20 Albums of '21

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and once again I am super excited to share my favourite music of the year with you!

First of all, I have a few honourable mentions to make up front, for fear you will think me completely irrelevant. First I need to say that if I was still a teenager or even a younger adult, I would likely have included Olivia Rodrigo on this list. Her debut album is everywhere and we’ll likely see its impact in the future. Maybe next year I’ll regret not adding her here, but I have tried and I cannot seem to relate this even in some kind of youth nostalgia sense.

Secondly, although I have a religious resistance against including re-releases of existing albums and did not entertain any “Taylor’s Versions”, I do think that what T. Swift is doing with her older material is incredibly badass, and sets a wonderful precedent for artists to take control of their original material. I am not a blind follower or even a “Stan” of T Swift, but I can recognize this as a powerful statement to those who make their fortunes off of artists - especially women, LGBTQ2S+, and BIPOC artists. 

Okay, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the 20 (new) albums that made their mark on me this year:

20. One Foot In Front of the Other - Griff

Though this is only a 7-song EP, Griff’s debut album - which is essentially a mixtape appetizer - introduces us to one of the freshest voices in pop music. The productions are bouncy and addictive. Griff is a phenomenal performer, and we’ve only seen the very tip of the iceberg since this collection was written and recorded entirely under lockdown. I look forward to seeing what she’s able to deliver in the coming years!

Track Highlights: Black Hole, Walk, One Foot In Front of the Other

19. Still Over It - Summer Walker

This album had me at the features. Summer Walker is working with all kinds of independent women here, from Cardi B and City Girls to SZA and Ari Lennox. Summer’s sophomore album chronicles the past 2 years following her glow up in the industry, and her tumultuous relationship with London on da Track including her pregnancy with their son. Ciara and Cardi are great choices to open and close out the album; these two women have gone through similar experiences of motherhood and heartbreak in the spotlight, and continue to channel their struggles into fantastic music, which is exactly what Still Over It exemplifies.

Track Highlights: No Love featuring SZA, Unloyal featuring Ari Lennox, Bitter featuring Cardi B

18. Back Of My Mind - H.E.R.

Confession: I made my own edit of this album by removing the songs that feature Chris Brown and Lil Baby, because I’m not interested in listening to either of them. Honestly, the Chris Brown feature kept me from listening to this album on repeat, but H.E.R. is one of the most talented people making music right now, and Back of my Mind is her most cohesive project to date (partially because it’s the first time she’s released a full LP instead of her usual 2-volume EPs). 

Track Highlights: Damage, We Made It, Slide featuring YG

17. Be Right Back - Jorja Smith

This album was released at the wrong time of year for me, and I only returned to it because a good friend reminded me of its existence. It came out in the Spring of 2021, but Jorja’s voice brings me the most comfort in the cooling months of autumn. Thank goodness I found my way back to it in October, so I still had a couple of months to fall in love with it.

Track Highlights: Addicted, Bussdown featuring ShayBo, Home

16. Hope For Sale - Chiiild

I first heard of this L.A.-via-Montreal artist as a feature on the Emotional Oranges track “Bonafide”, so when Tidal recommended I listen to another song by Chiiild featuring Mahalia (one of my favourite London R&B singer/songwriters), I was quick to listen to the rest of the project it was attached to. That project is Hope For Sale, which is full of chill melodies that practically float over the softly produced grooves, fluctuating between R&B, pop, and soft rock. Chiiild often reminds me of Tame Impala crossed with Emotional Oranges, so if you’re a fan of either of these groups, definitely give this record a chance.

Track Highlights: Awake featuring Mahalia, Sleepwalking, Gone

15. Herald - Odette

Wow, I slept on this Australian album most of the year. I remember downloading it in late February and playing it during a few evening dinner preps, but then at some point I removed it to make room for something else, and forgot to return to it until later this fall. Odette has a voice that stands out, and Herald is a touching exploration of identity and mental health in the midst of her own coming-of-age story. I’m super excited for her name to become more recognizable on this side of the world.

Track Highlights: I Miss You I’m Sorry, What I Know is Not Enough, Amends

14. Sensational - Erika De Casier

This was one of the most recent discoveries in my list, and I will fully admit that if I were given more time and a few more listens, it might climb higher than this place. Sensational is clearly a project birthed from a deep love for 90s R&B, and I can’t help but make comparisons to Janet Jackson’s soft vocals on her more chill ballads. Can’t wait to introduce this album to more people as I play it in the background of future hangs.

Track Highlights: Drama, No Butterflies No Nothing, Polite

13. In These Silent Days - Brandi Carlile

I can’t imagine what it must have been like for Brandi Carlile to follow up her wildly successful 2018 album, By the Way, I Forgive You. If I’m honest, I wanted to like In These Silent Days more than I did, which made it one of my most listened to albums of 2021, even though I’ve only given it the 13th spot. Still, Brandi Carlile is a treasure and I rarely get through “This Time Tomorrow” without tearing up on the spot.

Track Highlights: Right on Time, This Time Tomorrow, When You’re Wrong

12. Home Video - Lucy Dacus

I have finally come around to admiring Lucy Dacus’ songwriting as much as the songwriting of her Boygenius bandmates, Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers. Home Video works as a time capsule that will no doubt feel deeply familiar for anyone who grew up in the evangelical purity culture of the 90s. This album hit home in ways that I was not expecting.

Track Highlights: VBS, Christine, Brando

11. Planet Her - Doja Cat

I’m so happy this album is getting love. Doja Cat has come to play and she is making pop music that refuses to be ignored by the radio, or my kitchen speaker. I was not expecting anything more than a couple of singles from this Doja album, but the entire thing keeps a contagious vibe going. Her rhymes are consistently sexy, comedic, or both, and her beats never stop bouncing. Although it seems Doja Cat is constantly underestimated, I know I will pay attention to anything with her name on it from now on.

Track Highlights: Woman, Get Into It (Yuh), I Don’t Do Drugs featuring Ariana Grande

10. 333 - Tinashe

333 is the album that has officially made me a Tinashe fan. I haven’t yet tracked back through her older catalogue (beyond the singles), but I have an educated suspicion that independently releasing is a good look for her, and I’m looking forward to checking out her first post-label project from 2019. For now, 333 offers 47 minutes of good, pure vibes that in my opinion pair magically with a cold drink and a warm night. 

Track Highlights: Pasadena featuring Buddy, I Can See The Future, Bouncin’

9. TAO - Shad

I know that Shad’s last project had a lot of heart, but to be honest, I prefer the simplicity of TAO. No big story to follow along with, just classic, stripped down productions and unadulterated, solid lyrics delivered with that perfect blend of playful and raw we’ve come to appreciate from our Canadian rap sensation.

Track Highlights: Out of Touch featuring Phoenix Pagliacci, Black Averageness, Work featuring Skratch Bastid

8. Collapsed In Sunbeams - Arlo Parks

This rad, queer, lofi artist has been a real silver lining of the pandemic. I started listening to her Quarantine Covers in April 2020, and last year she made my songs list twice with “Green Eyes” (which continues to be my highlight from this album) and a guest verse she did with Glass Animals. This collection did not disappoint.

Track Highlights: Green Eyes, Hurt, Too Good

7. Promises - Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra

I recognize that this album will not be for everyone. Electronic producer Sam Shepherd - aka Floating Points - teams up with the legendary free jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and the whole London Symphony Orchestra to create this beautiful, meditative work that defies whatever genres I’m tempted to use to categorize it. No track highlights, as this is technically a singular “track” with 9 movements that play with similar motifs with shifting energy and instrumentation. This is a completely stunning masterpiece, and I can’t wait to hear it on vinyl.

6. Mother - Cleo Sol

This album came out in June, but I’ve been treating it like a cozy blanket to wrap myself in during the rainy days of fall. Cleo Sol is a true gem who pairs folk pop, R&B and gospel in ways that no one ever has. She gives me Carole King and Etta James vibes at the same time, while still sounding fresh - I think she’d make a great collaboration with Daniel Caesar since they’re both clearly soft-hearted old souls.

Track Listing: Don’t Let Me Fall, Promises, 23, Know That You Are Loved

5. Montero - Lil Nas X

This is not an album to skip or roll your eyes at. Lil Nas X has been critiqued for all kinds of things around his identity and style, and each time he just leans in a little harder. If you had told me the Old Town Road guy was going to go on to make an album I listen to on the regular (never mind include in my year end list), I would have laughed and laughed at you. But here we are, with a beautifully queer album (complete with an Elton John baton pass on “One of Me”) where Lil Nas X is unapologetically himself (the album title references his given name, Montero). Aside from the big singles, I love the Elton assisted piano reflection, maybe even more than the Megan feature in “Dolla Sign Slime”.

Track Highlights: Montero (Call Me By Your Name), Industry Baby featuring Jack Harlow, One of Me featuring Elton John

4. Pink Noise - Laura Mvula

Channeling the best of the 80s’ big synth energy, Laura pivots with this album to a much more pop/dance sound with Pink Noise, and I’m here for it. Although this album is a lot more mainstream than her past work, we still get the elements that we’ve come to appreciate from Mvula - namely her harmonies and vocal layering.

Track Highlights: Got Me, Safe Passage, Church Girl

3. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert - Little Simz

I’ve been anticipating this album for some time, and as expected, Little Simz has only continued to improve as both a rapper and songwriter. With a combination of brilliant, hard-hitting verses and catchy ass hooks, this album is everything I ever want out of a rap record. I think SIMBI could have actually been higher on this list if it was just slightly edited, as I think it might be a couple songs too long. Still, the highlights on this album are major highlights of the year for me, and there’s no question it’s a standout collection. I highly recommend checking out her cozy Tiny Desk performance which includes all of my highlights below (plus one other favourite).

Track Highlights: Introvert, Woman featuring Cleo Sol, Point and Kill featuring Obongjayar

2. Dawn - Yebba

Combine an unmatchable voice, a powerful grief, and phenomenal songwriting to create this masterpiece. This is an album I’ve been anticipating since 2017 when Yebba gave us the gift that is “Evergreen”. Individually, I’m not sure any of the songs stand alone like that gem, but Dawn creates space for our emotions and grief over the span of 12 tracks, which is a whole other kind of gift. 

Track Highlights: Boomerang, Louie Bag featuring Smino, & Paranoia Purple

1. Heaux Tales - Jazmine Sullivan

From the moment this album dropped on the first Friday of the year, it was an instant classic. I think it was the only thing I listened to all January, and there has not been a month in 2021 where these songs did not make my most-listened to Tidal lists. 

I was anticipating this record hard, seeing as Jazmine Sullivan has one of the most underrated voices out there, and “Lost Ones” was already my #5 song of 2020. This song continues to give me feels and goosebumps whenever it comes on. But as an album, Heaux Tales gives us track after track of raw emotion interspersed with interludes of women telling us stories of their past relationships gone wrong. 

This year I have decided to make a clear distinction between my songs and albums of the year, without overlapping artists (that way I can highlight more artists that I’ve appreciated this year), but if I was allowing contenders from the albums listed here, I would be without a doubt including “Girl Like Me” and “Pick Up Your Feelings”. 

A lot of times I’ll get sucked into an album, but find it hard to predict whether it will remain part of my life long term. Here we have a solid example of a record I expect to spin in 10 and 25 years, and that’s not something I’m willing to say for certain about any other record here. 

Track Highlights: Literally all of them, and you can listen to 4 of them in her Tiny Desk below.

As usual, I spent a very large part of this year listening to music like it was my job. However, this year I actually had a nearly full-time job outside of tracking with the new tunes, so accept my apology if I’ve missed anything that you thought should be recognized here. Feel free to correct me too, so I can get into it now - better late than never!

For even more music, check out my 20 Songs of ‘21!