Akini's Top 25 Albums of 2021: [#1]

[JSparksFan]

At least four of the nominated LPs this year are either divorce or break-up albums so bear with me this year, y'all.

[Tansike]

Evermore & Star-crossed were shining moments for me in 2021 as well - crossing my fingers for Evermore in the end, so I went with that poll option. Though based on your songs countdown, Summer Walker is definitely going to be a strong contender.

[cheapthrills]

Four of these are np-brainers for your top five, even though I'm happy to see them all there. While I knew you liked the ABBA songs, I didn't realize you liked them THAT much. I thought the love was for Keep Your Eye on Dan alone, but I guess I'll be curious.

Going with my head and not my heart on this one by picking Summer Walker.

[JSparksFan]

Evermore & Star-crossed were shining moments for me in 2021 as well - crossing my fingers for Evermore in the end, so I went with that poll option. Though based on your songs countdown, Summer Walker is definitely going to be a strong contender.

Let's see!

Four of these are np-brainers for your top five, even though I'm happy to see them all there. While I knew you liked the ABBA songs, I didn't realize you liked them THAT much. I thought the love was for Keep Your Eye on Dan alone, but I guess I'll be curious.

Going with my head and not my heart on this one by picking Summer Walker.

Currently, the top two albums are separated by .01!

[JSparksFan]

25. Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over the Country Club

Considering that the Lana Del Rey album that preceded this was my #1 LP 0f 2019, 'Chemtrails...' left a good bit to be desired. Lyrically, it's not bad, but melodically, this is so boring!

Quality Rating: 7.71/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Breaking Up Slowly [#1(x2)]; Let Me Love You Like a Woman [#2]; Chemtrails Over the Country Club [#3]; Dark but Just a Game [#4]; Tulsa Jesus Freak [#5]; Wild at Heart [#7]; White Dress [#8]; For Free [#16]; Dance Till We Die [#17]; Not All Who Wander Are Lost [#18]

24. Autoheart - Hellbent

My Autoheart journey really started randomly with me seeing "I Know That He Loves Me" among my recommended YouTube videos and diving into its parent album from there. The guys do some decent pop!

Quality Rating: 7.770/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: I Know That He Loves Me [#1(x1)]; Better Version of Me [#4]; Rabbit in a Headlight [#4]; Look Up, Look Up [#5]; Into the Woods [#9]; Already Gone [#15]; Hellbent [#16]; Wretch [#18]; Older [#19]

23. Lorde - Solar Power

Quite similarly to Lana, Lorde's predecessor album to Solar Power was my top album the year it was released (2017) and this, the follow-up, did not go the distance for me. Oddly enough, though, the title track ended up having the most mileage, though, objectively speaking, the strongest song is "Secrets...".

Quality Rating: 7.773/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Solar Power [#1(x1)]; Secrets from a Girl (Who's Seen It All) [#3]; Stoned at the Nail Salon [#7]; Fallen Fruit [#9]; California [#11]

22. Tinashe - 333

This might very well be the set of underwhelming follow-ups as I loved 'Songs for You' so much that my expectations heading into this were high and only three songs really passed the litmus test.

Quality Rating: 7.78/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Last Call [#1(x1)]; The Chase [#2]; X [#9]

21. Delta Goodrem - Bridge Over Troubled Dreams

This is a solid effort from Delta. Even though it didn't quite make the cut for my top 100, I really do like "Dear Elton", which was a rather random, but wholly welcome tribute to one of my fave 70s legends.

Quality Rating: 7.80/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Paralyzed [#1(x1)]; Dear Elton [#3]; Everyone's Famous [#4]; Keep Climbing [#12]; Play [#15]; Billionaire [#19]; Kill Them with Kindness [#19]

[JSparksFan]

20. London Grammar - Californian Soil

"Missing" was the track that actually featured in my year-end songs countdown, but the LP's singular chart-topper on my daily list is the equally haunting "Call Your Friends", whose chorus scales higher heights than any of its sister tracks. As someone who'd heard one or two London Grammar tracks just browsing the forum, it was really enlightening to sit with a full-length album of theirs and appreciate their indie-pop sound that's alternative-esque, yes, but still mainstream-friendly enough for my ears to digest the melodies.

Quality Rating: 7.82/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Call Your Friends [#1(x1)]; Missing [#3]; America [#5]; Lord It's a Feeling [#12]; Californian Soil [#15]

19. Charlotte Cardin - Phoenix

An act introduced to me through CT, I elected to check out Charlotte Cardin's 'Phoenix' album and was not disappointed. There's a lyric in "Passive Aggressive" about "wasting good years on bad love" and I love it so much. Lyrically, vocally, melodically, there's a lot to unpack with this album. Madame Cardin is definitely an act I'll keep an eye out for in the future.

Quality Rating: 7.83/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Sex to Me [#2]; Phoenix [#2]; Passive Aggressive [#4]; Meaningless [#5]; Sad Girl [#9]

18. Steps - What the Future Holds Pt. 2

The right-angled melodies are so formula-driven, you can see the choreographed movements as you follow the synthpop brick road. There's absolutely no new ground broken with this release and there didn't need to be; I certainly enjoyed the predictability of it all. Good pop is good pop.

Quality Rating: 7.84/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Heartbreak in This City [#1(x1)]; Victorious [#3]; The Slightest Touch [#20]

17. Tyler the Creator - Call Me If You Get Lost

Tyler the Creator's been around for at least a decade now and I don't think I ever paid him much attention, but I always randomly check out artists I'd previously paid dust and he was lucky enough to make the shortlist in 2021. I'm glad I did. This is a good album. There's great lyrics, his flow is solid, the production is broad throughout. The critics have been fawning over it and I hear what they're hearing.

Quality Rating: 7.846/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Sweet/I Thought You Wanted to Dance [#1(x1)]; Wilshire [#4]; Rise! [#9]; Manifesto [#20]

16. Kanye West - Donda

On Drag Race, RuPaul oftentimes preaches the importance of editing during fashion challenges to make sure that the finished garment is polished and not too busy. Kanye most certainly missed those episodes. At 32 tracks and two-plus-hours long, this album is bloated, plain and simple. Somewhere within the part one and two versions of every blasted song is the best hip/hop album of 2021, but this album is unwieldy and listening to the affair in its entirety twice was a chore.

Quality Rating: 7.852/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Ok Ok, Pt. 2 [#3]; Jail [#4]; Jesus Lord [#6]; Hurricane [#7]; Jail, Pt. 2 [#8]; New Again [#18]; Life of the Party [#20]; No Child Left Behind [#20]

[Tansike]

25. Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over the Country Club
23. Lorde - Solar Power
21. Delta Goodrem - Bridge Over Troubled Dreams

I like those three from the first group.

Fun thing is what you describe for Lana & Lorde is basically how I feel about Delta - I really loved Wings Of The Wild back in 2016, so Bridge Over Troubled Dreams left me rather disappointed.
As for Lana & Lorde, both albums are not bad but I get what you mean. Melodrama was so strong, while Lana is still on a decline. She's missing that spark from her first few eras IMO.

20. London Grammar - Californian Soil
18. Steps - What the Future Holds Pt. 2

Great and somewhat underrated album by London Grammar. I was already familiar with their first two albums, but they never clicked with me, so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Californian Soil. Surprised How Does It Feel didn't enter your chart, it's my personal standout on the album.
Steps' album is a cute fun Pop album. I listened to it once when they appeared on DRUK (and they were so sympathetic) however I never returned ever since

[king_oxymoron]

Delta and Steps are definitely my favourites here. Steps was pretty predictable like you say, but still solid. Delta had more peaks and troughs but there are some really amazing songs on there.

[Carbon]

25. Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over the Country Club

Good to see it here, even if just at #25. This was my favorite album of 2021, and is my favorite Lana album overall - I find it stunning in every way. I do feel it can be a grower, but I fully appreciate what she wanted to achieve and why it's a worthy follow-up to NFR.

23. Lorde - Solar Power

Now here I see what she wanted to achieve (similar to Lana), but this one didn't grow on me. Personally I don't think her voice blends well with simple acoustic guitar production compared to more electronic/pop sounds. That said, I respect it and maybe it'll grow on me later in life.

[JSparksFan]

25. Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over the Country Club
23. Lorde - Solar Power
21. Delta Goodrem - Bridge Over Troubled Dreams

I like those three from the first group.

Fun thing is what you describe for Lana & Lorde is basically how I feel about Delta - I really loved Wings Of The Wild back in 2016, so Bridge Over Troubled Dreams left me rather disappointed.
As for Lana & Lorde, both albums are not bad but I get what you mean. Melodrama was so strong, while Lana is still on a decline. She's missing that spark from her first few eras IMO.

20. London Grammar - Californian Soil
18. Steps - What the Future Holds Pt. 2

Great and somewhat underrated album by London Grammar. I was already familiar with their first two albums, but they never clicked with me, so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Californian Soil. Surprised How Does It Feel didn't enter your chart, it's my personal standout on the album.
Steps' album is a cute fun Pop album. I listened to it once when they appeared on DRUK (and they were so sympathetic) however I never returned ever since

I guess I gave Delta a pass because, while 'Wings of the Wild' was definitely better than 'Bridge...', it didn't quite scale the heights of the previous Lorde and Lana albums.

I'll have to revisit "How Does It Feel".

Delta and Steps are definitely my favourites here. Steps was pretty predictable like you say, but still solid. Delta had more peaks and troughs but there are some really amazing songs on there.

Yeah, nothing bested "Paralyzed" for me, though!

25. Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over the Country Club

Good to see it here, even if just at #25. This was my favorite album of 2021, and is my favorite Lana album overall - I find it stunning in every way. I do feel it can be a grower, but I fully appreciate what she wanted to achieve and why it's a worthy follow-up to NFR.

23. Lorde - Solar Power

Now here I see what she wanted to achieve (similar to Lana), but this one didn't grow on me. Personally I don't think her voice blends well with simple acoustic guitar production compared to more electronic/pop sounds. That said, I respect it and maybe it'll grow on me later in life.

Oh, wow, favourite overall? For me, it's not on the same level as 'Born to Die' or NFR at all.

That's an interesting observation regarding Lorde and I'm inclined to agree.

[JSparksFan]

15. Nick Jonas - Spaceman

During his solo career, NJ never managed to put together a fully cohesive album for me. It would always be a situation where I liked, at most, three tracks and considered the rest of the album as filler, but on 'Spaceman', he really nails it. Sonically, it's so adherent to the album title and I love that about it. I didn't expect him to ever put out an album this good. I'll have to keep an eye out for him moving forward on more than just the eye candy front.

Quality Rating: 7.99/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: This is Heaven [#1(x4)]; Sexual [#1(x1)]; Spaceman [#7]; Delicious [#7]; Death Do Us Part [#7]; 2Drunk [#8]; Heights [#11]

14. The Killers - Pressure Machine

I never viewed the Killers as an act I would ever be interested in exploring a full-length album from, but when Brandon Flowers had that huge 2015, where he ended up with my song of the year with "Can't Deny My Love", I started warming to the idea and six years later, finally bit the bullet and jumped on one of the band's current releases. I must say I was impressed by how consistently strong the album is from start to finish. The little spoken bits at the fore of each track are a good touch and really give you a tangible touch of the small town that inspired 'Pressure Machine'.

Quality Rating: 8.01/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: In the Car Outside [#1(x2)]; The Getting By [#4]; In Another Life [#6]; Quiet Town [#6]; West Hills [#13]; Desperate Things [#16]; Cody [#18]

13. ABBA - Voyage

Not very many albums ever end up with 90% of their tracks charting on my daily list, but then again, not very many albums are possibly once-in-a-lifetime music events the way 'Voyage' was. Their first original release in 40 years - so the first during my lifetime - 'Voyage' is a strong representation of who ABBA are. You've got the upbeat cuts, the sombre midtempo ballads, simple but smart and powerful lyrics, those classic vocals forming seamless harmonies. For me, this lived up to the hype and I was elated to see how warmly received it's been on both sides of the Atlantic. ABBA deserve nothing less.

Quality Rating: 8.03/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Keep an Eye on Dan [#1(x4)]; I Can Be That Woman [#2]; Don't Shut Me Down [#3]; Little Things [#3]; Bumblebee [#4]; Just a Notion [#5]; No Doubt About [#11]; When You Danced with Me [#12]; I Still Have Faith in You [#14]

12. Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever

A slight improvement from an already promising debut, this era would launch a year before the album actually came out, so my ears didn't have to go long without fresh Eilish melodies. I love that even though her image is sunnier, the dark melodies are still a key ingredient in her concoctions.

Quality Rating: 8.07/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Halley's Comet [#1(x1)]; Therefore I Am [#3]; NDA [#3]; Oxytocin [#4]; Happier Than Ever [#5]; Lost Cause [#8]; My Future [#11]

11. Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales

I feel like, had someone jumped ahead in time and shown me the artists that would feature in my albums countdown in 2021 at this same time last year, I would've been confused by at least half the list and Jazmine Sullivan would be one of the bigger question marks. She's not been an act I've closely followed, but the historically dry January period meant I had tonnes of time to explore and 'Heaux Tales' had little competition to make my shortlist. This album actually found a second wind with me shortly after Summer Walker released 'Still Over It'. I feel like R&B is really returning to a good space and it's the women, as usual, leading the charge. I love the raw sexual expression on each of the "tale" tracks. I certainly see the merits in the this-album-is-too-short criticism, but I'm actually happy that Jazmine kept it short and sweet. It's all killer, no filler. Scooby Doo ruff with no fluff. Okay, I'll stop now...

Quality Rating: 8.08/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Girl Like Me [#1(x1)]; The Other Side [#4]; On It [#4]; Bodies [#6]; Pick Up Your Feelings [#7]; Put It Down [#12]; Price Tags [#17]; Lost One [#19]

[king_oxymoron]

Spaceman is a cool little project with some decent songs. I thought Killers would be higher based on your singles charts. I feel completely differently about the Jazmine project though. Pick Up Your Feelings is obviously great, but the rest is very hit and miss for her, and I thought her first three albums were impeccable unquestionable fire!

Re: Delta. Paralyzed is stunning. But The Power and Killl Them With Kindness I think are both wonderful. and Play, what a closer. Wow I'm talking myself into this album more and more!

[JSparksFan]

Spaceman is a cool little project with some decent songs. I thought Killers would be higher based on your singles charts. I feel completely differently about the Jazmine project though. Pick Up Your Feelings is obviously great, but the rest is very hit and miss for her, and I thought her first three albums were impeccable unquestionable fire!

Re: Delta. Paralyzed is stunning. But The Power and Killl Them With Kindness I think are both wonderful. and Play, what a closer. Wow I'm talking myself into this album more and more!

I need to dive into Jazmine's discography!

I'm curious now to see where she ended up in your album rankings.

[JSparksFan]

10. Lil Nas X - Montero

I'm trying to remember the last time personality sold an album to me and I'm coming up short. At any rate, this album works not because of grade A bars, but the rawness of the songwriting. Lil Nas X injects so much of his essence into this and it's hard to not support that. Production-wise, this is certainly a fantastic album, and as I've already expressed, the visuals from this project were the best from any musician in 2021. I was quite salty when Drake blocked this from #1 in the US.

Quality Rating: 8.16/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Industry Baby [#1(x3)]; Montero (Call Me by Your Name) [#1(x2)]; Scoop [#1(x1)]; That's What I Want [#2]; Tales of Dominica [#5]; Am I Dreaming? [#14]; Dead Right Now [#17]

09. JoJo - Trying Not to Think About It

Although this is technically classed as an EP - JoJo said that the budget made the difference in the classification - this is a huge step-up from last year's 'Good to Know'. The production is sharper, the lyrics cut deeper, and, well, the vocals are always gonna be ace. There's nary a filler track within earshot, proven by the fact that the album is 10/10 for tracks charted on my daily list.

Quality Rating: 8.170/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Good Enough [#1(x1)]; Spiral SZN [#1(x1)]; Fresh New Sheets [#5]; Worst (I Assume) [#7]; World of Sunshine [#8]; Feel Alright [#11]; Anxiety (Burlinda's Theme) [#17]; B.I.D. [#18]; Lift [#19]; Dissolve [#20]

08. Doja Cat - Planet Her

The Grammy committee elected to categorise this as a pop album, but my ears also hear hip/hop on this and as such, I'll rate this the year's top rap album. This is another significant step-up from an act's previous release. The cohesion of this album is so impressive. I lauded Lil Nas X for injecting his big personality into his album, but Doja Cat deserves plaudits for the same. Melodically, you'll be hard-pressed to find a lacking moment on 'Planet Her', so many of the lyrics are catchy and clever, she did a solid job on the visuals front. I said before that hip/hop acts made a case for being among the year's top pop stars and Doja Cat certainly led the charge on that front.

Quality Rating: 8.171/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Kiss Me More [#1(x2)]; You Right [#1(x2)]; Woman [#1(x1)]; Get into It (Yuh) [#2]; Naked [#4]; I Don't Do Drugs [#4]; Ain't Shit [#5]; Love to Dream [#8]; Alone [#12]; Need to Know [#18]

07. Agnes - Magic Still Exists

The shortest album on this year's list, 'Magic Still Exists' doesn't really have a misstep. Yes, "Selfmade" is the only track that missed my chart and is my least-favourite on the album, but even that isn't bad. I appreciate the arrangement of this album. You can tell thought went into it and as I already waxed poetic on the songs countdown regarding the title track, I don't think I would've loved the title track as much as I did had it not been for each of the tracks that came before it, which I felt did a fine job in building to that fantastic climax.

Quality Rating: 8.19/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Magic Still Exists [#1(x2)]; Here Comes the Night [#1(x2)]; 24 Hours [#8]; XX [#9]; Love and Appreciation [#10]; Fingers Crossed [#20]

06. Adele - 30

The last album I listened to before finalising my year-end lists, ‘30’ has had the least amount of time to sit with me and I must admit that early on I was slightly disappointed by it. For me, it didn’t have an absolute stunner like 21’s “Rolling in the Deep”, nor did it have extremely poignant non-love songs like 25’s “River Lea” and “Million Years Ago”. In fact, the album’s brightest moments had been previewed through that CBS special. Over the short time the album’s had to marinate, I think I’ve come around to appreciating its merits. I think “Rolling in the Deep” is perhaps a song Adele has matured out of being able to record and you do hear so much more of a balanced perspective on ‘30’, a trend we started to see as early as ‘25’. Life and love have taken their toll on her and I think that’s perhaps a POV I wasn’t expecting, but one that I do think is equally as accessible as anything else she’s sung about. I also appreciate how she shares some of the challenges she's had as a mother and decoupling from her son's father.

Quality Rating: 8.25/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: I Drink Wine [#1(x4)]; Easy on Me [#1(x4)]; Love is a Game [#2]; To Be Loved [#2]; Oh My God [#3]; Hold On [#4]; My Little Love [#11]; Woman Like Me [#17]

[Tansike]

15. Nick Jonas - Spaceman
14. The Killers - Pressure Machine
13. ABBA - Voyage
12. Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
11. Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales

Spaceman and Pressure Machine are no surprises to be this high based on your songs countdown, as both of them did so well there.
Spaceman is definitely one of those albums that sound great from start to finish, there's no song you feel the need to skip and it flows so well. A shame it didn't do better for him!
Pressure Machine is an enjoyable album but while I enjoy everything from start to finish, only the opener really stands out for me personally.

ABBA's album was just solid except for Keep An Eye On Dan which is actually one of the best album tracks this year.

Billie's album is fantastic and yes, I also enjoy this a bit more than her debut. Definitely one of my highlights this year as well!

I felt similar with Jazmine - I knew who she was and that she's very critically acclaimed, plus I knew a very few of her past singles, but Heaux Tales was the first album I checked out from her also mainly because of its January release. And it's definitely one of the best R&B releases this year!

10. Lil Nas X - Montero
08. Doja Cat - Planet Her
07. Agnes - Magic Still Exists
06. Adele - 30

Also great start into the Top10 so far as I like them all!
Ok, truth be told... personally I wanted to enjoy Montero and 30 a lot more than I do, but they're still good albums and they still have some true standouts that I keep returning to.

Planet Her & Magic Still Exists are also among my favorites this year. Especially pleased to see the latter, I feel like this should have been a success all around the globe for Agnes, kinda a return to her Release Me success. Even all the interludes sound great and make sense, and that's usually not easy to achieve especially on such a short album.

Planet Her definitely catapulted Doja Cat into stardom. Finally her true worldwide breakthrough (OT but I'm still surprised Hot Pink didn't do better in Europe).

[Carbon]

07. Agnes - Magic Still Exists
06. Adele - 30

these two are quite good, need to play Agnes some more

I tried Billie's album, but she'll never be my thing I guess (bar some singles)

[JSparksFan]

15. Nick Jonas - Spaceman
14. The Killers - Pressure Machine
13. ABBA - Voyage
12. Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
11. Jazmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales

Spaceman and Pressure Machine are no surprises to be this high based on your songs countdown, as both of them did so well there.
Spaceman is definitely one of those albums that sound great from start to finish, there's no song you feel the need to skip and it flows so well. A shame it didn't do better for him!
Pressure Machine is an enjoyable album but while I enjoy everything from start to finish, only the opener really stands out for me personally.

ABBA's album was just solid except for Keep An Eye On Dan which is actually one of the best album tracks this year.

Billie's album is fantastic and yes, I also enjoy this a bit more than her debut. Definitely one of my highlights this year as well!

I felt similar with Jazmine - I knew who she was and that she's very critically acclaimed, plus I knew a very few of her past singles, but Heaux Tales was the first album I checked out from her also mainly because of its January release. And it's definitely one of the best R&B releases this year!

Totally agree with you on Spaceman. I think I really connected with a lot of the lyrics on Pressure Machine.

I think ABBA's album definitely sounds better the longer you spend with it. "Little Things" randomly grew on me a few days ago.

Glad we feel similarly about Billie and Jazmine!

10. Lil Nas X - Montero
08. Doja Cat - Planet Her
07. Agnes - Magic Still Exists
06. Adele - 30

Also great start into the Top10 so far as I like them all!
Ok, truth be told... personally I wanted to enjoy Montero and 30 a lot more than I do, but they're still good albums and they still have some true standouts that I keep returning to.

Planet Her & Magic Still Exists are also among my favorites this year. Especially pleased to see the latter, I feel like this should have been a success all around the globe for Agnes, kinda a return to her Release Me success. Even all the interludes sound great and make sense, and that's usually not easy to achieve especially on such a short album.

Planet Her definitely catapulted Doja Cat into stardom. Finally her true worldwide breakthrough (OT but I'm still surprised Hot Pink didn't do better in Europe).

I remember being rather surprised by how good Montero was on that first play and as I mentioned 30 is a grower, and once you isolate it from what she's done in the past, it's much easier to appreciate.

Yeah, Agnes was a pretty big surprise for me this year - didn't see her coming at all! As for Planet Her, was "Kiss Me More" bigger than "Say So"? I feel like the latter was still bigger, but a lot more was invested in this project as you can tell from the album rollout, the big-budget videos and live performances, even down to the production of the album itself.

07. Agnes - Magic Still Exists
06. Adele - 30

these two are quite good, need to play Agnes some more

I tried Billie's album, but she'll never be my thing I guess (bar some singles)

Glad you also appreciate Agnes.

[JSparksFan]

05. Taylor Swift - Evermore

With five no. 1 hits, 13 overall charted tracks, and 23 combined days at #1, the 'Evermore' scorecard looks eerily similar to 'Folklore''s (four/14/22). The major difference is that whereas so much of what I considered to be special about 'Folklore' rested with "August", the magic here is spread across the four multi-day no. 1s, each of which are bona fide 10/10 tracks. 'Evermore' is also more country-pop than its predecessor and that certainly enhanced its replay value.

Quality Rating: 8.265/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Long Story Short [#1(x8)]; Right Where You Left Me [#1(x7)]; Willow [#1(x4)]; No Body, No Crime [#1(x3)]; It's Time to Go [#1(x1)]; Gold Rush [#2]; Tolerate It [#5]; Champagne Problems [#6]; 'Tis the Damn Season [#7]; Evermore [#9]; Marjorie [#15]; Cowboy Like Me [#15]; Happiness [#16]

04. Olivia Rodrigo - Sour

I'd raked "Drivers License" over the coals for being unforgivably basic and four months later Olivia Rodrigo would release an album that would lead the charge for album of the year for a healthy chunk of 2021 - what a 180! A lot of the songs are teeming with that classic teenage melodrama, but it's an earnest and authentic level of emotion and intensity, so I love it. The fact that Rodrigo has writing credits on every track bodes well for her future in the industry - she's a huge talent and I'll still stubbornly stand by the opinion that "Drivers License" was not a good first showing!

Quality Rating: 8.273/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Good 4 U [#1(x6)]; Hope Ur Ok [#2]; Traitor [#2]; Enough for You [#5]; Jealousy, Jealousy [#6]; Deja Vu [#6]; Brutal [#7]; Drivers License [#8]; Favourite Crime [#14]; Happier [#19]

03. Silk Sonic - An Evening with Silk Sonic

Every Bruno Mars project has dialed up the quality and dialed down the quantity so it wasn't the least bit surprising when he teamed up with Anderson. Paak and that quality/quantity relationship remained constant. 'An Evening with Silk Sonic' takes 70s soul and 90s R&B, blends the two, and the resulting product is magic.

Quality Rating: 8.28/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Leave the Door Open [#1(x1)]; Blast Off [#1(x1)]; Smokin Out the Window [#2]; After Last Night [#7]; Skate [#10]; Fly as Me [#17]; Put on a Smile [#20]

02. Kacey Musgraves - Star-Crossed

Given the facts and circumstances surrounding my romantic affairs by late summer, I knew when I heard the forerunner 'Star-Crossed' tracks that the album would likely start as favourite in my year-end proceedings and when it was released, it took a few plays to really connect with the somewhat softer-than-expected production, but I was thoroughly satisfied by the "Golden hour faded black" material, enough so that each of the 15 tracks made it onto my daily chart and Kacey launched five no. 1s there. I had no reason to believe that I'd come across an even better album going into Q4, thinking that all the big players had already shown their hand, but much like Kacey pipped Taylor at the line, Kacey, too, was relegated to silver in the eleventh hour by the narrowest of margins.

Quality Rating: 8.32/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: What Doesn't Kill Me [#1(x12)]; Star-Crossed [#1(x5)]; Justified [#1(x4)]; Keep Lookin' Up [#1(x1)]; Angel [#1(x1)]; Hookup Scene [#2]; Good Wife [#2]; Camera Roll [#2]; Cherry Blossom [#3]; If This Was a Movie [#4]; Gracias a la Vida [#5]; There is a Light [#6]; Breadwinner [#10]; Easier Said [#12]; Simple Times [#15]

01. Summer Walker - Still Over It

Randomness is beautiful. It was a little over six weeks ago that I was randomly browsing the albums folder on the forum and came across this release. I was in peak music exploration mode, still in the middle of going through Kanye West's discography and just off hearing ABBA's new album, and I thought this would be an interesting one to throw in the mix. The first time I played 'Still Over It' the obvious lyrical bombshells piqued my interest, but there was more to the album and I sat with it, unpacking one interesting melodic nuance after the next, one missed clever lyric after the another - I literally Genius'd my way through the LP (sat down and read through the lyrics of each song while it played) and there is so much to unpack on 'Still Over It'. Summer Walker's essence is so intriguing. She's a millennial Erykah Badu in her soulful singing, but her style is light and effortless à la Jhené Aiko. As a songwriter, she was unmatched this year. I've always been disappointed in R&B because so many of the genre's stalwarts focus exclusively on the vocal gymnastics and while I'm all for tier one belts and multi-octave scaling, I think the opportunity for better storytelling is oftentimes missed. Summer Walker did not miss that opportunity. Her story, which some might consider a plight, isn't unique, but the way she tells it is beautiful - she really took that advice from Cardi B in the opening "Bitter" track to the nth level. 18/18 tracks charted, five no. 1s, exceptional songwriting and vocals, this is everything R&B music can be and is at its peak. It was close on paper, but there really was no other option for album of the year. Well done, Madame Walker.

Quality Rating: 8.33/10

Songs' Chart Peaks on Akini's Daily Top 20: Insane [#1(x6)]; 4th Baby Mama [#1(x3)]; Bitter [#1(x1)]; Throw It Away [#1(x1)]; Broken Promises [#1(x1)]; Unloyal [#2]; Session 33 [#3]; Reciprocate [#3]; Switch a Ni**a Out [#4]; Constant Bullshit [#7]; Toxic [#7]; Closure [#8]; Dat Right There [#9]; Screwin [#10]; Circus [#12]; Ex for a Reason [#14]; No Love [#15]; You Don't Know Me [#20]

[king_oxymoron]

Sorry to be backwards but Nas is definitely my favourite of your top ten, surprisingly solid!

[Tansike]

05. Taylor Swift - Evermore
04. Olivia Rodrigo - Sour
03. Silk Sonic - An Evening with Silk Sonic
02. Kacey Musgraves - Star-Crossed

Strong Top5!

First things first - congrats to Summer Walker. I kinda thought she'd be a contender here considering how well she's done on your songs countdown. Guess that's the album I will check out from the list, as I'm not familiar with her at all.

Evermore is definitely my favorite of the group, #5 is a fantastic final position on your countdown for such a strong album from start to finish. All songs are good and some are even standouts in her whole discography, especially No Body, No Crime or Willow.

Sour was a solid debut album where only Brutal and Good 4 U really stood out for me personally. I still see her as a second rate Billie Eilish somehow and I'm still not sure if it's just me getting older who doesn't really get her that much.

An Evening with Silk Sonic is definitely beautifully crafted album... sadly, the genre isn't my favorite, so that's why the album didn't do much for me besides Skate and Fly As Me.

Star-crossed was another album that I really enjoyed in 2021 as well. Beautiful and yet again one of the albums that are good from start to finish.

Another great countdown!

[JSparksFan]

Sorry to be backwards but Nas is definitely my favourite of your top ten, surprisingly solid!

Glad you appreciate that one. It's been great to see him getting so much love!

05. Taylor Swift - Evermore
04. Olivia Rodrigo - Sour
03. Silk Sonic - An Evening with Silk Sonic
02. Kacey Musgraves - Star-Crossed

Strong Top5!

First things first - congrats to Summer Walker. I kinda thought she'd be a contender here considering how well she's done on your songs countdown. Guess that's the album I will check out from the list, as I'm not familiar with her at all.

Evermore is definitely my favorite of the group, #5 is a fantastic final position on your countdown for such a strong album from start to finish. All songs are good and some are even standouts in her whole discography, especially No Body, No Crime or Willow.

Sour was a solid debut album where only Brutal and Good 4 U really stood out for me personally. I still see her as a second rate Billie Eilish somehow and I'm still not sure if it's just me getting older who doesn't really get her that much.

An Evening with Silk Sonic is definitely beautifully crafted album... sadly, the genre isn't my favorite, so that's why the album didn't do much for me besides Skate and Fly As Me.

Star-crossed was another album that I really enjoyed in 2021 as well. Beautiful and yet again one of the albums that are good from start to finish.

Another great countdown!

Hope you enjoy Summer Walker's album, whenever you find the time to check it out. It's so good!

Yeah, kudos to Taylor for putting out three great albums in less than 18 months!

Interesting Olivia Rodrigo thoughts! I often feel that way with the trap music everyone seems to love...

Music is so beautiful because you never know what different ears pick up. "Skate" and "Fly as Me" are among my least-favourites from that album!

Yeah, I fully expected 'Star-Crossed' to win this year, but Summer upsetting the apple cart is a most satisfying conclusion.

Many thanks for following, Tansike!

[cheapthrills]

Time to tackle the album countdown

24 - So this ended up being an excellent find, didn't it? I loved your entry last month! I love when Youtube recommendations get it right - it's probably the primary way I discover new music outside of UKMix.

23 - I don't know if I even got into the whole album, but the title and promo tracks did capture me. I think a run-through felt a little samey to me, and Nail Salon captured that groove the best for me.

20 - Well, you [ve got London Grammar on AlbumClash and your write up is intriguing so I'll check them/her? out

19 - OMG, I can't understate how pleased I am to see Charlotte here - what a big discovery she was for me this year. I'm so happy I was able to share her with you Definitely among my favorite of the entire year.

16 - I'd be lying if I didn't say this seemed like a good album from the tracks I heard, but it's really hard to take someone off my persona non grata list

15 - Nick is still mostly eye candy for me But This is Heaven was revelatory and the best song he's ever released.

13 - aha! My instincts were right that ABBA was a bit of a red herring in that OP I think ABBA definitely understood the assignment in bringing back their trademark sounds and not deviating too much form what people expect, even if the result isn't groundbreaking - it's still real, they sound great.

12. Billie is up there on my list too. It will be the next album survivor!

I'll tackle the top 10 tomorrow!

[cheapthrills]

#10 - I think this album was unexpectedly heartfelt and I was totally here for it. I think Montero is groundbreaking.

#8 - I loved this album even more after the survivor I did for it - she has quite a few bops on it and her personality is incredibly relatable; I'm still not tired of tracks from the album.

#6 - Adele is a little low to me, but I'm glad it found a place in the top 10 - I think I'm enjoying this album much more than 25 - Adele is the anti-Kacey - she thrives when she sings through pain

#5 - Seeing as you waited for the new year to listen, I was wondering how this one would end up - I love the whole story-song vibe Taylor went for in the last two albums, but I actually prefer Evermore though like you, August reigns supreme over the tracks on Evermore.

#4 - I'[m so delighted with Sour being here - it's the perfect teen break-up album. I still think you like DL more than you want to admit

#3 - This is definitely one that I thought could be your top album - it's the most succint albums of the year - I can't remember an album where I liked every track and that speaks to their refusaa to include filler.

#2 Obviously was rooting very hard for Kacey here , though I'm very pleased it was the runner-up in a close race. And she already got your #1 song, so I suppose we should spread the wealth.

#1 - Ding ding ding! I wanted the #1 to be Kacey, but I know Summer has been all over your personal chart since it came out. You did make me revisit 4th Baby Mama, which is beginning to get a lot of play for me. I appreciate the album ore having gone through your first countdown.

[JSparksFan]

Time to tackle the album countdown

24 - So this ended up being an excellent find, didn't it? I loved your entry last month! I love when Youtube recommendations get it right - it's probably the primary way I discover new music outside of UKMix.

23 - I don't know if I even got into the whole album, but the title and promo tracks did capture me. I think a run-through felt a little samey to me, and Nail Salon captured that groove the best for me.

20 - Well, you [ve got London Grammar on AlbumClash and your write up is intriguing so I'll check them/her? out

19 - OMG, I can't understate how pleased I am to see Charlotte here - what a big discovery she was for me this year. I'm so happy I was able to share her with you Definitely among my favorite of the entire year.

16 - I'd be lying if I didn't say this seemed like a good album from the tracks I heard, but it's really hard to take someone off my persona non grata list

15 - Nick is still mostly eye candy for me But This is Heaven was revelatory and the best song he's ever released.

13 - aha! My instincts were right that ABBA was a bit of a red herring in that OP I think ABBA definitely understood the assignment in bringing back their trademark sounds and not deviating too much form what people expect, even if the result isn't groundbreaking - it's still real, they sound great.

12. Billie is up there on my list too. It will be the next album survivor!

I'll tackle the top 10 tomorrow!

Most definitely on Autoheart!

Yeah, Solar Power on first listen didn't leave much of an impression; it was a bit better on the second spin.

Hopefully, you liked what you heard of London Grammar, if you've checked them out yet!

Yes, thanks again for Charlotte!

It's less hard for them to come off my list, though I think I've become a bit disillusioned with people in general the last three years or so.

He's giving us less candy in that department, tbh, but I'm okay with it as long as the music quality continues trending upwards.

Good call on ABBA!

You weren't lying about that Billie survivor being in the pipeline!

#10 - I think this album was unexpectedly heartfelt and I was totally here for it. I think Montero is groundbreaking.

#8 - I loved this album even more after the survivor I did for it - she has quite a few bops on it and her personality is incredibly relatable; I'm still not tired of tracks from the album.

#6 - Adele is a little low to me, but I'm glad it found a place in the top 10 - I think I'm enjoying this album much more than 25 - Adele is the anti-Kacey - she thrives when she sings through pain

#5 - Seeing as you waited for the new year to listen, I was wondering how this one would end up - I love the whole story-song vibe Taylor went for in the last two albums, but I actually prefer Evermore though like you, August reigns supreme over the tracks on Evermore.

#4 - I'[m so delighted with Sour being here - it's the perfect teen break-up album. I still think you like DL more than you want to admit

#3 - This is definitely one that I thought could be your top album - it's the most succint albums of the year - I can't remember an album where I liked every track and that speaks to their refusaa to include filler.

#2 Obviously was rooting very hard for Kacey here , though I'm very pleased it was the runner-up in a close race. And she already got your #1 song, so I suppose we should spread the wealth.

#1 - Ding ding ding! I wanted the #1 to be Kacey, but I know Summer has been all over your personal chart since it came out. You did make me revisit 4th Baby Mama, which is beginning to get a lot of play for me. I appreciate the album ore having gone through your first countdown.

Hmm..."groundbreaking" is a bit kind, but I like it!

Now I know Doja impressed you even more than she did me!

You ranked it sixth, too!

Indeed. "August" remains that girl.

Hmm...I plead the fifth on that one.

Yeah, it was a really good album. Honestly, remove "Skate" and it might've been #1 for me.

Yeah, Kacey did a great job with Star-Crossed and seemed well on her way to two crowns this year, but summer crashed autumn.

Glad to hear you appreciate Still Over It a bit more! I am well and truly enamoured with Summer now.

[cheapthrills]

You ranked it sixth, too!

Ugh, I knew you'd point this out. But I feel our methodology was different - yours was more of a pure ranking whereas mine was more based on album play and chart positions for the singles. Adele just didn't have a lot of time to match the others.

Yeah, Kacey did a great job with Star-Crossed and seemed well on her way to two crowns this year, but summer crashed autumn.
.

This is so cute