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

 

EMMIE Magazine