Category: Year End List

3.Frank Ocean, ‘Blonde,’ 2016 Back in 2016, no one imagined Frank Ocean would return after four years of silence with an album of minimalist, avant-garde R&B, yet here we are, Blonde in hand. No one could predict what he would return with, or if he would return at all. Blonde is Ocean’s second studio album following 2012’s critically acclaimed Channel Orange….

6.Lorde, ‘Melodrama,’ 2017 Well, summer slipped us underneath her tongueOur days and nights are perfumed with obsessionHalf of my wardrobe is on your bedroom floorUse our eyes, throw our hands overboardI am your sweetheart psychopathic crushDrink up your movements, still I can’t get enoughI overthink your punctuation useNot my fault, just a thing that my…

10.Fiona Apple, ‘The Idler Wheel…,’ 2012 I made it to a dinner dateMy teardrops seasoned every plateI tried to dance but lost my nerveI cramped up in the learning curve I’m a tulip in a cupI stand no chance of growing upI’m resigned to sail on throughIn the wake of tales of youI root for…

15.Robyn, ‘Body Talk,’ 2010 Robyn’s knack for writing songs that made you want to dance and cry at the same time was already well-established before 2010. Five years after founding her own label and securing the artistic freedom she never had as a bubblegum-pop teen icon, the Swedish singer announced an ambitious plan to release three mini-albums in one…

20.St. Vincent, ‘St. Vincent,’ 2014 St. Vincent’s self-titled album marks a significant shift from Annie Clark’s earlier works, showcasing her evolution from a dexterous multi-instrumentalist into a visionary auteur. At its core, St. Vincent reflects Clark’s desire to critique modern life, particularly through the lens of media and technology. The album scrutinizes the complexities of…

25.Taylor Swift, ‘1989’, 2014 Didn’t they tell us “Don’t rush into things”?Didn’t you flash your green eyes at me?Didn’t you calm my fears with a Cheshire cat smile?Didn’t it all seem new and exciting?I felt your arms twistin’ around meIt’s all fun and games ’til somebody loses their mind With her fifth album 1989 – named after…

30.Tame Impala, ‘Currents,’ 2015 Man, I know that it’s hard to digestBut maybe your story ain’t so different from the restAnd I know it seems wrong to acceptBut you’ve got your demons, and she’s got her regrets Tame Impala’s third studio album, Currents, is rooted in themes of change, personal growth, and self-discovery, serving as…

35.Janelle Monáe, ‘Dirty Computer,’ 2018 Everything is sexExcept sex, which is powerYou know power is just sexNow ask yourself who’s screwin’ you Dirty Computer closes the chapter on Janelle Monáe’s alter ego, Cindi Mayweather, and instead presents Monáe as herself, addressing themes of freedom, empowerment, identity politics, and self-love. These themes are intricately woven into the…

40.Adele, ’21’, 2011 Adele’s second studio album, 21, is the defining project of her career. The album’s title, 21, references Adele’s age at the time she wrote and produced the record. The album serves as a poignant exploration of the singer’s emotional landscape following a deeply personal breakup with a boyfriend who was ten years her senior….

45.Lana Del Rey, ‘Born To Die,’ 2012 Lana Del Rey’s Born To Die marks her first professionally produced studio album. The concept of Born To Die revolves around the dichotomy of love and death, encapsulating the fragility and transient nature of human existence.  Del Rey herself describes the record as an “homage to true love and a…