Mid-Year Music Round Up
by Amany Khreis
I remember, throughout the first two months of 2020, being excited for the summer as a senior in high school: Taylor Swift had dropped her 7th studio album and announced LoverFest, Hayley Williams was making her debut as a female solo artist with Petals for Armor, the 1975 and Phoebe Bridgers were dropping some of my favorite songs of all time (I streamed “Garden Song” and “The Birthday Party” a lot as I anticipated my soon-to-be-cancelled The 1975 show in May, where Phoebe Bridgers was set to open). I had purchased my ticket without insurance, of course, because what could possibly happen? A pandemic happened. Concerts may have come to a grinding—and painful—halt, but creativity in music skyrocketed. Some of the best records came as a result of this: most notably, Charli XCX’s How I’m Feeling Now and Taylor Swift’s folklore. These quarantine projects were pioneering moments in the music industry, despite article after article coming out announcing the end of the music industry as we know it.
Although less exciting, 2021 has been just as weird a year as 2020 was for music. It seems as though less touring meant more opportunity for artists to play it safe, either by releasing underwhelming music or by holding off on releasing until touring really comes back into full swing. Where 2020 embraced the lack of touring with excellent and exciting album releases, 2021 was deserted in anticipation of live shows. With that being said artists like Lorde and Faye Webster have announced their next records to be released within the next few months. And if the lineups to Pitchfork Fest and Primavera are any indication, the next half of 2021 sounds promising for new music.
I still found good music within hidden crevices of this year. Although less star-studded than usual, this year allowed me to discover breakout artists and genres I wouldn’t have given a chance beforehand. As we reach the midway point of 2021, here are some of my favorites of the year so far:
Albums:
Drunk Tank Pink - shame
Heaux Tales - Jazmine Sullivan
Driver - Adult Mom
WINK - CHAI
On All Fours - Goat Girl
Cool Dry Place - Katy Kirby
Somewhere - Sun June
Going to Hell - Lande Hekt
OH NO - Xiu Xiu
Zöe - Nightshift
FLOWERS for VASES/descansos - Hayley Williams
For the first time - Black Country, New Road
Ignorance - The Weather Station
Super Monster - Claud
Bodies of Water - Moontype
Who Am I? - Pale Waves
TYRON - slowthai
An Overview on Phenomenal Nature - Cassandra Jenkins
Carnage - Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
Little Oblivions - Julien Baker
Show Me How You Disappear - IAN SWEET
The Shadow I Remember - Cloud Nothings
Spirit Tamer - Mia Joy
Daddy’s Home - St. Vincent
Nurture - Porter Robinson
Chemtrails Over The Country Club - Lana Del Rey
Number One - Jane Inc.
Between the Richness - Fiddlehead
Cavalcade - black midi
Green to Gold - The Antlers
Promises - Floating Points
Voyage Out - Floatie
Vulture Prince - Arooj Aftab
Menneskekollektivet - Lost Girls
Digital Meadow - Dora Jar
Jubilee - Japanese Breakfast
Glow - Alice Phoebe Lou
SOUR - Olivia Rodrigo
G-d’s Pee AT STATE’S END! - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH - SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE
I Am The Prophet - Lady Dan
To See the Next Part of the Dream - Parannoul
Music for Living Spaces - Green-house
Seek Shelter - Iceage
Bright Green Field - Squid
Blue Weekend - Wolf Alice
The Fool - Bladee
Uneasy - Vijay Iyer
Troubled Paradise - Slayyyter
EP2! – JPEGMAFIA
EPs:
Blame Game - Beach Bunny
Honeychurch - Widowspeak
Count the Stairs - Charlie Hickey
Impostor - Miss Grit
Can You Hear Me Now? - ELIO
Storm in Summer - Skullcrusher
Civilisation II - Kero Kero Bonito
Half a Human - Real Estate
Juniata - Becca Mencari
Survive - Show Me the Body
Clair de Lunarette - Lunarette
PXE - Ecco2k
FUCK IT UP - Basside
Waves - NewDad
I Became Birds - Home Is Where
Tears to Grow - blair
MONEYSUTRA - Tommy Cash
The Moth and the Dove - Uma
Wading - EP - Francis of Delirium
Perfect - Mannequin Pussy