The top 50 albums from the year the queen dropped (talking B not Liz).
I've been writing about music as an on-off hobby since 2017. Why do I do it? I guess it's because for me, music consumption is just that - consuming. An invitation to participate in listening. And when the invitation is shiny enough, that's all the motivation I need. The more active and attentive the experience of listening to the music, the greater the music can become, like a symbiosis. Writing about music is just an expression of that participation; a deconstruction of its complex and teleporting evocations.
Other than a review of the new FKA twigs' album, all the pieces I wrote this year were interviews. My conversations with these talented creators (two of whom have albums on this list) were a chance to learn new languages and customs - that of their art. Not to get too existential, but I'm starting to realise that if we don't show up in the worlds of one another's conception (artists simply being people who build and nurture these worlds with attention and detail) there isn't much point in interacting at all. It's post pandemic philosophy mixed with lessons from a year that at times felt quite disappearing for me. I was barracked up with illness a few times, twice with covid and then for a good month or so with the grey tired fog brain of post-covid. Plus, 23 really is weird, the twitter people weren't lying. And why was it 40 degrees that one week?? Well, we know why but it's kind of terrifying to think about. Through this all, participating in the imagined worlds of artists, in listening, kept things real.
Fundamental to a deliberate approach to listening is the albumâ„¢. At a time when our feedback loops are becoming TikTok tight, it's no exaggeration to say that, if we don't reward artists for creating albumsâ„¢, artists won't make albumsâ„¢ (why you think Drake forgot how to season his music). I try to tread carefully when talking about music listening as I'm aware it toes the line of pretentiousness but I'll allow myself one absolutist statement here: to me, if you don't listen to albums, you don't reaaally listen to music. "But what if there's songs on it I don't like? I need my music filtered through a Spotify curated playlist!" Trust me friend, there are many albums released each year where each song contributes to a coherent and worthwhile listening experience. I'm about to hit you with fifty.
Here's a playlist with the first track of each album:
Lesgetit.
#50. HERBERT
Ab-Soul
#49. It's Almost Dry
Pusha T
#48. Morfo
Charlotte Dos Santos
#47. This Is What I Mean
Stormzy
#46. Spaceships on the Blade
Larry June
#45. Dance Fever
Florence + The Machine
#44. Noughty By Nature
Digga D
#43. Cheat Codes
Black Thought & Danger Mouse
#42. Asha's Awakening
Raveena
#41. The Forever Story
JID
#40. The Car
Arctic Monkeys
#39. NO THANK YOU
Little Simz
#38. Could We Be More
Kokoroko
#37. Luv 4 Rent
Smino
#36. MAHAL
Toro y Moi
#35. God Don't Make Mistakes
Conway the Machine
#34. ALPHA PLACE
Knucks
#33. Simple.
IDK & Kaytranada
#32. POLARIS
OG KEMi
#31. Bad Influence
Ojerime
#30. Rave & Roses
Rema
#29. Joints
Blade Brown & K-Trap
#28. RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART
Vince Staples
#27. CROSSOVER
Dua Saleh
#26. SICK!
Earl Sweatshirt
#25. IF I COULDN'T RAP, I WOULDN'T RAP
Jordy & Elt Cheekz
#24. 2000
Joey Bada$$
#23. WASTELAND
Brent Faiyaz
#22. Some Nights I Dream of Doors
Obongjayar
#21. The Elephant Man's Bones
Roc Marciano & The Alchemist
#20. LOUIE
Kenny Beats
#19. Laurel Hell
Mitski
#18. 4 THA HOMIEZ
Novelist
#17. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
Kendrick Lamar
#16. CRASH
Charli XCX
#15. Dawn FM
The Weeknd
#14. Big Time
Angle Olsen
#13. MOTOMAMI
ROSALIA
#12. Gemini Rights
Steve Lacy
#11. $oul $old $eperately
Freddie Gibbs
#10. Reason to Smile
Kojey Radical
#9. SOS
SZA
#8. Ants From Up There
Black Country, New Road
#7. Few Good Things
Saba
#6. PAINLESS
Nilüfer Yanya
#5. CAPRISONGS
FKA twigs
#4. We've Been Going About This All Wrong
Sharon Van Etten
#3. RENAISSANCE
Beyoncé
#2. Melt My Eyez See Your Future
Denzel Curry
#1. Natural Brown Prom Queen
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