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Top Ten Albums of 2023

A mixed bag of sounds, smash hits, and huge tours, 2023 saw an impressive display of pop culture moments in the music industry and a large emphasis on art created by women. Barbie has never been bigger, the Eras and Renaissance Tours flooded our social media feeds and Rihanna returns to performing. But what music releases fell in between these huge moments that deserve similar recognition? Below are the albums that defined 2023 for me and rounded out the 10th anniversary of my Top Ten Albums list. Stay tuned after #1 for an added celebration of ten years of top albums.


10. Chemistry- Kelly Clarkson

Although the world has recently come to know Kelly Clarkson as one of TV's biggest daytime talk show hosts, at the core, she is one of the most outstanding artists and vocalists of her generation. This year, Clarkson was finally ready to tell her story- one of heartbreak, devastation, and ultimately, healing. The singer's divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock takes the forefront on Chemistry and there is no holding back. Songs like "Mine", "Skip This Part" and "Me" detail her struggles that led to the marriage ending and a longing to return to some kind of normalcy, while songs like "Favorite Kind of High" and "Chemistry" show the listener why the two fell in love in the first place. The album shows the good, the bad and the ugly and it is Clarkson's lyrical candor that makes the songs so relatable and that much more biting. The musical landscape of the record shows the vocalist's roots in mid 2000's rock-pop, a sound that has become synonymous with Kelly Clarkson, while bringing in some modern elements to the mix. But it is the gorgeous stripped back moments on the album that truly show why Clarkson has become such a force in the music industry- her voice.


Standout Tracks: "Favorite Kind of High", "Mine", "Lighthouse"


9. Endless Summer Vacation- Miley Cyrus

Coming off of a career redefining album, Plastic Hearts, fans were anxious to see if Miley Cyrus would deliver with another rock-fueled era of head-banging anthems. But what they got instead was Miley's return to mainstream pop music, starting with the release of one of the most omnipresent songs of 2023, "Flowers". The single arrived at some mixed critical and commercial reviews, but it's hard to deny how quickly the self-empowerment anthem made its way into the zeitgeist and stayed there for the whole year. Endless Summer Vacation followed suit with this soft island pop sound sprinkled with upbeat dance hits in the mix. The album is divided down the middle with the first half representing the breezy laid-back tunes of the AM and quickly switching to the synth driven nightclub sounds in the back half representing the PM. The album does not represent anything groundbreaking for Cyrus' career, but its popularity and replay value certainly cements her right in the mix of pop's biggest names.



8. Snow Angel- Reneé Rapp

This year saw a rise in many pop newcomers such as Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae, and Chappell Roan, but one of the most exciting breakout artists of the year is Reneé Rapp. With a background in musical theater (she starred as Regina George in the Broadway production of Mean Girls and will be reprising her role for the upcoming movie), Rapp has a clear propensity for theatrics, and it shows in her debut album Snow Angel. The title track displays her knack for drama like no other, starting in a hushed Billie Eilish-esque ballad and quickly turning into a full rock opera by the end. Other tracks such as "I Hate Boston" and "I Wish" put her beautiful balladry on display, but the album truly shines due to Rapp's biting lyricism and downright loathing for those who have wronged her. "Poison Poison" and "Tummy Hurts" are two examples of how the singer can humble any enemy with a simple lyrical delivery ("You're the worst person on Earth, forgiving you is pointless, you could poison poison baby girl"). But much like Kelly Clarkson, Reneé Rapp's greatest strength is her voice, and it is one that the world will surely be captivated by for many years to come.


Standout Tracks: "Gemini Moon", "Snow Angel", "The Wedding Song"


7. Good Riddance- Gracie Abrams

Speaking of exciting pop newcomers, one that should not be discounted is Grammys Best New Artist nominee Gracie Abrams. Good Riddance came very early in the year and stayed its course until the very end, only gaining more listeners as the year went on. At 24 years old, Abrams has been able to capture the human experience so eloquently with her words and unique soft voice. These songs are sad...like very sad, but the simplicity in the way these songs are constructed will have any listener hooked. And with the album produced by now mega star Aaron Dessner (the first of three albums on this list produced by him), it is clear why the simplicity works. The two work together so effortlessly, blending their styles and adding vocal and instrumental layers that are both interesting and familiar to create something so raw and powerful. This is one of those bodies of work that you can turn on and get lost in, letting your mind and body just absorb the gorgeous atmosphere that the singer has constructed. Not every listener may be blown away by Abrams' voice per se, but they will definitely be enamored with her delivery and the way she can hang onto each word, each syllable, as if talking to a trusted friend and journaling her deepest, darkest feelings.


Standout Tracks: "I Know It Won't Work", "Will You Cry", "Amelie"


6. Something To Give Each Other- Troye Sivan

"I feel the rush, addicted to your touch" is the opening line of first single "Rush", and from the moment the sweaty, sex-fueled anthem begins, it's clear that Troye Sivan is back to save dance pop. Something To Give Each Other is a celebration of life, queer joy, human connection, and mostly, the euphoria of the world returning to normalcy following the COVID-19 pandemic. It was this slow reconnection of people that initially sparked the creation of this album. Sivan explores these themes throughout the album and in interviews details how the experience of frequenting gay bars in Melbourne in between lockdowns inspired the dance and synth soundscape of the record. This is especially clear on "Rush", "Silly" and "Honey", but after initial listen, you might discover that the album is also about great loss and heartbreak. "Still Got It" and "Can't Go Back Baby" explore the singer's agony of a recent romantic breakup sandwiched between sounds of ecstasy and love. However, what this album has done best is showcase to the world what an absolute visionary Troye Sivan is. The music video for "One of Your Girls" made a huge splash on social media due to the singer's sexy drag persona and blasted him into stardom. But the album's showstopper is "Got Me Started", a moody club track with a Bag Raiders sample and a music video that truly showcases the singer's artistry and vision. It is arguably my favorite song of 2023 and the one that singlehandedly hooked me on this album's infectious energy.



5. Desire, I Want To Turn Into You- Caroline Polachek

When it comes to pop artists who are excellent at making bold artistic statements, it doesn't get much better than Caroline Polachek. The musician has been in the industry for a very long time, starting out as a duo called Chairlift with friend Aaron Pfenning, and then transitioning through multiple stage names until she was ready to bare it all with her debut album Pang in 2019. Polachek's sophomore album Desire, I Want To Turn Into You dropped in February of 2023 and instantly rose to high critical acclaim. The album features unique sounds and production choices that take the listener into a different world. The singer is credited as a producer on every single track on the album, and it is her creative vision that makes the record so spectacular. The album opens with "Welcome To My Island", a bold pop song that features spoken word verses, an earworm of a hook and stratosphere high notes that sound so haunting they're almost uncomfortable. From the first notes of the song the listener is invited to a soundscape so surreal and bizarre that is equally hard to make sense of as it is hard to want to leave. The following tracks only expand on this intoxicating sound led by Polachek's gorgeous instrument and witty choices. It's an album that only grows on you the more you listen, and by the time you finish with "Billions", it's hard to imagine why the artist has not yet garnered a bigger name for herself.



4. Autumn Variations- Ed Sheeran

Autumn is coming. This was the cryptic message that Ed Sheeran was spreading to fans for months in the middle of 2023 while he was off embarking on his massive Mathematics Tour in North America. Fans were quickly excited to hear that the A-List singer would be dropping his second album of the year in October, but this time under his independent label, Gingerbread Man Records. The singer-songwriter has been so known for huge pop albums that enter the mainstream the minute they are announced, but this time around Sheeran decided to release something on his own with little promotion, and as the artist said himself, "no expectations". Even though the stakes were low, the quality of the album released was extraordinarily high. Diving back into stripped back acoustic sounds reminiscent of his debut album +, Autumn Variations brings a certain nostalgia that any Ed Sheeran fan would be proud of. The album is inspired by Enigma Variations, an orchestral work by composer Edward Elgar that takes the stories of 14 friends and puts them to music. Sheeran did the same thing here, but with an autumnal spin that would put any listener in the mood for bonfires, crisp morning air, and pumpkin spice lattes. The songs are calming, acoustic, and nothing short of gorgeous, and the stories told here remind audiences why Ed Sheeran became so famous in the first place- his detailed storytelling and knack for spellbinding melodies.


Standout Tracks: "Page", "Plastic Bag", "Midnight"


3. - (Subtract)- Ed Sheeran

In February of 2022, Ed Sheeran underwent a series of hardships that changed the trajectory of his life and his art. The singer's wife was diagnosed with cancer, he went through a grueling lawsuit that put his songwriting into question, and his best friend Jamal passed away all within the matter of a month. These devastations led to severe depression for the singer, but they also brought about one of the greatest pieces of art he's ever made. After friend Taylor Swift introduced Sheeran to collaborator Aaron Dessner, the two got together to tell this story of heartbreak, loss, and healing. The album opens with "Boat", a thesis statement that tells the listener no matter what happens, "the waves won't break my boat". We then enter a series of heart wrenching songs with lyrics so raw and honest they verge on the point of unbearable. The album is a hard listen. The singer-songwriter has never bore his soul so much in his music, and with the stripped back acoustic stylings of Dessner, it can quickly become a tear-jerker. Dessner and Sheeran are a match made in heaven and their collaboration has opened up something that fans have been begging the musician for - an acoustic album that puts storytelling and honesty first. Ed Sheeran masterfully put his pain into art, and although it must have been difficult, one can hope that it has led to some healing.


Standout Tracks: "Spark", "End of Youth", "Sycamore"


2. GUTS- Olivia Rodrigo

In the age of streaming, it is hard to find an artist that can create a monocultural moment, but in 2021 that is exactly what Olivia Rodrigo did with her debut album Sour. In my review that year I wrote that Sour had "some of the most musically gripping songs of the decade" so far, so it's hard to imagine that Rodrigo could top herself after making such a splash. But she did. Guts is the sophomore album that defies all notions of the "sophomore slump", something that has cursed artists for decades and has not been broken so forcefully since Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia. The album takes the concepts that Rodrigo started in 2021 and expands upon them to make them more fully fleshed out and mature. Guts has even more teenage angst, wit and pop-punk influenced sounds than before. The choruses on "Get Him Back!", "Ballad of a Homeschool Girl", and "Bad Idea Right?" are positively screamable and her sharp lyricism has never been so cutting. Her ballads are also matured here with the absolute gut-wrenching lost love lyrics of "Logical" and the hatred toward new-found fame of "Making The Bed". The artist kept her collaborator Dan Nigro for this venture, and it's clear that the trust in their partnership has only grown and brought about more creativity. On Guts, Olivia Rodrigo is undoubtedly in her bag and it's hard to fathom how an album made up of almost the exact same sounds and themes of Sour could be so much bigger, bolder, and better. But it is.



Honorable Mentions


Rolling Up The Welcome Mat- Kelsea Ballerini

If this was a full-length project, it would be much higher on my list. Kelsea Ballerini is one of the most exciting artists at the current moment and I cannot wait to see what she does next.


I've Loved You For So Long- The Aces


The Age of Pleasure- Janelle Monáe


The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess- Chappell Roan


1. This Is Why- Paramore

Six long years stood between Paramore's 2017 smash record After Laughter and 2023's latest installment. This year, the alt-rock trio returned with This Is Why, a succinct album that chronicles Paramore's journey through a post-COVID world - a world of agoraphobia, endless anxiety, and exhausting news cycles. The stress-driven lead single and title track that details why the band "doesn't leave the house" came at the end of last year and reminded the world why Paramore is one of the most exciting bands still doing it today. By the time the album of the same name dropped earlier this February, fans and newcomers were relieved at just how consistently the band continues to deliver. On This Is Why, all three members of Paramore (lead singer Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York, and drummer Zac Farro) are firing on all cylinders. Never has the group felt more connected to one another, bouncing ideas, sharing the spotlight, and blending multiple soundscapes at once. The songs are insane. This record has the trio returning to a harder rock sound that they departed from on After Laughter, but with a more experimental flare. "Running Out Of Time", the ADHD anthem, uses groovier bass driven sounds that explode in a snappy chorus while "C'est Comme Ça" utilizes spoken word verses reminiscent of the post-punk sounds of the Talking Heads. Paramore, however, can never fully give up their famous scream-worthy choruses that can be heard on headbangers "You First" and "Figure 8". The band also continues to write songs that ignite a certain nostalgia that is hard to describe, and this is truest on "Crave", my other contender for song of the year. This dark and turbulent album comes to a close with "Thick Skull", a moody track that constantly builds to a vocal climax not quite heard from Hayley since "All I Wanted". Fans may have had to wait 6 years for This Is Why, but with the quality Paramore delivered, it was well worth the wait.


Standout Tracks: "Crave", "You First", "This Is Why"


Ranking All of My Number 1 Albums from 2013-2023


In honor of the tenth anniversary of my Top Ten Albums list, I have decided to rank every album that achieved the top spot on each of my lists from 2013 to 2023. Below is a reflection of my music taste over the years and how these outstanding albums have influenced how I consume music to this day.


11. Drones- Muse (2015)

Starting out pretty weak, this is an album I really gravitated toward in 2015 but has since fallen off of my radar. At the time I felt like the sounds were experimental and interesting but since hearing what Muse has released since, it's clear that they are a bit of a one trick pony. I still appreciate what was done on this record, but Muse's signature "space rock" sound is not something I revisit much anymore. If I had to go back in time to 2015, I would give the top spot to the Hamilton Broadway Cast Recording.


Standout Tracks: "Reapers", "Psycho", "Mercy"



10. La La Land- Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2016)

In 2016 I was having a hard time finding music that really suited my interest, but in hindsight I can recognize how many good releases came out that year, including Ariana Grande's Dangerous Woman and Bruno Mars' 24K Magic. But at the time, there was one piece of media that I was fawning over, and that was the film La La Land. This gorgeous movie was directed by Damien Chazelle and featured stunning performances from Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. What makes this movie so special is the score composed by Justin Hurwitz, perhaps one my favorite film composers of all time. To this day, this is my favorite movie of all time, and the soundtrack will always hold a special place in my heart. But if I could go back in time now, I would rank Beyonce's groundbreaking album Lemonade as the best of 2016.



9. Sour- Olivia Rodrigo (2021)

It absolutely pains me to rank this album so low because it's one that I gravitate toward so much still, but from here on is where every album on this list is a 10/10 in my book. Sour remains one of the greatest debut albums of all time, and Olivia Rodrigo has only gotten better as mentioned in my earlier review of this year's Guts. But although her sophomore record gets the crown in my eyes, the singles on Sour cannot be beat. "Driver's License" launched her into stardom and "Deja Vu" and "Good 4 U" made sure she stayed there. Overall, this body of work has not lost any of its original charm and it will go down in history as the moment that catapulted Rodrigo into the stratosphere.


Standout Tracks: "Good 4 U", "Traitor", "Deja Vu"


8. This Is Why- Paramore (2023)

Yes, my favorite album of this year lands at the #8 spot. I cannot overstate how much I adore This Is Why and its lower placement is in no way a reflection of its quality. Paramore truly are at their best here, but as you will see later in the list, they are just simply always at their best. After a long career and six studio albums, some might think the band would start to lose intrigue, but the opposite seemed to happen this year after the release of this album. The trio opened for Taylor Swift earlier in the year and they will be continuing that Eras journey next year for the entire European leg. Not only that, but the band had their biggest streaming year of all time in 2023 and it's all thanks to their consistent output of quality material and the new fans they've garnered because of it.


Other Standout Tracks: "Big Man, Little Dignity", "Figure 8", "Thick Skull"


7. Lover- Taylor Swift (2019)

For all three of my loyal fans, this may be a shocking placement for 2019's Lover, and honestly, I agree. When ranking Taylor Swift's discography, I often put this one at the top (a controversial choice within the swiftie community), but when stacked up against my all-timers from my other favorite artists, it falls somewhere in the middle. This album has some of my favorite Swift tracks ever released, but it also has some songs that don't stand out quite as much. It's a bit of a messy record that has extremely high peaks but some valleys that provide somewhat of a beautiful inconsistency. Despite that, I consider this to be a very high-quality album that captures some of the best of Taylor Swift's career up until that point by blending her many musical styles all together. No one can ever make me hate this record and it's one that brings me an indescribable amount of joy every time I turn it on.



6. Renaissance- Beyoncé (2022)

Beyoncé truly made the album of her career with Renaissance. There has not been a single moment when a song from this album fails to make me want to get up and dance. From the samples to the delivery to the fading from one song to the next, it's all perfection in my eyes. The album plays like a DJ set from beginning to end and once you press play at the beginning it's almost impossible to not listen all the way through. Last year I wrote "There are very few albums that get released that have such a monumental impact that I am willing to bet they will transform the state of the music industry forever", and I firmly stand by that a year later. Although it lost the Grammy for Album of the Year (an absolute atrocity), it has undoubtedly created a permanent impact on the music industry and has stayed rent free in my mind for an entire year. Beyoncé forever is that girl.


Standout Tracks: "Alien Superstar", "Heated", "Cuff It"


5. After Laughter- Paramore (2017)

The second Paramore installment on this list is 2017's After Laughter. I credit this album as the turning point of Paramore's career and thank god for it. This album cycle brought about the BEST line up of band members they've ever had and their chemistry here is palpable. On AL they changed their sound completely and dove head-first into new territory. The new-wave pop/rock songs of this album still hold up today. I go back to this record an obscene amount and it never fails to put me in a good mood despite its horribly depressing lyrics. The juxtaposition of those lyrics with the upbeat pop melodies will never not impress me and the way the band made these melodies SO infectious should be studied. I love this album and this band so much; can you tell yet?


Standout Tracks: "Told You So", "Pool", "Rose-Colored Boy"


4. Evermore- Taylor Swift (2020)

My other favorite Taylor Swift album lands just outside of the top three. Folklore took the world by storm during the 2020 lockdown, but it was Evermore that really stole my heart. This album is filled with the most gorgeous melodies, entrancing instrumentation, and poetic lyrics. In the "Willow" music video, Swift channels her inner witchiness, and somehow that can be felt throughout the entire track list of Evermore. I feel like a spell has been put on me whenever I press play and I immediately get lost in it. Although this and Lover consistently battle for the top spot of my Taylor Swift album ranking, I can acknowledge that one is there for a nostalgic personal connection and the other is there for undeniable quality. When looked through a more objective lens, Evermore is the singer-songwriter's best album and the absolute masterclass in storytelling and melodic composition is why.


Standout Tracks: "Marjorie", "Champagne Problems", "Tolerate It"


3. X- Ed Sheeran (2014)

Ed Sheeran has been a favorite of mine since the very beginning of his career, but to this day X is his crowning achievement. Don't get me wrong, despite the internet's hatred toward the singer in recent years, I love all of his albums. But nothing has yet to top the brilliance of this one right here. This album is so varied, yet so cohesive and provided the world with some of Sheeran's most prolific songwriting. "Thinking Out Loud" was the song that launched him into mega-stardom, but there is so much more on this album that makes the project phenomenal. "I'm A Mess" is to this day my favorite Ed Sheeran song with the way the bridge builds, the way the chorus absolutely rips and the way that he layers his vocals and instrumentation to make something so incredibly captivating. This album is a large reason why my music taste is the way it is now and made me a life-long Sheeran fan.


Standout Tracks: "I'm A Mess", "Photograph", "Afire Love"


2. Golden Hour- Kacey Musgraves (2018)

Before Golden Hour, I had never even heard of Kacey Musgraves. She is now one of my favorite artists of all time. This album is an absolute delight from the moment you press play on "Slow Burn" to the moment you wipe away your tears after closing track "Rainbow". I have never in my life experienced an album that does not age despite how many years go by quite like Golden Hour. The songs are absolutely timeless, and I never ever have to be in a specific mood to listen to them. No matter the season, the time of day, or the feeling I'm experiencing, this album is the right fit. The project has the most entrancing and weightless soundscape I've ever heard, and the way Musgraves is able to blend her smooth lyricism, silky voice and dreamlike production is nothing short of magic. "Slow Burn" I think may be one of the best songs ever written and it's only one of my handful of favorites from this album. This is the album that inspired me to start my music blog and in my very first post I wrote that Golden Hour "transcends music". That is quite possibly one of the most dramatic things I've ever written, and yet I stand by that to this day.



1. Paramore- Paramore (2013)

I don't even know where to begin. This album is the reason I listen to music. It's the reason I started my top ten list ten years ago. And it's the reason I have devoted over half of my life to being a Paramore fan. Although this was only my very first #1 album, I have yet to find anything to top it in a decade. This record is nostalgia wrapped up in a bow for me, and any time I hear any of these 17 songs I am transported back to high school where I started developing my love for music. The opening drums of "Fast In My Car", the reflective state of "Daydreaming", the absolute HYPE of the transition from "Interlude: Moving On" into "Ain't It Fun", the euphoric choruses of "Still Into You" and "Proof", and the dramatic build of "Future". These are only some of the moments that make this album perfection to me. But nothing for me can compare to the emotional connection I have to "Last Hope", the tear-jerking ballad that remains their best song to date. At 16 years old I was ready to tattoo the lyrics to the bridge on my arm:


"And the salt in my wounds isn't burning any more than it used to. It's not that I don't feel the pain, it's just I'm not afraid of hurting anymore. And the blood in these veins isn't pumping any less than it ever has. And that's the hope I have, the only thing I know that's keeping me alive."


No lyrical moment has been able to touch me in the same way in ten years and there's not a listen that goes by where I don't get full body chills. Paramore means the world to me, both the album and the band, and although I can recognize that there are more critically acclaimed albums on this list, nothing will ever top the way this record makes me feel, and it will ALWAYS be my favorite album of all time.


Standout Tracks: "Last Hope", "Proof", "Daydreaming"


 
 
 

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