Is it too late to share my favorite pieces of art released in 2018?

Only if you’re a conformist sheep.

Jokes aside, I totally understand why most major outlets strive to be the first out of the gate wrapping up the year that was: #Clicks. Their consumers customers readers want to start reflecting on the last 365 days before those 365 days are up. Because, once the ball drops, it’s on to the next one. And how are they supposed to know what to watch or listen to without year-ending “Best Of” lists from trusted sources?

Not that I’m a trusted source, but I prefer to approach the topic differently. Rather than rushing to be the first on the scene, I’d rather wait until I consume everything I want to; the deadlines imposed on my critical peers often force them to finish their lists before crossing off their biggest misses.

But, more importantly, this patience affords me more time to digest, and thus process, everything, in themselves, in relation to each other, and to the whole year; how art settles in your consciousness is often just as important as your initial reaction, which recency bias can often taint.

In the days and weeks ahead, I’ll be covering my 2018 favorites in the worlds of music, film, and live theatre. These lists should not be considered “final”; I’m still changing them, which I would continue to do if given unlimited time. So keep in mind they’re merely a snapshot of my taste, and hopefully of the entirety of 2018, right now, mere days after we put a bow on a year that, though it may not have felt like a present, still offered ample artistic gifts.

My lists dedicated to each of the aforementioned mediums will be divided into a plethora of individual posts organized around different themes, (over)stuffed with my commentary.

Let the rankings commence!