out. His fun personality oozes into the music as he delivers a great chill song, perfect for a late night drive.
6. Nicki Minaj feat. Swae Lee - Chun Swae
From: Queen
Release Date: August 10
I still have mixed feelings about the album and Nicki Minaj in general, but I can say that I absolutely love this song. Sure, it's kinda long and didn't need that outro at the end, but it's such an enjoyable tune. Metro Boomin came out of hiding to make the beat and did a fantastic job here. Swae Lee stole the show with yet another catchy hook and once again finds a way to make the high-pitched vocals work. Nicki had some pretty solid verses, too.
5. YG feat. YoungBoy Never Broke Again - 666
From: Stay Dangerous
Release Date: August 3
Stay Dangerous may have been a disappointing step down for YG, but I'm at least glad we got this track out of it. Out of the many songs in the tracklist, the only one that I found myself going back to was this one. For starters, this was one of the few tracks that weren't produced by DJ Mustard, so it certainly had that advantage. This track also had one of the few hooks that I thought were catchy. I was also surprised by YoungBoy Never Broke Again's appearance. I don't really like him and I still think he's one of the most one-dimensional emcees out there, but he went off on his verse here. I also used to hate the spoken word outro from Alchemist but it's grown on me quite a bit. "666" is basically a diamond in the rough and I highly recommend checking this one out.
4. Travis Scott - 5% Tint
From: Astroworld
Release Date: August 3
A lot of people think this is the low point of Astroworld and I have no idea why. This song is amazing. FKi 1st killed it on production as he seamlessly combines piano, bass, and trap drums to make one of the catchiest beats on the album. Travis delivers one of the best hooks on the album and flows incredibly well on this track. The outro is also really spooky and definitely fits the vibe of the album.
3. Eminem feat. Royce Da 5'9" - Not Alike
From: Kamikaze
Release Date: August 31
This was my personal favorite cut from Em's surprise project. I could never imagine a reality where Eminem is hopping on a track produced by both Tay Keith and Ronny J, as Eminem usually opts for a different style than them. I found it really funny how Tay Keith, the producer behind the song Eminem is parodying (Look Alive), was willing to make this beat for Em. He and Royce still have undeniably great chemistry on this track as they throw shots at the current scene and we even get this diss at Machine Gun Kelly:
"But next time you don't gotta use Tech N9ne / If you wanna come at me with a sub-machine gun / And I'm talkin' to you, but you already know who the fuck you are, Kelly"
2. Travis Scott feat. Drake x Swae Lee x Big Hawk - Sicko Mode
From: Astroworld
Release Date: August 3
This song is an absolute ride all the way through with not one, but TWO beat switches. It's a fast amusement park ride that feels like it never stops, in a good way of course! What keeps it from being the best song on the album for me is the fact that they didn't use the first beat (Drake's intro) long enough. Outside of that, this song is near perfect. Travis and Drake have great chemistry with each other throughout the track. I also found Drake's line about using Xanax properly to be a hilarious subversion of expectations. It's a fun song that goes by too quickly despite its five-minute runtime. However, it doesn't come close to this next tune...
1. Travis Scott feat. Kid Cudi x Philip Bailey x James Blake x Stevie Wonder - Stop Trying to Be God
From: Astroworld
Release Date: August 3
"Stop Trying to Be God" is, without question, the best song on Astroworld. There are so many elements to this track that somehow mesh together very well. Travis' crooning, Cudi's signature hums, Stevie Wonder's harmonica, and James Blake's outro all combine to make one beautiful masterpiece of a song. It's five minutes of pure beauty that seems too good to be true. "Stop Trying to Be God" is one of the best songs of 2018 and is a top 5 song in Travis' discography, hands down.
