This year so far has been a whirlwind of new releases with some of the best breakthrough debuts changing the scope of the industry altogether. Pop and indie-rock were some of the most prevalent genres with artists putting their best foot forward in redefining music and art in their own individual ways. The following lists some of the best projects that have elevated the collective industry to a new degree of creative accomplishment.
Sour, Olivia Rodrigo:
Olivia Rodrigo is probably the biggest breakthrough artist to have come out this year and her debut album, ‘Sour’ speaks an immersive saga of musical expertise and potential. ‘Drivers License’ went on to become the humming tune for everyone, a captivating pop ballad that tackles the known territories of heartbreak. She shows empathy and sincerity in this breakup that stands as an inspiration for the young teens going through the same ordeal. The album only sets her pace which is set to grow and evolve into something mature in the days to come. Riding the wave of emotional carnage of the teenage, she emerges victorious and ready to take on the world.
Nine, Sault:
They are a British collective who are termed as the mysterious contributors of angular R&B with a social and cultural message coating their immersive soundscape. ‘Nine’, their latest release strips down the sound like a surprise rendering their versatility and coherence like never before. The new album comes with a mysterious edge. The group announced that the album will be available only for 99 days on streaming platforms and then receded like an unstable meandering flow. There is dance, lyrics, themes, magic, and an internal bliss with this record that never leaves. There is no deliberate creation of an image as all artists sway into this unanimous decision of making free music and not thinking of the economic exuberance.
Mood Valiant, Hiatus Kaiyote:
This music group from Australia and their soul-inspired sound has been sampled by some of the big shorts of the industry like Beyonce and Jay-Z in the past 5 years. However, following their 2015 critical breakthrough with Choose Your Weapon, the band chose to deliver detailed musical imagery with their third studio album, Mood Valiant. They do not streamline nor do they follow benchmarks and standardizations, they are here to strip it all, categorically, culturally, artistically, and above all, musically. The psychedelic interplay alongside vocalist Nai Palm’s sailing vocal prowess and melodic weaves makes for an undeniable accomplishment for the band and for music as a whole.
Collapsed in Sunbeams, Arlo Parks:
If you want to experience the sublimity of an R&B infusion in alt-rock, this is your cup of tea for sure. At just 20-years-old, Arlo Parks is going places combining cultural roots and applying the same magic in her music. Her refreshing take on soul and also pop in certain areas all point towards a new breakthrough artist to emerge in 2021.
Call Me If You Get Lost, Tyler, the Creator:
Controversy’s favorite child, Tyler, the Creator has shown his dynamic and prolific artistic side through the verses of his new record, Call Me If You Get Lost. He has a vision that is not just constricted to his soundscape but also peaks in his music videos. This album is being called his most cohesive performance as he steps up from his last album, Igor which surprisingly won a Grammy for Best Rap Album.
Inside (The Songs), Bo Burnham:
This album can be called the collective outcry of every individual trapped in their homes during the pandemic trying to balance socio-cultural as well as intrapersonal devastations. The album comprises of songs and lyrical constructs that go through one’s mind within a home while the outside shapes into nothing short of an atrocious monster in disguise. The songs hold a comic relief and send out imageries of observations made of people around us. Joking about death’s artistic futility and all that comparable to a life that we live currently, this project will remain as a flagbearer of sarcastic realizations. Some of the songs worth a mention include ‘White Woman’s Instagram’, ‘Bezos I’, ‘Sexting’, and ‘Unpaid Intern’.
Daddy’s Home, St. Vincent:
St. Vincent defines home as a relative confluence of sentiments. Exploring different 70’s influences and tracing her soundscape back to when the light burned bright; she brings back summertime elusiveness for her audiences. Those who have listened to her music before will find this one more mellowed down, less agitated, and more practical. She has worked with producer Jack Antonoff this time to pave the way for a soundscape of the complementary past, present, and future. She also explores personal areas such as his father’s release from prison in one of the songs.
If I Could Make It Go Quiet, Girl In Red:
This record is not for the faint-hearted, literally! Marie Ulven is a Norwegian artist exploring the scopes of bedroom-pop. However, in this album, she dips deep into the humane concepts of anxiety, loneliness, rage, lust, jealousy, and agony of love. She already has a wide spreadsheet of fans following her 2018 release, ‘I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend’. Through the debut album, she exposes herself but gets to the point concerning creative pronouncement.
Sound Ancestors, Madlib:
Madlib is one of the most inventive rappers out there who has finally released his much-awaited proper debut album, Sound Ancestors. This album came into being after 30 years of being in the industry. The sonic exploration in the album is in collaboration with electronic artist Four Tet. The album is a resonating stream of hundreds of recorded fragments within a dense scope of overwhelming virtues. The two artists put in their complementary ideas in producing one of the most appreciated albums of this year. Get ready to indulge in a sublime and natural progression of musical ecstasy.
Outside Child, Allison Russell:
This album may be called the best memoir record of this year. Melody, emotions, social influences, and subliminal beauty all comprise the territories of the album. Attributed as “A concept album about childhood sexual abuse and recovery”, the songs offer beautiful craftsmanship in their production exposing the audience to the idea and realism of life in a deep and personal way. There also comes a sense of gratification with the album as Russell makes her way through the complexities of the themes and the production to provide a lulling membrane in the end. Harrowing but joyful, this album, all in all, feels like a hug of unadulterated empathy.
Having covered most of 2021, it is safe to say that the music ruling this year’s charts are out of the box and retain a sense of individuality in them. Take your pick from the above list and make yourself comfortable as well uncomfortable with the artists’ creative expressions which are sometimes mellow, sometimes comic, but mostly, an exploration into new perspectives.