20 Albums of 2019
I know that this is one list in a sea of opinions about the best music of the past year. I’ll be honest, every year I wonder if this is worth doing publicly. Why would any of you be interested in my musical highlights of 2019 when folks like Pitchfork and the Guardian have teams that vote, and are obviously far less biased? They spend the whole year reviewing and grading albums, leaving themselves with a selection of top-rated music to sift through to create a definitive top 20 or 50 or whatever arbitrary number they’ve decided upon. Meanwhile, I spend my year listening to new releases as they pique my attention, hardly systematized in any way, and heavily influenced by the suggestions made by the algorithms of my streaming service of choice, Tidal.
Two things keep me coming back to this tradition of mine. One is that I have met so many people who mention some artist or song that they were introduced to through these lists, and I remember that as much as I critique my ability to digest and weigh the music of an entire year, many folks have even less time and energy for this than I do. The second and most important reason that I keep coming back to these lists is that most of all, it’s for me. This process is truly my own process for reflecting over the past year, and intentionally picking what experiences, learnings, and media I want to take with me into the years to come.
So here we are. Another year, another list of new music that provided my soundtrack to 2019. I have not listened to everything that’s out there, but this is the stuff I thought was memorable and worth a shout out. Enjoy, and feel free to let me know what I missed in the comments!
20. BUBBA - Kaytranada
Just released on Dec 13th, this was the most recent addition that nearly destroyed my list. I don’t always allow such last minute changes, but in this case I couldn’t help but include this Canadian DJ and producer. I’m not always a big fan of EDM albums, but Kaytranada’s deep love of many genres, like pop and hip hop and r&b, shines through here as well. As with many albums released by producers, BUBBA is chock full of big name feature vocalists, including UK boss Estelle, Nigerian duo VanJess, and fellow Canadian Charlotte Day Wilson.
My highlights include: “10%”(with Kali Uchis), “Taste” (with VanJess), and “Culture” (with Teedra Moss).
Listen on TIDAL, SPOTIFY or GOOGLE PLAY
19. Dedicated - Carly Rae Jepsen
CRJ is one of the most underrated pop stars of the decade, in my opinion, and although Dedicated didn’t quite surpass the genius of her 2012 masterpiece, (E)Motion, it’s one of the most solid pop records of the year. Every song on this record is a bop, and as CRJ has shown us since the beginning, she’s not beyond letting her sense of humour out by adding fun visuals into the mix: my appreciation of her songs will often switch from “like” to “love” after seeing the music video. I nearly forgot about this record because it hasn’t had as many spins during the colder months, but it was on regular rotation over the summer.
My highlights include: “Too Much,” “The Sound,” and “Right Words Wrong Time”. Although “Party For One” has my favourite music video (which is embedded below).
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18. The Return - Sampa the Great
The Return feels more like a settling in, as Sampa explores themes of belonging and home while blending African rhythms with American Soul and Hip Hop, all while writing and recording at her home in Sydney, Australia. Every time I put this record on, it continuously surprises me by never letting my attention drop. Every time I think I’ve heard the album’s peak, another near-perfect track comes on to distract me from the previous one.
My highlights include: “Freedom,” “Dare to Fly,” and unsurprisingly, “Final Form” (which was featured in my songs of the year list as well).
Listen on TIDAL, SPOTIFY or GOOGLE PLAY
17. Shea Butter Baby - Ari Lennox
From start to finish, Ari Lennox’s debut LP is the perfect introduction to this new talented and relatable artist. And it’s about time; many of us were introduced to her voice with the 2016 EP Pho, but have been waiting 3 long years for this. Fresh and smooth jazzy R&B tunes are tagged with short skits that make it feel like we’re getting to know the real Ari, who is playful, bold and hilarious. The songs prove that Ari is not afraid to state what she wants. If there is any theme that drives this record, it’s Ari’s confidence and sexual independence. I dare you to listen to this and not immediately feel like you’ve taken on some of this woman’s pure swag. I swear, she’s cut from the same cloth as the great Jill Scott, and I cannot wait to hear more of what she has to offer.
My highlights include: “BMO,” “New Apartment,” and “Whipped Cream”.
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16. Free Spirit - Khalid
This is one of those albums that I’ve put on so many times without really listening to it, because it’s a fantastic atmosphere-filler. I love it in the morning, before I’ve had my coffee. I love it in the afternoon, when I just need to get some work done and need to avoid distractions. I love playing a lot of these tracks at the beginning of a party, just as people are gathering and grabbing drinks, getting ready to catch a vibe and dance. The blend of Khalid’s smooth vocals and the soft productions are just right for kicking back with your friends. I am partial to the first half of this album - you’ll notice all my highlights below represent the first 6 tracks - but this may be only because I haven’t paid enough attention to the rest.
My highlights include: “Bad Luck,” “Talk,” and “Right Back”.
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15. Over It - Summer Walker
Summer Walker seemed to come out of nowhere this year and was suddenly every young girl’s favourite singer. She sings with strength and confidence, yet struggles with social anxiety and opens up about this during her Tiny Desk (embedded below). Before breaking into the music industry, she was cleaning houses and stripping in Atlanta, so it’s been incredible to see her rise so quickly. She combines newer R&B vibes with clear 90s influence, sometimes extra explicitly with the Destiny’s Child references in “Playing Games”, or her Usher collaboration, “Come Thru” (which is a remake of “You Make Me Wanna”). The only weakness of this album are the feature male rap verses, which feel a bit “phoned in,” in my opinion. Things feel most real when stripped back to Summer and a guitar, like on the track “Fun Girl,” where she reflects on being rejected because she intimidates the guy, as traffic passes by her window. It’s a magic moment, right in the middle of this perfect flowing record.
My highlights include: “Come Thru” featuring Usher, “Fun Girl,” and “I’ll Kill You” featuring Jhene Aiko.
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14. Ventura - Anderson .Paak
Everything that Paak touches turns to gold, but there’s something about Ventura that feels like the best thing yet. This record explores what it means to grow up in a long-term monogamous relationship, and does it over very funky, soulful bass lines, and I am so here for it all. I knew this album was going to be a contender as soon as I saw the track list of collaborations: André 3000, Smokey Robinson and Lalah Hathaway, and that’s just the first 3 tracks? Even now as I write, I can’t help but fully move my body while “Reaching 2 Much” bumps in my headphones.
My highlights include: “Come Home” featuring André 3000, “Make It Better” featuring Smokey Robinson, “King James,” and “Jet Black” featuring Brandy.
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13. Lucid - Raveena
This whole album is such a mood, and it’s a mood I love to bask in. Raveena is fairly open about the fact that many of her songs are written as a way to process trauma, but I feel that they are also written as a way to heal. Her voice is soothing and hopeful as she lulls and seduces you with one of the most peaceful albums I currently listen to, even though she sings about heavy experiences, like a toxic relationship in “Stronger,” or physical abuse in “Salt Water.” During live performances, Raveena regularly makes space for a moment of meditation and mindfulness (which may be more or less effective depending on the venue… ask me later about the Biltmore show!).
She opens the album with light, fingerpicked guitar, vibey syths that are echoed by a harp, some whispy, barely understandable vocals, and birdsong - which can be heard throughout Lucid. The instrumentation is a huge part of ushering us into this unique and dreamy audio space. Without compromising the aura created by the record, there is still a move from pain and suffering in the first half of the album to a more hopeful place in the second half. Basically, this is a great album whether you’re looking to turn your brain off and reach a higher plane, or whether you want to listen carefully and analyze where these feelings are coming from and leading us toward. Oh yeah, and did I mention she’s openly queer? So yeah, just one more reason to love Raveena Aurora.
My highlights include: “Nectar,” “Stronger,” and “Still Dreaming”.
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12. Lion King: The Gift - Beyoncé & Various Artists
I tried not to include this album on here, just because I don’t tend to include soundtracks or albums of various artists, but The Lion King: The Gift was a solid concept piece that could be heard with or without the film it supported. Beyoncé went out and picked a bunch of African and diasporic artists to collaborate with, helping to elevate several deserving careers in North America this year. Nigerian artist Burna Boy in particular went on to collaborate with Mahalia and Jorja Smith among others, released his LP, African Giant, and even showed up at NPR to do a beloved Tiny Desk performance. Alongside the tracks from new-to-me African musicians (like Salatiel, Tiwa Savage, and Mr. Eazi), we’re also given classic Beyoncé ballads in “Otherside,” and “Mood4Eva” which could have fit just as comfortably alongside her Carters’ Everything Is Love album with Jay-Z.
The thing that makes this album a bit hokey is when it tries to remind you that it’s connected with the remake of the film, The Lion King. There are sound clips from the film interspersed between the songs, and it really distracts me from the music and makes it feel like I’m supposed to interpret the songs through the lens of that story, when such a narrow perspective limits the beauty that these songs can hold. So, for preferred listening I’ve linked streams to both the original albums and playlists I’ve made without the film clips. You’re welcome.
My highlights include: “Ja Are E” by Burna Boy, “Water” by Salatiel, Pharrell Williams & Beyoncé, and “Brown Skin Girl” by Beyoncé, SAINt JHN, Wizkid & Blue Ivy Carter.
Listen to the original album on TIDAL, SPOTIFY or GOOGLE PLAY
Or just the music (without the film clips) on TIDAL, SPOTIFY, or GOOGLE PLAY
11. U.F.O.F. - Big Thief
I think the first thing you should know about this record is that U.F.O.F. stands for Unidentified Flying Object Friend, which I feel sums up the bizarre, mysterious, and yet adorable quality with which Big Thief fills their music and performances. Especially when you consider the title track, which is both so cute and so sad: “Just like a bad dream you’ll disappear.” Similarly, “Orange” is a sweet, dark ditty about imagining a lover’s death: “Fragile is that I mourn her death as our limbs are twisting in the bedroom”.
Adrianne Lenker is the lead singer/songwriter here, and I mostly became aware of Adrianne through my wife’s (understandable) massive crush. Listening closely, there’s a queerness that pulls me in, although there’s also a strong theme of terribly toxic relationships. I suppose there’s enough straight-toxicity in the world, so I’m happy for the representation? No matter the content, these acoustic folk rock songs are so refreshing, thoughtfully written with simple phrasing that paints clear pictures of simple stories.
My highlights include: “Cattails,” “From,” and “Orange”.
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10. 13th Floor - Haviah Mighty
I cannot tell you how excited I am that we have the next great Canadian rap sensation, and this girl’s got bars. Not only does Haviah Mighty rap hard, 13th Floor is full of bumping beats with earworm-worthy hooks. It’s the total package, and shouldn’t be a surprise that it won the Polaris Prize this year. This album is fearless, staring down history, racism, sexism, marginalization, and politics in a way that only a Jamaican-Bajan-Canadian woman could. She knows how to preach and party to equal effect, and has an infectious performance style with seemingly unending energy. I play “Wishy Washy” on the regular when DJing, but I think the true highlight of this record is “Thirteen,” which breaks down a history of systems of racism leading right through the13th amendment and into the present day prison industrial complex. On the one hand, I’m glad this song is early enough that we’re not left there, but when I’m paying attention, I need a full break to process the way that she speaks truth on “Thirteen” before I move on to the much bouncier “Smoke”.
My highlights include: “Thirteen,” “Wishy Washy” (with Haviah’s sister, Omega), and “Squad”.
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9. When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? - Billie Eilish
If you’ve managed to get through 2019 without hearing about Billie Eilish, I can only assume you’ve been literally living under a rock without nearby internet, radio or teenagers. Billie is a quirky and possibly brilliant recently-turned-18-year-old songwriter whose primary collaborator is her brother, Finneas. I’ve been curious about Billie Eilish and liked a few songs from her 2017 album, dont smile at me, but nothing would have prepared for me for such a conceptually complete record as When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?. Individually, songs like “bad guy” and “bury a friend” are unique and haunting, and are slowly changing the sounds of mainstream pop radio. But taken as a whole, this album is an essay on sleeping and dreaming and life and death. With the three last tracks slowly building even just in titles from “listen before i go,” to “i love you”, finally to the literal “Goodbye”, it seems like although Billie is not afraid of exploring dark topics, she is ultimately delaying a departure. But the very last song is when I realized that I needed an immediate second listen, as she recaps a line from every song like a backwards overture. Nothing about this album is an accident, and from such a young artist who’s clearly grown and changed dramatically in the past 3 years, this makes me highly anticipate anything else she decides to create in the future.
My highlights include: “bad guy,” “i wish you were gay,” and “bury a friend”.
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8. When I Get Home - Solange
It’s hard not to compare When I Get Home to Solange’s last LP, A Seat At the Table. I’ll admit that ASATT was more accessible, and since I was expecting more of the same, I’ve found myself still returning to that 2016 gem of an album. But When I Get Home is definitely worth spending some quality time on, too. It’s not an album that fades into the background - it’s art that takes time to sink in, as she often takes a phrase and plays with it for a full minute or even a full song. And that’s assuming you can really call each track a song, since they feel more like movements and ideas that seamlessly transition into each other. Nothing on this album follows a clear, strict, formula, and that’s exactly what makes it fascinating and awesome. Solange’s unique voice truly lends itself to something so experimental while still being rooted in jazz and r&b; its crisp light quality makes it like another instrument gliding over the rest of the instrumentation. I really love how she opens and closes this album with what I read as a spiritual framing. She starts by repeating the line, “I saw things I imagined,” almost as an open invitation for us to close our eyes and see Solange’s imagination unfold over the 18 following tracks. "Witness” closes the album out with a prayerful offering of her work, promising to continue to “take on the light.”
My highlights include: “Way to the Show,” “Almeda,” and “Binz”.
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7. Homecoming: The Live Album - Beyoncé
I’m fairly sure this is the first time I’ve included anything like a live or greatest hits album, but then again this is the first time the queen has released anything like Homecoming. One year after being the first black woman to headline Coachella, Beyoncé released a film of the historical performance on Netflix, along with this live album. Which was perfect, because anyone who has seen Beyoncé perform live knows how intentionally she crafts the set list, with transitions and new stories that emerge from new connections between songs from all over her deep 21-year catalogue. No matter how or when you’ve appreciated Beyoncé, there is something for you here. Honestly, if I somehow wasn’t a beehive member by now, the horn arrangements alone would have won me over on this record.
I’m also blown away how this was recorded so seamlessly. The sound is truly incredible for a live record at a music festival that famously has sound issues and failures every year. Not that Beyoncé would have trusted anyone but her own sound engineers with this beautiful gift she’s been preparing for so long.
My highlights include: When she does a set that includes “Freedom,” “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and “Formation” at the beginning, later when she covers Dawn Penn before singing “Hold Up” and my all time favourite, “Countdown,” and the new release of her version of the classic Frankie Beverly & Maze tune, “Before I Let Go”.
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6. i,i - Bon Iver
At some point during my first listen of Bon Iver’s 4th LP, I remember thinking, I’m not sure what makes this work. This album is such a stunning mess of instruments and sounds, and I’m not sure how Justin Vernon continuously feels like he’s doing something brand new, while also remaining so very true to his particular style. Especially here, where he continues to play with electronics and autotune, he also brings back the acoustic guitar more than I remember on 22, A Million, and sings with more enunciation than ever before.
What truly makes i,i special is that it looks directly into the eyes of our worldwide ecological and refugee crises and hopelessness, and somehow suggests that in the midst of chaos and confusion, there is hope for something beautiful… just like the music itself, which may only be accurately described as electro-soul-gospel. (I can’t take credit for that - I’m quite sure I heard someone say that.) Let me know if you are aware of whom it is who deserves that branding cred.
My highlights include: “iMi,” “Hey Ma,” and “U (Man Like)”.
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5. Cuz I Love You - Lizzo
If you have read my songs blog or spent any time with me in the last 3 years, you know I stand this woman. And no, I did not say “stan;” I refuse to liken myself to a psychopathic stalker, thanks so much. This year I’ve been tracking the stats on music I play at dance parties, and Lizzo is the only artist besides Beyoncé who gets played an average of 3 or more times a night.
Two of the songs on Cuz I Love You made my top 5 songs, and if I didn’t want to make room for other artists, I probably should have considered the entire tracklist. What better concept for an album than pro-black, body-positive self-love? It’s literal bangers from start to finish - even the ballads like “Jerome” and “Lingerie” hit hard. (See “Jerome” below for receipts). Whether she’s rapping, singing, preaching, twerking, playing the flute, or any combination of her many talents, Lizzo is stealing every show, in turn making so much room for socially marginalized women to see themselves as the beautiful stars they are. I am especially over the moon with the way Lizzo has positioned herself as such a friend and ally to the queer community. She’s always been vocal and proud, but when she speaks up about trans lives being important or sings about gender identity in “Like a Girl,” I straight-up swoon.
My highlights include: “Like A Girl,” ”Juice,” “Tempo,” and “Soulmate”. And yeah, I only let myself pick from the new tracks, but the deluxe album also includes singles she dropped in between her legendary EP, Coconut Oil in 2016 and now. Plus if you didn’t know her in April when this album dropped, you’ve surely heard her on the radio this year with her 2016 and 2017 singles sweeping the 2019 charts. The world just wasn’t ready for her, but it’s about time she gets some serious worldwide fame and credit.
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4. Jaime - Brittany Howard
I love how many friends got in touch with me to talk about this album when it first dropped. It’s like you all just knew I would be tripping with excitement over Brittany’s solo record anyway, but then she was singing more explicitly about her queerness than ever before and you all know I’m here for that. With the work she’s done with both Alabama Shakes and Thunderbitch, I was already prepared to name her one of the most unique/powerful voices of this decade, but with this far more personal solo record, I’ve found myself far more appreciative of her songwriting as well. Spanning genres from blues and rock to R&B and punk, she explores themes of identity, belonging, racism, and sexuality. The album title itself is named after Brittany’s sister Jaime, who was the one who taught Brittany how to write songs before tragically dying of a rare form of eye cancer at the age of 13. It is a nod to Brittany’s love and pain and family connections, which are woven throughout the record.
Beginning with “History Repeats,” it feels like Brittany is recognizing the difficulty that revisiting experiences of the past brings. The first lyrics of the entire record are, “I just don’t want to be back in this place again”. And yet, knowing that history repeats itself, especially when ignored, she prepares herself to dive into this deep and delicate material with confidence and the voice control of someone full of reflection and wisdom.
I thought that for sure I would make “Goat Head” one of my songs of the year, but I just can’t separate it from the body of this work. I think it’s important to experience this song for yourself, so I’ve posted a video of it below (skip to 11:40 for “Goat Head”… or just listen to the whole Tiny Desk). Brittany has talked about the time she performed it as a new track before releasing it on Jaime, and observed the plethora of crowd reactions at the song’s major turning point. (Without fully spoiling it, she recollects a moment in her childhood of growing up in Athens, Alabama with a white mother and black father.) There is something so powerful about the way she takes this heartbreaking story and turns it into one of the best - almost sweet - songs on the album.
My highlights include: “He Loves Me,” “Georgia,” “Stay High,” and “Goat Head”.
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3. Heard It in a Past Life - Maggie Rogers
Maggie Rogers’ first LP was very possibly my most anticipated album of the year. After falling in love with her 2017 EP, Now That the Light is Fading, I have been waiting for more good gifts from this self-proclaimed witchy feminist rockstar. Maggie gives me Stevie Nicks and Jenny Lewis vibes, while singing with a crystal clear voice that’s all her own. There are a few repeat songs here from the EP as was expected - her breakout pop hit, “Alaska" and “On + Off" were both familiar, as well as some songs that were released as singles in the months leading up to January of this year. “Light On” was one of my Songs of 2018, and continued to be a constant musical mantra into this year as well.
But even with so much familiar music, Maggie found a way to infuse this album with fresh moments full of everything I’ve grown to love about Maggie’s honest, relatable lyrics over infectious poppy melodies. “Give A Little" kicks the album off with a big energy to which I enjoy imagining Elaine from Seinfeld do her classic thumb-and-kick dance. It’s a great song, and I think it might be the weakest of the 12-song album, which means Heard It in a Past Life just keeps getting better.
My highlights include: “Light On,” “Burning,” and “Back In My Body” for recommendations, but my inexplicable favourite is “Say It”.
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2. Eve - Rapsody
Although this was a record I was excited about, I confess that I considered Rapsody’s 2017 album, Laila’s Wisdom, to be the peak of her career. And it was. I just didn’t realize that there was a second, higher peak beyond that summit. This is a love letter to all the black women who have gone before - starting with the biblical album namesake, Eve - women who have paved the way for black excellence to continue to reach new heights. She covers a plethora of women, from historical (“Hatshepsut” was the first female pharaoh) to fictional (“Cleo” was Queen Latifah’s character in the film Set It Off); in a variety of fields, such as sports (Serena and Ibithaj), music (“Nina” and “Aaliyah”), modelling (“Iman” and “Tyra”), or activism (“Afeni” and “Sojourner”). And those examples are just the song titles! There are countless other homages through lyrical nods, references, and samples as well.
As you might have noticed from my writing so far, I think the beginning and end of an album can tell us so much about the journey we’re meant to be on. Rapsody begins this glorious record with a song entitled “Nina,” where she raps the lines “I’m Nina and Roberta, the one you love but ain’t heard of / Got my middle finger up like Pac after attempted murder,” over a sample from Nina Simone’s version of “Strange Fruit”. Then she ends the record with “Afeni” over a live sample of 2pac’s “Keep Your Head Up” (a song all about protecting and respecting black women). I mean, come on!
So much is packed into every moment, and I know I still have more to learn and notice from Eve. Plus there are just so many bops. I considered several tracks for my Songs of the Year blog, but ultimately I realized that I listen to Eve in her entirety more often than not. No song gets skipped on the regular, because I’ll start thinking I want to bump “Whoopi” (my heart’s first love on this record), and then I notice a line on “Maya” where she references two Laurence Fishburne characters and I’m casually reminded of why Rapsody is my favourite rapper alive: “Some days are Morpheus, other times i’m just like Tre / which means some days I need saving, other days I wear the cape.”
Eve is a black feminist anthem and masterpiece, and if you want to dive in deeper, here’s an interview where Rapsody talks a bit more about her process of writing and naming these songs. Also, she apparently has a handful of unreleased records named after others like Roberta Flack and Gina from Martin, so that might be as good a reason as any to go see her live when she rolls through a town near you!
My highlights include: “Oprah,” “Whoopi,” and “Ibithaj” featuring D’Angelo and GZA.
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1. Legacy! Legacy! - Jamila Woods
I love how similar my top two albums of 2019 are. Both honour a rich history of under-celebrated black folks, with the hope and understanding that the artist herself is in the direct lineage of the legends she sings of. In particular, Legacy! Legacy! is a beautiful reimagining of songs from the point of view of the likes of Frida Kahlo, Eartha Kitt, and Muddy Waters.
This album became such a theme of 2019 for me. First, several of its singles were released in anticipation of the LP, and each immediately became a contender for songs of the year (“GIOVANNI,” which came out much earlier and was indeed in my top 5 songs of 2018). As a fan of Jamila already, this album was an instant salve to my ears. From the jump, I was a huge fan of “ZORA”, “EARTHA”, and “MILES”. Lines popped out at me, like, “none of us are free, but some of us are brave,” “who’s going to share my love for me with me?,” and “shut up motherfucker, I don’t take requests,” respectively. I picked new favourites that shifted with every week of deeper listening, and began to hear the themes of independence, bravery, and depending on people who have gone before.
Woods sets the tone of the record with “BETTY” (Davis) being visited by her own legends: “they whisper to me quiet, I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive.” She runs through 12 of her artistic and political ancestors, right before closing Legacy! Legacy! out with a house remix of the opener, “BETTY,” which is my lowlight of the album. “BALDWIN” is one of her most pointed songs about the internalized racism that reflects and celebrates the ideas and writing of James Baldwin. The first verse stays with me as such a simple and direct image: “somebody’s daddy always laid out in the street and for what? … Your precious lethal fear,” but always returns in the chorus to a repetition of resilient strength and refusal to be silenced by that targeted fear: “We don’t go out, can’t wish us away / We been burning brighter everyday.”
If you are interested in this album at all - whether it’s a new find or in your top choices already - I would highly recommend this article, where Jamila breaks down some of her process track by track, as well as this episode of my favourite podcast, Song Exploder, where you can hear Jamila and producer Slot-A (who is one of my current DJ idols) break “BALDWIN” down even more. And that is my Christmas gift to you.
My highlights include: It’s a lot easier for me to pick that one song as a lowlight, to be honest. From start to finish, this record expands on themes and touches on R&B, hip hop, blues, rock, and jazz. In my opinion, it’s perfect, which it makes it a clear choice as my album of 2019.
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I’ve thrown a smattering of highlights from these albums with my songs of the year to create two playlists to check out - one with songs for parties and the other with songs for chilling or reflecting. I would like to mention that this is a false binary (as most binaries are) and ask that you not hold me responsible for overlap, or whatever you might consider to be mis-categorization. Peace!