Another year has passed. I don’t know about you guys, but it has certainly been a strange one for me. Allow me for a minute to take a look back at the year in music and share some of my observations. If you’ve been paying attention to the blog for a while, you’ll notice that this year's list is slightly different than in the past (no bangers for one, maybe I'll do a separate blog if you ask nicely). The music scene is constantly evolving and 2021 was no different. New artists aren’t just hanging around waiting to release full albums every few years. Social media platforms like TikTok have changed the landscape and artists are trying to put out music as fast as we can consume it. This results in a lot more one-off singles and EP’s rather than full albums.
One thing I've been noticing is the re-emergence of the female pop-star. 2020 saw Dua Lipa win the hearts and bluetooth speakers of people worldwide. Future Nostalgia was an incredible album, but it was more the relatable, down-to-earth pop-star herself that opened the doors for a rebirth of the genre. This is evident in the amount of viral female led pop songs coming out of TikTok and Youtube. If you don't know the names of artists like Lilyisthatyou, Sadie Jean, GAYLE, and Libby Larkin, you soon will.
This year saw three hip-hop greats release some pretty huge albums: Certified Lover Boy by Drake, the long awaited Donda by Kanye West, and sliding under most people's radars was J. Cole withThe Off-Season. Regardless of how you feel about any of these artists, it’s clear to me that these three are still running the game and they put everyone on notice by releasing some of the year's best hip-hop albums. If I had to pick, my favorite tracks from these albums are "No Friends in the Industry," "Heaven and Hell," and "100.mil," respectively.
2021 marked the return of blockbuster movies coming out in theatre, and thus giving us some epic scores to enjoy along with them. Hans Zimmer showed us why Dune was worth the wait, so much so that hardly anyone is talking about just how unique and completely reimagined his score for No Time To Die was. GOAT. One welcomed trend I continue to see is TV series having their scores take a more prominent role than ever before (you're never going to catch me skipping the Succession intro). If you haven’t watched HBO’s White Lotus, with its exotic and wildly frenetic score, you should certainly take the time to do so. I will also admit that my favorite score of the year came from TV. Natalie Holts work on the Marvel series Loki was next level; it’s the perfect companion to an incredible sci-fi series and I look forward to what she decides to take on next.
On a more personal note, you might notice there hasn’t been a blog up here in quite some time. I'll admit the COVID doldrums got to me for a while. But it's also partly because cha boi is moving on up! I currently have the privilege of writing for Live Nation's Ones To Watch music blog, where I get to highlight new and upcoming artists. It's something I have really been enjoying. You might notice some of those artists I’ve discovered highlighted on this post and my Must Listen: 2021 playlist this year, like Jex Nwalor! If you're saying to yourself, this seems like a bit of shameless self-promotion, you'd be right. But hey, it's my blog.
Well, before I drone on too long, Here are some of my favorite Albums, EP's, and songs that came out in 2021:
Top 5 Albums
5. Grapefruit Sessions - James Vincent McMorrow
4. Phoenix - Charlotte Cardin
3. What We Call Life - Jordan Rakeii
2. Sour - Olivia Rodrigo
1. Friends That Break Your Heart - James Blake
The second I heard Friends That Break Your Heart, it jumped to the top of my list. James Blake has a voice is like no other. His harmonies are divine, and his lyricism is the perfect balance of relatable and abstract. In a year where breakup songs were too many to count, Olivia Rodrigo made the perfect breakup album in Sour, and this would definitely be getting more radio play if it wasn't for a certain somebody and her dumb red scarf. Jordan Rakeii's What We Call Life came out of nowhere for me; I've been listening to a lot more R&B these days and this happened to be an Apple Music recommendation that was spot on. Charlotte Cardin has a really unique voice and it feels like she is really growing her talent and confidence with each new release, Phoenix is the just the beginning. Finally, James Vincent McMorrow can do no wrong, he just makes good music and Grapefruit Sessions is no different.
Top 5 EP's
5. You'll be dead before you know it – Swansea Skag
4. The Long Way Home – Shallou
3. Revelaćion – Selena Gomez
2. Lovely Creatures – Bensbeendead
1. Dim - SYML
I had the opportunity to write about two of the EP's on this list on Ones To Watch, you can read my thoughts on Lovely Creatures by Bensbeendead andYou'll be dead before you know it by Swansea Skag there. SYML makes incredible ethereal music that moves my soul both musically and lyrically, a constant spot on many playlists I make, Dim takes top spot on this list with authority. Revelaćion by Selena Gomez was met with mixed reviews due in part to the fact that she's not a fluent Spanish speaker, but that shouldn't matter, I would never have known, this EP is phenomenal. Finally, The Long Way Home by Shallou is a very chill, and a very well made electronic EP that is perfect for every mood you may find yourself in.
Top 5 Songs
5. One by One - The Blue Stones
4. Adorn (Version 4) - Isaia Huron
3. The Wire - Vancouver Sleep Clinic
2. Lo Vas A Olvidar - Billie Eillish & ROSALÍA
1. Hurt Me - Suriel Hess
These 5 songs aren't necessarily my ultimate top picks, but as I stated before, lots of good music released this year didn't come out in traditional album form, or in some cases for this list, it appeared on an album that didn't qualify for best of the year. So these are five songs that weren't on any of the albums or EP's previously mentioned.
But in case you're wondering, my bonafide favorite song of the year is "Life is not the Same" by James Blake. And it wasn't a hard decision.
Throughout this past year I feel like I've discovered more music than ever before. So if what I've given you thus far doesn't satiate your lust for new music, then I will leave you with this: 50 songs that might have flown under your radar but you should definitely listen to. Enjoy!
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