Last year in 2020, the world was on fire but so was I, and my music recap shows just how much music I was listening to and how much it was really forming a strong emotional base to my existence. This year, sadly, has just not been the same. Neither my life nor my musical exploration nor in fact the whole of the world seemed quite as colorful or necessary. Partly, I’m sure it was because of my depression–but it also just didn’t feel like a real year. We all muddled through the second year of the pandemic as if on pause. Would something change? Our socially distanced lives, our jobs, our health?
Looking at my Spotify “wrapped” and my “year in review” from Amazon Music (my current main listening spot) revealed very little new music. Very little experimentation and exploration. And honestly, there may have been whole months where I didn’t listen to any music at all. If that is even possible? I spent many days and weeks in total silence, trying to distract from painful feelings with mindless games on my phone and endless naps. And more often than not, when I was figuring out what to listen to, I turned to audiobooks.
I’ll write more in another post about what I’ve been reading, but for now, lets look at the music I did listen to… All of these artists had at least 2 songs on my top 100 songs of the year:
- Taylor Swift
- Lorde
- Miley Cyrus
- Billie Eilish
- Dua Lipa
- Olivia Rodrigo
- Doja Cat
- Phoebe Bridgers
- Sylvan Esso
- The National
- Black Pumas
- Brandi Carlisle
- Lizzo
Many of these were holdouts from last year’s heavy rotation, like the tracks from Miley Cyrus’ fantastic and in my opinion underrated girl rock album “Plastic Hearts” or Taylor Swift anthems from her second album of 2020, “evermore.” The same could be said for Dua Lipa who is still on heavy radio rotation with tracks from her hit album “Future Nostalgia” whose first single technically dropped in 2019.
There were more albums that came out in 2020 but continued on my frequent play list throughout 2021, notably Sylvan Esso’s album “Free Love” and Phoebe Bridgers’ “Punisher.” (A side note about the wonderful Phoebe Bridgers: in 2019, she released “Better Oblivion Community Center” with Connor Oberst. This is one of my very favorite albums of all time.)
Although Brandi Carlile released her most recent album “In These Silent Days” in 2021, I listened most to her super-duper groupThe Highwomen (eponymous album released in 2019) with Amanda Shires, Marne Morris, and Natalie Hemby. Somehow, it had taken me 2 years to find the song “Crowded Table” even though I was already aware of and in awe of Carlile’s great song writing and voice.
Black Pumas was another of my late-to-listen favorites, with an eponymous album released in 2019 with Grammy nods and good critical reception in 2020 and increased visibility making the late might tv show rounds while on tour. A prime time special ultimately helped them hit big on tv in 2021: the “Celebrating America” inauguration for Joe Biden.
Lastly, both The National and Lizzo last had albums in 2019 but their songs remain in my frequent play list.
So what new albums did I listen to in 2021??? In no specific order, here are some of them:
- Lorde, “Solar Power” 2021: I loved both the title track and the single “Stoned at the Nail Salon” and did listen to the whole album straight through at least a few times when it first dropped.
- Billie Eilish, “Happier Than Ever” 2021: shit, yes. This is probably the album I listened to the most this year, along with songs from many of Eilish’s previous albums too. In some ways, I could probably call 2021 the year of Billie. The top tracks in my playlist from “Happier” are “Your Power” and “Lost Cause.” But there are about a dozen other Eilish songs in my top plays, including “everything i wanted,” “my future,” “bellyache,” “lovely,” “you should see my in a crown,” and “Therefore I am.” She speaks deeply to many of the turbulent feelings I’ve experienced this year. And wasn’t there a concert performance and a movie this year? I think so. And I watched it all.
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Olivia Rodrigo, “Sour” 2021: her first single “Drivers License” was an ok song that definitely got me singing along in the car, but my favorites from this debut album are “good 4 u” and “deja vu.” Rodrigo’s pop hooks and rock guitar and emotion-laden near-screams speaks to me even though I’m in my forties. You don’t need to be young to feel heartbreak.
Doja Cat, “Planet Her” was a frequent listen because how can you possibly escape this superstar? And speaking of music you cannot and should not escape, Lil Nas X “Montero” l is an absolutely unstoppable hit that must not be skipped. Lana del Rey had two new albums that I enjoyed this year (“Chemtrails Over the Country Club” and “Blue Bannisters”) matching Taylor Swifts’ prodigious 2020 output.
Speaking of Swift, she did release “Red (Taylor’s Version)” this year, and I am always delighted to her the songs I love from that album, such as “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Did I listen to all the new tracks? Yes. But do I remember any of them? Not particularly. I don’t know if its because of my mood lately or just because these tracks were never meant to see the light of day to start with?
Another 2021 release that I assumed would be my favorite next thing on repeat all day? Adele’s “30.” The first single “Easy On Me” is a gorgeous and sing-along-worthy track, but I didn’t find myself as involved with this album as I had expected. It is her divorce album after all… I suspect at least in part, my distance from this album is related to the emotional reticence I feel to even get involved in reliving yet even more feelings from my own divorce. (As if I could escape it, lol.)
As I end this post, writing on NYE itself, it seems to me that this year in music was defined by what my corporate overlords gave to me. I’m a baby of the Amazon Music algorithm this year. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I just hit “My Soundtrack” and let it play. In my top 10 songs, Billie Eilish sings four. I’m just going to call 2021 what it was: the year of Billie. But even though Billie Rules, I have to be totally transparent. The song of the year, the #1 song that I played the most, used the most on social media, and just generally screamed from the inside of my heart: “Cover Me in Sunshine” by Pink & her daughter Willow. Tell me that everything will be alright.