My Favorite Releases of 2023
I loved so much of the music that dropped in 2023 that these releases will stay on repeat well into the new year. Some of my favorite artists dropped their best music last year. The new genres, writing choices, and features these artists incorporated into their projects were fantastic and surprisingly healing to see worlds clash. So, in no particular order, here are my personal favorite releases of 2023:
- I Was Mature for My Age but I Was Still A Child — grouptherapy.
For the past 2+ years, I have sufficiently annoyed everyone who knows me (or even follows me) with grouptherapy. They are one of my favorite new groups of the 2020’s and they continue to evolve and blow past all expectations with each release. From 2020 their sound and aesthetic has evolved from an underground rap collective, putting out solid mixtapes, to a full on band of silver-tongued, well-rounded musicians. As the name grouptherapy. denotes, a lot of their themes are reflective of the self, your community, and how you navigate those simultaneously. This album was extremely well written, well arranged, and well mixed. Huge emphasis on the mix because I was blown away after my first listen. Each crisp voice cutting through straight to my core.
I know I said I wasn’t ranking, but I’ll just be honest this was my favorite release all year. It’s extremely unexpected, and flawlessly dynamic given my introduction to them as a rap collective. They seamlessly move from acoustic ballad “club song :(” to the equally sad but upbeat Jersey Club tempo of “Peak.” While still weaving in jazz, punk, and electronic threads throughout. This album just sounds like they’ve matured in sound and spirit 20 years since their last release just in 2022. Attending their opener for Tobi Lou and meeting the band was a perfect way to end my October 2023. And the drum choices across the album were ear candy all around, especially on “smiles :)”
My Top Songs (but i really like them all)
- thatsmycheck.
- smiles :)
- HOT!
- DYSBF!
2. Raven — Kelela
If you’re a Kelela fan, then you and I were both counting down the days until Raven dropped. After a long hiatus, her social media comeback sparked the exciting beginnings of something very new, very fresh. Raven was one of the most sensual, dynamic, cathartic dance albums to be released last year. The second “Washed Away” dropped, I knew this album was going to be flawless; the sonic choices, the visuals, the REMIXES! And in January 2024, she still hasn’t even finished the entire album’s rollout. The water motif communicates a subdued and reflective tone for the entire album. The slower, stiller ballads are perfectly contrasted with the several high energy dance tracks. The sequencing of the album feels like you’re falling deeper into unknown waters. “Washed Away,” marks the moment you’re above the surface barely wading in the water. By “Divorce” the album has shifted to a sound so perfectly still, it feels like you’re at the bottom floor of the ocean. By “Enough for Love” the tone shifts; like someone’s reached a hand (or anchor) out to you, pulling you from the depths of turmoil. It’s the perfect penultimate track before “Far Away” carries you back into “Washed Away”. “Enough” also wonderfully highlights Kelela’s incredible vocals. I cannot wait for the remix album!
My Top Songs (but i really like them all)
- Closure [feat. Rahrah Gabor]
- Happy Ending
- Bruises
- Enough For Love
3. This is Why + Re: This is Why — Paramore
As a dedicated Paramore lover, I was also excited for this new album. Hayley Williams’ 2020 releases held me over the almost 6 year hiatus… but I needed to hear them as a band again. While I absolutely loved the original album, the real reason I included This Is Why in this list was for the Remix album that dropped 9 months later. The remix album really solidified why they continue to be one of my favorite bands of all time. The musicality that they possess is extremely admirable because I haven’t seen a deluxe or remixed album like this in so long. I already really loved the original “You First” release, but hearing Remi Wolf’s version made me extremely giddy. It made me hear the lyrics incredibly differently. Especially on the reimagined versions of Liar and Crave, remixed by Romy and Claud respectively. Domi and JD Beck’s flip of “Big Man Little Dignity” was especially satisfying for me.
The entire album highlights in real time how Paramore has influenced multiple generations of singers, regardless of genres. I also really loved the Sanity demo. It felt very reminiscent of After Laughter, and in a way connects their last release to this one. I experienced Paramore’s music in so many new ways with these albums, there was no question This Is Why + Re: This Is Why were solid 2023 favorites.
My Top Songs (but i really like them all)
- You First (Re: Remi Wolf)
- Running Out of Time (Original)
- The News (both Original + The Linda Lindas’ version)
- Liar (Re: Romy)
4. Take What You Need (TWYN) — Amindi
This album read as the most beautiful love letter to oneself post breakup. Take What You Need is a reminder to graciously keep close the pieces, memories, and lessons that warm you when you reflect on past relationships. A reminder to shed the ones that ultimately burn you. Or even just a reminder to prioritize your needs, no guilt.
Warm is how I describe this album; warm-toned, warm-bodied, and especially fiery at some points. There’s a warmth in the heavy guitars and bass on “so much better” and “do2much.” There’s warmth in the vocal layering on “it’s not feeling good anymore” and “pharrell.” There’s even a warm bittersweet comfort in the lyrics. A huge favorite of mine, “it’s not feeling good anymore” is a reminder that those in love choose to walk in love with each other, everyday. And sometimes you can feel the other person just walking in place, going through motions. It’s my favorite melody, and feels like the most personal piece of storytelling on the album. Besides the Paramore album, TWYN had my favorite collaborations of the year. Jean Carter, Jordan Ward, chlothagod, Frex, and Franny London (a new fave!) all blended beautifully with Amindi’s sound. It elevated my respect for her even more as a songwriter, both for herself and to others. Seeing her live was the cherry on top!
My Top Songs (but i really like them all)
- it’s not feeling good anymore
- big boss [feat. Jean Carter]
- so much better [ feat. Frex]
- i thought you were different
5. JAGUAR II — Victoria Monét
Another long awaited album that came at just the right time. Victoria Monét’s sophomore album JAGUAR II was the perfect sequel to her debut, JAGUAR. This album really took her from being viewed as “underground” or just a songwriter to being seen as as the triple threat she is, in all of her glory.
“On My Mama” literally took the country by storm. And the visuals epitomized the swag, the sexy, and the immaculate choreography from an early 2000’s Ciara video. She has the unique gift of really invoking the sound of the past, and presenting it like a perfect time capsule of sound with new ideas, thoughts, and cheeky metaphors. That’s what songs like “Hollywood” and “Cadillac (A Pimp’s Anthem)” embody for me. She plays with uptempo on “Alright”, and sits just as comfortably on a downtempo love ballad like “How Does It Make You Feel.” From collaborations with Verdine White and Phillip Bailey, to praises from Janet Jackson, Anita Baker, and Ciara herself — she’s a true embodiment of classic yet modern R&B. Imagine having a love ballad that is officially Anita Baker approved. No-one can say she’s underrated anymore. JAGUAR to JAGUAR II not only shows maturity in sound, but follows Monét’s journey into motherhood and superstardom. And with 7 Grammy nominations for just this one album, her light is shining so brightly everyone can (and will) see it now.
My Top Songs (but i really like them all)
- Cadillac (A Pimp’s Anthem)
- On My Mama
- Good Bye
- Stop Askin’ Me 4 Shyt tied w/ Alright (too hard)
6. REAL B*TCHES DON’T DIE! — Kari Faux
Yeah so. All I can say is this album is my girl’s best one yet. EASILY. With features from Big K.R.I.T and Devin the Dude, and THEE Gangsta Boo, Kari Faux delivered a love letter to the South with Real B*tches Don’t Die. As always, I was excited for new music. But what Kari Faux gave us was the best tribute to the late Southern great Gangsta Boo and the Three-6 Mafia sound. “White Caprice” is really that special. Just months after Gangsta Boo’s passing on January 1st 2023, Kari Faux had announced the feature on this upcoming album. I never even thought I would see these two very influential rappers to me on a song together, let alone a posthumous record. I genuinely love Kari Faux for that. From “H-TOWN” to “DOG” Kari Faux is in her rapper bag for REAL. I’ve always loved her word and intonation play, but she really was switching it up, back, and forth the entire album.
The album was beautifully crafted, each song reminiscent of a different 90’s sonic memory. “DOG” is really a standout for me where she turned down the beat, and upped the lyricism. Both Faux and Devin the Dude spit this funny dog wordplay, but also deliver it in the most sensual yet raunchy way. And the “DOG” hook is easily my favorite on the album. The contrasting b-side is much slower, quieter and more reflective at points. It delivered the Cry 4 Help stream of consciousness rap especially on “DRUNK WORDS, SOBER THOUGHTS,” my favorite off the album. She rattles off her thoughts no filter juxtaposing being drunk (substitute: needy) and being sober (substitute: aloof). On one had, we all want the fortitude to ask for what we need, to demand softness, space, and patience from others. In the same breath, none of us can be bothered to look helpless... “I need the space to be soft” was such a good line I needed communicated to me in that way. To me, it offers many meanings and in every way, I agree and I love that song. I also love the collaboration (and love story <3 ) between her and Chicago artist Phoelix. It’s inspiring to see people in love creating a body of work together, and performing it for us to experience! If you’re not listening to her yet, you need to get hip immediately.
My Top Songs (but i really like them all)
- WHITE CAPRICE [feat. Gangsta Boo]
- DRUNK WORDS, SOBER THOUGHTS
- H-TOWN
- DOG [feat. Devin the Dude]
7. Sundial — Noname
As a long time Noname fan, each release brings new things to read/watch and new musicians to follow, especially from Chicago. Yet another long-awaited sequel to her last album in 2018, this release marked a completely different headspace for the Chicago born rapper. After what felt like a complete shift from music into being an active educator and organizer, many didn’t expect her to return with an album period. Especially not one featuring Common! For me, Noname writes about the past, present, and future, in a way that reminds me of a classic Octavia Butler story. There is poetic nostalgia with every line she speaks, but a twinkling, yet terrifying manner in which she imagines the future. I don’t have much to say about why this was my favorite album lyrically of 2023. You just need to go listen. I hung onto every word Noname spoke, and her writing only gets sharper with age. Read more of my review here!
My Top Songs (but i really like them all)
- boomboom [feat. Ayoni]
- potentially the interlude
- beauty supply
- oblivion
8. Girl In the Half Pearl — Liv.e
This album took all year for me to properly digest. I loved each song so much on the first listen, I got the CD release. So I was listening to this in the car all..year..
Liv.e is changing a̶l̶t̶ ̶,̶ ̶R̶&̶B̶,̶ ̶s̶o̶u̶l̶ music as we speak. She’s another really interesting “weaver of sounds.” This album especially feels like vignettes weaved together, each living in its own world but strung together with Liv.e’s falsetto melodies and screams of spoken word. I especially love the screams throughout, it adds just the right level of unhinged for me. Honestly there’s a ton of beautiful unhinged moments, from the cacophony of saxes and voices on “Clowns,” to the switch up of “HowTheyLikeMe!” into “Snowing!” It’s almost hilarious, and exactly how my brain operates anyway. HowTheyLikeMe! (audio and video) is really the centerpiece for me. I really appreciate her creative ability to manifest imagery through sound, and her songwriting is so unique. I also loved the GITHP Remixes, especially the “HowTheyLikeMe!” Remix. The pockets she finds are always unexpected, and fantastic everytime. As someone who likes to be surprised in music, every body of work from her is a trip. This release alone is so different from the first album I heard from her, Couldn’t Wait To Tell You…It excites me for where she goes next. Amazing album(s) to listen to in the car. Texas girls do it best for real!
My Top Songs (but i really like them all)
- Glass Shadows
- HowTheyLikeMe!
- Find Out
- RESET!
9. The Age of Pleasure — Janelle Monaé
This should literally be on everyone’s 2023 favorites. This album quite literally defined summer 2023, and introduced us to Janelle Monae’s world of sensuality, pleasure, and ultra-exclusive pool parties of attractive queer people. An unapologetically sexy 30 mins of party and affirmative anthems; transporting me to a block party in Chicago or to a concert in the heart of Accra.
This was a favorite simply because of the Track 4 to Track 8 run. “Phenomenal” brought a great collaboration between Monaé and Doechii, leading into the best song on the album “Haute”, leading into an interlude featuring the sensual musings of Grace Jones, to the standout single “Lipstick Lover,” and finishing off with the cool-toned Amaarae and Nia Long collaboration The Rush. Like WOW. Like Kari Faux’s RBDD, I absolutely loved the upbeat A-side on this album, with the gentle B-side, especially when we get to “A Dry Red.” Janelle Monaé, has also made history in 2023 as the inaugural winner of the BET “Spirit of Soul” award, that was originally named “Lady of Soul.” It’s pretty crazy to see a Black award show honor not only Monae’s talent but their non-binary identity enough to to change the name. Everyone feels Monaé’s impact on music since the late 2000’s; their art, their music, their words carry so much warmth, so much soul that draws people in and fearlessly inspires. A win for the gays and theys!
My Top Songs (but i really like them all)
- Haute
- Phenomenal [feat. Doechii]
- Lipstick Lover
- The Rush [feat. Nia Long & Amaarae]
10. SOS — SZA
Yes this came out in Dec 2022, and yes it’s consistently been in rotation over a year later. This album oddly defined my 2023. Each month I found myself relating deeply to a different song or a certain stanza that would stay on repeat. Being the most long-awaited album on this list, I had to take my time. Mostly because I wanted to understand where SZA was going; away from the acoustic and bright sounds of Ctrl? Closer to a darker pop-R&B sound? I realized quickly, it didn’t matter what sonic palette SZA plays around with. Her writing is the solid, untenable through-line in her music. Her elegiac storytelling reaches new heights; producing single “Kill Bill” and even visually with the “Shirt” music video.
Her melodic puzzle pieces shimmer beautifully amidst her raincloud thoughts. Like the ways she weaves in a bit of Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You” on “Love Language.” Her spoken interludes give detail, texture, and context to this storyline. We hear the familiar sweet words of advice from SZA’s grandmother on “Open Arms”, to reflections on “Far” on how rejection can also be freeing. The entire album is beautifully sequenced, with a beautiful mix. The track placement of “Gone Girl” was perfect, and it invoked just the right amount of drama in the story’s arc. It has become one of my favorite SZA songs of all time. This was a 2022 release, but 2023 is where it shined — where SZA herself really shined. I’m not holding her to a deluxe now… or any new music at that lol. But I just know every future release will further solidify her as a generational impact.
My Top Songs (but i really like them all)
- Gone Girl
- Love Language
- Seek and Destroy
- Forgiveless [feat. Ol’ Dirty Bastard]
Here are some standout singles that I also loved this year:
Favorite Singles/ Songs
Letter to myself — Hannah Jadagu
Still — Jamila Woods
Dreamer — Laufey
NO SZNS — Jean Dawson [feat. SZA]
fbg$ — Poet 22
Falmouth, Trelawny — TWEAKS
Fave New Artists
- Tweaks — I think I first heard Tongue Tied, and went deeper into her catalogue immediately. And then I couldn’t stop playing New Drugs off Raveena’s Asha’s Awakening. By the time Move San, Let Gate released I was already a fan. I could not stop playing Plastic Beach and Falmouth, Trelawny. Beautiful, cool, weird music she makes. Her interlude, A Mother’s Offering especially grabbed me. It’s a vulnerable interlude that sat with me. It made me listen to more of the emotional intention in the instrumentation rather than just hearing cool sonic choices.
- Arima Ederra — With Arima Ederra, I was just upset I hadn’t found her before… let alone her GOLDEN album An Orange Colored Day. Wow. I have no words to describe the euphoria I felt finding this for the first time. It’s such a whimsically-somber-interesting album all the way throughout. It’s really lovely and I returned to it over and over (and over). Another fantastic songwriter.
Happy New Year! In 2024 you’ll see me here way more often :)
