Despite a global pandemic, musicians were far more active in 2021 and had time to create their finest work. It resulted in some of the best albums in years.
The 20 best pop albums of the year radiate with unstoppable playlist power, much-needed sweet escapism, self-reflecting moments, and killer melodies.
These are the best hip-hop albums released this September, including new records from Little Simz, Injury Reserve, Moor Mother, and Blu.
Lil Nas X’s “Satan Shoes” takes on the Devil and righteously subverts anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.
In 2019, a spotlight on queer musicians and fast-paced broadcast made the Grammys have some real cultural relevance. Its 2020 edition, clouded by tragedy, scandal, and bloat, only served to remind us why award shows are so problematic.
The best new musical artists of 2019 are all pushing boundaries as popular music becomes less genre focused. New artists are forging new identities, rather than occupying the convenient marketing categories of the past.
The genre-agnostic "Old Town Road" rapper's lyrics are less interesting than the scenery Lil Nas X drops them in.
