(Some of) My Favorite Albums of 2021

This year I felt very detached from music. I found myself going back to a lot of records that are familiar and comforting, the warm blankets and scented candles of my collection. Despite the wealth of fantastic new music 2021 had to offer, I struggled to connect with the thing that I love most. That’s hard to admit but not impossible to visit and rebuild. This coming year I hope to reconnect with music and remember why I love it so much.

There were some reminders: I went to shows again. In a year of developing marketing plans surrounding album anniversaries, I got to experience that feeling of hearing your favorite album played front to back in a room full of likeminded lovers. Easily the most draining and fulfilling time was having 5 shows in a week, a big reminder that I used to do that all the time. The biggest thing I can hope for in 2022 is renewing my faith in music and praying shows will come back and stay back.

These albums and songs were sparks of inspiration through 2021. Nothing was moreso than Little Simz Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. During the label listening and despite Zoom, you could feel a wave of enthusiastic support start to build for this album. There was an immediate, unspoken understanding that this was a special piece of work. Simbi goes deep into discomfort, and fearlessly navigates womanhood, family, love and identity with expert flow and phenomenal composition. I swoon every time I hear Rodrigo Amarante’s Drama. Indigo De Souza’s Any Shape You Take was on full volume to drown out the East Village construction happening directly outside my apartment. Snail Mail and Japanese Breakfast didn’t come back swinging - they made first swing grand slams on Valentine and Jubilee. And here are others that kept me smiling, wandering through New York, soothed my mind and brought me joy:

Favorite Albums of 2021

1 . Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
2. Rodrigo Amarante - Drama
2. Indigo De Souza - Any Shape You Take
3. Shame - Drunk Tank Pink
4. Minus the Bear - Farewell
5. CHVRCHES - Screen Violence
6. Snail Mail - Valentine
7. Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
8. Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams
9. Jazmin Sullivan - Heaux Tales
10. Nascent - Minus the Bullshit, Life’s Great
11. Doja Cat - Planet Her
12. La Luz - La Luz
13. Tyler, The Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost
14. Jungle - Loving In Stereo
15. Snoh Aalegra - Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies
16. H.E.R. - Back of My Mind
17. Madlib - Sound Ancestors
18. Pink Pantheress - to hell with it
19. Remi Wolf - Juno
20. Amyl and the Sniffers - Comfort To Me
21. Illuminati Hotties - Let Me Do One More

Favorite Songs of 2021

1. serpentwithfeet - “Fellowship”
2. Kaytranada feat. H.E.R. - “Intimidated”
3. Dashboard Confessional - “Here’s To Moving On”
4. Alicia Keys - “Best of Me (Unlocked)”
5. John Mayer - “Wild Blue”
6. Leon Bridges - “Magnolias”
7. BROCKHAMPTON - “WHEN I BALL”
8. girl in red - “I’ll Call You Mine”
9. Little Simz “Woman”
10. Japanese Breakfast - “Slide Tackle”
11. Shame - “Snow Day”
12. Childish Gambino, Brittany Howard - “Stay High (Childish Gambino Version)”
13. Courtney Barnett - Rae Street
14. Pink Panteress - “Just For Me”
15. Rachael Jenkins - “Allergy Season”
16. Wallice - “Hey Michael”
17. Eloise - “Hungover”
18. Helado Negro - “There Must Be A Song Like You”
19. Nick Hakim, Roy Nathanson - “Small Things”
20. Altin Gun - “Ordunun Dereleri”
21. Arlo Parks - “Too Good”