Ten of the best albums of the year, as selected by The Associated Press entertainment journalists.
Few would be shocked that Beyonc茅's 鈥淩enaissance鈥� would makes our top albums list, but just because it鈥檚 low hanging fruit doesn鈥檛 negate how delicious it is. Dropping her first album in six years, Queen Bey once again proved why she鈥檚 worth the wait. Led by the multi-format dance track 鈥淏reak My Soul鈥� and the TikTok-crazed 鈥淐uff It鈥� which both reached No. 1 on various Billboard Charts including 鈥淪oul鈥� reaching the top of the Hot 100, 鈥淩enaissance鈥� boasted plenty of fan favorites including 鈥淐ozy,鈥� 鈥淎lien Superstar,鈥� 鈥淐hurch Girl,鈥� Plastic off the Sofa鈥� and 鈥淰irgo鈥檚 Groove.鈥� But beyond the two-stepping and body-rolling was the messaging within the music, championing Black women and reminding the LBGTQ community they have an ally in her. Whether meticulously planned or purely coincidental her highness released the album as the coronavirus pandemic moves behind us, if her goal was to get us out of our houses and out dancing again, then mission accomplished. 鈥�
Making a low-key entry last January, 鈥淒awn FM鈥� is a concept album that The Weeknd likened to listening to a radio station in purgatory, hence its mix of styles and effects from the 鈥�70s, 鈥�80s and '90s mixed in with modern production. Much of it is downright weird: The fake British accent, a spoken-word interlude by Quincy Jones, the funny radio ads, narration by Jim Carrey and the singer digitally aged on the cover. It is also brilliant, a dance record with lyrics of hopelessness, with nods to Michael Jackson, New Wave, neo-soul, Prince and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. If this is what purgatory sounds like, heaven is overrated. 鈥�
Spanish singer Rosal铆a turned three years of anguish and home sickness into mega successful third studio album 鈥淢otomami鈥� (鈥渂iker chick鈥�). It was perhaps impossible not to make lemonade out of lemons for such a bold artist whose ease in playing with genres and words are her greatest strengths. Described as an alternative reggaeton record, the hefty 16-track 鈥淢otomami鈥� delivers something for everyone and every mood. From 鈥淐andy's鈥� stripped down reggaeton, to 鈥淐hicken Teriyaki鈥濃�檚 playfulness and 鈥淒iablo鈥濃�檚 experimental sound, 鈥淗entai's鈥� piano power ballad, or 鈥淟a Fama's鈥� classic Latin beats, Rosal铆a shows her prowess as a singer. Her four Latin Grammys for the album were just the beginning. Next stop: the world. 鈥� Cristina Jaleru
In the age of streaming, the musical floodgates are wide open as artists release multiple projects in a single year: EPs, double albums, deluxe albums and on and on. Country artist Zach Bryan upped the ante by dropping the 34-song album 鈥淎merican Heartbreak鈥� as his major label debut in 2022. The Navy veteran's stories span the vast landscape of his Oklahoma upbringing with coming-of-age ragers like 鈥淗eavy Eyes," the wanderlust on 鈥淗ighway Boys鈥� and odes to the towns he's outgrown like 鈥淥klahoma City." His stripped down production and confessional, narrative lyrics have earned him comparisons to Jason Isbell and Taylor Swift alike (He's a Swiftie). But he's at his best when he's describing the colors of those Western vistas in the standout track, 鈥淪omething in the Orange," as he dwells in the loneliness of heartbreak. Bryan has proved he's providing both quality and quantity. 鈥�
LARRY JUNE, 鈥淪PACESHIP ON THE BLADE鈥�
Drake. Kendrick Lamar. Nas. These hip-hop heavyweights released some of the best albums of the year. Some might even think Earl Sweatshirt鈥檚 鈥淪ick鈥� was just as top notch. But the musician who has stood above them was rapper Larry June through 鈥淪paceships on the Blade.鈥� It鈥檚 the San Francisco-based rapper鈥檚 10th solo studio album and most impressive body of work since his 2018 debut. With his laid-back demeanor and infectious ad lib 鈥淎ye, Aye, Aye,鈥� June thrives throughout on songs such as 鈥淓xtra of Um鈥� featuring Babyface Ray, 鈥淒on鈥檛 Check Me,鈥� 鈥淎nother Day, Pt. 2鈥� and 鈥淏reakfast in Monaco.鈥� On well-produced tracks, he takes listeners on a journey of a successful hustler who makes driving luxury cars, living in high-rise condominiums and spending $50,000 during vacation seem like an easy feat. But he also shows a deeper side of his rap persona. On 鈥淎ppreciate It All,鈥� he talks about grinding hard for his son, learning how to love from his mother and acquiring real estate in hopes of achieving generational wealth. Throughout 鈥淪paceships,鈥� June is a force to be reckoned with. 鈥�
Former pop idol Jackson Wang turned solo artist turned 鈥淢agic Man鈥� on his sophomore album. With an incisive, cohesive sound that harks back to 鈥�90s rock mixed with 鈥�80s synths, Wang鈥檚 record shows he鈥檚 ready for a leading role; the character he plays in 鈥淢agic Man鈥� is a debonair, seductive stranger who likes the pleasures of life. The singer rises up to the challenge of delivering some sultry vocals off the back of classic guitar riffs in 鈥淏low,鈥� 鈥淐ruel鈥� and 鈥淐hampagne Cool.鈥� But where it all takes off is the pop ditty 鈥淒rive It Like You Stole It,鈥� which lights up the discoball section of the amygdala. Some magic stuff indeed. 鈥� Cristina Jaleru
Sophie Allison and her band Soccer Mommy鈥檚 third album is a wonderfully varied mix, from the industrial harshness of 鈥淯nholy Affliction鈥� to the eerie 鈥淔ollowing Eyes鈥� to the airy 鈥淲ith U.鈥� The title 鈥淪ometimes, Forever,鈥� suggests a push-and-pull of light and dark, happiness and sadness, both jumping from song to song but also within songs. One connection with another album on this list is its avant-garde producer Oneohtrix Point Never, who helped shape The Weeknd鈥檚 鈥淒awn FM.鈥� He gave Soccer Mommy a layered, dark-synth gloom. One highlight is 鈥淪hotgun,鈥� a song of devotion, with the lyric 鈥淐old beer and ice cream is all we keep/The only things we really need.鈥� 鈥� Mark Kennedy
Blxst is considered as the preeminent voice of Los Angeles R&B after the release of his mixtape album 鈥淣o Love Lost鈥� in 2020. But the singer-rapper expanded his reach with his impeccable album 鈥淏efore You Go鈥� along with his recent Grammy nominations for his feature work on Kendrick Lamar鈥檚 single 鈥淒ie Hard.鈥� On 鈥淏efore You Go,鈥� he delivers an assortment of catchy hooks and smooth melodies that earned praise from critics and fans alike. He cleverly works through the matters of handling relationships on 鈥淎bout You鈥� and 鈥淪till Omw,鈥� a fan favorite. He talks about experiencing the ocean views and driving down the Pacific Coast Highway while escaping the fake element of his hometown in 鈥淔ake Love in LA,鈥� featuring Arin Ray. He mentions him carrying the torch of delivering quality music after the loss of Nipsey Hussle, thinking big and being blessed with a strong support system on 鈥淐ouldn鈥檛 Wait for It鈥� with Rick Ross. In all, Blxst put together a full collection of infectious songs from start to finish. 鈥�
Americana standout Charley Crockett sets the scene in his cinematic 鈥淭he Man From Waco,鈥� an album that interlinks Western filmmaking, the mythmaking of cowboy culture and the R&B and soul of the Gulf states. The Texas-born singer is a prolific independent musician with a strong hustle formed in his early street musician years. The album鈥檚 title track centers on a lonesome gunman who accidentally kills his lover in a jealous rage, with a beautiful horn section over the loping acoustic guitar. Crockett punches deep in the Stax-inspired 鈥�70s groove on 鈥淚鈥檓 Just a Clown,鈥� and a swinging piano and trumpet winds along in 鈥淭rinity River.鈥� Crockett even takes a shot at completing an unfinished Bob Dylan track from outtakes of songs written for the 鈥淧at Garrett and Billy the Kid鈥� soundtrack, which Crockett transformed into 鈥淭om Turkey.鈥� Crockett鈥檚 old soul isn鈥檛 just a nostalgic trick, as this post-modern troubadour is creating new ties to classic themes. 鈥�
BAD BUNNY, 鈥淯N VERANO SIN TI鈥�
Bad Bunny is a bonafide global superstar, and if you weren鈥檛 aware previously, 鈥淯n Verano Sin Ti鈥� snapped you into reality. Spending 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the Puerto Rican artist expertly blended reggaeton, pop and EDM, effortlessly transporting you to a beach on his home island for a temporary break from real world stressors. Party-ready songs such as 鈥淭it铆 Me Pregunt贸鈥� and 鈥淢e Porto Bonito鈥� featuring Chencho Corleone have each racked up half a billion views on YouTube, and he headlined arguably the biggest tour of the year. Despite ascending to the realm of one of the world鈥檚 biggest artists, he also used his music to criticize issues on the island such as gentrification and repeated power outages. Did it matter to me that 鈥淯n Verano Sin Ti鈥� is mainly in Spanish? Not at all. While dancing, his music motivates you be curious and learn more, and that鈥檚 what great art does. 鈥�
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