2019 has been a pretty good year for music (in some cases not all!) but that hasn’t stopped us from compiling our annual list of the Top 10 albums of the year. Ranging from hip-hop to pop and everything in between, we’ve hand selected our picks for the ones that helped define streams and sales/bops all year long.
- Summer Walker (“Over It”)
Summer Walker ‘s breakout success came with the release of her 2019 debut album (“Over It”). Almost instantly, those who didn’t know Walker from before knew her almost overnight. “Over It” bore some of our favourite bops of the year.
Walker also takes our top spot for song of the year. “I’ll Kill You” featuring Jhene Aiko has been on replay almost every other week since we first heard the song. Others that topped our list: Potential; Fun Girl, Playing Games, and Off of You.
Rating: ****
2. Ari Lennox “Shea Butter Baby”
The aptly titled “Shea Butter Baby ” is one of the best albums we’ve heard in a long time. The creatively titled album softly reminded us of Erykah Badu. If I could describe Lennox ‘s album in one paraphrase I’d paraphrase it this way.
“Lennox ‘s album is that album you listen to when you’re finally living on your own; relatively successful, and contemplating what’s next for you in your life. Deeply emotional and capable of touching elements of your l ife you usually try to avoid — Ari helps those searching for answers find means within her songs.”
Lennox ‘s album received universal acclaim after its release.
Rating: ****
3. Khalid “Free Spirit”
This is one of those albums that if Drake had a brother or a cousin this would be it. Almost any song on this album you’ll not only hear a bop but you’ll likely start reconvening on your entire life. #DeepinThought
Rating: *** (3.5 stars)
4. FKA Twigs “Magdalene”
I’ll be the first to admit. When I first heard FKA Twigs in college, I think she was pretty new to the scene. But with the release of Magdalene, the British singer released some of her fullest and most raw material yet. Twigs lamented in the traumas of her past; relationships, and the struggles she’s been through in her life to this date.
Overall score: 86
Top Song: Thousand Eyes
Rating: *****
5. Tyler The Creator “Igor”
I’ve been a longtime fan of Tyler the Creator ever since the Pusha T days. But IGOR perhaps (although at times falls short of expressing his fully-capable creativity) is one of my favourite albums from him to date. In songs like “Are We Still Friends?” and “I Don’t Love You Anymore” a soulful-type Creator emerges a distant-vervsion of his usual self in a musical mission to keep his listeners engaged and guessing. Deeply emotional the songs veered slightly from the typical Creator offerings plentiful diving into the reinvention of Tyler we saw in 2019.
Overall score (81)
Rating: ***
6. Solange Knowles
There’s absolutely no introduction needed here. Solange ‘s When I Get Home.
Rating: **** (overall score 90)
7. Lana Del Rey “Norman Fucking Rockwell”
I’m certainly going to be the first to admit that most of Del Rey’s initial content in the early days of her career were pretty dark for my taste. But as she accelerated her career and grew as an artist, so did her music which made for Norman Fucking Rockwell ‘s entry on this list. The deeply melodramatic NFR explores Del Rey ‘s most emotionally appealing musical offering to date. “Fuck It I Love You” is an emotional bop that pretty much sums up my first college love affair.
It’s a ballad alike many others on the album that showcase Del Rey ‘s deeply intertwined relationship she’s got with herself. There’s not many artists that have an almost perfect relationship with their emotions to be able to deliver songs and ballads that are literally that fucking real. #GrabsTissue
Rating: 3.5 stars (overall scroe 83)
As we continue to round up the best of the year/decade, the next list will feature the Top 7 artists of the year based on their commercial and human appeal to the masses.
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