A Long Delayed List of My Favorite Albums of 2021
The Pandemic Is Over Guys! We Did It! (Part One)
So this is four or five months overdue. I wish I could give you a good excuse as to why, but I don’t need to. The truth is, writing about music has taken a backseat to my main passion, which is comics and cartooning. I still listen to music, of course, but most of my days have been spent more on continuing my own webcomic series, Young, Dumb & Queer, or working on school projects building up my resume of mini-comics that I can hopefully turn into a career in the future. I did try to write this list though, I just got too ambitious for the second year in a row. I for some reason thought I could revisit all 100 albums on my shortlist and write extensive reviews on all of them as if that doesn’t make listening to music a chore rather than a passion. I guess I just tend to overthink when it comes to my writing. Both in reviewing and even in my own creative work. A lot of it stems from my autism, which makes expressing my feelings into words really difficult without reiterating my point in different ways until one of them finally hits. My dialogue can be redundant and wordy, sometimes I stretch my thoughts on something because I worry I’m not being clear enough. If you ever heard me talk in real life, you’ll know I sometimes really struggle to catch up with my own words simply because my brain isn’t fast enough to process everything I say. Even now I’m still talking in circles because I’m just not sure when to stop and be satisfied with what I write.
This list is obviously to share my favorite albums of the year, but also an exercise to say less with every entry. I have some long tangents, but they’re reserved for the albums I’m most passionate about. And hopefully, I can carry this more succinct writing style with me into the rest of the year. Because I honestly doubt that many people are going to care about another person’s album list this far into 2022. But fuck it. I love writing. I love music. I love writing about music. This is for me.
Fantastic Albums Worth Checking Out
Shelley FKA DRAM by Shelley
The rapper formerly known as DRAM has reinvented himself as Shelley, an R&B crooner who wants to soundtrack your sex life. You still get the old DRAM’s brand of goofy optimism, but Shelley takes more advantage of his voice as he sings his heart out over some beautiful instrumentation. I can tell Shelley enjoyed making this album more than he did Big Baby DRAM, yet still holds a soft spot for that era of his career. The sheer love and passion of this album is what kept it in my mind as the summer went on. It’s a huge shame this album’s rollout was horrifically botched by label bullshit. Here’s hoping Shelley’s next album can sail smoother waters.
Best Song: “The Lay Down” ft. H.E.R. & watt
= (Equals) by Ed Sheeran
Will my Ed Sheeran fanaticism ever end? Probably not until people start recognizing him as one of the greatest pop songwriters of our time. Equals manages to take Plus’ thoughtful lyricism and Divide’s instrumental variety and refines them to a more settled, but no less ambitious sound. Ed Sheeran makes some of his best pop material here, but his ballads still shine above the rest with some great reflections on fatherhood and learning to strive on his own rather than depending on others to do it for him. I know it’s silly to try and defend a superstar like Ed Sheeran, but he deserves more credit than the music critic scene is willing to give him.
Best Song: “Visiting Hours”
Time, Tequila, & Therapy by Old Dominion
No one else is going to sing this album’s praises but me, but I’m okay with that. Old Dominion has quietly become a comfort band of mine. They may not shoot for the stars, but they’re happy to reside in their own little corner and bring home some nice beach jams to relax in. They have their cheeky side, but they’re mostly just here to live every day like it’s their last. It’s what makes me so drawn to their saccharine wide smiles, and it reminds me that I don’t have to think too hard about life to enjoy it. Just let the moment sink in and take you over.
Best Song: “No Hard Feelings”
Magic Mirror by Pearl Charles
One of my earliest favorites of the year. A pop album that hops between ABBA-influenced disco pop to the soft yearnings of windswept pop-country. This album is full of doubt, but its spirit is as confident as it can be, delivering some of the tightest hooks and most quietly gorgeous ballads in pop music this year. It’s understated, but it’s an album that keeps your attention all the way through. Pure bliss is found within deep insecurity.
Best Song: “Only For Tonight”
MONTERO by Lil Nas X
A lot of people (maliciously) tried to justify the idea that Lil Nas X was a one-hit-wonder, but Montero debunks that label with ease. Not just by continuing to give Lil Nas X massive, world-conquering hits, but by giving him the space to express his creative, ambitious, queer vision. He creates the kind of pop music that’s modern while still giving his influences their flowers. If nothing else, Montero is uniquely… well, Montero. He carves an identity and presentation that is all his own, and it succeeds with flying pride-flavored colors. Truly a triumph in pop music this year, and the start of a fruitful career for Lil Nas X.
Best Song: “INDUSTRY BABY” ft. Jack Harlow
Fearless/Red (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift
I put these two together because they’re representative of the same idea. Revisiting albums of the past and recreating the magic. Fearless is a straightforward update with cleaner production and a more refined voice out of Taylor herself. Red, is a reflection of what used to be, growing from the past and looking back with mature eyes. Both albums in my eyes exceed the originals in most areas, as they signal the growth Taylor has had since she first made them. That artistic progression is something that has always fascinated me as a fan of both Taylor and art derived from personal experience as a whole. The bonus tracks on each album are excellent too!
Best Song: “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)”
… and Again Into The Light by Panopticon
A victory screech if I’d ever heard one. What makes ... and Again Into The Light such a cathartic listen is that it feels like the epilogue of its own story. Making it out of the darkness and finding yourself in a moment of peace. In a way, the screams and blasts of metal on this album feel like letting whatever demons remain inside of you fly out into the burning sunset. And the softer moments with mandolin, fiddle, and steel guitar is the optimism you’ve been waiting to feel your entire life.
Best Song: “Rope Burn Exit”
Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
A soft reflection perfect for the winter season. It’s less theatrical than Elbow’s usual work, but I was always drawn to their more melancholic side, and the mix of piano footsteps and string arrangements made for one of the prettiest albums I’ve heard this year. It’s an album whose atmosphere you can easily sink into and get lost in its soft, reflective words.
Best Song: “Flying Dream 1”
Scaled And Icy by twenty one pilots
A controversial pick, sure, but I could have easily put AJR on here instead so count your blessings. Still, Scaled And Icy got a lot of shit from their fanbase that in retrospect wasn’t deserved. It features some of the band’s tightest hooks and most engaging lyrics, showing the growth of Tyler Joseph as a father and even growing up a bit from the lessons he learned on Blurryface. Plus, this brand of bright pop-rock is a really good fit for twenty one pilots, and spawned some of their best ever songs that even surpass some of Trench! It deserves another chance.
Best Song: “Shy Away”
SoulFly by Rod Wave
Content Warning: Themes of substance abuse and depression
2021 was the year I became a Rod Wave fan. I’ll happily call him the leading talent of the trap soul genre, with an incredible voice that soars across a sea of pianos and guitars. Does it run a bit long? Sure, but there’s also little here I’d really cut out. Rod Wave is so insanely good at what he does, and it makes every song feel as rewarding as the last. From here on out, I can see Rod Wave perfecting his formula and delivering an even better album in the near future. I for one can’t wait to hear it.
Best Song: “Street Runner”
Inner Coasts by SUNDAYS
Bandcamp’s folk group champions deliver yet another fantastic album that took a moment to grow on me and swept me away when it got there. Though instead of the more whimsical moments of flight on their debut, this album dwells on the floating melancholy of a broken relationship. One that was good for neither of them, yet SUNDAYS still bring their trademark earnestness that’s admittedly a little manipulative, but so brutally honest that leaves little room for toxicity. The truth is just a paraphrase after all.
Best Song: “Take Me Home”
Scenic Drive (The Tape) by Khalid
Khalid has to be one of the most underrated pop stars we’ve gotten in recent memory. The guy has a great ear for hooks and moods, and Scenic Drive may be Khalid at his absolute best. A tight half-hour of nighttime driving songs that dwell in the dark blue sky and deliver some smooth, catchy R&B that’s impossible to put down. Some of Khalid’s best-ever performances thrive in this EP’s atmosphere, and he finally nailed a production style that suits him best and keeps the project consistent. He’s dropping a full album this year, and I can’t wait to see him make something even better!
Best Song: “Voicemail” ft. Kiana Léde
t.i.a.p.f.y.h. by Left At London
Content Warning: Themes of substance abuse and mental health issues
Watching Left At London grow as an artist has been a fascinating journey, and I think she hit something special with her first full-length album. One that spirals and crawls within its own walls, yet still finds moments of unbridled euphoria that give Nat a reason to keep on living. “Pills & Good Advice” is the opus that introduces the album, but every song afterward is just as good reflecting on how society stigmatizes mental illness and how Nat is able to cope with the fact that she’s inherently broken. But who said being broken had to be a bad thing?
Best Song: “The Ballad of Marion Zioncheck”
I Don’t Live Here Anymore by War On Drugs
War On Drugs deliver their most straightforward album thus far, yet it still hits all the anthemic, hair-blowing moments that make this band’s albums so special. A difficult journey of learning to move on from a divorce, charting your own path, and letting go of past emotions that have an iron grip on you. But hell if you’re going to let it stop you from becoming your best self, with or without the person you thought you loved. I became a fan of this band this year, and I can’t wait to be floored again by whatever they make next.
Best Song: “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” ft. Lucius
THE BOOK by YOASOBI
Will YOASOBI ever live up to the sheer brilliance of “Racing Into The Night”? Maybe not, but if it means remaking that song for the rest of their career, we’re still in for some of the most vibrant and theatrical j-pop you’ll ever hear. An album full of racing pianos, a vocalist who loves every song she sings with a burning passion, and key changes out the wazoo that even at their most predictable still send you through an indescribable high. This act will never stop getting hits in Japan, and they deserve every ounce of success they’ve earned.
Best Song: “Racing Into The Night”
Draw Down The Moon by Foxing
A frantic, explosive, lovesick album that rides the wave of guitars and experimental melodies to deliver some of the band’s best hooks and most emotional moments. Not as ambitious as Nearer My God, but I’d argue its tighter compositions and feverish energy make it an even better listen, as the focus shifts to the pure, unstable emotions that color Conner Murphy’s continued crisis. But it’s a crisis that makes it through the other side even stronger than before.
Best Song: “Where The Lightning Strikes Twice”
Hall Of Fame by Polo G
Content Warning: Themes of black death, substance abuse and police brutality
This is how it sounds when you’re winning. A bleak album that revels in violence, luxury, and personal turmoil just to cope with the emptiness of fame and the residual trauma Polo G experiences on a daily basis. It’s too long and inconsistent, sure, but the songs themselves are some of Polo G’s best, and there’s honestly not that much I would willingly cut from the album without losing some true hidden gems. I saw his potential in 2020, and I was thrilled to see it grow even further in 2021.
Best Song: “RAPSTAR”
Formula Of Love: O+T=<3 by TWICE
A k-pop group after my own heart. Sugary-sweet, flashy and colorful, cutesy and fun, and full of hooks that get stuck in your head for days. There are a lot of members in this group, and yet, it feels like everyone contributes to the song in their own unique way, whether that’s through joyous singing or enthusiastic rapping. The whole album is a burst of happiness from start to finish, and I never tire of these girls and their love of music.
Best Song: “The Feels”
29: Written In Stone by Carly Pearce
A rough marriage that ended as soon as it began, the loss of a friend, and the general disaster that is 2020 led Carly Pearce to reflect on her life past the supposed “golden years” and make the most of it. She’ll lash out at her ex, cry about her ex, find new love or yearn for something more, but her life has only just begun. The pivot to more traditional production does wonders for her voice, and her writing has leveled up exponentially since the previous year. I just wish the industry would see that and reward her for it with more than just empty awards. The people see her value, why can’t you?
Best Song: “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” ft. Ashley McBryde
Heart & Soul by Eric Church
Perhaps a triple album was a bold choice for someone reaching a modern renaissance like Eric Church. Maybe it is a huge shame you can only hear the & EP through an exclusive fan club or using less legal means. But is it worth it? As a fan, I’d say so. Heart, &, and Soul are the best aspects of Eric Church packed into three wonderful projects. With a fiery spirit, a wise sense of storytelling, and occasionally a mix of both, these are some of the best songs Eric Church has ever made, and every album stuck with me since the day they came out. Give & a listen the day it releases publicly.
Best Song: “Doing Life With Me”
& will be released on all platforms August 19th.
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert by Little Simz
No word to describe this album other than “triumph”. A grandiose adventure through Little Simz as a person, exploring her introversion and generational trauma backed up by explosive instrumentation and electric rapping. It’s honest, vulnerable, and victorious in Little Simz’s growth as an artist and a person. Even with an album full of insecurity and doubt, Little Simz charges in with full confidence, and the results are magnificent.
Best Song: “Standing Ovation”
Jubilee by Japanese Breakfast
The big critical darling of the year, and for damn good reason. While Japanese Breakfast keeps true to her shoegaze roots with blazing atmospheres and dreamy landscapes, the addition of tighter grooves and bigger hooks made for one of the best-sounding albums of the year. The shimmering synths and guitars over her blissfully sweet voice is joyous, sexy, and passionate as these songs take you through a journey of recovery and self-preservation. Euphoric from beginning to end.
Best Song: “Be Sweet”
Push Back by Jetty Bones
Content Warning: Themes of suicide and depression
Jetty Bones should be on the radar of every Paramore fan I know. Delivering a similar sense of charming, yet concerning pop jams about insecurity and self-sabotage. The album gets dark in spite of its cheerful, theater-kid-like energy, but it’s one that comes from a place of healing and processing. She’s a work in progress, but she’s farther along than she was in the past. And that makes even this album’s darkest moments feel that much more resonant.
Best Song: “Taking Up Space”
The Horses And The Hounds by James McMurtry
An old soul kicks things up a notch through a more accessible album exploring themes of long-lost love, political unrest, and just trying to make it out alive in an unforgiving world. The production is more fierce and galloping, with anthemic hooks and rolling grooves to keep you hooked from beginning to end, and a grand sense of romance you can’t get from someone younger and less experienced. Who says you’re too old to have that sense of adventure?
Best Song: “Canola Fields”
Voice Of The Heroes by Lil Durk & Lil Baby
Content Warning: Themes of black death, police brutality and depression
Lil Durk is the voice, the one who speaks for the streets and makes their struggle known to the masses. Lil Baby is the hero, the one who made it out and made unprecedented success while giving back to the community that raised him. Together they make a dynamite duo that celebrates their community while also sharing the trauma that comes with growing up in impoverished, unprotected neighborhoods. It’s the culmination of trap music exploring its roots in poverty and systemic injustice, and hopefully a rallying cry for better days and fewer losses.
Best Song: “Rich Off Pain” ft. Rod Wave
Bullseye by Charli Adams
Charli Adams is frequently lost in a haze, but she still searches for moments of bliss that give her a reason to make it out the other side. Bullseye is sad, but its melancholy is its greatest strength. In tapping into those frozen emotions, it bursts with life and finds euphoria in proclaiming to the world, “I’m fucking sad”. You’ll find great moments of joy in between great moments of sadness.
Best Song: “Seventeen Again” ft. Novo Amor
Long Time Coming by Sierra Ferrell
The last album I listened to for this list, and one I don’t regret seeking out. Sierra Ferrell has an incredible voice, one that yodels across each track with so much spirit and passion that you get swept up in the swimming acoustic guitars and shimmering horns, immersing yourself in the saloon fight this album could likely soundtrack one day. It’s fantastic work, and I’m glad I got to this in time before I finalized my list.
Best Song: “Bells Of Every Chapel” ft. Billy Strings
Flight by Tenant From Zero
A twinkling airplane in the night sky. Softly soaring among the clouds to pinkish sophistipop with excellent hooks and an even better atmosphere. Listening to this album is a dream, one that achieves great heights while also stewing in its lows. One of the most underrated albums you definitely haven’t heard, but absolutely need to.
Best Song: “The End Away”
GLOW ON by Turnstile
A room-shattering, relentless banger of an album with hooks for days. Some of the most fun I’ve ever had with a rock album, and one that shows a lot of promise and potential that’s already reaching great heights. This deserves to rule the airwaves and cement these guys as future rock legends.
Best Song: “WILD WRLD”
How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last? by Big Red Machine
Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner team up to make a folk album for the ages. One that blends the organic beauty of folk with the mysterious experiments of electronica and creates a quiet storm of melancholic whimsy, full of complicated emotions and soft yearning. The perfect soundtrack for your brisk fall day.
Best Song: “Phoenix” ft. Fleet Foxes & Anais Mitchell
20-11
One To Grow On by Mike and The Moonpies
Mike and the Moonpies make country music that’s almost too perfect. The band is so unbelievably talented that no matter how you feel about their reliance on honky tonk nostalgia, you’ll be mesmerized by the gorgeous tuning of their instruments, immersing you in the incredible sounds of steel and electric guitar. It sounds like a cowboy out on the range wearing flashy leather frills with the floor covered in sand and dirt, and it’s a sound that I adore listening to above all else. Sure, the band has some great instincts on writing heartbreak anthems and lower class, bar-hopping jams. But I came back to this album so frequently because I just adored the way it sounded. Pure country bliss in a tight, half-hour package.
Best Song: “Hour On The Hour”
The Girls Are Back In Town by Chapel Hart
In a year where it was more important than ever to give country artists of color their overdue flowers, Chapel Hart stood out to me as one of the brightest new talents in indie country. A trio of women singing their songs of heartbreak and self-assured confidence. They’ll treat you kindly, but they won’t let you step over them. They’re as fun and rowdy as they are heartfelt and passionate, and it’s that passion that really moved me during their personal ballads and explosive barnburners. But what puts this group over the edge for me are their vocal harmonies. When all three vocalists come together to sing a hook, it’s a sound that captivated me in a way I haven’t felt from a group since… fuck, Zac Brown Band? Truly something to behold.
Best Song: “Jacqui’s Song”
Pink Planet by Pink Sweat$
The first thing that stood out to me about Pink Planet was its album cover. The shade of pink that colors the planet itself along with the pale blue of its skyline is the perfect image to summarize this album. A moment of relaxation, where the stress and pressure of our current world is too much to bear, and our only solace is this quiet planet made for looking good and feeling good. It’s an album that coasts on vibes, sure, but it’s exactly those vibes that made it so easy to come back to this album all throughout my summer. Pink Sweat$ knows when to let the bliss of falling in love settle in and capture the moment, but also when it’s time to treat yourself and show off in your own little way. It’s a long album to be sure, but in its greatest moments, you sink into the pink cloud beneath you and let yourself get lost in those liquid guitars and slick bass grooves. It’s nice.
Best Song: “Lows”
Smiling With No Teeth by Genesis Owusu
An album that defies genre, but instead of rejecting it, it chooses to celebrate it. Genesis Owusu dips his toes in the styles of soul, R&B, hip-hop, pop, and even rock and somehow manages to knock it out of the park for all of them. The creativity on display blew my mind the first time I heard this album. So many songs with indescribable sounds and personalities, yet every single one sounded incredible and packed with charm! The black dogs within Owusu represent his constant struggle to stay optimistic and happy as the weight of prejudice and doomerism guide his every move. Nothing on this album sounds real, which is, unfortunately, the most real thing about it. It’s not a pessimistic album, not entirely. But it’s one so worn down and defeated that the mask oftentimes slips away and Owusu finds himself more lost than ever. Still, he keeps going. He has to. Even if it’s for no one but himself. Particularly resonant in 2021, where after the worst year imaginable, the hope that this year would be better had died slowly and painfully. But we’re still here, and we’re still smiling. That’s gotta be worth something.
Best Song: “Don’t Need You”
Stand For Myself by Yola
I just need you all to know that I’ve been championing Yola since 2019. I’ve been waiting for the day she got her big break, and I’m thrilled that not only is the public starting to pay attention, but she did so with an album that surpassed her already spectacular debut. Though Walk Through Fire was more a rootsy country folk affair, Stand For Myself goes for a vintage soul sound while the country Americana elements lie more within the album’s themes and lyrics. This is an album that fights for the lower class who are constantly exploited by the 1%. It’s one that invites those barely getting by to find a moment to celebrate and build the courage to speak up for themselves. They deserve to be taken seriously, and Yola’s infectious charm is enough to get you onboard without a second thought. If there’s any reason to listen to this album, it’s for Yola herself who delivers a star-making performance all throughout. She has a tremendous voice that can hit incredible highs, which are as impressive in the soulful ballads as they are the jaunty jukebox jams where her energy really comes through. There isn’t a dull moment on Stand For Myself. It’s an album I knew was special from the moment I heard it, and I’m thrilled to see that enthusiasm spread across the music landscape!
Best Song: “Diamond Studded Shoes”
I LIE HERE BURIED IN MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES by Backxwash
Content Warning: Themes of suicide, depression, substance abuse and intense sound
Backxwash wowed me last year with her tremendous breakthrough album, God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It. I’m thrilled to say that she not only topped that album this year, but brought her own artistry to new heights that thrill me to see unfold! A suffocating nightmare you never wake up from, I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES is easily the darkest and heaviest album on my list. Backxwash’s brand of industrial metal and hip-hop is near perfected with terrifying instrumentals that match the screams of terror plauged throughout the album. Backxwash’s pained verses and explosive rapping find her in the midst of her darkest moments. The thoughts that run through her head as she grows ever closer to ending it all as the world tells her over and over again that she isn’t worth it. The systems that fail her and her friends and leave her stranded for dead, even after the promise of protection and support from those very same people. Backxwash has reassured her fans that despite the heavy implications of suicide and self-harm on this album, she’s perfectly fine and has moved past those feelings. She hopes that echoing those thoughts can bring catharsis to her audience who may be going through the same feelings of betrayal and anxiety that she goes through on this album. And sure, they’re dark thoughts, but I see it as a way of letting your demons fester out in the open. The scream into your pillow that just so happens to sound like the souls of the damned. It’s horrifying, but once they all quiet down, you feel just that little bit better.
Best Song: “BURN TO ASHES” ft. Michael Go
All The Unknown by Grandbrothers
All The Unknown is a neverending series of doors that lead you into a whole other world. Grandbrothers are the kings of piano-driven ambiance, and this is easily their best work to date. The compositions on this album always leave me speechless, especially hearing them all come together into one massive universe of crawling pianos and clicking percussion. Every new instrument feels like a discovery, every new melody feels like an epiphany. You can practically envision the world these songs create just off of the brilliant crescendos and atmosphere that they carefully cultivate. I almost don’t even want to describe these songs. It’s the kind of album where when you listen and really sink into it, you get it. This album is an hour long, but it never feels that way. Every song blends so seamlessly into one another, and by the time the album ends, you’re left unsure of where to go next. Everything after that just seems so boring. That kind of magic can only be achieved through melody-driven ambiance, and it’s why every time I find a gem in that lane, I make sure to make it known what a fucking marvel it is.
Best Song: “Black Frost”
Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine by Brockhampton
Content Warning: Themes of suicide and family turmoil
On some level, it’s hard to believe Brockhampton are actually going to break up. They’ve pulled the “final album” bit like, what, three times? But I feel like it’s different this time around. I think this album is part of why I think this might really be the end. It’s probably the least Brockhampton album to date, with guest stars taking up the mantle, the members being given less to do outside their given songs, Kevin and JOBA having their own arcs about lost family relationships and the fact that this was their biggest gap between albums to date for an otherwise consistent output. You’d think after “SUGAR” managed to become a mainstream hit, they’d lean more in that pop direction and build their fanbase even bigger. But I’m honestly glad they went in this more experimental, surreal direction. It’s easily the most unique album they’ve ever made, and these songs show an evolution in their style that feels as familiar as it is fresh and innovative. I would have been happy with an album full of songs like “COUNT ON ME”, but the fact that we got a little bit of everything that made Brockhampton’s past albums great with practically no duds made this quickly become my favorite Brockhampton album next to iridescence. It truly felt like Brockhampton hit their stride between replayable bangers and emotional gut punches and found a way to embrace that light while keeping both feet on the ground. If this really is the end, I’m glad they’re able to go out on their own terms.
Best Song: “WHAT’S THE OCCASION?”
Beautiful Ghosts by Unreqvited
I feel like every time I include a metal album on these lists, they feel almost token. It’s evidently a genre I’m not very knowledgeable in, and the albums I do latch on to are extremely niche and only appeal to very specific sensibilities of mine. In this case, Beautiful Ghosts appeals to my love of symphonic metal and making music that sounds borderline mythological. It manages to keep the intensity of metal while still having all the space in the world to flesh out some truly incredible melodies and crescendos. Listening to this album always makes me feel like the music is literally blowing me away. Like, I can feel my hair fly back and my skin press against my skull as the glorious symphony of guitars, strings, and choir bursts into a supernova of music. It sounds massive, in a way that’s as awesome as it is genuinely beautiful. This album finds its moments to slow down and really let the mood settle in, but every time it comes back to those massive compositions, it’s a treat to listen to from front to back. It’s to the point where I hate having to pause it or get distracted by something else because I just live in that moment so perfectly that I never want to leave. I haven’t had a metal album click with me this hard since Saor’s Guardians. Honestly? This might be better!
Best Song: “Funeral Pyre”
For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her by McKinley Dixon
Content warning: Themes of suicide, black death, and police brutality.
It’s easy to feel helpless when the world is constantly reminding you that you’re always in danger. McKinley Dixon knows this, for he’s fallen into that trap many, many times, and likely will continue to do so in the future. It’s an inherent part of the black experience as a whole, especially if you live in impoverished places where you’re less protected and more likely to be at risk of your bloodline getting cut short. Yet, when McKinley Dixon processes this cycle of death, it doesn’t feel hopeless. If anything, this album is celebratory, with some of the best jazz rap production I’ve ever heard and a rapper with an insane flow that can blitz through even the toughest beats with ease. You have so much fun with this album that you almost forget how bleak it can be. Under all those horns and saxophones and wickedly creative flows, the whole album is just a constant run from the looming threat of death, trying not to cave in to that helplessness I mentioned earlier. McKinley Dixon knows that inevitability is just part of survival. He never lets that fear get the best of him though, because even at his lowest moments, he finds those connections within his community and little moments of ritual that keep the spirit of those he lost alive. And that sense of unity is what makes these already awesome songs even more resonant.
Best Song: “Never Will Know” ft. Micah James & Gold Midas
The Top 10
SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo
The teenage girl who defined 2021. It’s really not that hard to figure out why Olivia Rodrigo became music’s biggest phenomenon this year. It’s teenage angst that transcends its own age, primarily because it’s angst we never outgrew. It’s comforting to hear someone so young put into words all the anxieties and insecurities that plagued us over the past several years as we try to “make it” as adults in a broken world. It really is brutal out here, and at the end of the day, what teenagers and young adults have in common is that we’re living the supposed best years of our lives miserable and hung up on breakups that scar us. It’s why I feel categorizing SOUR as “immature” would be missing the point. Its immaturity is the appeal, because we’re so lost and confused about what we’re “supposed” to do for our lives that all we can do is vent out those feelings and try to sort this shit out ourselves. Olivia dwells on her breakup because it’s the heaviest weight on her already massive pile of insecurity. Because what does it say about her that this guy not only left her for someone else but turned out to be a better person for it? What if that means she’s not good enough? What do these other girls have that she doesn’t? It’s a constant crisis that never finds a satisfying solution because she’s a teenager. She’s still figuring herself out and learning from these experiences, but in that moment, it still feels like the biggest deal in the world. That’s what makes these songs hit so hard. No matter how minuscule her personal problems are, they’re important to her, and she’s going to lash out at them all she wants. I know a lot of people my age and older say this, but I really do wonder what I could have learned from this album if it came out in my teenage years. When my romantic failures were the most important thing in my life, but I never let myself admit that. Maybe I would have learned to process it a little better.
Best Song: “good 4 u”
Cast-Iron Pansexual by Adeem The Artist
Adeem the Artist begins this album by not coming out. When you’re well into your journey as an adult and have settled down with a wife and child, it almost seems unnecessary. But it’s still an inherent part of you. It’s part of your history and your identity, so it’s good to embrace it and treat that part of yourself as, well a part of you. Yet, in a strange way, Adeem The Artist still had to come out with this project. Their pansexuality is very set in stone, with many songs detailing the queer missed connections they experienced and how their place as a queer person with a deep love of the South and its culture can find equal ground with one another. This album is bursting with empathy, for itself and others who may be headed down a darker path. Even when this album gets political, it never feels like it comes from a place of anger or distrust. If anything, it comes from wanting better out of the people they meet. It’s not their fault they fell down this rabbit hole. The capitalist systems that encourage that behavior is what leads them down a path they can never recover from. Or if they can, it’s one full of road bumps and dead ends that make it easy to give up and conform. Adeem is restless, even in their quiet and kind words. Because they know what it’s like to feel like an outsider in an unjust world. Not just for their pansexuality, but their gender as well. That’s where this album is at its strongest in my eyes. The exploration of gender expression and the relationship one has between their masculinity and their femininity. Adeem resents the masculinity that’s been at the forefront of their expression for too long, but internalized misogyny has kept them from fully embracing that feminine side as well. It even affects their relationships, never being feminine enough for the boys they like. Yet, they never had the words to describe this feeling of limbo until now. They never came out as pansexual… but maybe they do have to come out as non-binary. It’s an album plagued by its past, and by the end, Adeem is desperate to fix all the trauma they endured through this one revelation, but ultimately what’s important is that they know where they are now. This is where the past is the past, and the present of being a non-binary, pansexual, Southern parent is what truly matters.
Best Song: “Fervent For The Hunger”
Home Video by Lucy Dacus
They say nothing matters when you’re young, but is that really true? When you look back at the stuff you did when you were a teenager or when you were in high school, there’s a part of you that wants to cringe. You made stupid, emotional decisions. You trusted people you shouldn’t have, leading them to damage you in ways you didn’t understand until you got older. But there’s still something magical about those little moments that made you feel alive, isn’t there? The use of the home video as imagery for this album is frankly brilliant. Because the memories Lucy Dacus explores really do feel like relics of a time you’re no longer familiar with. Yet, you still feel them just as strongly today as you did back then. Seeing someone you love and admire go through a bad relationship and wanting them to get out, the first time you had sex with someone and how awkward and performative it was in retrospect, your developing taste in men and how much of it came from twisted expectations of relationships that in retrospect were never healthy. Hell, go a step further, and you’ll find that the admiration you had for the women in your life stemmed from your inner desire to be with them. Lucy Dacus is full of baggage, and almost everything she unpacks is met with a bemused smirk. Remembering where you were in that very moment and being glad you’re past it. That, or ruminating on what could have gone better during an otherwise traumatic moment. It’s fun to laugh at songs like “Brando” and “First Time”, but a memory like “Thumbs” is all too real to make light of. Growing up is hard, and it’s not like Lucy is free from all the insecurity and bad decisions that plague this album. It’s why I feel like the album’s ending is so powerful to me. It’s the one memory that’s altered for Lucy’s own benefit. Falling in love with her best friend and imagining what could have been had they defied her parents and ran away together. They’d probably die out there, but the genuine love they shared with one another would have been worth it. That’s what she likes to think anyway. It feels better than what’s really on that tape.
Best Song: “Brando”
Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish
Content Warning: Themes of grooming and imbalanced sexual dynamics
Fun fact! This is the exact same placement I gave to WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? on that year’s list! I guess it makes sense. I adore both albums the same amount, but both for extremely different reasons. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP is an album full of hits, but Happier Than Ever is much more of an album experience. It chronicles the aftermath of Billie Eilish’s life after her career blowup and breaking out of an abusive relationship. She’s “happier than ever”, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s happy. Billie has been forced to grow up too fast. Already worn out by the many stresses of life that came with shitty relationships and becoming a public figure despite being a private person. As such, you don’t get the same dark, mischievous energy from the previous album. Instead, you get a version of Billie that’s more reserved, more reflective, more sensual. Yet FINNEAS is still able to give her the space to let her voice speak louder than the production, which still finds a tremendous balance of chaos and elegance that’s perfect for this listless album. It’s strange. This album is full of highs and moments of catharsis, but it never feels all that satisfying. Every moment of levity almost feels abortive, bringing us right back to the dark reality of fame and coming out of a relationship that traumatized you in unforgivable ways. Telling off that ex in a playful song like “Lost Cause” is fun, but eventually, you have to have the conversation that “Your Power” confronts. The fact that Billie had been with someone significantly older than her while she was still a teenager, and all the ways that power dynamic has traumatized her and her future relationships. Even if she lashes out and forever burns that bridge on the title track, it’s still followed by the sad realization that she still has feelings for him. She’s so desperate to feel that intimacy again, but what does it say about her when that feeling came from someone she can’t go back to? I had this album lower on the list initially, but as I procrastinated writing this list, I kept thinking about this album and how potent it is as an album. The strange feeling of being happier than you were before, but still worn down by past trauma. It’s something that I think I experienced very recently. I never went through something as awful as Billie did, but it is weird when you do get that burst of happiness and celebration, only for those feelings to linger beside you when the party’s over.
Best Songs: “Happier Than Ever”
star-crossed by Kacey Musgraves
Part of me wants to be mad that this album came and went from the public’s mind so quickly, but I can’t say I’m surprised. I think everyone has this specific expectation for Kacey Musgraves that this album never quite delivered on. The pop fans who came from stan Twitter wanted more pop songs that sounded just country enough that they can tweet cowboy emojis while listening to it. The country fans who had been there since Same Trailer, Different Park were hoping she’d return to country music and maybe make something less mainstream. Then, when Kacey divorced Ruston Kelly, the very reason Golden Hour was so full of love and optimism, there was a new expectation of how she was going to address that divorce. Was it an amicable split? Did something happen? Are we going to have to cancel Ruston Kelly like we will eventually do with Jake Gyllenhaal? The answer to both those questions are… unsatisfying. On purpose. The production is considerably more pop, but it’s not the kind of pop music that sounds like “High Horse”. It’s not happy and sad at the same time, it’s in a bizarre middle ground where neither emotion could fully develop. To put it another way… it’s complicated. I kind of see this album as trying to rediscover that feeling that Golden Hour bore so brightly, but failing at every turn as Ruston’s flaws became more and more apparent. Kacey wants to be supportive and patient with him, but she also learns that there’s only so much of his bullshit she can take before it starts feeling like she’s babysitting him. Then again, she knows not to step on his toes too much because of his own depression and trauma. Does that really justify the moments he acts out against her though? You don’t need to know about Ruston Kelly’s story to enjoy this album, but it makes the complicated feelings she has towards him all the more clear. They’re both troubled people who fell in love during a honeymoon bliss, and now that the high has settled down, they realized the balance is off. Ruston’s instability is too much for someone like Kacey to bear, thus she has to break off the relationship she thought was the final stage in her romantic history. But Kacey also hates being lonely. She can’t get into hookup culture and she’s too attached to past memories to find it within someone else, at least not yet. But ultimately she realizes before she can dedicate her heart to someone else the same way again, she has to build that relationship with herself. Thus, the conflicted, emotionally stunted production begins to brighten, and that same bliss she felt in the Golden Hour days comes back in full force. I can’t blame anyone for calling this Kacey’s weakest album, I certainly agree, but I also think this album got a really unfair shake from people unwilling to engage with the process of grief this album goes through. Kacey didn’t make this to break into the pop scene or to return to what other people feel is her “true calling”. She made this for herself. I hope it helped her get through one of the hardest periods of her life.
Best Song: “hookup scene”
American Siren by Emily Scott Robinson
Emily Scott Robinson should be on everyone’s radar. If you missed out on her brilliant 2019 album Travelling Mercies, you need to listen to American Siren. Once again, Emily proves that she’s one of the most talented songwriters and vocalists you will hear in any genre. Her voice is soft and kind, yet her words are cutting. You can tell she’s been through a lot of hurt, but her warm heart always shines through in even her darkest moments. American Siren is Emily taking her music a step further. Each character in her story seems to be going through some revelation. It’s a revelation that shatters the preconceived notions of America and learning to break from traditions that hold you down. Not that there’s anything wrong with those traditions. Emily has a love for the culture she grew up with that makes this album’s homeliness so appealing. But there’s numerous times throughout the album where Emily asks herself if this life of settling down is really worth it. What if there’s more for her to explore out there, and the traditional family values she always searched for limits her from realizing that? This isn’t an explicitly political album, but it is a radical one. It can tell the tale of an affair between a married woman and a priest and see it as a blessing. It will take the idea of the veteran hero and expose the endless turmoil that surviving war at such a young age will plague you with. Escaping the expectations of submissive femininity and learning there’s more out there for you than the life you chose. It’s not that surprising to learn that Emily herself had gone through a divorce during the release of this album. But just like the album, it chooses not to see that divorce as a failure, rather as the end of a chapter in her life as she learns to further explore the path she walks. It’s celebratory, even in the moments where it all feels like too much. It’s that sense of certainty that makes even the gravest decisions on this album so inspiring. On top of being a gorgeous album, it’s an inspiring one. One that asks you to not only take that next step but take several more. Embrace the stumbles if you have to. You’ll find your way.
Best Song: “If Trouble Comes A Lookin’”
nurture by Porter Robinson
I wasn’t around for the Worlds phenomenon. I wasn’t quite into music the way I am now, and I’m not a regular concert goer to begin with. I feel like that’s why I always liked, but never loved Worlds despite it being an album that literally changed my friends’ lives. I think that just means that nurture became that album for me. An album that inspires me as a creative to keep working and make something that truly makes me happy, no matter the expectations. Porter Robinson spent years making this album, and the process was halted by sky-high expectations and a terrible depression that made Porter doubt his own art. Ironically, what kept the ball rolling on this follow-up was that self-doubt. It’s one of those albums about its own process, where the love of music drives the story, yet it’s that same love that overwhelms this album and leaves Porter wondering if he’s way in over his head. If nothing else, you get the impression that Porter’s art is painfully sincere. He bears his soul out to his audience through shifting voices and explosive drops. But this album is quieter compared to what came before it. More moments of ambience and calm. In between the massive crescendos and flashing lights, Porter gives himself a moment to rest through very sweet, unassuming songs that simply exercise different melodies and progressions that are just as engaging as the bigger moments of brevity. Listening to this album gets me genuinely emotional. I wasn’t sure why at first. Obviously, it’s a gorgeous album with some of the most emotionally satisfying melodies I’ve ever heard on an electronic and even pop album, but I think there’s more to that. I think it’s because this album is so unapologetically earnest that I feel every emotion Porter puts into his art. His honest apologies over taking so long and feeling like his mental health issues are a burden to the people who look up to him. Putting so much value in the music that he neglects his own happiness. But thanks to the support of his fans and his now fiancé, he finds the strength to finally finish this album and not worry about whether or not it lives up to the hype. It’s a weight off his back that he still loves with all his heart. That dedication to your craft is something that’s genuinely moving to me as I go one to chart my own creative path. This was the year I created and released “Young, Dumb & Queer” after all. That comic is my baby the same way nurture is to Porter.
Best Song: “Look At The Sky”
CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST by Tyler The Creator
I genuinely didn’t think he could top IGOR. It’s an album that screams “magnum opus”, bearing a production style all its own and concluding Tyler’s many-year arc of coming to terms with his sexuality and expression through a more honest, flamboyant lens. I guess in all fairness, the only way to follow up your narrative-driven album is to make one with smaller stakes. But for those smaller stakes to be exactly what Tyler needed to not only perfect his craft even further but build upon the themes established on IGOR and make one of the quintessential summer albums of all time? That’s the mark of a visionary. CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST is a love story as much as it is a vacation. He recruits DJ Drama to host the album and keep the energy going, the same way he did on so many mixtapes before this. I know a few people felt like he distracted from the music, but if anything, I think he only made me more immersed in the experience. It’s as if Tyler, me, and DJ Drama are all going on a big expedition all over the world, experiencing luxury I could only dream of. Tyler’s production on this album is summer. Every song shines bright like the sun on a clear day, and through all of Tyler’s bars and hopes of winning over this girl who’s already taken, we’re treated to some truly inventive and gorgeous instrumentals that no one else could replicate. But above all the literal glitz and glamour at the forefront of this album, I’d argue its greatest strength is once again the story at the center of it. You get a succinct summary of the story early on; Tyler meets a girl he finds a connection with, but she’s dating someone else. Yet, Tyler keeps chasing that connection, playing the long game and inviting her to all these vacation days to see if maybe he’d become the priority over her boyfriend. Ultimately, it doesn’t work, and Tyler’s persistence ends up damaging what was otherwise a great friendship. Tyler finds it hard to really accept that he fucked up, which is why so much of this album sounds like it’s trying to brush off those feelings of guilt. But going further and further into the story exposes that the luxury Tyler surrounds himself with isn’t enough to fulfill his loneliness, and eventually he decides to stop the festivities and tell the story straight. At some point, you have to accept that “being rich” won’t be enough to win some people over, and if you’re cashing a feeling rather than considering what’s best for the person you’re pursuing, you already lost. Which in a weird way makes the highs of this album even higher. Because even if it only happened for a moment, it was a feeling that wasn’t going to last. Better to enjoy the moment rather than hold it off until you think it’s perfect.
Best Song: “SWEET/I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE” ft. Fana Hues & Brent Faiyaz
Mercy by Cole Chaney
There’s always that one indie country album every year after my own heart. I love finding hidden talents like these. This is Cole Chaney’s very first album, and he’s already managed to make a name for himself as one of the most promising names coming out of the ever-growing Appalachian scene. I’m still blown away by how good this album sounds right off the bat! The guitars are just gritty enough to feel homegrown, the compositions range from gentle and inviting to grim and dangerous, the FIDDLE holy shit y’all THE FIDDLE on this album! So many stand-out moments feature the fiddle carrying the melody and setting up the perfect atmosphere! These aren’t just great songs, they’re memorable! They capture that Appalachian sound without having to be compared to artists like Tyler Childers, who I’d argue Cole Chaney already surpasses in some aspects! None of these songs quite live up to “Universal Sound”, but they still have a level of detail and vivid imagery that’s fascinating to listen to. Right away, this album opens with tales of haunted hills, the perils of the coal industry, being driven to insanity where every day feels like a fever dream, a song from the perspective of a bystander doomed to suffer the punishment of man through God’s flooding of the Earth, all told through Cole Chaney’s creaking voice. But this album isn’t all doom and gloom. If anything, its strongest moments are in its flickers of optimism. The moments of yearning for a distant partner, the love of one’s hometown and the traditions Cole continues to this day. It’s so dedicated to its hometown that he struggles to leave it. Even with his fraught relationship with the industries and limitations that reside in it, it’s still a connection he can never fully leave behind. In a way that’s what makes this album so comforting and easy to come back to. Above all else, I’m just remarkably impressed by Mercy. For a name I knew nothing about and who had no output before this, Cole Chaney managed to surpass country artists who had been working for decades to perfect their sound. The production, his voice, the lyrics, the stories he tells, it’s all incredible! Not a single misstep or song I’d have the heart to remove from the tracklist. He got this all on the first try! For the longest time this year, I couldn’t imagine any other album blowing me away the same way this album did.
Best Song: “The Air Between”
In 2020 I wrote some pretty heavy stuff about how the music I loved that year reflected my state of mind that year. The music I loved was frustrated, angry, listless, daydreaming of better days, yearning for lost connections, and generally tense as I spent my days inside wondering if it’s ever going to get better. I didn’t think that hard in 2021. As the pandemic continues on and I begin a new chapter in my life, the music I loved this year never really reflected that. Sure, nurture connected with my creative ambitions that year, but it’s not like Mercy was reflective of me leaving the state I grew up in all my life to study on the east coast. Nor was CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST reflective of my summer, which in all honesty was kind of boring and filled with working for cash rather than spending it. I certainly didn’t expect the life-altering turmoil that Emily Scott Robinson and Kacey Musgraves went through on their albums. My music experience in 2021 was very simple and straight to the point: I enjoyed music. Regardless of if I could “relate” to it or not. Which in all actuality is very normal. Not that having such a personal connection to the music you listen to is weird or anything, I love having that personal connection to music! But I think I personally undervalue the importance of music that just appeals to me the most. The kind of music I listen to with the biggest smile one my face, the music I go back to over and over again just because I love it so much. I went pretty at length when I got to my very top albums of the year. And yet, my favorite album this year is the one I have the least to say about. And yet, I could talk it about all day.
An Evening With Silk Sonic by Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak)
I can’t remember the last time I’d been uncontrollably excited by the mere idea of a project. Bruno Mars had already been consistently one of my all-time favorite pop stars, but pairing him up with Anderson .Paak to make a classic funk album is such an inspired idea I’m stunned I never even considered it a possibility! By the time we got the lead single with “Leave The Door Open”, I was more convinced we were on the verge of something magical. Granted, the rollout was a bit weird as they took a really long time to follow it up, the release dates were all confused and changed last minute, and the mismanagement of “Skate” will always piss me off to no end, but when it was all out and we were given An Evening With Silk Sonic in all of its glory, I was floored by it. I haven’t felt such intense happiness from listening to an album for the first time since the first time I heard Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves! This is perfect. From the intro leading into “Leave The Door Open” to the fading sparkle on “Blast Off”, every song on this album is a 10/10 perfect song. I could gush about these individual songs all day! I LOVE “Leave The Door Open” as the duo’s introduction, capturing the elegance of 70s R&B with an outstanding climax and tongue-in-cheek humor that never intrudes on an otherwise sensual song! “Fly As Me” is the “badass walking down the street strutting their cool jacket” anthem with endless cool and a fantastic showcase of Anderson .Paak’s rapping skills! “After Last Night” is maybe the best throwback song ever made, with outstanding production utilizing Thundercat’s sexy bass playing and Bootsy Collins’ charisma to make a song that really does sound like the best sex you’ve ever had! A genuine masterpiece that I wish I could listen to for the first time over and over again! “Smoking Out The Window” is a newly appointed pop CLASSIC reveling in the hatred of a gold-digging ex and chewing so much of the scenery that the duo are left with nothing but their good looks and hammy charisma! “Put On A Smile” is an incredible ballad that sings the woes of a heartbroken party host and features one of the most hype moments in music history with Bruno Mars’ INSANE high note! “777” is the new Las Vegas anthem, all about gambling and winning big as Bruno and Anderson .Paak have the time of their fucking lives performing every word! “Skate” is a new summer staple that woos that cute skater girl you’ve been eyeing through some truly incredible and catchy production! Again, hate how mismanaged this song’s single run was! And finally, the album ends with the duo getting so high they’re sent to space, never to come down again! A blissful, ethereal end to one of the best albums I’ve ever heard! Special mention to their cover of “Love’s Train” by Con Funk Shun, which is a fantastic cover, though I feel it works best as a bonus track rather than part of the full album. And that’s really all there is to it. An Evening With Silk Sonic is the best album of the year simply because it’s the one I loved the most. Honestly, I’d be satisfied if the two never made a Silk Sonic album ever again. Not because I know whatever comes next won’t live up to this album, but because it really is all I need out of it. Throwback stuff like this is easy to overwork after all. That’s why no two Bruno Mars projects sound the same. If all we ever get are these nine songs, that’s more than enough for me to last a lifetime.
Best Song: “After Last Night” ft. Thundercat & Bootsy Collins
TL;DR
