#Carly Rae Jepsen album concept

[fakemonalisa28-art]

Fanmade album concept: Skyline (Carly Rae Jepsen)

The first ever mixtape of pop sensation Carly Rae Jepsen.

Venturing into a new pop sub genre, Carly explores Japanese City Pop in this mixtape. She also mixed some 1970s and 1980s funk, r&b and jazz. The songs “Would You Do Anything For Me?” and “Superstition” also have some vaporwave influence as well. Two previously unreleased songs, “Look Me In The Eyes” and “Lucky In Love” were released with updated production that matches the city pop theme of this album. While most of the songs are about romance, the song Reverse is about her fans and how lucky she is to have them and what her life would be without them.

Vibe playlist

[fakemonalisa28]

Y’all I need a band name for them

[unproduciblesmackdown]

perhaps the title track can go to kleinsen applications lmao though another candidate or two, i could & would listen to any songs on the album again, And the whole thing in a row....like any powerful [this has the narrative elements] ballad it can apply to many things & can also be giving [former official fwb unofficially in love on an indefinite hiatus w/o adequate resolution] tayston, just like [lack of resolution Just Canon] kleinsen lmao. and focusing on the space motifs?? perfect when i’m doing that w/tayston one moment ago. and i am also simply doing my part in going “did you see there’s more crj music? enjoy a song” when back when party for one released i was like partway through the first viewing like hang on i’m weeping for joy, very literally. and in true form as per usual every shot here is various genders of the week

[swarnpert]

carly rae jepsen should do a concept album based around world of warcraft next

[chronotopes]

big epiphany last night that probably belongs in the diary and not on tumblr

but between august 2022 and april 2023 i was for the most part living this almost severance-like* lifestyle where on weekends i was a living being with a girlfriend and somewhat of a circle of friends and hobbies and interests and on weekdays i was someone who went to work and did my job and talked to my parents. and that was about it. maybe from an outside perspective that sounds like ~codependency!~ but it really had to do a lot less with being in a moderate-distance relationship and a lot more to do with the freaky all-consuming emotional demands of my job, and parts of my life that had blown up in a big way just as jenny's school year started, leaving me... unable or unwilling, for the most part, to do things like writing and going places in that weird work-week haze. such a clear delineation between Feeling Alive vs Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow seems horrible and unsettling in hindsight but it felt okay at the time. there was a certain very rhythmic predictability to it. the bad things didn't disappear on the weekends and the good things weren't unreachable on the weekdays but – for the most part at least – in each case, one felt so much more important and all consuming than the other. the point is it's a weird transition from that to living with jenny and having a job that, while not perfect, gives me a lot more mobility and free emotional energy and functional stability. while still being very far away, an hour to two hours to much more than that, from all of the other fixtures of our social circle. i think a lot of my most #kind of pathetic moments in the past few months, "weeping on car rides home from seeing friends because you're sleepy" type behavior, comes in part from that transition state. the concept of 'feeling like a real person' is no longer reserved for three nights out of the week but that means there's another real person there to see me when i'm #kind of pathetic rather than super fun. i mean jenny has always seen me be kind of pathetic but there's a difference between acute emotional distress and the kind of empty listlessness that comes from an important part of your life being two hours away from where you live. driving home in the dark or in early morning and trying to stay awake. i guess what i'm trying to say is that a) i should not read the fact that i'm no longer on and off crushingly unhappy as a signal that i have to be super fun all the time because nobody can be super fun all the time even when they're happy, and b) the expectation gap between being Super Fun and Kind Of Tired is not being read in bad faith by the people around me, and c) if i'm driving at the end of a long day and thinking "i'm pathetic and weird and unfunny and nobody likes me" the key word is at the end of a long day and things are probably fine. anyway i thought through this on 95 last night and then put on e mo tion for the first time in like years (thank you hanif) and actually found that SOMEHOW in the midst of how obsessed i was with that album back in the day it actually has bonus tracks i haven't heard. love again goes hard. thank you carly rae jepsen, i did and do love again and it rules.

*haven't seen the show so i'm basing this metaphor exclusively off of the basic premise

[epersonae]

I promised a couple of people in the comments that I would write up my thoughts on the relationship between for the benefit of all the broken hearts and the Carly Rae Jepsen album The Loneliest Time, and as a way of dealing with some wicked writer's block, here it is. (below the cut, because long, and I know only a few followers/mutuals are likely to be interested. also: spoilers for my fic, if you are interested in it but haven't read/finished.)

fwiw, even if you have no interest in this particular fic, I highly recommend the album, it's great!

So I wrote most of this fic while listening to this album: I was looking for some good background music, I wanted some pop music, and I had listened to it once and thought it was pretty good, so I put it on. And THEN it turns out most of the album hits the Themes and Motifs I was playing with, and I became obsessed. (Tidal continues to let me know, month after month, just how obsessed.) And CRJ became an ingredient in the character I was writing, which turned into a great feedback loop of the music and the aesthetic and getting sent interviews, which fed back into the character, etc etc etc.

As I was writing, I ended up with the headcanon that this album is sort of/mostly/not entirely/in a parallel dimension the album that the unnamed protagonist is working on throughout the story. Which in the story, she's written about half an album, quite a bit of which is about her relationship with Ed, and then she's inspired to write new songs by the events of the story itself. In my head, that works with the songs in the real album in the real world, because I think of them as three categories.

I will say that sometimes songs move around in categories in my head, or I've thought about their relationship to the story in different ways over time, which is part of the experience of mostly listening to a single album for seven months. (Apologies to my neighbors, I guess? Or anyone who has ridden in my car.)

Songs that have nothing to do with the story

If this is the album in the story, these are songs she wrote before the story that are not related to her relationships, they're just songs.

Beach House - although a song like this is directly referenced, I think a couple of times? She redirects the interview in the final scene by talking about something like it, a song inspired by terrible online dating experiences, which I think is something I heard in a CRJ interview about Beach House.

Bends (which is apparently a song CRJ wrote about grief from losing a family member) - the chorus is very vibes but it doesn't hit anything in particular

Western Wind - likewise vibes but not story

Shooting Star - I do love this song, but yeah, not part of the story

Pre-WFU (or at least pre-story) songs about Ed

These are also songs she came into the studio with, but they are specific to her relationship with Ed, and a particular conception of them that she has in her head. I am agnostic about whether she wrote them entirely before WFU, or in the gap during/after when she didn't know about those events.

So Nice - this is the song re: Ed; it's the song she can't quite get in the studio after meeting Mary, the song she remembers writing while watching him, the song she can finally record properly after things are more resolved. (Yeah there is a direct reference, I happened to be writing a particular bit of chapter 9 while it was playing, and decided to do something silly.) This song inspired a lot of how I thought about her feelings about Ed, too.

Surrender My Heart (this is the song that gave me the title) - altho this one I can sometimes see either way, as something she came in with or as something she wrote as it happened?

Sideways

No Thinking Over The Weekend

Songs from the story

These are the songs that she writes over the course of the story, and that as I listened to them, had extra resonance for writing the story. Some of them I associate strongly with particular chapters or sections, or I have strong visuals in my head for them. I tend to imagine her writing them as if thinking from the perspectives of the other characters, too.

Bad Thing Twice - if listening to "So Nice" is the "oh this is her and Ed's song" breakthrough moment in my writing process, this is the "HEY IT'S A WFU SONG" that cemented this album as going with this story. It works so well it's a little spooky tbh. Sometimes I think of it as Ed to Stede or vice versa, but it's also tasty to think of it with her and Mary too.

Talking to Yourself - late in the draft process I solidified that this is the first of the songs that she writes over the course of the story, the couplet that comes to her while taking a break from recording. I tend to think of it also as Ed to Stede, and something of the vibes that she's absorbed from that first chapter with Ed and then from talking to Mary and briefly encountering Stede.

Joshua Tree - speaking of Mary, this is THE song for her and Mary, which is partially the painting references, partially the California driving vibes, partially the lines "California dreaming's never what it seems/But here it comes, I know what I must do now".

Go Find Yourself or Whatever - so I have this scene in my head that I will probably never write, of the foursome sometime after the story going out to karaoke, and ofc some of her songs are there, and Ed and Mary sing this as a duet while staring directly at Stede, who is attempting to disappear under a table.

Keep Away - conversely, this is very much Stede's song, all the way through, and I'm always [bites fist] about "I'm keeping company [...] with all the friends I got from you" in the context of Roach being part of the comedy show scene.

Far Away - not a strong association, but it makes me think of her realizing that she hasn't really known Ed, and in some ways wanting to start over. So a little bit chapter 1, even, and a little bit chapter 10, I think.

Anxious - I think I rotated this through lots of different feelings, and eventually settled on the whole chapter 13 situation, and Ed and Mary, and it's something about the energy of it and also "ooh, boy, you've got a reputation"

Special category: The Loneliest Time

There's two aspects to this: in the story, she's writing it in chapter 11 specifically, so between Berlin and Los Angeles, and it's a duet, and I got to bring in some ambiguous famous male singer (theories and headcanons welcome) that is a bit of a foil and context for her in that and in the following chapters in the recording studio.

But also, at some point very early on, it struck me that if I did this thing successfully -- that is to say, if I fixed it in a way that I personally would recognize as fixed, it would feel like the way The Loneliest Time sounds.

By which I mean: something about the interweaving of the vocals and the depth of the sound and the chord progressions (I think? it has been 1000 years since I did anything with music) and the lyrics and the whole vibe of it. Something about it feels like a resolution, even if it's not perfect or final, it's settled into a new place, one that's hopeful, and that's what I wanted to get to.

(For a while, I thought that if I was able to land it, I would title the fic "The Loneliest Time", but it didn't quite fit - when I made the series for it and A secret third thing and the missing scenes fic I'm working/posting/block on, I decided it works for the set as a whole.)

As a final thought, one of the things I appreciate about this album in relationship to this story is that the songs don't appear to be in a story order. There's no particular story arc or narrative or even necessarily direct relationship between any of the songs. And that worked with the idea that comes up in the final chapter: "It’s not one to one. The story you’re telling isn’t always your story exactly as it is." And before that, when she thinks about putting the music out into the world and it become part of other people's stories.

There's something about that, and about how this story relates to a lot of personal things in a similarly non-linear way, that makes this album feel even more connected to this story.

[schnuron]

2023's albums I like

Here are the albums I've been liking in this year:

Darkwave: Hallows - A Quieter Life Shad Shadows - Assault Saigon Blue Rain - Oko Mareux - Lovers from the Past - Iggy Pop - Every Loser Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn into You Luke Vibert - Machine Funk Kelela - Raven Mitski - The Land is Inhospitable and So are we Spiritbox - The Fear of Fear Gunship - Unicorn Mega Drive - 200XAD

-

Ambient: Alva Noto - HYbr:ID II Field Lines Cartographer - Phases of This and Other Moons Hinako Omori - stillness, softness... Polypores - Multizonal Mindscramble Ital Tek - Timeproof Augustus Muller/Boy Harsher - Cellulosed Bodies Midnight Smoke - Retronoir / Empty Floors EP Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan - The Nation's Most Central Location Carbon Based Lifeforms - Seeker

Honorable mentions: Katatonia - Sky Void of Stars HEALTH - RAT WARS Korine - Tear Nuovo Testamento - Love Lines Veil of Light - Sundancing Pearly Drops - A Little Disaster Battle Tapes - Texture Rebecca Black - Let Her Burn Tkay Maidza - Sweet Justice Sun June - Bad Dream Jaguar Jonn Serrie - Elysian Lightships Yves Tumor - Praise a Lord Who Chews, But Does Not Consume… Yves Malone - Kill the Copy in your Head Biosphere - Inland Delta Bibio - Sunbursting EP Eartheater - Powders Fragrance - Dust & Disorders Dominic Fike - Sunburn Olivia Rodrigo - Guts Sleep Token - Take Me back to Eden Danger (not the French one) - Blade EP Alison Goldfrapp - The Love Invention In Flames - Foregone Clark - Sus Dog Oval - Romantiq Saya Gray - QWERTY EP Sophie Ellis-Bextor - HANA Speakers Corner Quartet - Further Out Than The Edge The Ongoing Concept - Again Ellie Goulding - Higher than Heaven Miley Cyrus - Endless Summer Vacation A Certain Ratio - 1982 Glen Hansard - All That was East is West of Me Now Fireworks - Higher Lonely Power Cicada - Seeking the Sources of Streams James Holden - Imagine This Is A High Dimensional Space Of All Possibilities Andrea - Due in Color Enslaved - Heimdal Skrillex - Quest for Fire Orbital - Optical Delusion Kimbra - A Reckoning GLT Nurnberg - Ahida Mary Lattimore - Goodbye, Hotel Arkada Julie Byrne With Laugh Cry Laugh EP Peter Gabriel - i/o Not Waving - The Place I've been Missing Ben Howard - Is It? Slowdive - Everything is Alive Stimming - Elderberry Spangle call Lilli line - Ampersand Ruby Haunt - Between Heavens Anberlin - Convinced Amir Obe - after. Soft Vein - Pressed in Glass Ghost - Phantomine Kaelan Mikla - Undir Koldum Nordurljosum Strange Ranger - Pure Music Disclosure - Alchemy Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loveliest Time Art School Girlfriend - Soft Landing Crosses - Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete. David Eugene Edwards - Hyacinth

[chaosincurate]

My Month in Music - November 2023

Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee (relisten)

Slint - Spiderland

IAN SWEET - Sucker (new)

Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good!

Spiritual Cramp - Spiritual Cramp (new)

Fugazi - 13 Songs

Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine

Sampha - Lahai (relisten)

Nina Simone - Pastel Blues (relisten)

Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade

Wire - Pink Flag

Hüsker Dü - Warehouse: Songs and Stories

underscores - fishmonger

Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR (relisten)

yeule - softscars (relisten)

Pulp - Different Class (relisten)

Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loveliest Time (new) (relisten)

Paramore - This Is Why (relisten)

The Strokes - Room On Fire (relisten)

Fugazi - Repeater & 3 Songs

The Strokes - The New Abnormal (relisten)

Samara Joy - Linger Awhile

Shame - Food For Worms (relisten)

Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

Alvvays - Alvvays (relisten)

Alvvays - Antisocialites (relisten)

Alvvays - Blue Rev (relisten)

Jane Remover - Census Designated (new)

Playlist link

Write-ups below

Fugazi - 13 Songs

Fugazi is an exceptional punk band in all the ways you'd expect: power in every single instrument, simplicity that doesn't get boring, and a heavy focus on societal ills. But there's more than just that. I feel like the thing that makes them not just exceptional, but unique, is that the lyrics strike an incredible balance between an interesting level of obfuscation and that crucial bluntness that ensures that the message doesn't actually get lost.

Naturally, the fact that this is a combination of EPs and not an album all its own makes the sequencing a little awkward, but as a collection of songs, this is some of the best punk I've ever heard.

Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine

Oh boy am I late to this one!

I was only familiar with Killing In the Name (and only in fairly passive contexts) before listening to this album so I wasn't really sure what to expect, and whether it'd be a case of the album having one standout track and the rest just being filler. Well, Killing In the Name definitely stands out, but the rest of the album definitely isn't filler.

While I complimented Fugazi's balance of thought-provoking poetry and pure politics on 13 Songs, I have to say RATM makes pure bluntness come across too sincere to dismiss om the grounds of simplicity. Every single line is delivered with such potent anger, and it really got me whipped up in the emotion of it, at least on a second listen.

Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade

Zero expectation listens to punk-adjacent albums is a theme on this post, and a theme that Zen Arcade is contributing to. All I knew was that Hüsker Dü's reputation seemed good. My lack of expectation meant that 1. I only found out that apparently it's a story album after listening to it, and 2. I was absolutely blindsided by the album's more experimental flourishes.

One of my favourite flourishes came with Pink Turns to Blue, which takes punk and filters it through a noise-pop/shoegaze sort of sound to great effect. That is probably the most noteworthy example, but compared to some more repetitive punk albums I've heard, an album feeling so ceaselessly experimental it seemed disjointed by punk standards was honestly more to the albums benefit than it's detriment.

underscores - fishmonger

I'm very new to the hyperpop sphere, but I don't think I could ask for a better gateway to it than underscores. The blend of that indie rock sound with the eternally online stylings of hyperpop is a personal cheat code for pleasure for me, particularly on their new album Wallsocket, which you will listen to if you know what's good for you. After listening to her other projects, though, I can very happily say that they are scratching the same itch (if not quite as well).

I've written before about how the unique concepts of the tracks off the new album were a highlight, and, again, that extends to a lesser degree to her older work, which has been fantastic, and where the interesting concepts are comparatively limited, the execution makes up for it.

Given a few more releases of this sort of quality, underscores could well become one of my favourite music acts I just love this style so much.

Fugazi - Repeater & 3 Songs

Basically everything that I said about 13 Songs applies here, but there are a few differences that make this worthwhile to talk about on it's own. One of those differences is that this essentially plays like a regular album with three bonus tracks, which means that my one noted criticism of 13 Songs doesn't apply here. The other key difference that comes to mind is that it feels to me as if there is more aggression in this album. It's grittier and angrier, and while it does throw off the balance that I liked so much on the other album, I also appreciate that it makes it a unique listening experience while also not changing enough to make it clearly worse.

The Strokes - The New Abnormal

The Strokes were so back with this one. They happen to have left again shortly after, not having released anything in over three years, but they were so back for a second there.

This album brought back everything that made The Strokes great in those first few albums and occasional singles thereafter, and kept kept it all stripped back to it's bare essentials so they could really be heard. Their ability to have a musical composition in which everything (bass, guitar, drums, other guitar, synth...) both shines on it's own and comes together in this glorious tapestry is only arguably matched by Radiohead, and specifically during their In Rainbows era. And that talent is here on full force on The New Abnormal.

Also present is a tasteful experimentation with synths and electronics, which don't just justify themselves, but improve the songs they are on. They are used to great effect on At the Door, for example, where the sawed synths create a potent feeling of fear and harshness that makes it unlike any song The Strokes have ever made.

Between the outstanding mixing, versatility of sound, and the back-to-their-best Strokes songcrafting, this is the best Strokes album hands down for my money, but you guys aren't ready for that discussion yet, so I'll just leave it at "album good" until you are.

Samara Joy - Linger Awhile

I can't pretend that I actually have much to say about this, because I'm still pretty new to jazz, but Samara Joy is a very charismatic vocalist and the album is a great one for a chill vibe so I thought it deserved to be highlighted more than just putting it in the playlist. If you're looking for a modern in for jazz, I found this one very enjoyable.

Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

The second album of the post where I should have gotten to it way earlier. Pure dance music just never really appealed to me, nor do songs without vocals, generally, and I was under the impression that Daft Punk were entirely that. Clearly I was wrong, although I'm still unsure as to what degree.

In any case, I loved this album. Instant Crush is a massive highlight just on the basis of it's super satisfying pop sound and just-novel-enough concept. Giorgio By Moroder is also a great love letter to artistry, if a strage one to consider a highlight on account of the spoken word vocals. And of course it goes without saying that the Nile Rodgers and Pharrell Williams backed Lose Yourself to Dance and Get Lucky are amazing, funky, and infectious bops that keep you engaged for every second of their runtime.

It's a classic album for a reason, and I apologize to music for not listening to it earlier.

[groovesnjams]

47 / 50

"Sick To My Stomach" by Rebecca Black

DV:

Totally by chance both Rebecca Black and I happened to be in London when her debut album dropped, after a series of EPs and one-off singles with interesting collaborators on her part and a few years of MG and me talking about how she’s quietly built a catalog of bops. I’m still not sure exactly what to make of her career, but I watched as a packed crowd at Heaven sang along with album cuts that were less than a day old and absolutely lost their shit when she launched into the 2021 remix of “Friday.” Maybe that’s camp, maybe it’s just the equivalent of Eiffel 65 dropping “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” into a crowd of drunk millennials; Rebecca Black was able to follow up with the fantastic “Girlfriend”, which is more than most one-hit wonders can do. It felt like Black was a hometown hero returning after she’d made it, except she wasn’t actually home and her self-released album apparently never even charted.

It seems too early to say what any of this might mean: “Sick to my Stomach” is no “Anyway” (a modern classic), but it’s a catchy slice of the classic synthpop sound where Black’s found her sweet spot. “Sick to my Stomach” also isn’t a synecdoche for the State of Pop Music Today - it’s way too much of a slow build for both radio and playlists - nor is it emblematic of hyperpop - a genre that was over the hill even before Rupaul dropped a cash-in EP more than a year ago. Black's written a carefully observed, emotionally intense bop about self-examination and projection, a twist on the "I Want You Back" concept from the perspective of someone who isn't sure she does. The obvious reference point for a song like "Sick To My Stomach" is Carly Rae Jepsen. But that's less because of the lyric - Carly writes as if she’s conducting a dissection, while Black uses words like they’re blunt instruments - and more because of the visceral imagery, the detailed production, the diaristic approach. “Sick to my Stomach” even makes space for a striking middle eight, something Jepsen (like most pop singers in the streaming era) has slowly phased out in favor of an extra chorus. “Sick to my Stomach” might not be Black's strongest single, but it’s a sign that her personal bar is getting higher. Maybe at some point the rest of the world will catch up to that crowd in London.

MG:

Rebcca Black is the first, but certainly not, by far, the last of what I will call “The Billionaire’s Daughters” on our list this year. With most of them I feel pretty straightforward: why am I being forced to engage with this? But with Black it’s much more complicated. While it’s obvious that the only reason we’re aware of her new work at all is because of the viral success of her daddy-funded teen hit “Friday,” I genuinely do not think she’s daddy-funded any longer. She’s the child of two veterinarians, and while that’s certainly a soft and luxurious start to life, it’s not the leg up you get from being born to the “former executive editor and current publisher of the Wall Street Journal” or from attending a fancy school in England, which a preponderance of this list managed to do. And while “Sick to my Stomach” is fine and pleasant and nothing more, the way Pitchfork used the unremarkableness of Let Her Burn as permission to tear into her appearance and branding instead of the work itself makes me really angry. She’s about as much of an underdog story as anyone in her position could be but as an artist she’s amassed a mediocre catalog on average where “Sick to my Stomach” rests somewhere above the middle.

[nikosasaki]

First of all, I discovered Infamous because of you and I just fell in love!

Second, tell us everything about the new mc!🖤

KISS thats so fun im glad im promo-ing it to everybody sdfgh;

her stage name is Lily Moon and she's literally a villain. bc i support women's wrongs and whatnot. she's the lead singer of experimental pop band Cosmic Crush and her whole deal is that she looks very sweet, is secretly evil, but is even more secretly a sweetheart in the moments that really matter. she's the reason Orion's blood pressure is consistently through the roof because she doesn't believe in the repercussions of her actions. her ro is August. she's pretty used to flirting with anyone she wants and either flustering them or having her energy matched so when August just. does not seem receptive to her bullshit in one way or another shes like 'oh i need to have them'. rooting for their happy ending but she's still going to be a menace so we'll see how it goes. her band's whole concept is space-themed; their first album is called Supersonic with songs like Gemini, Telescopic, and Star Girl. the band's music is reminiscent of early 2010s marina and the diamonds and carly rae jepsen, but also takes inspiration from fourth gen kpop groups like nmixx and newjeans. they make experimental bubblegum pop music and are quick to defend the genre and its artistic merit.

her fc is beabadoobee <3

[fakemonalisa28-art]

Apocalyptic Nights (Olivia Rodrigo Concept album)

“The third studio album of singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, Apocalyptic Nights sees Olivia tackle a new subgenre of rock, shoegaze. The album is also heavily influenced by 90s alternative rock, dream pop and grunge. Taking influences from bands like Mazzy Star, My Bloody Valentines, and Slowdive for the more dream pop/shoegaze songs and Sonic Youth and Pj Harvey for straight up rock songs

While Dan Nigro produced many songs on the album, including lead single Push Me Down, Olivia recruited new producers to help her bring this project to life, namely Rostam Batmanglij of the indie band Vampire Weekend and FINNEAS, the brother and producer of singer Billie Eilish. Flicks of Ember was cowritten by Billie while Here She Comes had writing credits from previous collaborator St. Vincent.”

Concept playlist:

I hope everyone likes this little project I made. I’m not the best editor so this was just for practice and tbh I’m not the biggest fan of how the single cover in particular came out but I would love to make more concept albums for Olivia. Maybe a riot girl album? A folk rock one? Bubblegum pop one? Who knows!

I also made a Carly Rae Jepsen concept album and am currently working on a Lana Del Rey one!!!

[howdoyouloveagain]

My favorite albums of 2022

Here are the albums that I enjoyed the most this year, and I will try to explain (very poorly because I’m not used to write in English) why I’ve loved them so much. A little disclaimer: not all of these albums have come out during this year, some are from 2021, but I listened to them during 2022 and they have accompanied me throughout this year. The first three are my favorite but from then on it’s just in random order. You will find the link to the albums in their title. Hope you enjoy and that you can give some of them a chance!

  Magic stills exists – Agnes (2021)

This was an album that I came to love gradually, but once I did I really could stop listening on repeat. It has a basic concept, as it repeats the same one or two sentences in a few songs: “Free your mind and free your body” and “the soul has no gender”. I think it’s an album with some contrasts, because on one hand you have some huge bangers and then on the other there are a few 1 or 2 minute songs that have very little music and are just like some kind of mantras. And theeeen if this wasn’t enough, when it’s seems like it’s over, the title track comes in and it’s just Agnes’ voice and a piano and it’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever listened. Definitely my favorite album this year. If you have to listen to two songs of the album, let them be “24 hours” and “Here comes the night”.

  Heaven’s just a flight – Caroline Kingsbury (2021)

Spotify recommended me “Breaking Apart” and meanwhile I love that song, it was “Kissing Someone Else” that did it for me. It has a very well made 80’s vibe, and it kinda reminded me of some glam rock tracks that my sister made me listen when I was little. And if this wasn’t enough, she was the opening artist for St. Lucia during their tour this year, so it’s just an artist that I HAD to like. She’s not much known and the album is just great. As I said, “Kissing Someone Else” is the best song for me and then I’m just obsessed with “Massive Escape” and how it crescendos during the last chorus is fantastic.

  Big Time – Angel Olsen (2022)

How could it not be one of my favorite albums this year? It’s just magical. I think it’s quite a sensitive album because of the context in which it was written and recorded, but it’s just beautiful and even more special to listen live. Angel’s an artist that I can’t seem to describe in one genre, but every album that she’s put out since I’ve been following her is spotless. Special mention to “Chasing the sun” and “All the good times”.

 And now I will try to now extend myself too much in the following albums but I just love them so much:

  The Loneliest Time – Carly Rae Jepsen (2022)

Of course she had to be here. She just knows how to use a synth and a bass so well. I enjoyed this album even more than Dedicated, and that’s big hahaha. Special mention to “Anxious”, “Bad thing twice” and of course the album title track “The loneliest time” that was the loveliest music video.

  Midnights – Taylor Swift (2022)

Well I don’t thing I have to explain a single thing about why this album’s in this list, do I? She’s just Taylor. My favorites are “Snow on the beach” and probably “Mastermind”, but I’m still listening to it because I haven’t had the chance yet (Taylor deserves all my attention).

  How to let go – Sigrid (2022)

Meanwhile I don’t love it as much as Sucker Punch, it’s a great album full of hard synths and just… I love Sigrid’s voice so much. Quite predictable, but my choices are “A driver saved my night” and “Mirror”.

  HISTORY – The Knocks (2022)

These guys KNOW who they collaborate with. I mean in what world would you have an album with Muna, Foster the People and Dragonette? They’re just great and thanks to them I was introduced to Cannons, which are kind of a more accessible version of Chromatics (in my taste of course) and I’ve enjoyed them very much. My favorites are “Gimme Love” with Yoke Lore and OOOF COURSE “Bodies” with Muna.

  Formentera – Metric (2022)

Metric are just one of those rare band that one knows that whatever they publish you will love. I’m biased, I’ve been following them since their Scott Pilgrim years and since then their style has changed but they know so well what sounds make them who they are that it’s impossible not to love this new album. Of course the 10-minute “Doomscroller” is a masterpiece, but I had to choose I would probably end up with “I will never settle”, it reminds me of the Fantasies era and that guitar and synth at the end is incredible.

  CRASH – Charli XCX (2022)

I had not enjoyed something by Charli so much since Sucker (I know, I have to give the other albums a go) and since she published the main singles before the album came out I knew I was going to love Crash. I think it’s more accessible than some of her previous work (at least for me) and there’s not much else to say. It’s a really good pop album. I reeeeally enjoy “Lightning” and “Constant repeat” (I do love me a song with looped music)

  Utopia – St. Lucia (2022)

There’s not much that I can say about St. Lucia. They’re my favorite band and whatever they put out I will love. I think that’s why Utopia is not in my Top 3, it’s because they’re songs that I listen and once I do I process it and I’m like “okay yup I will love it forever”. They’re extremely personal to me, and so if someone reads this and hasn’t listened to them I cannot urge you more to do it. You will not regret it. In this case I’m not sure I can choose one or two, buuuuut okay, it would probably be “Touch” and the main single “Rocket on my feet”.

  MUNA – MUNA (2022)

Another band that I don’t think I have to explain too much. Sad sapphics people, what more can I say? Maybe not so sad as older albums; this time it’s more horny, but still I got a good cry out from “Shooting star” which is probably my favorite in there together with “Home by now”.

  Alpha Zulu – Phoenix (2022)

And last but not least Phoenix are back!! And with a beauuuuutiful album. They never disappoint, they deliver. Sincerely I wouldn’t be able to sing a single lyric of this album because I don’t understand half of what Thomas says, but the music is SO good and so well produced that there’s no need to understand anything. My favorite cannot be another song but “Winter solstice” and then I also love “After midnight” a lot (that ending omg). Both music videos are also really interesting, and if someone has the chance please watch their live performance at the Museum of the Performative Arts in Paris (I think it’s that museum, I’m looking for it on youtube but I can’t seem to find it), it’s amazing.

 I also want to name some albums that while I don’t love every single one or the majority of the songs have also been very special for me:

Dirt Femme – Tove Lo

:) – Pau Vallvé

Hold the girl – Rina Sawayama

Fever dream – Cannons

Two Ribbons – Let’s Eat Grandma

The Kick – Foxes

And that’s it! I hope that I haven’t been to much of a bore and that somehow someone gets to love and appreciate (as Agnes says) one of these albums as much as I do :D

[christopblog]

Album of the Year 2023

I did it last year so I guess I'm running it back

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Lankum - False /Lankum Totally not my usual vibe, found this one through RYM front page. Was met with a genuinely great, unique take on Irish folk/maritime music with a heavy helping of drone in the mix. It's a pretty perfect combination, creating a sort of hypnotic gothic pirate vibe that I enjoy quite a bit. Favorite tracks: Go Dig My Grave, The New York Trader (boat song, for the boat song fuckers), Lord Abore and Mary Flynn.

Carly Rae Jepsen - The Lovliest Time I wasn't surprised when this dropped, Carly's been doing this pattern for her last few albums, where she releases a sort of B-side version about a year after the last. Real chris-heads might remember that I had The Lonliest Time, her last studio album, in my honorable mention section last year, so this seems at least consistent. However, I can firmly say that I like this album quite a bit more than The Lonliest Time, I think it's a pretty significant improvement in songwriting and production. Just track for track a better experience, and one of my favorite Carly projects in years. Favorite tracks: Kamikaze, Kollage, Shadow, Psychedelic Switch, Come Over

McKinley Dixon - Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? Unlike the other two, I'm confident in saying this is the number 11 spot, barely edged out by some of the material I liked a little bit more. There's a chance my taste shifts slightly in the next year and this goes way up on the list. I haven't heard much of anything from east coast Jazz Rap artist McKinley Dixon til this project blew up in RYM/nerd music circles, so I gave it a listen. A really tight little album with some excellent production and bars, a couple of genuinely beautiful songs. I'm a fan now, and I'll absolutely be checking out his future projects. Favorite tracks: Sun, I Rise , Run, Run, Run , Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? Sun, I Rise is one of my top singles of the year, for the record.

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2023:

10. I'm Cheating: Vylet Pony - Carousel and I Was The Loner of Paradise Valley

Vylet Pony continues her streak of appearing in my top 10 album lists by consistently releasing genuinely great new music. Originally, I was going to have her new big studio album, Carousel, in my honorable mentions, but then she dropped a mixtape called I Was The Loner of Paradise Valley about 2 weeks before the end of December. Was I really gonna try to put two different Vylet Pony projects on this list? Especially when, if I'm being honest, I liked the mixtape a bit more than the main album? So, here I am cheating by kind of throwing them together and just labeling this slot "Vylet Pony's contribution to music this year". I'll give both projects some individual attention. Carousel is a cinematic concept album that gives off dark carnival vibes, and deals mostly about facing the darkness inside of you, or the concept of your "Shadow". I think, conceptually, it's much weaker than her last narrative based concept album, Fish Whisperer . It ends up feeling a little overlong, overly dramatic (this is pun because there is a song called flair for the dramatic haha), and a little overwrought at times. However, I think when it hits, it HITS, and she's got a few tracks on here that I'd rank among her best of all time. Still a great project overall that I find myself liking more as time goes on despite my initial misgivings. Favorite tracks: Pony Rock! , Constellation Cradle, Brohoof, Crush Kill Destroy Swag, The Carrion Child, Flair for the Dramatic, Creekflow I Was The Loner of Paradise Valley in turn is a much more quiet and introspective affair, but the songwriting and production is incredibly consistent all the way through. Less individual highlights, but it works much better as an album experience. This one is new and still settling in my brain, so I have less to say about it, but I was quite impressed by it initially at least. Favorite tracks: ECR, Cross, Paintbucket, Brother, Are You Proud of Me?

9. Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good!

After blowing all of our collective minds with her pop disco masterpiece What's Your Pleasure in 2020, Jessie took her time cooking up a follow up, finally releasing the highly anticipated album this past April. I have a bit of a complex relationship with this album, I definitely don't find it as magnetic and sticky as What's Your Pleasure, I still have a hard time remembering singles off of this one if I think back to it, but every single time I sit down and listen to it I have a blast. It's still an excellent collection of extremely catchy, brilliantly produced, sexy disco pop tracks, even if I'd rate it slightly under her last album overall. Regardless, this is some seriously impressive consistency from Jessie, and I wish more people explored this kind of sound because it fucking rules. Great stuff. Favorite Tracks: Free Yourself, Hello Love, These Lips

8. Lil Yachty - Let's Start Here.Easy winner of my most improved artist award, and also winner of my absolutely out of left field award too. If you'd told me a trap artist who, despite a few breakout singles, hadn't really put out anything that great (sorry yachty fans) would pivot into a hybrid psychedelic rock/rap album with heavy soul and stoner rock influences I would have accused you of shitposting. This shouldn't work but it absolutely does, pretty much the whole way through. Yachty's style of autotuned rap and vocals just sit really well in the mix against the slower paced instrumental, letting these big walls of sound build up into some really cool climaxes. Also has a great use of features, some of the guest vocalists on this are killer. I think Yachty has always had a pretty unique singing voice, and this is the best he's ever sounded by far. Excited to see if he'll stick with this style or move on, either way, I'm just glad something this experimental and weird exists. Favorite Tracks: the BLACK seminole, THE zone~, IVE OFFICIALLY LOST VISION, REACH THE SUNSHINE also shoutouts to Poland, it wasn't on this album but it's just as good as anything else on here.

7. Caroline Palochek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You

She's back, babyy! This was a highly anticipated album for 2023, I really loved her solo debut album Pang when I first heard it back in 2019. She's got an incredible voice, insane vocal control and mastery, and is able to create this luscious sound, with all kinds of little mini vocal runs and intunation tricks. Next level stuff, and she's doing it on Art Pop/Hyperpop tracks that sound like they should be playing on the radio (not derogatory in any way, just impressive). The production is almost the real star of this album, I think it's even better than Pang in that regard, just an excellently mixed and writing project front to back. We get a great range from EDM Dance Pop to a little Flamenco flair in Sunset, to a more choral piece like Hopedrunk Everasking. Insane range, and her voice is the star in every track, she just can't help but kill the performance. I gotta go see her live sometime to see if she can do this in person consistently, it's nuts. I might like this one more than Pang tbh, hard to say. Favorite Tracks: Sunset, I Believe, Blood and Butter, Hopedrunk Everlasting, Billions

6. Paramore - This is Why

Okay I have to admit something here, this is the first Paramore album I've listened to all the way through. I was a little too young back in the day and just rocked a couple of their more popular singles, but after this one it makes me wanna go back and check out the full backlog. What a great comeback album! I know a lot of people really liked their other comeback album, After Laughter, which I tried to listen to this year and just completely bounced off of for some reason. I think maybe because it leans too much into pop and less into the alt-rock/ pop punk that you'd normally expect from Paramore. Thankfully, This is Why is very much that classic sound, but updated for modern times. Hayley Williams still sounds as good as she did back in the day, and we've been blessed with an excellent collection of new songs that are just an absolute blast to listen to. These songs are fun, punchy, and have some real heart behind them as well. There's so much range on this project, from the stellar opening title track This is Why, to the playful and tongue in cheek Running Out of Time, which all are reminiscent of the original Paramore sound. The back half features some stellar rock ballads, like Liar and Crave, capping out with a great buildup on Thick Skull. You can tell Paramore's grown up a little bit, and they're making music for their audience of now 20-40 year olds, and they're even better for it. This one grew on me big time throughout the year, I could see it doing even more. Favorite tracks: This is Why, The News, Running Out of Time, You First, Liar (this is my favorite), Crave

5. PinkPantheress - Heaven Knows

Yes, this is the "Boys a Liar Pt. 2" girl if you have tiktok or listen to the radio ever, that song is everywhere for a reason. I've been a huge fan of PinkPantheress since I heard a single from her debut mixtape To Hell With It , then listened to the rest of the album and found it equally amazing. I think this girl's a huge up and coming talent, especially for how young she is, and I've been consistently impressed at her ability to make these short, absurdly catchy, memorable little drum and bass tracks with her lovely angelic voice on top. I think while To Hell With It edges out this new album when it comes to production and instrumentation, her lyrics are way more impactful and poignant here on Heaven Knows , there's some serious weight to a few of these tracks. Mosquito is kind of a masterpiece in this regard, how it's able to marry the lyrics of a girl being too attached to someone, draining them like a mosquito, with these little whistles in the mix that sound almost like an insect buzzing around. It just matches the feel of the words perfectly. Then you have Ophelia, an incredibly haunting song about getting murdered via forced drowning, but you wouldn't guess if you weren't paying attention, it sounds more like a melancholic break-up song. And then the last proper track on the album, Capable of Love is maybe the best song she's made so far. I'm glad this one turned out so well, and she's quickly cementing herself as one of my favorite new artists this decades. Deserves all the popularity she gets, Boys a Liar is a stellar single too. Favorite tracks: Another Life, Mosquito, The Aisle, Ophelia, Capable of Love, Boy's a Liar Pt. 2

4. Parannoul - After the Magic

I've got a bit of a complicated relationship with Parannoul since they debuted and became a RYM darling a couple of years ago, mainly with their breakout hit To See the Next Part of the Dream , an album I definitely enjoyed but didn't necessarily love. It was clearly very well put together, lowfi shoegaze/noise rock album with a lot of heart and soul put into it, but it never quite clicked with me. After the Magic brings about a much more clean, less low-fi feel to it, really highlighting how incredibly well composed these songs are, and I think that was the missing piece for me. I was pretty blown away on first listen by this one, just a great collection of tracks with deep, layered sound throughout. It's a frequently beautiful, awe-inspiring experience that I highly reccomend. I need to get around to listening to the live version, which is currently rated as the RYM 7th greatest live performance of all time. Excited to keep listening to more from this dude! Favorite tracks: Polaris, Insomnia, We Shine at Night, After the Magic

3.JPEGMAFIA x Danny Brown - Scaring the Hoes

If Peggy drops you know it's on the list, and he's continuing his insane streak of AOTY contender releases this year with a collab album with eccletic rapper Danny Brown. I've always liked Danny when I've heard him on features, but admittedly haven't gone back and listened to his most iconic albums. I think his wacky voice and great flow really works as a contrast to Peggy's more aggressive vocals, but while I enjoyed most of his verses I always tended to come away from each track thinking Peggy outshone him. Maybe just a personal taste thing, hard to say. Regardless, this thing is fucking loaded with bangers front to back, featuring some of Peggy's best production to date. There really just isn't anyone who approaches the kind of sound he goes for in his music, he's dominating his own lane in the best way possible. StH brings wit, speed, precision, and intensity front to back. And apparently Peggy meant to drop a solo album at the end of 23 too? Ridiculous creative output, mans can't be stopped. Extremely pumped for whatever he's dropping this year too, I'm sure you'll be reading about it here next year. Favorite tracks: Steppa Pig, Garbage Pale Kids, Burfict!, Kingdom Hearts Key, God Loves You

2. Mitski - The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We

You hear that? It's the sound of me praising God above because the GOAT is back in form. Look, I was a little worried when Mitski dropped Laurel Hell last year. Real fans might have noticed that album was totally absent from my year-end list for 22, not even an HM nod. And that's because it was... as much as I loathe to say it, as much as I wish it weren't the case... it was... tragically... mid. A few really strong singles that I still love and the rest just kind of blurs together, nowhere near the same bite and impact her lyrics and songwriting usually brings. And that was after a 4 year hiatus, so I thought it'd be ages if I even got another one. Not the case! Mitski's back and she's got a completely new sound, ditching entirely the more electropop/synthpop leanings of Laurel Hell and embracing an indie folk sound leaning hard on Americana, and dare I say it... country? Listen to the first chords of Heaven and tell me that's not got all the trappings of a proper country ballad. Speaking of, holy shit, what a song! Has to be her best in years, maybe even since Nobody. Just absolutely stunningly gorgeous. I think what I was really missing from a lot of Laurel was lyricism, and Inhospitable is chock full of poignant, extremely memorable lines front to back. "Sometimes a drink feels like faaaaamilyyyyyy" "a whoooole cake, all for me" "you believe me like a god, I betray you like a man". That's what I expect out of Mitski, and I am so incredibly happy to say that Laurel was an outlier (a half decent one, too) and that she's still in her prime as one of the greatest songwriters of her generation. It's a little too bad about this next one, or I think this would have sealed the deal for AOTY. Favorite tracks: Bug Like an Angel, Heaven, I Don't Like My Mind, The Deal, My Love Mine All Mine, Star, I'm Your Man, I Love Me After You

Ichiko Aoba - Ichiko Aoba With 12 Ensemble (Live at Milton Court)

I'm not gonna do some bullshit cheating thing where I list this in a separate category because it's a live album, I think that'd be disrespectful to what this album accomplishes. I'll state the obvious up front, yes, this was the year in which I traveled thousands of miles collectively to go see her live twice, and that was after seeing her live for the first time in October of 22. This was a bucket list item for me that I hadn't expected to cross off anytime soon, because it's my opinion that Ichiko is best experienced live, and I'd already made that opinion before getting to have that experience myself just based on her live albums. 0% is probably still my favorite album of all time, Pneuma is up there, and Gift at Sogetsu Hall won an AOTY from me when it came out too. Perhaps I'm too biased not to automatically put a new live Ichiko album at the top of this list now that I've been lucky and blessed enough to experience her in person multiple times, and that's okay. It's an ethereal, otherworldly, perfect experience that I will never forget. HOWEVER. This is not just another live Ichiko album, and I will attempt to rationalize why it deserves the top spot, and this level of distinction. Ichiko typically performs solo with her guitar, with a few notable exceptions (like Pneuma). Her last studio album, Windswept Adan featured, for the first time, a full instrumentation for many of the songs, allowing us to hear what Ichiko sounds like with a backing track. And while I don't necessarily love Adan more than her solo projects, I think the sound curated on that album is wholly unique in her discography, and it makes for some of her dreamiest, beautiful work to date. Milton Court is essentially a live album version of Adan, and it's actually not the first, as she released a solo live album covering the Adan songs in 2021 that is incredible, and I honestly enjoy a bit more than the studio recordings. And despite having heard these songs many, many times, in many different versions, including live in person, I can confidently say that Milton Court is the best they have ever sounded, with the backing of 12 Ensemble out of London. Never at any point do the instrumentalists overshadow Ichiko, her guitar, or her vocals, instead they are able to accompany her as she gives what has to be a top 3 lifetime performance across these thirteen tracks. In particular, this rendition of Dawn in the Adan and Asleep Among Endives are pure perfection, otherworldly bliss. The craziest thing is that compared to the rest of her body of work, the songs on Adan aren't even necessarily my favorites, even if I do love them. That in mind, I can confidently say that Milton Court is my second favorite work from Ichiko, behind 0%. These renditions and performances are just that good. Easiest AOTY of my life. Favorite track: literally all of the, particularly Sagu Palm's Song, Dawn in the Adan, and Asleep Among the Endives.

[misswoozi]

+ twin albums or they do a carly rae jepsen and does side A side B

the more hopeful is the side A, and the angrier is the side B

but what every fan notices is that the others are participating more lyrical wise, theres this song written by johnny and fany, sunny and hyo have this really nice matching on lyrics, but theres just one taeyeon contribution which becomes the fan favorite and the the one the fans analyse the most bc "how could someone write this?"/t1da

OH THAT REMINDS ME OF THE 'RED/VELVET' CONCEPT RV DID (does?) with the sultry/intense songs vs. the upbeat/pop/bright concepts.

I kinda wish this band was real bc I could use music like this in my life 😭

[shesyourcocaine]

Thanks for your lovely reply—I look forward to getting to know you, too! I tend to get really into a few artists at a time, and they might stay my favorite for years at a time, so my musical knowledge is quite narrow—I confess that from what you’ve named I’ve only properly listened to Bruce Springsteen. Having said that, he is by far one of my favorite artists!! Do you have any particular favorite songs/albums of his? And I love folk music too!! I got to go to a folk festival with my best friend this year, and it was honestly incredible.

Also, I’ve been curious to check out Kate Bush for a while. If you feel like recommending a favorite album or some favorite songs, I’ll give her a listen :D Same with Tori Amos, honestly.

As for me, I didn’t actually get into classic rock until a few years ago. I mostly grew up on what my parents played around the house, which tended to be pretty indie/acoustic (I still have a very soft spot for that type, although I don’t put it on much these days). So I guess for a while rock music just felt like … a bit too much? But I’ve really grown to love it the past few years, especially The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Bruce Springsteen. The non-rock artists I listen to the most at the moment are probably Carly Rae Jepsen, Delta Rae, and Hozier. 

Hello again :) It’s cool that you got to go to a folk festival - It sounds amazing! I’m so glad you like Bruce Springsteen. I really got into his music last year and he’s really become one of my favorite musicians. My favorite kind of music is really narrative-based and Bruce is such an amazing storyteller. His songs just make you feel so emotional about people that don’t even exist and make you relate to situations that honestly aren’t even relatable to me. Like I’m not a blue collar worker filled with angst about the turmoil of working at a factory ,but you can just feel it in the songs you know.  I think my favorite album of his is Ghost of Tom Joad. It’s one of his solo albums that’s basically just him and a guitar ,but it’s the best example of his storytelling I think. It’s a lot like Nebraska but I think he pushes that idea to a full concept album in Tom Joad. There are so many characters and stories in the album and they are all different but all have such a depressing bleak undertone to them. I think my favorite song from the album is Highway 29 and it's basically just a story about “man falls for woman, man commits crime for woman, they run away and die in a car crash. Weirdly, I think it’s a very beautiful song. I like his other songs and albums as well. You really can’t go wrong with any of them. Although I think I've heard Thunder Road one too many times where I don’t really prefer it anymore. I think I’d have to wait at least 2 years before I can listen to it again lol.

Kate Bush doesn’t have any bad albums so you could start with any of them honestly! I think most people start with listening to Hounds of Love which I think is probably her most popular album. My favorite is The Dreaming. It's weird but fun. I made a playlist with some of my favorite songs on it from the artists I mentioned before if you wanted to listen! I thought it would be quicker than trying to explain it all lol. I included some of my favorite Kate Bush and Tori Amos songs plus some extra songs I enjoy. I tried not to go overboard and make it too long but I got excited. 

 I recognize Hozier and Carly Rae Jepsen but I’ve never heard of Delta Rae! I’d love to know some of your favorite songs and albums too if you want to share :) Thanks for the questions! Hope to talk to you soon.

(Sorry if you don't have spotify! I could also make one on youtube music if you cant use the link. )

[clementine-kesh]

we need modern musical artists to get back into making unironic concept songs/albums about popular media like led zeppelin used to do with lotr. the world can only be righted when carly rae jepsen releases a track about the locked tomb series