Since we're halfway through the year, here are twenty projects that I would recommend so far from this year! Just a reminder, these are my personal favorite projects, so don't take it too seriously if one of your favorites from this year isn't on here. This list is also in alphabetical order by project name, so nothing is currently ranked above anything else. There is also a Spotify playlist at the end with my 20 favorite songs of the year so far, again, in alphabetical order. I hope you find something new in here to enjoy!
Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There
Ants From Up There might be the best album I’ve heard in this genre in a long time! Over the months since this album’s come out, the instrumentation and lyrics have only become more potent with time. Isaac’s vocals are some of the most emotional I’ve heard all year, while his lyrics straddle the line of insanely detailed and extremely heartfelt and poetic. The instrumentals sometimes can be dense and abrasive, while other times can be extremely beautiful. This album is so great that the final three songs are almost half an hour long, but they warrant every second of that runtime. It will be kind of sad that Isaac won’t be a part of the group anymore, but I’m glad that he’s doing what’s best for him. Apparently he’s now working at a cake shop and is much happier, so I’m glad for him. They are already touring with a complete new setlist, so maybe they’ll be able to match this album sometime soon.
Jensen McRae - Are You Happy Now?
It may have taken multiple years to finally get the full album, but Are You Happy Now? shows that Jensen McRae is a great songwriter that is still a work in progress. The replay value for this album has actually been higher than I expected, especially when the majority of the project is fairly quiet. But when it comes to the songwriting, her ability to weave together personal metaphors and poignant cultural references is extremely high. A song like “Happy Girl” can still be heavily relatable, even though it’s coming from a completely different perspective than me, while one like “Machines” is extremely esoteric and symbolic. This album really feels like a coming of age album for Jensen, especially with how much of a compilation it can feel like at times. But even though this project is great, I think she’ll still completely blow this one out of the water with her next album. Are You Happy Now? is an album that shows a songwriter on the precipice of making something amazing, while still making something great in the process.
FKA twigs - Caprisongs
Caprisongs remains FKA twigs’ most accessible project to date by a landslide. This whole project is one that can work both while riding around in a car, and for deep listening for some unique art-pop songs. Songs like “ride the dragon”, “oh my love”, and “tears in the club” with The Weeknd are some of the catchiest songs of the year! But there are also some beautiful and emotional ballads on here too, like the autotune-laced and futuristic “meta angel”, and the emotional outro track “thank you song”, where she is giving thanks to people in her life. She also embraces afrobeat on this mixtape a lot, which also makes for some of the best tracks on the entire project! There are way more features on here than ever before on one of her projects, but most of them add to their songs! Caprisongs is not only her most accessible project, but is also one of her best!
The Weeknd - Dawn FM
This project may not have captured the world the way After Hours did, but Dawn FM is aging just as well in my opinion! The electro-pop angle on here works really well, especially with the first batch of tracks. The first five tracks on here might be the most replayable stretch of music I’ve heard in a really long time! The album tells a story of The Weeknd reliving his past relationships, but the theme of the album is soundtracked by Jim Carrey playing a radio host for a radio station in purgatory. Some of his catchiest songs are on here, whether it’s the funky single “Sacrifice” or the stadium-ready “Less Than Zero”. Dawn FM feels like it will go down as more of a passion project in The Weeknd’s discography when it’s all said and done, but I believe it will go down as one of his best complete body of works. I’m extremely excited to see the live show in a few weeks, even though I’ll be very far from the stage.
Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
This project is still too long, but the songs that are great have grown on me a lot over time! The album starts off with a fantastic track of runs that I think anyone who likes folk or indie music would enjoy. “Change” has a beautiful vocal performance from Adrianne, while “Time Escaping” is one of the most experimental and wild folk tracks I think I’ve ever heard! The bombastic and metallic production is just so different from anything else I’ve heard in the genre. There are also just so many other great tracks; like “Spud Infinity”, “Little Things”, “Red Moon”, “Simulation Swarm”, and many more! I still haven’t gone back to their previous projects, so I can’t say how this one compares to those. I still think this project sits behind the other two massive indie albums that month from bands that start with the letter “B” (Black Country, New Road and Beach House), but this is still an exquisite album.
Jack White - Fear of the Dawn
I love how Jack White is still managing to push rock music forward after decades of making music. I understand how some fans might not love what he’s doing here, but I think the crazy blues-rock style he’s going for here is easily the most enjoyable and forward-thinking sound that he can do. Sometimes, the sounds can become a bit too crazy, like the song “Hi-De-Ho” with Q-Tip, which has so many random twists-and-turns that feel equal parts like complete chaos and somehow genius. The lead single for the album, “Taking Me Back”, is an accessible version of this electronic-infused, crazed-blues rock style that Jack has been doing recently. There is still another album coming towards the end of July that’s a more acoustic and singer-songwriter driven album that some of his fans might be more interested in, but for me, Fear of the Dawn is another great project.
Saba - Few Good Things
Saba did the only thing he could with this album, which was to not try and top his magnum opus, but instead, just create another great album. After months of listening, the introspective tracks still easily hit the hardest on the record. “Make Believe” with Foushee is the prettiest and most emotionally impactful song on the album, especially when it comes to Foushee’s feature. “2012” shows Saba looking into past relationships and how the past has shaped him into the man that he is today. The title track closes out the record and even though Saba’s verses are really good, he still can’t match the rhymes of legendary Roots rapper Black Thought, who delivers an amazing verse to end the album. There are still many other easily enjoyable songs on the tracklist, whether it’s the banger “Survivor’s Guilt” with G Herbo or the 6lack and Smino assisted “Still”. But as usual, where Saba succeeds the most and makes him the most special is the emotional gut punches that end the album.
Wiz Khalifa, Girl Talk, Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA - Full Court Press
This project is still way more enjoyable than it has any right to be. There’s just something about it that connects with me. At only 10 songs and just over 30 minutes, it’s a perfect project to play over and over again, especially with all the different voices that are on the album. The entire album has a cohesive, sample-based, southern hip hop style to it that sounds perfect in the car. Songs like “Put You On” and “No Singles” have this southern bounce that is very reminiscent of early Big K.R.I.T. It may just be that I’m the biggest fan of K.R.I.T. out of these artists, but he still stands out among the other rappers. Hearing him doing this straightforward, southern hip hop music hits the nostalgia for me. Full Court Press will be nostalgic for anyone that really enjoyed older music from any of these artists.
Earthgang - Ghetto Gods
Ghetto Gods may have let some fans down, but to me, this might be their best all around project! Sure, Mirrorland might have better bangers that show their unique side more, but Ghetto Gods is a more mature, musical, and introspective release. The project is broken up into five pieces that are separated by interludes, each one getting its own music video in the short film they dropped. Throughout the project’s runtime, they tackle racism, toxic masculinity, mental health, generational trauma, relationships, sexism, and many more! They don’t go into grave detail about any specific topic during the project, but they talk about it enough to show that they care and are willing to put in the work to help people in their lives. If their previous project from the pandemic, Spilligion, was a real time look at their lives cooped up inside, Ghetto Gods is the return to freedom without forgetting the trauma that we’ve endured.
Conway the Machine - God Don’t Make Mistakes
God Don’t Make Mistakes might be the most definitive Conway album so far, even if it’s not currently my favorite. Even after a few months, it’s become abundantly clear that this album is Conway at his most introspective and an entertaining combination of all his sounds. The album starts out with some of his grimiest songs ever, especially with tracks like “Piano Love” and “Lock Load” with Beanie Sigel. There are also more accessible songs that sound closer to what he did on La Maquina, like on the Rick Ross and Lil Wayne-assisted “Tear Gas” and “So Much More”. But where Conway really succeeds with this album is the introspective tracks. “Stressed” is easily one of the most introspective hip hop songs I’ve ever heard, as he spills his deepest and darkest secrets with the public. The title track also closes out the album with Conway talking about how he ended up with half of his face paralyzed. Conway has yet to miss, and this album proves that he can still surprise after dozens of projects.
Future - I Never Liked You
I’m not going to lie, this Future album has been on repeat pretty consistently since it came out! Even now, months later, I still play it fairly frequently in the car while driving around. The production especially on the album is really great and surprisingly detailed for a Future album. The shorter runtime of the project lends itself easier to more replay value than his previous projects that ended up being more than an hour and 20 songs. The mixture of mainly bangers with a few heartfelt ballads is maybe the best ratio for a Future project. Obviously, he’s not doing anything that’s super unique, but it’s easily entertaining and extremely catchy, even when he’s just saying the word “Chickens” over and over as a chorus. The features on the album tend to be pretty hit or miss, but Future is entertaining enough to carry it by himself. I Never Liked You is another batch of Future’s traditional style, but it’s his most enjoyable in a long time.
Pusha T - It’s Almost Dry
This project has some of the highest replay value of any hip hop album I’ve heard in a long time! Pusha’s bars are still top tier, and having Pharrell and Kanye behind the boards is basically a cheat code! Pharrell feels like he does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to the production, but when Kanye does come with a banger, he can absolutely knock it out of the park! Songs like “Dreamin’ of the Past” and “I Pray For You” with Labrinth and Malice show the best of Kanye on the record, while bangers like “Let The Smokers Shine The Coupes” and “Neck & Wrist” with Jay-Z show that Pharrell is still one of the best producers in the game. Pusha’s subject matter isn’t that different compared to his previous projects, but he finds yet another unique way to talk about it. The features on this project may not live up to the hype compared to Pusha’s verses, but he more than carries this 36-minute long project!
Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyes, See Your Future
Melt My Eyes, See Your Future may not have the immediate and easy replay value of Denzel’s other projects, but this is easily his most thoughtful and mature album yet! The production here is much more inspired by boom-bap, but it also has this futuristic vibe to it. It helps that the producers on this project range from jazz greats like Robert Glasper and Thundercat, to experimental icon JPEGMAFIA. The subject matter he tackles on this project is extremely personal and introspective, especially on songs like “Melt Session #1” and “Mental”. Even his just straight up rapping is his best in a while, like on the single “Walkin”, a song that goes from an old-school beat to a more mainstream trap-inspired instrumental. This is his best album so far in his career, and it feels like he can only go up from here.
Rosalía - Motomami
I still feel slightly fooled by the rollout for Motomami. The singles had me thinking that this was going to be a straightforward and simple reggaeton-inspired album that would appeal to the masses. That is not what we got with Motomami, and I am extremely grateful we didn’t! She experiments with sounds on here that no one at her level of popularity is doing! Sure, there are people like Arca that are also making experimental, slightly reggaeton inspired music, but they are not as popular as Rosalía, nor do they have the incredible voice that she has! She proves that she can make the mainstream bangers like “La Fama” with The Weeknd, but she can also still make electronic experimental craziness like “CUUUUuuuuuute” and “Diablo”. The ballads on here still hit hard, especially after learning the meanings behind songs like “G3 N15” and “Sakura”. Motomami ended up being the wild and experimental album that I was hoping for after all these years.
Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
There’s no way to accurately describe this album in just a few sentences, but Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is yet another introspective and unique album from one of hip hop’s most influential voices. The album is easily one of the most thematically interesting projects of the year so far. The entire album feels like a string of therapy sessions where Kendrick attacks everything from his sex addiction he used to distract himself from traumatic events, to his father issues, and even to current day issues. Songs like “Father Time” and “Mother I Sober” are some of Kendrick’s most personal tracks ever, while songs like “Mr. Morale” and “Savior” are combinations of accessible production with conscious subject matter. Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers doesn’t have the easy replay value that most Kendrick albums have, but the album can cut just as deeply as any of his other albums.
Beach House - Once Twice Melody
Beach House’s double album opus has been standing the test of time over these past few months beautifully! The layers of synths and pulsating drums provide a gorgeous backdrop for some emotional vocals. A song like “Superstar” is easily up there with some of Beach House’s best, especially when it comes to Victoria’s vocal performance and the progressing instrumental that makes the six minute runtime worth it! The project is extremely cinematic and current, but also has this nostalgic feel to many of the tracks, which feels like most Beach House music. There are the incredible synth-bops of “Masquerade” and “New Romance”, but the heartbreaking ballads of “Another Go Around” and “Modern Love Stories”. Even with this double album being 18 songs and over 80 minutes long, everything on the project feels essential on some level and will likely go down as one of my favorites from this year!
Flume - Palaces
It took a while for this album to really connect with me, but now I really enjoy this album all the way through! I was slightly disappointed when it initially came out because of how incredible his mixtape was, but when I got over the fact that it wasn’t that, I was able to enjoy it for what it is. And what it is, is an easily enjoyable combination of everything Flume as done up until this point! There are moments of the really great sound design that he has done before on the mixtape, like on the songs “Highest Building” and especially the solo track “Get U”. The ballads towards the end of the project are really pretty and sometimes feel like they deserve even more runtime they get. Although his pop songs on here aren’t the best that he’s ever done, they’re not terrible in any sense of the word. Palaces may not be pushing any envelope, but it’s still easily enjoyable.
Vince Staples - Ramona Park Broke My Heart
Vince Staples’ introspection is something to be astounded by. There are some songs on here just to alleviate stress, but the majority of the songs delve into his past life and the people from Ramona Park, where Vince is from. The west coast production is quintessential to Vince’s music at this point, but this project might be his most west coast yet. The laid back production works well with Vince’s delivery and subject matter, as it compliments the grief-laden subject matter. Songs like “When Sparks Fly” and “East Point Prayer” with Lil Baby are fully-written songs that are easily some of the most introspective of the year so far. “When Sparks Fly” especially has some incredible songwriting that compares a romantic relationship to Vince’s relationship with his gun. The 40-minute project just ends up flying by, even with it being Vince’s longest since 2015! Vince has released nothing subpar over his entire career, and this is far from a stumble.
Benny the Butcher - Tana Talk 4
Tana Talk 4 is the sequel to Benny the Butcher’s breakout album, Tana Talk 3. His previous two projects have had a bit more mainstream production, and even though I personally still think those projects are great, Tana Talk 4 is a return to the menacing and maniacal sounding production that Benny, and Griselda as a whole, are known for. He brings on more mainstream names for the features on this project, like Diddy and J. Cole, the latter of whom gives an amazing performance on the opening track! There are still some other solo tracks that are good enough without features, like “Super Plug” and “Thowy’s Revenge”. I haven’t gone back to this Benny project as much as his other ones, but it’s still another great hip hop album from a really consistent artist.
070 Shake - You Can’t Kill Me
070 Shake clearly had tons of potential when she emerged on Kanye West’s 2018 album Ye, and she’s only been getting better. Her electro-pop anthem, “Guilty Conscious”, might be my favorite pop song of the 2020s so far (if “Blinding Lights” doesn’t count), but her album left a bit to be desired. This project, on the contrary, is her magnum opus so far and shows that she can climb even higher! The first half of this project is damn near perfect! She balances the emotional subject matter with layers of synths and vocal layers that echo the likes of Kid Cudi and Travis Scott, but is somehow uniquely her. Songs like “Medicine” and “History” are incredible and moving, while “Web” sets up the rest of the album perfectly! The album becomes a bit more hit or miss towards the end, but there are still more than enough awe-striking moments to keep me from turning it off. You Can’t Kill Me fully establishes 070 Shake on the level of her contemporaries, and I can’t wait to see where she goes next.
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