'Post-truth' era: Ariana Grande to Cardi B, pop stars got personal in 2018

But the year in hip-hop will be remembered for a few striking moments: Travis Scott's single SICKO MODE, Beyonce and Jay-Z's cinematic Apeshit, and Childish Gambino's masterful This is America video

The increasingly intricate entanglement of social media celebrity and popular music demands more of artists and their private lives than ever before. But in what has been dubbed the “post-truth” era, it should perhaps come as a comfort that what 2018’s biggest artists have in common is their willingness to lay their emotions bare.

2018 was a standout year for Australian singer-songwriters, with Gold Coast native Amy Shark dominating the airwaves – and the awards.

Shark’s triumphant synth-pop album Love Monster is an exultant exhale of breath for an artist who has fought for recognition for the better part of a decade.