To me, Spotify Wrapped Day is a national holiday so it should probably come as no surprise for me to say that music plays a pretty large role in my life. My credentials as a music lover include the fact that I have well over 100 playlists and went to about a dozen concerts last year. One of my goals for the 2023 year is to discover and listen to more music. Part of this goal includes listening to albums in their entirety instead of hyper-fixating on one or two songs from an artist. So here are some of the albums I’m most excited about this year.
1. ‘Prelude to Ecstasy ‘ by The Last Dinner Party
This London-based group has recently been blowing up on TikTok with their opening act for Hozier’s European leg of his tour. This group loves to blend and break genre conventions and has a decadent sound, sort of playfully dramatic. One of my favourite things about their group is their gothic and Victorian aesthetics and how they draw on classical literature as inspiration for their lyrics and themes, and I eat it up every time. Their single “Nothing Matters” is my favourite on the album so far, something about upbeat songs with soul-crushing lyrics just speaks to me.
Release Date: February 2nd, 2024
2. ‘The Grief Chapter ‘ by Mother Mother
Mother Mother has been one of my favourite bands since high school and the one word I would use to describe their music is strange, but in the best way possible of course. Their music has this angsty surrealist sound to it and their harmonies have this otherworld quality all of which is perfectly punctuated by their hard-hitting drums. Mother Mother has this sort of pleasant glitchy quality that you can dance and headbang to. To see (or I guess) hear what I’m talking about make sure to listen to their song “The Matrix”
Release Date: February 16th, 2024
3. ‘Blue Raspberry ‘ by Katy Kirby
For this artist, I’ve got to give my TikTok algorithm thanks for bringing her to my attention. Her debut album Cool Dry Place calls to the lovers of soft (sometimes sad) indie girl music and it seems like her sophomore album will deliver similarly. She’s got it all, the soft and clear vocals, a dreamy and cohesive sound, and lyrical themes of navigating queer love. Basically, if you find yourself making a habit of yearning and admiring the moon, then this album is going to be for you. My recommendation is to check out her song “Cubic Zirconia”.
Release Date: January 26th, 2024
4. ‘Reputation (TV) ‘ by Taylor Swift
Okay technically this is a rerelease of songs we’ve already heard but we’re going to ignore that fact for a minute. I think we’ve all been waiting for this one, and I’ll even go as far as to admit I was among the delusional group who hoped she’d at least release her version of “New Year’s Day” to kick off the new year. Evidently, we were wrong, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t hope! While I consider myself a 1989 girly, I’m excited to see what songs she has in the vault waiting for us.
Release Date: ?????
5. ‘Album 4 ‘ by Lorde
Now if you thought I was delusional before, I’m about to take it up a notch. Lorde’s 4th studio album has no name and has no set release date. So, how do I know it’s coming out this year? Simply put, I don’t, but here we are, this is the hill I’ve decided to die on. But it is worth noting that Lorde has recently teased on her Instagram that she has been listening to her own music, something she did with the release of her sophomore album Melodrama. She even got her aura photographed which also happens to be a tradition of hers when working on/ releasing a new project. So, maybe I’m not totally off base here.
Release Date: ?????