The Best Ones of the Best Ones
It goes with out saying that my Top 10 albums are really my favorite or preferred albums of the year, so it’s personal. I love music for a variety of reasons - music can resonate with your feelings, it can get you moving, and it can bring communities together. Here are my favorite 10 albums of the year, and why they meant so much to me. I was lucky enough to see most of these musicians perform these albums live this year, and got to photograph many of them as well! Those photos are littered throughout my website, though, so I’ll keep it strictly about the music in this post.
No. 1 - Charli XCX - Charli
She goes hard, she goes fast, and she never looks back.
I have followed Charli XCX’s (hereinafter “Charli”) work since 2012, back before she released a first album. I described her music as gothy Spice Girls at the time. Here we are, many singles, 2 albums + 3 mixtapes later, and we have arrived at the forever iconic Charli, her third studio album to date. I have never come to appreciate the hard work any musician has put into their craft as much as I have with Charli. She does so much, and her collaborations along the way have led her here, to the album I have not been able to stop listening to since September.
Starting with production, this album kills! Her opening track “Next Level Charli” is a rework of a A.G. Cook and Life Sim’s “Big Bratt” and it punches fast! This opening moment really sets off the beginning of a high energy album, bursting with color. A.G. Cook and Charli co-executively produced Charli (along with others such as EasyFun, and Dylan Brady) bringing the pop and PC Music aesthetic flair to the album that fans have come to love ever since her Vroom Vroom EP and Pop 2 mixtape. Charli has finally established herself here in Charli, bringing the best of both her strictly pop-era sounds together with her more experimental side, and the production flourishes throughout the tracks because of it.
Charli herself has also said that this album is the most open she has been emotionally. You would be surprised how personal and reflective a pop album can be, but between songs about partying, Charli puts her insecurities on full display. In the song “Thoughts” Charli’s inner monologue asks “Did I lose it all? // Did I fuck it up? // Are my friends really friends now, or are they far gone?” Charli also features her self-reflection on the BEST POP SONG OF THE YEAR, “Gone” featuring Christine and the Queens, where she expalins “I have to go, I’m so sorry // But it feels so cold in here // I am just now realizing they don’t care // … I feel so unstable, fucking hate these people, how they’re making me feel lately, they’re making me weird baby, lately”.
Top that all of with some of the biggest drops in dance anthems of the year, the shining “Click” featuring Kim Petras and Tommy Cash, and, oh lord, “I Shake It” featuring Big Freedia, Brooke Candy, Pabllo Vittar, and CupcakKe - the freaking gang is all here for this crazy-ass jam.
Charli wraps up Charli with help from Troye Sivan, in the futuristic “2099” because, of course they do. This track blows minds and some don’t understand it, and that’s the deal. Charli will make what she wants, with who she wants, no holds barred. This is her time and her album.
I could go on forever.
TLDR: This is the iconic album of the year, maybe of the century. Whether you want to party or cry, Charli’s got you.
No. 2 - Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising
During probably any other year, this ethereal masterpiece would have been at the very top.
It is hard to believe that Natalie Laura Mering (Weyes Blood) and I are the same age (in fact, she’s a little over a month younger than me), because Titanic Rising rings with the elegance and history of someone with a far more experienced soul than anything I could ever imagine at my age.
Titanic Rising is a blend of poetic melodies and subtle but magical lyrics. In her catchy single “Everyday” Natalie expresses “True love is making a comeback // For only half of us, the rest just feel bad.” In “Picture Me Better,” heartbreaking lyrics describe how things could be, for someone who tragically has left her life “Picture us better // We finally found a winter for your sweater // Got a brand new big suit of armor // It’s tough, since you’ve left I’ve grown so much”.
There are elements of nostalgia flowing through this album - I particularly hear some Carpenters influence, and am immediately transported to a specific feeling when the twangy slide-guitar comes into play on “Andromeda”. Then there is Natalie’s voice itself, which embodies a rich depth on its own.
Though each track on Titanic Rising tells a different story, there is a charm from the same teller that comes through each bold offering - the common thread that tethers it together. Titanic Rising is a cinematic soundscape, weaving the scenes of each song together into one.
This leads me to my, hands down, favorite song of the year, “Movies”. This song has made me cry on more than one occasion. The beauty, the simplicity, the romance, and the fun of the entire song is too perfect. If I could hug a single song and sink to the bottom of the ocean, this would be it.
TLDR: This album gives me something to believe in for our generation and music to come.
No. 3 - Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center
An icon from my past and an icon from today combine together for a beautiful collaboration album.
Friends should support each other, and that’s exactly what Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst do in their band, Better Oblivion Community Center (hereinafter “BOCC”), made obvious from their self-titled debut released early this year. Both Bridgers and Oberst are hugely powerful musicians on their own right, but the duo naturally progressed into working together the more they got to know one another. The name Better Oblivion Community Center represents just what they are - welcoming, friendly, and without judgement. Better Oblivion Community Center feels like conversations between friends - but instead of an album full of duets where the pair could take turns singing back and forth, Bridgers and Oberst decide to sing many of their lyrics in harmony, creating one main voice for the band and their sound.
The opening song “Didn’t Know What I Was In For” does open with Bridgers’ calming lyrics, with some lighthearted acoustic guitar. The song quickly proves itself to not be a happy song, but more of an ode to the internal struggles we face day to day, wanting to help make the world a better place, but unsure how we fit in and can truly make a difference with all of the pain we watch from afar. Oberst joins a few verses in to help echo these feelings “I didn't know what I was in for // When I signed up for that run // There's no way I'm curing cancer // But I'll sweat it out // I feel so proud now for all the good I've done”. Are our efforts any good? Do they actually matter, and are we actually trying to help others in need, or are we just doing it to make ourselves feel better and give ourselves a pat on the back? These are just the themes of the opening track (and the first song that Oberst and Bridgers wrote together for the BOCC project), the rest of the album opens up into much more.
In terms of structure, there are quite a few unique sounding songs throughout the album as well. “Exception to the Rule” starts out synth heavy, and “Sleepwalkin’” leaves in some recording-room speech (presumably?) giving the track a little grit and then leading into another intricate song with more reflection “Is this having fun? // Or is it just because? // Which one is jumping first // Off of the face of the earth?”
TLDR: A self-reflection album between friends with catchy melodies, well worth many listens.
No. 4 - FKA Twings - MAGDALENE
A heartbreaking work of art that touches on true insecurity.
The lead single “Cellophane” from FKA Twigs of her latest album Magdalene immediately captured me. As a fan of her previous work for years now, this initial offering felt sadder, and even more expressive than ever before from FKA Twigs. I’m happy to say that this first ballad of despair represented an even more beautiful collection of soul-wrenching masterpieces.
Perhaps I am biased because I could feel my heart relating to many of the sad romantic struggles expressed throughout many pieces of this album - specifically the lyrics on “Cellophane” that opening track, with thoughts of never being good enough in a relationship, “Didn't I do it for you? // Why don't I do it for you? // Why won't you do it for me? // When all I do is for you?”, and “Sad Day” where she expresses “Take a chance on all the things you can't see // Make a wish on all that lives within thee…I can imagine a world when my arms are embraced around you // I lie naked and pure // With intentions to clench you and take you” a song I interpret to be about wanting to rekindle and complete an unfinished and lost love.
FKA Twigs is known for her interesting production choices, and with flashy transitions on Magdalene the album feels certainly hers, but the emotion and trauma expressed through her vocals and lyrics feel like a dance all on their own. This album truly breaks me every time I listen.
TLDR: The most traumatic album of the year, expertly expressed through one of the most multi-talented artists today.
No. 5 - Dorian Electra - Flamboyant
They’re flamboyant, they go all the way!!
In a contrast to my previous pick, Flamboyant, the debut album from Dorian Electra, is a freaking fun album. That’s not to say that Electra doesn’t offer something deeper as well - the album focuses on breaking down gender biases and being the person you want to be. Fully embracing oneself and doing whatever the hell you want offers a lot of freedom, and on Flamboyant, Electra feels completely free.
The first time I heard Electra’s voice was on a Pop 2 track with Charli XCX called “Femmebot” - it was easily one of my favorite songs from that incredible album, so I decided to look further into Electra’s work and I WASN’T READY but I’m glad I did. I dived deep into “Daddy Like” and quickly got a glimpse into the bold personas of Electra and the different roles they enjoy portraying. With playful spelling and counting lyrics, they explain as Daddy that they approve “(One) I pay your rent // (Two) Rent check sent // (Three) That's money well spent (yeah)…Daddy likeeeeeee”. In “Man to Man” Electra beseeches “Are you man enough to soften up? // Are you tough enough to open up?” Dorian Electra uses the power of pop to ask the real questions we should be about breaking down the gender barriers of today.
Truly, justice cannot be served unless you give this album and tracks a listen to hear just how frisky Electra gets. For starters, their voice is somehow enhanced and distorted to give them a truly personal and distinctive sound. Does their voice sound manly? Does their voice sound feminine enough? It doesn’t matter in the slightest, it is Electra. In the title track “Flamboyant,” there are multiple sound effects at play in the background, feeding off of the catchy lyrics - for instance a sharp crack of a whip, at “I’m flamboyant, I go all the way”.
The only thing that makes this album even more fun is to experience it live, with everyone dancing around you, chanting the powerful lyrics back to Electra in the flesh. What a time to be alive.
TLDR: A freaky, fun and uplifting pop album with a unique voice.
No. 6 - Foals - Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost (Part 1)
When your favorite band releases two albums in one year, at least one is bound to capture you.
“Go Big or Go Home” is a phrase that has been tied to the band Foals for many years. This year, they’ve done it quite big, as they released a 2-part LP Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Parts 1 & 2 (hereinafter “ENSWBL”).
It is notable that only the first part of this double LP is featured on my list. Foals became my favorite band after their sophomore album arrived in 2010, called Total Life Forever. They’ve remained my favorite band since, but as their music has evolved, so has my personal taste. Not all of their offerings have successfully captured my attention ever since that beautiful album, and of this new 2-parter, my preference was definitely for the former. A bit more disco, and bit more color, a bit more depression, and more experimentation happened in these ten songs.
I’m pleased that, while not revolutionary, lead singer and songwriter Yannis Philippakis and co. have tried their hand in commenting on climate change and politics on ENSWBL P1. For example, with their leading single “Exits,” a few lyrics include “They got exits covered // All the exits underground // I wish I could figure it out // But the world's upside down.” Even though the U.S. tends to dominate the world’s political climate, Foals are from England, and they have had their own hands full with the reality of Brexit. The band has a come a long way from writing totally nonsensical lyrics in their first album (Antidotes), to writing weighty lyrics such as these, today.
That being said, there are quite a few fun songs to come out of this offering as well - “White Onions” and “On the Luna” both offer a quicker BPM for those trying to tap their foot or join the mosh pit at one of their lives shows.
“In Degrees” instead offers some disco-era nostalgia with chiming notes kicking off the opening of the track. While the lightness of “In Degrees” is a highlight of the album, the apparent stand-out moment of the album is in opposition with their heavy “Sunday” filled with self-reflecting lyrics “Cause time away from me is what I need // To clear my sight and clear my head”. The crescendo of the song is a fulfilling moment of both happiness and sadness - the true peak of this enticing album from them.
TLDR: Foals’ first of two albums this year was a stand-out filled with an interesting stylistic turn and lyrics.
No. 7 - Orville Peck - Pony
It’s enough to make a young man….cry.
Of all of my top albums this year, this is the the obvious outlier. No pop-dance tracks here, just a mysterious cowboy, belting his heart out in nostalgic country-style ballads.
Orville Peck is the pseudonym for this masked cowboy - his music is his identity and therefore we are more drawn to his mysterious and epochal style. In every photo, video, and performance I have seen of Orville Peck he has had a simple but iconic look. This stylistic choice helps us first find wonder in the artist himself, and then immediately focus on the meat of the matter - his soulful voice and thoughtful lyrics. In his debut album Pony, we are treated to twelve story-telling adventures of cowboys, all belted out by the seductive weighty voice, akin to that of Roy Orbison.
Throughout the different character perspectives each song on Pony has to offer, Orville Peck acknowledges some self-awareness with a bit of tongue-in-cheek flair, for instance, on “Take You Back (The Iron Hoof Cattle Call)” there are gun-shots, and Peck isn’t afraid to yell a “Yee-haw!”
In one of the album’s simplest ballads “Nothing Fades Like the Light”, Peck sings “Some say I should learn to cry // But I only learned how to fight // And I know everything must die // But nothing fades like the light // No, nothing fades like the light” alongside eerie whistling. I don’t know if I actually want to know these cowboys, but I certainly feel like I do know their struggles as they travel with these insightful monologues.
TLDR: This is how you try to bring the glamour back into music and update it at the same time. New-meets-classic and I am along for the ride!
No. 8 - Kim Petras - Clarity
She’s figured out what she wants, and she’s going to have it whether you like it or not!
Another debut album has made my top 10, and this one is a biggie. Kim Petras’s long awaited Clarity finally dropped this year, much to every pop aficionado’s appreciation. Each song on this album is pop perfection.
Starting with the first released single “Broken,” Petras sings a spiteful heartbreak ballad and describes it as the place she started from when she began writing this album (later ending with finding her “Clarity”). This song was one of my most played tracks this year and it’s gotta be because it’s so damn catchy, but also feels so good to sing along to: “So much for the love // Hope she got, hope she got // Everything I'm not // Pray to God, pray to God // That she leaves you broken, broken (hearted) // Like you left me broken, broken (hearted)”.
The other tracks along this album are all equally as catchy and feel good. It’s like 90s pop reincarnated but as if it was actually exceptional and not just feel-good. Also found throughout the songs are Petras’s girly catch-phrase (sound?) “Woo-ah!” which is so extra, just like her.
Another common thread Clarity shares among my other favorites this year is Petras’ expressiveness, especially in sexuality. In “Do Me” she confidently declares “Do me, do me, do me like that // Hurt me so good, make me wanna be bad…Touch me, touch me there, right there // Kiss it, lick it, flip it // Leave your handprints on my ass, yeah.” This unrestrained approach is so incredibly refreshing and really propels this album to an unapologetic level that I’m drawn to.
TLDR: A declarative, sensual, and bold first offering from 2019’s pop princess.
No. 9 - Noah Gundersen - Lover
A contradicting struggle with love, sex, drugs, and life in general.
If I’m being honest, Noah Gundersen has been on my radar for a long time - he, his family, and friends have been making music for many years in the Seattle area. He has many times opened for other artists I’ve attended live, or he’s popped up with a cameo for other Seattle musicians. Friends of mine personally know him, and his family is known for putting on local shows where they sing together. I’ve always thought he had a fantastic voice, and appreciated his love for the craft (made apparent by showing up all over the place in our music scene), but with his album Lover released this year, I truly connected with him as a stand-alone artist.
Lover offers many different emotions (likely since some of these tracks were started a long time ago before finding their way onto this album), but what first intrigued me was the juxtaposition of the album’s first two singles. “Robin Williams” is about as stripped of a song as you can get, with Gundersen singing a ballad discussing mortality over a simple guitar - fast forward to the second single and title track “Lover” where Gundersen’s voice yearns and is filled with sexual tension over a deep beat, a contradiction to the song’s lyrics “I don't need no lover // But I sure like keeping you around // I don't need no lover // I'll try not to let you down”.
Gundersen further describes frustrations he knows to be true in his own relationships in my personal favorite song “Watermelon” off of Lover. The song’s opening lyrics state “It’s not easy to please me, I know // I wish that I could give you some good news // But my heart beats like a tattoo on an old tin drum” and the song ends with “A whole lot of late nights, a whole lot of booze // A whole lot of holes you can stick it into // But this hole in my chest won’t let me rest // So I’m trying my best to fill it with you”. There’s a sense of wanting to feel complete for himself and others, but not knowing how to get there.
I might not be able to totally share and relate to some of Gundersen’s experiences on Lover, but I can definitely appreciate the honesty he belts into each structured track. I take away another small piece of hope with each listen to this album.
TLDR - My local album of choice for this year - if you’ve never given Noah Gundersen a chance before, now’s the time to get to know him.
No. 10 - Slayyyter - Slayyyter
A delicious and hyper-sexualized album that will turn your head in the best of ways.
While the only album technically considered a mixtape on my list, this self-titled work squeezes in to round out my favorites this year as the banger that I didn’t know I needed. Sure, a few of the other above albums were sexual, but they don’t go as far as Slayyyter does. Slayyyter pushes her sexuality to the forefront in the majority of the songs offered here, and it makes the songs punch that much more.
I think the first song that caught my attention was “Tattoo,” a bright, pop, sexy, summer/lust ballad with a simple message “I just want to party with my best friends // And I just want to skip to the weekend // And all I wanna do is spend the night with you // Baby, do you like me too? // I can be your new tattoo” which was so catchy I decided to check out the rest of the mixtape….and WOW. Slayyyter’s vocals are highly reminiscent of Britney Spears, which brings me back to the prime pop of my childhood (Slayyyter must recognize this herself, and she has covered Spears’ “Everytime” and it’s hard to tell it isn’t the original singer on the track), with the main difference being the in-your-face sexuality. Sure, Spears was, I guess, a bit controversial for her time (after being a former Disney star), but everything on Slayyyter is (fittingly) much more relevant to the hyper-sexuality of today.
Take the lyrics from “Daddy AF” which I like to drive to feeling like a bad bitch (that I’m not) “I been fuckin' models // I been poppin' bottles all night // Playboy in the grotto // Put it on your face boy….Daddy as fuck, I feel Daddy as fuck” or the extreme lyrics of “E-Boy” when Slayyyter asks “Do you wanna be my e-boy, baby? Watch me naked, you can't take it // I promise you that I'm not faking, Cyber-sexing at 3 a.m. // You could my e-boy, Kiss me through the screen, boy // Give it all to me boy, yeah // Watch me using all my toys, Do you wanna be my e-boy?”
Slayyyter doesn’t just speak about sexting or getting down on every track though. Slayyyter’s closing track, “Ghost” is surprisingly touching and sad. Another song of this generation, the track explores a relationship where a past flame has “ghosted” her, and she is unwilling to accept his attempts to gain her attention back.
TLDR: Slayyyter is what the dark and badass sex-queen sister of Britney Spears would release today - only she IS here and releasing it, and her name is fucking SLAYYYTER, bitches.
Honorable Mentions
DIIV - Deceiver
The realest rock I’ve connected to this year - DIIV punch back with a powerful new found strength in their most recent LP, Deceiver. I love a good underdog story and this latest offering really shows a maturity established within the band, while still bringing out some pulsing bangers to boot.
Hannah Diamond - Reflections
I self-proclaim to be in love with PC music and the overall sound (bubblegum bass-ish) which is in large part from label founder A.G. Cook who produced this album with Hannah Diamond. I’ve loved Diamond’s starry vocals ever since first hearing them, and was excited listen to this full-length effort, finally, by the both of them. There are some very simple, powerful gems into this album. It’s a great start to get your feet wet in the PC Music world, because it is a very mellow version of some of the other experimental works to come out of the same movement.
Kim Petras - Turn Off The Light
This Halloween album by Kim Petras was almost as loved by me as her debut, listed up above. Such a fun blend of spooky and sexy tracks that I will enjoy any time of the year!
Cashmere Cat - Princess Catgirl
This collection of 7 swift tracks is so playful, I can’t help but keep returning to the catchiness. I’m fairly new to listening to this DJ/Producer but very enticed, to say the least. “Emotions” had me bopping every single time! The surprise samplings were just an added treat underlying an already interesting project.
Caroline Polachek - Pang
I feel bad placing this album in honorable mentions - it is such fantastic pop heroism by the ever-evolving Carolin Polachek on her first LP under her own full name. A classically trained singer, Polachek’s subtle bops are elevated with her incredibly distinct vocals.
clipping. - There Existed an Addition to Blood
The only hip-hop album that really struck a chord with me was this experimental and cinematic take from clipping. The album wasn’t a Halloween album but was inspired by a vampire film, and thus, the album has an unnerving feeling of tension throughout its core which drives the songs to their bold finale.
Hot Chip - A Bath Full of Ecstasy
Hot Chip is an easy band to celebrate. I found myself drawn to this album later than expected. Only a few of the songs initially really grabbed my attention at first, but after having a long while to sit with this collection, I feel like Hot Chip’s blend of pop and electronic only marinated into something extra special. I will revisit these songs for a long time to come.