2023 was one of the weirder years for music in recent memory. I would say it was the hardest year to write end-of-the-year lists since I started this blog about 4 or so years ago. As apps like TikTok and YouTube have become heavier influences on the music industry, the approach of musicians has changed. It seems like the focus has shifted from making immersive and concise albums to trying to garner as many viral hits as possible. This has made a lot of the albums that have been coming out over the last year or so feel very incohesive and out-of-sorts. The biggest problem with a lot of these albums is that they are just too long. Multiple albums came out in 2023 that would have probably been very good if several songs had just shortened them. The amount of filler tracks some of the albums had is just way too much. One thing I do appreciate a ton about the music of 2023 is how it feels like it got increasingly experimental as the year went on. After a lot of more bland-sounding albums came out in the first half of the year, the second half was dominated by some more off-the-wall and risky projects from some of music’s most popular artists. In some cases, as with Travis Scott’s UTOPIA or with Danny Brown and JPEGMAFIA’s Scaring The Hoes, these risks were mostly revered. In other instances, as with Lil Uzi Vert’s The Pink Tape, these risks were not nearly as widely accepted(although there are parts of this album I do love). Overall, there were a lot of good albums that came out in 2023 that I want to mention in this list. Before I get into this list, I wanted to shout out a few honorable mention albums. Janell Monae’s The Age of Pleasure, Noname’s Sundial, Jung Kook’s GOLDEN, and Kevin Abstract’s Blanket are all albums I enjoyed a lot but did not quite make it into my top 20. With that being said, here is a list of my favorite albums from 2023. This list may not be in perfect order, but for the most part, it does go from least favorite to favorite. Please let me know in the comments below which of these albums you love too, and also comment the names of some other albums from 2023 you love that I have missed or left out.

KILLER MIKE – MICHAEL 

Legender underground Atlanta rapper and activist Killer Mike returned with his first solo album in 11 years in 2023. On Michael, instead of diving into politics and other serious topics like he usually does, Killer Mike gets more introspective about his life. This album highlights Killer Mike’s technical abilities as a rapper. Michael is full of a magnitude of flows and rapping styles from Killer Mike, and its instrumentals are as wide-ranging and light as I have ever heard from him.  Michael is not as politically charged and intense as what most people would know Killer Mike for, but it does show a different side to his artistry. Michael is an album that shows Killer Mike is still very current and still has all of the fire and passion for rapping that he has exhibited throughout his illustrious career. 

DOJA CAT – SCARLET

I will be completely honest, I did not go into Doja Cat’s Scarlet with high expectations. Because of all of her interesting antics over the last few years and because of her comments on her own past music. I just assumed Scarlet would be a judge. I will readily admit I was wrong to judge Doja Cat before this album came out; she definitely delivered something way better than I could have hoped for in Scarlet. Although the most popular songs from this album have been the more Pop-centric ones(like ‘Paint The Town Red’ and ‘Agora Hills’), my favorite parts of this album are the songs where she raps a bit harder and with more emphasis. She has shown glimpses of this side to her music in the past, and I am so happy that the rapper side to Doja Cat shined through on this record. Scarlet was a pleasant surprise and return to form for Doja Cat, and it makes me very excited to see what she does next. 

BRENT FAIYAZ – LARGER THAN LIFE

Brent Faiyaz has quickly emerged as one of my favorite artists over the last couple of years. His vocals are so intricate and distinctive, and the instrumentals he picks make him stand out in a huge way among his peers in R&B music. Brent Faiyaz’s 2022 album WASTELAND is easily one of my favorites from 2022. Although his 2023 mixtape LARGER THAN LIFE is not quite on the level of that record, it is still easily one of the better R&B projects of 2023. I will say, this mixtape does feel like it consists of a bunch of throwaway tracks from WASTELAND. That is okay to me, though, because WASTELAND is so good that I will not complain about a bunch of extra tracks from Brent that sound like they were also made for that record. LARGER THAN LIFE is an awesome holdover project until Brent Faiyaz decides to release his next full-length record, and I will be more than happy to keep bumping it until that record comes out. 

SAMPHA – LAHAI

Sampha’s Lahai is an album I slept on when it first dropped in October. It got rave reviews when it came out, but I had a lot of other albums I was trying to review at the time and ended up skipping it. I ended up coming back to Lahai a little over a month after it dropped, and I am so glad I did. This is easily one of the most colorful and interesting R&B albums I have listened to in a while. Lahai is a super compelling and intricate album with a sound, lyrical style, and vocal style that makes Sampha stand out. There is no way to repeat what Sampha does on this record. Everything about its sound and tone feels like they come straight from his heart. Sampha is one of the more underrated artists making R&B music right now, and Lahai proves he deserves way more credit. 

DANNY BROWN – QUARANTA

I have always felt like Danny Brown is one of the most underrated artists in Hip Hop. He has released several of my favorite Rap albums from the last 15 years, and I have always felt like he deserves to be talked about as one of the best rappers in the game. His 2023 album Quaranta does not necessarily have the same punch or fire as some of his past records, but it is still great in its own way. It has a softer and more somber tone than what most people are used to hearing from Danny Brown, showing off a side to his personality and artistry that I did not know was there. As much as I appreciate this album right now, I feel like Quaranta is an album that will grow on me with time as I get used to hearing this kind of music from him Quaranta is another great addition to Danny Brown’s excellent catalog, and it once again proves he is a rapper that deserves so much more credit. 

TRAVIS SCOTT – UTOPIA

Travis Scott released his first album in five years when he dropped UTOPIA in the summer. There were a lot of expectations around this album, and not just because it was so long after his last release; obviously, Travis Scott has gone through a lot of controversy over the last couple of years, and this album was seen as a potential redemption. Now, this album ended up being very polarizing; not only in its sound, but also in its lyrical content. Lyrically, Travis Scott did not address any of the issues in his life over the last couple of years. To me, this isn’t a huge deal, but many people wanted to see him acknowledge certain actions. Sonically, UTOPIA is the wildest and boundary-pushing music Travis Scott has put out to date. Obviously, inspired by Kanye West’s Yeezus, this album is a spectacle, and Travis Scott curated some of the most interesting music of the year. Regardless of your opinion on Travis Scott, UTOPIA  is a very good album and proves Travis Scott is still at the forefront of Hip Hop music.

CRACKER ISLAND – GORILLAZ

If you know me, you probably know about how much I love the Gorillaz. The Gorillaz are one of my favorite artists, and their music has made a big impact on my life. The Gorillaz’s 2023 album Cracker Island is not their best work, but it is still a very good album. This album has aged well for me as the year has gone on; I have begun to like and appreciate its quirkiness the more times I listen. Compared to most of the Gorillaz’s other work, Cracker Island is pretty tame; it does not take the kinds of risks and push boundaries in the way that one would expect from them. It is a very fluid album, though, and tells an interesting story that fits well into the Gorillaz lore. Cracker Island will not have the kind of impact of albums like Plastic Beach or Demon Days, but it does prove the Gorillaz remains one of the premier artists in Alternative music. 

KAYTRAMINÉ – KAYTRAMINÉ

Kaytranada and Aminé coming together to make a record is not something I ever expected. Even though this collaboration feels a bit random, it does make sense. Both Kaytranada and Aminé are artists who are very distinctive among their peers in their respective genres; they stand out in a major manner. Their album Kaytraminé is a perfect amalgamation of the things that make both of them great. Kaytraminé is a great morph of the kinds of music both artists are known for. The instrumentals are fresh and broad, combining retro Hip Hop and Dance music extremely smoothly. Aminé’s vocals and lyrics are punchy and tongue-in-cheek, contributing to the light feeling this album has that makes me want to party. Kaytraminé is a cool and distinctive album that shows why both of these artists are thought of so highly and proves how great their chemistry is. 

BAD BUNNY – NADIE SABE LO QUE VA A PASAR MAÑANA

Over the last several years, Bad Bunny has become the biggest artist in the world besides maybe Taylor Swift and The Weeknd(his streaming numbers just do not lie). In the past two years, he has dropped two of the best albums of the year, with both records amassing a multitude of international hits. Bad Bunny did it again in 2023 with his album Nadie Sabie… Sonically, this record goes back and forth between the Latin Trap music he came up making and Futuristic Dance music. The album does have a bit of Reggaeton, but it mainly strays away from the sound of his record-breaking 2022 album Un Verano Sin Ti. Nadie Sabie… proves that everything Bad Bunny touches is still gold. He is one of the best and most talented artists in the world, and Nadie Sabie… is the latest example of this. 

10000 GECS – 100 GECS

100 gecs has been one of the more polarizing-sounding artists of the last few years. Many people despise their weird Industrial Hyperpop sound, but I am not one of them. I think their eccentric and outside-the-box sound is cool; it may be way crazier than mainstream music will ever get, but it is pushing other artists forward. My favorite thing about their 2023 album 10000 gecs is all of the Alternative Rock and Pop-Punk influences this record has. It contains the same Insane Industrial and futuristic elements they have been known for in the past, but also provides a sense of nostalgia with the sounds that remind of the early 2000s. 10000 gecs is another example of why 100 gecs is one of the most exciting experimental acts in music.

PAINT MY BEDROOM BLACK – HOLLY HUMBERSTONE

Following in the footsteps of the many Indie and Alternative Pop artists who have emerged over the last several years(like Clairo and Billie Eilish, for example) Holly Humberstone is the latest artist in that genre to take it by storm and emerge as one to watch. Her album Paint The Bedroom Black draws from a variety of influences and shows how cool an artist she is. I love how this album has so many different sounds and styles of Alternative Pop music. There are songs on Paint The Bedroom Black that sound classic, and other ones that sound ultramodern. Lyrically, Holly Humberstone pours her heart out, writing relatable music that young people can appreciate. Paint The Bedroom Black shows Holly Humberstone is one of the next great artists to come up in the Alt-Pop scene.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY – WATERPARKS

Emo Rock and Pop Punk have made a huge resurgence over the last couple of years. So many new artists are taking on this sound that was originally popular in the early to mid-2000s. Out of all of the artists who are in this resurgence one of my top artists has been Waterparks. Their 2023 album Intellectual Property takes all of the elements that make that music appealing and morphs it into something modern and fresh. This album alternates between harder and softer instrumentals nicely, keeping the listener on their toes and making the album unpredictable. Waterparks is one of the most riveting artists making Alternative Rock today, and their take on Pop-Punk is a welcome change compared to what their peers are doing.

SCARING THE HOES – DANNY BROWN AND JPEGMAFIA

Danny Brown makes his second appearance on this list with his collaborative project Scaring The Hoes with JPEGMAFIA. Like 10000 gecs, this is an album that is definitely not for everyone. It is driven by Industrial music that is combined with Intense Hip Hop, and it has a sound that is not for the faint of heart. To be frank, I feel like the people who really appreciate this record are just big fans of both of these artists. It is a passion project and brings out the weirdest and most zany qualities in Danny Brown and JPEGMAFIA. Scaring The Hoes isn’t an album I would suggest to everyone, but if you want to try to listen to something new that is very tough but also very fun, check it out if you have not yet.

GUNNA – A GIFT & A CURSE

After being released from prison following taking a plea deal in the RICO case involving all of YSL’s members(including his former mentor Young Thug), Gunna came back to music in a big way during the spring of 2023 with A Gift & A Curse. This is a great melodic Trap album where Gunna exhibits everything about him that has made his music so appealing in the past. It is a record full of intricate and exotic Trap instrumentals that are hypnotic, and Gunna’s vocals on this record are as smooth as ever. There is nothing lyrically captivating about A Gift & A Curse, but that is okay. It is an entertaining album that just makes me feel good when I listen to it. Gunna may have been under a lot of heat for how people feel about the plea deal he took, but he proved he’s still one of the most talented artists in Trap music with A Gift & A Curse.

PINKPANTHERESS – HEAVEN KNOWS

Since bursting onto the scene a couple of years ago, PinkPantheress has been one of the most exciting and dynamic artists in Pop music. Her sound is such a breath of fresh air, as she takes elements of UK Garage and Jungle music from the 1990s and mixes them with modern Pop in a method that is so unique. Her 2023 album Heaven knows is a great album where she honed her craft and made tighter and cleaner versions of the music she is known for while also expanding her horizons into Pop-Trap and R&B. Heaven knows is a light and sweet album that feels majestic and ethereal; it has a simple yet grand feeling I love. PinkPantheress is one of the next awesome Pop artists on the rise, and she shows this with Heaven knows.

PARAMORE – THIS IS WHY

Even though Pop-Punk and Emo-Rock have had a major resurgence over the last couple of years, Emo-Rock legends Paramore have decided to veer in an entirely different direction with their music these days. Paramore has grown and changed as a band, and their 2023 record This Is Why is easily their most complex and adventurous one yet. This is a Post-Punk record that feels very inspired by some of the quirkier Alternative music that came out in the mid to late 1980s. When I listen to This Is Why, I hear undertones of music from bands like The Smiths but also hear a ton of influence from artists like Black Flag. This makes for a unique Alternative Rock record that sticks out and shines among the other Alternative Rock being made today. Paramore is a band that is still maturing and growing this late into their career, and that is very cool.

AGUST D – D-DAY

Suga of BTS has made solo Hip Hop music for years under the alias Agust D. I have heard in the past it is very good, but I never really gave it a chance until I listened to his 2023 album D-Day. I have to say this album has a sound that is probably the last thing I expected to hear on it. I did not necessarily expect it to sound like BTS, but I definitely never foresaw a hard-hitting Trap album. The instrumentals on this album are so fierce and huge, giving it a larger-than-life feeling. Agust D raps with a variety of flows and vocal tones on this record that make each song pop. As cool as the album’s sound is, the best thing about D-Day is its lyricism. On this record, Agust D dives into his mental health issues and makes music for those who go through a lot of anxiety and depression. Not only is D-Day the best Korean album of the year in my opinion, it is one of the world’s best records in 2023 overall.

LIL YACHTY – LET’S START HERE

Lil Yatchy started 2023 with a bang when he dropped his album Let’s Start Here. Lil Yachty went outside of the realm that anyone would ever expect from him and made a Psych-Rock/Funk/R&B record. There is not much on Let’s Start Here that resembles anything Lil Yachty has made in the past. The only thing on this record that is similar to his past music is his vocals. The risks Lil Yachty took on Let’s Start Here completely worked out. I did not know he could make this kind of old-school-sounding music, and he killed it. I would love to see him make way more music like this in the future. Lil Yachty set the bar high for his peers with Let’s Start Here, and to be honest they did not live up to the greatness he put out at the beginning of the year.

OLIVIA RODRIGO – GUTS

Olivia Rodrigo was under a lot of pressure going into her second record considering how beloved Sour was. Usually, when someone has such a well-regarded Pop debut, they come back down to earth a bit on their next record, but this was not the case for Olivia. GUTS is honestly even better than Sour, which is saying a lot. GUTS has all of the angst and emotional energy that its predecessor has but expands Olivia’s sound massively. I love how diverse the instrumentals are on this record. One can hear as much influence from artists like Weezer as they can from Taylor Swift. It seems like there is no limit to the kind of music Olivia Rodrigo can make. GUTS is one of the best albums of 2023, and it cements Olivia Rodrigo as the next Pop superstar.

DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE’S A TUNNEL UNDER OCEAN BLVD – LANA DEL REY

I never thought that I would pick a Lana Del Rey album for my favorite one of the year. Before this year, I did not completely get the hype around Lana Del Rey. I have always thought she is good at what she does and I have enjoyed some of her songs over the years, but the cult following that she has does not totally make sense to me. After listening to Ocean Blvd, I get why she has been so beloved for so long. This is an exceptional record that takes Folk, Chamber Pop, and Americana and makes them sound so fresh. There are acoustic and soft songs on this record and magnificent ultra-modern songs on it. The lyricism and vocals are awesome, and the emotions Lana Del Rey feels are palpable. Lana Del Rey is one of the most talented artists in music today, and Ocean Blvd proves that. It is the best album of 2023.