Ta da! Your favorite aging, black-homo hipster is back to proclaim who won this year's album wars from his imaginary balcony. Can you dig it?!?! Of course, you can; this is year 12. You know how the program runs by now. If somehow this is your first time, welcome new friend! Thanks for joining us.
It brings me such satisfaction that I can comfortably hold tight to my Hipster ™ title, having reviewed Chappell Roan's debut album last year. I have my finger on the pulse of culture! (Shout out to the stranger I met after a dance party that put me on to her - you know who you are.)
This year brought swagged out white boys, alternative black kids, pop girlies ready to dominate the game, rappers brushing the dirt off their shoulders, and a whole lot of emotions and self-reflection. That nearly covers everyone on this list, but of course others are trailblazers in their own fields and rose to the top like only they could. While you'll see a lot of the usual players, you should prepare for a handful of new kids to completely rock your shit. Also, many people who rose to the top helped each other on their albums with a feature or a writing credit. We love collaboration and sisterhood.
- Does the album have a thesis and support it?
- How much does the album knock?
- Does this album speak to me/the masses?
- How many tracks standout vs fade into the background?
- How does the album stack up against its genre peers?
- Does it help me forget and/or navigate the state of the world?
24) Jamie xx’ In Waves
Runtime: 44:44
Tracks: 12
Genre: Dance/House
Vibe: Daylight Rave
I could have sworn some member of The xx made their way onto my illustrious list before, but apparently, I was mistaken. Back after a nine-year hiatus, Jamie xx is back with his sophomore effort, and it's full of feel-good bangers. Jamie hones his production skills to uplift us in these trying times. Every track conveys a message or feeling of positivity or self-affirmations that doesn't strike the listener as corny. Rather the spoken word messages ride the beats Jamie has expertly crafted to work their way into your ear through your entire nervous system. Providing these chants are friends like Honey Dijon, Robyn, The Avalanches, and even his former bandmates Romy and Oliver Sim. If this album doesn't reignite your faith in humanity, well I can't blame you because the world continues to be engulfed in flames. But if it doesn't make you wanna dance your pains away, then I'll just assume you're lame.
Hit Single:
Baddy on the Floor (feat Honey Dijon)
Standout Tracks:
Life (feat Robyn)
23) girl in red’s I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!
Runtime: 27:56
Tracks: 10
Genre: Indie-Pop
Vibe: Therapeutic Sing-a-longs
The gay panic is real with I'M DOING IT AGAIN BABY! Serving as girl in red's sophomore attempt, this album reflects emotions and complications found in most relationships but especially queer ones. There's an eagerness to being accepted and loved in a way only a Norwegian lesbian can articulate. In addition to writing, girl in red also produces most of the album herself along with the help of Matias Tellez. Each track sounds like a diary entry girl in red penned on tear-soaked pages - messy but overwhelmingly honest. The desperation occasionally shifts to rage on tracks like "You Need Me Now?" where red and Sabrina are clearly over their partners' shit. But like all sad girl albums, it's only a flash before returning back to their melancholy. So before you run back into the arms of that mediocre white man, consider picking girl in red over him. It'd make you a great ally.
Hit Single:
You Need Me Now? (feat Sabrina Carpenter)
Standout Tracks:
Phantom Pain
Pick Me
22) Remi Wolf’s Big Ideas
Runtime: 43:03
Tracks: 13
Genre: Pop
Vibe: Afternoon Arts'n'Crafts
My favorite little bisexual rascal is back with her a fully realized sound for her sophomore album. Truly sporting Big Ideas, Remi throws a whole mess of topics at us. With assistance from Solomonophonic on production and an array of writers, she uses her powers of collaboration to pen and key an eclectic collection of work. From songs that sound light and bubblegum to tracks with a gritty and purposeful tune to sultry ditties, the bitch has range. Remi's voice does the same, sliding between mousy and raging when the moment calls for it. Hey lyrics are honest and cutting behind her smiling demeanor. As you may have guessed, there's no clear theme to this album, but this allows Remi to have fun in the sandbox of her mind, and she gladly welcomes us in.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
Alone in Miami
21) Tems’ Born in the Wild
Runtime: 54:26
Tracks: 18
Genre: Afrobeats/R&B
Vibe: Island Sex
Not everyone can make a debut album an international hit, but that's not a problem when you helped write the one song Rihanna agreed to sing in the last eight years. Hailing from Lagos, Nigeria, Temilade Openiyi (better known as Tems) blesses us with sultry vocals only made stronger by her talent with a pen. Exploring topics such as love, lust, pride, and disappointment, Born in the Wild is an exploration of reforming yourself from lawlessness to become a fully formed individual worthy of love. Tems might well be a triple threat, leading production on the album along with GuiltyBeatz. Aside from two features and interludes from the elders, she holds her own and our attention for nearly an hour - an amazing feat in this day and age. So surrender yourself to sounds from across the pond and vibe your way into a better sex life with Tems as your guide.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
You in My Face
20) GloRilla’s GLORIOUS
Runtime: 42:00/44:49
Tracks: 15/16
Genre: Rap
Vibe: Day-Party Pregame
You hoes ready to throw some ass?! Okay, the whole album isn't meant to get your derriere quaking, but that doesn't mean you can't. GloRilla's Memphis accent is infectious as her peculiar way of pronouncing words brings a smile to your face, allowing you to overlook some of the simplistic production. While some of her lyrics can occasionally be straightforward or borderline problematic, she does it in a way that is more relatable and understandable than her male counterparts. And her adlibs! Some of the best in the last 10 years. She spends the album spitting her big shit like any other rapper, but also talks down on men while expressing the desire to ride them like a rodeo show. GloRilla bridges the aisle to her peers with features from Latto, Sexxy Red, and Megan the Stallion amongst others. She even has a track with Kirk Franklin! (Her name is Gloria Hallelujah Woods, after all.) Speaking of, if you are going to continually shake ass to GLORIOUS, you may want to skip "Rain Down on Me" and "Glo's Prayer." Praise break aside, GloRilla proves she is definitely in the game to stay.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
HOW I LOOK (feat Megan Thee Stallion)
19) Tierra Whack’s WORLD WIDE WHACK
Runtime: 37:47
Tracks: 15
Genre: Hip-Hop/Jazz-Funk
Vibe: The Depressys
Highly anticipated amongst the rapping-ass community, Tierra Whack finally blesses us with her debut album. Achieving acclaim for her 2018 mixtape Whack World, she continues her "sick, sad world" legacy with World Wide Whack. With the former, she constricted herself to tight a 60 second-per-track limit; with WWW she gives herself a little more time to explore topics while keeping all but one song under 3 minutes. Tierra is nothing if not concise and purposeful. Over dark and melodic beats, she explores unfavorable behaviors, depression, suicide, distractions via romance, and attempting to cope with all these emotions and behaviors. Through her rhymes, one can understand that it's perfectly normal to keep up a fantastical facade until it fades to reveal frightful truths. The album, while not a vibe for every occasion, flows in a story-like manner - each track complimenting or shifting the mood of the previous in the right way. Sometimes, living is difficult, but we keep going anyway.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
IMAGINARY FRIENDS
18) Infinity Song’s Metamorphosis Complete
Runtime: 45:24
Tracks: 12
Genre: Soft-Rock/R&B
Vibe: Family/Friend Dinners
You wish you got along with your siblings as well as Infinity Song. Compromised of brothers and sisters Abraham, Angel, Israel, and Momo, the quartet entrances audiences with vocal stylings, arrangements, and production reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac, The Byrds, and Joni Mitchell. Their talents were so impressive, it led to attention from Tori Kelly and Jay-Z, the latter of which signed them to Roc Nation. Expanding upon their EP Metamorphosis, this complete version allows the group to fully flex their writing and vocal abilities. All solid singers when they seize the opportunity on the album, Infinity Song is at their strongest when they sing in unison or in dynamic harmony. The stripped back pianos and guitars that litter the album are like a breath of fresh air in an overproduced Pop scene. Whether they're singing ironic songs about being a hater or lamenting over how no one will ever come close, this family unites on their third album to prove togetherness is better.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
Sinking Boat
Comedy
17) Justice’s Hyperdrama
Runtime: 49:12
Tracks: 13
Genre: Synthwave/House
Vibe: 00s-era After Hours
You might not know this, but I'm a sucker for a strong ass vibe. Hyperdrama delivers just what I'm looking for from a majorly instrumental album. This being Justice's fourth time around the track, they're no stranger to producing songs that can easily soundtrack a life - though this may be their most dramatic interpretation of the lived experience yet. The first half of the record is bouncy and groovy, harking back to early sounds of their contemporaries Daft Punk. These are sounds that will make you want to D.A.N.C.E. We're treated to features from Tame Impala, RIMON, and The Flints here. Then we reach the midway mark of "Moonlight Rendez-vous," and the mood shifts mysterious and ethereal. Let's call it the part of the album when the Molly or 'shrooms hit. Before you completely dissolve into yourself, Miguel appears on the penultimate track to save you from yourself. Trust me, Hyperdrama is a trip worth taking - with or without enhancements.
Hit Single:
One Night/All Night (feat Tame Impala)
Standout Tracks
Dear Alan
Explorer (feat Connan Mockasin)
16) Magdalena Bay’s Imaginal Disk
Runtime: 53:36
Tracks: 15
Genre: Synth-Pop/Dance-Pop/Electronic-Rock
Vibe: Morning Materialization
Back with their sophomore venture, Magdalena Bay makes the jump from Honorable Mention to Featured Player on this year's Biased list. The duos' sound is hard to pin down, critics describing them as synth-pop or dance, while they consider themselves more on the progressive rock and shoegaze side of the industry. With Imaginal Disk, they found a happy middle ground while they begin their transition into the genre they identify with. Couple Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin work together to write and produce a conceptual album that follows True after a CD is inserted into her head so she may become her ideal self. Of course, this doesn't work and the character rejects the disk in order to become her own realized self after experiencing the world. Though a fully cohesive peace of work led by Mica's vocals, each track works on its own. As a fan of Janelle Monae's Cindi Mayweather chronicles, it's hard for me not to fall in love with this project.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
Love is Everywhere
That's My Floor
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15) SZA’s LANA
Runtime: 46:02
Tracks: 16
Genre: R&B
Vibe: 3AM Textin’
SZA once again reassures me why I should always wait until the last week of the year to finalize my lists. Advertised as a reissue/deluxe version of her 2022 release SOS, LANA is a complete album in its own right, and I choose to recognize it as such. Though, opening with "No More Hiding," the instrumental reminds me of a hidden level in a 90s video game. Her third time out, SZA's semi-self-titled record combines the rawness of her debut, the angst of her second, and the growth she's made in the time since. I categorize the songs on LANA as "fuck these niggas but also fuck these niggas, owtz," "who am I, am I worthy, do I even have worth?" and "my trauma informs my future, and I'm in control of that." Though she worked with a crew of producers and writers, she also claims to have freestyled a majority of his lyrics the first time out. This spontaneity contributes to LANA's carefree and grown nature. She's broken free from her cocoon and become the fully realized cicada she was meant to be, pleasantly buzzing in our ears.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
30 for 30 (feat Kendrick Lamar)
Love Me 4 Me
14) Father John Misty’s Mahashmashana
Runtime: 50:21
Tracks: 8
Genre: Art-Rock/Singer-Songwriter
Vibe: Long Contemplations on the Bedroom Floor
Hit Single:
Standout Track:
John Tillman and the Accidental Dose
Being You
13) St. Vincent’s All Born Screaming
Runtime: 41:14
Tracks: 10
Genre: Art-Rock/Progressive-Rock
Vibe: Long Contemplative Walks with No Destination
Are you ready to explore the beautiful pain of being alive? Because St. Vincent is. After six prior projects, she has finally produced an album she feels worthy of being titled All Born Screaming. Speaking of, this marks the first time she self-produced an entire work, citing these were sounds only she could render. Becoming intimate with her drum machine, her songs have a strong post-industrial feel. Throughout the album, there's a fantastical mix of baroque, electronica, chamber pop, funk, and other genres that allow St. Vincent to explore the ever-expanding forest of her mind. Each track demands its own discipline of interpretive dance, never to be repeated for another. As always, she shreds on the guitar as we all expect, and her vocals are as fresh and haunting as ever. And you may find yourself asking, "How did I get here? ...and is St. Vincent our generation's David Byrne?"
Hit Single:
Flea
Standout Tracks:
The Power’s Out
Sweetest Fruit
12) Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal
Runtime: 46:53
Tracks: 19
Genre: Hip-Hop
Vibe: Bathroom Mirror Battle-Raps
Breaking News! Florida woman enters the rap game and dominates peers with phenomenal bars and stage presence! For some reason categorized as a mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal showcases not only Doechii's lyricism but also her ability to execute full concepts and select the perfect "real hip-hop, hip-hop" ass beats - see: "Boiled Peanuts" and "Boom Bap." Staying on trend, most of her song are under three minutes, but this allows her to move in and out quickly leaving us wondering what just happened in the best way possible. Working with Devin Balik and a bevy of other producers, the self-proclaimed Swamp Princess proceeds to boast herself while also taking time to rap her way through trials, troubles, and tribulations - including past relationships, failing others, and coping mechanisms. Her scars may never disappear, but they serve as a reminder of all she's been through. With the award nominations already piling in, you don't want to miss the airboat on Doechii's ascension to becoming one of the queens of Rap.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
BOOM BAP
11) English Teacher’s This Could Be Texas
Runtime: 50:25
Tracks: 13
Genre: Rock
Vibe: Bedroom Angst
Nothing makes me smile like a strong black woman leading her merry band of white men. Hailing from Leeds and Lancashire, England, English Teacher is "here to make you think about death and feel sad and stuff!" [Kim Pines, Scott Pilgrim - 2010] Fronted by Lily Fontaine, the group proves the UK is still the leading authority on (punk) rock music. I first came across their song "R&B," which features her lamenting over not having the talent or fortitude nor desire to attempt the genre for a loved one. Her voice is valiant and daring, and her bandmates help produce riffs and melodies that feel nearly original and personal to them. The song titles on their debut album This Could Be Texas are unique and catchy, like "Mastermind Specialism" and "You Blister My Paint." Their lyrics are just as striking, "cause if everybody got to go to space, no one would ever want to clean." Bombastic and wild, touching and heartbreaking, Lily and her white boys will amaze you. They may be briefly overshadowed by the FX tv show that shares their namesake, but English Teacher is sure to become at the very least an underground favorite if not a household name in the next few years.
Hit Single:
The World’s Biggest Pavement Slab
Standout Tracks:
Broken Biscuits
You Blister My Paint
10) Clairo’s Charm
Runtime: 38:02
Tracks: 11
Genre: Jazz/Soft Rock/Folk
Vibe: Instagram Crush Stalking
Allow yourself to be transported to a smokey lounge bar in the 70s. The lights dim, and a little mousy gal from Massachusetts appears. For the next half hour, this optimistic sad girl seduces you with her smooth and deliberate voice as a jazz band backs her up. Her songs are full of beautiful stories and metaphoric lyrics. Throughout the night, you realize there's a wonderful progression to her tales. She starts as a lonely gal, feeling neglected, longing to be considered "Sexy to Someone." Eventually she slowly realizes her current relationship no longer serves her, but she's reluctant to let it go until there's nothing left but to confront it. Soon, she has a brief fling, finding her power again, yet she still yearns for her former love. Of course, they rekindle their relationship, and it's great until it isn't. Once again, they drift apart. The woman reminds you her name is Clairo and you've been listening to her third album Charm. And in that moment, you realize that we all linger for the charm of it all.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
Slow Dance
Add Up My Love
9) Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet
Runtime: 36:15
Tracks: 12
Genre: Pop
Vibe: You Up? Texts
I tried to resist falling for Lisa Simpson's niece's pop career, but dang it, Sabrina's songs are just too catchy. Escaping from Quakertown, Pennsylvania, Sabrina Carpenter rose to fame through the series Girl Meets World and has been releasing music since 2015, both of which I was completely oblivious. Through her dedication to her crafts, she's become a masterful lyricist and vocalist. Her northern twist on southern twang gives her an edge over others in her field, allowing her to blend pop with country sounds better than She Who Shall Not Be Named ever has or ever could. With all this, her sixth studio album Short n' Sweet is full of hilarious and clever lines as she explores sexy themes and how dense and dull men have the capacity to be. Each track sounds different from the next thanks to the talents of John Ryan, Ian Kirkpatrick, and Jack Antonoff. Sabrina proves to be a treat that proves that she can last and continue to grow for a decade, not to mention she may have penned one of my favorite finale tracks in the last five years.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
Good Graces
Don’t Smile
8) Billie Eilish’s HIT ME HARD AND SOFT
Release Date: May 17
Runtime: 43:45
Tracks: 10
Genre: Alt-Pop
Vibe: Being Both Perceived and Unperceived
I've respected Billie Eilish since her debut, but in a similar vein to Lorde, I never identified with the full projects she produced. Shit, Finneas made it on the list before Billie did. However, there's a certain maturity to HIT ME HARD AND SOFT that sends me into rapture. It's hard to believe this emotional depth came from a 21/22 (now 23) year old. With the usual help from her big brother, the duo pen and produce a magnificent album about the usual love, lust, and disappointment. Perhaps it's Billie's willingness to finally open up about her baggy clothes that finally attracted me to her music. I'm joking, of course; it's her queerness that gives her third album a certain allure. Or maybe it's the occasional strums from the glockenspiel and expert-like precision with percussion she and her brother both demonstrate. Either way, Billie finds a way to bounce between sultry pop bangers and showcasing her phenomenal pipes. (I recently watched a clip of her humming along to the Simpson's theme on an episode and had to fight back thug tears.) If her mission was to Hit Me Hard and Soft, well then this is easily a mission accomplished.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
THE GREATEST
7) serpentwithfeet’s GRIP
Release Date: February 16
Runtime: 29:10
Tracks: 10
Genre: R&B
Vibe: Post-Coitus Cuddling
This won't be the first time I play the gay card to possibly bump an album higher than it should chart, and it won't be the last. Featuring Ty Dolla $ign, Orion Sun, and Mick Jenkins, serpentwithfeet returns for the third time to strum every string of my heart and keep it in a tight GRIP. Shifting between his pure and autotuned tenor crooning, the Baltimore-born artist gives voice to all that is queer love and longing - from meeting on a sweaty dancefloor to falling deep in lust until it shifts to love and there's no more need for a safe word. There's no sorrow to be found within GRIP, rather serpentwithfeet chooses to bask in the queer black boy joy of it all. Self-produced and written, the album is full of delicious midtempo beats that maintain a slight sinisterness lurking under the hope and lust like a rattlesnake distracting you with melodies before tightening its hold on you. And why would you want to be free from it? It feels so safe and secure here. Just be sure to fill out the outro track's questionnaire on your way out.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
Hummin'
Ellipsis (feat Orion Sun)
6) KAYTRANADA’S TIMELESS
Release Date: June 7
Runtime: 62:50
Tracks: 21
Genre: Electronic/House/R&B
Vibe: Cookout Jams for the Whole Fam
Speaking of black queers, KAYTRANADA is here! Also back for the three-peat, the Canadian-born producer proves yet again that he is TIMELESS. Kaytra lays a structurally-sound foundation of black dance grooves to showcase astonishing singers and rappers you should get to know better, like Rochelle Jordan, Lou Phelps, Charlotte Day Wilson, Rayvn Lenae, Dawn Richard, Mariah the Scientist, and - my favorite male vocalist - Durand Bernarr, who even got Kaytra comfortable enough in the studio to make his rapping debut! Other recognizable names include Don Toliver, Channel Tres, Tinashe, Anderson .Paak, SiR, Thundercat, PinkPantheress, and Childish Gambino. Each take the time to explore their own tempo and topic, whether it be getting you to sweat more, love more, or respect their space more. There's even a handful of tracks with no featured player allowing Kaytra to flex his 808s. As a solid album with no skips (except maybe Mariah's track, but she's at the very end), Timeless is just genre-pushing enough to be worthy of such a title.
Hit Single:
Lover/Friend (feat Rochelle Jordan)
Standout Tracks:
Weird (feat Durand Bernarr)
Hold On (feat Dawn Richard)
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5) WILLOW’s empathogen
Release Date: May 3
Runtime: 32:00/39:03
Tracks: 12/15
Genre: Progressive-Rock/Jazz
Vibe: Psych Ward Prelude
Listen, not all nepotism is created equal. I will proudly perpetuate black preferential treatment, especially if they're as talented as WILLOW (Smith). A fan of hers since the "Whip My Hair" days, WILLOW has long abandoned Pop for moodier and more artistic sounds the older she gets. Now on her sixth album, empathogen finds her in a more mellow phase than her previous punk-rock record. Combining empathy and pathogen, WILLOW feels the weight of the world and the burden of living throughout the album. Writing and producing most of the tracks with some assistance from the likes of Jon Batiste and St. Vincent, she proves her versatility with slow mellow sounds, jazzy grooves, and the occasional rage track. The lyrics are twitchy, full of paranoia and suspicion, and her voice is angelic but also angsty and haunting. If you've ever felt on the edge on sanity, you'll be able to identify with WILLOW's readiness to accept ego death. With that, I honor WILLOW with the "Hey, This is a Safe Space" Award.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
false self
4) Kendrick Lamar’s GNX
Release Date: November 22
Runtime: 44:20
Tracks: 12
Genre: Hip-Hop
Vibe: War Room Soundtrack
You ever seen the mild-mannered, all-A-student get pushed too far and then he tells you not to come to school the next day because you've been nice to him? Okay, maybe only J Cole can relate to that, but GNX is more or less the embodiment of unleashing an entire clip on the rap industry. If you wanted fight music, Kendrick has you covered with his sixth fire album in a row. Channeling the rage from the Drake beef and combining it with irritation from peers agreeing his Super Bowl halftime show was unearned, Mr. Duckworth focuses his pettiness into a series of LA-inspired anthems, even over smooth, rare samples from Luther Vandross and SWV (produced by Sounwave and wait... Jack Antonoff???). Harping back to the LA-ness of it all, Kendrick includes a few Spanish intros and spotlights local rappers throughout the album as an act of support after his own ascension and also a fuck you to his contemporaries. (SZA is there, too!) His lyricism is as sharp as ever, no reference or metaphor dropped or too complicated to understand. So why isn't he higher on the list? Perhaps I hold him to too high a standard. Or maybe I just identified more with the next three records. Either way, I am proud to present Kung Fu Kenny with the very first "Talk Your Shit!" Award.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
man at the garden
tv off (feat lefty gunplay)
3) Tyler, the Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA
Release Date: October 28
Runtime: 52:54/57:08
Tracks: 14/15
Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
Vibe: Soundtrack to a Millennial Midlife Crisis
Fleetwood Mac once sung, "But time makes you bolder, even children get older, and I'm getting older, too." Well, Tyler the Creator feels the shit outta that right now. Back for the eighth time, he returns to process what it means to get old and review childhood lessons while learning new ones as he continues to look inward. Don't worry, he still mentions how much he loves different models of automobiles. Between narrations from his mother, CHROMAKOPIA's protagonist St. Chroma goes through multiple adversities including a pregnancy scare and black haircare struggles. Blurring the line between himself and his characters, Tyler emotionally comes to grips with his mother hiding his father's efforts to connect during his adolescence. Emotional turmoil awaits within each track! With noted and hidden features (like GloRilla and Doechii) scattered across the album, CHROMAKOPIA sonically sits somewhere between Cherry Bomb and his post-homophobia era production style. It's flowery but also at times militaristic in its syncopations as only Tyler could produce. Earning this year's "You Know What I Call That? Growth" Award, it's evident that Mr. Okonma hasn't even reached his final form. I wonder what Goblin-era Tyler would think of himself now.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
Take Your Mask Off (feat Daniel Caesar & LaToiya Williams)
Thought I Was Dead (feat ScHoolboy Q & Santigold)
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2) Charli xcx’ BRAT (and it's completely different but also still brat [aka the remixes])
Release Date: June 7
Runtime: 41:23/49:46 (50:28)
Tracks: 15/18 (17)
Genre: Electropop/Hyperpop/Dance
Vibe: The Pregame That Turns Into Group Therapy
Who let this British white gal into the top 5?! Oh, she's on the VIP list? Go head, let her in. Charli xcx breaks through the noise with her sixth studio album (and the remixes but it's still the album). Speaking of, I have to address the press for this album first, because it's been one of the best since Beyoncé surprise dropped Self-Titled on a Friday and shifted the day everyone releases albums. Charli dropped BRAT in June and dominated so hard it was declared Brat Summer, proceeded to drop a remix or three over the next couple of months, and later plastered billboards advertising all the features on her remix album that then dropped in September aligning with her new joint tour with Troye Sivan. We have to stan. Obviously, I have to dub her "Rollout Queen of 2024."
Now let's get to the music. If Hyperpop or distorted vocals aren't exactly your cup of tea, allow this Brit to change your mind. Charli reaches the apex of her song structuring and writing ability. With help from A.G. Cook on the majority of production providing a mix of quick and mellow tempos, she takes centerstage as BRAT's sole vocal performer, marrying hard hitting polytonic beats with her autotuned voice. Don't allow this to fool you; there's a talented singer under all the tomfoolery; she just thinks it's fun to use. Yes, this is a dance and party record, but Charli also takes time to discuss touching and emotional topics like needing sympathy to cope with fame, repeating mistakes, and beefing with other women when they should be working together. She'll have you crying on the dancefloor in no time. With the addition of the remix album, every song is expanded - some becoming their fully realized selves - as featured guests like Troye Sivan, Ariana Grande, Lorde, Billie Eilish, Julian Casablancas, and more shine just as bright as she does. It's an honor to be alive during such an iconic pop moment as BRAT - this year's "Boppiest Album."
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
Club classics
Everything is romantic
Mean girls remix (feat Julian Casablancas)
1) Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter
Release Date: March 29
Runtime: 78:21
Tracks: 27
Genre: Country/House
Vibe: Reclamation and Liberation
Listen, I'm tired of giving Beyoncé the number spot every time she drops too, but the vocal ability and impact of this album? It's undeniable. Admittedly, it's not an album I'd play in its entirety every day, but you don't eat the best meal of your life daily either. Though whenever I play Cowboy Carter front to back, it's a complete and perfect work of art - dynamic and multifaceted in nearly every way.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
II MOST WANTED
BODYGUARD
TYRANT
That's it! We did it, gang! Also, baffling that five of these top artists released their sixth album this year, and three more delivered past than that. It really speaks to the longevity and creativity of artists in the industry today, and I hope to see many more successful attempts from every artist and runner-up on this list.
