TROYE SIVAN, SOMETHING TO GIVE EACH OTHER
Listen: at the pre-drinks
Justice for Troye Sivan. Despite it receiving glowing critical and audience acclaim, Sivan’s 2023 album Something To Give Each Other has been snubbed from ranking highly on many best releases lists this year. The album, which debuted with summer’s dancefloor favourite ‘Rush’ in July, is a perfect encapsulation of the complex mixed emotions that follow heartbreak. Something To Give Each Other was a departure from Sivan’s earlier dreamy bedroom pop albums to a sound that is unexpected, contemporary and genuinely cool.
Elsewhere, the album is carried by not one hit single, but three. The equally infectious ‘Got Me Started’ and ‘One Of Your Girls’ highlight just how far Sivan’s artistic inclinations have developed. Infatuated with friendships, romance, sex – and all of the joy, regret, nostalgia, self-hatred and self-acceptance that comes in between – the album is a celebration of heady queer sexuality and shameless pleasure. And, unlike a typical break-up album, it leaves audiences in a more positive place post-listen.
BOYGENIUS, THE RECORD
Listen: when your girlfriend breaks up with you
2023 really was The Boy’s year. Comprised of Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and BRICKS #9 The ‘Make Noise’ Issue cover star Phoebe Bridgers, the indie super-group first released a self-titled EP back in 2018 to quiet praise. Still, Bridger’s stratospheric rise since meant new ears were eagerly anticipating the joint album.
And, while each artist undoubtedly possesses immeasurable talent, on this record the trio truly bring out the best in one another. With each song, The Record delivers blow after blow – an emotional sucker punch that has become an instant classic for heartbroken lesbians everywhere. Queer love features heavily across the record, aided by the trio’s throuple-like affection and intimacy, with fan-favourites including ‘Not Strong Enough’, ‘Emily, I’m Sorry’ and the angry rock ballad ‘$20’. At their core, Boygenius is not only a band, but also a close-knit group – a chosen family.
JOESEF, PERMANENT DAMAGE
Listen: on a cozy Sunday afternoon
I don’t want to toot my own horn, but when I first heard Glaswegian musician Joesef’s debut album in an early listening session last year, I knew it was going to be at the top of my Spotify Wrapped. Having gained a loyal following with his 2020 EP, Does It Make You Feel Good?, for its soul-infused slow bops, Joesef’s 2023 album looks back on heartbreak with the level of introspection that can only be achieved with space and time. Lead singles ‘East End Coast’ and ‘It’s Been A Little Heavy Lately’ hinted at the full breadth of genres Joesef can effortlessly lend his silky vocals and tongue-in-cheek lyricism to – pop, soul, funk and indie.
On the album, his astute lyricism is unflinching, yet the vintage, laid-back production style means the record makes for surprisingly easy listening, in particular, on the songs ‘Shower’ and ‘Apartment 22’, while ‘Moment’s shimmering pop beat prevents the album from ever stalling.
CAROLINE POLACHEK, DESIRE, I WANT TO TURN INTO YOU
Listen: to transcend
The ever-evolving Caroline Polachek has been carefully crafting her artistry for the past decade, from her humble indie beginnings with Chairlift, her experimental offerings as Ramona, and her commanding presence on debut album Pang. This year’s offering, the epic Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, sees Polachek skillfully weaves the best of her work thus far into a seamless
With an impressive tracklist showcasing Polachek’s hyptonic vocals and limitless range, Pang had all the makings of an instant classic, if it were not for the pandemic-induced lockdowns which prevented the record from reaching audiences on its cancelled world tour. Thankfully, Polachek’s sophomore album did not meet the same end – the first single ‘Bunny Is A Rider’ was an overnight hit and paved the way for Desire, which feels both highly conceptual and totally abstract.
The 12-track record defies traditional structures of verse and chorus creating an unsettled feeling throughout, encapsulating the unnerving emotions Polachek was experiencing following the sudden death of her father due to covid-related illness. The experience became a revelation for her, telling Pitchfork that she had to “re-harmonize myself, and my music, with the reality that there is a destructive side to everything.”
CHAPPELL ROAN, THE RISE AND FALL OF A MIDWEST PRINCESS
Listen: to hype yourself up to ask out your crush
There has seldom been a more confident debut release than that of Chappell Roan. The 25-year-old self-anointed Midwest Princess delivers a faultless pop album that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Supported by her outstanding vocal prowess – and production by Olivia Rodrigo’s collaborator Dan Nigro – the 14-track record bridges between Roan’s country and euro-pop influences, resulting in a record that spans cheerleading calls (see: ‘HOTTOGO’ and ‘Femininominon’) to breathtaking piano ballads (see: ‘Kaleidoscope’ and ‘Picture You’).
The album’s biggest hits are its singles, the fan-favourite ‘Pink Pony Club’ and ‘Red Wine Supernova’, although album track ‘After Midnight’ has received comparable praise in later months. Aside from her impressive vocals, which span likenesses from Dolly Parton to early Madonna, it’s her humour that sets the ascending star apart from her pop rivals. Roan captures the glory and gore of girlhood with intelligent wit, referencing a 2010s-does-90s, y2k-style nostalgia that hits home with her queer, chronically online audience.
PARAMORE, THIS IS WHY
Listen: on your way to a protest
It’s been over four years since Paramore released their unexpected, pop hit album, After Laughter. Undeniably one of our generation’s most influential bands, fans were distraught to see the trio take an undisclosed break following the album’s release. This didn’t leave audiences with nothing – frontwoman Hayley Williams released two highly anticipated solo albums while bandmate Zac Farro worked on his project, HalfNoise.
Anyone who was concerned about the group’s more recent pop proclivities would be relieved to hear that the 2023 comeback album marked a ferocious return to their punk-rock roots. What these tracks may lack in biting lyricism, they make up for in attitude, as Williams expertly encapsulates the pent-up frustration of a post-pandemic, cost-of-living-crisis entrenched society. Sharing that the latest record was inspired by British indie-rock bands Foals, Arctic Monkeys and Bloc Party, there’s a British punk grit that protects the group’s maturing production from sounding too polished. In particular, the roaring anthem ‘The News’ is a rallying cry against the relentless churn of the 24-hour news cycle.
YEULE, SOFTSCARS
Listen: in a moment of self-discovery
Singapore-born, London-based artist Yeule first caught our attention with their confessional second album, Glitch Princess, warning of the dangers of living chronically online and the realities of making friends in the metaverse. For their 2023 release, Softscars, the rising star decided to log off and reconnect with the records that soundtracked their youth – Smashing Pumpkins, Pixies and Avril Lavinge aplenty.
The resulting record is a dramatic departure from their electro-pop discography. Stripping back the heaviest layers of PC production, it’s as if Yeule can now embody the self-discovery that she previously only hinted at, admitting that she was “obsessed” with digital simulations as it was her only form of escape. Glitch Princess includes titles like ‘Don’t Be So Hard On Your Own Beauty’, but it’s only through sparse acoustic production of Softscars’s ‘Software Update’ and ‘Cyber Meat’ that you can appreciate the brutal honesty she shares.
OLIVIA RODRIGO, GUTS
Listen: when your boyfriend breaks up with you
Olivia Rodrigo wants to remind you that being a teenager is tough. She’s not wrong, as just the mere recollection of my own high school years invokes a cringe-induced shudder I seldom entertain. If Rodrigo’s first album, Sour, depicted the exhilaration of first crushes, first kisses and the endless tears of unreciprocated feelings – all through the rosy lens of unadulterated girlhood – then Guts is its angrier, tougher, black eyeliner-wearing older sister.
Across the record, Rodrigo spills on the dark side of the teenage dream, floating between the specific – on ‘Making The Bed’ she gives a frightening review of fame, while also grappling with the guilt of her ingratitude: “I got the things I wanted / but it’s not what I imagined” – and the universal, encapsulating the frustration, disappointment, regret and rage that comes with navigating first loves, breakups and makeups. Her songwriting prowess continues to progress, pulling off zingy one-liners in alt-punk-pop anthems ‘All American Bitch’, ‘Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl’ and ‘Get Him Back!’, while ‘Lacy’, ‘Teenage Dream’ and lead single ‘Vampire’ showcase an evolution in her soul-searching, tear-jerking songwriting.
JUNGLE, VOLCANO
Listen: on a long road trip with friends
One of the most joyous offerings of the year came from musical collective Jungle. Helmed by London-based producing duo Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland, the group saw a dramatic shift in its regular members following the release of 2021’s Loving In Stereo. The group has found previous commercial success with numerous singles thanks to their sunny and laidback sonic stylings (and no doubt aided by its heavy advertisement use) but were yet to produce a record that felt as sonically unique as their Mercury Prize-nominated debut.
2023’s Volcano erupts from the offset with electrifying dance-funk beats and groovy basslines. While Jungle’s music has always been dance-adjacent, this album found a host of new fans on TikTok thanks to the accompanying album visualiser, which saw Jungle’s regular cohort of dancers return for several one-take contemporary dance displays. The infectious guitar riffs and smooth vocals on ‘Back on 74’ made it an instant viral hit and kept the song on repeat throughout the summer.
While some critics lamented the album’s consistency as repetitive, I’m here to defend the record wholeheartedly – in particular, vocalist Lydia Kitto, whose vocals unite the record and its features (Eric the Architect, Chanel Tres, Roots Manuva, Bas) to create the ultimate easy-listening album. And no – that’s not ‘easy listening’ as a synonym for uninteresting or uninspiring, but in reference to the seamless blend as one song rolls into the next, lending itself to listening uninterrupted on long drives, as I have done this year through the Canadian mountains (would recommend), or to let your hair down to at an afterparty. Whether it’s quiet or bustling, this album always finds its groove.
MITSKI, THE LAND IS INHOSPITABLE AND SO ARE WE
Listen: on a long road trip on your own
Nothing supports my yearning like Mitski. After a 2022 farewell tour, fans did not anticipate that the Japanese-American singer-songwriter would make her return so soon. Known for expertly evoking soul-crushing sadness and capturing the spiral all too common to those who struggle with being perceived,
For her surprise return, The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We, Mitski has turned her painful lens outward, with an earthy and uncomplicated arrangement that was inspired by recording in Nashville, Texas. Some tracks can bridge into campfire folk songs, saved by an orchestral swell or the unexpected addition of a 13-voice choir that crops up throughout.
Utilising characters in her songwriting has become standard – perhaps necessary – for Mitski to share her emotional vulnerability with her ever-increasing audience. On ‘I Don’t Like My Mind’, she sings as a traumatised workaholic, and it’s not hard to hear the similarities. Despite not having the “big hitters” of previous releases, the intimate offering felt like a sensible move following the stratospheric success and relentless fandom that encroached on her previous work – and almost made her quit it all.
METTE, METTENARRATIVE
Listen: on the dancefloor
While Mette is yet to release her debut album, we’re already crushing over her debut EP release which dropped in September. The American dancer-actor-musician spent the pandemic locked down in the UK where she began crafting her sound, releasing ‘Petrified’ in 2021 before the breathtaking ‘Mama’s Eyes’ at the start of the year. Taking inspiration from powerhouses like Prince, Janet Jackson and Robyn, her music thus far already hints at her versatility, spanning dance, funk, trap, gospel, and pop.
Her background in movement not only means the music videos are stellar (see the above ‘Van Gogh’ for my favourite music video of the year), but she knows how to utilise infectious beats and catchy hooks to get our bodies moving. We can’t wait to see what Mette does in 2024 – and in the meantime, we’ll be playing the EP on loop.
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