Host to the likes of Taylor Swift's massive Reputation, Ed Sheeran's Divide and Khalid's American Teen, pop music in 2017 quickly proved to be a tough act to follow. But just five months into the subsequent year, the field's newest acts are certainly putting up a good fight.

In 2018, new and enduring artists, alike, have put their best feet forward, and the beat of their collective march has caught on: Cardi B made a splash-and-then-some with her debut LP, Invasion of Privacy, Camila Cabello proved she can stand on her own two feet with her critically acclaimed, introductory solo album, and Courtney Barnett delivered convincing evidence that '90s grunge is still alive and well with Tell Me How You Really Feel, a warm hug for the Nirvana-devout.

There are still seven months to go before 2019 arrives, and Ariana Grande, Christina Aguilera and more pop giants have yet to unveil their latest projects. Still, PopCrush would be remiss to not honor the best of what's come so far.

Check out PopCrush's favorite albums of 2018 so far in the gallery below for a field guide to what should be blasting from your boombox this summer.

Didn’t see an album you loved on our list this year? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter!