An album’s cover can make or break the overall message. photo by Sony Calhoun
Some album recommendations to fix your attention span.
With the introduction of TikTok, Instagram, and other apps that favor short form content, the music industry has undergone dramatic changes to accommodate new expectations and attention spans. The music industry is now tailored to the demand for speed, brevity, and the constant need for something new. Artists have cut their song’s bridges, often capping their runtime at two minutes. Hyperpop, a genre with very short songs, has taken the music industry by storm. People have been left wondering, “what happened to music?”
Album rollouts used to be an art, a specialized craft, and one of the main defining factors of an artist’s career. Nowadays, the focus has shifted from album success to billboard success. Artists are desperate to make songs that are catchy and addicting to avoid falling into irrelevance. There was a time when artists took their time to create a collection of work that told a story and invited listeners to explore a sonic world. Although short-form content has taken the world by storm in the past ten years, there are still some incredible albums being released. While some of these albums have hits or popular songs within them, I think the experience of sitting down and listening to an album is something special. Here are five albums from the last 15 years that I personally enjoyed, and maybe you will too! This list is in no particular ranking or order, it is just a collection of albums I enjoy and listen to on repeat.
Sincerely, by Kali Uchis
Kali Uchis is most famous for being a bilingual popstar who enchants audiences from all over the world. She is recognizable by her versatile style and aesthetic. Uchis’ most recent album came after she had experienced two major life events: the birth of her son and the death of her mother, whom she had a complicated relationship with. Uchis’ new perspective on life and death is explored in the album, while also speaking on topics like becoming a new mother, and experiencing a loving relationship with her partner, Don Toliver. Sincerely, succeeds her two latin pop records, Red Moon in Venus and ORQUIDEAS. As opposed to following the ethereal latin pop style, Uchis decides to take a more stripped down, indie pop approach similar to the style of Clairo or Lana Del Rey. The album opens with a hopeful song, called “Heaven is a Home,” which blurs the lines between heaven and earth, speaking on her grief from her mother’s passing, and hope for a better future. Tracks “Sugar! Honey! Love!” and “Lose My Cool” follow in pursuit, painting a portrait of the older and wiser Uchis. While her last two records have celebrated her femininity and sexuality, Uchis presents herself this time as a wiser maternal figure with a new perspective on life and love. However, the old Uchis is not lost. She recalls her deeply sensual roots in tracks like “Silk Lingerie,” and “Territorial.” In this more stripped down version of Uchis, she invites the listener into a lush world created with dreamy guitars, sage lyrics, and light soprano tones. While Uchis has had some iconic features in the past, she opted to complete the original album solo, adding to the personally introspective themes of the record. However, she did collaborate with Mariah the Scientist and Ravyn Lenae in the deluxe album, Sincerely, P.S. The style of this record is definitely reminiscent of those of The Marias and boygenius. This album is definitely one of Uchis’ best and can be enjoyed by many people outside of her usual fanbase, due to the genres that the record expands over.
My Top Three: Sugar! Honey! Love!, Silk Lingerie, Lose My Cool
Sunburn, by Dominic Fike
Despite my love for chilly weather and cups of hot cocoa, I’m already thinking about summer. When I want to think back to a warmer time, I always come back to this album. Hailing from his hometown of Naples, Florida, Dominic Fike almost lives in endless summer, and it shows in his bright and fun indie rock tracks. What separates Fike from his peers in the music industry is his ability to seamlessly blend genres like rock music and rap. While Fike had already begun his craft of genre-blending and creating a signature sound on his albums Don’t Forget About Me, Demos, and What Could Possibly Go Wrong? His sound feels solidified in a more official way on this third record. In a personal love letter to adolescence, Fike gives listeners a window into his life, detailing his struggles with fame, drug addiction, growing up, and even his romantic relationship with Euphoria actress Hunter Schafer. Drawing inspiration from legends like Weezer and Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the album blends indie, rock, rap, and an abstract sound totally unique to Fike. The record features the aforementioned band Weezer on track three, “Think Fast,” as well as Fike’s younger sister, Apollonia Fike–more commonly referred to as Apple Fike–on the hit single “Mama’s Boy.” This record is special because it gives devoted fans and casual listeners alike a very clear image of Fike’s experience as a teenager and young adult. Over the course of the record, the listener learns about Fike’s romances with high school sweethearts and hollywood giants, a long battle with addiction, and his newly found struggles of fame as he reflects back onto his adolescent life as a homeless teen cramming into a motel suite with his mother and siblings. Although Fike’s story is unique, his words and musical arrangement resonate with many young adults. The album feels like a complete retelling of Fike’s life up until the creation of Sunburn, and contextualizes all of his other works in a way that feels seamless and complete.
My Top Three: Sunburn, Dark, Frisky
CTRL, by SZA
CTRL is one of the strongest debuts an R&B artist has ever had. This record is especially resonant with young women, detailed by themes of modern dating, female sexuality, and coming of age. This record reaches such a wide demographic because it is such a relatable piece of artwork. The title “CTRL” is described by SZA as a life concept where all humans struggle with the existence of control: if it’s real, if we have enough, or if we even really possess it. This album was really a breakthrough moment at the time of its release in 2017 because SZA wasn’t afraid to sing about all the ugly moments of girlhood. SZA’s music isn’t just for a specific gender though, the relatability of her music transcends any “box” that anyone could fit into. This album is a no skip record, with songs and lyrics that can resonate through any phase of life. Despite the versatility of the album, it is mostly central to themes of young adulthood and feeling like you have nothing figured out. CTRL shows a raw image of dating in the digital age and the multifaceted nature of dating as an adult. SZA shows herself as a victim of the dating scene in songs like “Love Galore” and “Normal Girl” but also as a side chick and potential villain in somebody else’s story in “The Weekend.” Originally released in 2017, the album continues to maintain its social and cultural relevance, which I think speaks for the quality of the work SZA has done.
My Top Three: Normal Girl, Drew Barrymore, Garden (Say It Like Dat)
SO CLOSE TO WHAT??? (DELUXE), by Tate McRae
Tate McRae is almost notorious for struggling to achieve the phenomenon known as being “main pop girl.” In general, she’s had many struggles and setbacks in her career. Before the release of her third album, So Close To What, her entire album was leaked along with 400 other songs she had in early production. Due to these setbacks, McRae was forced to record some new songs to put on the album at the last minute while on tour for her sophomore album, THINK LATER. Despite the new songs being ready on time, all the vinyl records, CDs, and cassette tapes had been made with the original tracklist, and thousands of units of merchandise were sold with content that didn’t align with the official album release. But with what most would deem a catastrophic album release, the Canadian superstar found a way to turn an expected failure into her brand. Selling shirts that say “leak THIS,” while also including fan favorite songs like “Siren Sounds” and “ANYTHING BUT LOVE” on the deluxe, McRae has redefined the meaning of being a “main pop girl.” When superstar status used to require perfection, now it’s all about turning lemons into lemonade.
Another way this album has become iconic is the continuity between the original album release and the deluxe. The original album had a sassy, in-your-face theme centered around McRae’s persona, Tatiana. Tatiana represents the “game face” that McRae puts on when she enters the stage to perform. The album exudes confidence and sensuality, showing McRae grow into the adult version of herself. On the B-side of the record, McRae becomes more vulnerable, detailing her struggles to open up to a new relationship with rapper The Kid Laroi, and other aspects of their relationship. Even featuring Laroi on the record in a duet called “I Know Love.” It seemed as McRae was smitten during the creation of the album. However, by the time the deluxe version of the album rolled around, things had changed. Now taking on a darker aesthetic, McRae released a deluxe that included songs at the beginning of the tracklist, as opposed to at the end like many artists. On this version of the album, McRae sings about enjoying the single life in “NOBODY’S GIRL” and feeling heartbroken despite her privilege in life in “HORSESHOE.” My personal favorite, “TIT FOR TAT” is a diss track on McRae’s now ex boyfriend The Kid Laroi. The deluxe shows are the same popstar we’ve seen before, but now single as opposed to falling in love. The audience can see McRae’s character development between the two albums all while she continued to tour around the world.
My Top Three: TIT FOR TAT, It’s ok I’m ok, Means I care
thank u, next, by Ariana Grande
On the topic of pop superstars, it’s impossible not to talk about Ariana Grande. Grande dominated the pop scene during the 2010s. With multiple #1 hits, world tours, and even a grammy award winning record, Sweetener. Grande was at the height of her career in 2019, but was facing many personal struggles. This is reflected in her fifth studio album, thank u, next. Produced by R&B legend Tommy Brown and co-written by superstar Victoria Monet, the album encapsulates the idea of a “sad baddie.” While the album is narrated from a confident point of view, we are still able to see the most vulnerable points of Grande’s personal life. In tracks like “ghostin” and “needy,” she talks about her insecurities and personal struggles whilst being in a relationship, including the details of her grief after the death of her ex boyfriend and longtime friend Mac Miller. On the flip side, we have songs showing Grande’s sassy and confident side, like “7 rings,” and “bloodline.” This album shows the two extreme opposites of her life: pop princess of America and a young woman struggling with personal grief and managing relationships. Overall, this record perfectly encapsulates the life of one of the biggest music superstars, yet reaches audiences right where they’re at.
My Top Three: ghostin, in my head, 7 rings
These are my current top five albums that I play on loop, and I hope others can enjoy them too. As the year comes to an end, I’m hopeful that the new year will bring a generation of albums that make history.
