The best music albums of 2023 (so far)

Author : Jennifer Stone

Global music icons and superstars like Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, and Sam Smith to new voices like Ice Spice, and Gracie Abrams, along with great BTS solo joints, all delivered amazing albums this year. So among the hundreds of records that have been published this year, here are our picks for the best albums of 2023 so far, unranked.

  ‘My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross’ – Anohni

Anohni and her band, the Johnsons have delivered one of the best albums of this year, filled with records that portray a range of emotions. Starting with a melancholy of hopelessness, to anger, every song on the album is filled with her grieves. The artist’s delicate yet exhausted and angry vocals get the message out very clearly as she mourns about the unfulfilled promises of civil rights, her friends’ tragic deaths due to drugs and depression, and the immolation of this world to the climate crisis; all the emotions are wrapped up in a smooth silky musical package that makes you think. The listeners get to feel the burden that Anohni and her fellow bandmates are carrying on their shoulders.

‘Fountain Baby’ – Amaarae

Amaarae and her star power have been on the rise since her excellent breakthrough in 2020. But the Ghanaian-American musician seems to have fully embraced the spotlight she has in this new, masterfully crafted, ‘Fountain Baby’. In this album, the artist has doubled up the danger, and the risks of choosing versatility and brings out a thrill for her listeners like never before. The compositions have been inspired by a lot of genres, all thanks to her upbringing and artistic vision. The listeners were able to get a taste of 80s Janet Jackson, Afropop, Y2K-era bubblegum pop, dancehall, and eclectic sonic influences throughout the different tracks. The singer also seemed to embrace her unabashed sexuality in tracks like ‘Angels in Tibet’, and ‘Wasted Eyes’ along with showing her listeners the luxurious world in ‘Sad Gurlz Love Money’, the album comes out as a confident whole.

‘The Record’ – Boygenius

There has never been a superband like Boygenius which is why every appreciation that the extremely talented group gets ends up feeling like underrated. Made with three of the most brilliant singer-songwriters of this generation, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus, they all come into the group with their distinctive features which are what makes ‘The Record’ so great. By the time you end up listening to the complete record, you will feel like the album’s title is self-indexical. All three of the members create a perfect example of what can happen when three incredible musical minds, with the power of smart lyricism, primal screams, unpredictability, and some weirdness come together.

‘Good Riddance’ – Gracie Abrams

Pop music’s most promising star has made her debut this year and her album ‘Good Riddance’ has made it to the list of the instant picks. She was previously called “Gen Z’s melancholy maven” by Rolling Stone’s feature article earlier this year, the most promising debut of Gracie Abrams is not the one you can escape from. With the hauntingly beautiful lyricism and the sonic compositions on the tracks, Abrams completely harnesses her deep emotions that leave you with nothing but an ache in your heart. Yes, the artist might sing about teenage emotions like having a broken heart, hating your life, and blocking your ex on the internet, but the way she delivers these tracks wrapped up in her angelic whispering voice is something that makes her unrivaled in the current industry.

‘Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.’ – Lana Del Rey

This year’s 78 minutes long ‘Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.’ was definitely a follow-up to her 2021 release ‘Blue Banisters’, and Lana Del Rey showed why the world recognizes her as one of the most talented singer-songwriters of all time. This album is a closer look at herself with probably the strongest four-song runs at the start. The artist seemed to be opening herself up and showing the audience her emotions through the stories of her family, failed marriage along with the conflicted desire to be both hidden and seen. Through this album, Lana shows the world who she is, but more than that, she expresses why she is the way she is.

‘Raven’ – Kelala

After her mind-blowing debut with ‘Take Me Apart’, this February marked Kelala’s long-awaited return with ‘Raven’. She came to the scene of listeners wanting something inspired by classic Hip-hop, especially after the summer albums focused on House Music by both Beyoncé and Drake, and she delivered. The production on the album carefully pushes back the sweetness of Kelala’s vocals and gives a complete album where you can lose yourself or let yourself go. Starting with the delicate ‘Washed Away’ to the ending of ‘Far Away’, every track in between shows the artist’s capability and her great artistic choices.

‘Guts’ – Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo is known as the teen queen of pop music and she has established this with her previous record ‘Sour’. After the blockbuster debut, just when the world was wondering if she would turn out to be a one-hit-wonder, she came this year with ‘Guts’. This album shows how masterfully she has found the balance between sugar-sweet pop music and rock, giving the genre of pop rock a newfound definition. Sure there are a few scream-along tracks, but ‘Guts’ is a real adult effort with a more developed sense of emotions, and angst that speaks volumes about the artist growing up, and maturing like the rest of the world.

‘Unreal Unearth’ – Hozier

Would it be too direct to say that ‘Unreal Unearth’ is Hozier’s best album yet? As always he goes deep in his feelings with the songwriting but the way he mended that with soul and sensual funk is something that makes the album achieve the status of his best yet. With this album, the artist continues to show how far he has come in his musical journey, from writing songs in his attic to building huge success on his personal journey. One of the most exciting things about this album is definitely his songwriting where on “De Selby (Part 1)” he introduced Dante-an literary theme with points he will return to throughout the entire album. His indie-rock songwriting found the perfect match in this album which is why it will go down as one of the most iconic Hozier releases.

‘Something to Give Each Other’ – Troye Sivan

“This one’s for the Gays!!” Well, Troye Sivan’s ‘Something to Give Each Other’ is the perfect record to explain this and also makes you wonder why we have not gotten any other “gay-pop” albums this year. Troye’s dancey and sexy record proves that this light-hearted and fun album is the one that the world needs right now. When none thought he would be able to follow up his two summer bangers ‘Rush’, and ‘Got Me Started’, he came and delivered an equally and consistently strong album. However, the stand-out record of the album has to be ‘One of Your Girls’ which is a direct message to the straight guys who love experimenting and exploring sexualities and surprisingly turned out to be Troye’s favorite track on the album.

‘Like..?’ – Ice Spice

Last year, the Bronx rapper went viral with her ‘Munch (Feeling U)’ where she coldly sang of the V which led her to earn a million-dollar contract with 10K Projects/Capitol Records, one of the biggest recording labels. So this year, when people were anticipating her L.P., there was some nervousness. But, Ice Spice came with ‘Like..?’ and it felt like she conquered. Her chopping delivery of the verses on the tracks felt effortless just like how her vocals sounded silky smooth. Surrounded by the theme of politics of attraction, the rapper brings out a preternatural confidence that wins the audience over.

‘Red Moon in Venus’ – Kali Uchis

This is the Colombian-American singer’s third album which finds all the elements of her past releases, including Hip-hop, Latin, Dance, and R&B. With this record, Kali Uchis will make you feel like you are entering a hot tub of lusciousness, lavishness, and lushness and the visuals seem to guide the listeners into this world of bubble baths, and feather beds. Her voice may sound sweet but Kali is not the one to play. She flips off the lyrical formula in this album and brings out a bunch of collaborators to enhance the theme and plot. However, despite a dozen other helping hands, by the tracks of the album, it becomes clear that Uchis is the one who is calling the shots. It might sound cliché, but ‘Red Moon in Venus’ is definitely an album that is played in the background of a setting with dimming lights and glasses of wine where the replay button gets pressed every now and then.

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