BY: Alexis Eichelberger

We’re nearly halfway through 2021, and there have been so many incredible songs released already.

Our longtime favorites have been reaching new artistic heights, the rising stars have exceeded all expectations, and we’ve discovered so many new voices to love. To celebrate them all, we’ve put together a list of 30 of our favorite tracks from 2021 so far.

Here’s a breakdown of some of our picks, and a Spotify playlist for your listening pleasure.

 

POP ANTHEMS FOR THE AGES

Of course we have all of the pop essentials on our playlist. Olivia Rodrigo rocked our world with “drivers license” in March. The release of Justin Bieber’s sixth studio album Justice is an obvious highlight. And Lil Nas X’s “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” is on its way to becoming an iconic LGBTQ track. Those are just a few of the many major hits included on our list.

 

ROCK RAGERS

From traditional tracks by established legends like Foo Fighters to fresh, imaginative creations like WILLOW’s “t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l (feat. Travis Barker),” to nostalgic punk rock songs like MOD SUN and Avril Lavigne’s “Flames,” 2021 has already been a hell of a year for rock music. Peruse our playlist and find some of your most beloved rock artists and up-and-coming acts alike.

 

GROOVY R&B 

Next up, we have the sexiest, grooviest R&B tracks released this year. Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, otherwise known as Silk Sonic, arguably released one of the hottest songs of any genre when they dropped “Leave the Door Open.” Doja Cat and SZA’s “Kiss Me More” and Jorja Smith’s “Gone” are also competitors for smoothest song of 2021.

 

EDGY ALTERNATIVE 

Of course we’ve also sprinkled in songs from all your favorite alt-guys, girls and nonbinary folks. Some highlights include Hayley Williams’ “First Thing To Go,” Japanese Breakfast’s “Be Sweet,” and King Princess’ “House Burn Down.”

 

HIP-HOP’s HOTTEST

Last but certainly not least, we have all our favorite hip-hop songs of the year. J. Cole’s latest album ranks high on our list of hottest releases, especially “p r i d e . i s . t h e . d e v i l (feat. Lil Baby).” Some other notable inclusions are Saweetie’s “Best Friend (feat. Doja Cat)” and newcomer Gabe ‘Nandez’ “Ox.”