// Photos courtesy of the artists. Image by Bea Wall-Feng

We asked our DJs to write about some of their favorite albums of 2023. The following list is in descending order of the number of votes an album received. Roll it:

5 votes

Kali Uchis, Red Moon In Venus

// Courtesy of Geffen Records

Kali Uchis has risen to pop stardom over the last 10 years with her three phenomenal previous albums: Por Vida (2015), Isolation (2018), and Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) (2020), all of which have blended R&B and Latin pop in unique ways. Her 2023 album, Red Moon In Venus, is another landmark project that showcases Uchis’s lush silky vocals, dreamy synth instrumentals, and brazen storytelling. Even from the opening 25-second track “in My Garden,” the listener can tell that this album will be a bold testament to Uchis’s love for herself and for others. The next track, “I Wish You Roses,” deepens these themes, with Uchis singing: “While I’m here, I’m someone to honor / When I’m gone, I’m someone to mourn.” Indeed, at the end of the album, I was left wishing there was more so that I could continue to be swept away in Uchis’s dreamy fantasies. The second half of the album is particularly stunning and includes “Como Te Quiero Yo” and “Hasta Cuando,” two of the more Spanish-heavy tracks on the album. Although I prefer Uchis’s Spanish lyrics over her English ones, I appreciate how well she blended the two languages together throughout this album. Next time you’re feeling lovesick, give this one a listen. // Sharmila Dey ’25

4 votes

Hozier, Unreal Unearth

// Courtesy of Columbia Records

Lush, elegiac, and yet somehow anthemic, listening to Hozier’s latest album Unreal Unearth is like being swept along by a maelstrom of raw emotion. The Irish singer-songwriter updates his sound without losing the lyricism that has made him a critical and commercial darling. Production that perfectly blends rock and pop unearths the album’s emotional depth, allowing his audience to scream along to unsurprisingly deep lyrics. Each listen through the album is a revelation as it weaves together threads of Dante’s Inferno, environmentalism, and heartbreak and invites new interpretations. Yet even as these vastly different themes resurface and swirl throughout the album’s 16 songs, they never overwhelm the project. Instead, each song maintains its own strong identity, with standouts like “First Time” and “Francesca” exploring the ways in which a breakup can feel calamitous and hellish. When the last chord plays, Hozier’s newest album will have listeners screaming put me back in it and clicking play all over again. // Daniel Pinckney ’24

3 votes

Amaarae, Fountain Baby

// Courtesy of Golden Angel

The world of Fountain Baby is wet and wondrous. Grounded primally in themes of water and sex, the album’s luxurious, richly arranged tracks extol the mania of desire and the punishing stasis of comedown over consistently beautiful (and sometimes dazzling) instrumentation. On the single “Wasted Eyes” — an incendiary look into a regretful love affair — a softly plucked koto precedes a bone-crushing drumbeat. Elsewhere, Caribbean steel drums reverberate beneath Amaarae’s purring falsetto. Its embarrassment of sonic riches might tempt one to categorize Amaarae’s most recent project beneath the troublesome phrase “world music”; just as she draws from this world, however, it’s clear that Amaarae is bent on imagining a new one. And Fountain Baby’s concepts are as creative as its sounds — “Sociopathic Dance Queen” conjures a horny, haunted, hallucinogenic pool party, while the stadium-rock closer “Come Home to God” sees Amaarae beckoning her poledancer alter-ego “Alimony Ama” to submit to an irreverent, decadent religion, of which Amaarae herself might be the main deity. Before a manic wash of electric guitar closes out the album, she croons, drawing out the last word: “Shawty say she love me like she love the Lord / When I’m in that pussy I’m above the law.” // Chase Melton ’25

Blondshell, Blondshell

// Courtesy of Partisan Records

Last November, Sabrina Mae Teitelbaum — Blondshell — opened for Liz Phair at Roadrunner. This specific pairing could have very well been interpreted as a symbolic passing of the female alternative rock guard: Phair, well-settled into her golden years, was seemingly happy to be outshined by Teitelbaum, who was still growing into her own stage presence.

Blondshell marks an imperative stage in the evolution of female alternative rock as the genre fights for its spot in the cloud. The lyrical content of the album (“Kiss City,” “Olympus,” “It Wasn’t Love”) mirrors that of its turn-of-the-century predecessors, including Phair’s Exile in Guyville: pain, desire, and the ugliness of lust that often precedes the hopelessness of love. Unlike the grunge-y kick that defined much of the rock music coming out of the ’90s, however, Blondshell takes the edge off of its sound, smoothing out electric guitar instrumentals and blaring vocals for a result that is soft yet striking and easy on the ears (“Sepsis,” “Cartoon Earthquake,” “Joiner”). It catches your attention with a nudge on the arm rather than a slap on the face.

In her self-titled album, Blondshell attempts to preserve a genre slowly being rejected by the algorithms that run our world. By fitting baseline characteristics to digital-age outlines, Teitelbaum pushes alternative rock forward into the present day while paying homage to the women that came before her. // Ethan Phan ’25

boygenius, the record

// Courtesy of Interscope Records

The boys are back in town, and they’re better than ever. The long-awaited debut album from the indie rock supergroup features the best of its members. Phoebe Bridgers’s darkly funny, yet ever melancholy falsetto is a terrifying phantom of regret on “Emily, I’m Sorry.” Julien Baker’s cathartic, guitar-powered lines drive the cathartic “$20.” Lucy Dacus’s nostalgia-dripping contralto is on full display on “We’re in Love,” a bittersweet contemplation on yearning. Yet, the record truly shines on several phenomenally produced tracks, where the group’s distinctive sound is somehow more than the sum of its parts. “Not Strong Enough” is the album’s centerpiece, showcasing devastating harmonies and a divine mix of songwriting influences. “Always an angel, never a god,” the trio belts to each other in the most stirring bridge of the year. Perhaps the only thing that exceeds our love for boygenius is their love for each other. The group’s devotion to one another on tour and in the media is an uplifting reminder of what music-making can be. In both process and substance, the record is a vulnerable portrait of learning how to love and be loved. // Andrew Choe ’26

PinkPantheress, Heaven Knows

// Courtesy of Warner Music

PinkPantheress creates a highly stylized ambience out of 2000s nostalgia, bedroom suburbia, and apathetic angst in her debut album, Heaven knows. While the signature characteristics of her sound are present — the airy vocals, the hushed drum and bass loops — I appreciate the wider variety of instrumentation and polished production that grows her style in new directions. Worthy of special mention is single “Capable of love,” a track that evokes catharsis of epic proportions. Whispered verses pair with a soft acoustic guitar, while a grungier chorus swamped with sound takes the intensity of that pining and propels it outward in earnest. The lyrics portray the specific feeling of longing for someone else’s love while also harboring a fixation with heartbreak: “I'm obsessed with the idea that one day it breaks up / 'cause after that, I know I'll never be as capable of love.” Heaven knows is full of these nuanced vignettes; it ought to be listened to while lying upside-down over the edge of a bed, watching a ceiling fan spin dizzying circles in the air, musing listlessly about love. // Theo Teng ’27

2 votes

Chappell Roan, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess

// Courtesy of Island Records

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Fortunately for rising superstar Chappell Roan, a rhinestone tiara is light enough to dance in. With an ease belying her youth, Roan delivers in her debut album 14 tracks truly befitting of pop royalty. Playing in turn the role of pageant queen, magician, cheerleader, she-devil, and — of course — reigning Midwest princess, Roan serves up a potent dose of eighties synth and aughts pop meant for playing at full volume, on repeat. Studded with hit singles and cheeky refrains, this album is unabashedly spirited in its pursuit of all that glitters: young love (“Casual”), young lust (“Red Wine Supernova”), club lights (“After Midnight”), and sweet, sweet revenge (“My Kink is Karma”). So to the lonely hearts nursing old flames; to the divas in want of an anthem to belt with friends; and to anyone who could use some serious fun, look no further: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess has it all. // Grace Carlson ’23.5

Kara Jackson, Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love?

// Courtesy of September Recordings

Kara Jackson’s debut full-length album Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love? marks her professional pivot from poetry (she’s a National Youth Poet Laureate) to music (she plays guitar, banjo, and piano, and writes and sings every song on the LP). But perhaps that’s oversimplifying. After all, Jackson’s poems are music, and her music is poetry. Jackson’s naked prose, accompanied by sparse folk instrumentals, is, to borrow her words, “sharper than a jewel.” Her deceptively simple compositions relay the complications of love — the love unreturned, the love we reject, the love that’s false, the love that costs, the love that remains after everything else is gone. The album is dedicated to her childhood best friend, Maya-Gabrielle Gary, who died from cancer in 2016. Jackson’s voice rings clear and thick, rich with pain and desire, echoing in your head for days, leaving lyrics that stick to your ribs, enduring. // Amber Levis ’25

Olivia Rodrigo, GUTS

// Courtesy of Geffen Records

“I am light as a feather, I’m as stiff as a board,” Olivia Rodrigo sings, dredging up a phrase from my memory. Like her, I participated in tween girl sleepovers in the 2010s. She sings confidently, slyly from this opening line of the first, decisive track of her sophomore album, GUTS. “all-american bitch” is about the absurdity of the cultural expectations placed on young American women. But then Rodrigo responds to these expectations with her own seamless and superhuman feat, nailing the song’s sweetly melodic verses and its crashing guitar choruses. Throughout the album, I remain awed at the way that Olivia does it all. She offers us lyrics that are vulnerable and earnest, genuinely hilarious, stubborn, cutting, self-aware. She is a star student of music history, proudly wearing her diverse influences on her sleeve. Her voice shines, leaping registers and styles not just across but within each song. Standouts “vampire” and “teenage dream” could be successful simply as piano ballads — instead they reach higher, campier, angrier. In 2023, I felt lucky to be coming of age alongside Olivia Rodrigo. // Mika Simoncelli ’23.5

Sampha, Lahai

// Courtesy of Young

UK R&B artist Sampha is no stranger to the elusive — his last album dropped over six years ago, and bar a few features, he’s remained relatively distant from the music industry. However, his sophomore LP Lahai proves that the best things in life take time. Lahai, named after his grandfather, sees Sampha put his entire musical toolbelt to use, from employing deep, eerie vocals over cyclical piano leads on “Dancing Circles” to piercing, minimalistic staccato on “Spirit 2.0.” His music is soulful, electric, and audibly varied, with an evident growth in musical maturity from his last LP. However, perhaps what is most special about Lahai is the personal development demonstrated in his lyricism — littered throughout the LP are allegories and references to Richard Bach’s novella Jonathan Livingston Seagull, allowing Sampha to present his own personal reflections on freedom and self-realization. With sprinkled odes to family, peace, and healing intertwined with meticulously placed synths and drums, Lahai is an experience that melds youthful exuberance alongside the wisdom of age. Above all, Sampha proves that art is made best when not done on a business schedule — and that he can take as long with his art as he likes. // Hunter Haynes ’27

Tyler Childers, Rustin’ in the Rain

// Courtesy of RCA

In the midst of the heavily produced and commercialized country music that has dominated the genre for three decades, distinct traditions survive, often crudely cobbled together, under the “alt-country” format. By far the most dominant has been the modern reimagination of the age-old “outlaw” tradition that thrives in the music of upstart stars like Sturgill Simpson, Colter Wall, and Tyler Childers. Rustin’ in the Rain, though, marks a striking departure for Childers, who opts for a sensitive, warm, upbeat, and emotionally rich sound — a true, unapologetically country vibe without a hint of gruffness or machismo. The album, while unmistakably country, introduces delicate piano work and an ethereal full-band sound amidst the twang of the pedal steel guitar. Tracks like “Phone Calls and Emails” and the hit “In Your Love” exude the soul and softness of Keith Whitley and Ronnie Milsap, Childers’ distinctive crooning echoing a vulnerability uncommon even in his own work. The tracks continue the venerable country tradition of meandering through every topic under the sun with humor and profundity: “Percheron Mules” is a four-minute romance between draft horses and donkeys that is somehow both artful and hilarious. Noteworthy covers of Kris Kristofferson's “Help Me Make it Through the Night” and S.G. Goodman’s “Space and Time” are perhaps the highlights of the album, with the former track in particular now indisputably one of the finest covers of this classic in existence. Rustin’ in the Rain catapults Tyler Childers along an axis of sentimentality and delicacy abandoned in the ‘80s — a must-listen for those who don't believe modern country music can still jerk a tear. // Ashwin Sivakumar ’26

1 vote

The Brook & The Bluff, Bluebeard

// Courtesy of The Brook & The Bluff

“A gateway into a place of weightlessness.” That’s how frontman Joseph Settine described his vision for Bluebeard in our interview last October, and The Brook & The Bluff hit the nail right on the head. Hit play and drift away into their ethereal soundscape, replete with enchanting melodies and intimate lyricism. Between the glittery guitar riffs and stunning vocal harmonies, The Brook and The Bluff explore some of the most beautiful and agonizing aspects of the human experience: relationships, memories, depression, nature, and time. The album is at once a tribute to their Alabama roots and a testament to their artistic maturity, pushing the boundaries of indie music by incorporating techniques from soul, folk, classical, rock, americana, pop, and jazz. From the breezy opener “Normal Things” to the cathartic titular finale “Bluebeard,” every track adds its own color and meaning to the greater whole, resulting in a musical kaleidoscope that is nothing short of dazzling. Bluebeard is truly a no-skip album — one that will leave you feeling whole and refreshed listen after listen. // Julia David ’26

Del Water Gap, I Miss You Already + I Haven't Left Yet

// Courtesy of Mom + Pop

The second album from S. Holden Jaffe, better known as Del Water Gap, was not only my most anticipated album of the year, but also an exploration by an artist unafraid to embrace the good and ugly feelings we all have. I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet, titled after a note written by Jaffe’s grandfather to his grandmother, speaks to the heartbreak and struggles encountered through his life as a relatively new artist. Standout songs like “All We Ever Do is Talk,” “Beach House,” and “Coping on Unemployment” hide painful messages of lovesickness and frustration behind their upbeat tunes. In concert, his personality shines bright with a tantalizing (or for some, thirst-trapping) performance that left audiences (read: me) yearning for more of his brooding ballads. // Nicki Bugliosi ’24

Joanna Sternberg, I've Got Me

// Courtesy of Fat Possum Records

This is Joanna Sternberg’s feel-good album. Not like a silly rom-com; this is a genuine project of self-repair. Not in a corporatized self-help way, but in an earnest, painfully relatable way. They wrote these songs while quarantined in their room, the soft strumming of their guitar and occasionally keys as their sole accompaniment on the album. They open with the titular song, singing, “Between self-hatred and self-awareness is a very small, thin line.” This is an album of extreme self-awareness. They call themself out for every time they’ve failed, including every time they’ve failed to love themself. My favorite song on this album is “I’ll Make You Mine,” a song that on its surface is a love plot of what would indeed make for a good rom-com. But I’d like to think that, as Sternberg sings to the litter of childhood toys and diaries pictured on the album cover, they sing a song of themself; like Walt Whitman, their “I”s and “you”s are interchangeable. They are singing to themself in the comfort of their cozy alone-ness, and we are comfortably alone with them. // Amber Levis ’25

Mali Velasquez, I’m Green

// Courtesy of Acrophase Records

Mali Velasquez’s debut album I’m Green is a subtle masterpiece, an investigation into maturity and grief that is both universal and highly individual. Velasquez, whose young adulthood in the American South inspired a indie-rock-folk blend with double-tracked string production, has a haunting voice — at times scratchy and uneven, at times bright and clear — a voice that compliments the pain of lyrics like “I try not to think of you / So I don’t think at all” and “Please don’t turn blue / I’m green, I’m you.” The opening track, “Bobby,” begins as an acoustic archive of Velasquez’s mother’s death and delves into crashing drums and a collage of noise, packaging the chaos of loss into a seamless blend. It’s followed by the softer song “Shove,” which finds acceptance in the lyrics “Ow that hurts / But I don’t care / ‘Cause at least I can feel you there.” I’m Green hurts in its raw simplicity, and provides a cathartic response to loss, closure to an unanswerable question. // Charlotte Stokes ’27

MARO, hortelã

// Courtesy of Secca Records

hortelã, Portuguese for spearmint, is another stunning release from Lisbon-born MARO, the singer-songwriter behind Eurovision hits and collabs with musicians like Jacob Collier and Eric Clapton. Released less than a year after her 2022 album can you see me?, hortelã returns MARO to her traditional acoustic and Portuguese-language roots. She pairs her soft straight tone with a guitar that acts less like an instrument and more like a second voice, telling intricate stories of love and yearning in a universal language. With quiet hopeful tracks (“oxalá,” “ouvi dizer”) and songs of understated sadness (“juro que vis flores,” “just wanna forget you”), hortelã’s simplicity is perfect for a rainy day and a cup of tea. In the title track, MARO sings “te canto a vida toda” — I sing to you an entire lifetime. And I sure hope she does. // Charlotte Stokes ’27

Metro Boomin, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (Soundtrack From And Inspired By The Motion Picture)

// Courtesy of Republic Records

It’s a welcome surprise when a movie soundtrack has one or two good songs on it, but when the album itself can stand independently of the film, it’s cause for celebration. Fortunately for fans of Spider-Man, Metro Boomin’s vast web of connections allowed him to create a project that works both within and without the movie. Effortlessly flowing between styles and artists, the album has a little bit of something for everyone and earworms galore. Features from A$AP Rocky, Nas, and James Blake — to name just a few — allow the soundtrack to explore a wide-ranging soundscape that perfectly captures the overwhelming feeling growing up. No song sums it up quite like “Hummingbird,” a pure expression of how young love can completely change your worldview. Metro Boomin’s production keeps everything cohesive and interesting as it plays with echo effects, plucky synths, and digitized instrumentation that create the beating heart powering the album. Uniting a veritable super team of modern hip-hop, rap, and R&B stars, Metro Boomin crafted a superhero soundtrack that reminds listeners that anyone can wear the mask — maybe even you. // Daniel Pinckney ’24

Sam Barber, Million Eyes

// Courtesy of Atlantic

Sam Barber’s debut EP Million Eyes is an embodiment of youth, with the anxieties and hopes of an idealistic teenager reckoning with his newfound agency. This eight-track EP, with six original songs and two covers, was produced by Eddie Spear, bringing Spear’s necessary experience from two Zach Bryan albums. Spear shines through on “Ghost Town,” a refreshing take on the small-town theme popular in the genre. Fiddles and drums characterize the tension between Barber’s nostalgia for his childhood and his yearning to break free from its dying traditions. These raw, vulnerable lyrics weave a tapestry of heartache and hope under the vast Western sky. The title track, an ode to new beginnings, sets the tone perfectly: “There’s a million eyes watching me,” Barber sings, facing his newfound scrutiny with intention, optimism, and defiance. “Million Eyes” is a glimpse into the soul of a young artist on the verge. It’s a messy, imperfect masterpiece, full of contradictions and complexities. But beneath the surface lies a powerful voice, unafraid to bear its wounds. This is more than just country music; it's the sound of a heart finding its rhythm, and it makes young listeners eager to grow alongside the 19-year-old Missourian. // Carly Brail ’26

Seventeen, FML

// Courtesy of Pledis Entertainment

Known for their self-produced albums and powerful performances, K-pop group Seventeen is a powerhouse of the industry. This past year, they released their 10th EP, FML, with double lead singles “Fck My Life” and “Super.” The album comprises three full-group songs and a song for the hip hop, vocal, and performance teams each respectively. This allows for a wide variety of sonic themes, as tracks like “April Shower” and “Fck My Life” serve as strong emotional anthems, while “Dust” and “I Don’t Understand but I Luv U” hit softer and more soothing beats. FML has also made multiple industry records as the second most pre-ordered album in South Korean history and the only album in K-pop to sell over three million copies on its release date. It also won Album of the Year at the 2023 MAMA Awards. // Claire Liu ’26

Slowthai, UGLY

// Courtesy of Method Records

The first word in Slowthai’s third studio album is “self-reflection.” The phrase — which the rapper blurts out cynically and follows with panicked panting — joins a suspenseful, lurching synth arpeggio. The resulting combination inspires dread. Within moments, it descends into the chaos that is lead-off track “Yum.” Thus begins UGLY, an album that is a self-reflection in its own capacity. Committed to the gritty, unpredictable sound that fueled his success as a punk-grime artist, Slowthai weaves his usual themes of mania, depression, anger, and recovery into a mature collection of humble ballads. The album’s release follows the birth of his first child and his canceled engagement. The introspective nature of UGLY, therefore, could be attributed to the inconsistency of figures in his life. As opposed to his politically charged debut Nothing Great About Britain and its cocky successor Tyron, UGLY seems to pit Slowthai against Slowthai. Furthermore, it acts as an answer to listeners, recalling formative events and emotional highs to provide some type of reasoning for his infamous behavior. This expectation of honesty only made the news of his subsequent appearance in court for rape charges more unbearable. Whatever its creator’s future may hold, UGLY will always stand as a gut-wrenching testament to the power of self-analysis. // Priya Allen ’27

underscores, Wallsocket

// Courtesy of Mom + Pop

Ever wondered what Turnstile-meets-100-gecs-meets-Avril-Lavigne sounds like? Me neither, but somehow underscores (April Harper Grey) has managed to capture this special, forceful sound. Catchy, loud, and funny, this concept album takes the listener on a journey through the fictional town of Wallsocket, Michigan: a girl running away from home with a ski mask and a gun, two best friends. Each track is unique in sound but comes together with the others to form a cohesive sonic experience underscored by excellent features from Jane Remover, Henhouse!, and Gabby Start. This album’s glitchy quality is addictive, always making me wonder what quirky production will come up next. While the secrets of the mysterious town evaded me on first listen, the music and descriptions of the characters were enough to hook and excite me and kept me coming back time and time again. // Sharmila Dey ’25

Various Artists, Barbie The Album

// Courtesy of Atlantic Records

Mega superstar mashup movie soundtracks are no novel concept, but it's still a refreshing gift to see an album featuring many standout female artists. The hottest movie of the summer, Barbie, was all about girl power, and in that respect, this album is absolutely GIVING. With contributions from Nicki Minaj, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Ice Spice, and Lizzo, to name a few, there's a song for everyone on this album. A highly anticipated collaboration, Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s remix of Aqua’s “Barbie World” found its way onto the playlists of many events of fall ‘23. Pop queen Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” found Billboard success, along with “WATATI” (KAROL G and Aldo Ranks), “What Was I Made For” (Billie Eilish), “Speed Drive” (Charli XCX), and “Angel” (PinkPantheress), indicating that I was not the only one playing these at full volume on repeat. It’s not all girl power though, with powerful contributions from artists like Sam Smith (“Man I Am”), Tame Impala (“Journey to the Real World”), and Dominic Fike (“Hey Blondie”) adding to the fantastical world that the Barbie movie transports us to. There’s even a Ryan Gosling tune thrown in to remind us that the actor is good for more than just beach (and that he has a gorgeous voice). I think it’s safe to say that a once-through listen of this album will remind even the most casual listener that they are Kenough. // Nicki Bugliosi ’24