I was going to start this with a "man this year mostly sucked but thank god for music" intro but then I re-read some previous posts and realized I do that basically every year. What fun times we live in! Anyway, like last year, I did not consume quite as much music as I typically do. Turns out moving in with your partner means that instead of spending hours most evenings checking out new tunes, you binge-watch Gilmore Girls and develop VERY strong opinions on Rory Gilmore's dating choices.
Thankfully, I still heard enough music this year to put together this list of favorite albums. Though 2021 had a dearth of "instant classic" albums, it was an excellent year for new discoveries; nearly half of the artists below were completely new to me this year. Also new to me is having 21 months of pandemic fatigue, so I am going to keep things brief with the blurbs (most of you are here for the playlist anyway, let's be real). I am also trying a new thing where I note the approximate genre of each album to help y'all filter stuff you are more likely to be interested in. Anyway, below is my favorite* music I heard this year:
*But this is definitely the song I heard the most this year. Remarkably few Netflix opening credit skips.
Honorable MentionsInjury Reserve- By the Time I Get to Phoenix
Rosali- No Medium
Tyler, The Creator- Call Me If You Get Lost
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis- Carnage
Lucy Dacus- Home Video
Top Fifteen
15. Ryley Walker- Course in Fable (Jazzy Folk/Singer-Songwriter)
Intricate jazz-folk songs performed impeccably by Walker and his band. Until Jim O'Rourke releases another album of song-based material, this will do.
14. The War on Drugs- I Don't Live Here Anymore (Heartland Rock/Indie Rock)
These guys are not doing anything new here (and their lyrical shortcomings are becoming increasingly evident) and yet, I still find this album highly enjoyable. Adam Granduciel and co. continue their run of albums filled with propulsive, epic, synth-laden rock songs—with the title track ranking among their best work.
13. Mdou Moctar- Afrique Victime (Psych Rock)
Simply put, this album rips. If you like guitar solos, you are gonna dig this one. Moctar, from Niger, puts an electrifying spin on Tuareg guitar music.
12. illuminati hotties- Let Me Do One More (Indie Rock)
illuminati hotties continue to churn out fantastically catchy (and humorous) rock tunes. This album includes possibly my favorite lyric of the year: "I'm so sad I can't do laundry" on the extremely fun (and appropriately named, once you hear the chorus) "MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA."
11. Mega Bog- Life and Another (Art Pop)
A quirky, whimsical album—recommended if you dig Cate Le Bon, Aldous Harding and other music in that vein.
10. L'Rain- Fatigue (Neo Soul/Experimental)
Never heard an album quite like this! These songs are made up of a fascinating collage of field recordings, vocal loops, and creative instrumentation (with percussion often at the center). I notice something new every time I listen.
9. Magdalena Bay- Mercurial World (Synth Pop)
This year's token "fun dancey synth pop album." Magdalena Bay use a familiar formula but the quality of the songwriting and production make this a very worthy effort. I reckon pretty much anyone reading this list would enjoy this album (prove me wrong!!).
8. Turnstile- Glow On (Post-Hardcore/Rock)
The heaviest album on the list this year—a lot of these songs are made for the mosh pit (that I, personally, would stand a respectful distance away from). As we all continue to carry the stress of living through a pandemic, this is a great album to bob your head to and release some tension.
7. Jazmine Sullivan- Heaux Tales (R&B)
Released at the beginning of January, this was the first album I fell in love with this year. Technically an EP, Heaux Tales feels substantial enough at 32 minutes to be considered a proper album—a consistently exciting one at that. There are a nice mixture of bangers ("Pick Up Your Feelings") and ballads ("Lost One")—all with an uncompromisingly feminist focus.
6. Cassandra Jenkins- An Overview on Phenomenal Nature (Singer-Songwriter)
For all the problems with Spotify's recommendation algorithm, they sure nailed it by showing me Song of the Year candidate "Hard Drive"...many times this year, and introducing me to this wonderful artist. An Overview on Phenomenal Nature is a beautiful, meditative album that was a constant go-to when I wanted to listen to something calming this year.
5. Low- HEY WHAT (Experimental Rock)
Pretty insane to me that this band is still putting out albums this good almost 30 years into their career. Continuing the momentum from 2018's excellent Double Negative, Low dial back the distortion (though there's still plenty!) and let their gorgeous vocals and unique guitar sounds take center stage. Though tense and unsettling in parts, there are some moments of real beauty (as is true on all Low albums). Definitely an album I needed to be in the mood for, but this was one of the more powerfully immersive listens of the year for me.
4. Japanese Breakfast- Jubilee (Indie Pop/Indie Rock)
Few people had a better 2021 than Japanese Breakfast leader Michelle Zauner, who in addition to Jubilee released a New York Times bestselling memoir. While her previous work leaned more towards moody dream pop, Jubilee has much brighter melodies and even a few songs you can dance to (Album highlight "Be Sweet" easily has the bass line of the year). This album provided a needed burst of color in an otherwise gray year.
3. Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra- Promises (Modern Classical/ Electronic)
This is up there with the prettiest music I have heard in recent memory. Promises is a phenomenal collaboration between the brilliant electronic musician Floating Points, legendary jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, and a world-class orchestra. Spanning nine interconnected movements, the album is stunning from front to back—with the three musical forces combining to create some truly transcendent moments.
2. The Weather Station- Ignorance (Art Pop)
I kind of surprised myself by ranking this one so high, but I continually returned to it throughout the year and it sounded better each time. Ignorance is an unexpected but welcome pivot from The Weather Station's previous folky material—with its numerous piano and string-driven songs creating a much moodier atmosphere. The sonic terrain will feel familiar to fans of bands like The National. This is a great winter album—give this one a try to achieve some warmth during the frigid months ahead.
1. Little Simz- Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (Hip-Hop)
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is on a totally different level than everything else on this list—an absolute masterpiece. I pretty much knew after my first listen this was going to be my Album of the Year. Across its dense 65 minutes, Little Simz leads listeners on a thrilling, musically-diverse journey. The album is at times intense (check out the marching band drums and horn swells on opener "Introvert"), while some songs incorporate playful instrumentation (as on the children's chorus-featuring "Little Q Pt. 2," or on the bouncy synths of "Protect My Energy"). Throughout, her raps are laser-focused—touching on a range of poignant subjects (with Simz processing complicated feelings about her family, celebrating the women who inspire her, and coming to terms with her introversion, as the album title alludes). The production is also spot-on, pairing lush, vibrant sounds with Simz's phenomenal rhymes. Only 27-years-old, Simz broke out in a major way in 2021 and gave us this gift of an album that eclipsed all of her musical peers.
Best of 2021 Playlist
Here are 75 of my favorite songs of the year, agonizingly sequenced for your utmost enjoyment:
