The Best Pop Music on YouTube in 2018
A comprehensive guide to the best pop songs of 2018, including hits from Cardi B, Drake, Ariana Grande, and more.
Best Pop Songs of 2018
There are a lot of great pop songs out there, but which ones are the best? This list includes some of the best pop songs of 2018 that you can find on YouTube. All of these songs are catchy and will get you hooked after just a few listens. So, if you’re looking for some new pop music to check out, be sure to give these songs a listen.
“No Tears Left to Cry” – Ariana Grande
The song “No Tears Left to Cry” was released by Ariana Grande on April 20, 2018, as the lead single from her album Sweetener. The song debuted at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Grande’s ninth top ten single in the United States. “No Tears Left to Cry” is a pop and R&B song with a tempo of 95 beats per minute. The song is written in the key of A♭ major and Grande’s vocal range spans from F3 to E5. The song received positive reviews from critics, who praised its production and Grande’s vocal performance.
“One Kiss” – Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa
“One Kiss” is a global phenomenon. The track has been played over one billion times on Spotify, becoming the third most streamed song of 2018 so far. It’s also been a top 10 hit in more than 30 countries, including the U.S., UK, Australia, Canada, and much of Europe.
“No Brainer” – DJ Khaled
“No Brainer” is a song by American producer DJ Khaled, featuring Canadian singer Justin Bieber and American rappers Quavo and Chance the Rapper. It was released on July 27, 2018, as the lead single from Khaled’s upcoming eleventh studio album, Father of Asahd. The song peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100.
The song was written by Khaled, Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, Louis Bell, Christoph Andersson, Alec Wigdahl and Poo Bear. It was produced by Khaled and Bell. The music video was released on YouTube on July 27, 2018 and was directed by Colin Tilley.
“Havana” – Camila Cabello
“Havana” is a song recorded by Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello, featuring guest vocals from American rapper Young Thug. It was released on August 3, 2017, as the lead single from her eponymous debut studio album, Camila (2018). The song was written by Cabello, Starrah, Khalid, Ali Shuckburgh, Pharrell Williams and Andrew Watt, and produced by Frank Dukes and Watt. A tropical house track with elements of R&B and hip hop, its lyrics refer to Havana, the capital city of Cabello’s native country Cuba.
The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian Hot 100. It also topped the charts in numerous other countries including Australia, Brazil, Scotland and the United Kingdom. “Havana” became one of the best-selling songs of 2018 and has been certified multi-platinum in over ten countries. The accompanying music video was directed by Dave Meyers and shot in Cuba. It portrays a love story between Cabello and a young Cuban boy named Ronny (played by actor Jacob stumble).
The song received four nominations at the 61st Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album. At the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards it won three awards for Best Choreography, Best Collaboration and Video of the Year.
“All I Wanna Do” – Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow’s “All I Wanna Do” was one of the breakout hits of the summer of 1994, spending six weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Crow and her then-collaborators Jeff Trott and Kevin Gilbert, with Trott receiving the sole writing credit. The track was originally intended for Trott’s band Bullseye, but ultimately ended up on Sheryl Crow’s debut album Tuesday Night Music Club.
Best Pop Albums of 2018
Let’s take a look at the best pop albums of 2018. We’ll be including a mix of established artists and newcomers to the pop scene. So far, 2018 has been a great year for pop music, with a lot of catchy tunes and great albums.
“Sweetener” – Ariana Grande
Released in August 2018, “Sweetener” is the fourth studio album by American singer Ariana Grande. The album is a pop record with influences of R&B, trap, and reggae. It features guest appearances from Nicki Minaj, Pharrell Williams, and Missy Elliott. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, becoming Grande’s third number-one album in the United States.
“Reputation” – Taylor Swift
No list of the best pop albums of 2018 would be complete without “Reputation” by Taylor Swift. The first single, “…Ready for It?”, was released in August 2017 and the album quickly became one of the mostanticipated releases of the year. “Reputation” explores many different genres of music, including pop, synth-pop, electropop, and EDM. Swift also experiment with new sounds and production techniques on the album, giving it a unique sonic landscape.
The album was met with mixed reviews from critics, but that didn’t stop it from debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It also became the biggest selling album of 2018 in the United States. “Reputation” is a powerhouse pop album that is sure to stand the test of time.
“Dangerous Woman” – Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande’s album “Dangerous Woman” was one of the best pop albums of 2018. The album featured the hit singles “Dangerous Woman”, “Into You”, and “Side to Side”, all of which were massive hits on YouTube.
“Tell Me You Love Me” – Demi Lovato
The sixth studio album by Demi Lovato, “Tell Me You Love Me” was released on September 29, 2017. The lead single from the album, “Sorry Not Sorry”, peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Other popular singles from the album include “sexpositive”, “You Don’t Do It for Me Anymore”, and “No Promises”.
“Rainbow” – Kesha
“Rainbow” is the third studio album by American singer Kesha, released on August 11, 2017. The album received acclaim from music critics, with many praising Kesha’s new artistic direction. Internationally, the album peaked at number one in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, and reached the top ten in several countries including the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. In the United States, “Rainbow” debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 117,000 album-equivalent units, becoming Kesha’s third consecutive number-one album. The album was also certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
“Rainbow” was preceded by four singles: “Praying”, “Woman”, “Learn to Let Go”, and “Hymn”. All four singles reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.
Best Pop Artists of 2018
It’s no secret that YouTube has become a go-to platform for music discovery in recent years. With billions of monthly users, YouTube offers artists a massive audience for their music. And with the rise of video streaming, music videos have become more popular than ever. So, who are the best pop artists on YouTube in 2018?
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is an American singer and actress. She began her career in 2008 in the Broadway musical 13, before playing the role of Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon television series Victorious from 2010 to 2013 and in the spinoff Sam & Cat from 2013 to 2014. She has also appeared in other theatre and television roles and lent her voice to animated television and films. Grande’s music career began with the soundtrack Music from Victorious (2011). She signed a recording contract with Republic Records in 2011 and released her debut studio album, Yours Truly, in 2013, which debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200. The album’s lead single, “The Way”, debuted atop the US Billboard Hot 100.
Grande achieved worldwide success with her second studio album, My Everything (2014), becoming the first album by a female artist to debut at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart in two years. It sold 138,000 copies its first week and debuted atop the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 96,000 copies, becoming Grande’s second consecutive number-one album there. The album’s lead single “Problem”, featuring Australian rapper Iggy Azalea, peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100; it sold 467,000 copies during its first week of release in April 2014 and became one of Grande’s best-selling singles worldwide. The second single off My Everything was “Break Free”, featuring German DJ Zedd; it peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 while setting a record for the most top 10 radio hits in a single week by a female artist ever with seven debuts throughout radio formats including contemporary hit radio (CHR), adult contemporary music (AC), adult top 40 music (Adult Pop Songs) along with Rhythmic airplay chart and Mainstream Top 40 chart leading to a record breaking dance break out moment online for its official remix EDM music video co-starring choreographers Dave Scott & Tricia Miranda going viral amassing over 20 million views on YouTube within 3 months of its release date as one of YouTube’s biggest dance crazes of all time .
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter and one of the leading contemporary recording artists. She is known for narrative songs about her personal life, which have received widespread media coverage. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 14 to pursue a career in country music. She signed with the independent label Big Machine Records and became the youngest songwriter ever hired by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house. The release of Swift’s eponymous debut album in 2006 established her as a country music star. “Our Song”, her third single, made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number-one song on the Hot Country Songs chart. Swift’s second album, Fearless, was released in 2008. Buoyed by the pop crossover success of the singles “Love Story” and “You Belong with Me”, Fearless became the best-selling album of 2009 in the US. The album won four Grammy Awards, with Swift becoming the youngest Album of the Year winner.
In 2010, Taylor released her third studio album, Speak Now. It sold over one million copies in its first week, making it one of the fastest-selling albums in history. The album’s third single, “Mean”, won two Grammy Awards for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song. In 2012, Taylor released her fourth studio album Red. Its opening US sales of 1.21 million were the highest recorded for an female artist in history . Its singles “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “I Knew You Were Trouble” were worldwide hits . After Red completed a successful run throughout 2014 , she began working on her fifth studio album , 1989 , which she described as her “first documented official pop album”.
In 2016 , she won three Grammy Awards for Album of Year , Record of Year , and Best Pop Solo Performance . 1989 subsequently became one of only five albums to have sold more than 10 million copies worldwild in a single year . It debuted atop Billboard 200 – becoming her fifth consecutive number -one in United States – and produced four top 5 singles . In 2017 , she headlined Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival for two weekends …
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She made her acting debut on the children’s television series Barney & Friends as Angela. After appearing on As the Bell Rings and Sonny with a Chance, she played Mitchie Torres in Camp Rock (2008) and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010). She returned to acting with roles in Sonny with a Chance (2009–2011), So Random! (2011–2012), and El Gordo y la Flaca (2012). In addition to working on her fourth studio album, Unbroken (2011), Lovato was a judge and mentor on the American version of The X Factor in 2012.
Lovato’s fifth album, Confident (2015), peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200. Its lead single, “Cool for the Summer”, peaked at number eleven on the US Billboard Hot 100, while its second single “Confident” reached number 21. After a hiatus that lasted nearly two years, Lovato released the singles “Sorry Not Sorry” and “Tell Me You Love Me” from her sixth album Tell Me You Love Me (2017); both peaked in the top 40 of the Hot 100.
Kesha
Kesha may not have released an album in four years, but the star has been busy. In that time, she’s launched a clothing line, wrote a book, starred in a film and been nominated for three Grammy Awards. Her return to music is just as exciting with “Praying” being one of the best singles of 2017. Kesha’s new album “Rainbow” is her most personal yet and features collaborations with Eagles of Death Metal, Dolly Parton and Ben Folds.
Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez is an American singer, actress, and producer. She started her career as a child actress on the children’s television series Barney & Friends (2002–2004). In 2007, she signed a recording contract with Hollywood Records and she subsequently rose to fame as a pop star with her band Selena Gomez & the Scene. Their debut album Kiss & Tell (2009) was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the United States. Her second studio album A Year Without Rain (2010) was certified platinum in the United States and Canada. Gomez embarked on her Stars Dance Tour (2013), though it was later cancelled due to personal and health issues. In 2014, she released her solo debut studio album Stars Dance, which topped the Billboard 200 in the United States.
