10 TOP ALBUMS OF 2021

BY: India McCarty

2021 was a year of fantastic albums. What makes them even more outstanding is that so many of these albums were an artist’s debut. From pop to rap, R&B to rock, artists created incredible music this year. Here are our picks for the ten best albums of 2021.

10 . Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night

Jack Antonoff is known for the hits he creates for major names like Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, and Lorde, but the music he makes himself is just as magical. Antonoff is a master of throwback sounds that still seem fresh, performing as Bleachers.

Standout tracks: “Chinatown (feat. Bruce Springsteen),” “Stop Making This Hurt,” “45,” and “How Dare You Want More.”

 

9 . Voyage

Fans worldwide were delighted to hear that ABBA was launching a comeback. Usually, listeners approach reunion albums cautiously (they never seem to recapture the old magic, do they?), but Voyage is a triumph. The group sounds like they haven’t aged a day, and the songwriting remains on another level.

Standout tracks: “Don’t Shut Me Down,” “When You Danced With Me,” and “Keep An Eye On Dan.”

 

8 . Heaux Tales

Jazmine Sullivan’s first album since 2015, Heaux Tales, displays the artist’s maturity and growth as an artist. The album explores feminism, classism, and sexuality, and all soundtracked with infectious beats and catchy hooks.

Standout tracks: “On It,” “Put It Down,” “Girl Like Me (feat. H.E.R.),” and “Pick Up Your Feelings.”

 

7 . You Signed Up For This

British singer-songwriter Maisie Peters released her debut album this year, showcasing the confessional songwriting and intricate guitar melodies that she’s fine tuned on various E.P.s and singles throughout the years. Peters tempers weepy ballads with uptempo, sing-songy chants about boys who don’t deserve her, making for a rollercoaster of an album.

Standout tracks: “Villain,” “Psycho,” “I’m Trying (Not Friends),” and “Talking To Strangers.”

 

6 . An Evening with Silk Sonic

Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak teamed up for supergroup Silk Sonic and made one of the most fun albums of the year. It’s a love letter to vintage soul and R&B music, showing off Mars and .Paak’s vocal abilities – and their love of performing (watch the music video for “Smokin’ Out The Window,” and you’ll understand what I mean). It’s also a testament to both artists’ sincerity; it would have come off as cheesy if anyone else tried something like this. Mars and .Paak pull it off effortlessly.

Standout tracks: “Leave The Door Open,” “Smokin Out The Window,” and “After Last Night (with Thundercat & Bootsy Collins).”

 

5 . Planet Her

Doja Cat is a pop star in the truest sense of the word, and she proves it with Planet Her. The rapper swings from cooing sweet nothings to a lover to rolling her eyes over the audacity of men, all with that same, perfect flow. She’s also mastered the art of creating TikTok hits, with multiple songs from the album trending on the app, inspiring dances, and humorous videos.

Standout tracks: “Kiss Me More (feat. S.Z.A.),” “Get Into It (Yuh),” “Woman,” and “Ain’t Shit.”

 

4 . Solar Power

With Solar Power, Lorde stripped her sound down and aimed for a 70s singer-songwriter vibe. Spoiler alert: she hit the mark perfectly. Her lyrics, always introspective and personal, take on a specificity that helps listeners see every detail of the picture she’s painting. The production matches the retro vibe, with woozy guitar lines and stacked vocals singing harmony. Solar Power was the perfect next step for an artist whose artistic growth will take her to incredible heights.

Standout tracks: “Dominoes,” “Stoned tt the Nail Salon,” “Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All),” and “California.”

 

3 . Happier Than Ever

Some wondered how Billie Eilish would top her last album, which swept up wins at the 2020 Grammy Awards. But, with her latest album, she proved she could do it again. Happier Than Ever is a mature meditation on relationships and the downsides of her life in the spotlight. She mixes jazz-inspired sounds with her usual trap-style production, showing her growth as an artist.

Standout tracks: “Happier Than Ever,” “Billie Bossa Nova,” “I Didn’t Change My Number,” and “Therefore I Am.”

 

2 . MONTERO

Lil Nas has been everywhere you look for the past few years, and with his debut album, it’s safe to say he’ll continue to be a pop music fixture. He’s the master of creating an event around his releases and deftly courting controversy (see: the “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” music video and ensuing public debate). Lil Nas knows when to go all out, foot on the gas with no brakes, and when to pull back. His debut album is a perfect example of who he is as an artist: fun, larger than life, complicated, and full of potential.

Standout tracks: “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” “INDUSTRY BABY (feat. Jack Harlow), “THAT’S WHAT I WANT,” and “SCOOP (feat. Doja Cat).”

 

1 . SOUR

Like it or not, Olivia Rodrigo owned 2021 – and for a good reason. The Disney star wrote a deeply personal album that magnified the feelings of young heartbreak and resonated with people of all ages. Rodrigo’s debut is an emotional explosion. She goes from gleeful name-calling to teary-eyed laments with ease, mirroring the whiplash teenage emotions can give. Yet, SOUR’s global success showed that the adage is still valid; a good song is just three chords and the truth.

Standout tracks: “drivers license,” “good 4 u,” “deja vu,” “brutal,” and “1 step forward, 3 steps back.”