From indie to pop, rock, and even a little R&B and hip hop, my favorite artists and albums of 2019 are many and diverse. I couldn’t narrow my list down to 10, so this year I present my 15 favorite albums of 2019 (plus a bunch of honorable mentions at the end that I couldn’t leave out). I was fortunate enough to see a lot of these artists play live this year, too – 9 out of my top 15 – some for the first time ever!
Hope you find something new here that you can add into your regular rotation. Here’s to more great music in 2020! *clink*
»» Click to listen to my Best of 2019 playlist on Spotify. ««
Leave some of your favorite artists/albums/songs of 2019 in the comments for ya girl.
Taylor Swift, Lover
What else can be said about Lover that hasn’t already been said? It’s Taylor Swift at her best. I’m a fan of a classic T. Swift breakup song as much as the next guy, but there’s something to be said for deeply contented love songs, especially if they sound as good as these. Lover feels like holding hands on a sunny day and an explosion of glitter gently floating down to the floor at the same time. Also, Cruel Summer is one of the most well-crafted pop songs to exist and is my most-played song of the year.
Harry Styles, Fine Line
I admit I’m not an objective source for Harry Styles content, but every review from every major outlet I’ve read has sung Harry’s praises over Fine Line, so I think I’m right about this one. His sophomore album somehow manages to marry experimental 70s swirliness with modern pop/rock hooks in a way that doesn’t feel disjointed or overwrought. It’s both intimate and fun, sensitive and sexy. From ballads like Falling and Fine Line to bops like Adore You and Sunflower Vol. 6, this album just feels really, really good.
Mike Adams at His Honest Weight, There Is No Feeling Better
Every time Mike releases new music, I tell him he’s never sounded better, and I’ve never been wrong. There Is No Feeling Better is like hearing 11 songs for the first time but feeling like you’ve known them forever. That familiarity gives every track its own charm and warmth while still revealing a new little surprise on every listen. I’ve laughed (Olivia), I’ve cried (Wonderful to Love), I’ve danced (Do You One Better). This album is a little bit of everything all at once, in the best way possible.
*Saw live in 2019
Lizzo, Cuz I Love You
2019 needed Lizzo, and thankfully, she was here for us. I was so excited for the release of this album because I’ve loved her singles from the past few years (Good as Hell, Truth Hurts, Fitness, Boys) and was hoping she would deliver. Even though the new content has been overshadowed by a couple songs that came out 2 years ago, Cuz I Love You still slays with its original 11 tracks. If you can listen to this album and not immediately believe you’re a powerful woman who can conquer the world, I can’t help you.
*Saw live in 2019
Kishi Bashi, Omoiyari
Omoiyari is one of the most beautiful conceptual pieces of music I’ve ever heard. Listening to it in the context of life and love in 1940s Japanese internment camps makes every song that much more intricate and heartbreaking. (I highly recommend reading more about the inspiration and background that went into it.) Each story is brought to life not only through often-heavy lyrics, but also through layers and layers of dynamic string arrangements that tell a story all their own. It’s really a masterpiece.
*Saw live in 2019
Jenny Lewis, On the Line
I haven’t always loved Jenny Lewis’ solo material, but On the Line is so straightforward and simple in the best way that it’s hard not to like. Most songs are just piano or guitar and drums – nothing fancy – but the overall feel is dreamy in its sparseness. And in her typical style, even the catchiest songs are actually kind of bummers: Party Clown, Red Bull & Hennessy, Wasted Youth. Listening to sad lyrics through that happy façade is part of the fun of this album.
Vampire Weekend, Father of the Bride
This album is like if Paul Simon, The Grateful Dead, and Bon Iver had a baby. At no point would I say Father of the Bride is rockin, but I really love the slower folk/country thread that binds all of these songs together. Danielle Haim is featured on multiple tracks, and it works so well I kind of wish she would join the band. It’s definitely not the spunky upbeat Vampire Weekend we first heard in 2008 with their self-titled debut, but it’s the perfect summertimey album and demands an open sunroof.
*Saw live in 2019
Better Oblivion Community Center, Better Oblivion Community Center
When I heard that Phoebe Bridgers and Conner Oberst were forming a two-person supergroup, I was pretty intrigued. Before this album came out, I read that Phoebe Bridgers said it wouldn’t be cheesy duets, which, I’m happy to report, is accurate. She’s definitely the star on this project. Although a lot of the lyrics sound more like Conner Oberst, songs like Chesapeake and Sleepwalkin’ really showcase her writing and voice. The two almost always sing in unison and it doesn’t get stale, even after 10 tracks.
Jimmy Eat World, Surviving
Although Surviving had a very low bar from the start (JEW’s last record was meh), it’s a pleasantly surprising return to what keeps Jimmy Eat World on my radar: rock tunes that are also catchy af and also sometimes make me cry. This one is less crying and more rocking with unapologetically big, catchy hooks. The more sensitive moments are my favorite, though, especially Delivery, which I think is one of the best songs in their entire catalog.
*Saw live in 2019
Khalid, Free Spirit
I wouldn’t describe myself as a person who really loves R&B (unless we’re talking hits of the 90s variety. I’m looking at you, Usher.), but Khalid is an exception to that generality. Free Spirit continues his style of embracing an array of interesting guitar techniques and mixes them with familiar drum beats that beg me to dance in my kitchen in a way that I’m sure is very attractive. His voice makes every song sound effortlessly sexy and cool.
Noah Gundersen, Lover
Lover was released on the same date as – and is, perhaps, the antithesis to – Taylor Swift’s album of the same name. This Lover is a collection of bummer love songs that make it clear Noah Gundersen has no idea what to do with love, and who can’t relate to that? The instrumentation and production that give these songs depth (like on Lover and Audrey Hepburn) could be stripped down to just guitar or piano and still sound just as beautiful (like on Wild Horses and Kamikaze).
Carly Rae Jepsen, Dedicated
In a year dominated by pop albums atop my list, it would be a crime not to include this gem. It took 4 years for a follow-up to the iconic Emotion, but I think it was worth the wait. Dedicated has both heart and range. There’s a hint of doowop I’ll Be Your Girl, Everything He Needs, and Feels Right. I hear the influence of 90s girl groups in Automatically in Love and Want You in My Room. And Party for One and Now That I Found You are just unapologetically CRJ bops.
*Saw live in 2019
Maggie Rogers, Heard It In a Past Life
The first time I heard Maggie Rogers was her performance of Light On on SNL. I fell in love immediately and cried little bit, which was both weird and unsurprising for me. I expected Heard It In a Past Life to be some version of a folk album based on that introduction, but it surprised me with a blend of beats, power balladry, and quirky percussion. I don’t know if she’s found her “sound” yet, but this album kind of sounds like HAIM’s distant baby cousin, and I’m not mad about it.
*Saw live in 2019
Ra Ra Riot, Superbloom
I loved Ra Ra Riot’s last album Need Your Light so much that I was worried their next release wouldn’t stack up. Thankfully it didn’t disappoint. Like its predecessor, Superbloom is full of electro-pop songs that sound cheery even if the lyrics indicate otherwise. The vocals on songs like Dangerous, and Bad to Worse are impressive to me every single time. That falsetto is just *chef’s kiss*. If you want to have a very happy 4 minutes, roll down your windows and listen to Backroads on a sunny day. You’re welcome.
*Saw live in 2019
The National, I Am Easy to Find
For me, The National is always a pleasantly predictable indie staple. I Am Easy to Find is a departure from the rest of their catalog in that it includes female vocalists on nearly every song, including Sharon Van Etten and Lisa Hannigan, and even a choir in a few places, adding a softer, more ethereal layer to the overall collection than I’ve ever heard from them before. On every listen, I find a favorite new lyric. It’s an album that continues and continues to unfold.
*Saw live in 2019
Honorable Mentions
Local Natives, Violet Street
Bon Iver, i,i
Chance the Rapper, The Big Day
Betty Who, Betty
The Raconteurs, Help Us Stranger
Steve Marino, Fluff
Charly Bliss, Young Enough
Brittany Howard, Jaime
The Head & The Heart, Living Mirage
Schweikhardt, Keep Me In
Sleeping At Last, Atlas: Enneagram
EXES, Once More, With Feeling
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