From the 65th annual Grammy Awards to the Mark Ronson-produced “Barbie” film soundtrack to Nicki Minaj’s “Pink Friday 2” release, what a year it has been in music.
Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have rightfully dominated headlines and the box office, too. In the same breath with which we’ve mourned legends such as Tina Turner and Sinead O’Connor, we’ve also celebrated and honored Adele’s and Usher’s Las Vegas residencies. Then there were the concert ticket fiascos ahead of Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour, Taylor Swift’s Eras tour and Bad Bunny’s Most Wanted tour. (Ticketmaster, you are not seeing the pearly gates of heaven.)
There have been myriad lawsuits leveled against artists this year, including Young Thug, Lizzo and now Diddy, prompting consumers to reevaluate the industry at large. Several questions drive the conversation: Why is America’s justice system intent on criminalizing hip-hop but not other genres? Will the #MeToo movement hold powerful Black men in the music industry accountable? And can musicians and other workers in the music industry, similar to screenwriters and actors, be able to galvanize for better labor rights?
Moreover, country music’s racial reckoning seemingly came to a screeching halt, marred by that ”pro-lynching” Jason Aldean music video and the fact that slur-slinging Morgan Wallen remains employed. Consequently, Maren Morris decided to divest from the mess and left country music altogether. (Love that for her.)
In the spirit of reclaiming one’s power, Britney Spears released her long-awaited, tell-all memoir, “The Woman in Me,” baring her soul to readers as she recounted her childhood, career and crooked conservatorship. Our favorite H-Town Hottie, Megan Thee Stallion, returned to music with her first single as an independent artist, “Cobra,” bravely putting words to the pain she’s endured in the last few years and charting a new era for herself. And now, underrated artists are finally getting their long overdue shine as well, notably R&B acts such as Victoria Monét and “Bel-Air” actor Coco Jones.
2023 was full of impressive debuts and projects from our longtime faves, far too many for us to include here. Honorable mentions include Jones’ debut album, “What I Didn’t Tell You,” alt-country artist Zach Bryan’s self-titled release, Kaytranada and Aminé’s joint album, “Kaytraminé,” and British-Nigerian rapper Enny’s “We Go Again” EP. But the 12 titles below have earned a spot on HuffPost’s best albums of ’23 list, and you’re about to find out exactly why. With neo-soul, folk/indie rock, pop-punk and more to select from, get to know these artists, stream their songs and enjoy. — Ruth Etiesit Samuel
Victoria Monét, ‘Jaguar II’
I first heard Victoria Monét, specifically her cover of Willie Hutch’s “The Glow” (1985), in the Season 3 finale of Issa Rae’s “Insecure.” Her smooth, soulful vocals blended seamlessly with that upbeat tempo, and I instantly became a fan. Fast-forward five years and several EPs and singles later, and the veteran singer-songwriter has released her debut studio album, “Jaguar II.” A continuation of her “Jaguar I” EP (2020), “Jaguar II” is like that more seasoned, sonically mature cousin you’ve always admired and wanted to emulate. “Jaguar I” was an R&B-funk paradise, unpacking first romances and steamy rendezvous with songs like “We Might Be Falling in Love,” “Experience” and “Moment.” In “Jaguar II,” Monét expands upon those themes with even more delicious, sensual wordplay and a sense of agency. With tracks like “Party Girls” (feat. Buju Banton), “I’m the One” and the Kaytranada-esque “Alright,” the album is all about talking your shit, taking names and looking good while doing it. There’s a clear sense of self-possession in the lyrics, balanced with the fantasy, playfulness and visuals accompanying songs such as “Cadillac (A Pimp’s Anthem),” “Stop (Askin’ Me4Shyt)” and the mega-viral “On My Mama,” choreographed by Sean Bankhead. The album is fun, fresh and sleek, and it oozes a confident sex appeal. — Samuel
Paramore, ‘This Is Why’
After six years of quiet, Paramore resurfaced with its sixth studio album, “This Is Why.” The previous album, “After Laughter,” is lovingly referred to by many of us fans as our “depression album,” carrying us through the highs and lows of anxiety, grief and disappointment with songs like “Fake Happy,” “Caught in the Middle” and, my personal favorite, “Hard Times.” (“After Laughter” saved me in undergrad, and I am eternally grateful.) Led by a single of the same name, “This Is Why” is a salve for the times, with resounding lyrics like “This is why / I don’t leave the house / you say / the coast is clear / but you won’t catch me out.” Following the confusion of living through unprecedented times for the past several years, the pop-punk band returned with an anthem that put words to our collective exhaustion and addressed the external chaos around us. I deeply resonated with tracks such as “Running Out of Time,” which calls out lead singer Hayley Williams’ chronic lateness, and “The News,” which speaks to the feelings of helplessness, fatigue and overwhelm seeing a world in turmoil. “Every second our collective heart breaks / all together every single head shakes / shut your eyes but it won’t go away / turn off, turn off / the news,” Williams sings. What I love about Paramore is it always knows just what to say and how to meet me where I am. When I can’t scream at the top of my lungs, Hayley ’nem do it for me. — Samuel
Olivia Dean, ‘Messy’
I’ve been following Olivia Lauryn Dean since 2019, replaying singles like “Reason to Stay” and “Echo” for years on end. The 24-year-old British-Caribbean songstress, hailing from London and an alumna of the Brit School for performing arts — which has produced stars such as Adele, Leona Lewis and Amy Winehouse — is the princess of acoustic, bluesy soul, with a tinge of jazzy pop. Dean, trained via gospel choir and theater, and influenced by the likes of Winehouse and Lauryn Hill, has already garnered the attention and praise of icons like Elton John. You may know her from her breakout 2021 track, “The Hardest Part”: “I know you’re still waiting / wondering where my heart is / pray that things won’t change / but the hardest part is / realizing maybe I, maybe I / ain’t the same.” Two years later and she’s released “Messy,” her first studio album, which explores themes of young love, heartbreak and self-discovery, and what untangling them in real-time looks like. My favorite songs include ballads such as “UFO” or anthems like “Dive,” each about surrendering to love, or “Carmen,” a homage to her Guyanese grandmother, who was a part of the Windrush generation that came to Britain from 1948 to 1971. It’s one of the few songs I’ve heard that earnestly captures what it means to be the descendant of Black immigrants. There’s also my all-time favorite on the album, “Ladies Room.” Dean released a video of her performing it live in Brooklyn (and, yes, I was at that concert, belting my heart out). If you want to vibe out, dance in your kitchen or go for a nighttime drive, just let this album play and enjoy. — Samuel
Reneé Rapp, ‘Snow Angel’
I remember being so distraught when I learned that Reneé Rapp would be leaving Mindy Kaling’s “Sex Lives of College Girls” on Max. But after listening to her debut album, “Snow Angel”? Oh, honey, I get it. Reneé, raised in Huntersville, North Carolina, has been a star on stage, playing Regina George in the “Mean Girls” musical and winning the 2018 Jimmy Award for portraying Sandra Bloom in “Big Fish.” After attending her tour in November, I can confidently say that Broadway training has been incredibly beneficial to Rapp’s transition to the music scene. Ten months following the release of her “Everything to Everyone” EP, Rapp’s 12-track album “Snow Angel” is an emotional pop catharsis, replete with wistful yearning, head-banging and roasting everybody (including herself). With a big voice to match her big feelings, Rapp effortlessly floats between tracks that share brutal truths, such as “Talk Too Much” or “Pretty Girls” (a message to the girls who are suddenly attracted to women after a few drinks), silly earworms like “Poison, Poison,” introspective ballads like “Gemini Moon” and, my favorite, “The Wedding Song.” In conversation with Drew Barrymore at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan, Rapp cited Frank Ocean as one of her biggest inspirations, which can be heard in her sultry, R&B-leaning track “Tummy Hurts,” another standout from the album. I’ll miss Rapp on screen, but I can’t wait to see where she goes from here. — Samuel
Emily King, ‘Special Occasion’
Emily King’s latest album, “Special Occasion,” takes listeners on a journey through heartbreak that is as personal as it is relatable. King, whose introspective project has been nominated for Best R&B Album for the 2024 Grammys, offers her soulful voice and sharp songwriting skills in an 11-track exploration of sadness and grief, along with a few reminders of our own self-worth. The album starts with the self-assured anthem “This Year,” a song that instantly sets bright, personal intentions despite outside forces. (The song also closed out an episode of “And Just Like That...” this season.) But King and her longtime producer Jeremy Most really soar on songs like “False Start,” “The Way You Love Me” and the album’s title track, where King effortlessly guides you through her lyrics with vocals that are somehow rich, deep and delicate at the same time. “Special Occasion” is an intimate wonder of an album, and King is a talent who deserves every bit of praise. — Erin E. Evans
Olivia Rodrigo, ‘Guts’
If Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album, “Sour,” made listeners around the world feel like a love-lorn teenage girl, then her searing sophomore album, “Guts,” delivers the palpable angst and self-awareness of young adulthood. With more life experience, Rodrigo’s narrative is less focused on external forces and has instead turned toward inward contemplation. She embraces messiness (“Bad Idea Right?”), anxiety (“Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl”) and insecurity (“Pretty Isn’t Pretty”), all jam-packed with her signature wit and charm. The standout for me is “Making the Bed,” which asks the age-old question of lost 20-somethings everywhere: What if I’m the reason for my own unrest and unhappiness? Rodrigo proves time and again that she possesses the musical talent and emotional intelligence of someone far beyond her years. Although her finale song, “Teenage Dream,” wonders if she has already reached her peak, “Guts” proves it does, in fact, get better the more you grow. — Alexandra Niforos
Hozier, ‘Unreal Unearth’
For me, as a former English major and lifelong literary nerd, Hozier’s music has always felt like being absorbed in a good book or reading a line of poetry that takes my breath away. So it makes sense that his third album, “Unreal Unearth” (which finds inspiration from Dante’s “Inferno”), contains some of his best artistry to date. With incendiary lyricism and vocals that shift between commanding and contemplative, he takes listeners to hell and back with an album that explores lust (“Francesca”), gluttony (“Eat Your Young”), treachery (“Unknown/Nth”) and more. It’s a spiritual odyssey that looks back on feelings and experiences of one’s past, artfully summed up in “Who We Are,” which opens by saying, “You only feel it when it’s lost / Gettin’ through still has a cost.” And yet, in an album about endings, Hozier reminds us with the closer (and my favorite), “First Light,” that climbing out of darkness paves the way for new beginnings. — Niforos
Janelle Monáe, ‘The Age of Pleasure’
Janelle Monáe’s “The Age of Pleasure” fulfills its promise. It is fun, sexy and addictive in all the ways the most pleasurable moments should be. “The Age of Pleasure,” which has been nominated for Best R&B Album and Album of the Year for the 2024 Grammys, is the kind of project you put on midday for a pick-me-up and then keep on for hours because the vibes are just right. “Haute” is the perfect empowerment anthem for when you’re feeling yourself or when you’re needing a reminder that you’re the shit. “Champagne Shit” hypes up the party even when you’re alone in your living room. Meanwhile, “Lipstick Lover” calls for a dance partner for the best vibe. The album also includes several fun features, including Grace Jones, Nia Long, Doechii and Sister Nancy. “The Age of Pleasure” is Monáe’s first album in five years, and the singer-songwriter proved that sometimes the most fulfilling pleasure is worth the wait. — Evans
Cleo Sol, ‘Heaven’
Cleo Sol is a singular talent. So, for the singer-songwriter to release two delightful albums within a month, she showed fans just how much of a gift she is to us. In 30 minutes, Cleo guides you through journeys of faith and self-love. She encourages you to take control of your love on “Miss Romantic,” empowers your spirit on “Go Baby” and reminds you who you are on “Self.” It’s a smooth and occasionally funky album, with songs and sounds so beautifully strung together it makes you wonder why Cleo isn’t a bigger name. Perhaps Cleo’s “Heaven” is a sister album of sorts to Emily King’s “Special Occasion.” I found myself playing one after the other on a day when I wanted to feel my feelings, and I felt validated through their music. “Heaven” is just the right antidote to self-doubt, and if you’re just now hearing of Cleo Sol, it’s time to get familiar with her and her soul-stirring music. — Evans
Doja Cat, ‘Scarlet’
When it comes to making a solid album, Doja Cat doesn’t miss — and “Scarlet” is no exception. With her fourth studio album, Doja walks lines that teeter on softness and rage, dreaminess and darkness, and playful and sharp. Instead of fighting her demons, she pops Champagne with them on the lead single, “Paint the Town Red.” She makes a stand that she’s here to do her art her way while taking shots at former fans on “Fuck the Girls.” And she brags about her car (“97”), her money (“Go Off”) and her man (“Agora Hills”), too. Because of Doja’s anti-fan tirades as marketing, “Scarlet” is slept on. But the album succeeds in taking its own path and diverging from the pop sound its predecessors, “Planet Her” and “Hot Pink,” leaned into. — Taryn Finley
Sexyy Red, ‘Hood Hottest Princess’
Sexyy Red was one of hip-hop’s best, unexpected blow-ups of the year. Capitalizing off the viral momentum of “Pound Town,” the St. Louis rapper took her raunchy and raw energy and made the perfect album to play in the gym or when you’re just trying to get into your ratchet bag for the night. On “Hood Hottest Princess,” Sexyy earns that parental advisory stamp, proclaiming her “pussy is the best,” “I’m the shit” and “I’m so fucking sexy,” often and proudly. She had folks shouting “SkeeYee!” everywhere from the club to brunch, and she made Honda owners feel like they drive “Hellcat SRTs.” “Female Gucci Mane” isn’t just another standout track from the album; it’s an apt nickname for Sexyy, the rapper riding her beats like the prolific Atlanta rapper did during his peak in the late 2000s. A part of Sexyy’s appeal is the lane she’s widening for women in rap, along with simply being her risk-taking self. “Hood Hottest Princess” feels indicative of the variety of women who can exist in the genre. — Finley
Sampha, ‘Lahai’
Sampha’s sophomore studio album is sonic healing. In 14 tracks, “Lahai” lifts you, baptizes you and makes you new. Sampha’s vivid storytelling and dreamy instrumentals transport you to an idealistic world for 40 minutes straight. He assures you “spirit gon’ catch you” on “Spirit 2.0.” He paints a bridge of new perspective and common ground on “Jonathan L. Seagull.” And he calls for listeners to “fly toward the source again” on “Inclination Compass (Tenderness).” The multi-hyphenate singer-songwriter, who’s worked with Solange, Kendrick Lamar, Drake and many others, has never had trouble putting his audience under a specific hypnosis — and “Lahai” is no different. — Finley