#aijai 30

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5-6-7.06.2021, Rīga / Salaspils.

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The World’s Spotify Wrapped

The biggest albums released in 2021 and Mary Ward Students’ Opinions

By Franchesca Dairo and Karissa Cruz

This past year, you understood the assignment, and so have these musicians! We’d like to present to you the biggest albums of 2021, along with a couple of opinions from Mary Ward students. 

SOUR

Photo via FAU University Press

To say that Olivia Rodrigo has made splashes with her debut in the music industry is an understatement. This 19-year old singer-songwriter and actress has broken records left and right and is now nominated for seven Grammys for her debut album, Sour. Her first single, “Drivers License”, was the most listened-to song of 2021 and the longest-running number-one hit according to Billboard Global. Filled with gut-wrenching lyrics accompanied with influences from pop, acoustic and even punk, listeners fell in love with her relatability as she pulled heartstrings and brought back nostalgia. Some of her other popular works include “Good 4 U”, “Traitor” and “Deja Vu”. Her album touches on themes about heartbreak, betrayal, and jealousy. Olivia’s album also resulted in a great deal of drama surrounding her past relationships, but her album was so much more than the controversies surrounding it. She’s reaching new heights for young artists, and though it’s brutal out here, Olivia has a bright future ahead of her. 

Here are some opinions from Mary Ward students:

“I think SOUR is so much more than the drama surrounding the release and ‘Drivers License’. It presents a raw and honest microcosm of teenage life in an era where we don’t know how to feel or what to think because of the immense amount of societal pressure placed on us. Olivia touches upon this beautifully in this album with songs like ‘jealousy, jealousy’, ‘enough for u’, and ‘brutal’. In addition, the storytelling that occurs in this album is complex and rich — take for example ‘Hope that ur ok’ and ‘traitor’. Someone, please give me tour tickets. Overall this album received six butterflies.” (Andy, 12)

“‘Traitor’ is my favourite song from the album because I can sing my heart out” (Kym, 12)

30

Photo via Wikipedia

People have waited a long time for this album, and Adele did not go easy on us. After 6 years, Adele made her comeback with the moving and acclaimed 30, her fourth studio album. Released on November 19, 2021, the album sold 692,000 copies in its first week in the U.S and became the first album released in over a year to sell a million copies in the U.S. This album incorporates a multitude of genres, including pop, jazz, soul and rhythm and blues, paired with Adele’s outstanding vocal performance. Adele has previously mentioned that her album was written to explain her choice to divorce her husband, Simon Konecki, to her 9-year-old son, Angelo. Along with divorce, this album talks about her motherhood and scrutiny of fame, while also incorporating themes of heartbreak, guilt, acceptance, love and hope that listeners can relate to. However, as Adele has stated, this album was hers: it shares her side of the story as she goes through stages of self-destruction, self-reflection, and self-redemption and hope. 

Here are some opinions from Mary Ward students:

“I liked it because she hasn’t released an album in a while and she sang beautifully” (Charlize, 11)

“It’s one of my favourite albums that she released because it is relatable and when you listen to the songs, they can make you very emotional” (Aijay, 11)

“I loved the album and was really surprised that she can still sing that well (after 6 years)” (Angel, 10)

Certified Lover Boy

Photo via Soundcloud

Drake may need to pipe down with all the great music he’s putting out this year! Marking yet another successful album in his career, Certified Lover Boy earned a whopping 744 million streams worldwide. Released on September 3, 2021, CLB topped the 200 chart at first place for five non-consecutive weeks. Featuring pop and rap themes about relationships and success, the Torontonian artist set the bar high for rappers across the world. Drake really did get a fair trade for his hard work as his most popular song from the album, “Way 2 Sexy”, became a commercial success. In fact, it was elected to be the recipient of the People’s Choice Award for “Favourite Collaboration Cong”. Seeing Drake work tirelessly from the bottom to where he is now is truly inspiring for us fellow Torontonians. 

Here are some opinions from Mary Ward students:

“It’s a bop.” (Anita, 12) 

“Good job for representing Toronto!” (Fiona, 12)

“I love Drake. His album is so catchy!” (Mariel, 12)

“I like all the songs in that. I’m a diehard Drake fan!” (Mark, 12)

RED TV

Photo via Taylor Swift Wiki - Fandom

We are now watching it begin again. Taylor Swift released her highly-anticipated re-recording of the popular album, Red. Released on November 12, 2021, the album comprises 30 songs, featuring tracks from the deluxe version and never-heard-before songs. Gaining public and critical acclaim, the album was praised for Swift’s vocals, the production, the new tracks and the vivid songwriting. The album also received commercial success and broke many records, including the most single-day streams for an album by a female artist on Spotify. As Swift has stated, Red (TV) is an album about heartbreak, but also includes themes of love, life, loss, and healing. Swift’s crown jewel is the 10-minute version of “All to Well”, which is a fan-favourite and considered one of Swift’s best songs. The song came featured with a short film and became the longest song ever to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Seeing Taylor Swift’s achievements with a rerecording is something that we will remember all too well. 

Here are some opinions from Mary Ward students:

“I love that Taylor is remastering her old iconic album and it makes me feel nostalgic. You really can’t hate Taylor Swift, there’s always gonna be one song that you like.” (Fiona, 11)

“Outstanding. Life-changing. The lyrics are so devastating that I shaved half my head.” (Clara, 11)

“Red (stolen version) should’ve been album of the year in 2012, but now, Red (TV) should be the album of the century! Red (Taylor’s Version) is so good that even if you’ve never been in a relationship, it makes you feel like you’ve been through it all... and remember it all too well.” (Jerril, 12)

Donda

Photo via Cascade

On August 29, 2021, Kanye West released his tenth studio album, Donda, which was one of the biggest albums of 2021. Incorporating hip hop, gospel, trap, rap and rock; Donda was acclaimed for being vulnerable, broken, and self-reflective. However, it did receive mixed reviews from critics regarding its cohesiveness and the long runtime. Donda broke the record for the most first-day streams for an album in 2021 on streaming platforms. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 after five days and became his fastest album to reach one billion streams on Spotify. Themes in Donda included religion, fame, life, and personal growth. Donda is nominated for “Album of the Year” and “Best Rap Album” at the 2022 Annual Grammy Awards, with “Jail” and “Hurricane” nominated for “Best Rap Song” and “Best Melodic Rap Performance”. His honest and vulnerable tracks demonstrate his journey of personal growth that will inspire listeners. 

Here are some opinions from Mary Ward students:

“It’s good, I guess. I listened to it once and it was pretty good” (Fiona, 12)

“I like ‘Praise God’ a lot from his album, but that’s mainly it. CLV is better” (Mark, 12)

“The entire album was powerful because it had triumphant music, a powerful orchestra and insane vocals!” (Fahad, 11)

Happier than Ever

Photo via Pitchfork

After listening to this album, we are in love with Billie Eilish’s future. With alternative, indie pop and even edgy themes incorporated into this album, Billie showed a new side of her talent. Released on July 30th, 2021, Happier than Ever marks Billie’s second-ever best-selling album. This album and its cover track earned seven Grammy nominations at the 2022 award ceremony, standing as one of the biggest albums of 2021. In just the second week, the album received 59 million streams. One of its most popular songs, “Happier than Ever", was praised by listeners. Featuring beautiful vocals and heart-wrenching writing that puts the listener into Billie’s position, this album features some of her most vulnerable pieces, further highlighting her growth as an artist and as a person. Furthermore, Billie was one of the only three female artists to create an album that stayed at the top of Rolling Stone’s top 200 list for over a week. Her album goes to show that, like “Halley's Comet”, Billie is a shooting star. 

Here are some opinions from Mary Ward students:

“I liked Happier than Ever because it’s different from the music content Billie has created. Her album documents her fears and traumas and still manages to sound astonishingly self-assured about herself and her music.” (Pia, 11)

“I liked Happier than Ever because I feel like a lot of teenagers can relate to the lyrics of Billie Eilish’s songs. Also, her voice is heavenly.” (Rand, 11) 

Call me if you get lost

Photo via Crack Magazine

Consider us #Blessed. Tyler the Creator released his critically acclaimed sixth studio album, Call Me If You Get Lost, which was released on June 25, 2021. Consisting of 16 songs, Tyler showed his versatility in music and incorporated genres of hip hop, pop, jazz, soul and reggae. He integrated themes of romance, self-awareness, heartbreak, nostalgia, and growth. In its opening week, Call Me if You Get Lost gained 153 million streams, while 55,000 copies of the album were sold. Debuting at number one in the U.S. Billboard 200, this album was nominated for “Best Rap Album” at the 2022 Grammys. The album cover, which features a character named “Tyler Baudelaire”, is believed to be homage to the French poet, Charles Baudelaire, whose work is regarded by critics as a representation of the themes and nature of Tyler’s music. 

Here are some opinions from Mary Ward students:

“I listen to this album every day and it makes me feel super hyped! Some of the talking points in the song are really funny” (Fiona, 12)

“I loved the album, I loved the beats to the songs, and I’m excited to go to the concert on March 11!” (Jasmine, 11)