Best Music of 2021 Recap
I realize this is extremely late, but I wanted to share my Best Music of 2021 lists. Yes, 2021. Reasons for this being so late include (but are not limited to):
Originally wanting to write about each entry, getting daunted by that, and having trouble deciding how much to say. Or having more thoughts about a release further down on the list than something higher up. The paralysis of indecision.
Working a demanding/draining job for the first half of the year, transitioning out of it, going to my first major multi-day music festival, traveling to Costa Rica for six weeks, and getting the hang of a new job.
Prioritizing trips, concerts, a social life, and recovery time more than this.
Getting Animal Crossing: New Horizons for my birthday.
Seasonal depression.
Not having the same capacity for creative productivity as other people. Trying to re-cultivate that relationship, but also not forcing anything.
(Gestures vaguely at the state of the world)
So here it is, as is. 2022’s list will be out before New Year’s Eve 2023 though…I promise.
One entry per artist per list. The non-local stuff is ranked pretty much all the way through; local (Pittsburgh) music is ranked within the list for the top 5 entries only. And I have no interest in Taylor Swift or Olivia Rodrigo. Without further ado…
Non-Local Albums/EP’s:
Sad Night Dynamite – Sad Night Dynamite: Brilliant genre-mashing and slick, inventive, flawless production. These guys could justifiably be called the Gorillaz of the 2020’s, but at the same time their singularity is undeniable. Trip-hop, alternative R&B, a dash of psychedelia, and more I’m sure I’m missing…it all works and it doesn’t sound like anything else coming out right now. One of the most talented and compelling artists to emerge in the past couple of years. This debut album is masterful (and their 2022 follow-up, Volume II, is just as good.) If you check out one artist from this post, make it this one. Listen on Spotify here.
8485 – plague town: This spoke to my pandemic emotional experiences so strikingly and accurately, it kind of took my breath away. Grief and confusion and fear and hopelessness and disconnection and things you can’t quite articulate yet, it’s all laid out there beautifully. A synthpop/hyperpop sonic palette with the unflinching, devastating lyricism you’d expect from a singer-songwriter. The female vocals are high and angelic with some hyperpop effects layers, but still clear and not too robotic. Stunning.
CFCF – memoryland: Chiptune meets SOPHIE meets a 90’s club. I can’t say enough good things about the melodies; driving, tight, glitchpop production that knows when to pull and when to push; and the absolutely delicious bassline. It’s imaginative, thoughtful, and incredibly well-produced. Highlights include “Self Service 1999,” “Life Is Perfecto,” and “Nostalgic Body.”
Brockhampton – Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine: 2022 might have seen the end of Brockhampton as a group, but 2021 gave us this incredible album. Inventive, catchy, smart, and unafraid—this is alternative hip-hop at its best. The bar is set incredibly high with the blistering opener “Buzzcut” (which includes a perfect Danny Brown feature), and they keep meeting it.
Porter Robinson – Nurture: This record is truly beautiful. That something this positive, encouraging, and gorgeous could emerge from such intensely dark times is astonishing to me. The album blends hyperpop-adjacent vocal effects and the gauzy, blissed-out electronic sonic palettes of a more comforting past (including moments of production genius that recall Imogen Heap’s Speak for Yourself.) The lyrics remind you of a happier, better world in a way that feels genuinely inspiring instead of cheesy and out of touch. This album is a sunny day—a warm hug that acknowledges the hurt, holds you in it, and reminds you that things actually can feel okay again. “Unfold” is particularly striking, and has been on repeat since the first listen.
Mint Julep – In a Deep and Dreamless Sleep
Magdalena Bay – Mercurial World
Lucy Dacus – Home Video: Truly one of the best songwriters doing it right now, with a voice like dark velvet and a poetic starkness that knows just how to twist the knife. All present on this album, plus the subtle incorporation of a few electronic elements into her usual indie rock/singer-songwriter sound.
JoJo – trying not to think about it: A soulful mental-health-advocating queen—JoJo kills it here. Between her always-impeccable voice, tight production, and vulnerability about struggles that really hit home in dark times, this record is a beautiful, thoughtful processing of difficult emotions.
Cautious Clay – Deadpan Love
Alina Baraz – Sunbeam: If you have not heard Alina’s silky, soulful vocals; immersive, smoldering production; and insightful, emotion-packed lyrics, do yourself a favor and change that. She’s been killing it for years now and this is some of her best work. (Have to shout out the track “Maze” from the companion EP to this one, Moongate, as well—a sultry, captivating invitation for a potential romance to put in some effort and come find her. Gorgeous.)
Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
Remi Wolf – Juno
Gorillaz – Meanwhile EP
Ashnikko – Demidevil: I love it when Ashnikko speaks truth to assholes and revels in her feminine power and desires. This album is bold and energetic and fun, with a couple of more vulnerable tracks that add depth and variety. Put this on before a night out, and whenever you need a reminder of what a badass you are.
Teenage Wrist – Earth is a Black Hole
Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever: This was packed with talent from both Billie and Finneas: instrumentally and structurally creative songs that unflinchingly explore the ups and downs of young adulthood under an intense spotlight. A bit less focused than her last album, but the versatility is impressive. “Your Power” is so sharply, immaculately devastating.
JPEGMAFIA – EP2!
Silk Sonic – An Evening with Silk Sonic
The Killers – Pressure Machine
John Mayer – Sob Rock: Except for “Why You No Love Me”—sonically pretty, but those lyrics are so needlessly inane. Otherwise, a nice listen and a solid album from an artist who could have easily faded out a long time ago. John can still write a song, sing a melody, and wail on a guitar.
Will Samson with Message to Bears – Flow State Mosaic
Lil Nas X – Montero: He’s not just a flash in the pan. This level of vulnerability, not only in struggles but in pleasures as well, is rare—most of the country would not have heard a black gay man talking so openly about these things before. But breaking down barriers is kind of what Lil Nas X does. Importantly for its inclusion on this list though: it’s also actually fun to listen to and well-produced.
Adele – 30
Robert DeLong – Walk Like Me
Local Albums/EP’s
Benji. (ft. Spillage Village) – Smile, You’re Alive!: Benji. is a phenomenally talented rapper/singer/songwriter/bassist/producer, with a killer work ethic and onstage presence. If you’ve seen him live or noticed his endeavors around town for the past few years, you know exactly what I’m talking about. (Not to mention his work with Spillage Village, Earthgang, a 2022 tour with the latter opening up for Gorillaz…I could go on.)
His full-length debut album, Smile, You’re Alive! lives up to those incredibly high standards. Benji.’s lyricism, flow, vulnerability, knack for collaborations, and musical/production chops are all stellar, reflecting the years of hard work and passion he's been putting in. He blends hip-hop, soul, funk, and a dash of psychedelic rock with finesse, artistry, and an ear for catchy hooks.
The album’s title phrase is drawn from a talk by Indian yoga guru Sadhguru called “Life is Ticking Away.” Snippets of this talk are incorporated into various songs throughout the record. This provides a throughline and enhances the cohesion of the album: life truly is a gift, and despite its challenges, all other meaning and joy and connection we experience is dependent upon this central gift.
This positivity feels warm and welcoming rather than cliché or dismissive. And Benji. follows through with tracks that balance excitement and well-earned pride with sincere reflections on his struggles and flaws—both between and within songs. Party-starters like “East Side Bounce” and “Right On” co-exist with starker tracks such as “Zola Rose” and “Shake,” which respectively explore a pregnancy scare and battles with addiction. And the contemplative “Good Morning” acknowledges both sides of the spectrum: “Everybody tryna keep me on the path to graduate/Dropping outta college cause my future's over that a way.”
And so it is. A line from the laid-back fifth track, “Black Satin,” sums it up best: “I don't know if I'm insane or not/I'm swerving, am I in your lane or not?/But fuck it/I don't plan to stop.” Can’t wait to see what he does in 2023. Listen on Spotify here.
Moemaw Naedon and C. Scott – River Rats: Two of my favorite talents in Pittsburgh hip-hop on one project. Naedon’s shrewdly put-together verses are delivered with striking energy, dripping with venom and vulnerability and a range of emotions in between. Paired with C.Scott’s impeccable beats, it’s a solid release from back to front. A scorching collaboration that I hope to hear more of.
Back Alley Sound – I Wanted to Be: Back Alley Sound might be hard to describe, but damn are they easy to love. If you’ve seen them live, I’m sure you know what I mean: they have the flow and lyrical focus of hip-hop, the presence and groove of a funk band, and the fire-starting potential of both. This debut album solidifies what I knew from the first time I saw them live a few years ago—their energy, creativity, and musicianship is extraordinary. And with lines such as “My deathbed’s a desk chair/only getting fresh air/working to the bone,” and “There’s somewhere worth running to/I swear it looks like you/used to,” they demonstrate that they can bring both flash and substance. To paraphrase a line from the record’s penultimate track, “Flowers,” they may not know what it’s ALL about, but they can damn sure make it rhyme to make you think about it.
Matt w/2 T’s – Night of the Living Deadname: I’ve been a fan of Matt’s poetry and songwriting for years. This short EP packs a lot of lyrical punch into its four tracks: from the opening ode to a central location for both triumphs and regrets (“at the partyhouse”) to the simultaneously heart-opening and heart-wrenching love song of a closer (“breadcrumbs.”) Pat Coyle’s drumming here also adds more sonic depth and energy to their usually-stark singer-songwriter style. I remember (and relate to) a time when they had a lengthy creative dry spell, so it was very inspiring and cool to see them come back with this. It’s on Bandcamp if you can’t locate it on Spotify.
F3ralcat – games I feralcat: As someone who’s always loved video game soundtracks (Dire Dire Docks and Crystal Palace Crawl gang, what’s up), f3ralcat does a great job at making his own. We can include waiting for waifu here too. In 2021, he demonstrated that he’s as adept at creating ambient music on his own as he is at his more bombastic, experimental, and collaborative endeavors.
Melt – Melt
Slugss – Live at Monster Mansion
Ron Mist – A Celebration of Being Alive
Rave Ami – Let It Be
Flower Crown – Heat
Non-Local Singles
Ky Vöss – Funeral Dream: This was my most played song of 2021 for a reason. It’s black glitter—a synthpop bop that shimmers and shines and makes you want to dance, while its lyrics grapple with heavy subject matter (“Once I had a dream that I was in a casket”; “I’m gonna run now/How can I talk when I can’t breathe?”) Impeccable production and earworm riffs, as usual.
Ky is genuinely one of my favorite artist discoveries in recent memory. (Click here if you don’t believe me. They have since moved to NYC from Pittsburgh, which is why any work from 2021 onward will go on a non-local list.) Their 2022 album, The After, is similarly gorgeously devastating. I look forward to seeing their star continue to rise.
Sad Night Dynamite (ft. IDK) – Psychedelic Views: Chill trip-hop production; woozy, longing synths; low-pitched vocals and lyrics that walk the line between trippy and deliciously smooth; a killer rap verse from IDK that slow burns up to an intense and impressive flow; and acoustic guitar scattered throughout that somehow ties it all together. This song is a truly unique gem.
Cannons – Bad Dream: I’ve been enjoying Cannons’ hazy, luscious blend of synthwave and modern indie pop for years now, but lately I’ve been particularly hooked. In 2021, this song was a strong reason why. A glitter-soaked teardrop lit by a sunset: its glistening, addictive pulse mirrors the beat of the broken heart of the narrator, whose love has moved on before she has. Melancholy doesn’t usually sound this cinematic and cool, while still portraying pain so believably. An absolute standout and a must-listen.
Charli XCX – Good Ones
Purity Ring – Soshy
Mitski – Working for the Knife
BANKS – The Devil
Robert DeLong (ft. Lights) – Did It to Myself
100 gecs – Memememe
PVRIS – Monster
Madgalena Bay – You Lose!
6lack – Rent Free/By Any Means
Ashnikko – Panic Attacks in Paradise
MUNA (ft. Phoebe Bridgers) – Silk Chiffon
Kim Petras – Future Starts Now
Hippo Campus – Bad Dream Baby
Yaeji (ft. OHHYUK) – Year to Year/29
070 Shake (ft. NLE Choppa) – Lose My Cool
The Weeknd (ft. fka twigs) – tears in the club
Tame Impala – No Choice
Phoebe Bridgers – Nothing Else Matters: Metallica cover, but she smashes it, like she does everything.
Art School Girlfriend – I Would Die 4 U
Grimes – Player of Games
MAIKA – Give It a Rest
Local Singles
Balloon Ride Fantasy – Easy
String Machine – Gales of Worry
Jack Swing – Daydreams
Sierra Sellers – Lonely Feels
Emerson Jay – Transparency
Matt w/2 T’s – Treason’s Greetings
Metacara – in for the kill
Water Trash – The Mission
Buffalo Rose (ft. INEZ) – I Can See Clearly Now
Carrie Collins – Movie Night
Paul Luc – How Many Songs Left on a Stage?
Bindley Hardware Co. – Bipartisanta
Scratchy Blanket – Bloom
If you’ve read this far: thank you so much! I really hope you consider checking out at least a few of these recommendations. 2021 might feel distant, but these tracks and albums still sound fresh.
I realize it’s been a long time since I’ve posted any writing here. One of my goals for 2023 is to be more creative. While this will include many endeavors (like music performance, music creation, and photography), it will also include writing. So I do intend for the next break between pieces to be shorter. Watch this space!