When I decided to write about some amazing albums that came out this year I sat down at my computer, shuffled through my 2017 Spotify playlist with the intention to scroll through and quickly jot down five albums. Well, those five albums turned into ten, and that “quick scroll” turned into an hour of me going back and forth trying to shorten my list to the five albums I want people to give a listen to. So without further adieu, here are my personal top ten albums from 2017 (in no particular order):
1. BROCKHAMPTON – SATURATION II
Now I know that I said that this list was in no particular order, however, BROCKHAMPTON was definitely my favorite artist of the entire year. This boy band, yes they are a BOY BAND, not a RAP COLLECTIVE, showed immense dedication to their music, releasing three entire studio albums in the year. And while it’s easy to categorize them as a strictly hip-hop group, it’s hard to categorize the band as they delve into major genre-exploration, much to the caliber of Gorillaz, another one of my favorites, in my opinion. BROCKHAMPTON plays the Pageant on February 20th, and I’m so excited that I bought my tickets in November. Sidenote: if I could put all SATURATION albums on here I would have
Tracks to listen to: GUMMY, JUNKY, SWEET
2. SZA – Ctrl
Another new find for me in 2017, SZA’s album goes in depth with issues like sexuality, desire, insecurity and follows the story of the side chick “finding herself” so to say and evolving into a confident, updated version of herself. The writing credits on Ctrl are insane, and any fan of early-2000s R&B (think Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, etc.) will definitely enjoy this album. She played the Ready Room in December and missing that concert will forever haunt me.
Tracks to listen to: Drew Barrymore, The Weekend, Doves in the Wind
3. St. Vincent – Masseduction
St. Vincent’s first album in three whole years includes an entire reinvention of the St. Vincent brand with this highly conceptual album that delves into topics of sexuality (a common theme in 2017), power struggle/dynamics, and identity politics, specifically in relation to the music industry. If you have seen any of the visuals from this album, whether it be concerts, music videos etc., they’re in a completely different direction and caliber of “sexy” than ever before; and I say that as a straight woman fully secured in my sexuality. Annie Clark is HOT and I will personally fight anyone who says otherwise.
Tracks to listen to: New York, Los Angeles, Pills
4. Perfume Genius – No Shape
Yet another artist that I discovered this year is Perfume Genius. If there’s one word I can use to describe this album it would be visible. For me, each song on the album presented an image and a story within the same vein of glimmer/indie-pop while being completely distinctive from each other. I think that Perfume Genius does a stellar job of balancing more light-hearted and serene music that can pretty much fit any mood you’re in. If you’re looking for a ~shimmery~ album to play on repeat, then this is the album for you.
Tracks to listen to: Slip Away, Otherside, Alan
5. Grizzly Bear – Painted Ruins
If you’re a fan of Tame Impala and Father John Misty then this album, and just Grizzly Bear in general, is perfect for you. Ever since Grizzly Bear jumped on the scene they perfectly crafted music that births the lovechild of psychedelic funk and folk music, giving them a totally unique sound. With this album being a bit more upbeat and synthy than anything they’ve ever done before, it’s the perfect music to listen to when you’re trying to power through those first-week assignments of the new school year.
Songs to listen to: Losing All Sense, Mourning Sound, Three Rings
To be honest, it was really hard choosing just five albums. I started writing this album with ten albums selected, but it started getting too lengthy so maybe I’ll make a part two to this list, or just do more album reviews in general. If you want more music information you can follow me/my abundance of playlists on Spotify, or you can message me on Twitter and Instagram.