Perhaps even more than film and TV this year, the music released was a reflection of the collective’s headspace, still filled with apocalyptic overtones and the end being nigh, while also still hopeful about finding someone to love when the destruction finally hits. And perhaps losing them and going through the heartache your forebears never thought your generation would have to because, for fuck’s sake, you’re supposed to be a cyborg by now (maybe Grimes will help move that along for next year). Thus, what you’ll find below are the year’s best albums (ranked more by release date than where it falls in any position securing it closer to a number one slot). Each magical record shows that even when humanity is at its nadir, music can offer proof that life is still worthwhile, that true art, in the end, is all that can keep us going. And maybe all that can save us.
Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande-Grande started 2019 off for herself and the rest of us strong, with a record that turned heads not only for its breakup-heavy subject matter, but for being released less than six months after another hit record, Sweetener. Who the fuck did she think she was, a Beatle? Churning out records like that, like a machine. So it was that Grande confirmed the ongoing precedent that women have established in music. To push harder, to break the glass ceiling. And it’s clearly being done based on the fact that Grande is just one of many female artists who comprise a musical landscape in which women are the dominant force, creating the music that’s not only hit-worthy, but also that resonates with listeners more than men’s voices seem to of late. Where once that would have been unthinkable, it’s as though people barely seem to notice the absence of cock rock at all.
Crushing by Julia Jacklin-Three years after the release of her debut, Don’t Let the Kids Win, Jacklin has fully realized her style both sonically and lyrically. And she’s a long way from being the girl initially inspired to sing by Britney Spears (who also influenced Lana Del Rey, but then, her sound and background is much closer to Spears’ than one thinks). As well as the girl who worked in an Australian factory that made essential oils to save up enough money to record. With Crushing’s lead single, “Don’t Know How to Keep Loving You,” Jacklin brutally acknowledges one of the great issues of “situationships” in the present era in terms of our inability to reconcile the persona we see on a screen versus the one we’re quickly disappointed by in about ten minutes. The lyric, “Don’t know how to keep loving you/Now that I know you,” however, is as timeless as bourgeois constructed love. Indeed, most of the record is a rueful rumination on the catch-22 of letting another person in. For instance, on “Head Alone,” Jacklin addresses the modern woman’s main problem in relationships with the lyric, “I don’t wanna be touched all the time/I raised my body up to be mine.” In 2019, that was truer than ever for most women.
Tokyo Love Hotel by Uffie-Although an “extended play,” the release of new music from Uffie in an album format after a nine-year hiatus was too momentous to leave off a list detailing important music in 2019. After putting out her only feature-length record, Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans in 2010, the not “more adult,” per se, but more evolved, secure in its sound and subject matter Tokyo Love Hotel proved that Uffie had grown up. A fact made evident on such “grown up problems” tracks as “Sadmoney,” perhaps alluding to why she might started singing again at all with the lament, “Working every day just to sell my soul.” Like the rest of us, she’s “makin’ sad money/Take it all from me…/I wish I never found out about Gucci/I wish knew the best things in life are free.” In short, “I wish I didn’t have to grow up at all.” In a sea of Gen Z faces in 2019, it was nice to hear that Uffie was still millennial through and through.
On the Line by Jenny Lewis-Repurposing the album cover aesthetic of 2014’s The Voyager, in which Lewis donned a rainbow blazer for a close-up shot of just her torso, she does the same for On the Line (not to be confused with the 2001 movie of the same name starring Lance Bass and Joey Fatone). Only this time, her sartorial choice is a halter dress with a triangular slit at the chest. In retrospect, it seemed almost to be thumbing her nose (via her tits) at an industry that still has yet to experience the full reckoning of a #MeToo movement. That her producer for the record, Ryan Adams, was accused of sexual misconduct around the same time added a new meaning to the title of the record. As well as the intro track, “Heads Gonna Roll.” Unlike say, Lena Dunham, who sided with a man she worked with when he was accused, or even Lana Del Rey, who stayed mum on the whole BØRNS matter, Lewis stepped up to announce she was not only “deeply troubled by Ryan Adams’ alleged behavior” but that she was “in solidarity with the women who have come forward.” Like she sings on the last song of the record, “I’m not gonna go down the rabbit hole with you.” More and more, this is what female musicians are declaring to their abusive producers, the last area of music in which all the power is still concentrated in believing men have the “real talent” behind the scenes to make women shine.
Titanic Rising by Weyes Blood-Steadily releasing albums since 2011, Weyes Blood hit her stride on this year’s Titanic Rising. Sounding more sprung from the past than Lana Del Rey, Weyes Blood effectively blends elements of Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez (particularly manifest on “Andromeda”). The arresting–and yes, tailor-made for cinema–single, “Movies,” is enough to stop you from whatever you’re doing at any given moment and pay your full attention to its hypnotism.
Love + Fear by MARINA-For some, it was a tragedy to see Marina Diamandis shed her “and the Diamonds” moniker, for it meant she was getting further and further away from her beloved Electra Heart persona. For Marina, however, it signaled liberation, freeing up her creative flow for the first time since 2015’s Froot. After deciding to take a break from the biz for a spell, it was somewhere in between dabbling in falconry and floristry that Marina decided to pursue studies in developmental psychology at Birkbeck University of London. It was there the love and fear theory of psychologist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross rubbed off on her songwriting, prompting her to divide the record into two parts as a sort of double album focusing on the tenet, “It’s true that there are only two primary emotions, love and fear. But it’s more accurate to say that there is only love or fear, for we cannot feel these two emotions together, at exactly the same time. They’re opposites. If we’re in fear, we are not in a place of love. When we’re in a place of love, we cannot be in a place of fear.” So it is that through Kübler-Ross as a conduit, we were given such masterpieces as “Handmade Heaven,” “To Be Human” and “End of the Earth.”
Proto by Holly Herndon-More publicized this year thanks to a Twitter feud between Zola Jesus and Grimes, the momentousness of Holly Herndon’s Proto cannot be overlooked. In collaboration with programmed AI technology she called Spawn, Herndon continues to tout her philosophy of embracing AI in the music industry rather than fearing its potential to put most musicians out of business. The hopeful sound of Proto stems in part from Herndon teaching the technology the same call and response technique she learned during her own time spent among religious choirs while growing up in Tennessee (she has since moved to the more godless Berlin, for what better place to cultivate a sound with no ties to real humanity).
Madame X by Madonna-After an unpleasant experience in putting out 2015’s Rebel Heart, in which a large number of songs were leaked, Madonna seemed to shy away from music for a while as she focused on finding financing for her various movie projects, including Taking Flight. When her son’s passion for soccer led her to Lisbon, Madonna fell back into and in love with music by accident. Invited to “living room sessions” and fado clubs in which musicians played for the sheer joy of it, the sonic tone for Madame X was forged in these simple settings that M likened to her early days in New York (perhaps a bit sweeping in generalization). Re-teaming with Mirwais Ahmadzaï for some of the album’s most affecting tracks, including “Medellin,” “Dark Ballet” “God Control” and “I Don’t Search I Find,” Madame X is not only one of the most daring works of Madonna’s career, but the most daring work of 2019. Grammy nomination or not.
Kisses by Anitta-Another South American appearing on Madame X (on the track “Faz Gostoso”) besides Maluma was Anitta. But Maluma didn’t get the good fortune of making the list of best albums of the year with his, 11:11. Anitta, in contrast, is a musical revelation in full bloom on her fourth record, Kisses. Appearing on the record as a mirrored image, with the right one closing her eyes to kiss her other open-eyed self, Anitta’s cheeky sense of humor blended with plenty of confidence is in complete effect. Some of the more standout bangers include “Banana,” “Sin miedo” and “Juego.”
Magdalene by FKA Twigs-Often brutal to listen to, the agony FKA Twigs endured both physically and emotionally in the years since the release of her debut record back in 2014 are all evocatively manifest on Magdalene. From the whimsy of “sad day” to the pleaing and cloying of the record’s bookend, “cellophane” (the video for which FKA Twigs puts J. Lo to shame on the stripping skills front), Magdalene is a testament to not only the beauty of sadness, but its ability to transcend centuries.
Closer to Grey by Chromatics-After a series of EPs and re-releases, Chromatics finally saw fit to give us a fifth LP this year after a seven-year gap since 2012’s Kill For Love. Sticking to a certain pattern, Chromatics kick off Closer to Grey with a cover of a classic song as well: Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” (a very Lana Del Rey move indeed). But don’t let the initial “placidity” fool you, the record is quick to pick up by the eponymous third track, a sorrowful little ditty that was tailor-made for the seasonally affective disorders that riddle fall and winter. Other moody standouts include “Twist the Knife” and “Whispers in the Hall,” the latter featuring the all too real lyrics, “Little girl, the world just wants to break you/They’ve come to dull that look inside your eye.”
Mala Santa by Becky G-Like Anitta’s Kisses, Becky G’s (real name Rebbeca Gomez) debut record features a double image of herself, iterating that every woman has her “good girl” and “bad girl” persona to play when the moment suits her, or, in the latter instance, when someone pisses her off. With the majority of songs produced by Mambo Kingz (who also worked with Anitta), the effortless flow of the album is a consistent call to the dance floor, no matter what language you speak. And, speaking of Anitta, Becky G has a collab with her on Kisses–the fitting “Banana.”
The Destroyer, Parts 1 and 2 by TR/ST-It’s been a long time since the Berlin-inspired beats of Canadian Robert Alfons a.k.a. TR/ST have graced our presence. And he’s gotten a lot darker in the years since 2014’s Joyland. Yet even in the moodiest moment of songs like “Colossal” or “Iris,” there are enough flickers of hope shining through to keep you stationed on the dance floor. Something like Marina’s Love + Fear, The Destroyer is divided into eight tracks on each volume, both sides of which are well-worth the auditory roller coaster each takes you on.
Metronomy Forever by Metronomy-To the point of staying stationed on the dance floor, Metronomy’s sixth record aids one with doing just that with a seventeen-track safari of electropop as only the British can do it. From the moment of its whimsical “Wedding” opening, Metronomy sustains a fantastical motif throughout the record, with highlights being “Lately,” “Lying Low” and “Wedding Bells.”
Angel’s Pulse by Blood Orange-Like Uffie, Blood Orange gets to be a special exception on the list for not necessarily offering an album so much as a mixtape. But Angel’s Pulse feels just as rich and profund as 2018’s Negro Swan, of which this is being positioned as an epilogue to. From slow jams like “Dark & Handsome” featuring Toro y Moi, “Good For You” featuring Justine Skye and “Tuesday Feeling (Choose to Stay)” featuring Tinashe to more straightforward rap “outings” like “Gold Teeth” featuring Project Pat, Gangsta Boo and Tinashe, the album is a true testament to Blood Orange’s unyielding poetic talent.
III by Banks-As the current queen of goth-pop (sorry LDR), Banks doesn’t disappoint on her third album, pointedly called III. From the moment of her semi-a capella delivered “Till Now,” the overarching theme of the album is all about moving on, with Banks herself remarking, “It feels like everything that comes to an end is kind of represented by threes.” Singing of both unhealthy and empowered forms of letting go on unforgettable songs such as “Gimme” (which sounds a bit like a direct ripoff of Justin Timberlake’s “My Love”), “Contaminated” and “Alaska,” Banks gives Ariana Grande a run for her money with regard to this being an instant classic of a breakup album.
Charli by Charli XCX-An amalgam of sounds and styles, Charli is one of the few records that manages to use non-cohesion to its advantage. Not to mention featuring Charli XCX’s beloved method of showcasing an array of constant collaborators including Brooke Candy, CupcakKe and Pabllo Vittar (on one track alone). Still, Charli finds time to hold her own on the heavy-hitting “White Mercedes,” “Silver Cross,” “I Don’t Wanna Know” and “Official.”
Sunshine Kitty by Tove Lo-Two years after Blue Lips and three after Lady Wood, Tove Lo still can’t stop making vagina references in her record titles. This time, it’s Sunshine Kitty. And it’s got the perfect mix of balladry and dance music that Tove Lo’s debut, Queen of the Clouds, did. From the moment of its naughty Italian opening interlude, Tove Lo reveals that age hasn’t quelled her own sexual appetite, nor “Mateo’s.” The subject of both the interlude and a later song of the same name. In between songs about broken-heartedness (“Really Don’t Like U” and “Mistaken”) and one-night stands (“Are U gonna tell her?” and “Jacques”), Tove finds time for female solidarity as well, most notably on the friendship anthem, “Glad He’s Gone.”
Norman Fucking Rockwell by Lana Del Rey-2019 wouldn’t have been quite the same without a reemergence from one, Lana Del Rey. After 2017’s Lust For Life, with its 60s political vibe, it was only natural that Del Rey would continue the trend of waxing poetic about the devolution of society, or, more specifically, America–since most Americans can only view the U.S. as the epicenter of “culture.” Through a more California-centric lens than ever. In fact, there’s even a song called “California” on it, adding to the litany of song titles already featuring that state. But Del Rey’s stands apart from others. And so does her Joni Mitchell shtick (even if Weyes Blood does it slightly more authentically). From her damnation of the average “man-child” to her fear that the end is nigh (if Kanye West going blonde isn’t an ill portent, then what is?), Norman Fucking Rockwell encapsulates the last half of a decade gone horribly wrong. But at least we have the lullabies of Lana to numb our anxiety.
Anima by Thom Yorke-More than numbing anxiety, the songs on Anima seem to stoke it. In point of fact, one could easily soundtrack most of the songs to a psychology video explaining different mental disorders. His third solo studio album, Anima was created out of a period of writer’s block that Yorke crawled out of after realizing it wouldn’t be such a crime to rely on loops the way Flying Lotus does (who was a source of inspiration to Yorke in the germinal phase of the record). With a fifteen-minute short film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson to accompany the music, Anima fully captures the depression–the latent rage always ready to be provoked to the surface–and anxiety not just of our age, but 2019 itself.
No Geography by Chemical Brothers-The Chemical Brothers have never shied from pushing the envelope, and with a record featuring a title so deliberately aimed at the political climate of Brexit in England (and, roundaboutly, its cousin, America), a track like “Eve of Destruction,” which kicks off the fraught record, should come as no surprise. Featuring vocals from Aurora (a better version of Billie Eilish), the frenetic pace of the song sets the tone for the rest of the wonderfully experimental ten-track record. Almost as experimental as most governments have been of late.
Deliberately missing from the list: Beyonce for Homecoming: The Live Album, Billie Eilish for When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Lizzo for Cuz I Love You and Taylor Swift for Lover.
