Best of 2019

The Best Albums of 2019…So Far

Even though the first half of 2019 seems to have flown by, there was plenty of excellent music released in these past six months. From pop to indie to hip-hop to folk, every genre seemed to have its share of highlights. As we have done for the past several summers, we asked our music staff at The Young Folks to compile lists of their ten favorite albums released so far in 2019. These lists were then tallied up and used to make a master list of our cumulative favorite mid-year albums of 2019. Below, our writers tell you why all ten of these albums are worth your time, as well as each writer’s ballot.

But first, here are a few selections that did not make our top ten, but received enough mentions from our writers to warrant placement on an honorable mentions list

Alex Lahey – The Best of Luck Club
Anderson .Paak – Ventura
Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Balance
Charly Bliss – Young Enough
Denzel Curry – Zuu
Hatchie – Keepsake
Fontaines D.C. – Dogrel
Laura Stevenson – The Big Freeze
Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow
Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising

10. Julia Jacklin – Crushing

Aussie sweetheart Julia Jacklin earned a spot on our list with her cool and cruisey sophomore album, Crushing, full of unique Australiana and classic lingo from down under. Jacklin’s raw and honest lyricism and emotive output is what has captured her international audience and kept her local audience by her side. The album’s singles, “Comfort,” “Pressure To Party,” and “Head Alone,” display the Blue Mountaineer’s intentions of sweetness, purity and evident heartache, whilst still cladding a sassy flare and strike for feminism and independence. The epitome of the rural Australian heroin, Jacklin’s sophomore album is an ode to the Australian lifestyle and empowerment to the suburban woman.” – Georgia Anger

9. Solange – When I Get Home

While her older sister hovers over the world of pop music like a blazing phoenix spreading its wings, Solange flows and floats through the ethos of R&B like she’s got one foot on Earth and the other on some astral plane leagues away. Spacey, atmospheric and quietly gorgeous, her fourth solo album has the spirit of everyone from Aaliyah to Bootsy Collins to Janet Jackson to Frank Ocean mixed in a stew stirred by her mystic voice. The way she flexes her delicate falsetto on “Dreams” is as compelling as her quirky rap on “Binz.” Both elements even merge together on the luscious “Sound of Rain.” If last year’s Astroworld was the summer blockbuster that Travis Scott curated from the sounds of his hometown of Houston, When I Get Home is the cooler art house feature that Solange crafts with the same delicacy and dare of painter with watercolors. It assuredly establishes her as her own artist. – Jon Winkler

8. Ariana Grande – thank u, next

It’s normal to have a hectic few years in life, it’s not normal to have it all unfold in front of the entire world. What started as a single aimed at reclaiming her narrative in regards to her personal life, thank u, next is an album that solidifies Grande’s place as the big sister we’ve all needed at one time or another. She taught us to pick ourselves up and move on, because there are always lessons to be learned and bigger things ahead. She went the most personal she’s ever gone lyrically and ended up with the highest selling album of the year so far and usurping a record previously held by The Beatles. Within 6 months of releasing her fourth studio album Sweetener, Ariana Grande released her fourth and most significant of her career (so far). – Oleva Berard

7. Jenny Lewis – On the Line

After five years away, Jenny Lewis had a lot to say on her return, On the Line. The album sounds like none of her previous work, diving deep into a classic rock sound with an assist from living legends Benmont Tench and Ringo Starr. Lewis digs into the feelings of loss she experienced from the death of her estranged mother and the dissolution of her decade-long relationship and comes out with emotionally raw, musically ecstatic songs that shroud themselves in the twin forces of sex and death. The power of the double drums in “Red Bull and Hennessy,” the organ solo in “Heads Gonna Roll” and the bittersweet chorus of “Wasted Youth” open the album with a relentless energy that leads us through the rest of the album and its forays into psychedelic rock, piano-based balladry and the earnest pop-throwback of the title track. It’s a musical feast, made from the ingredients of a life lived long and felt deeply. – Beth Winchester

6. Carly Rae Jepsen – Dedicated

Carly Rae Jepsen’s Emotion was the cult hit of 2015, arriving with critical acclaim despite disappointing sales and building the Canadian singer an intensely devoted following. Jepsen’s full-length return on Dedicated features much of what made Emotion so rewarding, and is another collection of instantly hummable tunes. Throughout the album, Jepsen displays her exceptionally talents at building perfect pop songs, especially the finer details like hook delivery, chorus lead-ins, melody lines and bridges. Like Emotion, there’s plenty of fantastic songs here, from the maximalist single “Now That I’ve Found You” to the lilting mid-tempo of “The Sound” and “Too Much”. Dedicated is a worthy followup to its beloved predecessor, and proves that Jepsen is here to stay as a force in alt-pop. – Ryan Gibbs

5. The Japanese House – Good at Falling

Good at Falling is a seamlessly produced and ethereal record which captures the universal frustration of searching for a purpose. Songwriter Amber Bain asks, “Can somebody tell me what I want? Cause I keep changing my mind.” This album is a synthesized and rhythmic trip through the sense of uncertainty that comes with being young. Amber Bain, the face behind The Japanese House, has emerged from the EP abyss as a smart, offbeat, and purposeful artist. – Grace Holtzclaw

4. Tyler, The Creator – Igor

In the past, Tyler, the Creator would make music without a care in the world. His constant use of offensive language on albums like Goblin and Bastard rubbed people the wrong way. It also helped him earn a cult fanbase. Since then, Tyler has extended that fanbase with more melodic instrumentation, and thoughtful lyricism. IGOR is the amalgamation of those attributes, sprinkled in with a fantastic heartbreak story. The fuzzy synths and distorted singing represents Tyler’s vulnerability, and longing for a specific lover. In the past, he would play different characters to hide his insecurities. Now, IGOR is actually him, a struggling human being trying to find stability like the rest of us. He delicately weaves his way through different facets of a relationship (or lack thereof) without ever feeling dis-ingenuous. Tyler shows appreciation for his lover on “Earfquake;” tells him to leave his other love interest on “New Magic Wand;” and asks him if they can at least be friends on “Are We Still Friends?” Sounds realistic to me. And that’s why IGOR is one of Tyler’s best bodies of work to date. He leaves it all out on the table. – Ryan Feyre

3. Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

There’s a bevy of trendy ways to market teen angst. That’s not what Billie Eilish is interested in. On her debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, the seventeen-year-old rising star describes her internal strife with language that is fascinating and potentially alienating—and the music world is better off for her honesty. “bury a friend” is a haunting standout—part Lana Del Rey, part hip hop, part Paris Hilton’s character in Repo! The Genetic Opera. “bad guy,” which has recently found radio success, is a groovy and glitchy single that sees Eilish stepping into a role. A lack of traditional pop hooks and tropes shows that Eilish isn’t interested in playing by the rules, because she’s realized she doesn’t have to. – Brittany Menjivar

2. Lizzo – Cuz I Love You

Cuz I Love You swept into 2019 with a full roster of empowering anthems. Whether she is pumping up a crowd or letting herself cry over an old love, her latest album is contagious and her popularity has skyrocketed as a result. Lizzo brings the party with her powerful and unapologetic vocals celebrating body positivity for everyone. The fact that she can rock a flute and twerk at the same time is added icing on the cake that is the Lizzo experience. Lizzo’s powerhouse energy, both on stage and on Instagram, continues to elevate her from a performer to an inspirational icon. – Max Russell

1. Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride

As one of the more divisive bands on the late 2000s, Vampire Weekend have gone through a multitude of changes; A maturation of sorts. The unorthodox blend of bourgeois attitude and afro-pop influences on their eponymous debut made the record’s novelty hard to stomach for some. The preppy collegiate gimmick was both beneficial and detrimental to the band’s image for those first few years. Yet, Vampire Weekend were never a band to even take themselves seriously. As the band grew more seasoned, so did their craft for creating unabashed eccentric and addictive pop-tunes. Albums like 2010’s Contra and 2013’s Modern Vampires of the City saw Vampire Weekend at their artistic prime, utilizing all aspects of Rostam Batmanglij’s production chops and Ezra Koenig knack for finding unorthodox melodies. The lyrics became more meditative and less preppy; Instrumentation was much more rich and lush. People began to finally credit the band as the talent that they were. By all accounts, It would seem as if Vampire Weekend were at their artistic apex.

Six whole years later and after their star producer departed, Vampire Weekend release Father of the Bride. In many ways, this record feels like the pinnacle of what the band has been reaching for. Father of the Bride is a meticulously labored-over double album that manages to encapsulate all of what Vampire Weekend great to begin with. Time has served the group well and it shows. Koenig trades lyrics about the “Oxford Comma” for ones about the human condition. “This Life” is all about the interpersonal nature of adulthood and the hard realities that accompany it. There is a sense of, for a lack of a better phrase, interconnectedness in that all we share in the same myriad of issues that comes with a life like this. Moments of revelation are prevalent all throughout Father of the Bride and what, ultimately, make this record the band’s shining achievement. – Mark Wesley

Individual Writers’ Lists

Ryan Gibbs, music editor