As a way to reflect back on a transformative and transitional decade in my life, I decided to make a list of my favorite 100 albums that were released in the 2010’s decade. I just have a few points I hope you’ll take the time to look at before diving into the list.

1. These are my FAVORITE albums that were released this decade, not a BEST OF the decade list. I cannot claim to know nearly enough about music to make a “best of” list. Also, these aren’t necessarily my favorite albums at the end of 2019, but rather I chose albums that I obsessed over in the moment throughout the decade.  
2. I fully can see that a majority of these albums are from the latter half of the decade. I was 14 years old in 2010, so please give me a break.
3. I did a short write up on my top 50 albums. Thus, I placed these first on this post since I figured that is what most people are interested in anyways. If you want to see 51-100, go to page 2.

Links To List

• 100-51 (list only on page 2)

• 50-41

• 40-31

• 30-21

• 20-11

• 10-1

50. Little Simz: Grey Area (2019)

This a piercing and concise hip hop record from one of the most interesting rappers I heard in 2019.  Little Simz made 10 tracks that are completely unique. The production on this album is almost all live instrumentation with little sampling, and this gives each song a wide range of sound. You get anything from hard funk beats with fat fuzzy bass, to beautifully lush R&B, to frenetic jazz.  I love her unapologetic nature, and this confidence and bravado comes through well on songs like “Offence” or “Boss.” While she announces herself at the beginning of the album with this confidence, the rest of the album is much more vulnerable and gets quite dark in some places. She confronts violence in “Wounds” both in a general and personal sense with her telling a very personal story of a friend that was stabbed to death. She also hauntingly addresses social issues such as wealth and class division on the song “Pressure.” There also are plenty of personal lyrics such as the somber “Sherbet Sunset” which tells the story of a heartbreak that feels so relatable and sad. Her flows throughout the album are incredibly energetic and punchy,  and they have this bounce to them that cannot be replicated. This album is a perfect little portrait of an artist that has a lot of depth and is ready to breakout.

49. Dirty Projectors: Swing Lo Magellan (2012)

This album is so sweet and simple, yet there is an undeniable quirk and oddness lurking throughout. I love the vulnerability of many of these songs. “Dance For You” has this warm comforting guitar, simple melodic hook, and great lyrics about moving through strange environments searching for love. Or “Impregnable Question” is the sweetest little song about being deep in love with someone but not being on the same page. There also is the deeply vulnerable song “Just from Chevron,” which is written as someone’s dying words as they pass away on an oil rig.  There are so many fascinating textures and timbre changes throughout this album that make it interesting to listen to. Take the transition on “Offspring Are Blank” from the verse with its humming and the sparse electronic beat to the complete turn to hard-rock driven chorus. There also is the weird jittery drum machine overlaid with the jumpy guitar that creates a really unique sound on “The Socialites.” It is rare to hear music that is written within this simple and familiar structure, but still has these wonderfully unusual beats and quirks underneath that don’t distract from the overall emotional affectation.

48. Whitney: Light Upon The Lake (2016)

This album is sounds warm and fuzzy, and it makes me feel so comfortable. It’s like slipping into a sweater on a foggy fall night and going for a long car ride to reminisce. The simplicity of the album as a whole is where it really finds it strength. No one song is trying to do too much and that is very refreshing.  It makes the little things meaningful with a great example of this being the “Nah nah nah’s” at the end “Golden Days” which makes chills run down my spine. The guitar playing is so tasteful throughout it reminds me a lot of George Harrison, especially on songs like “Golden Days.” Overall on the album you can definitely hear the influence of 70’s folk-inspired rock bands such as The Band or Bob Dylan. This album is one that certainly puts me in my feels as well. “Light Upon the Lake” makes me start tearing up the second it starts playing. The nostalgic simplicity of these songs about broken relationships makes this album hit those certain brain centers hard. It reminds you of being at a time in your life when you were younger and everything was a bit easier.

47. Gregory Porter: Liquid Spirit (2013)

Gregory Porter has one of the best baritone voices out there, and this soulful album captures his vibe and essence really well. This album is so classy and elegant. It is straightforward vocal jazz at its finest. Each vocal line is so thoughtful and sophisticated. The music is not uppity though, for Gregory Porter does a great job at bringing his soul and R&B influences to jazz. One of his great strengths as a singer is simply how powerful his voice is, and that comes out really well on the last chorus of “Lonesome Lover,” for example. He has an uncanny ability to sustain his energy and breath for a significant time. His phrasing is amazing and this comes through on the stunning song “Water Under Bridges.” He is a great songwriter and there are plenty of melodies that are so sweet like on “Movin.” His backing band is solid as well, and their playing stays interesting without distracting from his vocals. I also love the vocal production too. The sound resonates really well, to the point where it sounds like he is singing in some type of concert hall. Gregory Porter is one of the top jazz singers of the decade, and this album is a great introduction into his work.

46. Frank Ocean: Channel Orange (2012)

This album established Frank Ocean as an enigma in music. He is a masterful storyteller and shows that off on each of the songs on this album. His lyrics are both subtle and complex, and he pulls out the perfect details to add weight to the scenes. In most of the songs, he uses the narrative form to address certain themes. Songs such as “Thinkin Bout You” or “Forrest Gump” are so beautiful and tragic as he sings about his feelings and longing he still has for a lover that seems to have moved on past him. I also love his ruminations on wealth, luxury, and his crushes on “Sweet Life” and “Super Rich Kids.” He also dives deep in a dark and heartbreaking way into more serious themes such as addiction on “Crack Rock.” Frank Ocean’s musical and production style is completely unique and defies categorization. His singing style is a type of talk singing that is casual but still emotionally nuanced. That style makes his storytelling feel even more realistic and vulnerable. The textures throughout this album are generally soft even when you would not expect them to be. A great example of this is the live drum track on “Crack Rock.” The softness of the production combined with the generally more down tempo songs makes you focus on elements you might typically not focus on in pop music such as the subtlety of the texture changes and the chord changes. Frank Ocean is a true artist and I am so glad we got introduced to him in full this decade.

45. Jamie xx: In Colour (2015)

This album is so great in that it does such a good job of sucking you in with your heart, but then keeping you engaged with your head. Jamie xx does a great job of creating songs here that have such a deep emotional resonance. Nostalgia is typically an emotion that is created in music through the use of certain instruments or lyrics. But he somehow creates one of the most nostalgic songs of the decade purely though melody and chords with a polished production style on “Gosh.” There are also songs with a really somber tone such as “Obvs.” “Hold Tight” sounds like a movie soundtrack at the climax when the main reveal is taking place. He manages to create this atmosphere with just a few synths and chords. There also are some straight bangers on the album such as the Young Thug feature “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times).” The album as a whole is so tightly curated and clean. It is one of the first albums that really made me appreciate the nuances of production styles. There are so many textures from the softness of “See Saw” to the sparse pointed synths of “Stranger in a Room.” This is such a special album, and I love to hear an artist putting so much care in to each and every moment of their sound.

44. Adele: 21 (2011)

This album quite simply hits hard. I used to listen to this album on repeat when I was a sadboi sophomore year of college when my girlfriend was studying abroad. There is a great variety of both upbeat and melodramatic songs on here that showcase Adele’s songwriting and pure musicianship really well. “Rolling in the Deep” is a bop and it was literally playing everywhere in 2011-2012. I am not a singer, but even I can notice how special and nuanced Adele’s phrasing is in songs like “Turning Tables” and “Don’t You Remember.” “I’ll Be Waiting” is a jam and shows how Adele would have been a perfectly adept lead singer of a 70’s rock band. It really is hard to pick favorites on the album, but “Someone Like You” is one of the best songs of the decade without a doubt. I know this is the furthest thing from a hot take, but I just have to acknowledge it. As soon as I hear the first arpeggio on the piano, I know I will be having chills up my spine for the next 4 minutes. The lyrics are so raw and vulnerable. Again, Adele’s vocal phrasing on this song is phenomenal to me, and the performance on the take that is on the album feels so intimate and unique. It is a perfect way to end the emotional journey of this album.

43. SZA: Ctrl (2017)

This album is such a tender and honest look into someone’s soul. The way that SZA talks about emotions such as jealousy throughout this album is so relatable and real. It is refreshing to hear an artist talk so much about jealousy, because this is an emotion that we are told is ugly and to hide. But jealousy is something we feel in our daily lives so it feels so good to hear her sing about it. Along with jealousy, she sings about her self-esteem in a brutally honest way that I think is important to hear. This is a complicated but realistic picture of how a person operates in this world with a low self-esteem but still while upholding dignity and self-respect. “Supermodel” is a perfect example of this and it just makes my heart ache. The album is recorded in such a way that her singing feels raw, and you can hear all of the nuances in her voice that add another layer of complexity to the lyrics. This is overall a beautiful R&B/Soul album that feels very modern and of the moment.

42. Janelle Monáe: The Electric Lady (2013)

This album is such a flex by Janelle Monáe in terms of her songwriting range and the number of genres she can work in seemingly effortlessly. This album has the two suites from her Metropolis music series, and I love the difference in creative approach to Suites IV and V. There is an incredible depth and variety in types of songs on Suite IV. You get “Dance Apocalyptic” which is a loose stomping song that you simply cannot sit down while listening to.  You also get her confidant and commanding singing on songs like “Electric Lady” or her collaboration with the legend himself, Prince, on “Given ‘Em What They Love.” Throughout the album she is able to directly pay tribute to legends of music but subvert expectations such as on “Ghetto Woman.” The song is a very convincing tribute to Stevie Wonder both lyrically and musically, and then on the third verse she just kills it rapping. My favorite song on the album and one of my favorite of the decades is “Can’t Live Without Your Love.” I honestly just want to live inside this song forever. It is like my favorite vibe. Janelle’s singing is so damn smooth and is seeping with coolness. The song is a perfect example of how she can sing with so much character and personality, but still fit perfectly inside the song and hit all the marks you expect to hear in the genre. This album is tightly curated and controlled, and it is an example of a master at work.  

41. Steve Lacy: Apollo XXI (2019)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Steve Lacy is so darn cute. He also is a seriously interesting musician and lyricist. He is one of the most unique artists to emerge from this decade. What I love about him is that he uses the guitar in a way that it has never been used before. And that is REALLY freaking hard considering how many different ways the guitar has been used (and overused) in the past 65 years. My introduction to Steve Lacy was, unknowingly, on Kendrick Lamar’s track, “Pride.” That was my favorite song on DAMN in large part because of the fascinating guitar playing in the background. The way he plays is familiar, yet completely original. It is one of those things where when you first hear it you are like “Man, this is awesome,” and then you are like “Wait, what?” It is very slick and sexy (See the song “N Side”). I also love how straightforward and honest his lyrics are too. I relate to them personally and they voice certain emotions in a way you don’t often hear. “Like Me” is such a powerful and resonant song about his experience and thoughts going through his head before coming out as bisexual. He is able to make simple lines sound so important and emotional such as on “Only If” when he sings “If I could travel through time, I think I, Would tell myself from the past, “You’ll be fine.”” He is another young artist I am super excited about hearing what he is going to do in the next decade.

40. Frank Ocean: Blonde (2016)

We all know this album is iconic. There was an incredible amount of hype leading up to the release of the album, and the wait was indeed worth it. I honestly feel indulgent listening to it because it feels like a sweet treat. Frank Ocean uses his voice in so many different and interesting ways throughout this album. Whether he is riffing, straight singing, talk singing, belting, or even moding his voice, he sounds so perfect and natural. Listen to the multiple ways he uses his voice on a song like “Skyline To,”  or “Nights.” Or his phrasing on a song like “Solo” is just so perfect. He is so damn smooth on “Pink and White” it almost hurts. When he says the phrase “Kiss the Earth that birthed you,” I am ready to get down on the ground immediately and worship Mother Earth. Also on a side note, I love the loud and prominent kick drum on “Pink and White. “ This album is clearly all about Frank putting you in your feelings. The song “Ivy” is so sweet and sad, it makes me want to cry every time I hear it. Towards the end of the song he is desperately almost screaming “The feeling still deep down is good,” as a way to convince himself that there is still something there in that relationship. At that moment I just want to hold Frank Ocean in my arms and tell him everything is going to be OK.

39. Thundercat: Drunk (2017)

Thundercat is an absolute genius, and it is in no surprise considering the family that he comes from. I honestly have no idea how he plays the bass so fast and precise. Not just that, he doesn’t play the bass like a bass, if you know what I mean. He also doesn’t play it like a guitar either. He has this unique style where it feels like he is using the instrument as a conduit of expression. His lyrics are hilarious but also deep and pointed at the same time. I find myself laughing because of the way he worded something, but then immediately feeling guilty because I really should not be laughing at that shit. I just love the whole vibe of this album. The music feels very neurotic but somehow also chilled out at the same time? It feels like you are sitting at home relaxing, but also your head is spinning around at a million miles per hour at the same time. Considering that I can relate hard to that emotion, the album really strikes a chord with me.

38. Ariana Grande: Thank U, Next (2019)

Almost unheard of in the pop world of 2019, Ari released this album 6 months after Sweetener. The contrast between the two albums makes me appreciate each one even more. Thank You, Next is a sleek, dense, and at times dark pop album that I love. Similar to Sweetener, this album is so cohesive and works really well as a whole. I love Ari’s commitment to making a sonically and thematically consistent album. The sound here is completely different from Sweetener with way more trap and hip-hop inspired beats. Ari’s singing on the album is so confident and mature. I love to hear how her voice keeps maturing with each album.  The production on some of the songs like “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored,” and “Needy” are just perfect. “Break Up With Your Girlfriend” is a perfect example of how trap can be used well and tastefully by a pop star. She also isn’t afraid to address the darkness in her life that she had experienced in the year prior to the album’s release. “Ghostin” and “Fake Smile” are so vulnerable and it really pays off. I have no idea what Ari is going to do next, but someone please tell this woman she is allowed to rest if she wants.

37. 21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin: Without Warning (2017)

The timing of when this album came out is super important to understanding it. It came out at a time when trap hip hop was at the peak of its popularity. Not one moment too soon, and not too late either. The album finds 21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin’ at the top of their game. Each of them brings a distinct element and sticks hard to it through the course of the 33 minute album. The balance and the chemistry work perfectly, and that’s why I love this album so much. Metro Boomin’s production is so dark and haunting. He can so effectively create a mood and atmosphere that is filled with horror. The contrast in the sound between 21 Savage and Offset switching off on the verses works beautifully. 21 Savage’s deliver is super dry and almost woody. He delivers these extremely dark lines with very little emotion, and that gives the bars more power. You could hear how he’s almost become forced to be immune or emotionally detached from the situations he is talking about. And then Offset has this delivery that is eccentric and bouncing all over the place. These three working together creates this hauntingly cohesive document of trap music at its popular peak.

36. Alabama Shakes: Sound and Color (2015)

The best way that I can describe this album is that it just washes over you look the warm waves of the ocean in the summer. (If you know me you know I hate the summer and also do not enjoy going in big bodies of water, but I think you get the point). The album is produced in such a warm and rich way it feels like you are being enveloped sonically. One of the reasons I really like the music here is because of its popular appeal. While the production itself holds the album together thematically, each of the songs individually sounds quite different. Brittney Howard has so much flowing around in her head. It will shock you that all these songs are written by the same person when you go from the spacey lush of “Sound and Color” to the funk-groove of “Future People” to the flurry of gospel rock of “Miss You.” Howard both sings and writes soul music that is totally modern, but also has these touch points that allow fans of any genre to access it. There is such a range in her vocals from the desperate pleading on “Don’t Wanna Fight,” or the straightforward sweetness of “This Feeling”, and even her falsetto on “Future People.” I love it all and this is an album that I would recommend to anyone.

35. Janelle Monáe: Dirty Computer (2018)

This is a damn-near perfect pop album. Janelle Monáe is so direct on this album; some of the songs just pierce right into my soul. Her tendency towards more pop-sounding songs here compared to her other records takes absolutely nothing away from her artistry, and I admire that so hard.  What I love about her is that everything is so precisely thought out and nuanced. “Make Me Feel” is straight up ASMR. Every note is perfectly placed, and damn do I love the rhythm guitar on this album. The way she talks about queerness and sexuality is so real. Also the way she talks about how she is treated because of her sexuality, gender, and blackness is maddening and heartbreaking. However, these lyrics overlaid with these flashy and shiny pop beats creates this beautiful  juxtaposition which paints Janelle Monáe as this protectorate superhero. The swagger with which she raps “Django Jane” is so cool. Seriously, what is there not to love about a funky-ass pop masterpiece using dystopian sci-fi as a means to describe today’s world through a queer black feminist lens.

34. Makaya McCraven: In the Moment (2015)

On this album Makaya McCraven emerged as one of the most innovative figures in the jazz world. This however is not at all what one would expect to hear when they think of jazz music. The best way that I would describe this album and Makaya’s style is “improvised hip-hop beats.” What could possibly be cooler then that? His production style is so unique in that he takes live performances that are completely improvised, chops them up, reorders them, then remixes and edits them into the songs that are on the album. This creates a sound that is totally his own. He has a keen sense of how to organize chaos so well on songs like “On the Spot.” I adore his style of drumming. The bass, drums, and vibes on this album are so tight and fit so perfectly together. The funk hip-hop grooves on songs like “Gnawa,” and “Requests” are utterly sick. And sometimes each instrument is doing something different but it manages to fit together so perfectly to create a sum that is larger than its parts. A great example is the bass groove, rim shots, and pulsing vibes on “The Jaunt.” There are many songs on this album that have this ruminating, almost spooky quality like “First Things First” where the drum beat slightly changes and morphs, or the quiet intensity of “In the Moment.” There still are some songs on here that manage to be incredibly emotional such as “Butterscotch” which is so hopeful sounding it makes me tear up when I hear it. Overall the album is intense but still so fun to listen to.

33. Lizzo: Cuz I Love You (2018)

Lizzo is such a unique and individual artist who is an absolute powerhouse in terms of both her creativity in song-writing and performance. I know this woman has worked her ass off her whole life, but she makes it seems like it comes so easily and naturally to her. She is such a damn good singer. Her confidence on this album and the way she somehow uses her confidence as a tool in and of itself is honestly awe-inspiring. The way that Lizzo uses genre is so cool to me. She can work in almost any genre and bend it in such a way to make it her own. Like can we even attempt to name a genre for a song like “Cuz I Love You” or “Heaven Help Me”? In each song she is floating in and out of different genres and quite literally giving us a PERFORMANCE and a master class. I am so curious for what Lizzo will do next. She has shown us that she can pretty much do anything. Will she continue doing something like this, or will she focus in more on one style of song-writing? I am excited no matter what.

32. Courtney Barnett: Tell Me How You Really Feel (2018)

Courtney Barnett is someone that as a person, you simply have to love. She is the least pretentious person in the world, and if you have ever listened to her music, you also know she is clever as hell. I love how on her second full-length album, she went a deeper into her own psyche and vulnerabilities. The lyrics of “Nameless, Faceless” are absolutely brutal, but she delivers them with such ease. It almost hurts to hear how easily she can talk about the violence women experience, and how it is still just a basic fact of life in today’s world. I also love when she gets super raw and just lets it all out on songs like “I’m Not Your Mother, I’m Not Your Bitch” and “Hopefulessness.” Her signature honesty is both hilarious and much appreciated on songs like “City Looks Pretty” where she sings in the chorus “Sometimes I get sad, It’s not all that bad.” As she gets more personal, a whole other layer of depth and richness is added to her music.

31. Mitski: Puberty 2 (2016)

Mitski is one of my absolute favorite songwriters out there right now. Each of the songs are short but packed with a rich emotional complexity. She has an uncanny ability to pick these little stories or moments that on the surface, are experiences we all may encounter at some point, but really encapsulate these incredibly deep emotions.  This album is so lonely to me and she does an amazing job at conveying feeling alienated for one reason or another. The song “Fireworks” hurts my heart every time I hear it. The way that Mitski uses and subverts rock music is so creative and unique.  Take a song like “Your Best American Girl.” Sure, distorted guitar has been used forever in rock, but it has never more effectively conveyed such a brutal loneliness and longing. Not only her guitar playing, but her voice adds so much nuance and emotional depth beyond the lyrics. The song “Thursday Girl,” is extremely “simple” lyrically, but the way Mitski sings it brings up so many feelings inside of me I literally just want to cry. It’s heartbreaking and the only thing she pretty much says the whole song is “Tell me no.” Her ability to do so much with so little is what makes her so special to me.

30. EarthGang: Mirrorland (2019)

EarthGang has been hiding under the surface throughout the decade and releasing these incredible EP’s. They finally released their first major label album this year and it is incredible. They have this unique brand of hip hop that is very weird and psychedelic but also playful and just a joy to listen to. They are from Atlanta and their music is distinctly southern. You hear elements of Outkast in the interplay between Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot. I am absolutely living for their funk and soul inspired trap beats. The beats hit hard and their lyrics are biting as well. I love all the songs on the album but if you want to get a taste of their style listen to “LaLa Challenge,” “Top Down,” “Bank,” and “Blue Moon.” The music here is colorful and you can hear how much fun they are having in the studio. Watch a video of the recording of “Wells Fargo” to see what I am talking about. I love the effect that is used on these songs where it sounds like there is a full chorus of people singing along. Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot have have really good singing voices too. This adds a lot melodically to their raps, even if they aren’t actually singing. This album continues to grow on me. I have such a good time listening to the album, I sometimes forget to listen to how well constructed the lyrics and flows are. One moment that particularly stands out is a deep conversation that Doctur Dot describes having with a woman on the second verse of “Top Down.” EarthGang is able to include so many elements into each song that I have not hear before that this music will undoubtedly have staying power.

29. Tame Impala: Lonerism (2012)

This is the first album that really introduced me to indie music so it holds a very special place in my heart. As a wee 16 year-old, this album blew my mind, and it still manages to have a similar effect today. The really interesting production and mixing effects make it sound like this album was recorded in outer-space. Take the really smooth and clean guitar that is floating up, down, and around the mix on “Music to Walk Home By.” Or the ebb and flow of the synth creating an incredible build up and release on “Be Above It.” I love how tightly all the sounds fit together, even if it is “psychedelic rock”, with a great example being the drums and bass on “Endors Toi.” There are also songs on the album that I LOVED to be an angsty high school teen about like “Why Won’t They Talk To Me.” And a song like “Nothing That Has Happened So Far Has Been Anything We Could Control” brings up an incredibly strong emotional reaction in me. It is not even because of the lyrics itself, but the music itself moves me so much. This album was very influential on indie music throughout the decade. However, none of the copycats quite compare and live up to Lonerism.

28. Noname: Telefone (2016)

This album is sonically so pleasant, warm, and comforting. There is nothing else with a sound schema or textures quite like it. The beats are so interesting and complex. I love how you could study each and every drum pattern and always find something new.  Despite being so intricately constructed, the album still grooves and is easy to listen to. The beats take nothing away from Noname’s rapping. Again, her flows and lyrics are super unique. It almost sounds like spoken word the way that she delivers lines in stops and starts. Her rapping is intimate with her soft voice, but it still sounds like everything she is saying is urgent, and in many cases it is. “Casket Pretty” is one of the most haunting songs that I have heard about the reality of police brutality. “Yesterday” is a devastating reflection on the happiness that people that we have lost can still bring us. And in a song like “Reality Check,” Noname is honest and open about her own vulnerabilities. The sounds of her rhymes are so aesthetically pleasing too, such as the line “Basket case silhouette, cigarette, internet, check my twitter page for something holier than black death.” It’s not all somber though, as there are some incredible moments of joy throughout the album as well. Take “Diddy Bop” for example as a celebration of neighborhood and childhood. These are concepts that we all can relate to, and the contrast between the joy and pain creates a wonderful snapshot of Noname as a real person.

27. J. Cole: KOD (2018)

KOD is a brooding and dark album. It is made by an artist who has actively taken a stance to not care at all about the criticism he often receives for being too forthright in his music. To start, I love the production on this album which was mostly handled by Cole himself. There are jazz beats interspersed with and layered on top of the trap bass and low-end. The instrumentation is usually sparse and always very clean, which makes me very happy. J. Cole’s typical straightforward but powerful flows are present throughout the album. Lyrically, this album is very “J. Cole” in that it is conscious, and he is not afraid to directly address many social issues and tensions that exist today. Addiction is a theme throughout the album; Cole’s recounting of his experience with his mother’s addiction on “Once an Addict” is very personal and heartbreaking. He directly addresses gun violence and his sometimes-self-conflicting reactions to it on “Window Pain (Outro).” My favorite verse on the album is the second verse of “Brackets.” I keep on liking this album more every time I listen to it. Also, Cole has been on a monster streak of guest verses since coming out with KOD. He finally feels like an artist that has settled into himself, and his comfort and confidence makes me excited to listen to everything he comes out with.

26. Anderson Paak: Malibu (2016)

This album is a heavenly blend of R&B, soul, funk, and hip-hop. Anderson Paak is so effortlessly cool, and this album is a testament to that. He has the perfect amount of swagger and confidence here to execute his unique brand of sing-rapping. His voice has a little bit of gravel, and he is constantly switching off between singing and rapping that it’s really hard to distinguish which he is doing. A lot of his talent comes from his incredible and innate sense of rhythm that he gets from his drumming background. This background allows him to sound relaxed while still executing his flows perfectly. Just listen to the way he rap-sings every note EXACTLY in time over a swinging hip-hop beat in “Your Prime.” I love the lavish and warm production throughout this whole album, but especially on songs like “Heart Don’t Stand a Chance” and “Carry Me.” And I am obviously living for the heavy HEAVY bass on songs like “The Bird,” “The Waters,” and “Put Me Thru.” Some of the elements of disco-dance from his earlier work even comes through too on “Am I Wrong.” Anderson Paak’s story is so inspiring and I am glad we got to hear him come together as a fully realized artist on Malibu.

25. Hozier: Wasteland, Baby! (2019)

Hozier is my king, plain and simple. After listening to this album, I feel that if Hozier decided to be the leader of a cult that lived in the forest, I’d be the first person to sign up and bow down to him. This album is so emotional, weighty, heavy, but is not pastiche. At times it is the subjects of the songs that lend these songs gravity. At other times, it is the appropriate rhythmically beating drums, large rich choruses, and deep organ by Booker T. Songs like “Nina Cried Power” address relevant social issues in a somewhat surprising and nuanced way. “Movement” is an anthem that is an absolute force to to be reckoned with. The second half of the album is where he really shines with nearly every song giving me goosebumps. I like how subtle some of the songs are like “As It Was” and “Shrike.” He is singing clearly about some lost lover but the poetic lyrics leave it open to multiple interpretations. This album has plenty of darkness in songs like “No Plan” and “Wasteland, Baby!” They recognize the reality of the destruction of climate change and somehow relate it to the beauty of love. There are plenty of moments that explode with love and beauty such as Hozier describing his partner’s love as a literal blinding forest fire on “Would That I” or as the power of sunlight on, you guessed it, “Sunlight.” I am here for everything that beautiful (inside and out) man Hozier is singing and writing about.

24. Jorja Smith: Lost and Found (2018)

OK, I listened to this album on actual repeat in 2018. Jorja Smith is a treasure that we can all expect to hear more from in coming years seeing as she is only 22 (and is making me feel super unsuccessful). The album is incredibly listenable, but it has so many nuances that you discover as you dig deeper and deeper. Something that I loved to discover was that while on the surface, it may appear as a relatively polished R&B/pop album, if you listen closely, the rawest vocal takes are preserved. All of her breaths, riffing, emotions, and even some flubs are preserved here. This makes the album all the more beautiful and intimate. The first time I heard her voice, I immediately thought of two legendary British singers, Amy Winehouse and Adele. That being said, her vocal style is quite unique, in that it is much more casual and relaxed than those two singers. I think this dichotomy of her being relaxed but somehow also really “going for it” is evidenced on “Blue Lights,” which is definitely one of my favorite songs from this decade.  Songs like “Teenage Fantasy, ” “Lifeboats,” “Blue Lights,” and “Lost and Found” show the many directions Jorja can go with her music. I can’t wait to see her dive deeper into each these musical ideas she touches on throughout the album.

23. Courtney Barnett: Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (2015)

This is Courtney Barnett at her absolute wittiest and I love it so much. Some of the songs on this album are laugh out loud funny. The humor is dry, and Courtney Barnett’s personality shines through. She has to be the best lyricist in rock. A song like “Pedestrian at Best” has to be the least romantic and un-loving love song.  These songs have these wonderful but actually believable ramblings of what is going on and firing around in her brain. “An Illustration of Loneliness” is a great example of this where she describes the thoughts going through her head as she can’t fall asleep. These songs have great self-contained stories too. Take, “Depreston” which is an amazing and touching song simply about buying a house in the suburbs. Or “Aqua Profunda!” describes going to the pool and having a crush on the person swimming in the lane next to you.“Elevator Operator” is a pump up song that is apparently a real story about Courtney Barnett’s friend who was in the elevator with a lady who thought he was going to jump off the roof of a building. Some of these songs are really dark too such as “Kim’s Caravan,” which addresses environmental destruction and just builds beautifully. Courtney Barnett’s power is in her ability to deftly navigate through all these situations with a sense of levity and humor that is entirely her own.

22. Kendrick Lamar: Untitled Unmastered (2016)

A compilation of unreleased untitled demos is one of the best albums of the decade? Yes, yes indeed. This is Kendrick Lamar at his peak creativity, and it is amazing. The album as a whole feels like a psychedelic journey through Kendrick’s conflicted mind in which there is an incredible amount of frustration both internally and with the outside world. He addresses social and political issues such as racial inequality from a perspective that feels fresh and makes you think deeply. He uses all these different voices and types of flows to great effect, and this album really showcases his depth and his ear for cutting edge hip hop. The beats also range from avant-garde jazz, space funk, soul, to dark minimalist hip hop.  The album starts with a haunting description of the world crumbling apart at the apocalypse that has sexual and religious overtones. Kendrick then completely changes his timbre on track 2 to a voice that is terrifying and sounds like the devil. His flow and the beat on the track slaps as well. Then the transition to track 3 where he is talking about racial stereotypes and their effects over a jazzy funk beat show the wild amount of depth that Kendrick has. This back and forth and transition from track to track show why Kendrick is one of if not the most talented rapper in the game.

21. Beyoncé: Homecoming (2019)

OK I know I made a rule for myself to not include live albums on this list, but this is just too incredible to not include. It is so mind blowing to me that every time Beyoncé releases something, she sounds better than before. And I say that because every time she releases something, I am like, she can’t possibly sound better than this, But Homecoming is a true testament to this woman’s raw and pure talent. Her voice sounds better live than it does on the album recordings, and that is not even considering the insanely good choreography she is doing simultaneously during the performance. This album is so damn inspiring to me because I didn’t know that what Beyoncé did at Coachella was even possible.  The fact that Beyoncé, who is basically a queen, can still manage to surprise us on songs like “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” for example, is proof of her genius. I love hearing songs from earlier in her career like “Déjà vu” and “Get Me Bodied” with her current voice. You can hear how much her voice his developed and how much power it has gained. Or a song like “I Care” is a great example of why this live document is necessary. She is perfectly in tune, treats each line with so much care and musicality, and her voice has a primal power to inspire people. Homecoming is an example of perhaps the artist of the decade at her peak creativity and peak performance.

20. Mitski: Be The Cowboy (2018)

This album really solidifies Mitski as one of my favorite songwriters. Each song is so exquisitely constructed and there are no wasted moments. The songs are each their own contained stories from all these different conceptual points of view. The fact that Mitski can pull this style of writing off so well, in complete contrast from her extremely personal songwriting on Puberty 2, shows her incredible range. It amazes me how mature her sound is for someone who was 28 when this came out. I love her use of synths on this album in songs like “Geyser,” “Nobody,” or “Pink in the Night.” It has expanded her sound and given it so much force. And come on, “Nobody” has got to be the best disco song that came out this decade. “Washing Machine Heart” has the only lyrics I’ve ever even considered getting tattooed on my body. “Toss your dirt shoes in my washing machine heart, baby, bang it up inside.” I love how these lyrics use an everyday task to say something as deep as give me yourself, your whole self, including all of your darkness and dirtiness. And I will take it all into my heart and soul and try to wash you off and make you whole. Mitski’s talent to pull out these little moments from life and endow them with so much meaning makes me love and appreciate her so much.

19. Tame Impala: Currents (2015)

This album feels physically good to listen to. Kevin Parker moved to more of this synth-based dance/pop/R&B with this album and it works REALLY well. The production on this album is incredible. Every song is so luscious and full. The sound of each moment on the album is so intricately thought over. Listen to a song like “Let It Happen.” The song breathes and morphs and has so many unique moments. The depth and varied ways with which Kevin Parker is able to handle the synth throughout the album is so cool. There is plenty of 80’s style synth, and this was back in 2015 before that was a “thing”. We even get straight up 80’s Phillip Glass in “Gossip.” With the guitar playing a more background role on this album, it allows more room to show how Kevin Parker is one of the best bass players in pop music. It is not just all awesome production effects here though. He is really effectively able to create genuine emotions of longing or nostalgia in the music in songs like “The Moment” or “Reality in Motion.” I love how some of these songs such as “Yes I’m Changing” and “Eventually” purposely border on cheesy but in a tongue in cheek way. This combination of interesting song writing with top notch production makes this a super solid album that has aged great in the few years since it has come out.

18. Ariana Grande: Sweetener (2018)

Ari’s voice is one that immediately grabs your attention and heart. And on this album she commands our collective hearts through a land of pop and R&B bliss with a sense of maturity and focus. Pop albums can often be a messy mix of ideas with 40+ producers and no clear vision. Not so here. This woman knows what she wants her music to sound like, and she artfully executes it. There are so many layers to the music here and it is endlessly relisten-able. Every time I listen to the album, I feel like I hear a new vocal track. And that is honestly possible because I think I heard in an interview that they actually maxed out the number of tracks in Pro Tools on “Get Well Soon.” Throughout the whole album there is this wonderful balance of both focus but also she is just riffing and doing whatever the hell she wants. And with a voice like hers, it just so fun to listen. Thematically she fully embraces the idea of light over dark on her album. The album is also about her taking full ownership over her body, sexuality, and just herself. She is not trying to please anyone else here, and this is exactly what we needed to hear.   

17/16. Kamasi Washington: The Epic (2015) & Heaven and Earth (2018)

I had to put these two albums together because Kamasi Washington is an absolute powerhouse in both of them, and I wanted to talk about Kamasi as a whole. I’ve said it before, and I still stand by it when I say that Kamasi is the most talented song writer of the decade, in my opinion. His awareness and ability to construct songs using the basic elements of melody, harmony, and rhythm is unparalleled. His arrangements are incredible and full with choirs, orchestras, and obviously more traditional jazz instruments. Each of his songs has so much depth and you can unpeel layer after layer. It is still very accessible music though, and I get the melody of the songs stuck in my head and memorized after hearing them precisely one time. He can work in all the genres of jazz from bebop to swing to ballad to funk to even gospel. Kamasi is also a technically incredible sax player and improviser. His driving force is so strong that it sounds like he is haunted by something supernatural. Listen to his solos on “Change of Guard,” or “The Message.” They are so raw and primal and perfectly constructed. His solo on “Final Thought” made me have to pull of to the side of the road when I was running once and cry. He can take you on these deeply emotional journeys and easily switch between nimble bepop to desperate screeches back to a ballad-like melodic line all within a few bars.  Kamasi also holds the distinction for the two best concerts I have seen this decade. While his albums have these rich, lush arrangements, the ensemble in the concert is a little smaller, tighter, and incredibly energetic. They were an absolute fury and explosion. Also, as someone who sees a lot of jazz music, it is so fun to go to a jazz concert where everyone is standing and jumping and super lively. It is the only way you could honestly respond to the music. I am so happy that Kamasi has made it into the popular conscious and is bringing jazz to people who would normally not be exposed.

15. Makaya McCraven: Universal Beings (2018)

This album is another example of Makaya McCraven’s ultra unique style of creating music. He takes live performances and chops them up, electronically manipulates them, and remixes them into their own compositions. One of the things that makes this album so special is that there are 4 different “sections”, with each one recorded in a different city and with a different ensemble. Hearing the subtle differences between each section and the vibe each ensemble creates is one of the beauties of listening to this album. It also means there is a wide range of songs. You get these intense driving songs like “Prosperity’s Fear” or “Black Lion,” which sounds like an incredibly produced popular hip hop beat that I wish I could’ve heard Beyoncé and Donald Glover rap over for The Lion King soundtrack. The really interesting electronic manipulation of sound on songs like “Atlantic Black” brings a whole additional layer to jazz music. This song, along with others, truly have a story. “Atlantic Black” in particular is just slowly bubbling until it erupts, and then it ends in this terrifying slow modern classical section that sound like an Ari Aster soundtrack. You even get these perfectly locked in afrobeat beats on songs “Inner Flight.” It is amazing on this album how in time and locked in everyone is, and this shows off great in “Young Genius” or “Turtle Tricks.” It is not only grooves as Makaya is so expressive with his beats, and you can hear that by just listening to the kick drum on “Mantra” or “The Newbies Lift Off.” Overall, this album is a challenging but super rewarding listen. You just can live in it and be fully immersed, and I love that about it.

14. Beyoncé: Lemonade (2016)

This album is yet another example of an artist at the top of her game creating something wholly original. I don’t ever see this sounding outdated or aged. The production, songwriting, use of genre (or lack thereof), and performance is so well thought-out and brilliant. The narrative of the album about Jay Z cheating on her, and where that brings their marriage and the ultimate redemption of it, may be real or completely curated. You literally don’t care at all though because the story is told so expertly. Beyoncé is like a witch just sucking you into this beautiful and mysterious world that she has created. A lot of the production on the album is very intimate on songs like “Hold Up” or “Sorry” where she is riffing in a rap-singing voice about very personal concepts over fairly sparse beats. “Don’t Hurt Yourself” is a badass anthem over a Led Zeppelin sample where Beyoncé sounds scarily powerful and confident. Similarly, “Freedom” is this dark intense gospel inspired song that sounds like it is on fire, but Beyoncé is still firmly in the center and in complete control. She also has much more tender singing on songs such as “Sandcastles” which is desperate and perfectly pleading. Or on “All Night” which feels like an emotional wave of relief at the end of the album and shows her mastery of  contemporary R&B/soul. The influence of this album on culture is immense too. It gave a space for all these intense discussions of feminism, blackness, marriage, and family to take place both in our regular lives and in other art as well. This is a complete and moving work of art. The album felt monumental when it came out and it feels like we are in some ways still living in its shadow waiting for the next “Lemonade.” 

13. Esperanza Spalding: Emily’s D+Evolution (2016)

This album was a complete shift for Esperanza Spalding and her sound. (Her sound was previously lacking nothing, by the way.) This album is almost completely electric and is mostly funk and rock based. Esperanza completely silenced the sexist people who criticized her for only being able to play “feminine” bass with this badass electric playing. She really can do anything. It is really cool how Esperanza intersperses really heavy sounds with moments of levity within just a few bars on songs like “One.” She does this similarly on “Rest in Pleasure” which is held together by beautiful atmospheric electric guitar playing. She is able to use the electric instruments in such a new way. She creates a sense of mystery on songs like “Ebony and Ivy,” or even creepiness on “Noble Nobles,” a deep song about the beginning of the slave trade. You get these really intense funk sounds on this album too on songs like “Funk the Fear” or “Elevate or Operate.” She is completely herself on this album, and my favorite parts are when it gets really heavy and dissonant on songs like “Good Lava.” One of my favorite moments, and actually one of my favorite musical moments of the decade, comes on the deluxe edition. There is an extended version of the song “Unconditional Love.” The entire instrumental section on the second half of the song is spine-tingling. I have the chills the entire time listening to this bass solo with the screeching guitar over a pretty much heavy metal backing track. It is some of the most interesting and new music you will hear coming out of the jazz world, or music period this decade.

12. St. Vincent: St. Vincent (2014)

This album introduced me to St. Vincent, which means that it also introduced me to one of my absolute favorite artists of the decade. This album blew me away so much when I first heard it that I actually went out and bought it on CD so I could listen to it even louder on my dad’s sound system. It is a perfect example of an artist with a bold and defined creative vision executed in a very sharp and tightly focused way. Listen to the song “Rattlesnake” with its twisty, almost frenetic beat and how she plays the guitar to match it. And then there is the perfectly distilled guitar on “Birth in Reverse.” There is no one that plays guitar anything like Annie, and I am confident in saying she is one of the top 3 most innovative guitar players of the decade. Even in a song like “Regret” she is able to make this classic-rock sound entirely modern and her own. I love the imagery in the lyrics throughout the album and how it describes this weird artsy dystopia. On top of the guitar she makes everything sound so beautiful with her soaring and distinct melodies on songs like “Severed Crossed Fingers” or “Prince Johnny.” Everything surrounding the album from the artwork to the music to the live show is so effectively curated and solidified St. Vincent as an artist working in multiple media.

11. St. Vincent: Masseduction (2017)

While this album and the surrounding tour, artwork, press feels like a fully realized and curated work of art, this album far and away feels like Annie’s most personal. The overall sonic feel of this album is so unique and creative. There are these more pop-based beats here that provide this base for Annie to build her masterpieces on top of. I really like this because the sparseness and space between the electronic-based drums and her guitar/synths and voice creates a showcase for Annie’s songwriting.  Songs such as “Happy Birthday, Johnny,” are complex, personal, and say so much with so little. That song in particular, along with “Young Lover,” are quite dark in addressing subjects such  as suicide, homelessness and addiction. I love how she ends the album almost crying “It’s not the end” on the haunting song “Smoking Section” which is about her negative self-image and even suicidal thoughts. She also approaches dark subjects from a wittier stance on songs like “Pills.” I love hers and Jack Antonoff’s production throughout the whole album but most especially on my personal favorite song “Hang on Me.” Overall the album feels like a whole new dimension to Annie’s career. She can manage to make her sound more “pop” but also make her songwriting deeper, more complex and personal.

10. Esperanza Spalding: 12 Little Spells (2018)

12 Little Spells is a perfect example of an album that is beyond genre. It brings in elements from other types of music, of course, but it exists entirely on its own. I love the novel concept of the album which is that each song is written as a spell to be put on a specific body part. Taken individually, each song on the album contains multitudes of musical ideas, and they continuously grow and morph between these ideas. Esperanza is bursting with creativity on the album which leads to multiple surprising moments within each song as they completely change directions. You get lush full jazz ensemble arrangements contrasted with a rock-ensemble in the title track. Or you get spacey atmospheric music over a programmed beat on “To Tide Us Over.” You also get a programmed beat on “Touch in Mine” but this time it is contrasted with a soaring classical piano that is cut with interludes over her singing an achingly beautiful melody.  And then the two sections are played over together at the end of the song and click in perfectly until the last 10 seconds sound like we are going into a Drake dance-hall song. There are some straight bops on this album as well like the song, “You Have to Dance.” Her singing throughout is so varied and flexible. She can do almost anything with her voice, and she still manages to imbue it with emotion such as her raw singing on “The Longing Deep Down,” or her nearly stage acting on “With Others.” Her bass playing too is as varied as the fast dark fusion of “With Others” to “Until the Next Full,” where she completely takes over the song by dictating strange meters with a simple bass line. This album is an artist at her full powers creating something that sounds like nothing before it, and I doubt anything will ever sound like in the future.

9. D’Angelo and the Vanguard: Black Messiah (2014)

This album is warm bundle of incredibly tasty funk treats that I can eat up all day. One of the first things I notice about this album is the pure amount of sound and noise. This is organized chaos in the best way possible. D’Angelo is staying in the groove the whole time but no instrument plays a line the same way twice. He is sonically exploding here as each line is riffed on, mutated, improvised upon, and inverted until you are sure there isn’t anything more he can do with it. Some of these songs have this incredible warmth about them like “Till It’s Done.” A lot of that warmth is accomplished in the mixing which must have been super difficult for an album with this much sound, but it was done perfectly. Each instrument comes through perfectly such as on “Betray My Heart.” You can hear every single little strum and nuance on the guitar and keys over this walking bass line and bouncy drum beat. Or I love how you can hear every little touch of the acoustic drum set on the trippy hip hop beat of “Prayer.” The balance and transition of the acoustic and classical string instruments with the incredible electric bass line in “Really Love” is bliss. The bass as a whole on the album is some of my favorite bass playing on an album this decade. I mean, how could anyone not just get down to a song like “Sugah Daddy”? This album is so rich, and it certainly rewards many close listening sessions.

8. Kendrick Lamar: Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012)

This album is so incredible and rich, it was recognized as a classic almost as soon as it came out. The whole narrative and structure of the album is unlike anything I have heard. Kendrick shows himself as being one of the best storytellers in music as he describes what it is like growing up a teenager in Compton. Each story is so vivid, so detailed, he gets as close as anyone can to making you really understand and know what it was like to be him. A large part of this is that he does not present himself as the hero of his own story, which I love. He presents himself as fundamentally flawed. The chorus of one of the first songs on the album, “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe,” starts off as “I am sinner who’s probably gonna sin again.” Throughout the album he uses his voice then to talk in different characters and from different perspectives. Sometimes he is very vulnerable, open, and personal, such as on describing falling into peer pressure with his friends to commit a robbery on “The Art of Peer Pressure.” Other times he raps as his teenage self as he was in the moment, such as on “Backseat Freestyle” where he presents himself as a 15 year old being ridiculously cocky, full of himself, and only in search of money and power.  Or on a song like “M.A.A.D. City” he paints a haunting picture of some of the terrifying things that he witnessed as child like a dead person in front of a fast food restaurant, or his cousin getting murdered. In this song in particular the production matches the lyrics really well in creating a sense of panic and urgency. All of these perspectives create a full picture of a real person.

7. Smino: NOIR (2018)

This album was essentially a realization in my taste in music. When I first heard it, I was like, I have never heard anything like this, but this is EXACTLY what I like. And then I proceeded to listen it to it pretty much nonstop for a year (and counting). Smino is one of the most interesting sounding and nimble rappers/voices that I have heard. If you took away all the words, just the sounds that his voice makes are a revelation and an instrument itself. It shocked me to learn he didn’t have a background in singing. There are so many versatile sounds and timbres to his voice that he is doing something different on nearly every verse he sings. I don’t even know what to call what he is doing with his voice on songs like “Merlot” or “Low Down Derrty Blues.” His flows are so unique and interesting, and his rhymes and rhyme schemes are always blowing my mind. I’m constantly asking how did he make this work? The best part about his music and this album especially is that it is not at all pretentious or difficult to listen to. This is still extremely fun music that you just want to blast in the car and sing driving through the city. “Z4L,” “LMF,” or “Fenty Sex” are thumping songs that you simply can’t listen to sitting down. You pretty much need to move while listening to this album. To me, this sounds like music of the future. There is nothing that sounds quite like it, but I could still see it having a massive popular appeal one day because it simply feels good and is pure joy.

6. Saba: Care For Me (2018)

I love Care For Me because it is by far the most honest album that I have heard this decade. Saba is so real and vulnerable on this album about his entire self. He doesn’t hide anything. He presents his insecurities, his flaws in full, his loneliness, his feelings of marginalization, his joys, and his sorrows. It feels like he is your best friend, and you are having a late night talk about his grief, and he is genuinely asking you, “Care for me?” Even though I haven’t experienced the situations in this album myself, it feels so damn relatable. It is his ability to honestly talk about his mental health from a personal perspective that sets this album apart from anything else.  He isn’t trying to create a character for us to love. He is sincerely running through what is going through his thoughts. There is a deep sadness that permeates this entire album as Saba is processing the murder of his cousin. Even if every song is not directly about his death, you can just feel it living in Saba’s psyche. However, the album builds up to “Prom/King” which is the detailed story of him getting to know his cousin and then the story of his death. It feels so cathartic coming after the somberness and strain of the rest of the album. The beats are incredible on this album as well. They use acoustic instruments really well such as the acoustic bass on “Life,” or even the straight jazz section with a full jazz ensemble at the end of “Grey.” Most of the time, he is rapping in a very melodic way over carefully curated beats that feel so specific to each song. The album overall is probably the most sensitive art I have heard this decade, and it is a perfect example of an artist pouring their heart out.

5. St. Vincent: Strange Mercy (2011)

I am constantly going back and forth on what my favorite St. Vincent album is. While it literally changes every month, I find myself going back to Strange Mercy the most. Annie is such a badass on this album. Her guitar playing on “Neutered Fruit” might be my favorite guitar on record this decade with how much power she has. Or also on “Strange Mercy” when she comes in on the second chorus and belts “If I ever meet the dirty policeman who roughed you up, No, I don’t what.” All I got to say is if I was that policeman, I would be terrified. Emotionally she just strikes to my heart throughout this whole record. The album starts with “Chloe in the Afternoon,” this dark and trippy syncopated song about sex and a dominatrix. It then moves immediately to this fun sounding, but lyrically deep, almost Disney-like straight pop song “Cruel.” Every time I listen to this album and how varied each song is from the last I am like WHO is this woman. Her guitar playing really shines through on this album and a song like “Surgeon” for example shows how she is an actual wizard. I didn’t even realize it was a guitar playing until I saw a live version because I didn’t think it was possible to play like that. She sings each line with such care too. The song “Dilettante” might actually be the reason one of my kids is named Elijah because she just says the name so beautifully. Annie has so much to say both musically and lyrically on this album, it is a perfect expression of deep art in a popular form.

4. Solange: When I Get Home (2019)

This album totally blew my mind when I first heard it, and it continues to every subsequent time I listen to it. It sounds like absolutely nothing else I have ever heard. I don’t even know how to describe it. Musically, it has many elements of a modern jazz album. Solange has this snaking, mysterious, feathery voice that works perfectly for the demands that this type of singing requires. The production is more hip hop based with the heavy drums and bass and even trap on some songs. The instrumentation is very sparse and feels like you are floating through a tranquil dream sequence. There is not an album this decade that has made me feel more fully immersed in the music and more easily transports me to a different dimension. The album is so fluid in that it just quickly transitions from one vibe to another. It is just as if once you grasp on to something, it floats away. Oftentimes, I will listen to this album 2-3 times in a row in a listening session. There are so many great songs to talk about, but I’ll just point out a few. “Almeda” is definitely the banger of the year. The trunk-rattling bass and high hats, the funk keys, Playboy Carti’s verse, I cannot listen to this song without moving and banging my fist in the air. This song isn’t only pure fun though, it celebrates blackness in such a beautiful way with Solange’s repetitive listing working so effectively. “Binz” has the coolest synths which sound like slugs being pulled off bass strings with the way the notes just ooze in and out of time. This is over an acoustic hip hop drum beat and it creates a sound aesthetic unlike anything else. Or “Sound of Rain” is a good example of that jazzy hip hop sound that sounds so unique. This song and the album feels like something from the future, and possibly it is a glimpse into what popular music may sound like in 5 years.

3. Beyoncé : Beyoncé (2013)

Me trying to say anything about this or any other Beyoncé album is just going to sound ignorant and dumb, so I will try to keep it short. This album really might be the most influential album of the decade if you look at its impact on music, the music industry, and popular culture and consciousness as a whole. Beyoncé had full creative control here and she wielded it so beautifully and powerfully. Musically, the album is a powerhouse; I could deep dive into each song but I love the contrast of the beautiful and pleasant R&B of songs like “Blow” and “Superpower” with the more intense hip-hop songs like “Drunk in Love”, “Flawless”, or “Partition.” The meaning that this album has had on the conversation surrounding feminism in pop culture and the importance of that is impossible to overstate. Here is this massive artist talking about female pleasure and putting it in the very center of conversation. It was so important to pop culture that I heard women scholars talking about it on NPR as an ignorant 17-year-old high school boy that was certainly not yet in the Beyhive. This was my first time being exposed, so I am not lying at all when I say that the ideas that Beyoncé exposed me to in this album profoundly changed the way I see the world. With this album Beyoncé decided she was not going to find her place in the music industry and pop culture, but rather, she going to build herself a place that did not even exist. 

2. Kendrick Lamar: DAMN. (2017)

DAMN. is the perfect example of an artist making his sound deliberately more listenable without sacrificing any artistic integrity. The album was the first non-jazz or classical piece of music to win the freaking PULITZER prize. We know that Kendrick can do pretty much anything, so I love that he chose to do this, and it still managed to surprise people. His writing here is so complex and next level, it sounds like an entirely new style of rap and lyric writing all together. It is conscious, yet personal, with great stories, and still over trap and popular R&B-style beats. It feels real, but also constantly there is some deeper meaning to unlock. There are all these textures and characters that touch on deep and dark concepts such as depression, violence,  and racism. Kendrick’s flows on the album are also masterful and confident. You get the quick jabbing density on the second half of “DNA,” or the rap-singing of “Element,” or the deathly almost droll and angry lecturing on “Fear.” One of my favorite songs on the album is “Pride” which is rapped over a Steve Lacy beat. It has this really cool varying vocal pitch that isn’t like anything I have ever heard. “XXX” and “Duckworth” are two of the best examples of why this album is so good. “XXX” has three verses with completely different flows, and the song brings together themes that are both religious, very political and of-the moment, and also heart breaking personal stories. It sounds like nothing else and you don’t want the song to end. And then “Duckworth” is completely different in that it is an example of a self-contained true story  with all these elements and details that make it seem like you are just hearing it from a friend, all over a boom bap old school hip hop beat.  Within the everyday elements that add realistic detail, there are complex philosophical and psychological elements in the song. It is this perfect balance that makes Kendrick one of the strongest writers working today.

1. Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)