LISTEN UP: BEST ALBUMS OF 2019

PSYCHODRAMA

BY DAVE

Winner of the prestigious Mercury Prize award, on his debut album Psychodrama Dave isn’t ashamed to bare all. Listening to it lends a lesson in what it is to be a young black person in London, especially memorable songs such as Black and Location, which was recorded with Nigerian rapper, Burna Boy.

WHEN I GET HOME

BY SOLANGE

Blending jazz, R&B, hip hop and rap - this soulful album from Solange dropped in March and was an instant success. On it she explores her hometown Houston, Texas, and has a series of notable contributions from the likes of Tyler, the Creator, Sampha and Gucci Mane.

OUTER PEACE

BY TORO Y MOI

Toro y Moi’s Outer Peace may have come out at the beginning of the year, but to us it’s the sound of summer. Fast beats, synthy layers and several (dare I say) catchy tunes in Freelance, Fading and Ordinary Pleasure, it’s brimming with easy-listening singalongs that when played in the car make your mates say ‘who's this again?’ Recording music since 2001, this is the album that defines Chaz Bear as Calvin Harris for the cool kids.

AFRICAN GIANT

BY BURNA BOY

Fusing sounds from Afrobeat, Reggae and R&B, African Giant is the fourth album from Nigerian artist Burna Boy. His collaborations with Stormzy, Dave and Jorja Smith (who appears on the album’s Gum Body) this year, along with his Coachella performance, has put Nigerian pop on the music map in 2019. Oozing with tales of colonialism sometimes referenced in his mother tongue, African Giant is as much as an awakening history lesson as it is a great album.

WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO?

BY BILLIE EILLISH

Responsible for knocking off Lil’ Nas X from the No.1 spot with Bad Guy, Billie Eilish is the popstar with a dark side. Her 2019 album, When We Fall Asleep Where Do We Go? is gothic-pop at its finest. Xanny, another hit from the album, has a video directed by the artist herself, making her accomplished even for a Gen Z-er.

CUZ’ I LOVE YOU

BY LIZZO

A role model to many, Lizzo has had a major impact on us all this year. A major advocate for body positivity and feminism, when hearing her songs it’s impossible to not feel good. Her album Cuz’ I Love You is soul and sass put into 11 tracks, including her anthem Juice.

GHOSTEEN

BY NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS

The first album since the death of his son in 2015, Nick Cave’s Ghosteen is full of memories and mourning. As you’d perhaps expect, it’s mainly an ambient and electronic album - with a little piano and sweet harmonies.

FINE LINE

BY HARRY STYLES

The journey of Harry Styles from boy in a band to international singer, actor and fashion mogul has been one of the decade’s most defining transitions. Fine Line was a late release for 2019, and yet it’s already proved to be his best yet. He explores his heartbreak through catchy country-esque ballads made modern with an overlay of synthy sounds.

HEAVY IS THE HEAD

BY STORMZY

It’s been an epic year for Stormzy - he’s collaborated with Ed Sheeran, Burna Boy, Aitch and Yebba, not to mention his unmissable Glastonbury headline performance. Ending it with an album release was the cherry on top. Top singles include Vossi Bop, Wiley Flow and Own It, and the album artwork, featuring himself on the cover with a crown and the Union Jack-adorned bulletproof vest he wore at Glastonbury, was designed by Banksy.

NORMAN FUCKING ROCKWELL!

BY LANA DEL RAY

Lana Del Ray, with her ethereal lullabies and love stories, is the essence of modern American pop. Talking about money, glory, heartache and Hollywood, Del Ray is known for discussing and dissecting the American Dream in her albums, but it’s this one, Norman Fucking Rockwell!, that is her finest hour for songwriting. Deeply entrenched in American culture references, as the album’s title suggests, it’s tracks like Hope is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like me to Have - But I Have it that demonstrate she’s more than a popstar.

DIASPORA

BY GOLD LINK

Afrobeats, dancehall and street rap come together in GoldLink’s official debut album. He described it as “a carefully curated journey through sound touching many corners of the world” in an interview with Apple Music.

ASSUME FORM

BY JAMES BLAKE

A romantic album about his relationship with Jameela Jamil, Assume Form is a masterpiece of modern love. Blake reveals how he moved from London to Los Angeles to be with his girlfriend, and each song reflects on different difficulties - whether this be anxiety, immaturity or merely location. Collaborations include Rosalía and André 3000. Need we say more?

URH, THOSE FEELINGS AGAIN

BY SNOH AALEGRA

Humorously named Urgh, Those Feelings Again, Snoh Aalegra explores the ups and downs of love - dramatic highs and manic lows - and normalises them with honest lyrics and soulful sounds. Standout tracks include I Want You Around and Love Like That.

ALL MIRRORS

BY ANGEL OLSEN

Angel Olsen’s enigmatic All Mirrors is split in two. On the one hand you have the guitar-centric sounds of a singer-songwriter from North Carolina, and then on the other there’s grand orchestral sounds and a lush fullness that’s very Scott Walker meets Beach Boys. Yes please.