#he just has the perfect voice for musicals and jazz bar singing (his versatility !!!)

[jjyubi]

SANGYEON LeeMujin Service

[ahnminhyk]

okay so I'm gonna go on a rant about how wonderful and brilliant bts' music is, get ready

okay so first of all, this is my opinion. I know jackshit about music or the technical aspects of it, the only thing I'll be doing is give my thoughts on why I feel like bts a) doesn't have single bad or even sub-par song; b) probably will never have a bad or even sub-par song; and c) why they stand out from other kpop groups in so many ways

first of all, I'm gonna talk about genres. bts literally can do any musical genre outgere and succeed. I mean, boys could be yodelling for 4 minutes and it'd be amazing. why? again, not an expert, but I think it's because they know very well how to blend genres to make them work in their favour. they mix hip hop with pop with edm with fuck knows what else and make it look effortless. there are not many artists or producers who can do that. on that note, kudos to bts' production team, not just joon and yoongi and hobi, but also supreme boi, pdogg, bang PD and everyone else, they are so talented and they make the boys shine even more every time.

bts has songs for every occasion. literally. they have gritty, rough songs that go so hard you wanna punch someone in the face (i.e. cyphers, fire, mic drop). they have songs that will make you cry your eyes out (i.e. spring day, butterfly, sea). they have songs that will have you blushing for no reason and smiling like a dork because they're so cute (i.e. I like it, coffee, miss right). they have bangers that could be played in clubs all over (i.e. dope, save me, best of me). they even have songs that'll make you want to overthrow a government and personally kick oppressors to the fifth circle of hell (i.e. not today, n.o, we are bulletproof).

they are so freaking versatile it's a miracle they haven't broken off into millions of different pieces. i think part of why that is is the fact that each member brings something entirely different to the table. each of them have their own style and unique voice that makes the whole thing come together in the best way.

i’ll go on and analyse each members styles now:

rm -- okay so namjoon is probably universally known as the best rapper in the group. i don’t disagree. i’ve seen people who certainly know more about rapping than i do (which isn’t really hard but w/e) say that the way rm raps is the tightest, better than many western hip-hop artists these days. i think this is evident in the recent collab with fob where he raps in english (not saying he raps better in english; he raps amazingly in any language tbh). i think anyone who listens to that song and doesn’t know who namjoon is will think he’s a legit rapper/hip-hop artist. however, what i wanted to talk about was his rapping style from my point of view (again, just my opinion). i think the way namjoon raps is unique and different form the other members of the rap line because it’s very polished, but it still has that raw element that he refuses to shed completely. i often think of it like this: kim namjoon could be telling you to fuck off but it would take you three years to realise that’s what he meant. his rap style isn’t necessarily aggressive (compared to suga’s, for example), but it’s still kind of harsh and emotive, and i think that’s a really amazing balance. his voice is very mellow as well, like when he talks or sings, i feel like his voice just.........embraces you, in a way. it’s hard to explain. of course, there are songs where his rapping is more aggressive than others, but overall i feel like his rap style is more subtle in that sense, and that’s what makes it even more amazing

suga -- oh boy. i don’t even know where to begin. i know i said that namjoon is universally the best rapper in the group, but if i had to pick a fave out of the rap line, it’d be yoongi. why? because boy goes hard as FUCK and i freaking love it. i don’t know if you’ve listened to his mixtape (listen to it, it’s freaking amazing) but you can see what i’m about to say even more clearly on there. to me, yoongi is such an expressive and emotive rapper it blows my mind every time i see him perform. it’s the way he spits the lyrics out, it’s the way he says them almost without breathing for what seems like forever, it’s the way he always puts everything he has into what he’s singing. you can hear his heart in his rapping and to me, that’s what makes him such a fucking great rapper. i know there’s also the stuff with diction and bars and shit but i’m not getting into that because i have no idea what i’m talking about. all i know is how he makes me feel when i hear him, and what i feel is that every time he throws a verse, he does so with all of his heart, he feels everything he sings. it’s almost angry and frustrated the way he raps, like he has so much to say and not enough time, not enough breath. i can’t even put it into words properly, but if you see him perform you’ll know what i mean. if namjoon can tell you to fuck off without you realising he’s doing it, yoongi will tell it to your face and then smack you all the way there. and that’s why i love his style so much. he is shameless in it, in his anger, in his emotions, and it makes me connect with him on a whole other level.

j-hope --  ahh yes, hobi. i’ve only recently really started to appreciate hoseok’s style, and i don’t know why, past me was an idiot. at this point, i’m not sure if that rumour about him starting off as a vocalist is true, but the fact of the matter is that hoseok has something the other members of the rap line don’t show as much, and that is a level of musicality in his voice that is unlike anything i’ve ever heard in a rapper ever. i don’t really know how to explain it, but you can hear it in several bts songs. he almost like sings his rap at times. i think that’s what makes him so unique. his voice blends with the music in a way that’s almost similar to the way the vocal line’s do. i think that is such a beautiful thing to be honest. that being said, of course his rap is also super tight and in every level on par with the other two rappers. i just love how the three rappers have three very unique styles and voices and ways to rap. it brings that diversity and versatility to the group that would be hard to get if they were all sort of on the same level or had the same style

jin -- to me, jin’s voice is one of the most beautiful in the world, period. i love how it’s slightly nasal, his tone and timbre are so unlike anything i’ve ever heard. awake is one of the most beautiful songs ever to me. he has a sort of classical way about his singing that is very very nice, and that contrasts well with the other vocalists’. i’ve seen people saying that his voice is more suited for ballads and that is why he doesn’t get as many lines in the more upbeat songs. i disagree. i think the perfect example of this is his part in the ‘go go’ chorus. i just love it. his voice goes perfectly with the rhythm and melody of that song. his voice is more versatile than people give him credit for i feel. i hope that with time, we get to see more of it in more upbeat songs, but i won’t be that person that says bighit is doing him dirty bc they don’t give him more lines, i don’t wanna start that discourse on here. anyway, this all to say, jin’s voice is really beautiful and unique to me, and that allows bts songs to get yet another layer of complexity and melodic diversity. jin really contributes to it in my opinion with his timbre and higher tone.

jimin -- i don’t even know where to begin with jimin. of course, he is the king of high notes. no contest there. i just love jimin’s voice so much. i think it really gives the vocal line something extra that ends up bringing the whole thing together spectacularly. i know he is very insecure in his vocal skills, but boy can sing for shit!!!!! it’s amazing how he holds those high notes for so long. i can’t even do those notes. but isolated high notes aside, jimin has a very sweet voice. i don’t know how else to put it. his voice is just sweet. i feel like smiling every time he comes in singing in his base tone because it’s just..........so sweet. i think it goes so well with the otherwise more gritty music bts is known to do. that being said though, i LOVE when he comes out with those growls and raspy verses. i just love how versatile he can be, and i wish we could hear it more often in recorded versions, because boy goes all out in live performances. i don’t think his versatility and vocal ability is really acknowledged that much, i know he’s mainly known for his high notes and generally high voice, but he can do a lot more than that and it gives bts a certain kind of balance, in my opinion

v -- listen, whoever told kim taehyung he can’t sing in the past is a fucking moron. like, i don’t know what those people were drinking because what the heck????? this boy has one of the widest vocal ranges i’ve ever seen in my life. he is also probably the most versatile voice in bts. he can go high, he can go low, he can go raspy, he can do harmonies. he can do anything, really. and i love everything he does with his voice. i love it when he goes low and gets that sultry feel to his voice, like a jazz singer almost. i love it when he belts out high notes and holds them like they’re his bitch. i love it when he rasps out verses like he’s a fucking rock singer who’s had too much liquor before going on stage. i love it when he harmonises with literally any other members. speaking of harmonies, can we PLEASE have more jimin and tae lines where they sing together????? their voices go together SO WELL it’s insane. when they harmonise my soul legit leaves my body and ascends to the fifth dimension. tae’s voice is such a beautiful contrast and contrabalance to the other vocalists’ voices, it doesn’t matter which, because when they go higher, he can go a little lower and the result is fucking brilliant. i could talk about kim taehyung’s voice all day to be honest, but i won’t. go listen to stigma and you’ll basically know everything you need to.

jungkook -- it is amazing what this boy can do with his voice. there is a reason he is the main vocalist, and that is because his technique is fucking stellar. i’ve seen people ask why he gets more chorus lines when he’s not even the best singer, and i just get slammed because.......... what? for the record, i don’t think any of the vocalists are better than the others, they all have very unique and amazing voices that balance each other out in the best way possible. but jungkook........... i wish i knew more about the technical terms of this so i could explain it properly. one of the things that always floors me is how, in the earliest bts songs, he was 15 and 16 years old. most of the boys i knew at 15 still had their voices breaking and screeched at random fucking times. yet jk has always been steady as a rock when it comes to his vocal ability. i think he is the baseline for everyone else’s voice because he ties the harmonies together so well. he keeps the base tone going while the other members go higher and lower and bring out the other aspects of the song. however, and we all know this, when this boy goes, he fucking goes hard. his high notes are no goddamn joke. they fucking shock me every time. and the way he’s able to maintain them is flawless. i feel like i can’t even talk about his technique, i’m just not good enough. another thing i love about jk’s voice that i don’t know if many people notice is how it’s always slightly husky when he’s singing in his base tone. i don’t think i’ve ever heard a voice like that in a boy his age. his voice has something behind it that, while being extremely subtle, also makes it stand out.

okay now that that’s done, i wanna talk about content, more specifically lyrics.

now, being an i-army, and knowing almost nothing about the korean language, i don’t understand most of bts’s songs without subs or a translation. that being said, i can get the feel and vibe of a song from the very first time i listen to it. before i even looked at translations, i could tell that fire was a song about just wanting to let got for a while and do crazy shit; i could tell that i need u was about heartache and pain and a love that hurt. i could tell that butterfly was a song about loving someone and being scared they’d disappear. of course, i won’t pretend to know that that was exactly what they were about, but i could feel it when i heard them. i might’ve not known the exact way to put it in words, but the songs brought up feelings in me that matched them perfectly. i think that says enough about how my thought and effort bts puts in their songs and musical arrangements, because they know music is about more than words being sung, it’s about the feelings, it’s about what you want people to feel when they hear the song.

but about the lyrics themselves, i think bts do something not many other kpop groups (or mainstream artists in general) are able to do. of course, i know plenty of artists get political in their songs, i’m not discrediting them for it. what i am saying is that, from what i’ve seen of the kpop industry and culture, a group talking about the topics that bts bring up isn’t that common. in their songs, they’ve broached topics such as anxiety, depression, feeling like you’re set up to fail, the pressures put on teens to do well in school and go to a good uni, strict educational systems, social standards, social inequalities, rich vs. poor dichotomy, youth, the transition between teen and adult, among many others that you don’t often see addressed in such a consistent way. they’ve stayed true to what they’ve been doing since their debut, which is be a voice for young people beyond love songs. what they say resonates with people, it makes us feel understood, we see ourselves in their lyrics and music.

this brings me to the topic of music videos. now we all know that bts mv’s are a whole other level of production. but what i wanted to mention really quick is how nothing they do on those videos is random. i’m sure they have a fantastic team behind them helping with this, of course. but bts music videos always have several subliminal messages hidden under the surface. i wanna talk specifically about the hyyh series videos. those are, in my opinion, better than many oscar-nominated feature length movies. they are incredibly well thought out and aesthetically planned, as well as being so heavily meaningful and charged with narrative continuity that just leaves you speechless. not to mention the boys’ acting like wow. specifically in the i need u mv, even if the song is about love and separation, the mv goes so beyond that it leaves you wondering why they even put the song on there. it could just be a film on its own. it’s so raw and gritty and intense, charged with meaning and sensitive topics not everyone would care to address in an mv like that, for that kind of song. it sets a whole picture for the other videos, and it just leaves me so floored every time i watch it, as well as the other videos in the series, because the level of detail and planning and thought that went into that series is seriously another level entirely. i think that definitely sets them apart from anything else in the world, really, beyond kpop or music in general.

i’ll just talk about live performances really quick. the fact that people say they lip sync literally makes me want to throw a chair in their faces. in fact, i wouldn’t even be that mad if they did lip sync. i mean, with their choreo and demanding vocals, it’d be understandable. but they don’t. it’s so clear every single time they perform. they have recording to back them up and a few vocals here and there, but the core is all them. do you have any idea how hard it is to do the kind of choreo they do and deliver that level of vocals and rap? as someone who’s had to do it, i’ll tell you for a fact it is a bitch. but they do it, and they make it look effortless. they bring their all into every single performance they do. i love watching their performances. i love the energy, i feel energized after watching a video of them performing. i love their adlibs, i love how tight they are with choreo, and how wild they get when they can just walk around the stage and interact with fans. i love jimin’s shouts and growls in every song he sings. i love jk showing off his stellar vocals. i love jin showcasing his freaking amazing vocal abilities for the world to see. i love v’s raspy vocals and how they sound live with an audience. i love hobi’s energy. i love suga hopping around and spitting fire like he’s talking about the weather. i love namjoon all hyped and having the time of his life dancing with his members and the fans.

one more thing final i’ll mention, and that i think anyone who’s seen them together has noticed, is the deep connection the members have with each other. i’ve noticed that with some other groups, there tends to be sub-groups and pairs or little groups of members that are closer to each other than with everyone. i don’t see that with bts ever. ofc, every dynamic is different, but you can tell they are all family. it’s the kind of love and connection you just can’t fake. it’s the kind of love that goes beyond just being in the same group together. in my idealistic view of the world and universe, i truly do believe that bts are 7 soulmates that were lucky enough to have found each other. like, every time i think about all the things that had to happen for them to be where they are today, i’m floored. from jungkook being scouted by 6 other agencies (3 of which are the biggest idol companies in korea) and choosing small label bighit because of rm, from v only going to that audition to support his friend and not to participate himself, to jin turning down sm because he thought it was a scam, or hobi landing on bighit and not jyp when they split, or rm trading his surely brilliant academic career for music, or yoongi fighting so hard for his dream he would walk home and skip meals. these boys have such an incredible amount of dedication to music, to each other and to us that just makes me so freaking emotional. they not once have taken any of it for granted. they know what it is like to struggle for your passions. they know what it’s like to feel like you’re not good enough. you see it every time they win an award or surpass another landmark in their career. they’ve stayed humble and not once taken army for granted. it’s beautiful to see.

and that is why, in my opinion, bts are as successful and as amazing as they are. none of it is coincidence (see what i did there). it’s their hard work, it’s their insane amount of talent, it’s their combined efforts to make music no one has done before. it’s their thoughtfulness and dedication. it’s their honest to goodness genius. and maybe, i guess, a little bit of serendipity as well.

[airadam]

Episode 132 : All Love

"They don't never see the work, only results of it."

- Rapper Big Pooh

Another month inside, and one that has been tinged with sadness; we say Rest In Power to Ty, Andre Harrell, and the soul legend Betty Wright. The month's selection starts with a favourite of mine from Ty's catalogue, and though the styles change, we keep a steady pace all the way through - I know some of you are running to try and stay in shape during this time, so I hope it helps!

Twitter : @airadam13

Twitch : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Ty ft. Kwadjo and Michelle Escoffery : Ha Ha

"Feeling like my left toe's equal to Pele" - always loved that line, I think it's the delivery! We start off with a track from Ty's second studio album ("Upwards"), which was also on the B-side of the "Groovement" 12". From the off, he was an artist who never pretended to be anything other than who he was and represented his life with skill and humour, which is well-demonstrated here! The beat is kind of staccato, with no hi-hat between drum beats and the synth bass stabbing in hard. Wicked tune from one of our greats who will be sadly missed.

[Dante Ross] Casual : Turf Dirt (Instrumental)

The 2001 "VIP" single was dope, but the headline track was definitely an example of an artist trying to step into the unfamiliar sonic territory of the club lane! "Turf Dirt" was the last track of three, and the B-side has instrumentals of everything - in this case, Dante Ross with a stomper.

J-Live : Harder

I'd almost forgotten about this one until it turned up as part of the vinyl digitisation project! A 2005 single release from "The Hear After", this is a loud and proud statement of intent from one of the hardest-working artists in the business. The beat is courtesy of the five-headed production team "The Fire Dept", who also did some work for GZA the same year and have also performed as his live band.

Conway the Machine : Be Proud Of Me

Buffalo's Conway is an artist who knows of the life that he speaks, and this is a really personal track. He's clawed his way up to a career as a respected MC, but as you can hear, not everyone with him was really with him as he tried to make it. Khrysis is on production, giving this real-life story an appropriately downbeat backing, on the penultimate cut on "EIF 2 : Eat What U Kill".

Big Twan ft. Big Kwam : The Hellgate Rebel

This track has some of my favourite scratches on a rap record of all time, with Tony Vegas of the Scratch Perverts flaring out in an ill fashion! The deep listeners might know Big Twan from his debut professional appearance, a verse on Big L's "8 Iz Enuff", but the "One Time 4 The Lyricist" 12" is his sole vinyl release as a soloist. The main track is heavy, and having this on there as well makes the vinyl a great addition to your library. It's a meeting of the Bigs, with Twan sharing mic time with the UK MC Big Kwam over a killer beat from The Creators - the horns and bass might be the drivers, but check the plucked guitar-type sounds all over the verses too. 

Genaside II ft. Eek-A-Mouse : Just As Rough

The UK's Genaside II were a really unique crew who had Hip-Hop, rave, jungle, and more in their stylistic blend. In various combinations and configurations since the 90s, they've been a low-key influence on quite a few big names, despite being unknown to many! This track is from their debut "New Life 4 The Hunted", and features the legendary reggae artist Eek-A-Mouse on vocals, telling a story of a hard life on the streets. If you've got the ear for something a bit different - especially if you like D&B or breakbeat - then the album is well worth picking up if you see it.

Blue Stone : Lost Sun

This is probably a bit "New Age"-y and ambient for some if heard in isolation, but I think it fits well here! It's got a little bit of a north African/Arab vibe to the drums at the start, and builds up from a gentle start to a thundering peak before easing back down. It's one of the many well-produced tracks on the 2007 "Worlds Apart" LP.

The Mouse Outfit ft. One Only : Sunrise

Brand new single, and perfect for the season! An all-Manchester affair with One Only showing versatility on the mic, and Chini and Metrodome taking the production reins. A welcome return, no doubt.

Pitch 92 ft. Tyler Daley : Confused

Chilled again, Manchester again, this time from the "3rd Culture" album from last year. Pitch 92 showed the talent from early in his career, and the release of his producer project was great to see.  If you're looking for top-shelf local mic expertise, Tyler Daley should be one of the first names on the list, and you get him switching effortlessly between the bars many don't recognise him for and the singing voice that they do.

Black Star ft. Black Thought : Respiration (Pete Rock Remix)

No doubt, the original "Respiration" from the "Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star" LP is a great track. But how do you make it better? First off, bring in Black Thought, one of those who could be described as "your favourite MC's favourite MC". That kicks things up a notch. Not enough? Ok, why not bring Pete Rock in to remix it? This should be illegal. Brilliant re-working of the 1998 classic, which I'm pulling from the "4 Pete Sake" (bootleg?) remix compilation, but which is also on the B-side of the main single. 

Camp Lo : Life I Love

I absolutely loved the "Ragtime Hightimes" album, and while there are many tracks that are more of an immediate sonic hit, this one is a quiet killer. This is a group who need to be called in to score a heist movie, as they drop slang-heavy, super-dense rhymes about a glamourised crime life all over a Ski beat that's as cool as the other side of the pillow.

[Prince Kaysaan] Royal Flush : Can't Help It (Instrumental)

Kaysaan's run may "only" have been a few releases between 1997 and 1998, but he forever gets props for this one from "Ghetto Millionaire" alone. The combo of an 80s R&B sample with the filter coming in and out together with crispy jazz-sourced drums made this a late 90s winner that I'm happy to throw on a mixtape anytime.

Kris Kross ft. Da Brat, Aaliyah, Jermaine Dupri, and Mr Black: Live and Die for Hip-Hop (DJ Clark Kent Mix)

RIP Chris Kelly, gone seven years as of this month. Most people don't even realise that Kris Kross continued to record after their "Jump" and "I Missed The Bus" days, but they did indeed, and this is a remix of a track from their third and final album, 1996's "Young, Rich, & Dangerous". Laid back, cooled out, but in a different and even better-done fashion to the LP version - that bass flavour is definitely working.

Little Brother : Work Through Me

The return of Little Brother last year was much-welcomed by those who've been with them since the beginning, and they are standouts when it comes to bringing the changes in their lives into the music. This is a track about not just their own music career, but getting up every day and doing your best - which is pretty appropriate right now. Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh have continued to improve with age, and while 9th Wonder didn't join them this time, Focus and BlaaqGold slay this bumping and soulful beat.

Reks : Due Diligence

The "Revolution Cocktail" album by Reks seems to have all but disappeared - you won't find it on Spotify, and I can't find it on Amazon or other download sites either. It's a shame, as I think he had some high-quality tracks on there. I don't have a producer credit for this, but the beat was what drew me in first. You can almost hear Reks warming up on the first few bars before he hits his stride and brings it home. The Massachusetts native is incredibly slept on, even after twelve albums - but I appreciate the grind.

Boyz II Men ft. Erick Sermon, Redman, Keith Murray, and 2 Ta Da Head : Vibin' (Kenny Smoove Remix)

As @DragonflyJonez recently suggested, you might not be able to think of any gatherings where it was demanded that Boyz II Men be put on, but this might be an exception! Kenny Smoove was part of the Untouchables collective that also included Eddie F, Dave "Jam" Hall, and one Pete Rock, and he did his thing on this remix. Granted, I'm not exactly Mr R&B, but this slaughters the original, not least because he brings in heavy artillery - the whole Def Squad, headed up by Erick Sermon. There's a whole 12" of remixes that this is drawn from, should you want to hear some alternative takes!

Ilajide : Mothership Connection 1-2

Detroit in the house, with the trademark bump of Clear Soul Forces' Ilajide, from his killer 2015 "Latex" LP.

Bronx Slang : Excuse Me Officer

We close with a great track from 2019's debut LP from the link up of Jerry Beeks and Ollie Miggs - Bronx Slang. If you're very eagle-eared, you'll recognise a couple of these bars from the track I did with Jerry Beeks ("I'm A Cop"), which is on episode 86 of the podcast! Sadly, as this topic continues to be relevant, new names enter the roll of the fallen, and Beeks expands still further on police violence.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

[voodoochili]

My Favorite Albums of 2017

Thanks to the magic of Spotify Premium, I was able to listen to over 150 new albums this year. Most of them were pretty good! It took weeks, but I was finally able to piece together a list of the year’s best that I’m happy with! Here is the list of my favorites, spanning several genres and countries of origin. Hopefully, you enjoy the read and maybe find something you’ll love!

And, oh, while you’re here, check out In Itinere, the new EP by my band The Chordaes: https://open.spotify.com/album/79kKlk7OYfu1G62AjD3nlk

Check below for the Top 20, plus a ranked list from 21-50, and honorable mentions. I’ve included Spotify links for each of the top 20. Happy New Year and Happy Listening!

The Top 20:

20. Future – HNDRXX: Departing from his usual dark-night-of-the-soul-trap aesthetic, HNDRXX shows another side of Future—the unapologetic pop star. Packed with potential hits, (none of which, obviously, connected at actual radio), HNDRXX paints a glorious picture of a future (no pun intended) where pop, R&B, and rap meld into an invigorating hybrid. The stretch from “Damage” to “Fresh Air” represents some of the most accessible, emotional, and best work of Future’s prolific career.

19. Björk – Utopia: People often lament that the influence of the smartphone has driven people to isolate themselves from the physical world. Not Björk. On Utopia, which she describes as her “Tinder album,” technology has the power of bringing people closer together—“I literally think I am five minutes away from love,” she warbles on “Features Creatures.” Moving beyond the harsh, metallic soundscapes of Vulnicura, written and recorded at the end of a decades-long relationship, Utopia is a blissful and pastoral record, populated by flutes and bird sounds and overflowing with joy.

18. Smino – Blkswn: Powered by future funk production courtesy of Monte Booker, Smino’s first proper album makes good on years of promising SoundCloud singles. The perfect antidote of the flat-voiced rap-n-b perpetrated by Drake and PartyNextDoor, Smino’s voice has an underlying bluesiness and soul that grounds Booker’s soundscapes and paints a picture of the rapper’s life as a St. Louis transplant in Chicago. Highlights from Blkswn include the sweetly sung, romantic “Netflix & Dusse,” the unconventionally lustful “Anita,” and the gorgeous “Glass Flows,” a duet with frequent collaborator Ravyn Lenae.

17. Playboi Carti – Playboi Carti: Dancing on the perimeter of his own cavernous cloud-trap, Playboi Carti is hip-hop’s pre-eminent wave-rider Blessed by the wizardry of producer Pi’erre Bourne, a master of counter-melodies whose beats are as danceable as they are sonically absorbing, Playboi Carti might be mindless ear candy, but rarely has that candy been this sweet.

16. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – The French Press: A Melbourne-based five-piece with three distinct singers and lead guitarists, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever overwhelm with a veritable avalanche of jangly guitars.  With overlapping lyrics and guitar lines that evoke a conversation with constant interruptions, The French Press is a decidedly Aussie take on guitar pop—an album-length exploration of the guitar tornado from The Velvet Underground’s “What Goes On.”

15. Tyler, The Creator – Flower Boy: Ditching the shock tactics and abrasive sonics of his earlier projects, Tyler, The Creator creates a vibrant, pastoral, even peaceful, jazz-influenced soundscape on Flower Boy. As you can possibly tell by the tongue-in-cheek title, Flower Boy is Tyler’s “sensitive” record, and the one that feels more in-touch with Tyler Okonma, not the monster he Created. Whether exploring his loneliness on “911,” existential ennui on “Boredom,” or casually revealing his fluid sexuality on the album’s hardest rap track “I Ain’t Got Time,” Tyler manages to subvert rap tropes even on his most mainstream release.

14. Ulver – The Assassination of Julius Caesar: Straight outta Norway, where the sun shines for approximately 5 minutes in the winter, erstwhile Black Metal band Ulver’s latest is a goth-industrial epic, foregoing noise for Depeche Mode-esque orchestral pop. The songwriting is as ambitious and accomplished as the music, imbuing important events in modern history (the Battle of Dunkirk, the death of Princess Diana) with the grandeur and majesty of Greek (or Norse) myth. It’s easy to get lost in the band’s world as it lights up the sunless sky with cascading falsetto harmonies, sweeping strings, and massive drums.

13. Bedouine – Bedouine: Born in Aleppo, Syria, raised in Saudi Arabia and three of the United States before eventually settling in California, Azniv Korkejian is as nomadic as the tribe that inspired her name. Her gentle, gorgeous debut album as Bedouine reflects the sunshine of her adopted home, but retains a lived-in melancholy that reflects her turbulent past. Evoking the big names in singer-songwriter-ing in equal measure (Bob, Joni, Carole, and especially Leonard on the single “Solitary Daughter”), her best track is her most atypical: the mournful, haunting sound collage “Summer Cold,” about the transformation of Aleppo from a vibrant city to a horrific war zone.

12. Algiers – The Underside of Power: Cataloging hundreds of years of oppression in one densely-packed fusion of DC hardcore, post-punk, and southern soul, The Underside of Power is a tough, but invigorating listen, explaining our nation’s bitterest conflicts with a beat you can dance, or at least mosh, to.

11. Oxbow – Thin Black Duke: A heavy, and loosely conceptual album, Thin Black Duke is a theatrical blend of noise rock, avant-jazz, and blues, dominated by frontman Eugene Robinson’s inimitable baritone, which gurgles, bellows, and stretches out syllables like taffy.

10. Mozzy – 1 Up Top Ahk: The game’s most reliable purveyor of starkly honest and soulful slaps, Sacramento rapper Mozzy had a prolific 2017, releasing five projects in the year’s first eight months. Though they were all worth a listen, the strongest and most substantial of these releases was 1 Up Top Ahk, his “official” album. Somehow only 30-years-old, Mozzy has the presence of a grizzled vet, relaying empathetic and violent street tales, flashing internal rhyme, and stacking syllables with the most pronounced NorCal accent in modern hip-hop. Despite the glistening mob instrumentals from frequent collaborator Juneonnabeat (don’t shoot him in the street) and other Bay Area mainstays, Mozzy’s life is not glamorous—the violence he depicts is not stylish, just an ugly fact of life about providing for his family. Featuring appearances from kindred spirits like Boosie, Jay Rock, and (in one of the project’s highlights) the late The Jacka, 1 Up Top Ahk proves Mozzy’s worth as a successor to the struggle rap throne.

9. Moses Sumney – Aromanticism: Dripping with emotion and otherworldly sexuality, Moses Sumney’s voice might be the purest and most versatile instrument in modern music. On Aromanticism, Sumney stacks, loops, and manipulates his voice to create an unclassifiable hybrid of art rock, neo-soul, and cosmic jazz. The songs on the album generally follow a similar structure, with Sumney’s angelic falsetto rising above plaintive piano chords or a snaking guitar line or rippling harp, gradually opening up into an orchestral tapestry at the song’s climax. But the lush beauty of the arrangements, coupled with Sumney’s emotional songwriting and unique voice, ensures that the album never grows stale. There’s no need to tinker with a formula that works as well as Sumney’s—after all, Monet never got tired of painting water lilies, did he?

8. Migos – Culture: It’s hard to believe when you think about it now, but in Summer 2016, Migos was an afterthought--an act that despite its youth seemed to be past their peak of popularity, latching onto the “Dab” craze as if their career depended on it. That changed in October 2016, when the trio dropped “Bad & Boujee,” a titanic banger that built enough momentum to reach #1 on the Billboard charts. How could Migos possibly live up to the massive expectations they built with “Bad and Boujee”? Well, an easy way is to make an album where “Bad & Boujee” is only the 4th or 5th best track. Culture was the most consistently replayable and enjoyable rap album of 2017, overflowing with infectious ad-libs and an impressive arsenal of distinct flows (not just the triplets!). The highlight of the album, and possibly of human civilization, is “T-Shirt,” a lurching drug dealers’ anthem that showcases the individual talents of the three-headed monster: Quavo’s smooth melodicism, Takeoff’s blunt-force bars, and Offset’s chameleonic and charismatic combination of the best qualities of the other two.

7. Alex Lahey – I Love You Like a Brother: Combining the dry witticism (and Aussie-ness) of Courtney Barnett with the bubblegum overdrive guitar riffs and emotional sincerity of Weezer, Alex Lahey’s I Love You Like a Brother was my biggest surprise of 2017. Shamelessly layering her tracks with unstoppable melodies, “whoa-ohs,” and “wee-ooohs,” Lahey has the acuity to make those massive moments feel earned. Even if you don’t normally go for pop-punk (which I don’t), Lahey’s debut is insanely fun, with sing-along anthems like the surprisingly literal title track, the grungy “Lotto In Reverse,” the plaintive vocal standout “There’s No Money,” and the standout, generation-defining “I Haven’t Been Taking Care of Myself,” highlighting the hookiest rock record I heard all year.

6. King Krule – The OOZ: On The OOZ, Archy Marshall piles trip-hop, lounge jazz, rock-n-roll, and beat poetry into a blender and arrives at the most evocative imagination of the grimy underworld of the soul since peak-era Tom Waits. Though they have similar low, scratchy, bellowing voices, King Krule doesn’t sound like Waits (except on “Vidual” which is a dead-wringer for the first side of Rain Dogs), but The OOZ is an engrossing, hour-long trip through the 23-year-old’s mind. The album wallows in an unconventional sort of beauty, with Marshall airing his anxieties with his ungodly growl over clean, snaking guitar lines, creating an unforgettable ambience that sounds like the late-night act at the last jazz club standing after a nuclear apocalypse. Explained Marshall, “The Ooz for me represents … your sweat, your nails, the sleep that comes out of your eyes, your dead skin. All of those creations that you have to refine.” It’s a perfect title and a great metaphor—The OOZ synthesizes Marshall’s ugly thoughts and disparate influences and refines them into a style that is all his own, topped off with his striking, evocative, and poetic lyrics: “She sits as dust, with an earthly pus in a capsule on my tongue/And I think of what we've done and sink into where she sunk.”

5. Susanne Sundfor – Music For People in Trouble: When I first heard Music For People in Trouble, I was slightly disappointed. Ten Love Songs, the last album by Norwegian pop artist Susanne Sundfør, was a gothic masterpiece—a maximalist pop epic that resembled the lovechild of ABBA, Siouxsie Sioux, and Johann Sebastian Bach. Music For People in Trouble, on the other hand, is a relatively simple record, eschewing the grandiose arrangements of Ten Love Songs in favor of sparse recordings that feature only one or two accompanying instruments. As I spent more time with the album, however, I began to focus more on the songs on their own terms, and marvel at the power of Sundfør’s quivering soprano. Few living songwriters can write a melody like the classically-trained Sundfør; they lilt one moment, soar the next, and always reach unexpected, yet natural resolutions. If Ten Love Songs was an ode to the turbulent heart, Music For People in Trouble offers serenity for the aggrieved with gorgeous folk songs like “Mantra” or “Reincarnation,” pop power ballads like “Undercover,” and the pastoral dirge “No One Believes in Love Anymore.”

4. Sacred Paws – Strike a Match: An erudite indie pop group that uses African polyrhythms and snaking guitars to explore the intricacies of modern life—where have I heard that before? While Vampire Weekend is a great band, they often seemed like dilettantes when dipping their toes into African waters; not so for Sacred Paws, the muscular brainchild of guitar/drums duo Rachel Aggs and Elidh Rodgers. On Strike A Match, the duo adds a horn section to the revue, imbuing bouncy, skeletal pop songs like “Nothing” and “Everyday” with an added grandeur, in the process creating the most invigorating and danceable rock album of the year.

3. Slowdive – Slowdive: The most melodic and majestic of the English bands that comprised the Shoegaze movement’s late ‘80s/early ‘90s heyday, Slowdive reunited after a 21-year absence to deliver their second magnum opus. Filled with buzzing guitar riffs and heavenly harmonies, Slowdive is enveloping and engrossing, a triumph of atmospheric dream pop. Foregoing the ornate space operatics of 1996’s Pygmalion, the group’s self-titled 2017 album is a proper follow-up to 1993’s classic Souvlaki, one of my all-time favorite albums. Couching gorgeous, soaring melodies within circular bursts of noise and distortion, the band augmented their signature strain of shoegaze with tighter songwriting and a broader palette of musical ideas, whether embracing Glass-like minimalism on “Falling Ashes,” incorporating massive ‘80s drums on “No Longer Making Time,” or schooling imitators with dream-pop classics like “Sugar For The Pill” or “Don’t Know Why.” A master class in emotional dynamics, Slowdive establishes the band as not just genre stalwarts, but as uniquely gifted in the realm of sonic world-building.

2. Big Thief – Capacity: Last year, Big Thief drew national attention with the album Masterpiece, a cathartic and intelligent set of songs. Turns out, they might have used that title a year too early. Delicate and devastating, Capacity is a leap forward for the young band—a mature and varied collection of stories and moods, and an intimate exploration of human emotion. Led by Adrienne Lenker, with her literary gift for finding the extraordinary in mundane moments, the album derives its strength from its simple, yet note-perfect arrangements that augment and provide emphasis for the lyrics. Make no mistake, Capacity is a heavy album—the gorgeous “Mythological Beauty” embodies the point of view of a mother during a child’s graphic near-death experience, and the astonishing “Haley” finds Lenker in the bargaining stage of grief—but it’s buoyed by the inventive arrangements, the power of the band, and the winsome fragility of Lenker’s voice. But beyond all that, Capacity feels necessary, like if Lenker didn’t write these songs, the emotional weight would have been too much to bear. As a listener, I’m eternally grateful she decided to grace us with her music.

1. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.: Ladies and gentlemen, the artist of the decade. I listened to well over 200 new albums in 2017, but this is the one to which I kept coming back, the one that never left my rotation. Only Kendrick could make three (four if you count untitled unmastered) straight albums of rap tracks deep and innovative enough to satisfy critics, while also landing at #1 on the Billboard 200 year-end chart. It’s so haaaard to be humble…

2015′s To Pimp a Butterfly was an insanely ambitious future jazz odyssey, with Kendrick Lamar looking outward, trying to find a universal theory of race relations in the United States, but never quite coming up with a satisfactory answer. On DAMN., Kendrick looks inward, reckoning with his own rising star and asking a simple question: is it possible to live the life of a rap star and still be accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven? With songs with titles that tackle the multitude of feelings, values, and desires we all contain, DAMN. paints a vivid portrait of the artist as a 30-year-old man, expertly rendering Kendrick’s inner conflict into his most “traditional” rap album to date. There are plenty of themes and lines that repeat throughout the project (Kendrick, like everybody else, really hates FOX News), but there is no overarching storyline or unifying concept. Instead, Kendrick gives us the clearest glimpse yet into his personality and what drives him—his love for his high school sweetheart-turned-fiancé on the gorgeous “LOVE,” his fear of death on “FEAR,” (man, these titles really spell out the themes, don’t they?), and the difficulty of remaining level-headed despite being so goddamned dope that it should be illegal on the smash hit “HUMBLE.” And it all ends at the beginning with “DUCKWORTH,” a superhero origin story (or more accurately, a prequel) that explains how small decisions can have life-altering consequences. 

Best of the Rest:

21. Nick Hakim – Green Twins 22. The Clientele – Music for the Age of Miracles 23. Cornelius – Mellow Waves 24. Anna Wise – The Feminine: Act II 25. Young Thug – Beautiful Thugger Girls 26. Broken Social Scene – Hug of Thunder 27. SZA – Ctrl 28. Kelly Lee Owens – Kelly Lee Owens 29. Nadine Shah – Holiday Destination 30. Guerilla Toss – GT Ultra 31. Jens Lekman – Life Will See You Now 32. Deem Spencer – We Think We’re Alone 33. Jay-Z – 4:44 34. The Mountain Goats - Goths 35. Forest Swords – Compassion 36. Ty Dolla $ign – Beach House 3 37. Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 3 38. Ibeyi – Ash 39. Daniel Caesar – Freudian 40. Charly Bliss – Guppy 41. Sinkane – Life & Livin’ It 42. Kamasi Washington – The Harmony of Difference 43. Bicep – Bicep 44. Rexx Life Raj – Father Figure 2: Flourish 45. Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory 46. YoungBoy Never Broke Again – AI Youngboy 47. Jason Isbell – The Nashville Sound 48. Do Make Say Think – Stubborn Persisent Illusions 49. Pile – A Hairshirt of Purpose 50. Fred Thomas – Changer

Honorable Mentions: Jay Som – Everybody Works Kelela – Take Me Apart Blanck Mass - World Eater Drab Majesty – The Demonstration Caddywhompus – Odd Hours Talaboman – The Night Land Kelela – Take Me Apart Lowly – Heba Jidenna – The Chief Landlady – The World is a Loud Place J Hus – Common Sense Miguel – War & Leisure