Remember your 2023 New Years Resolution? The one that you haven’t thought about since roughly January 8th? While most of my New Year’s Resolutions died in January like they normally do, there has been one goal for 2023 that is still going strong in December.
This year, I set out to listen to a new album every week. 50 albums in, these are the ones you need to listen to.
The Rules:
While a lot of these albums were new releases, they range from The Beatles’ iconic Abbey Road in 1969 to Renee Rapp’s Snow Angel (Deluxe) that came out three weeks before writing this. The albums did not have to be new, only new to me. And while I did, of course, listen to Speak Now TV and 1989 TV, they did not make the official album count. In order to qualify, albums had to be longer than 25 minutes and have eight or more songs.
Top 5 Albums of 2023:
5. Week 38: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan
If you haven’t heard of Chappell Roan yet, this is your sign to run to her music right this instant. Roan has been popping up all over the internet and after releasing her debut album this fall, is opening for Olivia Rodrigo on her upcoming tour. The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess is an album for the girlies. It is absurdly fun, a bit petty, and has the power to transport you to the dance floor of a gay bar. I cannot wait to see her live and I know she is going to blow up as she continues to release music.
4. Week 36: GUTS by Olivia Rodrigo
Okay so maybe this isn’t a hot take. The Her Campus Conn writers have already given their thoughts on why this is such a good album. Whether you think it is OR’s standout work or it falls short of her debut, SOUR, no one can argue the moment that was GUTS. It’s just such perfect pop music with so few skips. I still stop in my tracks whenever “love is embarrassing” comes on because that song just demands my attention. This is one that definitely has staying power for a long time for me.
3. Week 3: SAWAYAMA by Rina Sawayama
For so long this album challenge was just “see if I can find an album that’s better than SAWAYAMA.” This album is such a party. Every track makes me want to dance. This was the first album I listened to while studying abroad, and I love that such a perfect album will always be associated with that experience. I am now a forever fan of Rina Sawayama, and I will definitely be listening to anything else she releases.
2. Week 32: The Dark by The Band CAMINO
The Band CAMINO’s self-titled album from 2021 is up there for one of my favorite albums ever, so when their new album dropped in August, it had big shoes to fill. Since it came out, songs from this album have been constantly at the top of my On Repeat playlist. There are quite literally no skips. It’s angsty, yet accessible, and is the album that I’m probably listening to whether I am dancing around my dorm, on a run, dissociating on the floor, or screaming in the car. Every friend I have convinced to listen to this album has become a fan. If you give it a listen, I am confident that you will be, too.
Honorable Mentions:
The Soundtrack of My Life in 2023: Honey by Samia
Unexpectedly Great: Further Joy by The Regrettes
Didn’t Want to Like, But Loved: FOUR by One Direction
My Most Niche Pick: In Another Life by The Sunshine State
1. Week 35: AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS by MICHELLE
This album came out of nowhere and blew my mind. It pulls me in sonically, but also emotionally. Songs like “MESS U MADE” and “SYNCOPATE” have such cool beats that I just want to sway with them. “LAYLA IN THE ROCKET” makes me feel invincible and “MY FRIENDS” will forever be a reminder of how much I adore my friends. From top to bottom, I just feel better about myself when I am listening to this album and am so glad I put it on that random September day. Bonus points for how much I love this album title. If anything captures being in your 20s, I think it’s the sentiment of talking dreams after dinner.
Overall, this list was so hard to narrow down because I have listened to so many great albums this year. If you are looking to expand your musical horizons in 2024, I cannot recommend this album challenge more. I had so much fun listening and reviewing these albums. If you want to see the competition that these albums beat for a spot in my Top 5, and my favorite songs from each album, check out my Spotify playlist below.