Top 50 favorite albums of the year (part two)
You can check part one (50–26) here!
Also to clarify, if these blurbs look like a quite low effort thing, with very little editing, done in the few minute-long breaks I’ve had on my job… it’s because that’s exactly what it is! I’m not getting paid for this I’m doing it out of love so hope you guys appreciate the effort regardless, here we go!
#25. Sofía Kourtesis — Madres
Genre: Deep House
Label: Ninja Tune || Release Date: 27/10 || From: Lima, Peru
The debut album of Berlin-via-Lima producer Sofía Kourtesis, Madres, doesn’t necessarily deviate much from her earlier house music EPs, but like any good debut would, it expands on what she’s been doing, adding new depth and color to her sound. Inspired by Peruvian traditional and Latin popular music, as well as by personal hardships and family history, it’s a record that, despite basing itself around repetition, never feels mechanic nor distant, but more like a friend kindly inviting you to dance. While there’s been lots of great stuff, Madres is definitely one of the crowning-jewels of dance music this year.
RIYL: DJ Python, Nicolás Jaar, Peggy Gou, Moodymann
Highlights: “Madres”, “Si te portas bonito”, “Vajkoczy”, “How Music Makes You Feel Better”, “Funkhaus”, “Estación esperanza” (feat. Manu Chao), “El carmen”
#24. Fever Ray — Radical Romantics
Genre: Art Pop, Synthpop
Label: Rabid || Release Date: 10/3 || From: Gothenburg, Sweden
Fever Ray’s previous album, Plunge, saw them shifting from the gloomy, mysterious reflections on parenthood and childhood of their self-titled debut into colorful, abrasively queer and sexual industrial-electropop, which naturally isolated part of their public. While Radical Romantics is not an effort to appease anyone, it can be considered some of sort of midpoint between the two records. A record primarily about love, relationships and romanticism that inevitably delves into the political, Radical Romantics retains the vibrant and energetic rhythms of their previous album while adding the sinister, doomy touch that characterized some of Fever Ray/The Knife’s best music.
RIYL: The Knife, iamamiwhoami, Arca, Zhala
Highlights: “What They Call Us”, “Shiver”, “New Utensils”, “Even It Out”, “Looking for a Ghost”, “Carbon Dioxide”, “Tapping Fingers”
#23. Yves Tumor — Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
Genre: Neo-Psychedelia, Post-Punk
Label: Warp || Release Date: 17/3 || From: Miami, USA
Yves Tumor has taken so many shapes it is impossible to determine what they’re going to do next. And Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) seems like their rockstar image being pushed to its logical conclusion. While arguably less “avant-garde” and cleaner than their previous albums, it never loses its charm and what makes Yves’ music interesting beyond all experimentation, still feeling adventurous and new while paying homage to genres of the past. If this is what stadium rock is going to sound like in the future, I am all in.
RIYL: Bloc Party, Suicide, Television, A.R. Kane
Highlights: “God Is a Circle”, “Lovely Sewer”, “Parody”, “Heaven Surround Us Like a Hood”, “Operator”, “Echolalia”, “Purified by the Fire”, “Ebony Eye”
#22. MON/KU — MOMOKO blooms 1.26D
Genre: Art Pop, Glitch, Epic Collage
Label: i75xsc3e || Release Date: 30/3 || From: Tochigi, Japan
Japanese producer MON/KU’s debut album MOMOKO blooms in 1.26D caught me by surprise. After diving into the 62-minute long album for the first time, it still felt like a there was a lot of it I needed to process, but truth be told there are very few records this year that have left me feeling as intrigued and starstruck as this has. With an immaculate production and sound design reminiscent of some of the best avant-garde-club music of recent years, MON/KU still detours into some shocking places, like R&B, hip-hop or even jazz, it’s experimental-pop at its peak of innovation.
RIYL: S280F, Holly Herndon, World’s End Girlfriend, Arca
Highlights: “al8”, “yu-32”, “Tloo-23”, “閉区間” “HERBALISM”, “Sixth Horn”, “味覚”, “STUCK IN MY ARM”, “MOMOKO”, “muuu6”
#21. Sufjan Stevens — Javelin
Genre: Indie Folk, Chamber Folk, Singer-Songwriter
Label: Asthmatic Kitty || Release Date: 6/10 || From: Detroit, USA
Sufjan Stevens’ album Javelin was billed as a return to the Carrie & Lowell sounding, which at first it kind of confused me, since even though it’s acoustic guitar-led, it felt just as dense and massive-sounding as his maximalist masterpiece The Age of Adz, like a midpoint between the two. Learning about what happened to him in the past year, it helped me understand the reasoning behind that description and the grief behind those beautiful tracks. And yet, while not “optimistic” per se, in these songs you still appreciate a little glimmer of hope that, while heartbreaking, still feels divine.
RIYL: both Carrie and Lowell and The Age of Adz equally
Highlights: “Goodbye Evergreen”, “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?”, “Everything That Rises”, “Genuflecting Ghost”, “My Little Red Fox”, “So You Are Tired”, “Shit Talk”
#20. Carly Rae Jepsen — The Loveliest Time
Genre: Dance-Pop
Label: Interscope || Release Date: 28/7 || From: Mission, Canada
With modern-day pop-bible E·MO·TION, Carly Rae Jepsen stopped being the “Call Me Maybe” girl to many, but also kinda set herself up in being defined by it. The Loveliest Time, which is technically just B-sides from her 2022 album, is one of her first to not be concerned in being an E·MO·TION follow-up, and in turn, it’s her best album in years. With a sound that still has Carly’s charming personality but also allows for experimentation, from the most mellow to the most upbeat, The Loveliest Time is a reminder of what makes her so special among other pop artists.
RIYL: Robyn, Magdalena Bay, Janet Jackson, Tame Impala’s poppiest stuff
Highlights: “Anything to Be with You”, “Kamikaze”, “After Last Night”, “Shy Boy”, “Kollage”, “Psychedelic Switch”, “So Right”, “Come Over”, “Put It to Rest”
#19. Danny Brown — Quaranta
Genre: Conscious Hip Hop
Label: Warp || Release Date: 17/11 || From: Detroit, USA
Danny Brown had a great year musically. Scaring the Hoes with JPEGMAFIA was one of the most acclaimed albums of the year, an insanely fun record. Personally, things were a bit different. Earlier this year he entered rehab and has been practicing sobriety since, and despite most of Quaranta being already finished by then, it still mirrors what he had to go through in some way. The album’s production is (mostly) more toned-down, matching the album’s contemplative tone. Saw this somewhere: if XXX was the party (with all its good/bad), Quaranta is the comedown, reflecting on what happened before.
RIYL: Freddie Gibbs, Earl Sweatshirt, Nas, Tricky
Highlights: “Tantor”, “Ain’t My Concern”, “Dark Sword Angel”, “Jenn’s Terrific Vacation”, “Down Wit It”, “Celibate” (feat. MIKE), “Bass Jam”
#18. Sprain — The Lamb as Effigy
Genre: Experimental Rock, Post-Rock, Noise Rock, Experimental
Label: The Flenser || Release Date: 1/9 || From: Los Angeles, USA
Sprain kind of came up as a slowcore-adjacent band, but their second album The Lamb as Effigy is anything but. A concept record about a man’s relationship with God (among other things) that in its over-90-minute-length never ceases in its intensity, it often transcend rock music altogether pushing into straight up noise horror, it’s a record that sounds torturous and heavy, yet, at least briefly, beautiful. It would’ve been very exciting to see where Sprain would move on after this, but they announced their (apparently messy?) break-up shortly after. Nonetheless, it is a very impressive closing statement for the band.
RIYL: Swans, Glenn Brance, Iannis Xenakis, Have a Nice Life
Highlights: “Man Proposes, God Disposes”, “Privilege of Being”, “Margin for Error”, “The Commercial Nude”, “God, or Whatever You Call It”
#17. Christine and the Queens — Paranoïa, Angels, True Love
Genre: Art Pop, Alt-Pop
Label: Because || Release Date: 9/6 || From: Nantes, France
Christine and the Queens has always been a favorite of mine, but on his latest album Paranoïa, Angels, True Love he truly stands out. Dealing with the passing of his mother and inspired by the TV series adaptation of Angels in America, he creates a three-part, 90-minute-long album that is somewhere in between a rock opera and The Knife’s Shaking the Habitual, with less nods to Prince, owing more to trip-hop and first-wave post-rock. It’s an ambitious statement that feels notoriously anti-pop despite having Madonna on three tracks (as a… narrator?), a career-defining album that’s probably his best to date.
RIYL: The Knife, The Who, Kanye West, Jenny Hval
Highlights: “Tears Can Be So Soft”, “A Day in the Water”, “Full of Life”, “Track 10”, “He’s Been Shining Forever, Your Son”, “Flowery Days”, “I Met an Angel” (feat. Madonna), “True Love” (feat. 070 Shake), “Aimer, plus vivre”, “We Have to Be Friends”, “To Be Honest”, “I Feel Like an Angel”, “Big Eye”
#16. Sampha — Lahai
Genre: Alternative R&B
Label: Young || Release Date: 20/10 || From: Merton, UK
Sampha has been relatively quiet since the release of his debut album Process. Well not exactly, since he’s collaborated with people like Drake or Kendrick Lamar, but also people like Actress and Lil Silva, though he hasn’t put out much music of his own. His long-awaited second album Lahai deals with his newfound fatherhood, relationships, family history and the past few years’ events. And it was worth the wait, a gorgeous record that even surpasses his already-impressive debut, maintaining his status as one of the greatest innovators of the crossover between R&B and soul songwriting with forward-thinking, tense electronic production.
RIYL: Frank Ocean, FKA twigs, Coby Sey, D’Angelo
Highlights: “Stereo Colour Cloud (Shaman’s Dream)”, “Spirit 2.0”, “Dancing Circles”, “Suspended”, “Jonathan L. Seagull”, “Can’t Go Back”, “What If You Hypnotize Me”, “Rose Tint”
#15. Armand Hammer — We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
Genre: Experimental Hip Hop, Abstract Hip Hop
Label: Fat Possum || Release Date: 29/9 || From: New York, USA
On their own billy woods and Elucid are already very accomplished, but together as Armand Hammer are unstoppable, and their latest album We Buy Diabetic Test Strips is a good example of what they can do. With clever lines about the United States, capitalist society and political affairs, both past and present, it’s a brilliant showcase of their lyrical and poetic abilities as rappers. Featuring a line-up of great producers like fellow rappers El-P, JPEGMAFIA, deconstructed club pioneer DJ Haram, or frequent collaborator Kenny Segal, they all help elevate both their bars and craft one of their best records yet.
RIYL: Pink Siifu, Deltron 3030, Saul Williams, Moor Mother
Highlights: “Landline”, “Woke Up and Asked Siri How I’m Gonna Die” (feat. JPEGMAFIA), “When It Doesn’t Start with a Kiss”, “Trauma Mic” (feat. Pink Siifu), “The Gods Must Be Crazy”, “Y’all Can’t Stand Right Here” (feat. Junglepussy), “Empire Blvd” (feat. Junglepussy & Curly Castro), “Supermooned”, “The Key Is Under the Mat” (feat. JPEGMAFIA)
#14. Ralphie Choo — SUPERNOVA
Genre: Art Pop, Glitch Pop
Label: Warner || Release Date: 15/9 || From: Madrid, Spain
Madrid-based producer Ralphie Choo is part of crew Rusia-IDK, who have been behind some of Spain’s most exciting pop music recently. SUPERNOVA is the first full-length album of any member of the group, and while it is a good snapshot of where they’re currently at, it’s more than anything a good introduction for Ralphie Choo artistry and personality, singing about broken hearts, friendships and the pains of growing up. On SUPERNOVA, flamenco occupies the same space as ambient, as does reggaetón, experimental electronics or trap, all forming a collage of forward-thinking pop that feels like many will take notes of.
RIYL: Rosalía, Ecco2k, Alex G, Clarence Clarity
Highlights: “NHF”, “Bulerías de un caballo malo”, “Total90Nostalgia”, “Gata” (feat. Rusowsky), “Máquina culona” (feat. Mura Masa), “Supernova” (feat. Abhir Hathi), “Tangos de una moto trucada” (feat. Drummie), “Beso bruma”
#13. yeule — Softscars
Genre: Dream Pop, Indietronica, Indie Rock
Label: Ninja Tune || Release Date: 22/9 || From: Singapore, Singapore
Singaporean artist yeule has been working within electronic music since their debut, molding it into the emotional and heartbreaking as much as raging or visceral. Which is why Softscars comes across as a bit of a shock since it’s mostly… rock? Well, yes… and no. You can hear emo, shoegaze and other 90’s alt-rock subgenres, but feels akin to the digital world, through its effects, its production or lyrical content even, it feels very yeule. Not sure what they have in store next, but this display of versatility proves that just about anything they have, will be the right thing.
RIYL: Parannoul, Slowdive, Grimes, Sweet Trip
Highlights: “x w x”, “Sulky Baby”, “Softscars”, “4ui12”, “Dazies”, “Software Update”, “Inferno”, “Bloodbunny”, “Aphex Twin Flame”
#12. Marina Herlop — Nekkuja
Genre: Art Pop, Electronic, Avant-Folk
Label: PAN || Release Date: 27/10 || From: Barcelona, Spain
On last year’s Pripyat, Barcelona-based experimental musician Marina Herlop had a big breakout, swapping her piano-led compositions from previous albums for futuristic avant-garde-folk music. Written while she was waiting for Pripyat to see its release, Nekkuja comes only a year and a half later, and continues the path she started with that album, but also expands her scope. With a more full-live-band sonic approach but still carried by the presence of electronics, as well as field recordings that help you situate in its nature, it’s a beautifully dense record that packs a lot in a relatively short amount of time.
RIYL: Juana Molina, The Books, Eartheater, Björk
Highlights: “Busa”, “Cosset”, “Karada”, “La Alhambra”, “Babel”
#11. León Cordero — Jueves
Genre: Art Pop, Glitch Pop
Label: self-released || Release Date: 15/12 (2022) || From: Santiago del Estero, Argentina
In early 2022, Santiago del Estero singer, rapper and producer Luan (or luan sounds) changed his stage name to León Cordero, and released a couple of poppy, upbeat reggaetón songs to get his career going properly. These didn’t do much, so he released Jueves instead, one of the most exciting artistic statements coming from Argentina lately. Far from the noise-rap of his debut 2002 or radio-ready latin-pop, its collage of pop, R&B vocal runs, insanely weird electronic music and Argentinian folk genre chacarera feels like new ground being touched, combining these seemingly disparate genres into something truly stunning and innovative.
RIYL: Feli Colina, Elysia Crampton, Arca, Tirzah
Highlights: “Estampida”, “Guara Uva”, “Valentino”, “Luz”, “Pastel lunar” (feat. Feli), “Sol de Mayo”
#10. MIKE — Burning Desire
Genre: Abstract Hip Hop
Label: 10k || Release Date: 13/10 || From: Livingstone, USA
Despite his young age, MIKE in some way has become the figurehead for a very specific type of rap music that has with time proven to be very influential, and yet he still feels unique in his lane. Burning Desire, with its Ghanaian-film-poster-inspired album cover is the latest entry in his discography, and the one that I feel might be his best to date.
The quality present in production, crafted for the most part by MIKE himself under the DJ blackpower alias, can create atmospheric pieces out of sampling soul, R&B, jazz and disco tracks, but still have enough bite to feel memorable, and when bringing other producers (like GAWD in “African Sex Freak Fantasy”) to the mix, it only elevates that. While MIKE’s rapping is as poetic, sentimental and pensive as it always is, Burning Desire never stops feeling like a fun listen, something he’s very good at doing.
RIYL: billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Standing on the Corner, Cities Aviv
Highlights: “Dambe”, “African Sex Freak Fantasy”, “plz don’t cut my wings” (feat. Earl Sweatshirt), “Real Love” (feat. Fashionspitta), “U Think Maybe? (feat. Liv.e & Venna), “Set the Mood”, “Do You Believe?”, “Burning Desire”, “Mussel Beach” (feat. El Cousteau & Niontay), “should be!” (feat. Lila Ramini), “Golden Hour” (feat. Larry June), “Let’s Have a Ball” (feat. mark william lewis)
#9. ML Buch — Suntub
Genre: Dream Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Indie Rock
Label: 15 love || Release Date: 27/10 || From: Copenhagen, Denmark
Skinned, the debut album by Danish singer-songwriter-producer ML Buch, was equally divided into gorgeous digital-pop songs and abstract electronic experiments, both peeking pretty much the same amount of interesting in me in the artist, who delivered one of the best records of 2020. Her follow-up record, Suntub, is notably different in approach. While electronics are still present, the key instrument is the guitar, billing that album as “15 guitar compositions”.
But what ML Buch does with the instrument is exploring its possibilities, aiding in her very singular, melodic songwriting, expanding the world she created with her debut into something that feels even more tangible, without taking away any of the experimentation. It sounds kinda like indie rock, kinda like the Cocteau Twins, but also like something that has never existed before. Suntub of course is one of the prettiest-sounding albums of the year. Maybe guitar music is alive after all.
RIYL: Cocteau Twins, Alex G, The Blue Nile, Oklou
Highlights: “Pan Over the Hill”, “Whoosh”, “Flames Shards Goo”, “High Speed Calm Air Tonight”, “Fleshless Hand”, “Clearing”, “Well Bucket”, “Big Sun”, “Solid”, “Working It Out”
#8. Tainy — DATA
Genre: Reggaetón
Label: NEON16 || Release Date: 29/6 || From: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Despite only being in his early-to-mid 30’s, Tainy is one of the most respected veterans in reggaetón. Since his teenage years he’s been key to the genre, producing for many greats like, Daddy Yankee, Wisin & Yandel or Plan B, and continuing his presence into the 2020’s with hits for Bad Bunny, Rauw Alejandro or Ozuna. Although he’s a very accomplished producer on his own, crowning his career with a full-length album felt necessary.
And DATA is exactly that, filled with collaborations from not only the hottest artists in reggaetón but also newcomers or relatively-underground figures (like The Marías, Arca or Four Tet), it’s a demonstration of Tainy’s versatility as a producer, adding influences from 80’s synthpop, blog-house, chillwave or indie rock into tracks that can feel like inescapable radio or TikTok hits, but also go a little beyond that. Undoubtedly one of the best mainstream-adjacent records of the year.
RIYL: Bad Bunny, Neon Indian, Plan B, Buscabulla
Highlights: “Pasiempre” (feat. Myke Towers, Arcángel, Jhayco, Arca & Bad Bunny), “Fantasma | AVC” (feat. Jhayco), “Mojabi Ghost” (feat. Bad Bunny), “11 y 11” (feat. Sech & E*Vax), “mañana” (feat. Young Miko & The Marías), “me jodi…” (feat. Arcángel), “Volver” (feat. Four Tet, Skrillex & Rauw Alejandro), “Lo siento BB:/” (feat. Bad Bunny & Julieta Venegas), “si preguntas por mi” (feat. Judeline & Kris Floyd), “Sci-Fi” (feat. Rauw Alejandro), “Paranormal” (feat. Alvaro Díaz)
#7. PinkPantheress — Heaven Knows
Genre: Alt-Pop, Contemporary R&B, Electronic Dance Music
Label: Parlophone || Release Date: 10/11 || From: Bath, UK
PinkPantheress came through like a wrecking ball for pop music. Right as we were (sorta kinda) leaving the pandemic behind, her songs took over the Internet through TikTok. Inspired by underground UK club genres like jungle, garage or breakbeats, but songwriting typical to 00’s pop/rock, rarely exceeding the two-minute mark. It quickly caused a shift in the music world, spewing many imitators and eventually reaching a notable influence on the mainstream.
Heaven Knows is her first album and it does not deviate strongly from the formula that worked, but also pushes herself far from lo-fi Y2K nostalgia into genuinely good and often-touching pop songwriting about love, heartbreak and growing up, with an inventive production that matches it. While not everyone might get what makes her so special or relatable, PinkPantheress herself is a positive force in music and I hope she continues to deliver the quality she brought here.
RIYL: Imogen Heap, Everything But the Girl, Kelela, Katy B
Highlights: “True Romance”, “Mosquito”, “Nice to Meet You” (feat. Central Cee), “Bury Me” (feat. Kelela), “Internet Baby”, “Ophelia”, “Blue”, “Feelings”, “Capable of Love”, “Boy’s a Liar Pt.2” (feat. Ice Spice)
#6. Tinashe — BB/ANG3L
Genre: Alternative R&B, Electronic
Label: Nice Life || Release Date: 8/9 || From: Lexington, USA
Ever since becoming independent, Tinashe has been unstoppable. Constantly delivering creative takes on pop and R&B that never sacrifice her individuality and fun, all her projects so far have been very much acclaimed, and deservingly so. BB/ANG3L is her first associated to a proper label (Nice Life), and yet it might be one of her most experimental releases to date, at least since like, Nightride.
With contributions from Machinedrum, Nosaj Thing and Vladislav Delay (!), the influence from electronic music is felt throughout the record, often taking meditative, minimal approaches (like the Laurie Anderson-like “ha”s on “Talk to Me Nice”) or a more club-friendly one (like the up-tempo “Tightrope”), Tinashe’s excellent vocals are able to transmit the sensuality, confidence or vulnerability that each track requires. BB/ANG3L is a very short record, being seven tracks long and barely exceeding the 20-minute mark, but there’s not a second that’s gone wasted.
RIYL: Rochelle Jordan, Summer Walker, Erika de Casier, The Velvet Rope-era Janet Jackson
Highlights: “Treason”, “Talk to Me Nice”, “Needs”, “Gravity”, “None of My Business”, “Tightrope”
#5. Luiza Lian — 7 estrelas|Quem arrancou o céu?
Genre: Art Pop, Alternative R&B, Alt-Pop
Label: ZZK/Risco || Release Date: 28/7 || From: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Brazilian musician Luiza Lian has been crafting a very singular take on electronic-pop for years. Her sound may have some connection with Brazil’s popular music (baile-funk, MPB, samba), as well as with its more experimental proposals. But what may separate Lian’s project from any other is its dense, complex production, assisted by collaborator Charles Tixier, using samples and instruments in a unsettling way, while still finding time and place for catchy melodies.
This duality is something present on her latest, 7 estrelas | Quem arrancou o céu?, which works for the better. The dark and the luminous, the calm and the despair, the romantic, sensual and spiritual lyrics and the social and political commentaries, the futuristic sounds and the traditional art. Perhaps what the album implies is that there is not always a dichotomy per se, that the lines between one thing and the other are not necessarily so clear.
RIYL: Marina Sena, Gal Costa’s more experimental works, L’Rain, FKA twigs
Highlights: “A minha música é”, “Homenagem”, “Forca”, “Cobras na sua mesa”, “Viajante”, “Eu estou aqui”, “7 estrelas”, “Desagua”
#4. Chuquimamani-Condori — DJ E
Genre: Epic Collage, Latin Electronic, Indigenous Andean Music
Label: self-released || Release Date: 15/11 || From: Riverside, USA
Whether as Elysia Crampton, E+E or now as Chuquimamani-Condori, producer Elly Crampton has made some of the best electronic music of the past decade, creating a sound, a genre of their own that’s basically impossible to replicate. Informed by Andean folk music like huayno, saya, caporales or kullawada, their Aymara Queer identity or the production style of 90s/00s Southern rap music, it sounds like nothing else anywhere.
Elly’s most recent project, DJ E is a very heavy, busy listen. Packing in less than 30 minutes so much it feels almost overwhelming, it does a great job of bridging traditional folk music with experimental club sounds, but also feels like someone opening like 7 or 8 tabs on a computer and playing sound effects off of it. In a good way though, as this might be one of their best projects to date, Elly Crampton is always able to surprise.
RIYL: Chino Amobi, TAYHANA, Los Kjarkas, Luzmila Carpio
Highlights: “Breathing”, “Eat My Cum”, “Engine”, “Forastero Edit”, “Return”, “Until I Find You Again”
#3. Taichu — RAWR
Genre: Pop Rap, Dance-Pop
Label: Dale Play || Release Date: 22/9 || From: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Taichu has been a key feature of the Argentine trap scene since she first debuted years ago, making waves thanks to her clever, funny lyrics and ever-present personality just as much as her creativity and unique beat selection. Her debut album, RAWR, is everything she promised and more, capturing the evolution of her taste and song-crafting abilities.
While her rapping is present throughout the record, it’s only one of the many facets she displays on RAWR. From hard-hitting perreo tracks, gorgeous electronic-pop ballads and industrial EDM bangers, all influenced by futuristic sound design and aesthetic, Taichu sums up of all these different styles in a single term: “hot-core”. And this is exactly that, music to feel hot to. Not unlike Charli XCX’s iconic Pop 2, this feels like something unique, the starting point for something exciting for Argentina and for the world at large, it’s only a matter of time.
RIYL: Charli XCX, M.I.A., Isabella Lovestory, Azealia Banks
Highlights: “TOP”, “Noche de sateo”, “Payday” (feat. Rusowsky), “Presión” (feat. Alvaro Díaz), “Babyspice”, “Baladarks”, “Tu si k ta loko”, “Gas” (feat. Muerejoven), “Alaska”, “Chacha Fight”
#2. Amaarae — Fountain Baby
Genre: Alté, Alternative R&B
Label: Interscope || Release Date: 9/6 || From: Accra, Ghana/New York, USA
While Amaarae already had a breakthrough with her Kali Uchis collaboration “Sad Girlz Luv Money”, Fountain Baby feels more than just a step forward, it’s undoubtedly one of the best pop music albums this year. The lyrics on the artist’s second album sound melancholic, funny and sensual, often times all at once, while musically, you can hear it borrowing inspiration from different Afro-diasporic genres like baile funk, R&B, dancehall or zouk, but also bringing psychedelic rock or indie pop to mix, everything fitting just right.
Amaarae’s presence is felt with her very characteristic vocals, and her talent for creating memorable hooks and one-liners is impressive. Fountain Baby feels like a huge leap forward not just for afrobeats, a genre that has become a feature of the mainstream, but also for what the future of pop music overall might be like. If this is what’s next for it, I’m all ears.
RIYL: Cruel Santino, Janelle Monáe, FKA twigs’ Caprisongs, Jim Legxacy
Highlights: “Angels in Tibet”, “Co-Star”, “Princess Going Digital”, “Big Steppa”, “Wasted Eyes”, “Counterfeit”, “Disguise”, “Sex, Violence, Suicide”, “Sociopathic Dance Queen”, “Aquamarie Loves Ecstacy”, “Come Home to God”
#1. Kelela — Raven
Genre: Alternative R&B, Electronic
Label: Warp || Release Date: 10/2 || From: Washington, USA
Kelela’s much-anticipated second album Raven was billed as a club record, and it makes sense when hearing the production inspired by breakbeats, UK garage, dancehall, techno or other varieties of underground dance music, with contributions from producers like LSDXOXO, BAMBII, Badsista or Kaytranada. However, as much as it has one foot on the dancefloor, the other one is in peaceful sonic environments, building on what she began on her 2019 Aquaphoria mix, which beautifully filled in the empty canvas that ambient music may represent.
Raven is a very stimulating listening experience from beginning to end, and while the aquatic tropes and recurring themes do make things coherent, as do the transitions (the “Raven” to “Bruises” one!!), Kelela’s R&B-inspired vocals and songwriting do bring it all together. Raven isn’t necessarily a political statement (although it does contain some of her most charged lyrical content), but it is a homage to the Black roots of dance music and constructing its future. Raven might have taken a while to come out, but it was more than worth it.
RIYL: Gaelle, Solange, Dawuna, Jody Watley
Highlights: “Washed Away”, “Happy Ending”, “On the Run”, “Missed Call”, “Closure”, “Contact”, “Fooley”, “Raven”, “Bruises”, “Sorbet”, “Divorce”, “Enough for Love”, “Far Away”
