Crucify me if you want, but I honestly couldn’t get into the whole Kendrick Lamar hype post-To Pimp a Butterfly.
It’s a brilliant album. A masterpiece. Completely genius.
But it was kinda like The Beatles to me. I appreciate the artistry and it’s place in musical history, but I’m not going out of my way to listen to it more than once.
But damn, DAMN. got me (I’m so clever lol).
Maybe it’s because I was paying attention to politics and racial tension more than I was when TPAB came out. Or maybe it’s because I was studying all the time in 2015 and raps not great for studying but you can listen to it at work.
Idk but the stories within it. The themes and references and everything in it really captivated me. It was the first rap album I had really fallen in love with in a long time and made me a fan of Kendrick (I guess as much of one as I can given that I like DAMN. more than TPAB, which I hear is contrary to popular opinion).
Favorites from this album are “LOYALTY.”, “LOVE.”, “HUMBLE.”, and “GOD.”
Good at Falling, The Japanese House
This album is similar to DAMN. in that I had listened to The Japanese House before and wasn’t a fan. But I heard “Maybe You’re the Reason” on a friend’s Instagram story so I listened to the song and then this album and fell in love with them.
I’ve listened to this album a lot this year. Partly because it sounds like it could be the soundtrack to some combo of a John Hughes and John Green teen film. Partly because it’s cool blend of melancholy and dance bops which makes it easy to listen to while working on things and while traveling (Lord knows, I’ve traveled a lot this year) but not boring. And partly because it’s just well-written.
They say a songwriter’s job is to express feelings and emotions that other’s have experienced and gone through in a way they couldn’t have said it themselves.
That doesn’t happen all that often in pop music, especially across a whole album, but this album does that.
“Lilo” is one of my favorite songs of the year. After listening to it a million times and getting caught up in the serenity of it, I had to Google what the hell a lilo was (it’s the British term for an inflatable mattress you use to float on water).
I fell in love with song even more after finally understanding the imagery behind it and jealous of how poetically she was able to express that emotion and state of a relationship.
Good at Falling is a such a good debut album and now I listen to all of her old EPs on repeat, too.
Favorites from this album are “Maybe You’re the Reason”, “Follow My Girl”, “Lilo”, and “Worms”.
The Human Condition, Jon Bellion
Did I ever mention to you that I love concept albums?!
One Monday night a couple of years ago, my old small group had a National Championship watching party (it was Alabama vs somebody as it far too often is…probably Clemson). I had recently come up with the whole Coupe Cathedral concept and was explaining it to a friend who was interested in what I was working on next.
After explaining the idea, he recommended that I listen to this album by Jon Bellion since it was also an album that addressed the complexities of humanity and internal and external struggle.
I honestly was going to brush it off because at that time, the idea of there being a cool pop artist that I had heard of seemed far-fetched (I was still doing the “Similar Artists” study break thing on Spotify…it’s still a pretentious thought though [shrug]).
For some reason, I decided to actually listen to it….and I was blown away!
Those of you that listen to Jon Bellion know he’s a genius. And I love the increasing combo of hip hop beats and grooves in pop music and Bellion does that so well especially on The Human Condition.
And the concept…it’s so real and honest and makes you think while you’re bobbin’ your noggin (I don’t know why I just said that but whatevs).
As a big John Hughes fan, I listened to “80’s Films” on repeat for about three days after I heard it (although I highly advise against having best friends who are cool with you hooking up with someone in the back seat while they drive…that’s just weird).
Other favs from this album are “He Is The Same”, “All Time Low”, “Woke The F*ck Up”, “Guillotine”, and “Hand of God – Outro” (it is one of the best album outros I’ve ever heard…he put every song from the album in it…your fav could never…love me a good outro lol…queue Lemonade Shadows)
Tenboom, Penny & Sparrow
This album is beauty and brokenness, the fight for honesty and vulnerability in relationships, and poetry on the human condition [wink wink] in its greatest form.
I’ve looked up to Andy Baxter since I first stepped foot in YoungLife over a decade ago and heard his angelic voice lead worship.
Then I heard “Creature” and was in awe of his and Kyle’s writing ability.
Then Tenboom came out.
And it is still to this day one of my favorite albums. I will be randomly going about my day and all of a sudden start singing,
“When your lips touched mine, the first thing I thought is I don’t smoke but whoever you’ve been with sure does.”
“Chimney lips and all, please come home.” It’s brilliant and I don’t know what else to tell you!
I’ve listened to this album all throughout the decade since it came out and still love it.
Favs from this album besides “Patience, First” include “Just and Just As”, “Duet”, and “A Woman Caught”.
Take Care, Drake
A mother effin’ CLASSIC!
I listened to this album on the way to 6th Street for my 21st birthday. Listened to it when I was up late at night and caught up in my feelings (I’ve listened to “Marvins Room” and “The Ride” way too much to be healthy, if we’re being honest)
This album introduced us to The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar.
This might be an inaccurate claim, but I honestly think that this album revolutionized and redirected the trajectory of music at that time. After Take Care, artists were so much more vulnerable.
It wasn’t just surface level heartbreak songs but went even deeper. And not even just what people wrote about but how they wrote about it. How they said what they wanted to say.
And it didn’t just affect hip hop, but pop music as well. I feel like dark pop was born from this album.
The beauty of vulnerability and honesty, y’all.
Also it was the beginning of the 20-track album era (can’t believe albums used to be 8-10 songs lol)
Who would have thought ole’ Wheelchair Jimmy would give us one of the greatest albums of the century so far?!
Some of my favs from this album are “Over My Dead Body”, “Crew Love”, “Take Care”, “Marvins Room”, “Look What You’ve Done”, and “The Ride” (I’d say sorry for listing so many songs but I’m not…sue me for it!)
Honorable Mention: The Beauty Behind the Madness